Conservation Biology Questions

Biology, 8e Conservation Biology and Restoration Ecology Multiple-Choice Questions 1) What is the estimated number of extant species on Earth? A) 1,000 to 50,000 B) 50,000 to 150,000 C) 500,000 to 1,000,000 D) 10,000,000 to 200,000,000 E) 5 billion-10 billion Answer: D Topic: Concept 56.1 Skill: Knowledge/Comprehension 2) Estimates of current rates of extinction A) indicate that we have reached a state of stable equilibrium in which speciation and extinction rates are approximately equal. B) suggest that one-half of all animal and plant species may be gone by the year 2100. C) indicate that rates may be greater than the mass extinctions at the close of the Cretaceous period. D) indicate that only 1% of all of the species that have ever lived on Earth are still alive. E) suggest that rates of extinction have decreased globally. Answer: C Topic: Concept 56.1 Skill: Knowledge/Comprehension 3) Extinction is a natural phenomenon. It is estimated that 99% of all species that ever lived are now extinct. Why then do we say that we are now in a biodiversity crisis? A) Humans are ethically responsible for protecting endangered species. B) Scientists have finally identified most of the species on Earth and are thus able to quantify the number of species becoming extinct. C) The current rate of extinction is high and human activities threaten biodiversity at all levels. D) Humans have greater medical needs than at any other time in history, and many potential medicinal compounds are being lost as plant species become extinct. E) Most biodiversity hot spots have been destroyed by recent ecological disasters. Answer: C Topic: Concept 56.1 Skill: Knowledge/Comprehension 4) Although extinction is a natural process, current extinctions are of concern to environmentalists because A) more animals than ever before are going extinct. 1 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 above Answer: C Topic: Concept 56.1 Skill: Knowledge/Comprehension 5) Which of the following terms includes all of the others? A) species diversity B) biodiversity C) genetic diversity D) ecosystem diversity E) species richness Answer: B Topic: Concept 56.1 Skill: Knowledge/Comprehension 6) The Nile perch (Lates niloticus) is a good example of a(n) A) predator that has negatively affected biodiversity in ecosystems where it has been introduced. B) endangered endemic species. C) recently created protein source for the highly populated regions of Africa. D) threatened anadromous species in the Nile River watershed. E) primary consumer and a secondary consumer. Answer: A Topic: Concept 56.1 Skill: Knowledge/Comprehension 7) According to the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA), the difference between an endangered species and a threatened one is that A) an endangered species is closer to extinction. B) a threatened species is closer to extinction. C) threatened species are endangered species outside the U.S. borders. D) endangered species are mainly tropical. E) only endangered species are vertebrates. Answer: A Topic: Concept 56.1 Skill: Knowledge/Comprehension 8) To better comprehend the magnitude of current extinctions, it will be necessary to A) monitor atmospheric carbon dioxide levels more closely. B) differentiate between plant extinction and animal extinction numbers. C) focus on identifying more species of mammals and birds. D) identify more of the yet unknown species of organisms on Earth. E) use the average extinction rates of vertebrates as a baseline. 2 Answer: D Topic: Concept 56.1 Skill: Application/Analysis 9) What is the term for a top predator that contributes to the maintenance of species diversity among its animal prey? A) keystone species B) keystone mutualist C) landscape species D) primary consumer E) tertiary consumer Answer: A Topic: Concepts 56.1, 56.2 Skill: Knowledge/Comprehension 10) What term did E. O. Wilson coin for our innate appreciation of wild environments and living organisms? A) bioremediation B) bioethics C) biophilia D) biophobia E) landscape ecology Answer: C Topic: Concept 56.1 Skill: Synthesis/Evaluation 11) Suppose you attend a town meeting at which some experts tell the audience that they have performed a cost-benefit analysis of a proposed transit system that would probably reduce overall air pollution and fossil fuel consumption. The analysis, however, reveals that ticket prices will not cover the cost of operating the system when fuel, wages, and equipment are taken into account. As a biologist, you know that if ecosystem services had been included in the analysis the experts might have arrived at a different answer. Why are ecosystem services rarely included in economic analyses? A) Their cost is difficult to estimate and people take them for granted. B) They are not worth much and are usually not considered. C) There are no laws that require investigation of ecosystem services in environmental planning. D) There are many variables to ecosystem services making their calculation is impossible. E) Ecosystem services only take into account abiotic factors that affect local environments. Answer: A Topic: Concept 56.1 Skill: Application/Analysis 12) The most serious consequence of a loss in ecosystem biodiversity would be the A) increase in global warming and thinning of the ozone layer. 