57
Conservation Biology
TEST FILE QUESTIONS
Fill in the Blank
1. The scientific study of how to preserve the diversity of life is called _______.
Answer: conservation biology
2. The relationship between the area of a habitat patch and the number of species present
is an example of a _______.
Answer: species–area relationship
3. Nearly all of the mammals and birds native to Madagascar are found only on that
island. Species with distributions like this are said to be _______.
Answer: endemic
4. _______ are the phenomena that are influenced by adjacent habitats. They increase as
patch size decreases.
Answer: Edge effects
5. _______ are those that are in imminent danger of extinction over all or a significant
part of their range.
Answer: Endangered species
6. The subdiscipline of conservation biology that is concerned with converting disturbed
areas back into natural areas (e.g., converting cropland into a native prairie) is called
_______.
Answer: restoration ecology
7. In the past (over a thousand years ago) the primary means by which humans caused the
extinction of animals was _______.
Answer: overexploitation
8. The most important cause of the endangerment of species is _______.
Answer: habitat loss
9. Many species of birds became extinct in Hawaii due to _______ by humans.
Answer: overhunting
10. Species that are likely to become endangered in the near future are labeled _______.
Answer: threatened species
Multiple Choice
1. Why should humans care about species extinctions?
a. Humans derive pleasure and aesthetic benefits from interactions with other organisms.
b. Humans depend on other species for food.
c. A variety of species are necessary for the functioning of ecosystems.
d. Biological diversity is the heritage of all humankind and should be passed on to future
generations.
e. All of the above
Answer: e
2. In recent years, the number of species driven to extinction has increased dramatically.
Which of the following is not a reason for this development?
a. Overexploitation
b. Habitat destruction
c. Introduction of predators
d. Natural predation
e. Introduction of diseases
Answer: d
3. When early Polynesian people first settled in Hawaii, they drove at least 39 species of
endemic land birds to extinction because they
a. introduced predators.
b. overhunted.
c. destroyed natural habitat.
d. introduced diseases.
e. competed with these birds for food.
Answer: b
4. A species–area relationship is used by ecologists to
a. determine the population density of a species in a certain habitat.
b. examine how human populations are growing.
c. estimate the numbers of species extinctions resulting from habitat destruction.
d. produce a population model.
e. None of the above
Answer: c
5. Species benefit the functioning of ecosystems in all of the following ways except for
a. maintenance of fertile soils.
b. prevention of soil erosion.
c. interference with the hydrological cycle.
d. waste product recycling.
e. plant pollination.
Answer: c
6. Many species depend on particular patterns of _______ for maintenance of their
populations.
a. water temperature
b. river flow
c. rainfall
d. disturbance
e. wind
Answer: d
7. Which parameter of a population do ecologists measure to assess its extinction risk?
a. Genetic variation
b. Behavior
c. Physiology
d. Both a and b
e. a, b, and c
Answer: e
8. Biologists have measured the rate at which species richness tends to change with
changes in patch or habitat size. These findings suggest that
a. loss of habitat results in an increase in species richness.
b. high loss of habitat results in significant loss of species richness in that habitat.
c. habitat loss has no effect on species richness.
d. humans have not caused habitat loss and thus have had no impact on species richness.
e. species richness is completely unrelated to habitat loss or gain.
Answer: b
9. Captive propagation in zoos and botanical gardens has been quite successful for
several endangered species. Nevertheless, captive propagation is only a partial or
temporary solution to the biodiversity crisis. Which of the following does not represent
an inadequacy of zoos?
a. There is not enough space in existing zoos and botanical gardens to maintain
populations of more than a small fraction of rare and endangered species.
b. Captive propagation projects in zoos have proven to be been useless in efforts to raise
public awareness of the biodiversity crisis.
c. A species in captivity can no longer evolve along with the other species in its
ecological community.
d. The preservation of endangered species cannot be accomplished simply by captive
propagation. The habitat required to support wild populations must also be present for
successful species preservation.
e. Small, captive populations tend to have low genetic diversity.
Answer: b
10. Approximately 200 years ago, California condors ranged from Canada to Mexico. By
1978, the population had almost disappeared. Today condors are being reestablished
because
a. condors migrated into North America from other areas.
b. nonbreeding birds began to pair when nesting conditions again improved.
c. the climate in the western United States, which had gone through a warm period, began
to cool making the climate suitable for condors once again.
d. extensive natural forest areas have been restored on the eastern seaboard, allowing
condors once again to nest successfully.
e. captive-reared condors have been systematically released in the western United States.
