Enviro Chapter 6 Review

Plants that can best resist a variety of environmental challenges are most likely - A. Wild plants with high degrees of variation. B. Cultivars with little genetic variation. C. Domesticated plants with little genetic variation. D. Wild plants with low degrees of variation.

A. Wild plants with high degrees of variation.

Ecotourism throughout the world relies upon - A. a widespread public interest in exploring and maintaining natural environments. B. the human desire to collect wildlife and wildlife products from throughout the world. C. the harvesting and sale of natural products. D. an interest in discovering plants to create new crops and agricultural products.

A. a widespread public interest in exploring and maintaining natural environments.

The greatest threat to global biodiversity is - A. habitat destruction. B. overconsumption of rice, corn, and wheat. C. the introduction of alien species. D. chemical pollution.

A. habitat destruction.

Someone who argues that every species has a right to exist, undisturbed, on this planet is arguing for the - A. intrinsic value of life. B. institutional value of life. C. economic value of life. D. finite value of life.

A. intrinsic value of life.

Endemic species are - A. limited to just one location, such as an island. B. well-established and show the least risk of extinction. C. usually the dominant species within an ecosystem. D. widely distributed, found especially on large continents.

A. limited to just one location, such as an island.

The Convention on Biological Diversity is an international treaty A. that aims to conserve biological diversity worldwide but has not been ratified in the United States. B. ratified by the United States to limit the international trade of endangered species. C. that would purchase all endangered species habitats in the world but has not been ratified in the United States. D. ratified by the United States to globally limit the loss of biodiversity.

A. that aims to conserve biological diversity worldwide but has not been ratified in the United States.

The primary habitat of the river dolphin is A. the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest. B. subject to periodic fires and drought. C. uninhabited by humans. D. also inhabited by many other fresh water dolphin species.

A. the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest.

Over the past 12,000 years, the greatest loss of biological wealth has resulted from the - A. use of deep aquifers, lakes, and rivers as sources of freshwater. B. conversion of natural ecosystems to modern agriculture. C. extraction of oil and mineral from reserves buried deeply underground. D. movement of human products down rivers and across oceans.

B. conversion of natural ecosystems to modern agriculture.

Although unusually high, extinction rates may be - A. even higher because of intense predation in many grassland ecosystems. B. even higher because of the loss of tropical forests. C. declining because fewer species are becoming threatened worldwide. D. declining because of overestimates of some groups in some ecosystems.

B. even higher because of the loss of tropical forests.

Compared to the long-term historical average rate of extinction, extinction rates today are - A. about the same. B. higher. C. lower. D. changing from higher to lower rates in the past century.

B. higher.

The Endangered Species Act - A. has resulted in the recovery of more than 1,000 species that have been taken off the list. B. includes species recovery plans intended to help listed species survive and thrive. C. protects critical habitats of endangered species, but cannot control privately held lands. D. currently protects animal but not plant species.

B. includes species recovery plans intended to help listed species survive and thrive.

A loss of biodiversity will likely - A. increase the demand for ecotourism. B. increase the number of pest species. C. eliminate most forest ecosystems of the world. D. increase the number of k-strategists.

B. increase the number of pest species.

Domestic and feral house cats in the United States - A. provide the necessary population control for pigeons, starlings and cowbirds. B. kill more than a billion small mammals and birds annually. C. are a keystone species, controlling potentially huge populations of rodents. D. spread viral infections to native carnivores.

B. kill more than a billion small mammals and birds annually.

A taxonomist would be most helpful in determining - A. the best way to manage a population of endangered birds. B. naming and classifying the number of insect species in a particular part of a rain forest. C. the amount of fish that can be harvested annually to maintain sustainable populations. D. how to increase the diversity of species in a national park.

