Name: _________________________
PRACTICE TEST – Unit 5: Sustaining Terrestrial Biodiversity
AP Environmental Science – December 20, 2012
Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer and darken its bubble.
1. Which of the following is NOT a trait that would put a
species at risk of being endangered now or in the near
future?
(A) The species is migratory and depends on the
availability of healthy ecosystems in more than one
area.
(B) The species competes with humans for food or
habitat.
(C) The species has a high reproductive rate.
(D) The species is higher on a food chain.
(E) The species has low genetic diversity.
2. A species has been decimated due to overhunting. To
save the species, a non-profit organization creates a
private reserve and helps a single breeding pair build a
new population that will later be released into the wild.
Which of the following best describes the chances that
this species will survive?
(A) As long as enough individuals are produced in the
reserve before being set free, the species can survive.
(B) As long as the species can survive in captivity, there
will always be a chance that the species can be
reintroduced in the wild and survive.
(C) Even though the species can survive in captivity or
on a reserve, the same conditions that led to being
threatened will prevent it from being successfully
reintroduced in the wild.
(D) Limited genetic diversity will create a population
that is not viable and the species will not survive.
(E) As long as the population is protected from hunting,
the species can survive.
3. This federal law protects habitats for endangered species.
(A) NEPA
(B) FFDCA
(C) ESA
(D) SMCRA
(E) CERCLA
4. The government agency that oversees the management
of national forests is the
(A) Department of the Interior
(B) Department of Agriculture
(C) Department of Health and Safety
(D) Department of Justice
(E) Environmental Protection Agency
5. Which of the following agencies is NOT managed by the
Department of the Interior?
(A) National Park Service
(B) National Forest Service
(C) Bureau of Land Management
(D) Office of Surface Mining
(E) Fish and Wildlife Service
6. A “debt-for-nature-swap” refers to
(A) charging corporations money for damaging the
environment.
(B) providing low interest loans to developers who also
protect endangered habitats.
(C) charging taxes to polluters, which then go to pay off
the public debt.
(D) forgiving Third World debt in exchange for
preserving endangered habitat.
(E) forcing polluting countries to loan money to tribal
leaders in order to protect endangered habitat.
7. Which of the following traits of organisms that would be
least likely to lead to extinction?
(A) Longer life span
(B) Tends to invest a large amount of resources in the
next generation
(C) Tends to demonstrate irruptive growth
(D) Larger body dimensions
(E) Specialized diet
8. A Habitat Conservation Plan guarantees that
(A) no endangered species are killed.
(B) natural resources can be used as long as the species
experiences some overall benefit.
(C) an Environmental Impact Statement must be
produced.
(D) all endangered species receive in situ management.
(E) the habitat can only be used for the conservation of
endangered species.
9. Which of the following biomes is maintained through
occasional fires?
(A) Tundra
(B) Tropical forest
(C) Grassland
(D) Mountain ranges
(E) Taiga
10. Characteristics that would lead to a nonnative
organism’s becoming invasive in a new environment
would include which of the following characteristics?
I. High reproductive rate
II. Short-lived
III. Generalists
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
I only
II only
III only
I and III only
I, II, and III
11. The Amazon Basin, in South America, is the world’s
largest tropical rainforest. Forest cover in the “Arc of
Deforestation” in the southern region of the basin is
rapidly decreasing due to logging and conversion of
forests to agricultural lands. Scientists estimate that if
this trend continues it will reduce the forest coverage to
only 20% of its original size by the year 2016. The loss
of forested land would most likely
(A) increase the concentration of water vapor in the air
due to increased transpiration rates
(B) decrease the local regional flooding that occurs
(C) increase available supplies for plant-derived
medicines
(D) decrease the amount of total atmospheric nitrogen
(E) increase the amount of total atmospheric carbon
dioxide
12. The ___________ is an endangered species; the
____________ is an invasive species; and the
____________ is an extinct species.
(A) passenger pigeon; American alligator; dodo
(B) giant panda; Zebra mussel; California condor
(C) whooping crane; Africanized honeybee; passenger
pigeon
(D) African black rhinoceros; dodo; Africanized
honeybee
(E) giraffe; gypsy moth; blue whale
17. A forest ecosystem in which forest fires have been
suppressed for many decades may benefit from which
of the following?
(A) Thinning by removing medium-sized trees
(B) Thinning by removing the largest trees
(C) Building roads to provide recreation
(D) Setting small contained surface fires
(E) Clear-cutting the forest to initiate secondary
succession
18. Which of the following proposals is NOT a solution to
the fuelwood crisis?
(A) Planting more fast-growing trees
(B) Using energy-efficient harvesting equipment
(C) Burning wood more efficiently
(D) Planting more fast-growing shrubs
(E) Switching to other fuels
19. The return of an ecosystem to the condition prior to
degradation is an example of
(A) Artificial ecosystem creation
(B) Ecosystem rehabilitation
(C) Ecosystem replacement
(D) Ecosystem restoration
(E) Ecosystem maintenance
20. Grand Canyon National Park is severely impacted by
13. Which of the following species is extinct because of
overhunting?
