Biodiversity
1. Lake Victoria in Africa has seen a large loss in biodiversity in the last 20 years, particularly in the numbers and kinds of cichlid fish. One major reason for this loss is (pp. 269-270)
A. increased pesticide use has poisoned the fish and they can no longer reproduce.
B. algal blooms are choking out the fish.
C. the Nile perch was introduced into the lake and it has changed the ecological balance.
D. reduced biodiversity has eliminated the cichlids' primary prey.
E. all of the above.
2. Maintaining biodiversity includes maintaining (p. 270)
A. the variety of versions of the same gene within an individual species.
B. the number of different kinds of organisms within individual communities or ecosystems.
C. the richness and complexity of a biological community, including niches, trophic levels, and ecological processes.
D. A and B.
E. all of the above.
3. The red wolf is a good example of how difficult it is to determine just what a species is because (p. 271)
A. DNA evidence suggests that it may be the fertile offspring of the mating of a timber wolf and a coyote.
B. it is now extinct.
C. it represents the limits of what DNA testing can do to determine species variation.
D. its trophic level is much higher than the timber wolf and, therefore, is often out competed.
E. all of the above.
4. The greatest number of species are amongst (p. 271)
A. bacteria and viruses.
B. invertebrates.
C. mammals.
D. fungi.
E. vascular plants.
5. An example of the importance of individual, lesser well-known species is the Madagascar periwinkle which is a source for (p. 273)
A. highly digestible protein for cattle.
B. the amino acid, lysine, which is lacking in humans' diets in the Third World.
C. two highly effective anti-cancer drugs.
D. a subtle, red textile dye.
E. none of the above.
6. Ecological benefits, such as which of the following, are directly or indirectly tied to maintaining biodiversity and healthy ecosystems: (p. 274)
A. waste disposal
B. solar energy absorption
C. soil formation
D. air and water purification
E. all of the above
F. none of the above
7. The extinction rate in the 20th century is (p. 275)
A. 20% higher than in undisturbed ecosystems.
B. 20% lower than in undisturbed ecosystems.
C. 100-1000 times than in undisturbed ecosystems.
D. 100 times less than in undisturbed ecosystems.
E. none of the above.
8. Of the human caused reductions in biodiversity, the primary cause is (p. 276)
A. habitat loss.
B. exploitation through overharvesting.
C. invasion of exotic species.
D. global climate change.
E. none of the above.
9. The effects of overharvesting are particularly apparent when considering (pp. 277-278)
A. the numbers of white tail deer in North America.
B. the numbers of zebra mussels in the Great Lakes.
C. the output of fish on Canada's Great Banks.
D. the plight of the Ruffe fish in the Great Lakes.
E. all of the above.
10. Exotic species (p. 282)
A. are species that are unique and very rare.
B. can seriously disrupt an ecosystem because they are freed from traditional predators, parasites, and pathogens.
C. often increase the biodiversity of an ecosystem.
D. A and C.
E. none of the above.
11. In the United States, the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and subsequent court interpretations represents a powerful approach to protecting biodiversity because (p. 283)
A. it regulates a wide range of activities including harassing and harming species.
B. it protects the species' habitat on public and private land.
C. for vertebrates, it protects subspecies and local races or ecotypes, as well as the species.
D. A and C.
E. all of the above.
12. A vulnerable species, under the Endangered Species Act, is a species that (p. 283)
A. is considered in imminent danger of extinction.
B. is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future.
C. is naturally rare or locally depleted by human activities.
D. A and B.
E. all of the above.
13. Through habitat conservation plans (HCPs), private landowners are (p. 285)
A. able to develop their land, destroy habitat, or even take endangered species as long as an endangered species benefits overall.
B. not able to develop their property at all if it contains habitat for an endangered species.
C. often consulted to develop recovery plans for biological viability of endangered species.
D. B and C.
E. all of the above.
14. Genetic diversity can be lost especially easily in small, isolated populations through (p. 287)
A. the founder effect.
B. demographic bottlenecks.
C. genetic drift.
D. inbreeding.
E. A and B.
F. all of the above.
15. When wildlife managers and conservationists look for unprotected landscapes that are rich in species, they are engaged in (p. 288)
A. geographical information systems.
B. gap analysis.
C. genetic drift.
D. the founder effect.
E. none of the above.