Sustaining Biodiversity The Species Approach Ch.9 Exam Prep

CHAPTER 9—SUSTAINING BIODIVERSITY: THE SPECIES APPROACH

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. Bees use ____ to make ____.

2. Colony collapse disorder is ____.

3. The key role of a honeybee is to ____ plants and flowers.

4. The rate at which extinctions occurred prior to the evolution of modern humans is called the ____.

5. The extinction of many species in a relatively short period of geologic time is called ____.

6. Biodiversity experts estimate that during this century, the extinction rate due to human activities will rise to ____ times the background extinction rate.

7. If estimates of an extinction rate 10,000 times greater than the background rate are correct, then what percentage of all species will be extinct by the end of this century?

8. The estimate of the background extinction rate is thought to be too low. Which explanation for why the estimate may be low is false?

9. After a mass extinction, what happens to biodiversity rates?

10. Biodiversity hotspots are ____.

11. An endangered species ____.

12. A threatened species ____.

13. Throughout the 3.5 billion year history of life on the earth, there has been a natural, low rate of species extinction know as ____.

14. ____ are most threatened with extinction because of human activities.

15. Four of the following are characteristics that make some species especially vulnerable to ecological and biological extinction. One of the following is not such a characteristic. Which one is it?

16. Biologists think there are four major reasons why we should work to prevent human activities from causing the extinction of other species. Which of the following is not one of these reasons?

17. Bioprospectors are ____.

18. What percentage of the world’s known plant species have been examined for medicinal properties?

19. Because birds live in every climate and biome, and because they are easy to track and count, they serve as excellent ____.

20. What percentage of the world's 10,000 bird species is declining in number?

21. Some toxic chemicals, such as those in DDT, can be stored in the fat tissue of animals. As these animals become food for larger and larger animals, the amount of the toxin gets larger and larger. What is this process called?

22. Which effect below is not a result of global warming?

23. A 2006 study estimated the total polar bear population is likely to decline by how much by 2025?

24. Which statement about the introduction of non-native species is false?

25. The biggest problem with invasive species is that in the new location, they ____.

26. The best way to limit the impact of invasive species is to ____.

27. Which of the following statements about kudzu is false?

28. What species was intentionally introduced into the United States?

29. HIPPCO is a(n) ____.

30. Which invasive species threatens the Florida Everglades?

31. DDT use in the 1950s and 1960s was nearly responsible for the extinction of what familiar bird species?

32. Population declines among birds, especially long-distance migrant birds, have several primary causes. Which of the following is not one of these?

33. Four of the following have resulted in an increase in hunting bushmeat; one has not. Which one is not a cause of this increase?

34. Illegal hunting for profit is called ____.

35. According to researchers, the greatest threat to wild species is ____.

36. In terms of habitat destruction, the greatest eliminator of species is the ____.

37. When a large, contiguous area of habitat is reduced in area and divided into smaller, more scattered patches, the process is called ____.

38. The most far-reaching and controversial environmental law ever adopted requiring the identification of endangered and threatened species is ____.

39. When the Endangered Species Act was established in 1973, the list included 92 U.S. species. In 2010, that number had risen to ____.

40. Which scenario would be allowed under a habitat conservation plan?

41. What group of animals receives the most protection by the use of wildlife refuges?

42. Four of the following are ways that the pressure can be taken off of some endangered species; one is not. Choose the one that is not.

43. Captive breeding programs in zoos ____.

44. Egg pulling refers to ____.

45. What idea proposes that we take measures to prevent harm to the environment and human health even if the science has not been fully established?

46. We know that the introduction of nonnative species often results in unforeseen consequences. This indicates that when introducing nonnative species, we would be well advised to apply the

47. CITES is a(n) ____.

48. The Convention on Biological Diversity, ratified by 191 countries, seeks to reverse the global decline of biodiversity and share the benefits from the use of genetic resources. What has slowed this progress?

49. There are many actions an individual can do take to help protect endangered and threatened species. Which of the following is least likely to be effective?

50. Biologists believe the Endangered Species Act has been successful, but critics say it is a failure. Which argument below supports the critics?

1. Many biologists consider the rapid loss of the earth’s biodiversity to be the most serious and long-lasting environmental problem the world faces.

2. After a mass extinction, the earth’s overall biodiversity eventually returns to equal or higher levels.

3. According to biological and fossil evidence, all species eventually become extinct.

4. All mass extinctions thus far have been caused by natural phenomena that drastically changed environmental conditions.

5. Worldwide, approximately 2,500 species are listed as endangered or threatened.

6. The active ingredients in nine of the ten leading prescription drugs originally came from wild organisms.

7. The greatest eliminator of species is over-hunting and over-fishing.

8. Island species - often found nowhere else - are especially vulnerable to extinctions when their habitat is destroyed.

9. In the state of Hawaii, 95% of endangered species are endangered because of invasive species.

10. Efforts to control the Argentinean fire ant in the U.S. during the 1960s by spraying pesticides resulted in genetic resistance to pesticides in the fire ants.

11. It is easier to remove an invasive species than it is to control its introduction.

12. Continuing decline of pollinator populations, such as honeybees, could cause a serious disruption of food production for humans.