Answer: e
11. Why are species extinctions a threat to humans?
a. Many species are a human food source.
b. Many pharmaceutical products are derived from natural products. Loss of species
could mean loss of therapeutic drugs.
c. Biodiversity is important in maintaining fertile soils, and in the prevention of erosion.
d. Diverse species of animals and plants are important in the detoxification and recycling
of nutrients.
e. All of the above
Answer: e
12. _______ are parts of habitats that allow animals to disperse from patch to patch.
a. Windows
b. Transects
c. Corridors
d. Pathways
e. Portals
Answer: c
13. What effect, if any, would the extinction of a mutualistic pollinator have on the
species of plant it pollinates?
a. It would have no effect.
b. Pollination of the plant species would be decreased, but would not cease altogether.
c. The plant species would die out immediately.
d. It would allow the plant species to be pollinated by another, competing pollinator.
e. The plants of this species would not be pollinated, and thus the species would no
longer be able to reproduce sexually.
Answer: e
14. Species native to islands such as Madagascar are particularly ravaged by habitat
destruction because
a. island populations of species tend to have more mutualistic relationships than mainland
populations.
b. many species found on islands are found nowhere else.
c. habitats are more easily destroyed on islands than on continents.
d. habitat fragmentation is more serious on islands than on continents because islands
normally have a single continuous habitat.
e. Both a and c
Answer: b
15. A(n) _______ species is one that has spread widely and become unduly abundant, at a
cost to native species.
a. invasive
b. endangered
c. threatened
d. endemic
e. extinct
Answer: a
16. A lumber company proposes to clear-cut a large area of forest, but it aims to leave
small patches of forest to provide habitat for forest animals. The problem with this
method of conservation is that
a. small patches cannot support populations of species that require large areas.
b. small patches can harbor only small populations of the species that can survive there.
c. due to edge effects, small patches have higher temperatures, stronger winds, and lower
humidity levels than larger forest tracts.
d. species that live in the clear-cut areas often invade the edges of the patches and
compete with or prey on the species living there.
e. All of the above
Answer: c
17. _______ ecology is the field of conservation biology whose goal is to mend damaged
and degraded ecosystems.
a. Conservation
b. Historical
c. Restoration
d. Renovation
e. Redistribution
Answer: c
18. The American chestnut, a formerly abundant tree in forests of the Appalachian
Mountains, was virtually eliminated due to
a. habitat loss.
b. overexploitation.
c. the introduction of a non-native pathogen.
d. fire.
e. illegal trade.
Answer: c
19. Which of the following methods could be used to restore a population of animals
from a few male and female individuals.
a. Cross breeding
b. Interbreeding
c. Captive propagation
d. Selective breeding
e. Both a and b
Answer: c
20. Which of the following programs would not be useful in the efforts to conserve
species?
a. International trade in pets
b. Certification programs
c. CITES
d. Control of poaching
e. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
Answer: a
21. Which of the following is not an essential service for humans that is provided by
natural ecosystems, such as wetlands?
a. Absorption of oxygen and release of carbon dioxide
b. Reduction of erosion and water runoff
c. Treatment and purification of wastewater
d. Production of fish, waterfowl, and other wildlife
e. Absorption of pollutants such as sulfates
Answer: a
22. Of the following organisms, which has the highest conservation priority?
a. A plant found in North America and in Europe
b. A plant endemic to Australia
c. A plant found on the Galápagos Islands and in Brazil
d. A plant found worldwide
e. A plant found in North and South America
Answer: b
23. Which of the following statements concerning the relationship between humans and
the rest of the living world is true?
a. Modern technology has made it so that we no longer depend on other living organisms.
b. We are dependent on artificial ecosystems, such as agroecosystems, and we gain no
benefit from natural ecosystems.
c. We are dependent on natural ecosystems at present, but the technology exists to
completely replace natural ecosystems so that we will no longer depend on them.
d. Our survival is tightly linked to the survival of natural ecosystems throughout the
world.
e. Nonindustrial human societies are dependent on natural ecosystems, but industrial
societies are not.
