Enviromental unit 2

Based on the graph above, which of the following years postdisturbance had the greatest species richness?

100

Which of the following explanations is best supported by the data shown in the map above?

Animals migrate seasonally to mate and to find food in different habitats.

Which of the following is an example of an ecosystem service that would provide protection from a hurricane storm surge?

An intact coastal wetland

Based on the theory of island biogeography, which of the following islands would most likely have the highest number of species living on it?

An island 30 hectares in size that is 10 kilometers off the coast of the mainland

Basking on the Brink: A river in India may be the last, best hope for one of the world's largest and most imperiled crocodilians.Dead gharials began washing up on the banks of India's Chambal River in December 2007. By mid-January, the dead reptiles—some the length of two tall men, lined up end to end—numbered in the dozens. By March, more than 110 of the skinny-snouted creatures had been found dead, most along a 30-kilometer (18-mile) stretch of river.Among the largest crocodilians in the world, gharials have long, heavy bodies and relatively small heads with bulging eyes and skinny snouts. Although their rows of pointy teeth look menacing, they are specialized for catching and holding onto fish, and pose little danger to people.The relatively healthy breeding population on the Chambal is precisely why the massive 2008 die-off here caused such alarm. The Chambal contains nearly 80 percent of all the gharials left on Earth. It is the only population large enough to be stable. Speculation ensued among researchers and government officials about what caused the die-off.Early theories focused on widespread pollution. Based on a variety of clues, however, [researchers suspect] illegal or accidental dumping of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac that was once commonly used on livestock but was banned in India in 2006. A few years earlier, also in South Asia, the drug was responsible for a sharp decline of vultures, which all showed signs of kidney dysfunction like the dead gharials examined in 2008.The die-off . . . illustrates the potentially catastrophic consequences that disruptions to water bodies can have on aquatic species that are close to the brink. For a species that is struggling, the fate of this river will determine its future.Article Information: Sohn, E. (2018, June 5). Basking on the brink: An "unholy" river in India may be the last, best hope for one of the world's largest and most imperiled crocodilians. This is an excerpt of the article originally appearing in bioGraphic, an online magazine about nature and sustainability powered by the California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved August 30, 2018 from: https://www.biographic.com/posts/sto/basking-on-the-brinkWhich of the following best identifies the author's claim?

Anthropogenic disruptions to Earth's resources can have sudden and severe negative consequences to the health of native species, specifically those whose populations are already threatened.

Which of the following would be categorized as a cultural ecosystem service of forests?

Recreation and scenic areas for tourism

Which of the following economic consequences to a provisioning ecosystem service will most likely result from increased global warming?

The collapse of local fisheries, because of the damage to coral reefs from ocean acidification

Changes in Atmospheric CO2 Concentration and Antarctic Temperature over the Past 800,000 Years Which of the following best describes the pattern in the atmospheric CO2 concentration data over the past 200,000 years?

The concentration of CO2 fluctuated between 150ppm and 250ppm until recently, when the concentration rose exponentially.

The graphs above show the population size and distribution of beak sizes in a finch populationon the island of Daphne Major in the Galapagos in 1976 and 1978. Smaller-beaked finches arebetter suited for eating grasses and small seeds. Larger-beaked finches are better suited forcracking larger seeds and nuts. In 1977 a drought took place and the vegetation of the islandwas affected by the lack of rain. Which of the following was the average beak size of finches on the island of DaphneMajor in 1976?

9.5 mm

Which of the following statements about levels of biodiversity is correct?

A population with high genetic biodiversity is better able to respond to environmentalstressors.

Highly specialized species tend to evolve on islands because of the environmentalconditions and resource availability.Based on the theory of island biogeography, which of the following would most likelyexperience the greatest decline of specialist species if an invasive species emigrated fromthe mainland?