B. naming and classifying the number of insect species in a particular part of a rain forest.

Which of the following is placing stress on the endangered Ganges River dolphin? A. local people killing them for food B. pollution and competition for fish from fishermen C. poaching for the pet trade D. invasive marine dolphins

B. pollution and competition for fish from fishermen

Only about 10 species have recovered significantly enough to be removed from the Endangered Species List. Recovery to this extent is limited because - A. the regulations protecting the species do not extend to private landowners. B. populations are already low and at high risk by the time they are listed. C. protecting the habitat of an endangered species is not as critical as once assumed. D. hunting of protected species often continues even after the organisms are listed.

B. populations are already low and at high risk by the time they are listed.

To best protect the biodiversity of the world when purchasing a pet you should - A. collect your own animals to keep as pets. B. purchase only captive bred species. C. purchase pets only from pet stores. D. identify pets that have been humanely harvested from the wild.

B. purchase only captive bred species.

Ecosystem sustainability primarily results from the - A.frequency of fires or other natural disasters in an ecosystem. B. relationships between the organisms in an ecosystem. C. total amount of biomass that exists in an ecosystem. D. number of predators found in the ecosystem.

B. relationships between the organisms in an ecosystem.

The world's wild species represent a warehouse of genetic diversity of instrumental value commonly called - A. a genome center. B. the genetic bank. C. a chromosome concentration. D. the agricultural genome project.

B. the genetic bank.

Which one of the following problems is the result of invasive species? A. the depletion of oxygen from thousands of square miles of ocean in the Gulf of Mexico B. the infection of European squirrels with a fatal virus C. deformities in frogs from natural frog populations D. the infection of wild mammals by human pathogens

B. the infection of European squirrels with a fatal virus

The greatest loss of biodiversity in the last two centuries has resulted from - A. the use of fossil fuels to power transportation and electrical production. B. the physical alteration of habitats. C. the use of rivers, lakes, and oceans for transportation. D. the introduction of alien species to new ecosystems.

B. the physical alteration of habitats.

The greatest potential for developing new types of agricultural crops depends upon - A. our ability to identify and culture new types of animal pollinators. B. thousands of plant species that occur only in the wild. C. bioengineering new combinations of wheat and rice. D. grafting together different plants into one new type of plant, such as a plant with tomatoes and sweet potato roots.

B. thousands of plant species that occur only in the wild.

In the southeastern United States, the red fire ant is - A. a natural predator that is a dominant species in forest ecosystems. B. used to control invasive insect species that could potentially hurt agricultural crops. C. an invasive species that has caused a decline in biodiversity. D. has increased songbird populations which use it as food.

C. an invasive species that has caused a decline in biodiversity.

Among the goals of the UNEP-supported Convention on Biological Diversity are - A. government policies that subsidize the exploitation of natural resources. B. an army of UN conservation agents to control environmental hot spots. C. equitable sharing of genetic resources within each nation. D. captive breeding programs for all species in hot spots.

C. equitable sharing of genetic resources within each nation.

The fragmentation of natural habitats in the conversion of land for human uses creates - A. habitats that favor species that grow slowly or have naturally unstable populations. B. more opportunities to preserve wildlife in many small parks. C. habitat breaks that favor species that thrive at the edges of ecosystems. D. focused regions where careful wildlife management can actually increase biodiversity.

C. habitat breaks that favor species that thrive at the edges of ecosystems.

Which one of the following least represents ecosystem capital? A. prairies and forests that reduce erosion B. oil and natural gas reserves buried underground C. introduced species that change environments D. natural populations of salmon in the oceans

C. introduced species that change environments

The greatest biodiversity would be in an ecosystem with the same number of species as other ecosystems but which has - A. a single dominant species. B. more consumers species than producer species. C. no dominant species. D. several dominant species in intense competition with each other.

C. no dominant species.

Almost all of the threats to biodiversity represented by the acronym HIPPO are related to the A. introduction of exotic species to new parts of the world. B. reliance upon fossil fuels to power human societies. C. overpopulation of the world by humans. D. overuse of pesticides and herbicides.