Answer: d
24. In Southern California, 90 percent of the coastal wetlands have been destroyed.
Efforts to restore these areas have included
a. field experiments to examine the effects of species richness.
b. introductions of non-native species.
c. housing developments.
d. human-initiated disturbance.
e. All of the above
Answer: a
25. Hawaii has many species of long-lived Lobelia plants and many species of
honeycreepers (birds) that pollinate the plants. Assume that Lobelia species A is
pollinated exclusively by honeycreeper species A. If honeycreeper species A becomes
extinct, what is the most likely fate of Lobelia species A?
a. It will become extinct for lack of a pollinator.
b. An empty niche will be created by the bird extinction, and another honeycreeper
species will fill it and pollinate the plants.
c. The plant flower shape will evolve toward a more generalized wind-pollinating form.
d. The plants will evolve asexual methods of reproduction.
e. The species will switch to self-crossing (i.e., the pollen produced by a flower will land
on the female structures of the same flower) in order to survive.
Answer: a
26. If global warming continues to cause average ocean temperatures to increase, the
most likely effect on ocean coral reefs will be that
a. they will lose their symbiotic dinoflagellates, a phenomenon called bleaching.
b. they will grow uncontrollably.
c. they will remain stable.
d. coral reef reestablishment will be effective.
e. None of the above
Answer: a
27. The number of species that become extinct due to habitat destruction is greatest in
_______ ecosystems.
a. temperate
b. tropical
c. arctic
d. desert
e. savanna
Answer: b
28. Major causes of human-induced extinctions of species include all of the following,
except
a. climate modification.
b. overexploitation.
c. habitat destruction.
d. captive propagation.
e. introduction of predators and diseases.
Answer: d
29. Which of the following is not true of extinctions that occurred at least 2,000 years
ago?
a. Many exterminated species were large mammals.
b. Humans had recently arrived in the area.
c. Habitat destruction by humans was the cause.
d. Many flightless birds were exterminated.
e. The exterminated species were initially numerous.
Answer: c
30. Which of the following is likely the most important cause of species extinctions?
a. Habitat destruction
b. Overexploitation
c. Introduced predators
d. Introduced disease
e. Climate modifications
Answer: a
31. Which of the following statements about captive propagation is false?
a. Separating the organism from its ecological community can lead to difficulties.
b. Captive propagation can play an important role in maintaining species during critical
times.
c. Successful captive propagation programs may make it possible to reduce the habitat
needed for an endangered species.
d. Reproduction in some captive endangered species has been successful.
e. Captive propagation can be used until the external threat to the species is corrected.
Answer: c
32. In forest ecosystems, edge effects within a patch will _______ and environmental
variation will _______ with a decrease in habitat patch size.
a. increase; decrease
b. increase; increase
c. increase; remain constant
d. decrease; increase
e. decrease; decrease
Answer: b
33. Which of the following statements about the size effects of habitat fragmentation is
false?
a. Species with large home ranges and poor dispersal rates disappear as patch size
decreases.
b. Edge effects increase uniformly as patches become smaller.
c. Death related to dispersal between suitable habitat patches increases as patches become
smaller.
d. The adverse effects of smaller habitat patches decrease if the patches are connected to
larger habitat areas.
e. All of the above
Answer: b
34. Which of the following is not a reason to protect biodiversity?
a. The aesthetic value
b. Because of ecological relationships, whole communities could be endangered by the
extinction of one species.
c. Important medicinal compounds can be found only in certain species.
d. Extinction is irreversible.
e. None of the above
Answer: e
35. Fynbos are the endemic shrubs of the hills of Western Cape Province in South Africa
and the primary vegetation of the watershed that provides the region’s water supply.
During recent decades, fynbos have been invaded by alien plants that grow taller and
faster, but a movement has begun to remove these aliens by cutting and digging them up.
Which of the following is not a reason for removing them?
a. It is cheaper to remove the aliens than to obtain water by another method.
b. Tourism money comes into the country from people who want to see the fynbos.
c. Removing the aliens is the most technologically advanced method of supplying water
to the region.
d. The fynbos can be sold as cut flowers.
e. The intensity and severity of fires is lessened when the fynbos are present.
Answer: c
STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS
Knowledge and Synthesis Questions
1. The concepts of conservation biology come mainly from all of the following fields
except
a. ecology.
b. evolutionary biology.
c. population genetics.
d. immunology.
