Exam 8: Sustaining Biodiversity: the Species Approach

Consider this scenario: A certain family that lives in the Sierra Nevada mountains owns a small resort at one end of a mountain lake. a.This resort rents cabins and row boats to vacationers during the summer who wish to come and fish the lake, hike the trails, and enjoy picnics and campfires with their friends and families. a.After operating this resort for 20 years, the family is informed that an endangered fish is discovered in the lake. a.This endangered fish is a poor competitor against the trout that are stocked to make fishing more enjoyable for the vacationers, and so the trout can no longer be stocked in the lake, and no one can fish in the lake.Because of the Endangered Species Act, the fishing aspect of this resort was closed down. a.This resort was no longer popular, and the owners had to close the resort, resulting in lost income for their family. a.Make suggestions about how this dilemma could have been addressed so that both the fish and the resort owners could have survived.

____________________ is the best way to reduce threats from invasive species.

The United States currently has about ____________________ invasive species that were accidentally or deliberately introduced.

All of the following statements about invasive species is true except

Habitat fragmentation

For the list of animals, select the characteristic that would most likely contribute to its possible premature extinction. -bald eagle

One of the causes of depletion of the environment is human population growth.

National parks can be viewed as habitat islands surrounded by

For the list of animals, select the characteristic that would most likely contribute to its possible premature extinction. -snow leopard

The species area relationship concept suggests that if 90% of a coral reef is lost

Which of the following is a problem encountered by biologists who are attempting to estimate past extinction rates?

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) addresses all of the following except

A small orchid plant that is found only on a tiny island in the Atlantic Ocean, just off the coast of Florida, has been listed as an endangered species. a.Which agency was responsible for listing this plant as endangered?

Ecosystems that do not undergo periodic fires are much more vulnerable to invader species.

Match the plant or animal with its correct designation. -Foxglove

Explain the concept of a habitat island. a.In particular, discuss how a national park can be a habitat island.

All of the following are true about the California condor captive breeding program except

The invasive kudzu vine has no useful properties.

____________________ are environmental indicators because they live in every climate and biome, respond quickly to environmental changes in their habitats, and are fairly easy to track and count.

-A biologist wishes to see threatened bird species on her vacation, assuming that these species may not be around much longer. a.She decides to travel to the two countries with the highest density of threatened species per square kilometer. a.Which countries will she be visiting?