Unit 2 Practice Questions

Which of the following was the number of finches in the population with a beak size of 10.2 mm in 1978?

12

Which of the following was the average beak size of finches on the island of Daphne Major in 1976?

9.5 mm

Which of the following statements best explains the changes in the size and composition of the population of finches after the drought?

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

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

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

Based on the theory of island biogeography, which of the following would most likely experience the greatest decline of specialist species if an invasive species emigrated from the mainland?

A small island in close proximity to the mainland

Which of the following best identifies the author's claim?

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

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 began to undergo succession.

Which of the following best identifies the author's claim?

Bull trout are unable to live in high sediment loaded waters and migrated to avoid the conditions introduced during dam deconstruction.

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

Earth's climate has changed over geological time, and plates on Earth's crust have shifted.

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

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

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

Increased global temperature because of the release of CO2

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

One to four years after the volcanic eruption

Based on the data shown in the graph, which of the following events occurred after the glacial retreat?

Primary succession

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

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

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

Record the number and type of producers present every year after the eruption.

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

Recreation and scenic areas for tourism

Which of the following best identifies the author's claim?

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

Which of the following statements correctly describes the trends seen in the data?

The lowest sea level occurred during the Paleogene period.

A 163 square-kilometer (km2) small island is found 2,000km from the mainland. A second, larger, 230,000km2 island is found 1,000km from the mainland. Based on the theory of island biogeography, which of the following statements is most likely true about the small island when compared with the large island?

The rate of immigration is lower for the small island than for the large island.

Based on the theory of island biogeography, which of the following is the most likely reason that an island in the ocean that is 5 kilometers from a continent would have a higher 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 15 kilometers.