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Environment: The Science Behind the Stories, 3e (Withgott) Chapter 11 Biodiversity and Conservation Biology 11.1 Graph and Figure Interpretation Questions Use Figure 11.1 to answer the following questions. 1) There are four islands Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta. Alpha is closest to the mainland, Beta is next, Gamma is farther away, and Delta is the farthest from shore. Which statement is true? A) If they are all about the same size, then Beta will have more biodiversity than Alpha but less than Gamma. B) If they are all about the same size, then Gamma will have less biodiversity than Delta. C) If they are all about the same size, then Alpha will have the least biodiversity. D) If they are all about the same size, then Delta will have the least biodiversity. E) You cannot tell by distance which island will have the most biodiversity. Answer: D Diff: 2 Objective: 11.7 Island biogeography theory 2) Regarding the same four islands in the previous question Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta it is true that ________. A) the rate of immigration is highest on Delta B) the rate of extinction is highest on Gamma C) the rate of emigration is highest on Beta D) the rate of immigration is highest on Alpha E) the rate of extinction is lowest on Beta Answer: D Diff: 2 Objective: 11.7 Island biogeography theory 1 3) Consider four islands Kappa, Lambda, Mu, and Nu all about equidistant from the mainland. Kappa is the largest of the four, Lambda is next, Mu is third, and Nu is the smallest. Which of the following statements is true? A) The extinction rate is highest on Kappa. B) The immigration rate is highest on Nu. C) The extinction rate is lowest on Kappa. D) There is less biodiversity on the two intermediate islands, Lambda and Mu, than on either Kappa or Nu. E) There is more biodiversity on the two intermediate islands, Lambda and Mu, than on either Kappa or Nu. Answer: C Diff: 3 Objective: 11.7 Island biogeography theory 11.2 Matching Questions Match the following. 1) The loss of species from the planet Diff: 1 Objective: 11.1 Scope of biodiversity 2) Differences in DNA composition among individuals within a given species Diff: 1 A) alleles B) hotspot C) genetic diversity D) ecocentricity E) extirpation F) major species Objective: 11.1 Scope of biodiversity 3) A population differentiating, over time, into a new species Diff: 1 Objective: 11.1 Scope of biodiversity 4) Protected animals, such as tigers, that need large amounts of land Diff: 1 Objective: 11.8 Traditional and innovative biodiversity conservation G) community H) extinction I) biophilia J) umbrella species K) speciation 5) The connections that human beings subconsciously seek with the rest of life Diff: 1 Objective: 11.5 Benefits of biodiversity 6) An area that supports an especially great diversity of endemic species Diff: 1 Objective: 11.8 Traditional and innovative biodiversity conservation 2 1) H 2) C 3) K 4) J 5) I 6) B 11.3 Short Answer Questions 1) What lesson can be learned from the case of the Siberian tiger in Russia? Answer: Tigers were originally part of the cultural fabric of the indigenous people and were seldom killed. When the Russians invaded, they had no cultural traditions and hunted tigers to near extinction. The involvement of conservation groups may alter the population dynamics of the tiger. The lesson is that humans must value biodiversity, or it will be lost. Diff: 2 Objective: 11.4 Causes of biodiversity loss 2) What is the definition of biodiversity? Answer: The sum total of all organisms in an area, taking into account the diversity of species, their genes, their populations, and their communities Diff: 1 Objective: 11.1 Scope of biodiversity 3) What is inbreeding, and why is it a problem? Answer: Inbreeding occurs when parents that are too genetically similar mate and produce offspring. The offspring are often weak or defective; and, if all individuals in populations are too closely related, the species' fitness declines and may become extinct. Diff: 2 Objective: 11.4 Causes of biodiversity loss 4) Provide several reasons why our estimates of species numbers are incomplete. Answer: One reason is that some areas of Earth remain mostly unexplored, such as the ocean depths, hydrothermal vents, and the tree canopies and soils of tropical forests. Another reason is that many species are tiny and easily overlooked; these inconspicuous organisms include species of bacteria, nematodes (roundworms), fungi, protists, and soil-dwelling arthropods. In addition, many organisms are so difficult to identify that a population thought to be a single species turns out to be two or more species on close investigation. The opposite could also be true, where two populations considered as separate species