Question 1

One way in which populations and species have been responding to climate change is by

Accepted Answer

A)  changing their coat color.
B)  shifting their distribution.
C)  changing their metabolism.
D)  evolving a flexible mode of reproduction. B

Question 2

The current rate of extinction may be as much as ________ times higher than at any other time in the past 100,000 years.

Accepted Answer

A)  10
B)  100
C)  1,000
D)  10,000 C

Question 3

Which of the following statements about movement corridors is true?

Accepted Answer

A)  Movement corridors can connect otherwise isolated habitat patches.
B)  Movement corridors can promote inbreeding in declining populations.
C)  Movement corridors are detrimental to species that migrate between habitats seasonally.
D)  Movement corridors can prevent the spread of disease. A

Question 4

While habitat destruction by humans creates fragmented ecosystems, fragmentation can also occur due to natural processes. Which of the following natural processes would most likely create a fragmented ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

A)  thunderstorm
B)  glacier movement
C)  blizzard
D)  volcanic eruption

Question 5

Currently, the single greatest threat to biodiversity is

Accepted Answer

A)  global warming.
B)  habitat destruction due to humans.
C)  the introduction of exotic species.
D)  overexploitation of populations for food.

Question 6

Some populations, especially those with high genetic variability and short life spans, may avoid extinction as the climate changes through

Accepted Answer

A)  enforcement of the Endangered Species Act.
B)  bioprospecting.
C)  distribution of populations.
D)  evolutionary adaptation.

Question 7

The introduction of wolves into Yellowstone National Park in 1991 resulted in

Accepted Answer

A)  a general decline in overall habitat
B)  ecological changes involving numerous plant and animal species.
C)  the migration of most of these wolves out of the park and back to Canada.
D)  the death of all of the wolves, likely due to an insufficient amount of available prey.

Question 8

To decrease pollution from sulfur, your local power plant built very tall smokestacks. The ultimate consequence of this would most likely be

Accepted Answer

A)  biological magnification.
B)  to dilute the sulfur pollutants in the atmosphere and thus reduce their effects on the environment.
C)  to create an environmental problem at a distance from the power plant.
D)  a decrease in the pH of local lakes.

Question 9

The average global temperature has risen ________ over the past 100 years.

Accepted Answer

A)  3°C
B)  10°C
C)  5°C
D)  0) 8°C

Question 10

Most biodiversity hot spots are found in ________ regions.

Accepted Answer

A)  western
B)  tropical
C)  temperate
D)  tundra

Question 11

The three greatest current threats to biodiversity, in order starting with the greatest, are

Accepted Answer

A)  habitat loss, overharvesting, and invasive species.
B)  habitat loss, invasive species, and overharvesting.
C)  invasive species, habitat loss, and overharvesting.
D)  invasive species, overharvesting, and habitat loss.

Question 12

Suppose a species of wild boar (a type of pig)is actively hunted when it is at a young age because at that stage of its development the meat of the boar is particularly tender. What is a likely outcome if this species is overharvested?

Accepted Answer

A)  The wild boar population will dwindle because their food source will disappear due to habitat loss.
B)  The wild boar population will increase because older boars will continue to survive.
C)  The wild boar population will dwindle and potentially go extinct if not enough boars that can reproduce are left to mate.
D)  The wild boar population will increase because boundaries will help separate boars from humans.

Question 13

Captive breeding

Accepted Answer

A)  has allowed for the reintroduction of many species to areas from which they had disappeared.
B)  has advanced to the point where biologists believe it can be used to save most endangered species.
C)  can work for animals but is generally not used for endangered plants.
D)  is the main conservation technique used to try to save endangered species from extinction.

Question 14

Species found in only one place on Earth are called ________ species.

Accepted Answer

A)  hot spot
B)  exotic
C)  keystone
D)  endemic

Question 15

Protecting the endangered black-footed ferret from extinction involved

Accepted Answer

A)  captive breeding and reintroduction.
B)  collecting individuals from multiple small populations and combining them into a single large population.
C)  vaccinating the remaining population against sylvatic plague.
D)  providing food during harsh winters.

Question 16

In Clackamas, Oregon, a stand of hybrid poplar trees was planted on an area of land that is contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Why would someone purposely plant trees in an area with contaminated soil?

Accepted Answer

A)  to use the trees as a means of phytoremediation
B)  to use the trees as a means of eliminating insect species that consume nearby endemic plants
C)  to use the trees for lumber for houses
D)  to see if animals will make nests in trees that grow in contaminated soil.

Question 17

Which of the following is a likely consequence of thinning of the ozone layer?

Accepted Answer

A)  increases in skin cancer
B)  increases in escape of heat from Earth
C)  global warming
D)  decreases in flying insect populations

Question 18

Which of the following is an invasive species?

Accepted Answer

A)  mallard duck in the western United States
B)  brown tree snake in Guam
C)  elephant in India
D)  carrier pigeon in the continental United States

Question 19

The Kissimmee River Restoration Project is an

Accepted Answer

A)  example of large-scale bioremediation to clean up a mercury spill.
B)  example of a dam that interrupted the breeding of salmon and other species.
C)  attempt to restore the natural wetlands associated with the Kissimmee River.
D)  effort to join two previously unconnected lakes to permit better drainage.

Question 20

According to this figure, which organisms have the highest concentration of PCBs, and why?

Accepted Answer

A)  phytoplankton, because they are at the bottom of the food chain
B)  herring gulls, because they are at the bottom of the food chain
C)  herring gulls, because they are at the top of the food chain
D)  smelt, because they are in the middle of the food chain

Exam 38: Conservation Biology