APES-The Living World: Biodiversity

Which of the following correctly describes the disruption of an ecosystem service by an anthropogenic activity? A) Provisioning services are disrupted by increased combustion of fossil fuels, which leads to an increase in air pollution B) Regulating services are disrupted by flash flooding from a hurricane, which decreases available food resources C) Supporting services are disrupted by an earthquake that causes habitat destruction, which displaces plants and animals D) Cultural services are disrupted by a tornado that causes the loss of acres of forest, which reduces the amount of harvestable timber

A) Provisioning services are disrupted by increased combustion of fossil fuels, which leads to an increase in air pollution

Which of the following would be categorized as a cultural ecosystem service of forests? A) Recreation and scenic areas for tourism B) Timber and landscape materials C) Mushroom and plant harvests D) Soil stabilization and air purification

A) Recreation and scenic areas for tourism

Which of the following is the best example of a keystone species? A) Sea otter B) Sea urchin C) Spotted owl D) Snail darter E) Condor

A) Sea otter

A 163 square-kilometer (km2) small island is found 2,000 km from the mainland. A second, larger, 230,000 km2 island is found 1,000 km from the mainland. Based on the theory of island biogeography, which of the following statements is most likely true about the small island when compared with the large island? A) The rate of immigration is lower for the small island than for the large island B) The small island has niches that are more like the mainland than the large island C) The small island has more available resources than the large island D) The rate of species extinction is lower on the small island than on the large island

A) The rate of immigration is lower for the small island than for the large island

A one-hectare pond is sampled in early September. The sample yields 1 small catfish as well as 17 benthic invertebrates that represent 10 species. Which of the following can be estimated from the sample for the invertebrates in the pond? A) The species richness B) The pond's productivity C) The uniformity of species distribution in the pond D) The degree of disturbance E) The stability of the ecosystem

A) The species richness

Based on the theory of island biogeography, which of the following is the most likely reason that an island in the ocean that is 5 kilometers from a continent would have a higher number of species than one that is 15 kilometers from a continent? A) There are more species that have the ability to travel 5 kilometers than can travel 15 kilometers B) Islands that are closer to continents always have a wider range of habitats than more distant islands do C) There are smaller populations of each species on islands that are at greater distances from continents D) Islands that are closer to continents always have more ecological niches than more distant islands do

A) There are more species that have the ability to travel 5 kilometers than can travel 15 kilometers

Highly specialized species tend to evolve on islands because of the environmental conditions and resource availability. Based on the theory of island biogeography, which of the following would most likely experience the greatest decline of specialist species if an invasive species emigrated from the mainland? A) A small island a far distance from the mainland B) A small island in close proximity to the mainland C) A large island a far distance from the mainland D) A large island in close proximity to the mainland

B) A small island in close proximity to the mainland

Little is known about Africa's elusive aardvarks, but new research says they are vulnerable to climate change like many other species. Hotter temperatures are taking their toll on the aardvark, whose diet of ants and termites is becoming scarcer in some areas because of reduced rainfall. Drought in the Kalahari Desert killed five out of six aardvarks that were being monitored for a year, as well as 11 others in the area. The aardvarks' body temperatures plummeted during the night because they were not getting enough energy from diminished food sources. They tried to conserve energy by looking for insects during the warmer daytime, but their efforts to adapt could not save them. Researchers said some birds, reptiles and other animals use aardvark burrows to escape extreme temperatures, reproduce, and hide from predators. They could have fewer refuges available if aardvark populations shrink because of rising temperatures, they said. The aardvark, which lives in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, is identified as an animal of "least concern" on an international "red list" of threatened species. There are no indications that the population is changing significantly in southern Africa, though it is speculated that numbers may be declining elsewhere because of habitat destruction, the bushmeat trade and other factors. Which of the following best identifies the author's claim? A) Aardvarks are shifting the location of their territories as a response to global climate change B) Aardvarks are a keystone species and their decline could have a trophic cascade effect on the ecosystem C) The loss of aardvarks described in the study was an isolated incident because most aardvark populations are increasing globally D) Providing aardvarks with more burrows will help them maintain their body temperature and increase survival rates

B) Aardvarks are a keystone species and their decline could have a trophic cascade effect on the ecosystem

The consumption of mosquitoes by bats and the control of flooding provided by tropical forests in mountainous areas of Central America are examples of A) Adaptive radiation B) Ecosystem services C) Evolution by natural selection D) Ecological equilibrium E) Positive feedback loops

