APES Unit 2 FRQ

Assume that the Fremont City Council votes to preserve the wooded area. Explain the positive and negative consequences of this action. Include long- and short-term effects on the environmental, economic, and recreational needs of the citizens of Fremont.

Positive- protect biodiversity, cleaner air Negative- no economic gain

cane toad

Their poisonous skin often kills animals when the animal tries to eat it. have venom-secreting poison glands. they were introduced in australia to try to control the beetles, but failed.

Water Hyacinth

a tropical floating aquatic plant having spikes of large blue flowers - Floating plant, completely covers lakes, ponds, and slow moving rivers, federally listed noxious weed -clogged 80% of Uganda's shoreline -infected water, damaged fisherman's revenue

termites

bugs that eat wood -invaded new Orleans -successful because lousisiana's climate was good and there lots of wood

Identify and describe TWO major causes for the original decline of these species. (california candor and whooping crane-passage needed is on answer side of this card)

california candor- climate change, urbanization whooping crane- urbanization, natural disaster **for these types of questions on the FRQ, you can usually just write "urbanization" or "climate change" and its usually right lol

Identify another invasive species, either terrestrial or aquatic, and describe one negative impact it has had.

cane toads- toxins kill native predators (there are more cards in this set with info on other invasive species)

describe TWO characteristics shared by ecosystems that have high biodiversity.

complex food webs, abundant resources, large number of species

Identify and explain one impact that zebra mussels can have on aquatic ecosystems.

decreased population of other species (phytoplankton, native mussels) which can disrupt food webs

Make one economic or ecological argument for protecting the condor, the whooping crane, or another endangered species that you identify and make one economic or ecological argument against protecting it.

ecotourism, matter cycling, soil formation, air and water purification

Discuss TWO specific characteristics of invasive species that enable them to thrive in new environments.

generalists excellent dispersal mechanisms fast reproduction superior defences

Diseases can devastate populations; however most diseases do not drive their host to extinction.Provide one explanation for why diseases seldom cause extinction.

genetic diversity enables one organisms to survive and reproduce. initial deaths also thin out the population and make disease less likely to spread

How might increasing the amount of edge habitat affect species that typically live deep in the forest?

increasing the amount of edge habitat can affect species that live deep in the forests because some animals that live on the edge may be detrimental to those deep in forests.

For each human activity you discussed in (b), propose a practical strategy (other than simply banning the activity) to reduce the loss of biodiversity.

limit hunting and fishing with local laws, cluster development to preserve land

Assume that the Fremont City Council votes against preserving the wooded area. Propose and defend an alternative plan that both protects the bird species and provides for urban expansion.

multi-story housing to conserve land, relocate birds and mammals

Describe ONE naturally occurring factor that could lead to a loss of biodiversity.

natural disasters, background extinction rate

Identify TWO specific human activities that result in a loss of biodiversity, and explain how each activity lowers biodiversity.

overfishing, overhunting, which reduced keystone species and depletes endangered species construction- reduces habitat

Describe TWO important characteristics of an endangered species that would cause it to be slow to recover.

slow reproduction, special feeding requirements, large body size, sensitivity to environmental conditions, genetic drift

How are zebra mussels introduced into isolated lakes? Describe one viable method for preventing the spread of zebra mussels into isolated lakes.

the transfer of boats from infested lakes to clean lakes. one way to prevent this is to require cleaning before the boat is launched.

Why are zebra mussels located primarily in areas in the eastern United States rather than in the western United States?

they were introduced to eastern us and are still spreading. there are also more lakes in the east.

Describe TWO ecological benefits that greater biodiversity provides.

water and air filtration, stability of ecosystems, soil formation

Discuss the merits of preserving individual species that are threatened and endangered versus preserving the function of the ecosystem.

when a species population declines, the natural response is to encourage population rebound by improving its living conditions. captive breeding also helps increase the population of endangered species, but the ecosystem may suffer or die out in the process.

Explain the benefits of taking an ecosystem approach, as opposed to a single-species approach, to conserving biodiversity

when protecting an area, we must consider how large the area is, the amount of edge habitat the area contains, and how close to another they should be. the species approach does not protect all the biodiversity in an ecosystem.

One strategy for controlling an invasive species has been to introduce another nonnative species to control it; this strategy can often have unintended results. Give a specific example of the use of this strategy and discuss a negative impact of introducing a nonnative species to control an invasive species.

1. cane toads to prey insects 2. wasps to control weevils negative impact- predation on native species, competitor with native species

Describe three characteristics of organisms that would make them particularly vulnerable to extinction.

1. low reproduction rate 2. large size 3. only found in one place

Describe the advantages and disadvantages of protecting a single large area versus several small areas

Advantage- large areas generally have more species, which makes them less susceptible to extinction. disadvantage- a natural disaster could eliminate all the individuals in that area.

Name and describe one international treaty that is intended to prevent the extinction of species

CITIES- regulates trade in living specimens and products of listed species

Identify and briefly describe two federal laws or regulations that might apply to this situation. (info needed on answer slide)

ESA-protection of habitat of endangered species Clean Air Act-development may increase air pollution

Identify one threatened or endangered species and explain why its population has declined.

Giant panda- the bamboo forests needed by the giant panda have been destroyed. red panda- the bamboo forests needed by the red panda have also been destroyed. bald eagle- ddt thinned egg shells

Describe TWO measures that have been taken to protect these species.

Lacey act, ESA, CITIES, Captive Breeding

Name and describe one U.S. law that is intended to prevent the extinction of species.

Marine Mammal protection Act- prohibits the killing of marine mammals in the US and prohibits the import/export of marine mammal body parts Lacey Act- prohibits the transport of illegally harvested game animal across state lines

Present three arguments in favor of the maintenance of biodiversity.

medical resources, food resources, economic potential, insintric value, food web role