2. The fynbos shrub community in South Africa
a. is threatened by introduced species of taller, faster-growing plants.
b. is a fire-adapted community.
c. helps to maintain a regional supply of high-quality water.
d. All of the above
3. Which of the following is not currently a major cause of the global reduction in
biodiversity?
a. Overexploitation
b. Global warming
c. Habitat destruction
d. Introduction of foreign predators and disease
4. Based on species–area relationships, ecologists predict that
a. about one million tropical evergreen forest species may become extinct in the next
hundred years.
b. a 90 percent loss of habitat will result in loss of about 9 percent of the species living
there.
c. the area required by most species will need to be reduced.
d. extinction is inevitable.
5. In the United States, the groups of organisms with the highest proportion of
endangered or extinct species live in
a. grasslands.
b. the deciduous forest biome.
c. freshwater habitats.
d. deserts.
6. In the following graph, select the curve (a, b, or c) that correctly shows the expected
relationship between habitat patch area and the proportion influenced by edge effects.
7. Which of the following is not likely to be a characteristic of an invasive plant species?
a. Small seeds
b. Large range in its native continents
c. Short generation time
d. Specific root symbionts and seed dispersers
8. Why do conservation biologists believe that global warming may lead to extensive
decimation of species?
a. Because little change in plant community composition has occurred in the past, we
cannot expect present communities to adapt to climate change.
b. The magnitude of climate change will be much greater than past periods of climatic
change.
c. Many plant species may not be able to shift their ranges at the same pace as the
northern movement of temperature zones.
d. All of the above
9. “Bleaching” of coral
a. occurs when dinoflagellate symbionts of the coral die.
b. is most severe in areas with cloudy water.
c. is associated with high surface water temperatures.
d. All of the above
10. Experiments on wetland restoration have demonstrated that planting a richer mixture
of species is associated with
a. faster accumulation of belowground nitrogen.
b. more complex vegetation structure.
c. more rapid development of vegetation cover.
d. All of the above
11. Which of the following about the California Condor is false?
a. It is being introduced into regions that were not part of its historic geographical range
as part of the effort to save the species.
b. It became endangered partly because of high mortality that resulted from its eating
carcasses containing lead shot.
c. It has experienced an increase in population size in the last decade as a result of captive
propagation.
d. All of the above
Answers
Knowledge and Synthesis Answers
1. d. Although immunology is sometimes a useful tool in assessing the amount of genetic
variation that exists in a population, its importance is less than the other fields listed.
2. d. See Figure 57.1 in the textbook.
3. b. Global warming is predicted to be a major cause of extinction in the future, but is
not yet having an impact on populations.
4. a. Based on estimates of current and future disappearance of tropical evergreen forests,
about one million species that live in these communities could become extinct. This loss
is not inevitable if we reduce the rate at which these forests are converted to pasture and
cropland.
5. c. Habitat destruction and pollution have caused extinction or endangerment of a very
high proportion of aquatic freshwater species.
6. a. Because the edge of a habitat patch equals the perimeter of the patch, it is
proportionally greater for smaller habitat patches. Therefore, the relationship between
edge effect and habitat patch is an inverse relationship, as shown by curve a.
7. d. A species that requires specific mutualists, such as root symbionts and seed
dispersers, is not likely to be successful when introduced to a new geographical region
because the species on which it is dependent are unlikely to occur in its new location.
8. c. Although the expected magnitude of the climate change due to global warming may
be similar to past climate changes, the rate of warming will be greater. This may make it
impossible for many species to extend their ranges at the same rate as the northward
movement of the temperature zones.
9. c. High surface water temperatures cause bleaching of coral.
10. d. When a species-rich mixture is introduced, wetland restoration is more successful
for all of the reasons listed.
11. a. The California condor’s historic range included the regions of California and
Arizona, where it is currently being reintroduced.
TEXTBOOK SELF QUIZ QUESTIONS
1. Which of the following is not currently a major cause of species extinctions?
a. Habitat destruction
b. Rising sea levels
c. Overexploitation
d. Introduction of predators
e. Introduction of diseases
2. The most important cause of endangerment of species in the United States currently is
a. pollution.
b. exotic species.
c. overexploitation.
d. habitat loss.
e. loss of mutualists.
3. People care about species extinctions because
a. more than half of the medical prescriptions written in the United States contain a
natural plant or animal product.
b. people derive aesthetic pleasure from interacting with other organisms.
c. causing species extinctions raises serious ethical issues.
d. biodiversity helps maintain ecosystem services.
e. All of the above
4. As a habitat patch gets smaller, it
a. cannot support populations of species that require large areas.
b. supports only small populations of many species.
c. is influenced to an increasing degree by edge effects.
d. is invaded by species from surrounding habitats.
e. All of the above
5. A plant species is most likely to become invasive when introduced to a new area if it
a. grows tall.
b. has become invasive in other places where it has been introduced.
c. is closely related to species living in the area into which it is introduced.
d. has specialized dispersers of its seeds.
e. has a long life span.