are, on close investigation, actually the same species. Diff: 2 Objective: 11.2 Techniques for measuring biodiversity 5) What is the cause of the sixth mass extinction event, and why is it of particular concern? Answer: The sixth mass extinction event has been caused by human alterations to landscapes. It is of particular concern because the current global extinction rate is 1,000 times greater than it would have been without human destruction of habitat. Diff: 2 Objective: 11.3 Extinction rates and mass extinctions 6) Increases in species diversity result from the process of ________ and decreases through the process of ________. Answer: speciation; extinction Diff: 1 Objective: 11.2 Techniques for measuring biodiversity 3 7) Most extinctions preceding the appearance of humans have occurred one by one, at a rate that paleontologists refer to as the ________. Answer: background rate of extinction Diff: 1 Objective: 11.3 Extinction rates and mass extinctions 8) All of the valuable processes that intact ecosystems provide for us free of charge are known as ________. Answer: ecosystem services Diff: 1 Objective: 11.5 Benefits of biodiversity 11.4 Multiple-Choice Questions 1) According to E. O. Wilson, biodiversity refers to all of the following except ________. A) genetic variants of a single species B) individual species C) communities of organisms D) ecosystems E) net biomass Answer: E Diff: 1 Objective: 11.1 Scope of biodiversity 2) A population of birds is found on a remote island. Which of the following information is most important in deciding if the birds all belong to a single species? A) They share many physical characteristics. B) They can breed with one another. C) The males all sing very similar songs. D) The offspring of some matings are sterile. E) All the birds appear to eat the same range of food. Answer: D Diff: 3 Objective: 11.2 Techniques for measuring biodiversity 3) Which scientists classify species using an organism's physical appearance and genetic makeup? A) ecologists B) taxonomists C) geneticists D) environmentalists E) agronomists Answer: B Diff: 1 Objective: 11.1 Scope of biodiversity 4 4) The greatest diversity (numbers of different species) of organisms can be found in ________. A) flowering plants B) fish C) insects D) birds E) mammals Answer: C Diff: 1 Objective: 11.2 Techniques for measuring biodiversity 5) The extinction of a particular population from a given area (but not the entire species globally) is called ________. A) extinction B) extirpation C) emigration D) evolution E) adaptation Answer: B Diff: 1 Objective: 11.3 Extinction rates and mass extinctions 6) The IUCN's Red List is ________. A) an updated list of species facing unusually high risk of extinction B) a list of unidentified species C) a list of ecologically damaged ecosystems D) an identification list of known species E) a scorecard of international failures at conservation Answer: A Diff: 1 Objective: 11.8 Traditional and innovative biodiversity conservation 7) Changes in habitat have tremendous effects on the organisms that depend on them. These effects are ________. A) generally negative; organisms are already adapted to the habitats in which they occur and any change is likely to render the habitat less suitable B) generally positive; organisms are already adapted to the habitats in which they occur and any change is likely to render the habitat more suitable C) generally positive; the changes increase the habitat that is available for species to colonize D) generally negative; the changes usually cause rapid extinction of most species E) generally neutral; the variations within each species allow them to adapt very quickly Answer: A Diff: 2 Objective: 11.4 Causes of biodiversity loss 5 8) A species of lizard has gone extinct. This could be due to any of the following reasons except ________. A) inbreeding B) habitat destruction by humans C) introduction of a species that competed for food resources D) increased genetic diversity within the species E) climate change Answer: D Diff: 2 Objective: 11.4 Causes of biodiversity loss 9) In general, successful introduced species experience ________. A) increased environmental resistance B) decreased environmental resistance C) increases in limiting factors D) increased competition from other organisms E) decreased biotic potential Answer: B Diff: 1 Objective: 11.4 Causes of biodiversity loss 10) Bullfrog tadpoles are often sold as fish bait, even in areas where they do not occur naturally. When people buy 10 of them and don't use them all, they often dump the remainder into the lake or river. This is an example of ________. A) habitat destruction B) overharvesting of species from the wild C) introduced species D) inbreeding E) extirpation Answer: C Diff: 2 Objective: 11.4 Causes of biodiversity loss 11) Biodiversity