3 B) loss of ecosystem services on which people depend. C) increase in the abundance and diversity of edge-adapted species. D) loss of source of genetic diversity to preserve endangered species. E) loss of species for "bioprospecting." Answer: B Topic: Concept 56.1 Skill: Application/Analysis 13) Which of the following is the most direct threat to biodiversity? A) increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide B) the depletion of the ozone layer C) overexploitation of species D) habitat destruction E) zoned reserves Answer: D Topic: Concept 56.1 Skill: Synthesis/Evaluation 14) According to most conservation biologists, the single greatest threat to global biodiversity is A) chemical pollution of water and air. B) stratospheric ozone depletion. C) insufficient recycling programs for nonrenewable resources. D) alteration or destruction of the physical habitat. E) global climate change resulting from a variety of human activities. Answer: D Topic: Concept 56.1 Skill: Synthesis/Evaluation 15) How is habitat fragmentation related to biodiversity loss? A) Less carbon dioxide is absorbed by plants in fragmented habitats. B) In fragmented habitats, more soil erosion takes place. C) Populations of organisms in fragments are smaller and, thus, more susceptible to extinction. D) Animals are forced out of smaller habitat fragments. E) Fragments generate silt that negatively affect sensitive river and stream organisms. Answer: C Topic: Concept 56.1 Skill: Application/Analysis 16) Introduced species can have deleterious effects on biological communities by A) preying on native species. B) competing with native species for food or light. C) displacing native species. D) competing with native species for space or breeding/nesting habitat. E) A, B, C, and D 4 Answer: E Topic: Concept 56.1 Skill: Synthesis/Evaluation 17) Overexploitation encourages extinction and is most likely to affect A) animals that occupy a broad ecological niche. B) large animals with low intrinsic reproductive rates. C) most organisms that live in the oceans. D) terrestrial organisms more than aquatic organisms. E) edge-adapted species. Answer: B Topic: Concept 56.1 Skill: Application/Analysis 18) How might the extinction of some Pacific Island bats called "flying foxes" threaten the survival of over 75% of the tree species in those islands? A) The bats eat the insects that harm competitor plants. B) The bats consume the fruit including the seeds that would be part of the trees' reproductive cycle. C) The bats roost in the trees and fertilize soil around the trees with their nitrogen-rich droppings. D) The bats pollinate the trees and disperse seeds. E) The bats pierce the fruit, which allows the seeds to germinate. Answer: D Topic: Concept 56.1 Skill: Synthesis/Evaluation 19) The greatest cause of the biodiversity crisis that includes all of the others is A) pollution. B) global warming. C) habitat destruction. D) introduced species. E) overpopulation of humans. Answer: E Topic: Concept 56.1 Skill: Application/Analysis 20) Of the following, which ecosystem types are the ones that have been impacted by humans the most? A) wetland and riparian B) open and benthic ocean C) desert and high alpine D) taiga and second growth forests E) tundra and arctic 5 Answer: A Topic: Concept 56.1 Skill: Application/Analysis 21) The introduction of the brown tree snake in the 1940s to the island of Guam has resulted in A) eradication of nonnative rats and other undesirable/pest species. B) the extirpation of many of the island's bird and reptile species. C) a good lesson in biological control. D) new species of hybrids from breeding with native snake species. E) failure to compete with native species and its quick elimination from the island. Answer: B Topic: Concept 56.1 Skill: Application/Analysis 22) Which of the following poses the greatest potential threat to biodiversity? A) replanting after a clear cut, a monoculture of Douglas fir trees on land that consisted of old growth Douglas fir, western cedar, and western hemlock B) allowing previously used farmland go fallow and begin to fill in with weeds and then shrubs and saplings C) trapping and relocating large predators, such as mountain lions, that pose a threat as they move into areas of relatively dense human populations D) importing an Asian insect into the United States to control a weed that competes with staple crops E) releasing sterilized rainbow trout to boost the sport fishing of a river system that contains native brook trout Answer: D Topic: Concept 56.1 Skill: Application/Analysis 23) Which of the following would be research in which a conservation biologist would be involved? A) reestablishing whooping cranes in their former breeding grounds in North Dakota B) studying species diversity and interaction in the Florida Everglades, past and present C) population ecology of grizzly bears in Yellowstone National Park D) the effects of hunting on white-tailed deer in Vermont E) the effect of protection programs on the recovery of the North Atlantic cod fishery Answer: A Topic: Concept 56.1 Skill: Synthesis/Evaluation Use what you know about ecosystem stability and the information provided in the graph below to answer the following question. 24) Which community (A-E) would likely be the most "biodiverse"? 