Factors that Affect Biodiversity

Wheat crops are grown in a field. The seeds are genetically identical. Which of the following is the most likely effect of planting an entire field with these seeds?

The population will be limited in how it adapts to changes.

How does the current, or sixth, mass extinction differ from the past five mass extinction events?

The sixth mass extinction is believed to be caused by human-related factors.

Identify a human intervention that changes biodiversity?

A species of wildflower goesextinct after land is clearedfor agriculture.

Which region would likely have the greatest amount of biodiversity?

a coastal region with three ecosystems, each of which supports many different species

What will an algal bloom in a watershed most likely cause?

a decrease in the watershed's biodiversity, which would reduce its ability to supply clean and safe drinking water

What are 2 examples of species diversity?

a park has 80 species of trees & 5 different bird species are at a bird feeder.

How can a natural event such as a volcanic eruption affect biodiversity?

creates acid rain which entered water system & is harmful to aquatic life.

Human intervention has caused a decrease in many populations. What can this change lead to over time?

mass extinction

The biodiversity in a coral reef ecosystem can be changed by both natural and human acitivies. What is a natural factor that would most likely decrease the ecosystem's biodiversity?

the overgrowth of a population of seaweed, which prevents light from reaching the reef

What is true about climate change and biodiversity?

Climate change can help some species and hurt others.

Determine 2 changes that are due to natural interventions:

A mass extinction occurs afterseveral volcanic eruptions. & A species of wasp is outcompetedby several other species andgoes extinct.

A temperate deciduous forest is dominated by oak trees, which produce acorns. Populations of deer, black bear, and squirrels all rely on the acorns as a primary source of food. A large portion of the forest is cut down, causing it to lose most of its oak trees. What is most likely to happen in the forest as a result?

Deer would become less likely to survive and reproduce, so their population would decline.

Match each component of biodiversity to the example of how it contributes to ecosystem stability. ecosystem diversity

Populations of wild rabbits from a forest and from a neighboringmeadow can interbreed, which increases variation.

Why are populations with high levels of genetic diversity more stable than populations with low levels of genetic diversity?

Populations with high levels of genetic diversity are more likely to have individuals with traits that help them survive if conditions change.

Match each component of biodiversity to the example of how it contributes to ecosystem stability. genetic diversity

Some individuals in a population of wild rabbitsare resistant to a new disease.

A population of western skinks, a type of lizard, lives in a grassland habitat along the base of a mountain range. The construction of a multi-lane highway will divide the habitat into two separate regions. How will the construction of the highway most likely affect the western skink population?

The western skink population would be separated into two groups, and genetic diversity would decline in each group.

Identify a human intervention that changes biodiversity?

Three populations of migratory fishdecline after the construction ofa hydroelectric dam.

Humans use many chemical substances for farming that consequently affect biodiversity. These compounds, which are rich in nitrogen and phosphorus, are used to fertilize crops. Excessive use of these compounds causes _________, which leads to ________ in bodies of water.

eutrophication; algal growth

Which three human activities lead to a loss of terrestrial habitat?

farming, deforestation, & construction

Deforestation of rainforests would most likely affect such plants by causing ____

habitat loss