Chapter 48 - Human Impacts on the Biosphere
Chapter 48 - Human Impacts on the Biosphere
Multiple Choice1.A U.S. submarine surfaced ____ miles from the nearest land in the Arctic and found polar bears hunting on the frozen sea.
a. / 10
b. / 100
c. / 200
d. / 500
e. / 1,000
ANSWER: / d
DIFFICULTY: / Bloom’s: Remember
REFERENCES: / 48.1 A Long Reach
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES: / UDOL.STES.16.48.1 - Examine the role of humans in species extinction.
2.Polar bears are top predators, and tests on their tissues have shown a surprising ____.
a. / resistance to warming
b. / amount of protein
c. / resistance to disease
d. / amount of mercury and organic pesticides
e. / amount of nutrients
ANSWER: / d
DIFFICULTY: / Bloom’s: Understand
REFERENCES: / 48.1 A Long Reach
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES: / UDOL.STES.16.48.1 - Examine the role of humans in species extinction.
3.How many mass extinctions have occurred over all of geologic history?
a. / one
b. / two
c. / three
d. / four
e. / five
ANSWER: / e
DIFFICULTY: / Bloom’s: Remember
REFERENCES: / 48.2 The Extinction Crisis
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES: / UDOL.STES.16.48.2 - Discuss the current mass extinction crisis and the human role in it.
4.Of all the species that have ever lived on Earth, how many have gone extinct?
a. / less than 1%
b. / about 10%
c. / about 25%
d. / about 75%
e. / about 99%
ANSWER: / e
DIFFICULTY: / Bloom’s: Understand
REFERENCES: / 48.2 The Extinction Crisis
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES: / UDOL.STES.16.48.2 - Discuss the current mass extinction crisis and the human role in it.
5.Which of the following is least likely to be a cause of extinction?
a. / asteroid impact
b. / human activity
c. / adaptive radiation
d. / continental drift
e. / climate change
ANSWER: / c
DIFFICULTY: / Bloom’s: Understand
REFERENCES: / 48.2 The Extinction Crisis
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES: / UDOL.STES.16.48.2 - Discuss the current mass extinction crisis and the human role in it.
6.The current extinction rate is estimated to be at least how much greater than the background extinction rate?
a. / 2
b. / 5
c. / 10
d. / 50
e. / 100
ANSWER: / e
DIFFICULTY: / Bloom’s: Understand
REFERENCES: / 48.2 The Extinction Crisis
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES: / UDOL.STES.16.48.2 - Discuss the current mass extinction crisis and the human role in it.
7.Which of the following is most likely the cause of the current extinction crisis?
a. / asteroid impact
b. / human activity
c. / adaptive radiation
d. / tectonic activity
e. / rising sea levels
ANSWER: / b
DIFFICULTY: / Bloom’s: Understand
REFERENCES: / 48.2 The Extinction Crisis
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES: / UDOL.STES.16.48.2 - Discuss the current mass extinction crisis and the human role in it.
8.What caused the greatest mass extinction, in terms of species lost, at the end of the Permian?
a. / global cooling
b. / sea level decline
c. / asteroid impact
d. / overhunting by humans
e. / increased volcanic activity
ANSWER: / e
DIFFICULTY: / Bloom’s: Understand
REFERENCES: / 48.2 The Extinction Crisis
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES: / UDOL.STES.16.48.2 - Discuss the current mass extinction crisis and the human role in it.
9.What was the greatest contributing factor to the dodo bird extinction on the island of Mauritius?
a. / sailors overharvested them for food
b. / rats, cats, and pigs introduced by sailors
c. / climate change caused by humans
d. / their predators went extinct
e. / rising sea levels made the island smaller
ANSWER: / b
DIFFICULTY: / Bloom’s: Understand
REFERENCES: / 48.2 The Extinction Crisis
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES: / UDOL.STES.16.48.2 - Discuss the current mass extinction crisis and the human role in it.
10.A species that has population levels so low it faces extinction in all or part of its range is designated as ____.
a. / riparian
b. / endemic
c. / endangered
d. / threatened
e. / an indicator
ANSWER: / c
DIFFICULTY: / Bloom’s: Understand
REFERENCES: / 48.3 Current Diversity and Threats
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES: / UDOL.STES.16.48.3 - Examine the human role in endangering existing species.
11.One of the major causes of the endangerment of giant pandas is ____.
a. / habitat loss and fragmentation
b. / increasing the effects of chemical pollution
c. / a sexually transmitted disease that plagues the giant pandas
d. / introduced exotic species into giant panda habitat
e. / the excess withdrawal of water from their habitat
ANSWER: / a
DIFFICULTY: / Bloom’s: Understand
REFERENCES: / 48.3 Current Diversity and Threats
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES: / UDOL.STES.16.48.3 - Examine the human role in endangering existing species.
12.Which type of species is most likely to go extinct?
a. / underharvested
b. / endemic
c. / widely distributed
d. / generalist
e. / introduced
ANSWER: / b
DIFFICULTY: / Bloom’s: Understand
REFERENCES: / 48.3 Current Diversity and Threats
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES: / UDOL.STES.16.48.3 - Examine the human role in endangering existing species.