enhances food security because it ________. A) means that there is genetic uniformity B) reduces the number of pollinators C) can protect some crops through genetic resources against losses due to disease D) decreases the number of predators E) increases the number of available pathogens Answer: C Diff: 2 Objective: 11.5 Benefits of biodiversity 12) Which of the following can change local species diversity but not global diversity? A) immigration and extirpation B) speciation and extinction C) speciation and immigration D) emigration and extinction E) extirpation and extinction Answer: A Diff: 2 Objective: 11.2 Techniques for measuring biodiversity 6 13) Which of the following can change global species diversity? A) immigration and extirpation B) speciation and extinction C) speciation and immigration D) emigration and extinction E) extirpation and extinction Answer: B Diff: 2 Objective: 11.2 Techniques for measuring biodiversity 14) Which of the following are facing the highest rates of extinction? A) K-strategists in general, especially through overexploitation B) r-strategists in general C) insects in general D) birds in general E) plants in general Answer: A Diff: 2 Objective: 11.3 Extinction rates and mass extinctions 15) Removal of which of the following species will always result in the greatest changes in an ecological system? A) a competitive species B) a carnivore species C) a keystone species D) a producer species E) a decomposer species Answer: C Diff: 1 Objective: 11.5 Benefits of biodiversity 16) The species most often vulnerable to human impact is the ________. A) top predator B) keystone species C) decomposer D) producer E) competitive species Answer: A Diff: 1 Objective: 11.4 Causes of biodiversity loss 17) The field of conservation biology ________. A) developed in response to government intervention B) was initially viewed as too measurement oriented, looking at details and not at the big picture C) attempts to integrate an understanding of evolution, ecology and extinction D) tries to conserve every species, everywhere E) tries to increase speciation events in order to increase biodiversity Answer: C Diff: 2 Objective: 11.6 Principles and practice of conservation biology 7 18) A migratory bat species pollinates agave plants in northern Mexico on its way to the southwestern United States, where it spends the summer eating insects and reproducing. Farmers spraying pesticides affect these bats, which eat the insects and also feed them to the baby bats. This could be the start of a story about ________. A) a top predator B) an extirpation C) an umbrella species D) insect biodiversity E) a keystone species Answer: E Diff: 3 Objective: 11.5 Benefits of biodiversity 19) Ecotourism ________. A) is a reasonable option only in impoverished countries B) decreases biodiversity by causing increased speciation in environmentally sensitive areas C) increases biodiversity by providing income from areas that might otherwise be destroyed D) decreases biodiversity by selling souvenir organisms E) increases biodiversity by introducing new, rare species Answer: C Diff: 1 Objective: 11.8 Traditional and innovative biodiversity conservation 20) The area effect of the equilibrium theory of island biogeography suggests that ________. A) the number of species increases with the size of the island; all else being equal, larger islands contain more species B) the number of individuals of each species decreases as the size of the island increases because competition decreases population sizes C) the number of species decreases with increasing island size; all else being equal, larger islands contain fewer species D) organism size (large or small) is what most affects the number of individuals of each species E) the total number of species increases as an island is further from the mainland; it is easier to speciate Answer: A Diff: 2 Objective: 11.7 Island biogeography theory 21) The Convention on Biodiversity produced documents ________. A) that included a set of international laws B) designed to reduce biodiversity C) that require biodiversity be used in a sustainable manner D) that ensure the distribution of biodiversity's benefits to wealthy countries who can pay for it E) spelling out future management plans for all biomes Answer: C Diff: 1 Objective: 11.8 Traditional and innovative biodiversity conservation 8 22) The country of Belize depends on lobster for a major portion of its income, along with fishing and tourism. Over the past 30 years the average size of an individual lobster has dropped, even as increasing numbers of Belizeans buy boats, build lobster traps, and enter the industry. This is an example of ________. A) the problems with monoculture B) habitat alteration C) the effects of pollution D) the results of an invasive species E) overharvesting