Question 1

The high rate of poaching of rhinoceros is due mostly to

Accepted Answer

A)  The belief in medicinal value of their horns for 'traditional' medicines 
B)  Overharvesting for their meat and hide 
C)  Introduction of exotic species that compete for their food 
D)  Habitat destruction 
E)  All of these have contributed equally to the decrease in the rhinoceros population 
A)  The belief in medicinal value of their horns for 'traditional' medicines 
B)  Overharvesting for their meat and hide 
C)  Introduction of exotic species that compete for their food 
D)  Habitat destruction 
E)  All of these have contributed equally to the decrease in the rhinoceros population

Question 2

Invasive species

Accepted Answer

A)  flourish in a new environment due to a lack of predators, diseases, or resource limitations. 
B)  are easily controlled. 
C)  rarely invade islands because of their comparative isolation. 
D)  are only plants and animals. 
A)  flourish in a new environment due to a lack of predators, diseases, or resource limitations. 
B)  are easily controlled. 
C)  rarely invade islands because of their comparative isolation. 
D)  are only plants and animals.

Question 3

Habitat fragmentation usually leads to a(n)

Accepted Answer

A)  Decrease in biodiversity 
B)  Reduction in the number of introduced species 
C)  Increase in biodiversity due to the isolated populations 
D)  More stable environment 
A)  Decrease in biodiversity 
B)  Reduction in the number of introduced species 
C)  Increase in biodiversity due to the isolated populations 
D)  More stable environment

Question 4

When Aldo Leopold said, "The first rule to intelligent tinkering is to save all the pieces." In terms of biodiversity he meant that we should

Accepted Answer

A)  Save records of all species that have disappeared 
B)  Not interfere with the disappearance of species 
C)  Not cause species to disappear 
D)  Not interfere with nature 
E)  Aldo Leopold did not intend to have this statement applied to biodiversity 
A)  Save records of all species that have disappeared 
B)  Not interfere with the disappearance of species 
C)  Not cause species to disappear 
D)  Not interfere with nature 
E)  Aldo Leopold did not intend to have this statement applied to biodiversity

Question 5

The acronym that stands for habitat destruction, invasive species, pollution, human population, and overharvesting is

Accepted Answer

A)  HIPHO 
B)  HDIAPHPO 
C)  HIPPO 
D)  DIPPS 
E)  None of these 
A)  HIPHO 
B)  HDIAPHPO 
C)  HIPPO 
D)  DIPPS 
E)  None of these

Question 6

Using specific examples, discuss four ways that humans benefit from biodiversity.

Accepted Answer

Should include some of the following, bu

Question 7

One of the reasons humans rely heavily on only a few food crops is because

Accepted Answer

A)  We have not explored the cultivation of thousands of edible wild species. 
B)  There are few edible wild species. 
C)  We have already focused on the best tasting species for domestication and cultivation. 
D)  It would be difficult for small farmers to cultivate the fragile wild species. 
E)  All of these factors contribute to a heavy reliance on only a few species. 
A)  We have not explored the cultivation of thousands of edible wild species. 
B)  There are few edible wild species. 
C)  We have already focused on the best tasting species for domestication and cultivation. 
D)  It would be difficult for small farmers to cultivate the fragile wild species. 
E)  All of these factors contribute to a heavy reliance on only a few species.

Question 8

Which of the following is an example of a natural cause of extinction?

Accepted Answer

A)  Freshwater Great Lakes mussels that compete with the Zebra Mussel 
B)  Genetic assimilation as in the case of the hybridization of gray wolves or black ducks with mallards 
C)  The passenger pigeon that went extinct at the beginning of this century 
D)  An insect species in the tropical forest that cannot escape predation by native bird species in the forest 
E)  All of these are examples of a natural cause of extinction 
A)  Freshwater Great Lakes mussels that compete with the Zebra Mussel 
B)  Genetic assimilation as in the case of the hybridization of gray wolves or black ducks with mallards 
C)  The passenger pigeon that went extinct at the beginning of this century 
D)  An insect species in the tropical forest that cannot escape predation by native bird species in the forest 
E)  All of these are examples of a natural cause of extinction

Question 9

What do bacteria, fox glove, Mexican yam, and the rauwolfia plant have in common?

Accepted Answer

A)  They all grow in the same tropical ecosystem 
B)  They all have been discovered by biologists in the last 25 years 
C)  They all are wild species providing us with important medicines 
D)  They all have exciting possibilities for use as human food 
A)  They all grow in the same tropical ecosystem 
B)  They all have been discovered by biologists in the last 25 years 
C)  They all are wild species providing us with important medicines 
D)  They all have exciting possibilities for use as human food

Question 10

The common way that a species is defined in biology (the way it is defined in Chapter 3) is in terms of reproductive isolation. This means that all organisms that are similar enough to

Accepted Answer

A)  Produce fertile offspring in nature 
B)  Look alike 
C)  Fill the same niche 
D)  Occupy the same community 
E)  Live together 
A)  Produce fertile offspring in nature 
B)  Look alike 
C)  Fill the same niche 
D)  Occupy the same community 
E)  Live together

Question 11

The phylogenetic species concept holds that the definition of a species should be

Accepted Answer

A)  based on reproductive compatibility. 
B)  based on branching relationships among species. 
C)  based on evolutionary relationships. 
D)  variable depending on the type of organism. 
A)  based on reproductive compatibility. 
B)  based on branching relationships among species. 
C)  based on evolutionary relationships. 
D)  variable depending on the type of organism.

Question 12

DNA sequencing technology has improved biologists ability to understand ancestral relationships among different kinds of life.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

What percentage of known species are invertebrates?