(A) Bald eagle
(B) Blue whale
(C) Passenger pigeon
(D) Whooping crane
(E) Orangutan
14. The extinction of which of the following would be most
devastating to life on earth?
(A) Giant panda
(B) Honeybee
(C) African black rhinoceros
(D) Minke whale
(E) Bald eagle
15. Which of the following is NOT an ecosystem service
provided by forests?
(A) Carbon sequestration
(B) Water purification
(C) Lumber production
(D) Food production
(E) Road construction
16. Which is an example of restoration ecology?
(A) Logging trees
(B) Fishing in a protected lake
(C) Building duck houses for wood ducks
(D) Combating invasive species
(E) C and D
(A) over popularity
(B) air pollution
(C) proximity to human influences
(D) demands for visitor infrastructure and amenities
(E) all of these choices
21. Which statement is NOT an important function of
forests?
(A) Forests provide habitat for 80% of wildlife
(B) Forests provide clean water.
(C) Forests provide, lumber, wood, and paper pulp.
(D) Forests enable indigenous people to maintain
culture.
(E) Forests prevent fires from reaching populated areas.
22. Which statement is an advantage of the practice of
selective cutting in forestry?
(A) Requires less skill and planning.
(B) Allows natural regeneration from surrounding areas.
(C) Yields the most timber per unit area.
(D) Permits reforesting with genetically improved stock.
(E) Allows for the greatest economic return.
23. Which of the following is an economic service obtained
from forests?
(A) Livestock grazing
(B) Moderation of local climates
(C) Wildlife habitat
(D) Air purification
(E) Reduce soil erosion
24. Which of the following describes an old growth forest?
(A) Has not been seriously disturbed by human
activities for several hundred years.
(B) Managed tract of forest with uniformly aged trees
(C) Forest with mixed age trees but none over one
hundred years old
(D) Monoculture of trees that produce fruits, nuts, or
some other product
(E) Results from natural secondary succession
25. The majority of the world’s forests are located
(A) in the southern hemisphere.
(B) on the western portions of continents.
(C) in the control of private landowners.
(D) in temperate and tropical areas.
(E) in areas protected from illegal logging.
26. Which of the following is true of illegal logging?
(A) Governments experience little adverse impact from
illegal logging operations.
(B) Worldwide timber markets depend upon this added
influx of cheap timber.
(C) The illegal wood trade is increasingly being driven
by organized crime.
(D) It accounts for very little of the international wood
trade.
(E) Indigenous people who illegally cut timber received
the greatest economic benefit from the practice.
27. ‘Slash and burn’ techniques involve
(A) removing shrubs and understory plants from a
forest by way of a prescribed burn
(B) cutting down all of the trees in an area, then burning
them in place
(C) collecting downed limbs for fuelwood
(D) burning the old and middle-aged trees in order to
allow younger trees room to grow
(E) burning grasslands to remove invasive species
28. Which of the following types of fires can be beneficial
to forest and grassland ecosystems?
(A) surface fires
(B) crown fires
(C) ground fires
(D) prescribed fires
(E) A and D
29. Which type of forest degradation converts forest land
into mounds of soil contaminated with toxic mercury?
(A) cattle ranching
(B) strip mining
(C) paper manufacturing
(D) hydroelectric projects
(E) biofuel production
30. Some scientists are concerned that under the provisions
of the Healthy Forest Restoration Act of 2003 severe
forest fires may actually increase because
(A) Timber companies can now cut whatever trees they
want and circumvent environmental review and
appeals processes.
(B) The act does not address tree diseases that make
trees more vulnerable to fire
(C) The law focuses primarily on improving water
quality issues rather than forest health initiatives
(D) Removing desirable fire-resistant trees promotes
the growth of highly flammable underbrush.
(E) The law only addresses the restoration and
management of old growth forests.
31. Surface fires can actually be beneficial to forest
ecosystems because they
(A) Can enhance the germination or release of certain
seeds.
(B) Help release certain mineral nutrients back into the
soil.
(C) Clear away underbrush that impedes the movement
of wildlife through the forest.
(D) Remove highly flammable material before it can
build up and lead to more destructive fires.
(E) All of the above are potential benefits of forest fires
to forest ecosystems.
32. What role does the revision of the Lacey Act play in the
protection of forests?
(A) It provides for better management of forests against
large-scale, destructive forest fires.
(B) Directs the U.S. government to plant two trees for
every tree that is harvested on federal lands.
(C) Makes the importation of wood from developing
nations illegal.
(D) It requires timber importers to prove that the timber
they import was sourced and harvested legally.
(E) It directed the U.S. Forest service to protect against
disturbance any tract of forest where endangered
species might be located.
33. Which of the following results in the burning of more
acres of forest in the U.S. than any other cause?
(A) lightning
(B) equipment fires
(C) prescribed burns
(D) carelessly discarded tobacco products
(E) unattended campfires
34. What three factors prevent grassland biomes from
succeeding to forest?