Answer: E Diff: 2 Objective: 11.4 Causes of biodiversity loss 23) European rabbits were introduced into Australia and quickly spread, reproduced, and became a terrible pest. They eat up to $600 million worth of food and pasture crops annually, and have damaged the populations of many native plants and the populations of animals that eat the plants. Twice in the past 50 years, rabbit diseases have been introduced to try to control the population, with some success. This is a case where ________. A) an extirpation has occurred B) habitat alteration resulted in decreased biodiversity C) an invasive species has reduced the genetic diversity of indigenous species D) an invasive species has caused overharvesting E) climate change has decreased the genetic diversity of indigenous species Answer: C Diff: 2 Objective: 11.4 Causes of biodiversity loss 24) The wood thrush makes its nest in woodlands in the northern and eastern United States. As patches of woods become smaller, increasing numbers of wood thrush nests have eggs laid in them by the brown-headed cowbird. Cowbirds live in open fields and are nest parasites; the female cowbird flies up to an unattended nest, quickly lays an egg in another bird's nest, and leaves the host parents to raise their "adopted" young. Wood thrushes are decreasing in numbers because ________. A) habitat fragmentation makes it easier for cowbird parasitism to occur B) cowbirds are an invasive species that is rapidly increasing C) climate change is reducing nest site availability D) overharvesting in the open fields has driven the cowbirds into the woodlands E) pollution of the open fields has caused a change in cowbird behavior Answer: A Diff: 2 Objective: 11.4 Causes of biodiversity loss 25) In his recent (2005) book, Richard Louv maintains that today's children ________. A) develop more balanced emotions in urban compared to natural settings B) should not be exposed to the dangers of natural ecosystems C) have a better understanding of natural environments than their grandparents D) suffer psychologically and emotionally from "nature deficit syndrome" E) should not participate in environmental education programs until high school Answer: D Diff: 2 Objective: 11.8 Traditional and innovative biodiversity conservation 9 26) The current 2007 political climate in the U.S. Congress has resulted in ________. A) increased funding for the Endangered Species Act B) attempts to weaken the ESA's provisions C) an increase in the number of protected species from 1300 to 3000 D) repeal of the ESA E) praise and support from the scientific community Answer: B Diff: 2 Objective: 11.6 Principles and practice of conservation biology 11.5 True/False Questions 1) Paleontologists estimate that roughly 99% of all species that have ever lived are already extinct. Answer: TRUE Diff: 1 Objective: 11.3 Extinction rates and mass extinctions 2) Resource conservation for protection of pharmaceuticals is overstated because only about 25% of the people on our planet use biological resources directly in traditional medicine. Answer: FALSE Diff: 1 Objective: 11.1 Scope of biodiversity 3) DNA is currently being recovered from extinct species to be used in cloning. Answer: TRUE Diff: 1 Objective: 11.8 Traditional and innovative biodiversity conservation 4) Extinction is a relatively new phenomenon, as it only results from the impacts of humans on natural species. Answer: FALSE Diff: 1 Objective: 11.3 Extinction rates and mass extinctions 5) Nongovernmental agencies are currently paying off countries' debts in exchange for promises to keep diverse areas under protection. Answer: TRUE Diff: 1 Objective: 11.8 Traditional and innovative biodiversity conservation 6) Habitat fragmentation increases ecological diversity and also biodiversity. Answer: FALSE Diff: 1 Objective: 11.4 Causes of biodiversity loss 7) Provisions in the Endangered Species Act allow landowners to harm protected species in one area if they help conserve the species in another. Answer: TRUE Diff: 1 Objective: 11.6 Principles and practice of conservation biology 10 11.6 Essay Questions 1) What is the value, to a species, of having genetic diversity? Answer: Species with more genetic diversity have better chances of surviving, because their built-in variation better enables them to cope with environmental change. According to the principles of evolutionary biology, species with little genetic diversity are vulnerable to environmental change for which they are not genetically prepared. Species with depressed genetic diversity may also be more vulnerable to disease and may suffer the effects of inbreeding, which occurs when parents that are too genetically similar mate and produce weak or defective offspring. Genetic diversity in our crop plants is important for protection of our food sources. Diff: 2 