Question 1

The main cause of the increase in the amount of CO₂ in Earth's atmosphere over the past 150 years is

Accepted Answer

A)  increased worldwide primary production. 
B)  increased worldwide standing crop. 
C)  an increase in the amount of infrared radiation absorbed by the atmosphere. 
D)  the burning of larger amounts of wood and fossil fuels. 
A)  increased worldwide primary production. 
B)  increased worldwide standing crop. 
C)  an increase in the amount of infrared radiation absorbed by the atmosphere. 
D)  the burning of larger amounts of wood and fossil fuels.

Question 2

Which of the following factors causes extremely high levels of toxic chemicals in fish-eating birds?

Accepted Answer

A)  acid precipitation 
B)  biological magnification 
C)  greenhouse effect 
D)  eutrophication 
A)  acid precipitation 
B)  biological magnification 
C)  greenhouse effect 
D)  eutrophication

Question 3

Use the following figure to answer the question.
 
According to the figure, what is the most accurate explanation for the data after 1985?

Accepted Answer

A)  emigration 
B)  immigration 
C)  introduction of new alleles into the population 
D)  increased resources in the area 
A)  emigration 
B)  immigration 
C)  introduction of new alleles into the population 
D)  increased resources in the area

Question 4

The main purpose of movement corridors is to ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  slow down the introduction of new individuals of a species 
B)  slowly introduce a species to a new reserve 
C)  create more edge habitat 
D)  connect two otherwise isolated populations 
A)  slow down the introduction of new individuals of a species 
B)  slowly introduce a species to a new reserve 
C)  create more edge habitat 
D)  connect two otherwise isolated populations

Question 5

Use the following figure to answer the question.
 
In looking at the species-area plot in the figure, what can be concluded?

Accepted Answer

A)  The number of bird species increases linearly with island area. 
B)  Two island land areas do not correlate to the number of bird species 
C)  Diversity is independent from island area. 
D)  The number of bird species increases exponentially with island area. 
A)  The number of bird species increases linearly with island area. 
B)  Two island land areas do not correlate to the number of bird species 
C)  Diversity is independent from island area. 
D)  The number of bird species increases exponentially with island area.

Question 6

The human impact that scientists determined has caused the most extinctions on record is ________, and beyond further losses from this impact, the other impact with the largest potential to cause future extinctions is ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  introduced species; habitat loss 
B)  habitat loss; overharvesting 
C)  climate change; habitat loss 
D)  habitat loss; climate change 
A)  introduced species; habitat loss 
B)  habitat loss; overharvesting 
C)  climate change; habitat loss 
D)  habitat loss; climate change

Question 7

Ecosystem services include processes that increase the quality of the abiotic environment. Which of the following processes would fall under this category?

Accepted Answer

A)  Keystone predators have a marked effect on species diversity. 
B)  Green plants and phytoplankton produce the oxygen we breathe. 
C)  Bees, flies, and wasps pollinate many plants. 
D)  The presence of dams improves flood control. 
A)  Keystone predators have a marked effect on species diversity. 
B)  Green plants and phytoplankton produce the oxygen we breathe. 
C)  Bees, flies, and wasps pollinate many plants. 
D)  The presence of dams improves flood control.

Question 8

What is a critical load?

Accepted Answer

A)  the amount of nutrient augmentation necessary to bring a depleted habitat back to its former level 
B)  the level of a given toxin in an ecosystem that is lethal to 50 percent of the species present 
C)  the amount of added nutrient that can be absorbed by plants without damaging ecosystem integrity 
D)  the number of predators an ecosystem can support that effectively culls prey populations to healthy levels 
A)  the amount of nutrient augmentation necessary to bring a depleted habitat back to its former level 
B)  the level of a given toxin in an ecosystem that is lethal to 50 percent of the species present 
C)  the amount of added nutrient that can be absorbed by plants without damaging ecosystem integrity 
D)  the number of predators an ecosystem can support that effectively culls prey populations to healthy levels

Question 9

Which of the following outcomes is caused by excessive nutrient runoff into aquatic ecosystems?

Accepted Answer

A)  depletion of ozone layer 
B)  acid precipitation 
C)  biological magnification 
D)  eutrophication 
A)  depletion of ozone layer 
B)  acid precipitation 
C)  biological magnification 
D)  eutrophication

Question 10

Use the following figure to answer the question.
 
Looking at the figure showing the results of forest fragmentation, what can be said about edge effects?

Accepted Answer

A)  Biomass declines along edges of forest fragments. 
B)  Biomass increases along the edges of forest fragments. 
C)  Species diversity decreases along the edges of forest fragments. 
D)  Fragmentation does not affect biomass. 
A)  Biomass declines along edges of forest fragments. 
B)  Biomass increases along the edges of forest fragments. 
C)  Species diversity decreases along the edges of forest fragments. 
D)  Fragmentation does not affect biomass.