6 A) A B) B C) C D) D E) E Answer: A Topic: Concept 56.1 Skill: Application/Analysis 25) Which of the following conditions is the most likely indicator of a population in an extinction vortex? A) The population is geographically divided into smaller populations. B) The species 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 continuing loss of genetic variation. E) The population is no longer connected by corridors. Answer: D Topic: Concept 56.2 Skill: Application/Analysis 26) According to the small-population approach, what would be the best strategy for saving a population that is in an extinction vortex? 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 7 E) reducing the population size of its predators and competitors Answer: C Topic: Concept 56.2 Skill: Application/Analysis 27) One chief area of concern among biologists who use the small-population approach is A) intraspecific competition. B) sexual selection. C) genetic diversity. D) runaway selection. E) both A and D Answer: C Topic: Concept 56.2 Skill: Application/Analysis 28) Which of the following is a method of predicting the likelihood that a species will persist in a particular environment? A) source-sink analysis B) population viability analysis C) minimum viable population size D) extinction vortex E) effective population size Answer: B Topic: Concept 56.2 Skill: Synthesis/Evaluation 29) Review the formula for effective population size. Imagine a population of 1,000 small rodents. Of these, 300 are breeding females, 300 are breeding males, and 400 are nonbreeding juveniles. What is the effective population size? A) 1,000 B) 1,200 C) 600 D) 400 E) 300 Answer: C Topic: Concept 56.2 Skill: Application/Analysis 30) If the sex ratio in a population is significantly different from 50:50, then which of the following will always be true? A) The population will enter the extinction vortex. B) The genetic variation in the population will increase over time. C) The genetic variation in the population will decrease over time. D) The effective population size will be greater than the actual population size. 8 E) The effective population size will be less than the actual population size. Answer: E Topic: Concept 56.2 Skill: Application/Analysis 31) Which of the following statements correctly describes genetic variation? A) Genetic variation does not contribute to biodiversity. B) Population size is always positively correlated with genetic variation. C) Populations with low are relatively susceptible to effects of bottlenecking and genetic drift. D) Recent increases in population size of the northern sea elephant are probably related to high levels of genetic variation. E) Cord grass populations that live in salt marshes require great genetic variation to thrive. Answer: C Topic: Concept 56.2 Skill: Application/Analysis 32) Which of the following life history traits can potentially influence effective population size (Ne)? A) maturation age B) genetic relatedness among individuals in a population C) family and population size D) gene flow between geographically separated populations E) A, B, C and D are correct. Answer: E Topic: Concept 56.2 Skill: Synthesis/Evaluation 33) A population of strictly monogamous swans consists of 40 males and 10 females. What is the effective population size (Ne) for this population? A) 50 B) 40 C) 32 D) 20 E) 10 Answer: C Topic: Concept 56.2 Skill: Application/Analysis 34) If we say a species is endemic to a certain area, we mean that A) it is found only in one particular area of the world. B) it has been introduced to that area. C) it is endangered in that area. D) it is threatened in that area. E) it used to live there but no longer does. 9 Answer: A Topic: Concept 56.2 Skill: Synthesis/Evaluation 35) Modern conservation science increasingly aims at 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 all genetic diversity within all species. E) saving as much habitat as possible from development and exploitation. Answer: C Topic: Concept 56.2 Skill: Synthesis/Evaluation 36) Which of the following species was driven to extinction by overexploitation by hunters/fishermen? A) African elephant B) the great auk C) North American bluefin tuna D) flying foxes E) American bison Answer: B Topic: Concept 56.2 Skill: Synthesis/Evaluation 37) The primary difference between the small-population approach (S-PA) and the decliningpopulation approach (D-PA) to biodiversity recovery is A) S-PA is interested in bolstering the genetic diversity of a threatened population rather than the environmental factors that caused the population's decline. B) S-PA kicks in for conservation biologists when population numbers fall below 500. C) D-PA would likely involve the bringing together of individuals from scattered small populations to interbreed to promote genetic diversity. D) S-PA would investigate and eliminate all of the human impacts on the habitat of the species being studied for recovery. E) D-PA would use recently collected population data to calculate an extinction vortex. Answer: A Topic: Concept 56.2 Skill: Application/Analysis 38) The long-term problem with Red-cockaded woodpecker habitat intervention in the southwest United States is A) the only habitat that can support their recovery is large tracts of mature southern pine forest. B) the mature pine forests in which they live cannot ever be