13.Endemic means a species ____.
a. / evolved in one geographic region and lives nowhere else
b. / is on its way to extinction
c. / can live in only one habitat
d. / is extinct in the wild
e. / is completely extinct
ANSWER: / a
DIFFICULTY: / Bloom’s: Understand
REFERENCES: / 48.3 Current Diversity and Threats
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES: / UDOL.STES.16.48.3 - Examine the human role in endangering existing species.
14.The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) reports that of the 48,677 species they have assessed, ____ percent were threatened or endangered.
a. / 8
b. / 18
c. / 27
d. / 36
e. / 65
ANSWER: / d
DIFFICULTY: / Bloom’s: Understand
REFERENCES: / 48.3 Current Diversity and Threats
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES: / UDOL.STES.16.48.3 - Examine the human role in endangering existing species.
15.Habitat fragmentation can reduce biodiversity by ____.
a. / withdrawing an essential resource from native species
b. / sterilizing for pollution control
c. / eliminating vast tracts of forests
d. / introducing more native species into a habitat
e. / decreasing human use of natural resources
ANSWER: / a
DIFFICULTY: / Bloom’s: Understand
REFERENCES: / 48.3 Current Diversity and Threats
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES: / UDOL.STES.16.48.3 - Examine the human role in endangering existing species.
16.Exotic species that are introduced into a non-native habitat can ____.
a. / interbreed with native species
b. / drive endemic species to extinction
c. / die out due to competition from native species
d. / blend in with endemic species
e. / create habitat islands for themselves
ANSWER: / b
DIFFICULTY: / Bloom’s: Apply
REFERENCES: / 48.3 Current Diversity and Threats
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES: / UDOL.STES.16.48.3 - Examine the human role in endangering existing species.
17.Sometimes, the decline of one species threatens the survival of another species. Which scenario is an example of this?
a. / declines in polar bears result in diminished prey populations
b. / the arrival of sailors on Mauritius island led to the extinction ofdodo birds
c. / declines in eagle populations due to the accumulation of pollutants in their eggs
d. / decline in buffalo caused a drop in native buffalo clover
e. / pollution led to declines in the Texas blink salamander population
ANSWER: / d
DIFFICULTY: / Bloom’s: Understand
REFERENCES: / 48.3 Current Diversity and Threats
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES: / UDOL.STES.16.48.3 - Examine the human role in endangering existing species.
18.Tom Curtis wrote a letter in 2006 to try and encourage research into ____.
a. / rare plants
b. / microorganisms
c. / agricultural crops
d. / prairie grasses
e. / invasive species
ANSWER: / b
DIFFICULTY: / Bloom’s: Understand
REFERENCES: / 48.3 Current Diversity and Threats
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES: / UDOL.STES.16.48.3 - Examine the human role in endangering existing species.
19.Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria play an essential role in the nitrogen cycle by ____.
a. / converting ammonia into nitrogen oxides
b. / converting ammonia into nitrites
c. / converting ammonia into ammonium
d. / converting nitrites into ammonia
e. / converting nitrites into nitrogen oxides
ANSWER: / b
DIFFICULTY: / Bloom’s: Understand
REFERENCES: / 48.3 Current Diversity and Threats
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES: / UDOL.STES.16.48.3 - Examine the human role in endangering existing species.
20.In a positive feedback cycle, drought encourages ____, which results in more drought.
a. / overgrazing
b. / biological magnification
c. / bioaccumulation
d. / desertification
e. / deforestation
ANSWER: / d
DIFFICULTY: / Bloom’s: Understand
REFERENCES: / 48.4 Harmful Land Use Practices
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES: / UDOL.STES.16.48.4 - Determine how human activities could potentially transform entire biomes.
21.Which of the following areas is still seeing an increase in deforestation?
a. / United States
b. / Europe
c. / China
d. / Brazil
e. / Canada
ANSWER: / d
DIFFICULTY: / Bloom’s: Understand
REFERENCES: / 48.4 Harmful Land Use Practices
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES: / UDOL.STES.16.48.4 - Determine how human activities could potentially transform entire biomes.
22.One way in which deforestation contributes to global climate change is that the conversion of forest to cropland or pasture ____.
a. / decreases the amount of methane released by microbes
b. / increases the amount of nitrogen oxides in the air
c. / decreases the amount of sulfur dioxides in the air
d. / increases the rate at which carbon is taken up by plants
e. / decreases the rate at which carbon is taken up by plants
ANSWER: / e
DIFFICULTY: / Bloom’s: Understand
REFERENCES: / 48.4 Harmful Land Use Practices
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES: / UDOL.STES.16.48.4 - Determine how human activities could potentially transform entire biomes.
23.The release of most nitrogen oxides comes from ____.
a. / ammonia-oxidizing bacteria
b. / the use of DDT
c. / coal-burning power plants
d. / drilling for gasoline and oil
e. / combustion of gasoline and oil
ANSWER: / e
DIFFICULTY: / Bloom’s: Apply
REFERENCES: / 48.5 Pollutants
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES: / UDOL.STES.16.48.5 - Describe how pollutants are directly endangering living organisms using examples.
