Question 1

Although extinction is a natural process,current extinctions are of concern to environmentalists because

Accepted Answer

A) more animals than ever before are going extinct. 
B) most current extinctions are caused by introduced species. 
C) the rate of extinction is unusually high. 
D) current extinction is primarily affecting plant diversity. 
E) None of the options are correct.

Question 2

We should care about loss in biodiversity in other species because of
I. potential loss of medicines and other products yet undiscovered from threatened species.
II. potential loss of genes,some of which may code for proteins useful to humans.
III.the risk to global ecological stability.

Accepted Answer

A) only I 
B) only II 
C) only II and III 
D) I, II, and III

Question 3

Which of the following ecological locations has the greatest species diversity?

Accepted Answer

A) deciduous forests 
B) tropical rain forest 
C) grasslands 
D) islands

Question 4

Which of the following is the most direct threat to biodiversity?

Accepted Answer

A) increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide 
B) the depletion of the ozone layer 
C) overexploitation of selected species 
D) habitat destruction 
E) zoned reserves

Question 5

According to the small-population approach,what would be the best strategy for saving a population that is in an extinction vortex?

Accepted Answer

A) determining the minimum viable population size by taking into account the effective population size 
B) establishing a nature reserve to protect its habitat 
C) introducing individuals from other populations to increase genetic variation 
D) determining and remedying the cause of its decline 
E) reducing the population size of its predators and competitors

Question 6

Managing southwestern forests specifically for the red-cockaded woodpecker

Accepted Answer

A) was wholeheartedly supported by the timber extraction industry. 
B) contributed to greater abundance and diversity of other forest bird species. 
C) caused other species of songbird to decline. 
D) involved strict fire suppression measures. 
E) involved the creation of fragmented forest habitat.

Question 7

For the following questions,match the statement with the appropriate term/phrase.
-This is caused by excessive nutrient runoff into aquatic ecosystems.

Accepted Answer

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

Question 8

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

Accepted Answer

A) There is always a conflict about use of land set aside for preservation. 
B) Making a proper selection is difficult because currently the environmental conditions of almost any site change so quickly. 
C) Keystone species are difficult to identify in potential preserve sites. 
D) Only lands that are not useful to human activities are available for preserves. 
E) Most of the best sites are inaccessible by land transportation, so making roads to them is often prohibitively expensive.

Question 9

Which of the following pairs is incorrectly matched?

Accepted Answer

A) rosy periwinkle - medicinal plant that inhibits cancer cell growth 
B) extirpation - local extinction 
C) acid rain/precipitation - rain, snow, sleet with a pH < 6 
D) extinction vortex - processes that result in smaller and smaller population size until all individuals die 
E) effective population size - based on the breeding potential of a population

Question 10

With regard to the destruction of tropical forests,the focus is often on biodiversity and the impact to these ecosystems.What is a direct benefit to humans that helps explain why these forests need to be preserved?

Accepted Answer

A) This diversity could contain undocumented insect species. 
B) Natural and undisturbed areas are important wildlife habitats. 
C) The diversity could contain novel drugs for consumers. 
D) The plant diversity provides shade, which lowers global warming.

Question 11

Which of the following criteria have to be met for a species to qualify as invasive?

Accepted Answer

A) endemic to the area, spreads rapidly, and displaces foreign species 
B) introduced to a new area, spreads rapidly, and displaces native species 
C) introduced to a new area, spreads rapidly, and displaces other invasive species 
D) endemic to the area, spreads slowly, and displaces native species

Question 12

Which of the following provides the best evidence of a biodiversity crisis?

Accepted Answer

A) the incursion of a non-native species 
B) increasing pollution levels 
C) decrease in regional productivity 
D) high rate of extinction 
E) climate change

Question 13

Burning fossil fuels releases oxides of sulphur and nitrogen.These air pollutants can be responsible for

Accepted Answer

A) the death of fish in lakes. 
B) precipitation with a pH as low as 3.0. 
C) calcium deficiency in soils. 
D) direct damage to plants by leaching nutrients from the leaves. 
E) All of the options are correct.

Question 14

Use the graph and information provided in the paragraph below to answer the following questions.
Flycatcher birds that migrate from Africa to Europe feed their nestlings a diet that is almost exclusively moth caterpillars.The graph below shows the mean dates of arrival,bird hatching,and peak caterpillar season for the years 1980 and 2000.
 
-Why were ecologists concerned about the shift in the peak caterpillar season from June 3,1980,to May 15,2000?

Accepted Answer

A) The caterpillars would have eaten much of the foliage of the trees where flycatchers would have nested, rendering their nests more open to predation. 
B) The earlier hatching of caterpillars would compete with other insect larval forms which the flycatchers would also use to feed their young. 
C) The 2000 flycatcher nestlings would miss the peak caterpillar season and might not be as well fed. 
D) The flycatchers would have to migrate sooner to match their brood-rearing to the time of peak caterpillar season. 
E) Pesticides, which have a negative effect on the ecosystem, would have to be used to control the earlier outbreak of caterpillar hatching.

Question 15

How are movement corridors potentially harmful to certain species?

Accepted Answer

A) They increase inbreeding. 
B) They promote dispersion. 
C) They spread disease and parasites. 
D) They increase genetic diversity. 
E) They allow seasonal migration.

Question 16

Modern conservation biology increasingly aims at

Accepted Answer

A) protecting federally listed endangered species. 
B) lobbying for strict enforcement of the U.S. Endangered Species Act. 
C) sustaining biodiversity of entire ecosystems and communities. 
D) maintaining genetic diversity in all species. 
E) saving as much habitat as possible from development and exploitation.

Question 17

Which of the following conditions is the most likely indicator of a population in an extinction vortex?

Accepted Answer

A) The population is geographically divided into smaller populations. 
B) The species in question is found only in small pockets of its former range. 
C) The effective population size of the species falls below 500. 
D) Genetic measurements indicate a loss of genetic variation over time. 
E) The population is no longer connected by corridors.

Question 18

What is the biological significance of genetic diversity between populations?

Accepted Answer

A) Genes for adaptive traits to local conditions make microevolution possible. 
B) The population that is most fit would survive by competitive exclusion. 
C) Genetic diversity allows for species stability by preventing speciation. 
D) Isolated populations become more fit. 
E) Diseases and parasites are not spread between separated populations.

Question 19

What is the estimated number of extant species on Earth?

Accepted Answer

A) 1000 to 50 000 
B) 50 000 to 150 000 
C) 500 000 to 1 000 000 
D) 10 000 000 to 100 000 000 
E) 5 billion to 10 billion

Question 20

Which of the following is consistent with forest fragmentation research?

Accepted Answer

A) Productivity is the same in both fragmented forests and forest interiors. 
B) Edge communities consistently have low species diversity. 
C) Forest-interior species show declines in small patch communities. 
D) New-edge species that migrate in do not seem to compete with forest species and often increase biodiversity in fragmented forests. 
E) Species diversity is always lower in fragmented forests when compared to forest interiors in the same region.

Exam 56: Conservation Biology and Global Change