Habitat fragmentation usually leads to a(n)

Multiple Choice

· decrease in biodiversity.

· increase in biodiversity due to the isolated populations.

· increase in the number of introduced species.

· more stable environment.

· reduction in the number of introduced species.

Which of the following statements about overharvesting is FALSE?

Multiple Choice

· Even highly abundant species can be overharvested.

· Large-scale fishing has led to depletion of top predators like tuna and sharks.

· Overharvesting is a problem with animals, but not with plants.

· Predator-control efforts (which target certain species) are expensive, but not very effective.

· Trade in wild species as pets is a major contributor to overharvesting.

Which of these statements about invasive species is FALSE?

Multiple Choice

· Most are species introduced from other parts of the world.

· They are a threat because they can out-compete native species.

· They can thrive because they are free from their native predators.

· They may be accidentally or intentionally introduced.

· While they may cause ecological damage, they generally cause little economic damage.

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

Multiple Choice

· Humans have never had significant impact on species extinctions until the past four decades.

· Humans only began causing extinctions in the past 150 years.

· Humans may have been causing extinctions thousands of years ago, but our impact has recently increased.

· Humans are responsible for many of the mass extinctions in the geologic record.

· Humans have been causing extinctions for thousands of years and we are still causing extinctions at about the same rate.

The main reason that there are relatively few invertebrates categorized as endangered species is because

Multiple Choice

· invertebrates are more numerous and the relative percentages are similar.

· it is extremely difficult to identify and count invertebrates.

· we consider other groups, such as mammals, to be more interesting and desirable.

· worldwide there are relatively few invertebrates when compared to plants.

In general, funding for recovery programs is given to species that are

Multiple Choice

· in the most danger.

· keystone species.

· most important.

· most numerous.

· most well known.

The objective of a species recovery plan is to

Multiple Choice

· interbreed threatened species with common species.

· increase an endangered species population until it is no longer endangered.

· invest corporate capital in species maintenance.

· study the species for a better understanding of its role in the biological community.

· protect the species to aid other organisms and resources in the ecosystem.

A/an ____________ species is one that requires a large area of generally undisturbed habitat to maintain viable populations. By saving this habitat, many other species benefit.

Multiple Choice

· endangered

· flagship

· indicator

· keystone

· umbrella

Choose five (5) of the following questions to answer. Please answer each question in one or two complete sentences. Each question/answer is worth 1 point. You may answer additional questions for additional points.

(A) What are the two environmental characteristics which are used to define biomes?

(B) Aquatic ecosystems are divided into marine and freshwater ecosystems. What is the primary difference between marine and freshwater ecosystems?

(C) What is the difference between a deciduous tree and a coniferous tree?

(D) Imagine two forests. One has very high species diversity and the other has very low species diversity. Which forest would be expected to better withstand climate change? Explain your answer.

(E) What is the purpose of E.O. Wilson’s acronym HIPPO? (This is asking for the purpose of the acronym, not what the letters stand for.)

(F) The purpose of the ESA is to protect specific species (hence its name). Often, a management plan for protecting a species becomes a management plan protecting specific habitat. Why is this?

(G) What is the purpose of CITES?

The temperature boundary in freshwater lakes is the

Multiple Choice

· thermocline.

· epilimnion.

· benthos.

· hypolimnion.

How is a swamp different from a marsh?

Multiple Choice

· Swamps have trees, while marshes do not.

· Marshes are freshwater while swamps are salt water.

· Swamps have low productivity, while marshes have high productivity.

· Swamps have water saturated ground composed of peat, while marshes have low productivity.

· Swamps have high productivity, while marshes have low productivity.

In aquatic ecosystems, there is vertical stratification in

Multiple Choice

· nutrients.

· sunlight.

· temperature.

· sunlight and temperature.

· nutrients, sunlight, and temperature.

Which of these is a marine ecosystem?

Multiple Choice

· bog

· fen

· mangrove

· marsh

· stream

Ecological diversity is a measure of the number of

Multiple Choice

· different kinds of organisms within a community or ecosystem.

· different versions of the same gene in an ecological community.

· sizes, colors, and shapes of organisms within an ecological community.

· niches, trophic levels, and ecological processes of a biological community.

· different species in an ecosystem.

We are usually referring to species diversity when we talk about biodiversity. However, genetic diversity is also important to ecological systems because diverse genes

Multiple Choice

· increase the efficiency and productivity of a system because all niches are filled.

· allow an individual organism to adapt to its changing environment.

· are necessary for a population to evolve in a changing environment.

· lead to diverse ecological processes in a biological community.

· are important for a balanced ecosystem.

Which of the following is an example of genetic biodiversity?

Multiple Choice

· a community of species in a bog ecosystem

· five different species crayfish in a river

· an endangered species of bear

· three different color variations of the same butterfly species