Download questions for section 1.1-1.3 answers

Classification Systems for At-Risk Species – Sections 1.2 and 1.3 (pages 14 – 19)
Directions: Read sections 1.2 and 1.3 in the text and answer the following questions:
Complete the following table:
Classification
Extinct
Definition
A species that is no longer found
anywhere
Endangered
A species that is close to
extinction in all parts of Canada
or in a significantly large location
Any species that no longer exists Grizzly bear (no longer found in
in one part of Canada, but can be Manitoba and Saskatchewan,
found in others
but still found in the mountains
of Alberta and British Columbia)
Any species that is likely to
Wood bison (their number is
become endangered if factors
small, and recently tuberculosis
that make it vulnerable are not
has become a problem)
reversed
Any species that is at risk
Grey fox (is beginning to return
because of low or declining
to southern Ontario, but needs
numbers at the fringe of its
woodlands)
range or in some restricted area
Extirpated
Threatened
Vulnerable
Examples
Blue walleye (the last fish of this
species was taken from Lake Erie
in 1965)
Eastern cougar (sightings of this
large cat are very rare)
1) Using the criteria from the above table, classify each of the following species as extinct,
endangered, extirpated, threatened or vulnerable. Explain your answer.
a.
b.
c.
The wood turtle is found in pockets throughout southern Ontario, southern Quebec, New
Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. The number of wood turtles in Canada seems to be stable, but in
the United States, their numbers are decreasing as many are being taken from the wild into
homes as pet. threatened
Furbish’s lousewart is a tall herb that grows on riverbanks. In Canada, it grows only on a 200 km
stretch of the Saint John River in New Brunswick. Forestry, farming and flooding caused by
hydroelectric dams all affect the area in which it lives. endangered
The greater prairie chicken has not been seen in Ontario, Manitoba or Alberta for many years. I
was last seen in Saskatchewan in 1977. It can still be found in the prairie states of the U.S.
extirpated
2) Predict which area of Canada has the greatest number of organisms at risk. Provide a
hypothesis (an educated guess) that explains why wildlife in this area would have more
problems. Ontario and Quebec have the greatest number of at-risk species. These two
provinces, covering 25% of the area of Canada, are the most densely populated. They
extend from the Arctic Ocean to the Great Lakes, stretching much farther north-tosouth than any other province. Therefore, they have the greatest biodiversity. Many atrisk species in Ontario are southern species that are common in the United States but
found only along the north shore of Lake Erie on Ontario. This fact inflates the statistics
for Central Canada. Industrial pollution and habitat destruction due to large population
centers are the main reasons for the difficulties encountered by populations in this
region.
3) Explain why the passenger pigeon became extinct. The passenger pigeon was hunted
extensively for food. Their numbers were reduced to a point where they could not
reproduce successfully even though there were still large numbers of birds.
4) Speculate about which animals might benefit if the passenger pigeon had not become
extinct. If passenger pigeons had not become extinct, the populations of their predators
and parasites would also have remained high.
5) Compare the extinction of the passenger pigeon to the near extinction of the sea otter.
Unlike the passenger pigeon, programs to save the sea otter have been successful and
its status has been changed from endangered to threatened. Sea urchin populations
became a major problem where the sea otter declined in numbers. The success of the
recovery program has brought the sea urchins under control again.
6) Explain how each of the following factors could lead to the extinction of a species.
Include an example of a threatened species.
a. Poor reproductive success – the whooping crane has been teetering on the brink
of extinction for a number of years. The whooping crane produces two eggs;
however only one matures. The first chick to hatch from the egg kills its brother
or sister. This ensures enough food for the survivor, but limits reproductive
capacity.
b. Competition from a species newly introduced into an ecosystem – the new
exotic species competes with the naturally occurring species. The starling, a
medium-sized bird introduced into North America from England, competes with
the mountain bluebird and the eastern bluebird for nesting sites. The more
aggressive starling usually takes over the preferred nesting sites. Unlike the
bluebird, the starling has no natural predators in North America. In the Great
Lakes, the goby, a fish introduced from tankers from the Black Sea, competes
with many native species. The more aggressive goby chases many of the native
fish from breeding ponds and eats their eggs.
c. Change in climate – Global warming in the Arctic tundra could lead to the
extinction of the musk-ox. Global warming is contributing to the decline of coral.
d. Hunting by humans – although Canada does not allow commercial hunting of
whales, some other countries do, and some species, such as the Bowhead whale,
could become extinct. Many scientists express similar concerns about the cod
fishery.
7) Define the following terms: Answers may be found in the introduction and sections 1.1
– 1.3 of the textbook except for the last one. That can be found on the PowerPoint from
April 16 located at dgoodwin.wikispaces.com ( most definitions came directly from
www.dictionary.com)
a. Biodiversity: diversity among and within plant and animal species in an
environment.
b. Ecosystem: a system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms
with their environment.
c. Habitat: the natural environment of an organism; place that is natural for the
life and growth of an organism: a tropical habitat.
d. Herbivore: an animal that feeds on grass and other plants
e. Carnivore: an animal that eats flesh; a flesh-eating mammal of the order
Carnivora, comprising the dogs, cats, bears, seals, and weasels.
f. Omnivore: eating both animal and plant foods.
g. Food chain: Ecology . a series of organisms interrelated in their feeding habits,
the smallest being fed upon by a larger one, which in turn feeds a still larger one,
etc.
h. Producers: an autotroph; an organism that uses photosynthesis or another form
of chemical synthesis to make food
i. Consumers: a heterotroph; an organism that must eat producers or other
consumers to survive.
j. Detritus: waste from plants and animals, including their dead remains
k. Decomposers: an organism that feeds on detritus, in the process releasing
nutrients to the soil and water, where they can be used by other organisms
l. Paradigm shift: a dramatic change in a framework containing the basic
assumptions, ways of thinking, and methodology that are commonly accepted by
members of a scientific community.
8) Research on the
Internet why the
Dodo Bird is
extinct. This can
be a short answer
of 2 sentences or
so.
Directly from www.wikipedia.com
The first recorded mention of the Dodo was by Dutch sailors in 1598. In the
following years, the bird was preyed upon by hungry sailors, their domesticated
animals, and invasive species introduced during that time. The last widely
accepted sighting of a Dodo was in 1662. Its extinction was not immediately
noticed, and some considered it to be a mythical creature. In the 19th century,
research was conducted on a small quantity of remains of four specimens that
had been brought to Europe in the early 17th century. Since then, a large
amount of subfossil material has been collected from Mauritius, mostly from the
Mare aux Songes swamp. The extinction of the Dodo within only about a century
of its discovery called attention to the previously unrecognised problem of
human involvement in the disappearance of entire species. The Dodo achieved
widespread recognition from its role in the story of Alice in Wonderland, and it
has since become a fixture in popular culture, often as a symbol of extinction and
obsolescence. It is frequently used as a mascot on Mauritius.