Objective: 11.5 Benefits of biodiversity 2) What is the value, to humankind, of biodiversity in the organisms with which we share our planet? Answer: Students should include and expand on some of the following concepts. Biodiversity provides valuable ecosystem services free of charge. Biodiversity enhances food security. Biodiversity provides traditional medicines and high-tech pharmaceutical products. Biodiversity provides economic benefits through tourism and recreation. People need, value and seek out connections with nature which offer such intangible services as the experiences of beauty and peace of mind. Diff: 2 Objective: 11.5 Benefits of biodiversity 3) What are the basic concepts of the equilibrium theory of island biogeography? How do they apply to terrestrial ecosystems? Answer: This theory was initially applied to oceanic islands to explain how species come to be distributed among them. Since then, researchers have increasingly applied the theory's tenets to other types of islands, including islands of habitat patches of one type of habitat isolated within vast "seas" of others. Several patterns are apparent from the theory of island biogeography and the real-life study of species on islands. One is that the number of species increases with the size of the island. Larger islands possess more species in part because more space allows for larger populations, and larger populations are less vulnerable to extirpation and thus have longer expected species survival times. Larger islands also present fatter targets for organisms to encounter if they are wandering lost. Finally, larger islands also may possess more habitats than smaller islands. The distance between an island and the nearest continent also affects the number of species on the island; closer islands are more likely to have more species. These patterns hold up for terrestrial habitat islands, such as forests fragmented by logging and road building and for nature preserves, which are often surrounded by agricultural or urban systems. Small islands of forest lose their diversity fastest, starting with those large species that were few in number to begin with. In a landscape of fragmented habitat, species requiring the habitat will gradually disappear from the landscape, winking out from one island after another over time. Diff: 3 Objective: 11.7 Island biogeography theory 11 4) Is extinction natural? How has the extinction rate changed over time? Why are extinction rates today different than in the past? Answer: Students should discuss some of the following. Extinction is a natural process. Extinction rates have risen higher than the background extinction rate during several mass extinction events during Earth's history. In the past 440 million years, there have been five major episodes of mass extinction. If current trends continue, the modern era may see the extinction of more than half of all species. While similar in scale to previous mass extinctions, today's ongoing mass extinction is different in two respects. First, humans are causing it. Second, humans will suffer as a result. Diff: 2 Objective: 11.3 Extinction rates and mass extinctions 5) What is the Endangered Species Act? Describe one of its successes and explain some of the current controversies surrounding it. Answer: The Endangered Species Act is the primary legislation for protecting biodiversity in the United States. It forbids the government and private citizens from taking actions (such as developing land) that would destroy endangered species or their habitats and also forbids trade in products made from endangered species. The aim is to prevent extinctions, stabilize declining populations, and, when possible, to enable populations to recover to the point where they no longer need protection. The ESA has had a number of notable successes; students might mention any of the following. After the banning of DDT and years of management programs, birds such as the peregrine falcon, brown pelican, and bald eagle have recovered and been taken off the endangered list. Intensive management efforts with other species such as the red-cockaded woodpecker have held formerly declining populations steady in the face of continued habitat degradation. Roughly 40% of declining populations have been held stable. While most Americans support endangered species protection, some have opposed provisions of the ESA. Some of the resentment results from the perception that the ESA is focused only on single species and values the life of an endangered species over the life or livelihood of a person. Most of the concern over the ESA, however, is basically economic and has stemmed from worries of landowners that federal officials will restrict the use of private land if threatened or endangered species are found on it. Diff: 3 Objective: 11.8 Traditional