6. Conservation biologists are concerned about global warming because
a. the rate of change in climate is projected to be faster than the rate at which many
species can shift their ranges.
b. it is already too hot in the Tropics.
c. climates have been so stable for thousands of years that many species lack the ability to
tolerate variable temperatures.
d. climate change will be especially harmful to rare species.
e. None of the above
7. Scientists can determine the historical frequency of fires in an area by
a. examining charcoal in sites of ancient villages.
b. measuring carbon in soils.
c. radioactively dating fallen tree trunks.
d. examining fire scars in growth rings of living trees.
e. determining the age structure of forests.
8. Captive propagation is a useful conservation tool, provided that
a. there is space in zoos, aquariums, and botanical gardens for breeding a few individuals.
b. the genetic pedigree of all individuals is known.
c. the threats that endangered the species are being alleviated so that captive-reared
individuals can later be released back into the wild.
d. there are sufficient caretakers.
e. Captive propagation should not be used because it directs attention away from the need
to protect the species in their natural habitats.
9. Restoration ecology is an important field because
a. many areas have been highly degraded.
b. many areas are vulnerable to global climate change.
c. many species suffer from demographic stochasticity.
d. many species are genetically impoverished.
e. fire is a threat to many areas.
10. The new discipline of conservation medicine has developed because
a. the frequency of diseases has increased among marine organisms.
b. the frequency of diseases has increased among terrestrial organisms.
c. the frequency of diseases has increased among both marine and terrestrial organisms.
d. scientists can better control diseases today than they previously could.
e. diseases can be readily diagnosed today.
Answers
1. b
2. d
3. e
4. e
5. b
6. a
7. d
8. c
9. a
10. c
ONLINE QUIZ QUESTIONS
1.The scientific study of how to preserve the diversity of life is the applied discipline of
a.ecological preservation.
b.conservation ecology.
c.biological environmentalism.
d.biological ecology.
e.conservation biology.
Answer: e
2.When ecosystems are managed to favor strongly those species intended for human use,
we say that their production is
a.modified.
b.diverted.
c.co-opted.
d.channeled.
e.managed.
Answer: c
3.The relationship of the number of species to habitat size is known as
a.species-area relationship.
b.island biogeography.
c.extinction modeling.
d.population-growth modeling.
e.Population/habitat analysis.
Answer: a
4.As habitats are progressively destroyed by human activities, the remaining habitat
patches become smaller and more isolated. In other words, the habitat becomes
a.isolated.
b.fragmented.
c.bottle-necked.
d.diversified.
e.homogeneous.
Answer: b
5.Which of the following is not an ecosystem service?
a.Production of carbon dioxide
b.Flood control
c.Water purification
d.Air purification
e.Preservation of biological diversity
Answer: a
6.Effects originating outside the habitat are known as
a.isolating effects.
b.principal disturbances.
c.secondary disturbances.
d.edge effects.
e.fragmentations.
Answer: d
7.A species that is found only in a particular region is said to be
a.an indicator species for that region.
b.a restricted species.
c.a vulnerable species.
d.endemic to that region.
e.demographically constrained.
Answer: d
8.Species introduced to regions outside their original range that spread widely and
become unduly abundant, at a cost to the native species of the region, are known as
a.endemic.
b.fragmented.
c.invasive.
d.exotic.
e.parasitic.
Answer: c
9.As a habitat patch gets smaller it
a.cannot support populations of species that require large areas.
b.supports only small populations of many species.
c.is influenced to an increasing degree by edge effects.
d.is invaded by species from surrounding habitats.
e.all of the above.
Answer: e
10.Species that are likely to become at risk for extinction in the near future are known as
a.endangered.
b.extinct.
c.threatened.
d.invasive.
e.endemic.
Answer: c
11.Scientists used a moss-covered rock to test how habitat fragmentation
a. is a direct result of allopatric speciation.
b. affects species extinctions.
c. works in a cold environment.
d. eliminates the need for speciation.
e. None of the above
Answer: b
12.The fraction of a patch that is subject to edge effects increases as habitat
fragmentation increases.
a. True
b. False
Answer: a