A small island in close proximity to the mainland

Study Finds Aardvarks Suffering as African Climate Heats UpLittle is known about Africa's elusive aardvarks, but new research says they arevulnerable to climate change like many other species.Hotter temperatures are taking their toll on the aardvark, whose diet of ants andtermites is becoming scarcer in some areas because of reduced rainfall.Drought in the Kalahari Desert killed five out of six aardvarks that were beingmonitored for a year, as well as 11 others in the area.The aardvarks' body temperatures plummeted during the night because they werenot getting enough energy from diminished food sources. They tried to conserveenergy by looking for insects during the warmer daytime, but their efforts to adaptcould not save them.Researchers said some birds, reptiles and other animals use aardvark burrows toescape extreme temperatures, reproduce, and hide from predators. They couldhave fewer refuges available if aardvark populations shrink because of risingtemperatures, they said.The aardvark, which lives in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, is identified as ananimal of "least concern" on an international "red list" of threatened species. Thereare no indications that the population is changing significantly in southern Africa,though it is speculated that numbers may be declining elsewhere because ofhabitat destruction, the bushmeat trade and other factors."Study Finds aardvarks suffering as African climate heats up," Christopher Torchia,Phys.org, July 31, 2017.Which of the following best identifies the author's claim?

Aardvarks are a keystone species and their decline could have a trophic cascade effecton the ecosystem.

Salmon May Lose the Ability to Smell Danger as Carbon Emissions RiseThe ability to smell is critical for salmon. They depend on scent to avoid predators, sniff out prey, and find their way home at the end of their lives .... Research from the University of Washington and NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Fisheries' Northwest Fisheries Science Center shows this ... sense of smell might be in trouble as carbon emissions continue to be absorbed by our ocean.The research team set up tanks of salt water with three different pH levels: today's current average Puget Sound pH, the predicted average 50 years from now, and the predicted average 100 years in the future. They exposed juvenile coho salmon to these three different pH levels for two weeks.After two weeks, the team ran a series of ... tests to see whether the fishes' sense of smell was affected. Fish were placed in a holding tank and exposed to the smell of salmon-skin extract, which indicates a predator attack and usually prompts the fish to hide or swim away. Fish that were in water with current CO2 levels responded normally to the offending odor, but the fish from tanks with higher CO2 levels didn't seem to mind or detect the smell.While this study looked specifically at how an altered sense of smell could affect fishes' response to danger, it's likely that other critical behaviors that depend on smell, such as navigation, reproduction, and hunting for food, would also take a hit if fish aren't able to adequately process smells. ...University of WashingtonWhich of the following best identifies the author's claim?

Acidic water affects the salmon's ability to sense danger from attacking predators by their sense of smell.

Based on the graph above, which of the following years postdisturbance did sweetgum experience the greatest biomass?

50

Which of the following was the number of finches in the population with a beak size of10.2 mm in 1978?

12

Which of the following claims is best supported by the data in the graph?

After the volcanic eruption, pioneer species colonized the area and the ecosystem beganto undergo succession.

The graphs above show the population size and distribution of beak sizes in a finch populationon the island of Daphne Major in the Galapagos in 1976 and 1978. Smaller-beaked finches arebetter suited for eating grasses and small seeds. Larger-beaked finches are better suited forcracking larger seeds and nuts. In 1977 a drought took place and the vegetation of the islandwas affected by the lack of rain. Which of the following statements best explains the changes in the size and compositionof the population of finches after the drought?

The total number of finches in the population decreased, and the larger-beaked fincheswere more successful in the drier environment.

Based on the theory of island biogeography, which of the following is the most likelyreason that an island in the ocean that is 5 kilometers from a continent would have ahigher number of species than one that is 15 kilometers from a continent?

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

An island off the coast of Africa contains a larger percentage of specialist species than generalist species. Which of the following describes the most immediate effect if an invasive generalist species is introduced to the island?

As competition for resources increases, the population size of the island's specialist species will decrease.

Changes in Atmospheric CO2 Concentration and Antarctic Temperature over the Past 800,000 Years Which of the following best describes the trends in atmospheric CO2 concentration and Antarctic temperature over the past 800,000 years?

Atmospheric CO2 concentration and Antarctic temperature are directly correlated over the past 800,000 years.