Accepted Answer

A)  65% 
B)  50% 
C)  75% 
D)  35% 
A)  65% 
B)  50% 
C)  75% 
D)  35%

Question 14

The U.S. Army participated in extermination of the American bison during the mid-1800s because

Accepted Answer

A)  The Army desperately needed meat 
B)  The United States wanted the Great Plains free for agriculture 
C)  The Army needed leather for shoes 
D)  Native people depended on the bison for food and shelter 
E)  None of these, the U.S. Army did not participate in extermination of the American bison 
A)  The Army desperately needed meat 
B)  The United States wanted the Great Plains free for agriculture 
C)  The Army needed leather for shoes 
D)  Native people depended on the bison for food and shelter 
E)  None of these, the U.S. Army did not participate in extermination of the American bison

Question 15

Species extinction

Accepted Answer

A)  is a relatively recent phenomenon. 
B)  is linked exclusively to expanding human activities. 
C)  has been the fate of the vast majority of species that have inhabited the earth. 
D)  only happens with large animals. 
A)  is a relatively recent phenomenon. 
B)  is linked exclusively to expanding human activities. 
C)  has been the fate of the vast majority of species that have inhabited the earth. 
D)  only happens with large animals.

Question 16

The most important extinction threats for most species are anthropogenic environmental pollutants and over-harvesting via hunting and fishing.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

It is clear that a heavy dose of pesticides or other toxic pollutants can kill species. However, chronic exposure to pollutants seems to cause recent high mortality in marine mammals by

Accepted Answer

A)  Decreasing the plants that are normally in their environment, such as kelp, that they use for shelter 
B)  Killing off the prey species that they depend on for food 
C)  Direct bioaccumulation of the chemicals, such as lead, in their tissues 
D)  Causing weakened immune systems and increased vulnerability to infection 
E)  Eventually killing them 
A)  Decreasing the plants that are normally in their environment, such as kelp, that they use for shelter 
B)  Killing off the prey species that they depend on for food 
C)  Direct bioaccumulation of the chemicals, such as lead, in their tissues 
D)  Causing weakened immune systems and increased vulnerability to infection 
E)  Eventually killing them

Question 18

Which of the following statements is true?

Accepted Answer

A)  Humans are responsible for many of the mass extinctions in the geologic record. 
B)  Humans have never had significant impact on species extinctions until the past four decades. 
C)  Humans only began causing extinctions in the past 150 years. 
D)  Humans may have been causing extinctions for thousands of years, but our impact has recently increased. 
A)  Humans are responsible for many of the mass extinctions in the geologic record. 
B)  Humans have never had significant impact on species extinctions until the past four decades. 
C)  Humans only began causing extinctions in the past 150 years. 
D)  Humans may have been causing extinctions for thousands of years, but our impact has recently increased.

Question 19

The greatest number of known living species are

Accepted Answer

A)  insects. 
B)  bacteria. 
C)  algae. 
D)  mites, ticks, and spiders. 
A)  insects. 
B)  bacteria. 
C)  algae. 
D)  mites, ticks, and spiders.

Question 20

What makes an exotic species become and invasive species?

Accepted Answer

A)  When they become annoying to people. 
B)  All exotic species are also invasive. 
C)  When individuals stop being only ornamental but are used for other purposes also. 
D)  When individuals begins to colonize new areas and out-compete native species. 
A)  When they become annoying to people. 
B)  All exotic species are also invasive. 
C)  When individuals stop being only ornamental but are used for other purposes also. 
D)  When individuals begins to colonize new areas and out-compete native species.

Exam 11: Biodiversity: Preserving Species

The high rate of poaching of rhinoceros is due mostly to

Invasive species

Habitat fragmentation usually leads to a(n)

When Aldo Leopold said, "The first rule to intelligent tinkering is to save all the pieces." In terms of biodiversity he meant that we should

The acronym that stands for habitat destruction, invasive species, pollution, human population, and overharvesting is

Using specific examples, discuss four ways that humans benefit from biodiversity.

One of the reasons humans rely heavily on only a few food crops is because

Which of the following is an example of a natural cause of extinction?

What do bacteria, fox glove, Mexican yam, and the rauwolfia plant have in common?

The common way that a species is defined in biology (the way it is defined in Chapter 3) is in terms of reproductive isolation. This means that all organisms that are similar enough to

The phylogenetic species concept holds that the definition of a species should be

DNA sequencing technology has improved biologists ability to understand ancestral relationships among different kinds of life.

What percentage of known species are invertebrates?

The U.S. Army participated in extermination of the American bison during the mid-1800s because

Species extinction

The most important extinction threats for most species are anthropogenic environmental pollutants and over-harvesting via hunting and fishing.

It is clear that a heavy dose of pesticides or other toxic pollutants can kill species. However, chronic exposure to pollutants seems to cause recent high mortality in marine mammals by

Which of the following statements is true?

The greatest number of known living species are

What makes an exotic species become and invasive species?

Understanding Our Environment

Principles of Science and Systems

Matter, Energy, and Life

Evolution, Biological Communities, and Species Interactions

Biomes: Global Patterns of Life

Population Biology

Human Populations

Environmental Health and Toxicology

Food and Hunger

Farming: Conventional and Sustainable Practices

Biodiversity: Preserving Landscapes

Restoration Ecology

Geology and Earth Resources

Climate Change

Air Pollution

Water Use and Management

Water Pollution

Conventional Energy

Sustainable Energy

Solid, Toxic, and Hazardous Waste

Urbanization and Sustainable Cities

Ecological Economics

Environmental Policy, Law, and Planning

What Then Shall We Do

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