C. overpopulation of the world by humans.

Which of the following organisms has the greatest anthropocentric value? A. lichens B. termites C. salmon D. mosquitoes

C. salmon

Recent events indicate that when permission for exemption from the CITES agreement is granted to allow the sale of legally collected ivory, A. there is no longer a market for elephant ivory. B. the sale of poached ivory decreases. C. the sale of poached ivory increases. D. the elephant population increases.

C. the sale of poached ivory increases.

Passed in 1900, the most significant legislation to protect wildlife from illegal killing or sale is the - A. Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act. B. Endangered Species Act. C. Wildlife Protection Act. D. Lacey Act.

D. Lacey Act.

Which one of the following statements best reflects the overall position of current science on the role of biodiversity in ecosystems? A. The more species in an ecosystem, the greater the biomass production. B. The more species in an ecosystem, the greater its drought resistance. C. Every species in an ecosystem is essential to maintain the overall ecosystem. D. The effects of biodiversity loss on ecosystem function depend on how many and which species are lost.

D. The effects of biodiversity loss on ecosystem function depend on how many and which species are lost.

Invasive species have been A. successfully controlled in most regions using predators, viral or bacterial agents. B. hunted to extinction in most places where they occur. C. successfully controlled by the introduction of other alien species that are natural competitors. D. an ecological problem in North America since the first European colonists arrived.

D. an ecological problem in North America since the first European colonists arrived.

Some drugs that are currently used with great success to treat cancer and viral infections - A. are derived from cultivars that combine together traits of several other plants. B. represent the intrinsic value of wild species. C. were discovered as mutations in the development of new cultivars of wheat. D. are derived from wild plants.

D. are derived from wild plants.

According to the Global Biodiversity Outlook in 2010, groups showing the highest extinction risk are A. cycads and conifers B. corals and freshwater crabs C. invasive species in general D. birds, amphibians and freshwater fish

D. birds, amphibians and freshwater fish

Biodiversity in the world is - A. increasing but is negatively impacting the poorest people of the world. B. increasing but is negatively impacting the wealthiest people of the world. C. declining and is most negatively impacting the wealthiest people of the world. D. declining and is most negatively impacting the poorest people of the world.

D. declining and is most negatively impacting the poorest people of the world.

In a rural hilly neighborhood, a landowner uses bulldozers to clear all but the largest trees and cleans up a nearby stream, lining the bottom of the stream with pretty rocks and stepping-stones. Planting lawn grasses around the base of the trees, the owner wants to create a pretty park-like setting around his home. We expect that in this ecological simplification of the cleared yard, there will be - A. more mammal and plant species but fewer birds and invertebrates on the land and in the stream. B. more species of invertebrates in the stream and on the land but fewer species of vertebrates and plants everywhere. C. fewer species of vertebrates and plants everywhere but more invertebrates in the stream. D. fewer species of plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates everywhere.

D. fewer species of plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates everywhere.

The Great Sunflower Project - A. has the goal of restoring native sunflowers to areas in the Midwest where they are now extinct. B. is the basis of a large organic agriculture project involving flowers with edible seeds. C. is attempting to preserve flower species by inserting into them genes from other species. D. invites local citizens to observe and document pollinators which are in decline.

D. invites local citizens to observe and document pollinators which are in decline.

Ultralight aircraft played an important part in the recovery of whooping cranes by - A. identifying unknown populations of these birds from the sky. B. distributing vital supplies of food to distant populations during severe winter storms. C. spotting potential predators from the sky. D. leading flocks of these birds on their seasonal migrations.

D. leading flocks of these birds on their seasonal migrations.

In the United States today, -A. Most people do not need permission or licenses to hunt common game animals. B. Some game animals are still being hunted to extinction. C. Turkey populations are threatened with extinction due to overhunting. D. Property owners do not own the wildlife on their lands.

D. property owners do not own the wildlife on their lands.

Which of the following best represents a loss of biological wealth? A. mining coal from deep underground mines B. a naturally occurring fire in a forest C. people fishing for catfish in a lake D. the extinction of several beetle species

D. the extinction of several beetle species