24.Due to ____, trophic level affects the pollutant concentration in an organism’s tissues.
a. / bioaccumulation
b. / biological magnification
c. / ecosystem degradation
d. / the ozone layer
e. / ground-level ozone
ANSWER: / b
DIFFICULTY: / Bloom’s: Understand
REFERENCES: / 48.5 Pollutants
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES: / UDOL.STES.16.48.5 - Describe how pollutants are directly endangering living organisms using examples.
25.In the United States, solid municipal waste can no longer be dumped ____.
a. / in garbage dumps
b. / in biodegradable bags
c. / in garbage bags
d. / in landfills
e. / in the sea
ANSWER: / e
DIFFICULTY: / Bloom’s: Remember
REFERENCES: / 48.5 Pollutants
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES: / UDOL.STES.16.48.5 - Describe how pollutants are directly endangering living organisms using examples.
26.Which of the following is least likely an impact of acid rain?
a. / It stops fish egg development.
b. / It can burn foliage.
c. / It releases toxins in the soil.
d. / It causes eutrophication.
e. / It can kill adult aquatic organisms.
ANSWER: / d
DIFFICULTY: / Bloom’s: Apply
REFERENCES: / 48.5 Pollutants
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES: / UDOL.STES.16.48.5 - Describe how pollutants are directly endangering living organisms using examples.
27.Which statement about chlorofluorocarbons is FALSE?
a. / They can destroy ozone.
b. / They are odorless.
c. / They are a greenhouse gas.
d. / They break down very slowly.
e. / Their action is allowing more UV radiation through the atmosphere.
ANSWER: / c
DIFFICULTY: / Bloom’s: Apply
REFERENCES: / 48.6 Ozone Depletion and Pollution
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES: / UDOL.STES.16.48.6 - Determine some of the major contributors to ozone layer depletion.
28.The hole in the ozone layer is most dramatic over ____.
a. / Antarctica
b. / North America
c. / Asia
d. / Europe
e. / Africa
ANSWER: / a
DIFFICULTY: / Bloom’s: Remember
REFERENCES: / 48.6 Ozone Depletion and Pollution
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES: / UDOL.STES.16.48.6 - Determine some of the major contributors to ozone layer depletion.
29.The increased acidity of seawater can harm marine life by making ____ available to organisms that require it.
a. / less nitrogen
b. / more sulfur dioxide
c. / less carbon dioxide
d. / more methane
e. / less calcium carbonate
ANSWER: / e
DIFFICULTY: / Bloom’s: Understand
REFERENCES: / 48.7 Effects of Global Climate Change
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES: / UDOL.STES.16.48.7 - Examine how climate change is threatening life on Earth.
30.The level of the oceans is rising due to ____.
a. / ozone depletion
b. / global warming
c. / lost species biodiversity
d. / increased precipitation
e. / acid rain
ANSWER: / b
DIFFICULTY: / Bloom’s: Understand
REFERENCES: / 48.7 Effects of Global Climate Change
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES: / UDOL.STES.16.48.7 - Examine how climate change is threatening life on Earth.
31.The term for describing a region’s biological wealth is called ____.
a. / endemic species
b. / hot spots
c. / biodiversity
d. / endangered species
e. / threatened species
ANSWER: / c
DIFFICULTY: / Bloom’s: Understand
REFERENCES: / 48.8 Conservation Biology
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES: / UDOL.STES.16.48.8 - Discuss the significance of conservation biology and ecological restoration.
32.Habitats with the most species in greatest danger of extinction are called ____.
a. / ecoregions
b. / island habitats
c. / riparian zones
d. / hot spots
e. / conservation islands
ANSWER: / d
DIFFICULTY: / Bloom’s: Understand
REFERENCES: / 48.8 Conservation Biology
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES: / UDOL.STES.16.48.8 - Discuss the significance of conservation biology and ecological restoration.
33.Once they are identified, ____ take priority in worldwide conservation efforts.
a. / healthy ecosystems
b. / riparian zones
c. / hot spots
d. / grasslands
e. / forests
ANSWER: / c
DIFFICULTY: / Bloom’s: Apply
REFERENCES: / 48.8 Conservation Biology
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES: / UDOL.STES.16.48.8 - Discuss the significance of conservation biology and ecological restoration.
34.A broad land or aquatic region characterized by climate, geography, and the species found within them is called ____.
a. / an ecoregion
b. / a hot spot
c. / a realm
d. / a habitat island
e. / the biosphere
ANSWER: / a
DIFFICULTY: / Bloom’s: Understand
REFERENCES: / 48.8 Conservation Biology
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES: / UDOL.STES.16.48.8 - Discuss the significance of conservation biology and ecological restoration.
35.Currently, what is the biggest threat to the Klamath-Siskiyou forest, which is an endangered ecoregion in North America?
a. / nesting birds
b. / greenhouse gases
c. / rising sea levels