Question 11

Which of the following is a consequence of biological magnification?

Accepted Answer

A)  Toxic chemicals in the environment pose greater risk to top-level predators than to primary consumers. 
B)  Populations of top-level predators are generally smaller than populations of primary consumers. 
C)  Only a small portion of the energy captured by producers is transferred to consumers. 
D)  The amount of biomass in the producer level of an ecosystem decreases if the producer turnover time increases. 
A)  Toxic chemicals in the environment pose greater risk to top-level predators than to primary consumers. 
B)  Populations of top-level predators are generally smaller than populations of primary consumers. 
C)  Only a small portion of the energy captured by producers is transferred to consumers. 
D)  The amount of biomass in the producer level of an ecosystem decreases if the producer turnover time increases.

Question 12

Of the following statements about protected areas that have been established to preserve biodiversity, which one is not correct?

Accepted Answer

A)  About 25% of Earth's land area is now protected. 
B)  National parks are one of many types of protected areas. 
C)  Management of a protected area should be coordinated with management of the land surrounding the area. 
D)  It is especially important to protect biodiversity hot spots. 
A)  About 25% of Earth's land area is now protected. 
B)  National parks are one of many types of protected areas. 
C)  Management of a protected area should be coordinated with management of the land surrounding the area. 
D)  It is especially important to protect biodiversity hot spots.

Question 13

What is the biggest problem with selecting a site for a reserve?

Accepted Answer

A)  Making a proper selection is difficult because currently the environmental conditions of almost any site can change quickly. 
B)  Keystone species are difficult to identify in potential reserve sites. 
C)  Only lands that are not useful to human activities are available for reserves. 
D)  Most of the best sites are inaccessible by land transportation, so making roads to them is often prohibitively expensive. 
A)  Making a proper selection is difficult because currently the environmental conditions of almost any site can change quickly. 
B)  Keystone species are difficult to identify in potential reserve sites. 
C)  Only lands that are not useful to human activities are available for reserves. 
D)  Most of the best sites are inaccessible by land transportation, so making roads to them is often prohibitively expensive.

Question 14

Managing southeastern forests specifically for the red-cockaded woodpecker ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  required periodic forest burning to reduce the growth of a dense understory of trees and shrubs 
B)  contributed to greater abundance and diversity of other forest plant species 
C)  required the construction of nest boxes in the forest to promote successful nesting 
D)  focused on the removal of standing dead longleaf pine to promote growth of young longleaf pine 
A)  required periodic forest burning to reduce the growth of a dense understory of trees and shrubs 
B)  contributed to greater abundance and diversity of other forest plant species 
C)  required the construction of nest boxes in the forest to promote successful nesting 
D)  focused on the removal of standing dead longleaf pine to promote growth of young longleaf pine

Question 15

One characteristic that distinguishes a population in an extinction vortex from most other populations is that

Accepted Answer

A)  it is a rare, top-level predator. 
B)  its effective population size is lower than its total population size. 
C)  its genetic diversity is very low. 
D)  it is not well adapted to edge conditions. 
A)  it is a rare, top-level predator. 
B)  its effective population size is lower than its total population size. 
C)  its genetic diversity is very low. 
D)  it is not well adapted to edge conditions.

Question 16

If all individuals in the last remaining population of a particular frog species were all highly related, which type of diversity would be of greatest concern when planning to prevent the species from going extinct?

Accepted Answer

A)  global diversity 
B)  local diversity 
C)  ecosystem diversity 
D)  genetic diversity 
A)  global diversity 
B)  local diversity 
C)  ecosystem diversity 
D)  genetic diversity

Question 17

A parasitic fungus, Geomyces destructans, has decimated millions of bats in the United States since it was first observed in upstate New York in 2006. The disease has been named white-nose syndrome because of the white fungal hyphae that cover the bat upon infection. It is believed that this fungus was introduced from Europe by tourists entering into caves with hibernating bat populations. Which prediction most likely reflects changes that will occur in natural communities as a result of massive bat mortality?

Accepted Answer

A)  increased animal populations as a result of niche availability 
B)  increased rodent populations as a result of an increase in flying insect populations 
C)  increased flying insect populations 
D)  decreased bird populations as the spread of the fungus infects other closely related species 
A)  increased animal populations as a result of niche availability 
B)  increased rodent populations as a result of an increase in flying insect populations 
C)  increased flying insect populations 
D)  decreased bird populations as the spread of the fungus infects other closely related species

Question 18

Which of the following threats to biodiversity is targeted at specific species rather than groups of species?