B) Ecosystem services

A North Carolina timber company proposes to clear-cut 45 hectares of oak-hickory deciduous forest in the Appalachian Mountains. The company has said that the forest will regrow naturally, and 50 years after the clear-cutting the company plans to harvest again, cutting all the oaks and hickories that have at least a 40-centimeter diameter. A local citizens' group claims that this is not a realistic plan. Which of the following, if true, best supports the claim of the citizens' group? A) Harvesting oak and hickory will disrupt the soil in the first year after clear-cutting; oaks and hickories cannot germinate that first year B) Oak and hickory are late-successional species; pioneer species will dominate for many decades before the oaks and hickories are reestablished C) Coniferous forests can regrow after having been clear-cut; the biome will change to a boreal forest after clear-cutting D) Populations of large carnivores in the forest will decline after clear-cutting occurs; deer hunting will suffer as a result E) Erosion rates on the slopes of the Appalachian Mountains will decrease after clear-cutting; many new species will move into the forest

B) Oak and hickory are late-successional species; pioneer species will dominate for many decades before the oaks and hickories are reestablished

Scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are forecasting this summer's Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone or "dead zone"—an area of low to no oxygen that can kill fish and other marine life—to be approximately 7,829 square miles, or roughly the size of Massachusetts. The annual prediction is based on United States Geological Survey river flow and nutrient data. The 2019 forecast is close to the record size of 8,776 square miles set in 2017 and larger than the five-year average measured size of 5,770 square miles. The annually recurring Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone is primarily caused by excess nutrient pollution from human activities, such as urbanization and agriculture, occurring throughout the Mississippi River watershed. Once the excess nutrients reach the gulf, they stimulate an overgrowth of algae, which eventually die, then sink and decompose in the water. The resulting low oxygen levels near the bottom are insufficient to support most marine life and have long-term impacts on living marine resources that are unable to leave the area. A major factor contributing to the large dead zone this year is the high amount of spring rainfall in many parts of he Mississippi River watershed, which led to record high river flows and much larger nutrient loading to the Gulf of Mexico. This past May, discharge in the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers was about 67 percent above the long-term average between 1980 and 2018. The latest National Climate Assessment predicts an increase in the frequency of very heavy precipitation events in the Midwest, Great Plains, and Southeast regions, which would impact nutrient input to the northern Gulf of Mexico and the size of the hypoxic zone." Which of the following best identifies the author's claim? A) The increased size of the hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico is forecasted to benefit the fishing industry in the United States B) The increased rainfall events in the United States are decreasing the tolerance of fish and other marine species in the Gulf of Mexico because of a decreased concentration of oxygen C) Many marine species are migrating away from the Gulf of Mexico as a result of increased nutrient pollution from increased rainfall events D) The large hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico is directly linked to climate change in the Mississippi River watershed

B) The increased rainfall events in the United States are decreasing the tolerance of fish and other marine species in the Gulf of Mexico because of a decreased concentration of oxygen

Which of the following best explains how environmental stressors, such as wildfires, can affect biodiversity in an ecosystem? A) After an environmental stress, a genetic bottleneck may occur, which will increase genetic diversity B) Habitat diversity will increase the available niches if the landscape becomes more uniform after a disturbance C) Ecosystems with more species diversity are more likely to recover after a disturbance than ecosystems with low species diversity D) Smaller populations are less likely to go extinct than larger populations, so the species diversity will remain constant

C) Ecosystems with more species diversity are more likely to recover after a disturbance than ecosystems with low species diversity

Living organisms must acquire energy from their environment. Examples of adaptations that help organisms acquire this energy include which of the following? I. The dark, heat-absorbing coloration of a reptile II. The fangs and claws of a lion III. The light coloration of a peppered moth A) I only B) II only C) I and II only D) II and III only E) I, II, and III

C) I and II only

High rates of species extinction caused by human activity have taken place at which of the following times in Earth's history? I. At the end of the Permian period II. At the end of the Cretaceous period III. During recent times A) I only B) II only C) III only D) I and II only E) I, II, and III

C) III only

Which of the following would most likely result from the deforestation of large areas of tropical rain forests caused by slash-and-burn agriculture? A) Increased ozone thinning because of the release of CFCs B) Decreased acid rain because of the sequestration of SO2 C) Increased global temperature because of the release of CO2 D) Deceased evaporation because of the loss of the tree canopy

C) Increased global temperature because of the release of CO2

Which of the following best shows the process of evolution? A) A lizard's color becomes brown as it sits on a log B) A bear goes into hibernation C) A plant loses its leaves in a drought D) A population of mosquitoes develops resistance to a pesticide E) A population of foxes increases as more prey becomes available