and innovative biodiversity conservation 12 11.7 Scenario-Based Questions Read the following scenario and answer the questions below. The western United States contains a series of tall mountain ranges that also extend far down into Mexico. The largest of these ranges are the Rockies and the Sierra Madres, but they are all part of the same mountain-building event that occurred many millions of years ago, and they all have similar features. Much of the vegetation on these mountaintops is the same, or very similar, and they are often referred to as the "Sky Islands" because of their similarity to each other and their isolation from the lower, drier, areas surrounding them. 1) There are groups of tropical birds, such as trogons and parrots, that are usually considered to live in Central America and the mountains of southern and central Mexico. Small populations of these birds migrate into the United States each year. It is probably true that ________. A) more of these birds are found in the mountains of New Mexico and Arizona than in the mountains of Colorado, Utah, or Nevada B) more of these birds are found in the taller mountains of Colorado than in the shorter mountains in southern Arizona, even if the relative area of the mountains is the same C) these birds can live in the lower, drier elevations in the United States as well as in the mountain ranges D) these birds migrate to the United States in the winter because it is warmer here E) these birds have higher genetic diversity in the U.S. populations than in the populations in Central America Answer: A Diff: 2 Objective: 11.7 Island biogeography theory 2) Large predators and omnivores, such as mountain lions and bears, roam these mountain ranges. Which of the following statements is true? A) Because of habitat fragmentation, the individual populations of these Sky Islands have more biodiversity than they did in the past. B) Because of habitat fragmentation, the individual populations of these Sky Islands have less genetic diversity than they did in the past. C) Because of immigration and emigration, the individual populations of these Sky Islands have less biodiversity than they did in the past. D) Because of immigration and emigration, the individual populations of these Sky Islands have more biomass than they did in the past. E) Because of extirpation, many of these individual populations have more biodiversity than they did in the past. Answer: B Diff: 2 Objective: 11.4 Causes of biodiversity loss 13 3) The tendency of humans to want to live in these Sky Islands, visit them for recreation, and use them for lumber or for wood pulp, causes ________. A) increased ecosystem diversity B) increased genetic diversity C) increased biomass D) increased habitat fragmentation E) decreased extirpation Answer: D Diff: 2 Objective: 11.4 Causes of biodiversity loss 4) According to the principles of island biogeography and the species -area curve, in these Sky Islands there are ________. A) more large mammals than birds B) more carnivores than producers C) more beetles and butterflies than reptiles D) more snakes than mice E) more fish than mammals Answer: C Diff: 2 Objective: 11.2 Techniques for measuring biodiversity 5) Because he pine-oak woodlands of the Sky Islands of Mexico and the United States have a large number of endemic species and have lost large amounts of habitat to development, they have been listed as one of the ________. A) extirpation areas of the Endangered Species List B) keystone areas of the Endangered Species List C) umbrella species areas for Convention on Biological Diversity D) biodiversity hotspots of Conservation International E) transport areas of CITES Answer: D Diff: 3 Objective: 11.8 Traditional and innovative biodiversity conservation 6) Regarding the Sky Islands, it is likely that ________. A) the biodiversity is evenly distributed through the mountains that stretch from Central America up through the Rockies into Montana, Idaho, and Canada B) there is more biodiversity in the northern end of the mountain ranges because of the milder climate C) there is more biodiversity in the southern end of the mountain ranges because of the latitudinal gradient D) the biodiversity is patchy because of the altitudinal gradient E) no claims about relative biodiversity can be made Answer: C Diff: 2 Objective: 11.2 Techniques for measuring biodiversity 14 7) The World Conservation Union's Red List includes several species of birds and amphibians that live in these Sky Islands. This indicates that these species ________. A) are completely extinct B) have been extirpated C) are under intense breeding programs to increase biodiversity D) face high risks of extinction E) have been successful in returning from near extinction Answer: D Diff: 2 Objective: 11.3 Extinction rates and mass extinctions 15