subjected to forest fire. 10 C) all of the appropriate Red-cockaded woodpecker habitat has already been logged or converted to agricultural land. D) the social organization of the Red-cockaded woodpecker precludes the dispersal of reproductive individuals. E) what habitat remains for the Red-cockaded woodpecker does not contain trees suitable for nest cavity construction. Answer: D Topic: Concept 56.2 Skill: Application/Analysis 39) Managing southwestern forests specifically for the Red-cockaded woodpecker A) was whole-heartedly 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. Answer: B Topic: Concept 56.2 Skill: Application/Analysis 40) Which of the following is true about the current research about forest fragmentation? A) Fragmented forests support a greater biodiversity because they result in the combination of forest-edge species and forest interior species. B) Fragmented forests support a lesser biodiversity because the forested-adapted species leave, and only the edge and open-field species can occupy fragmented forests. C) Fragmented forests are the goal of conservation biologists who design wildlife preserves. D) Harvesting timber that results in forest fragmentation results in less soil erosion. E) The disturbance of timber extraction causes the species diversity to increase because of the new habitats created. Answer: B Topic: Concept 56.2 Skill: Application/Analysis 41) Which of the following would a landscape ecologist consider in designing a nature reserve? A) patterns of landscape use by humans B) human economic concerns C) possible edge effects related to human activities D) nature viewing sites E) A, B, C, and D are all correct Answer: E Topic: Concept 56.3 Skill: Synthesis/Evaluation 42) Which of the following statements is correct about landscape ecology? 11 A) It is the application of ecological principles to the design and construction of sustainable lawns and gardens. B) It is the application of ecological principles to land-use planning. C) It focuses primarily on human-altered ecological systems. D) It deals primarily with ecosystems in urban settings. E) It deals with the study of the home ranges of various animals. Answer: B Topic: Concept 56.3 Skill: Synthesis/Evaluation 43) A movement corridor A) is a path used by migratory animals when they move to their wintering locales. B) is the path most commonly used by an animal within its home range. C) unites otherwise isolated patches of quality habitat. D) is always beneficial to a species. E) is always some natural component of the environment. Answer: C Topic: Concept 56.3 Skill: Synthesis/Evaluation 44) Relatively small geographic areas with high concentrations of endemic species are known as A) endemic sinks. B) critical communities. C) biodiversity hot spots. D) endemic metapopulations. E) bottlenecks. Answer: C Topic: Concept 56.3 Skill: Synthesis/Evaluation 45) Which of the following statements about biodiversity hot spots for plants is correct? A) They are locations that have high concentrations of endemic species. B) They consist of large numbers of surprisingly common species. C) They only involve terrestrial plants. D) They make up a total of about 15% of the global land surface. E) They are all geographically situated in the tropics. Answer: A Topic: Concept 56.3 Skill: Synthesis/Evaluation 46) The term "biotic boundary" refers to the A) area that an animal defends as its territory. B) area needed to sustain a population. C) home range of an animal. 12 D) distribution of an organism. E) range where a species used to live, but no longer does. Answer: B Topic: Concept 56.3 Skill: Synthesis/Evaluation 47) Which of the following nations has become a world leader in the establishment of zoned reserves? A) Costa Rica B) Canada C) China D) United States E) Mexico Answer: A Topic: Concept 56.3 Skill: Synthesis/Evaluation 48) Which of the following species has been shown to be most susceptible to habitat fragmentation? A) Red-cockaded woodpecker B) humpback whale C) Canada goose D) Nile perch E) zebra mussel Answer: A Topic: Concept 56.3 Skill: Application/Analysis Use the information below about quail habitats to answer the following questions. Figure 56.1 49) Which of these represents the best quail habitat in terms of fragmentation and edge? Answer: C 13 Topic: Concept 56.3 Skill: Synthesis/Evaluation 50) Assuming that only one quail can occupy a habitat where all cover requirements are met, what is the maximum number of quail that could inhabit any of the hypothetical plots shown? A) 1 B) 2 C) 4 D) 6 E) 9 Answer: E Topic: Concept 56.3 Skill: Synthesis/Evaluation 51) Biodiversity hot spots are not necessarily the best choice for nature preserves because A) hot spots are situated in remote areas not accessible to wildlife viewers. B) their ecological importance makes land purchase very expensive. C) a hot spot for one group of organisms may not be a hot spot for another group. D) hot spots are designated by abiotic factors present, not biotic factors. E) designated hot spots change on a daily basis. Answer: C Topic: Concept 56.3 Skill: Synthesis/Evaluation 52) Brown-headed cowbird populations require forested habitat where they can A) parasitize the nests of other forest-adapted host birds. B) burrow for insect larvae under the bark of trees. C) nest in cavities in old growth timber. D) avoid competition with other open area cowbird species. E) feed on upper canopy-adapted insect species. Answer: A Topic: Concept 56.3 Skill: Synthesis/Evaluation 53) Approximately what percent of the world's land area has been established as reserves to protect biodiversity? A) less than 1% B) 3% C) 7% D) 12% E) 20% Answer: C Topic: Concept 56.3 . 