Campbell Biology, 11e (Urry)
Chapter 56 Conservation Biology and Global Change
56.1 Multiple-Choice Questions
1) Philippe Bouchet and colleagues conducted a massive survey of marine molluscs on the west coast of New Caledonia. For 20% of the total species that were located and identified, only a single specimen was found. What does that suggest about the diversity of molluscs in this area?
A) The west coast of New Caledonia is not an appropriate habitat for molluscs.
B) Many of the species from this 20% are probably rare.
C) They were not sampling uniformly throughout the area.
D) Many of the species from this 20% are most likely just dispersing through the area.
Answer: B
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application/Analysis
Section: 56.1
2) If all individuals in the last remaining population of a particular frog species were all highly related, which type of diversity would be of greatest concern when planning to prevent the species from going extinct?
A) global diversity
B) local diversity
C) ecosystem diversity
D) genetic diversity
Answer: D
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge/Comprehension
Section: 56.1
3) What is the biological significance of genetic diversity between populations?
A) Genes for traits conferring an advantage to local conditions are unlikely.
B) The population that is most fit would survive by competitive exclusion.
C) Genetic diversity reduces the probability of extinction.
D) Diseases and parasites are not spread between separated populations.
Answer: C
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application/Analysis
Section: 56.1
4) Tropical forests are being converted to farm or pasture land at an alarming rate, and one major focus is on the biodiversity and the impact to these ecosystems. What is a direct benefit to humans that helps explain why these forests need to be preserved?
A) This diversity provides areas for coffee growing.
B) Natural and undisturbed areas are important wildlife habitats.
C) The diversity could contain novel drugs for consumers.
D) The plant diversity provides shade, which lowers global warming.
Answer: C
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application/Analysis
Section: 56.1
5) Ecosystem services include processes that increase the quality of the abiotic environment. Which of the following processes would fall under this category?
A) Keystone predators have a marked effect on species diversity.
B) Green plants and phytoplankton produce the oxygen we breathe.
C) Bees, flies, and wasps pollinate many plants.
D) The presence of dams improves flood control.
Answer: B
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge/Comprehension
Section: 56.1
6) During the inventory of bacterial genes present in the Sargasso Sea, a deep isolated area in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, a research team concluded that at least 1,800 bacterial species were present. Based on what you might predict about the habitat structure of such an area, what kind of bacterial diversity would you expect to see in tropical coral reef waters?
A) slightly greater genetic diversity
B) slightly smaller genetic diversity
C) markedly smaller genetic diversity
D) markedly greater genetic diversity
Answer: D
Bloom's Taxonomy: Synthesis/Evaluation
Section: 56.4
7) Erwin and Scott used an insecticidal fog to knock down insects from the top section of a L. seemannii tree. The researchers identified over 900 species of beetles among the individuals that fell. Erwin also projected that this entire tree from top to bottom is host to about 600 arthropod species that are unique to this tree species and not found on any other tree species. There are approximately 50,000 species of tropical trees. Although it could not be entirely accurate, what would be the best way to estimate the total number of arthropod species?
A) Estimate the species density and then multiply by 50,000.
B) Multiply 600 by 50,000.
C) Multiply 50,000 by 900.
D) Add 900 to 600, and then multiply by 50,000.
Answer: B
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application/Analysis
Section: 56.1
8) Which of the following statements regarding extinction is accurate?
A) A large percentage of species are immune from extinction; however, rates of extinction may increase with continued human impacts.
B) Extinctions occur only periodically, separated by long time spans with no extinctions.
C) Extinction is occurring at a similar rate now as compared to historical fossil evidence.
D) The small-population approach is inferior to the declining-population approach if the goal is to conserve the maximum number of species in a given region.
Answer: D
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application/Analysis
Section: 56.2
9) The human impact that scientists determined has caused the most extinctions on record is ______, and beyond further losses from this impact, the other impact with the largest potential to cause future extinctions is ______.
A) introduced species; habitat loss
B) habitat loss; overharvesting
C) climate change; habitat loss
D) habitat loss; climate change
Answer: D
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge/Comprehension
Section: 56.4
10) Which of the following observations provides the best evidence of a biodiversity crisis?
A) the incursion of a non-native species
B) increasing pollution levels
C) high rate of extinction
D) climate change
Answer: C
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge/Comprehension
Section: 56.1
11) Which of the following terms includes all of the others?
A) species diversity
B) biodiversity
C) genetic diversity
D) ecosystem diversity
Answer: B
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge/Comprehension
Section: 56.1
12) To better comprehend the magnitude of current extinctions, it will be necessary to ______.