Based on the data shown in the graph, which of the following best describes howecologists could determine when this ecosystem is approaching a climax community?

Calculate the net primary productivity of a specific indicator species every year after theeruption

Which of the following examples illustrates the community with the highest biodiversity?

D. (all ten)

A team of ecologists are studying four different ecosystems with varying levels of biodiversity. The ecologists categorize the different levels of biodiversity for the four ecosystems as shown in the table below. Based on the information above, which ecosystem most likely experienced a recent population bottleneck?

Ecosystem A, because its low genetic diversity could have resulted from an event that reduced the variation in the gene pool.

A team of ecologists are studying four different ecosystems with varying levels of biodiversity. The ecologists categorize the different levels of biodiversity for the four ecosystems as shown in the table below. Based on the information above, which ecosystem would most likely recover the fastest from a natural disruption?

Ecosystem B

Which of the following best explains how environmental stressors, such as wildfires, canaffect biodiversity in an ecosystem?

Ecosystems with more species diversity are more likely to recover after a disturbancethan ecosystems with low species diversity.

Researchers in the Galápagos Islands measured the average beak size in a population of finches from 1976 to 1984, as shown in the graph below. Birds with smaller beaks are better suited for grasses and soft seeds, while birds with larger beaks are better suited for seeds and nuts. In years with less rainfall, there are fewer grasses to feed on and the finches rely more on seeds for food. In 1977, 1980, and 1982, there were droughts, and the area experienced significantly less rainfall than average. Which statement is best supported by the data in the graph?

Finches with larger beaks were more likely to survive in 1980 because they were able to feed primarily on seeds and nuts during the drought.

Which of the following would most likely result from the deforestation of large areas oftropical rain forests caused by slash-and-burn agriculture?

Increased global temperature because of the release of CO2

A team of ecologists are studying four different ecosystems with varying levels of biodiversity. The ecologists categorize the different levels of biodiversity for the four ecosystems as shown in the table below. Based on the information above, Based on the information above, which of the following best describes Ecosystem C?

Its low species diversity indicates that Ecosystem C most likely has species with very low population sizes.

Which of the following correctly describes the disruption of an ecosystem service by ananthropogenic activity?

Provisioning services are disrupted by increased combustion of fossil fuels, which leads toan increase in air pollution.

Reef fish inherit tolerance to warming oceansIn a rapidly changing climate, the decline of animal populations is a very real concern. An international team of researchers reported new evidence of reef fish adjusting to global warming conditions at the genetic level. [R]esearchers . . . have found that reef fish can inherit from their parents the genetic tools to adjust to ocean warming. "When parents are exposed to an increase in water temperature, we found that their offspring improved their performance in these otherwise stressful conditions by selectively modifying their epigenome." Epigenetic change refers to chemical modifications in the DNA that signals genes to be switched on or off. A range of factors, including disease, famine, or in the case of this research, heat stress, can stimulate these subtle changes.In this study, when both parent and offspring experienced the same elevated water temperatures, responsive changes . . . were observed that enhanced the next generation's ability to cope with the new, warmer temperatures. "We reared spiny chromis damselfish . . . for two generations under three different water temperatures, up to 3 degrees Celsius warmer than current-day ocean temperatures. The next generation appeared to be advantaged by parental exposure to elevated temperatures. The offspring's altered gene expression, also referred to as 'acclimation,' allowed them to maximize oxygen consumption and energy use." "Acclimation may buffer populations against the impacts of rapid environmental change and provide time for genetic adaptation to catch up over the longer term.""Reef fish inherit tolerance to warming oceans: Thanks to mom and dad, baby reef fish may have to what it takes to adjust to hotter oceans," Ryu Taewoo, ScienceDaily, April 30, 2018.Which of the following best identifies the author's claim?

Observed adjustments in the ecological tolerance of a species of reef fish is a result of epigenetic changes.

Based on the data shown in the graph, when would the species richness of the ecosystemhave been the lowest?