14 Skill: Synthesis/Evaluation 54) After a disturbance, natural recovery of a biological community is most strongly influenced by A) whether the disturbance has been caused by humans or by a natural agent. B) the spatial scale of the disturbance. C) whether the site is in a temperate or tropical area. D) the availability of water nearby. E) the season in which the disturbance occurred. Answer: B Topic: Concept 56.4 Skill: Synthesis/Evaluation 55) Human use of prokaryotic organisms to help detoxify a polluted wetland would be an example of A) ecosystem augmentation. B) keystone species introduction. C) biological control. D) bioremediation. E) population viability analysis. Answer: D Topic: Concept 56.4 Skill: Synthesis/Evaluation 56) Which of the following is true about "hot spots"? A) 1/3 of all species on Earth occupy less that 1.5% of the earth's land area. B) All of the plants and animals containing genes that may be useful to humankind are located in the Earth's hot spots. C) 75% of all of the undiscovered species of organisms live in ecological hot spots. D) As conservation measures improve over the next ten years hot spots will likely disappear. E) The hot spots that are in most dire need of remediation are located in the tundra. Answer: A Topic: Concept 56.4 Skill: Application/Analysis 57) The biggest challenge that Costa Rica will likely face in its dedication to conservation and restoration in the future is A) the pressures of its growing population. B) its small size (as a country) to maintain large enough reserves. C) the potential for disturbance of sensitive species by ecotourism in reserves. D) spread of disease and parasites via corridors from neighboring countries. E) the large number of Costa Rican species already in the extinction vortex. Answer: A Topic: Concept 56.5 15 Skill: Application/Analysis Self-Quiz Questions 1) Ecologists conclude there is a biodiversity crisis because A) biophilia causes humans to feel ethically responsible for protecting other species. B) scientists have at last discovered and counted most of Earth's species and can now accurately calculate the current extinction rate. C) current extinction rates are very high and many species are threatened or endangered. D) many potential life-saving medicines are being lost as species evolve. E) there are too few biodiversity hot spots. Answer: C 2) Which of the following would be considered an example of bioremediation? A) adding nitrogen-fixing microorganisms to a degraded ecosystem to increase nitrogen availability B) using a bulldozer to regrade a strip mine C) identifying a new biodiversity hot spot D) reconfiguring the channel of a river E) adding seeds of a chromium-accumulating plant to soil contaminated by chromium Answer: E 3) What is the effective population size (Ne) of a population of 50 strictly monogamous swans (40 males and 10 females) if every female breeds successfully? A) 50 B) 40 C) 30 D) 20 E) 10 Answer: D 4) One characteristic that distinguishes a population in an extinction vortex from most other populations is that A) its habitat is fragmented. B) it is a rare, top-level predator. C) its effective population size is much lower than its total population size. D) its genetic diversity is very low. E) it is not well adapted to edge conditions. Answer: D 5) The discipline that applies ecological principles to returning degraded ecosystems to more natural states is known as A) population viability analysis. B) landscape ecology. 16 C) conservation ecology. D) restoration ecology. E) resource conservation. Answer: D 6) What is the single greatest threat to biodiversity? A) overexploitation of commercially important species B) introduced species that compete with or prey on native species C) pollution of Earth's air, water, and soil D) disruption of trophic relationships as more and more prey species become extinct E) habitat alteration, fragmentation, and destruction Answer: E 7) Which of the following strategies would most rapidly increase the genetic diversity of a population in an extinction vortex? A) Capture all remaining individuals in the population for captive breeding followed by reintroduction to the wild. B) Establish a reserve that protects the population's habitat. C) Introduce new individuals transported from other populations of the same species. D) Sterilize the least fit individuals in the population. E) Control populations of the endangered population's predators and competitors. Answer: C 8) Of the following statements about protected areas that have been established to preserve biodiversity, which one is not correct? A) About 25% of Earth's land area is now protected. B) National parks are one of many types of protected area. C) Most protected areas are too small to protect species. D) Management of a protected area should be coordinated with management of the land surrounding the area. E) It is especially important to protect biodiversity hot spots. Answer: A 17