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Biodiversity: Review Questions
 What is extirpation and how does it relate to extinction?
 Why are extinction rates higher than normal?
 What are the major causes of species loss? HIPPO – how does each
letter of HIPPO cause a loss of biodiversity?
 What is the difference between species evenness and species richness?
 What are the pros and cons of biodiversity?
 What roles do top predators play in their ecosystems?
 What is Conservation Biology?
 How can species act as an ‘umbrella’?
 How do nongovernmental organizations play a role in biodiversity?
 Definition of Biodiversity- the variety of life in all its forms, levels
and combinations. (not a question!)
 What are the levels of organization in which biodiversity exists?
Explain what each level contains.
 What are two examples of invasive species? Why are they invasive?
 What problems have they caused? How can they be helpful?
 List five benefits of biodiversity.
 Discuss the equilibrium theory of island biogeography.
 What are some potential outcomes of a massive loss of biodiversity?
 Why is biodiversity so important to the world’s ecosystems?
 How do humans affect the environment?
 What changes have been made across the world in the last few years
to help promote a healthy environment?
 Latitudinal gradient- the closer to the equator you move, species
richness increases. (not a question, know the definition)
 More than 50% of all life are insects. Of the insects, more than 40%
are beetles. Beetles outnumber all noninsect animal and all plants.
(not a question)
 Biodiversity enhances food security Having multiple forms of species
that we eat allows the species to persist despite bouts of disease. (not a
question)
 Name 5 valuable ecosystem services that biodiversity provides
 What is Extinction?
 Define Ecosystem diversity
 Name 3 ways that humans are trying to preserve biodiversity.
 Why are extinction rates higher than normal?
 When closer to the equator, the species richness increases. What is
this called?
 How many mass extinctions have there been in the last 440 million
years?
 If extinction is natural, explain why humans are putting so much effort
into saving species and how human activity is contradicting these
efforts.
 Should endangered species be the focus of conservation efforts?
Discuss both sides of this argument.
 Is the U.S. a leader is conserving Biodiversity?
 How can DNA be involved in preserving biodiversity?
 How does biodiversity bring us food security?
 Why is more money and effort spent on some endangered species
over others?
 What is the background rate of extinction?
 How does biodiversity play a role in the economy of some places?
 How do government and non-governmental organization play a role in
conserving biodiversity?
 What are the pros and cons of biodiversity?
 How does captive breeding help with preserving or increasing
biodiversity?
 How could you personally help preserve or increase biodiversity?
 How can technology that is often looked at as positive be harmful to
biodiversity (ex. Hydroelectric energy)?
 Why is it so difficult to know the true number of species that exist on
Earth?
 What is a hotspot?
 Make sure to know what the Shannon Weiner Diversity Index is, how
it is measured, and what the indices (numbers) mean.
 Compare and contrast two biomes. How are they similar? How are
they different?