D) A population of mosquitoes develops resistance to a pesticide

Which of the following statements about levels of biodiversity is correct? A) Genetic biodiversity is a measure of the total number of genes in a community B) A narrow distribution of habitats leads to an increase in species diversity C) Global hotspots are areas where species diversity is thriving due to habitat restoration D) A population with high genetic biodiversity is better able to respond to environmental stressors

D) A population with high genetic biodiversity is better able to respond to environmental stressors

All of the following are negative externalities EXCEPT A) Illnesses related to living near a manufacturing facility B) Noise associated with living near a major airport C) Air pollution caused by refinery emissions D) Bees pollinating vegetables in addition to creating honey E) Damage to crops from automobile exhaust

D) Bees pollinating vegetables in addition to creating honey

Bull trout use a bewildering array of strategies to aid in their survival, from remaining in streams their whole lives, like rainbow trout, to spending part of their lives in the ocean before returning to streams to spawn, just as salmon do. Bull trout are present in only one of two neighboring rivers in the Olympic peninsula, Washington state, and in this one (the Elwha River), where two large dams were removed. Dam removal resulted in massive outflow of sediments, reducing the clarity of the water and also building up a large delta and expanding the size of the estuary at the mouth of the Elwha River. Sampling for bull trout before, during, and after dam removal was used to detect whether bull trout changed their use of the Elwha River estuary or moved into the adjacent Salt Creek stream where they were formerly absent. Sampling revealed no movement into Salt Creek, but numbers of bull trout in the Elwha River estuary increased greatly during and immediately after dam removal, coinciding with large sediment outflow, before returning to their original low levels. Thus, bull trout appear to have used the enlarged estuary as a refuge from the effects of dam removal, then returning to the river when the river water cleared up from the sediment. Of additional interest is the long-term response of bull trout to the additional habitat opened up above the former dams. Which of the following best identifies the author's claim? A) Bull trout experienced high mortality rates as a result of the formation of the estuary and sediments released during dam deconstruction B) Bull trout are adaptable to a variety of habitats and were able to survive in the river habitat during the dam deconstruction C) Bull trout remained in the estuary system after the dam deconstruction because the disruption had irreversibly altered the river habitat D) Bull trout are unable to live in high sediment loaded waters and migrated to avoid the conditions introduced during dam deconstruction

D) Bull trout are unable to live in high sediment loaded waters and migrated to avoid the conditions introduced during dam deconstruction

In North America, native pollinators often increase the quantity and quality of crops of native plants that are insect pollinated more effectively than European honeybees do. The most likely reason for the phenomenon is that native pollinators A) Are unaffected by commercial pesticides B) Are uniformly smaller than European honeybees C) Have no known native predators D) Have coevolved with native plant species E) Mature quickly without undergoing metamorphosis

D) Have coevolved with native plant species

Which of the following is most likely to be the direct result of lack of genetic diversity in a food crop such as corn? A) Decreased kernel size B) Decreased potential yield C) Decreased dependence on chemical fertilizers D) Increased susceptibility on plant disease E) Increased resistance to pests

D) Increased susceptibility on plant disease

For which of the following reasons do small isolated islands have a greater rate of species extinction than larger, less isolated islands? A) Small isolated islands are more likely to receive more migrating species B) Small isolated islands provide opportunities for a greater diversity of species C) Because of their size, small isolated islands accumulate more species by chance D) Small isolated islands have a lower availability of resources E) Because they have fewer available niches, small isolated islands are targeted and colonized by species

D) Small isolated islands have a lower availability of resources

Small populations of animals, such as those typically found on islands, are prone to extinction because A) They contain a high degree of genetic variability B) They tend to have more predators C) Their habitats are more stable D) They are more vulnerable to unpredictable events E) They are usually generalist species

D) They are more vulnerable to unpredictable events

Which of the following can be used to assess the biological diversity of an area? A) Population size of each species and area occupied by each population B) Minimum population area and minimum viable population size C) Ratio of r-strategists to K-strategists and life expectancy of K-strategists D) Number of individuals under fifteen years old and number of individuals over sixty-five years old E) Genetic variation within each species and number of species present

E) Genetic variation within each species and number of species present

A one-hectare pond is sampled in early September. The sample yields 1 small catfish as well as 17 benthic invertebrates that represent 10 species. If the pond is resampled a year later, which of the following would best indicate that the pond had been adversely affected by adjacent development? A) An uncommon species has become more numerous B) An increase in low-tolerance species has occurred C) A decrease in high-tolerance species has occurred D) Phylogenetic diversity has increased E) The biodiversity of the pond has decreased

E) The biodiversity of the pond has decreased