13. Organized crime has moved into illegal wildlife smuggling because of the huge profits involved.

14. The only major group of species that have escaped increasing extinction threat are the primates, where less than 10% are currently threatened with extinction.

15. The passenger pigeon, perhaps the must abundant bird on earth in 1813, was extinct less than one hundred years later because of human activities.

1. When the loss or major decline of a keystone species leads to population declines and extinctions of other species with strong connections to the keystone species, ecologists say the process is called a _______________.

2. ____________________ occurs when the population of a species becomes so low that the species can no longer perform a role in its ecosystem.

3. During this century, with global climate change and other human activities, the current extinction rate could reach ____________________ times the background rate of extinction.

4. A(n) ____________________ species has so few individual survivors that the species could soon become extinct over all or most of its natural range.

5. The rate of species loss and the extent of biodiversity loss are likely to ____________________ during the next 50-100 years as a result of the growth of the world's ____________________ and resource use per person.

6. One reason why we should work to prevent human activities from causing the extinction of other species is that they are a vital part of the earth’s ____________________ system.

7. We should act to prevent premature extinction of species, in part because they contribute to ____________________, those services that support our economies.

8. Burmese and African ____________________ along with several other similar species, have ended up in the Everglades in Florida, after being released by their owners because they did not make good pets.

9. ____________________ is the “extinction capital” of the United States.

10. In ____________________ some or all of the individuals of a critically endangered species are collected for breeding so their offspring can be introduced to the wild

11. The ____________________ has the responsibility for identifying and listing endangered and threatened oceans species under the ESA of 1973.

12. The U.S. ____________________ has the responsibility for identifying and listing endangered and threatened species other than ocean species.

13. The ____________________ suggests we should take measures to prevent or reduce harm to the environment and human health even if some of the cause-and-effect relationships have not been fully established scientifically.

14. A new underground vault on a remote island in the Arctic is a type of _______________ intended to preserve genetic information and endangered plant species by storing their seeds in refrigerated, low-humidity environments.

15. The species-area relationship suggests that, on average, a 90% loss of habitat causes the extinction of ____________________% of the species living in that habitat.

1. What three factors are most important in causing extinction rates to climb?

1. Habitat loss

2. Climate Change

3. Other harmful effects of human activities, such as population growth and greater use of resources per person

PTS: 1

TOP: 9-1 What Role Do Humans Play in the Loss of Species and Ecosystem Services?

KEY: Bloom's: Remember NOT: New

2. Why is it difficult to measure background extinction rates?

2. The majority of the earth’s species have not been identified.

3. Scientist must learn more about the ecological roles of species to estimate how sensitive they are to extinction and how the extinction of one species will affect the survival of other species.

PTS: 1

TOP: 9-1 What Role Do Humans Play in the Loss of Species and Ecosystem Services?

KEY: Bloom's: Understand NOT: New

3. Distinguish between regional and functional extinction.

4. What are some of the hypotheses for the collapse of honeybee colonies?

1. A parasitic mite that kills adults.

2. Viruses and fungi

3. Pesticides have weakened the bees’ immune systems making them more vulnerable to parasites, viruses, and fungi.

4. Stress from travel to work sites and over work at the sites, combined with poor nutrition. Bees are increasingly not gathering nectar from a diversity of plants and relying instead among a narrower set of plant species.

PTS: 1

TOP: 9-3 How Do Humans Accelerate Species Extinction and Degradation of Ecosystem Services?

KEY: Bloom's: Understand NOT: New

5. In what ways have non-native species been beneficial?

1. They supply food in the form of plants like corn, wheat and rice.

2. They supply food in the form of animals like cattle and chickens.

3. They can help control pests.

4. Bees have provided honey, wax, and pollination of flowers and food crops.

PTS: 1

TOP: 9-3 How Do Humans Accelerate Species Extinction and Degradation of Ecosystem Services?

KEY: Bloom's: Understand NOT: New

ESSAY

1. Explain what you think E. O. Wilson meant when he said, "The first animal species to go are the big, the slow, the tasty, and those with valuable parts such as tusks and skins."

2. Extinctions, even those caused unintentionally by humans, seem less disturbing than the volume of extinctions and their implications for future generations. What do you think the importance is of the volume of extinctions? Do we have a responsibility to retain as much of the biodiversity as possible, or are other living organisms to be used as we see fit? Explain your answer.

1. destroying species diminishes the ability of ecosystems to function properly. We are ultimately dependent upon these systems.

2. destroying species denies future generations the opportunity to experience and learn from these species, perhaps to gain vital knowledge to enhance their lives

3. destroying species is intrinsically wrong, in and of its own

4. biodiversity will take millions of years to replenish the number and variety of species

PTS: 1 OBJ: Critical Thinking

TOP: 9-2 Why Should We Care About Sustaining Species and the Ecosystem Services They Provide? KEY: Bloom's: Evaluate

3. Explain, in your own words, why the degradation and loss of honeybee colonies are seen as an important example of biodiversity loss.

4. Consider the Case Study: Polar Bears and Climate Change. What do you think will be the result of removing the top predator from an ecosystem as vast as the Arctic? Be as specific as possible.

5. Some people believe it is unethical to collect wild animals and plants for display and personal pleasure and that such plants and animals should be left in the wild. Explain why you agree or disagree with this view.