A) differentiate between plant extinction and animal extinction numbers
B) focus on identifying more species of mammals and birds
C) identify more of the yet unknown species of organisms on Earth
D) use the average extinction rates of vertebrates as a baseline
Answer: C
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application/Analysis
Section: 56.1
13) Loss of biodiversity matters not only with regard to mammals or other vertebrates, but also microbes. Why are microbes worthy of discovery and protection from extinction?
A) Microbes play a role in digestion.
B) Microbes may produce unique proteins useful in genetic research.
C) Microbes are much greater in species number than any other taxa on Earth.
D) Microbes may be the most sensitive to the next large extinction event.
Answer: B
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge/Comprehension
Section: 56.1
14) Which of the following threats to biodiversity is targeted at specific species rather than groups of species?
A) introduced species
B) habitat destruction
C) increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, a cause of global warming
D) overharvesting
Answer: D
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge/Comprehension
Section: 56.1
15) Introduced species can have deleterious effects on biological communities by ______.
A) competing with native species for resources and displacing them
B) spreading rapidly in their new region
C) reducing erosion
D) increasing the biodiversity in their new region
Answer: A
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge/Comprehension
Section: 56.1
16) Overharvesting 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' coral reefs
D) edge-adapted species
Answer: B
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application/Analysis
Section: 56.1
17) Of the following ecosystem types, which have been impacted the most by humans?
A) wetland and riparian
B) desert and high alpine
C) taiga and second-growth forests
D) tundra and arctic
Answer: A
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge/Comprehension
Section: 56.1
18) Burning fossil fuels releases oxides of sulfur and nitrogen. These air pollutants can be responsible for ______.
A) the death of fish in lakes
B) precipitation with a pH as high as 8.0
C) eutrophication of lakes
D) global temperature decrease
Answer: A
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge/Comprehension
Section: 56.1
19) 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) Federal laws of the United States exclude their inclusion in any cost benefit analysis.
B) They have a low value and are usually not cost effective.
C) Ecosystem services only take into account abiotic factors that affect local environments.
D) Their cost is difficult to estimate, and people take them for granted.
Answer: D
Bloom's Taxonomy: Synthesis/Evaluation
Section: 56.1
20) Researchers have been studying a rare population of 87 voles in an isolated area. Ten voles from a larger population were added to this isolated population. Besides having ten additional animals, what benefits are there to importing individuals?
A) There is no benefit other than increasing the overall population size.
B) Additional voles will strengthen competition and increase the survival of the fittest.
C) Additional animals would increase beneficial genetic drift.
D) Additional voles from a distant population will likely increase genetic diversity and reduce inbreeding.
Answer: D
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application/Analysis
Section: 56.2
21) Use the following figure to answer the question.
Five new individuals were added to a small population of bighorn sheep in 1986, and ten more were added between 1990 and 1994. According to the figure, what occurred in this population after these additions?
A) The population increased exponentially.
B) The population increased in overall numbers.
C) The population growth rate increased.
D) The population continued to decline.
Answer: C
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application/Analysis
Section: 56.2
22) Use the following figure to answer the question.
According to the figure, what is the most accurate explanation for the data after 1985?
A) emigration
B) immigration
C) introduction of new alleles into the population
D) increased resources in the area
Answer: B
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application/Analysis
Section: 56.2
23) Use the following figure to answer the question.
According to the figure, which two consecutive years had the largest change in the population growth rate?
A) 1967-1968
B) 1922-1923
C) 1938-1939
D) 1985-1986
Answer: C
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application/Analysis
Section: 56.2
24) Easter Island is an extremely isolated island in the Pacific, about 3,500 km from South America. Although there are no forests on the island now, archeological studies, fossil pollen, and other data show that Easter Island was once home to forests containing giant palms and other trees. Some scientists think that the removal of the giant palms caused the forest ecosystem to collapse. Which of the following factors might have caused this collapse?
A) Shade-tolerant species increased in diversity in the absence of the palm.
B) Soil erosion decreased in the absence of the palm.
C) The absence of the palm trees may have reduced habitat quality for many other species.
D) Productivity increased, thereby increasing competition, in the palms' absence.
Answer: C
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application/Analysis
Section: 56.2
25) Which of the following criteria have to be met for a species to qualify as invasive?
A) endemic to the area, spreads rapidly, and displaces foreign species
B) introduced to a new area, spreads rapidly, and displaces native species
C) introduced to a new area, spreads rapidly, and displaces other invasive species
D) endemic to the area, spreads slowly, and displaces native species
Answer: B
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge/Comprehension
Section: 56.1
26) Which of the following conditions is the most likely indicator of a population in an extinction vortex?
