NR 435 Exam Answers
Which of the following was a group from the American Conservation Movement (in the 19th & 20th centuries) that was characterized by people who wrote about non-utilitarian values of Nature, and fought for preservation? Select any and all that apply.
Romantic-Transcendentalists
Evaluate the following statement. Is it TRUE or FALSE? Humans and rats are both examples of r-selected species with low genetic diversity.
false
Evaluate the following statement—is it TRUE or FALSE? Sympatric speciation is the microevolutionary process by which new species arise from a single ancestral species that was divided by a physical/geographic barrier.
false
In our final lecture on Food Production & Biodiversity (M9), we learned about John Edel's vision to supply 20% of school lunches for the New York Public Schools with food grown in a 15-story 'greenhouse-style' vertical farm. TRUE or FALSE?
false
Which of the following describe(s) both giant kelp and reef-building coral? Select any and all that apply to both.
foundation species; marine species
What characteristic of environmental systems explains how it is possible that the human population could exceed Carrying Capacity, but not realize it until much later? Select the best answer from the options below.
lag time
Two forest patches were inventoried to determine the different communities of mammals they support. Amazingly, exactly four mammal species were found in each forest patch. In PATCH #1, we found the following: red squirrel gray squirrel black bear coyote In PATCH #2, we found: gray squirrel red fox gray wolf snowshoe hare Based on the data above, the two forest patches exhibited the same "species_____________" , despite also exhibiting high "species______________". Choose the best pair of answers from the choices below.
richness; turnover
As woods and meadows are converted to cropping systems, residential areas, and urban districts, what generally happens to rates of runoff and infiltration? Select the best pair of answers.
runoff increases, infiltration decreases
The difference in birth rates (TFR) and death rates (infant mortality, life expectancy) between developing nations (e.g., Niger) and industrialized nations (e.g., Netherlands) is known as _______________________________.
the demographic divide
There is strong evidence to suggest that we are currently in the midst of the _____ mass extinction, which is different from previous mass extinctions because of the role of _________ as a cause of the accelerated rate of extinction. Choose the pair of terms that best completes this statement.
6th; humans
Evaluate the following statements describing patterns, processes, and phenomena on islands. Select any and all TRUE statements listed below.
According to Island Biogeography Theory, we would predict that a large island that is close to the mainland would have greater species richness than a small, isolated island.; The extinctions of endemic bird species on Guam represents the devastating result of novel predation pressure from an invasive species.; Island Biogeography Theory is useful for predicting species richness on terrestrial 'islands', as well as 'true' oceanic islands
Consider the following statements about carrying capacity. Select any and all TRUE statements.
Carrying capacity is determined by limiting factors; As a population approaches carrying capacity, growth rate tends to decelerate
In lecture, we discussed the benefits and predictive power of Island Biogeography Theory, but we also acknowledged that the original theory (like all theories/models) has some limitations. Which of the following are among the limitations of Island Biogeography Theory (IBT)? Select any and all that are TRUE.
IBT doesn't account for differences in the quality/hostility of the habitat matrix.; IBT doesn't account for the power of ecological relationships between species to impact colonization or extinction.
Examine the figure below. Based on these range of tolerance curves, which of the following are most likely TRUE about Species A & Species B? range-of-tol-1.png Select any and all that apply.
Species A has a greater capacity for adaptation to environmental change; Species A is more likely to be a generalist
The majority of our water use (worldwide) is allocated to the production of ________________.
agricultural crops
A person with a purely biocentric worldview believes that ______________ have intrinsic value and that the role of humans is as ______________.
all living things; one species among many
If I told you that I value protecting a particular endangered species from extinction so that the species will be around for my children and grandchildren to enjoy seeing it ... which type of non-market value does this reflect? Choose the best answer from the options below.
bequest value
The skipper butterfly is described as an example of "cryptic species". What used to be thought of as 1 species of skipper butterfly is now recognized as 10 distinct species of butterflies, according to the _____________________________. Select the best answer to complete the sentence above.
biological species concept
In class, we discussed one of the 'success stories' from Sandra Postel's TEDx talk about water. Postel described how Boston dealt with an insufficient water supply toward the end of the 20th century. Boston's solution was an example of ______________.
decreasing the demand for water
Recall our lectures about Human Population Growth, and choose the best answer to complete the following sentence. Worldwide, one of the absolute best predictors of Fertility (the number of births per female in her lifetime) is ___________________________.
desired family size
Select any and all impacts of roads on wildlife from the list below.