Accepted Answer

A)  introduced species 
B)  habitat destruction 
C)  increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, a cause of global warming 
D)  overharvesting 
A)  introduced species 
B)  habitat destruction 
C)  increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, a cause of global warming 
D)  overharvesting

Question 19

Brown-headed cowbirds utilize fragmented forests effectively by ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  feeding on the fruits of shrubs that tend to grow at the forest/open-field interface 
B)  parasitizing the nests of forest birds and feeding on open-field insects 
C)  consuming the eggs of other species as well as insects and seeds in open fields 
D)  outcompeting other songbird species for access to nesting holes in old-growth trees 
A)  feeding on the fruits of shrubs that tend to grow at the forest/open-field interface 
B)  parasitizing the nests of forest birds and feeding on open-field insects 
C)  consuming the eggs of other species as well as insects and seeds in open fields 
D)  outcompeting other songbird species for access to nesting holes in old-growth trees

Question 20

To better comprehend the magnitude of current extinctions, it will be necessary to ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  differentiate between plant extinction and animal extinction numbers 
B)  focus on identifying more species of mammals and birds 
C)  identify more of the yet unknown species of organisms on Earth 
D)  use the average extinction rates of vertebrates as a baseline 
A)  differentiate between plant extinction and animal extinction numbers 
B)  focus on identifying more species of mammals and birds 
C)  identify more of the yet unknown species of organisms on Earth 
D)  use the average extinction rates of vertebrates as a baseline

Exam 56: Conservation Biology and Global Change

The main cause of the increase in the amount of CO₂ in Earth's atmosphere over the past 150 years is

Which of the following factors causes extremely high levels of toxic chemicals in fish-eating birds?

Use the following figure to answer the question. According to the figure, what is the most accurate explanation for the data after 1985?

The main purpose of movement corridors is to ________.

Use the following figure to answer the question. In looking at the species-area plot in the figure, what can be concluded?

The human impact that scientists determined has caused the most extinctions on record is ________, and beyond further losses from this impact, the other impact with the largest potential to cause future extinctions is ________.

Ecosystem services include processes that increase the quality of the abiotic environment. Which of the following processes would fall under this category?

What is a critical load?

Which of the following outcomes is caused by excessive nutrient runoff into aquatic ecosystems?

Use the following figure to answer the question. Looking at the figure showing the results of forest fragmentation, what can be said about edge effects?

Which of the following is a consequence of biological magnification?

Of the following statements about protected areas that have been established to preserve biodiversity, which one is not correct?

What is the biggest problem with selecting a site for a reserve?

Managing southeastern forests specifically for the red-cockaded woodpecker ________.

One characteristic that distinguishes a population in an extinction vortex from most other populations is that

If all individuals in the last remaining population of a particular frog species were all highly related, which type of diversity would be of greatest concern when planning to prevent the species from going extinct?

Which of the following threats to biodiversity is targeted at specific species rather than groups of species?

Brown-headed cowbirds utilize fragmented forests effectively by ________.

To better comprehend the magnitude of current extinctions, it will be necessary to ________.

Evolution, the Themes of Biology, and Scientific Inquiry

The Chemical Context of Life

Water and Life

Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life

The Structure and Function of Large Biological Molecules

A Tour of the Cell

Membrane Structure and Function

An Introduction to Metabolism

Cellular Respiration and Fermentation

Photosynthesis

Cell Communication

The Cell Cycle

Meiosis and Sexual Life Cycles

Mendel and the Gene Idea

The Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance

The Molecular Basis of Inheritance

Gene Expression: From Gene to Protein

Regulation of Gene Expression

Viruses

DNA Tools and Biotechnology

Genomes and Their Evolution

Descent with Modification: A Darwinian View of Life

The Evolution of Populations

The Origin of Species

The History of Life on Earth

Phylogeny and the Tree of Life

Bacteria and Archaea

Protists

Plant Diversity I: How Plants Colonized Land

Plant Diversity II: The Evolution of Seed Plants

Fungi

An Overview of Animal Diversity

An Introduction to Invertebrates

The Origin and Evolution of Vertebrates

Vascular Plant Structure, Growth, and Development

Resource Acquisition and Transport in Vascular Plants

Soil and Plant Nutrition

Angiosperm Reproduction and Biotechnology

Plant Responses to Internal and External Signals

Basic Principles of Animal Form and Function

Animal Nutrition

Circulation and Gas Exchange

The Immune System

Osmoregulation and Excretion

Hormones and the Endocrine System

Animal Reproduction

Animal Development

Neurons, Synapses, and Signaling

Nervous Systems

Sensory and Motor Mechanisms

Animal Behavior

An Introduction to Ecology and the Biosphere

Population Ecology

Community Ecology

Ecosystems and Restoration Ecology

Filters

The human impact that scientists determined has caused the most extinctions on record is , and beyond further losses from this impact, the other impact with the largest potential to cause future extinctions is .