A) The species in question is found only in small, stable pockets of its former range.
B) The effective population size of the species falls below 1,000.
C) Genetic measurements indicate a loss of genetic variation over time.
D) The population is permanently small.
Answer: C
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge/Comprehension
Section: 56.2
27) What strategy was used to rescue Illinois prairie chickens from a recent 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 nesting grounds
C) introducing individuals from other populations to increase genetic variation
D) reducing the population size of its predators and competitors
Answer: C
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge/Comprehension
Section: 56.2
28) If the sex ratio in a population is significantly different from 50:50, then which of the following statements will always beaccurate?
A) The population will enter the extinction vortex.
B) The genetic variation in the population will increase over time.
C) Modeling of the minimum viable population size will underestimate the actual population size.
D) The effective population size will be less than the actual population size.
Answer: D
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application/Analysis
Section: 56.2
29) Which of the following factors could cause the largest increase in the effective population size of a species?
A) an increased number of males
B) an increase in the total population size
C) an increase in the number of breeding males and females
D) an increased number of females
Answer: C
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge/Comprehension
Section: 56.2
30) The primary difference between the small-population approach and the declining-population approach to biodiversity recovery is that ______.
A) small-population approach is interested in bolstering the genetic diversity of a threatened population rather than the environmental factors that caused the population's decline
B) small-population approach applies for conservation biologists when population numbers fall below 500
C) declining-population approach would likely involve bringing together individuals from scattered small populations to interbreed in order to promote genetic diversity
D) small-population approach would investigate and eliminate all of the human impacts on the habitat of the species being studied for recovery
Answer: A
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application/Analysis
Section: 56.2
31) Which of the following statements is accurate with respect to the red-cockaded woodpecker populations in the southeastern United States?
A) The bird requires feeding grounds in and around mature pine forest that are uninterrupted by the structure of other vegetation.
B) The mature pine forests in which they live should continue to be protected from forest fire.
C) All of the appropriate red-cockaded woodpecker habitats have already been logged or converted to agricultural land.
D) The red-cockaded woodpecker relies on dense forest to hide their nests from ground-dwelling predators.
Answer: A
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge/Comprehension
Section: 56.2
32) Managing southeastern forests specifically for the red-cockaded woodpecker ______.
A) required periodic forest burning to reduce the growth of a dense understory of trees and shrubs
B) contributed to greater abundance and diversity of other forest plant species
C) required the construction of nest boxes in the forest to promote successful nesting
D) focused on the removal of standing dead longleaf pine to promote growth of young longleaf pine
Answer: A
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge/Comprehension
Section: 56.2
33) 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.
Answer: C
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application/Analysis
Section: 56.2
34) Which one of the following is most likely to be a hot spot of biodiversity for birds?
A) Central America
B) Northern Europe
C) Central Australia
D) Eastern North America
Answer: A
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge/Comprehension
Section: 56.3
35) Use the following figure to answer the question.
In looking at the species-area plot in the figure, what can be concluded?
A) The number of bird species increases linearly with island area.
B) Two island land areas do not correlate to the number of bird species
C) Diversity is independent from island area.
D) The number of bird species increases exponentially with island area.
Answer: A
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application/Analysis
Section: 56.3
36) Use the following figure to answer the question.
Based on the species-area plot in the figure, if habitable area on an island were reduced from 10,000 square kilometers (km2) to 1,000 km2, roughly what percentage of the species would disappear?
A) 0.3 percent
B) 3 percent
C) 30 percent
D) 60 percent
Answer: C
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application/Analysis
Section: 56.3
37) The main purpose of movement corridors is to ______.
A) slow down the introduction of new individuals of a species
B) slowly introduce a species to a new reserve
C) create more edge habitat
D) connect two otherwise isolated populations
Answer: D
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge/Comprehension
Section: 56.3
38) A land developer and several ecologists are discussing how a parcel of private land should be developed with housing while saving 20 hectares as natural habitat. The land developer suggests that the 20 hectares be divided into 20 separate 1-hectare areas, spread out across the area. The ecologists suggest that it would be better to have one intact parcel of 20 hectares on one side of the larger area. What is the significance of these different arrangements of the 20 hectares?
A) The single intact parcel would have a smaller amount of edge than the 20 separate parcels.
B) The isolated hectare plots increase the ability of individuals to disperse from one habitat to another.
C) The separate 1-hectare plots are less vulnerable to edge effects.
D) The large plot will create more inbreeding in many species.
Answer: A
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application/Analysis
Section: 56.3
39) Use the following figure to answer the question.
Looking at the figure showing the results of forest fragmentation, what can be said about edge effects?