direct mortality; constricted home range size; reduced gene flow
The Asian Small-clawed Otter (also called the Oriental Short-clawed Otter) is the smallest of the world's 13 extant otter species, measuring only 40-70 centimeters in length. They are a highly gregarious species, living in groups of up to 12 related individuals, and these family groups are extremely territorial (against intrusion from other groups). The Asian Small-clawed Otter lives in freshwater wetlands and mangrove swamps in southeast Asia, although they are listed as threatened with extinction due primarily to habitat loss. Fun fact: A group of otters is called a bevy, a romp, a lodge, a family, or a raft. Now that you know a little something about the Asian Small-clawed Otter, what type of dispersion pattern would you expect in a population of this otter species? Select the best answer from the options below. {You don't need the photo to answer this question, but those otters sure are cute!}
clumped
In her guest lecture, Dr. Cullen told us about the Mexican Spotted Owl Project that she worked on in the past. Her team used the ____________________ Method to gauge willingness to protect the Mexican Spotted Owl.
contingent valuation
In a lecture, you learned about "farming up the food web." Which of the following is the primary cause of this phenomenon? Choose the best answer from the list below.
conventional aquaculture methods
In a recent lecture, I explained that some plants are able to 'fix' nitrogen via their symbiotic association with a specific bacterium. Select the best answer to complete the following sentence: "Fixing Nitrogen" means __________________________________.
converting atmospheric nitrogen into usable forms of N
Currently, the single biggest direct cause of tropical deforestation is the conversion of forests to _________________.
cropland & pasture
During one of our community and ecosystem ecology lectures, we discussed how nutrients and energy move in ecosystems, and your TA Emily shared the example of how nutrients and energy move in soils. Recall that lecture, and select the correct set of responses to complete the statement below. When microbes decompose leaf litter, nutrients ________, and energy _________ soils.
cycles within; flow through
In lecture materials, we covered several approaches to measuring the impact of human populations on the environment (on natural resources). Which of these approaches incorporates the resources required to assimilate our wastes, in addition to consumption of resources for goods and services?
ecological footprint
Following clearcutting (forest removal), there is an abrupt transition between the clearcut area and the adjacent remaining forest. Air and soil temperatures, rates of nest parasitism, and herbivory are generally higher in the forested area closest to the clearcut than in the forest interior. These are examples of _______________.
edge effects
What type of value is reflected in both of the following quotes about 'Nature'? "Wilderness is not a luxury, but a necessity of the human spirit." -Edward Abbey "Range after range of mountains. Year after year after year. I am still in love." -Gary Snyder Choose the best answer from the list below.
emotional
Cultural eutrophication and dead zones result from a(n) _____________________ in the water. Select the best answer below.
excess of nutrients (fertilizers)
You watched a TED Talk by Dan Barber called "How I fell in love with a fish." I revisited Barber's talk during a lecture as well. In his talk, Barber described a fish farm called Veta La Palma, and he explained that this kind of fish 'farming' is an example of __________________ food production, which he suggests we should be doing more of in the future.
extensive
Many species are threatened with extinction due to the impacts of multiple stressors (e.g., habitat loss + invasive species + climate change). The combined effects of these factors are often much greater than expected based on the impact of each factor alone. What is it called when 2 (or more) factors interact to produce a stronger-than-predicted effect on a species?
extinction syngergy
Aquaponics technology was one of the main contributions of the Green Revolution. TRUE or FALSE?
false
Our 'inconvenient minds' lead us to use various mental shortcuts to make decisions based on limited information. For example, if someone tells you about "the new shampoo that environmentalists are protesting against," then you might perceive the new shampoo as harmful to human or environmental health. According to Ropeik's 'Ecoperception Gap,' this particular mental shortcut is referred to as _______________________.
framing
Consider a species of freshwater mussel that historically has played an important role in the riverine ecosystem to which it is endemic. Recently the remaining population has declined below a critical threshold, and the mussels can no longer play any significant role in the ecosystem. In this scenario, the mussel species is considered _______________________.
functionally extinct
In class, we covered the major causes of endangerment for migratory songbirds. Populations of Neotropical migrants (songbirds) are declining due to multiple factors, but the single greatest threat to songbird populations is ______________________.
habitat alteration
The negative impacts of the brown-headed cowbird (a brood parasite) on songbirds have intensified due to _____________________. Complete the sentence with the best option from the list below.
habitat fragmentation
Choose the best answer to fill in the blank below. We learned about several different methods of assigning a market price to non-economic values, including ______________________, which determines a market price by inferring (from market transactions) how much people are willing to pay for the non-economic values.
hedonic pricing
We recently had some visitors from the Center for Wildlife, and we learned about the ecology and threats to some of our local wildlife species. Recall from that visit... What is the #1 reason that wildlife 'patients' are admitted to the Center for Wildlife for medical treatment?
hit by a car
Which of these factors is most likely to exert density-independent population effects?
hurricane
Select the best pair of answers to complete the following statement. Two key factors --- one environmental criterion (_______________) and one ecological criterion (_______________) --- determine which pond-breeding amphibian species can occur in any given pond/wetland.