(A) drought, cold temperatures, grazing
(B) fire, soil erosion, and herbicides
(C) drought, herbivore grazing, and fire
(D) herbivore grazing, human intervention, trampling
(E) fire, flooding, soil fertility
35. Grassland biomes are ecologically important for all of
the following reasons except:
(A) contribute to soil formation
(B) store atmospheric carbon
(C) cycle nutrients
(D) have the highest biodiversity of any terrestrial
biome.
(E) provide food and habitats for wildlife
36. Which of the following are economic uses of
grasslands?
I. domestic crop production
II. rangeland and pasture for livestock grazing
III. biofuel production
(A) I only
(B) II only
(C) I and II only
(D) II and III only
(E) I, II, and III
37. In the United States, many ranchers are selling their
ranches to developers who convert them into housing
developments and condos. What is the most likely
consequence of this conversion of rangelands into
development?
(A) Increase in overall species biodiversity
(B) Ecological succession of grassland habitats to
forested habitats
(C) Decreased investment in fire suppression
(D) Reduced use of herbicides and pesticides
(E) Increased pressure on land trust groups to establish
conservation easements
38. A __________ is a conservation strategy that aims to
protect strips of land that connect larger isolated
reserves so that animals can migrate and forage.
(A) Habitat corridor
(B) Conservation easement
(C) Megareserve
(D) Buffer zone
(E) Riparian zone
39. Restricting vehicle access on certain roads and
providing eco-friendly public transportation options are
two strategies designed to address which of the
following problems facing U.S. National Parks?
(A) inholdings
(B) visitor infrastructure expectations
(C) air pollution
(D) non-native/ invasive species
(E) poaching
40. Which is a characteristic of the core of a biosphere
reserve?
(A) It allows seasonal migrations of animals.
(B) It permits limited human settlement.
(C) The riparian edge is protected from invasive species.
(D) It is insulated from human activities by a buffer zone.
(E) It is usually surrounded by a fence or barrier.
41. Why is an area of 4,000 km2 recommended for
wilderness areas?
(A)That area provides appropriate sewage and water
treatment capabilities.
(B) Indigenous people can survive within that area
without outside influences.
(C) Park rangers can safely cover that distance in one
day.
(D) That area insulates animals and plants from air,
water, and noise pollution.
(E) Larger tracts of land are too expensive for
governments to purchase.
42. A species whose numbers have declined such that it can
no longer fulfill its ecological role is referred to as
(A) biologically extinct.
(B) ecologically extinct.
(C) locally extinct.
(D) genetically depauperate.
(E) endemic.
43. Which of the following factors poses the greatest threat
to the survival of wild species worldwide?
(A) habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation
(B) invasive species
(C) collection of species for zoos and aquariums
(D) pollution
(E) overharvesting for food and trophies
44. All of the following characteristics make a species more
likely to face biological or ecological extinction except:
(A) having a low reproductive rate.
(B) possessing some commercial value.
(C) having a narrow distribution.
(D) being a generalist.
(E) having fixed migratory patterns.
45. The Endangered Species Act
(A) forbids federal agencies to carry out, fund, or
authorize projects that would jeopardize an
endangered species or its habitat.
(B) directs government to provide landowners with funds
to conserve species that exist on their property that
may soon be endangered or threatened.
(C) establishes a network of parks and reserves dedicated
for the purpose of wildlife conservation and citizen
recreation.
(D) limits what chemicals can be disposed in U.S.
waterways.
(E) requires foods that contain species designated as
threatened or endangered in other countries be
labeled as such for sale in the United States.
46. An endemic species
(A) are generally strong competitors.
(B) carries disease.
(C) is only found in small isolated locations.
(D) are common throughout many biomes.
(E) lack commercial value.
47. Deliberately introduced species
(A) are rarely beneficial.
(B) usually complement native species well with little
ecological disruption in an ecosystem.
(C) rarely compete with native species for food or
habitat.
(D) can easily be controlled by trapping, hunting, or
pesticide application.
(E) provide food, shelter, medicine, and ecosystem
services in many parts of the world.
48. North American songbirds are declining in numbers
primarily because of
(A) capture for the exotic pet trade.
(B) feral, or wild, cats.
(C) tropical deforestation.
(D) global loss of wetlands.
(E) exposure to toxic chemicals sprayed on the insects
and seeds that they eat.
49. Which of the following characteristics makes a species
a successful invader to another ecosystem?
(A) specialist
(B) high reproductive rate
(C) ideally adapted for a particular niche
(D) sensitive to chemical changes in its environment
(E) short life span
50. Bushmeat hunting has increased in recent decades
mostly due to
(A) war and unrest in developing countries.
(B) construction of mining and logging roads that
makes wild animal populations more accessible.
(C) demand for exotic menu items by wealthy
restaurant patrons.
(D) growing populations of people in places like Africa
and South America who hunt wild animals for food
and profit.
(E) lack of legal protections against poaching in
developed countries.
ANSWER KEY
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
C
D
C
B
B
D
C
B
C
D
E
C
C
B
E
E
D
B
D
E
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
E
B
A
A
D
C
B
E
B
D
E
D
A
C
D
E
E
A
C
D
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
D
B
A
D
A
C
E
C
B
D