One to four years after the volcanic eruption

Which of the following ecosystem services is categorized as regulating?

Pollination, decomposition, and water purification

The graph below shows data about three tree species after a glacial retreat. Based on the data shown in the graph, which of the following events occurred after theglacial retreat?

Primary succession

Very Large Dead Zone Forecast for the Gulf of MexicoScientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) areforecasting this summer's Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone or "dead zone"—an area oflow 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 basedon United States Geological Survey river flow and nutrient data.The 2019 forecast is close to the record size of 8,667 square miles set in 2017 andlarger than the five-year average measured size of 57,70 square miles.The annually recurring Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone is primarily caused by excessnutrient pollution from human activities, such as urbanization and agriculture,occurring throughout the Mississippi River watershed. Once the excess nutrientsreach the gulf, they stimulate an overgrowth of algae, which eventually die, thensink and decompose in the water. The resulting low oxygen levels near the bottomare insufficient to support most marine life and have long-term impacts on livingmarine resources that are unable to leave the area.A major factor contributing to the large dead zone this year is the high amount ofspring rainfall in many parts of he Mississippi River watershed, which led to recordhigh river flows and much larger nutrient loading to the Gulf of Mexico. This pastMay, discharge in the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers was about 67 percent above the long-term average between 1980 and 2018. The latest National ClimateAssessment predicts an increase in the frequency of very heavy precipitationevents in the Midwest, Great Plains, and Southeast regions, which would impactnutrient input to the northern Gulf of Mexico and the size of the hypoxic zone."News release adapted from the United States Geological SurveyWhich of the following best identifies the author's claim?

The increased rainfall events in the United States are decreasing the tolerance of fish andother marine species in the Gulf of Mexico because of a decreased concentration ofoxygen.

The graph below shows the change in sea level from the Cambrian period to todaycompared to today's sea level. Which of the following statements correctly describes the trends seen in the data?The lowest sea level occurred during the Paleogene period.

The lowest sea level occurred during the Paleogene period.

The image shows two different islands and the relative distance to the nearest mainland. Based on the theory of island biogeography, which of the following best predicts the effect of the introduction of an invasive species on Easter Island compared to Madagascar?

The native species on Madagascar are more likely to survive because the island is larger and provides a greater diversity of habitats and resources.

Researchers examined the effect of industrialization and increased pollution (soot) in London on the coloration in a single species of moths. Birds prey on the moths that are easily visible on trees. The researchers observed moths on tree trunks and recorded their body color. The percentage of moths with light colored bodies and the percentage of moths with dark bodies is shown on the graph below. Based on the data in the graph, which of the following best describes the change in the population of moths as a result of industrialization?

The percentage of dark colored moths increased in the population and the percentage of light-colored moths decreased in the population.

A 163 square-kilometer (km^2) small island is found 2,000 km from the mainland. Asecond, larger, 230,000km^2 island is found 1,000 km from the mainland. Based on thetheory of island biogeography, which of the following statements is most likely true aboutthe small island when compared with the large island?

The rate of species extinction is lower on the small island than on the large island.

Changes in Atmospheric CO2 Concentration and Antarctic Temperature over the Past 800,000 Years Which of the following best describes the change in Antarctic temperature from about 440,000 years ago to about 340,000 years ago?

The temperature increases by about 12°C and then decreases by about 12°C.

Based on the graph above, which of the following tree species would be the predominant species found during the intermediate stage of succession?

Tulip poplar

Researchers examined the effect of industrialization and increased pollution (soot) in London on the coloration in a single species of moths. Birds prey on the moths that are easily visible on trees. The researchers observed moths on tree trunks and recorded their body color. The percentage of moths with light colored bodies and the percentage of moths with dark bodies is shown on the graph below. In the 1970s, the amount of industrial pollution decreased and the trees began to return to their preindustrial appearance. Which of the following graphs best demonstrates the change in the frequencies of light-colored moths and dark-colored moths in the population from 1950 to 2000? The dark-colored moths are represented with a solid line and the light-colored moths are represented with a dashed line.

c.