hydroperiod; predators
A species with a narrow range of tolerance for temperature should have _______________ potential to adapt to a warming climate (relative to a species with a wide range of tolerance).
lower
Birds and bears that feed on fish can be considered ________________ because they transfer nutrients from aquatic ecosystems to terrestrial ecosystems. Fill in the blank with the best answer below.
mobile links
The majority of forest tree species host specialized fungal species (or, mycorrhizae) on or within their roots. These mycorrhizae enhance the tree's nutrient uptake and help to defend the tree against root and soil pathogens. In turn, the mycorrhizae receive metabolites (sugars) from the tree's photosynthetic activity. Which of the following best describes the relationship between the mycorrhizae and the trees?
mutualism
Which of the following conservation strategies are formally protected through legislation/policy? Select any & all that apply.
national monuments; national parks
Which of the following is the primary non-random mechanism of evolution?
natural selection
Sea Otters eat Sea Urchins. Sea Urchins graze voraciously on Kelp. Kelp Forests provide food and refuge for many fishes. Based on the set of relationships given above, which of the following is true about the role of sea otters in this community? Please select any and all that are true.
otters have a direct effect on the urchins; otters have an indirect effect on the fishes
Recall this excerpt from The Song of the Dodo (by David Quammen)... "Imagine, for instance, that the last dodo didn't perish on Iverson's islet. Imagine a single survivor ... Imagine this fugitive as a female. ... Imagine that her last hatchling had been snarfed by a feral pig. That her last fertile egg had been eaten by a monkey. That her mate was dead, clubbed by a hungry Dutch sailor, and that she had no hope of finding another." Which of the following 'members' of The Evil Sextet are represented in this passage? Select any and all that apply.
overexploitation; invasive/introduced species
In lecture, we learned that the identification of primary threats is a prerequisite for drafting a recovery plan for an endangered species. From the list below, select any and all of the factors that were cited as primary threats in the Lake Erie Water Snake's recovery plan.
persecution by humans; loss of habitat
As we discussed in lecture, every species has a different range of tolerance for each abiotic variable (e.g., temperature, soil pH, etc.). Imagine a species' range of tolerance for temperature, and select the best answer to fill in the blank (below). In between the optimal temperature range and the zone(s) of intolerance (i.e., the temperatures that are either too hot or too cold for the species to survive & reproduce) is a zone where the species experiences ____________________________.
physiological stress
Recall from module readings and lecture ... What are the main drivers of increasing water scarcity in the coming decades? Select any and all that apply.
population growth; climate change; increased urbanization
Which of the following traits are characteristic of species that are particularly vulnerable to population decline/extinction? Select any and all that apply.
rare; useful to humans; endemic
Scientists believe we are currently in or approaching the _________ mass extinction, which is different from all others because of the role of _________ as the major cause of the accelerated rate of extinction. Choose the correct pair of terms from the list below to complete this statement.
sixth; humans
In multiple lectures, we have discussed the idea that our overconsumption and/or degradation (i.e., unsustainable use) of some technically renewable resources can make those resources effectively nonrenewable. Which of the following resources fall into this category of "renewable resources in danger of becoming effectively nonrenewable"? Select any and all that apply.
soil; groundwater
A metapopulation is a network of subpopulations connected by dispersal. We learned about several different metapopulation models in class. Which of the following are characteristics or assumptions of the Classic/Levins' Metapopulation Model? Select any and all that apply.
subpopulations will undergo periodic extinctions & recolonizations; subpopulations occupy habitat patches that are equidistant; subpopulations occupy habitat patches of equal size
It is often suggested that by the year 2050, we will need to increase food production by 50-60% in order to feed our growing population. However, you also learned that ~40% of the food produced globally is wasted. In industrialized regions, where/when is the majority of food wasted?
the majority is wasted after it reaches the consumer
In lecture, we learned about the well-documented pattern of Latitudinal Biodiversity Gradients. Which of the following are among the common hypotheses for why there is greater biodiversity in the tropics? Select any and all that apply.
the tropical regions receive more sunlight; the tropical regions have had longer stable periods; the tropics have greater geographic area
Evaluate the following statement—is it TRUE or FALSE? (micro)Evolution is the change in the genetic composition of a population over successive generations.
true
TRUE or FALSE?: Coffee has more embedded water per unit than tea.
true
Water contamination resulting from pesticide application on agricultural fields AND pollination of nearby crops by a beekeeper's honeybees can BOTH be considered externalities. True or False?
true
Total water use ("water footprint") for the average U.S. citizen is _______________, and approximately 90 percent of that (of our water footprint) is _______________. Select the best pair of answers to complete the previous sentence.
~2,000 gal/day; hidden water use