CHAPTER 5 Notesheet (pg. 111-129)
Name: ____________________________ Hour: _______
Biological Diversity:
1. Which biome has the greatest amount of biodiversity? Tropical Rain Forest
2. What refers to the variety of species in a given area? Biodiversity
3. Does biodiversity increase or decrease as you move toward the equator? increase
4. Are the richest environments for biodiversity usually cool or warm places? warm
Importance of Biodiversity:
5. Why is biodiversity important to nature? Living things are interdependent. If relationships among
organisms are broken due to the loss of a species, the remaining species will also be affected.
6. Explain how biodiversity can bring stability to an ecosystem. Organism dispersal (clumped,
random, uniform) can decrease spreading of disease, etc.
7. Why is biodiversity important to people? We depend on other organisms for our needs. Oxygen is
supplied and carbon dioxide is removed by plants. We eat many plants and animals. They can
also be used to improve health.
Loss of Biodiversity:
8. What refers to the disappearance of a species when the last of its members dies? extinction
9. What is background extinction? Natural extinction
10. Complete Problem-Solving Lab 5.1 on page 115. Answer questions 1-3. (1) The larger the island,
the more initial species it has. (2) There is a higher percent of species loss for smaller areas. (3)
It’s easier to trap and observe land mammals, and the initial data on species numbers may be
more reliable.
11. What refers to species when its numbers are too low that extinction is possible? Endangered species
12. Give 2 examples of endangered species in the US. California condor and sea turtles
13. What refers to a population that is likely to become endangered? Threatened species
14. Give 1 example of a threatened species. African elephants
Threats to Biodiversity:
15. What is one of the biggest reasons for decline in biodiversity? Habitat loss
16. Give one example of habitat loss. Land cleared in the rain forest
17. What refers to the separation of wilderness areas from other wilderness areas? Habitat
fragmentation
18. The smaller the fragment, the ______ biodiversity the area can support. less
19. Geographic isolation can lead to _________________ isolation. The organism does not have the
chance to breed with members of its species in other populations. genetic
20. What is the cause of habitat fragmentation in Figure 5.7 on page 117? The road
21. The ________ of a habitat or ecosystem is where one habitat or ecosystem meets another. edge
22. What refers to the different conditions along the boundaries of an ecosystem? Edge effects
23. Do edges tend to have more or less biodiversity and why? More; different habitats with different
species are brought together.
24. What refers to the damage to a habitat by pollution? Habitat degradation
25. List 3 types of pollution. Air, water, land
26. How can pollutants enter the atmosphere? Volcanic eruptions, forest fires, burning fossil fuels,
acid rain, UV waves
27. List 2 examples of water pollutants. Excess fertilizers, animal wastes, silt form soil, chemicals,
nets
28. What is DDT and why is it banned now? Chemical used to control insects and to kill mosquito
larvae. Birds fed on DDT-treated crops/insects and passed it on through the food chain. Some
species like the bald eagle would lay eggs with very thin shells that would crack.
29. When exotic species are introduced to a new area, they grow at an ___________________ rate
because they are not competitors or predators like the native species. Exponential
Conservation Biology:
30. What refers to the study and implementation of methods to protect biodiversity? Conservation
biology
31. What are the 2 strategies that conservation is based upon? Natural resource conservation and
species conservation
32. What refers to the parts of the environment that are useful or necessary for living organisms? Natural
resources
33. Give 4 examples of natural resources. Sunlight, water, air, plant and animal resources
34. What is the US Endangered Species Act and when did it become a law? It made it illegal to harm
any species on the endangered or threatened species list and illegal for federal agencies to fund
any project that would harm organisms on these lists. 1973
35. What is one way that habitats have been protected/preserved? The creation of natural preserves
and parks
36. Is it better to protect one large piece of land or several smaller,disconnected pieces of land & why?
Largest area possible because larger areas have more species
37. What refers to protected strips of land that allow the migration of organisms from one wilderness area
to another? Habitat corridors
38. Give one example of sustainable use. People harvest brazil nuts from the rain forests to eat and
sell.
39. What refers to releasing organisms into an area where the species once lived? Reintroduction
programs
40. What refers to an organism that is held by people? captivity
41. What are seed banks? Seeds from threatened or endangered species can be cooled and stored for
a long period of time and can be reintroduced if they become extinct.
Chapter 4 assessment answers (pg. 108):
6. C
8. C
9. C
10. The population may have experienced an outbreak of disease and recovered. If the population has a
rapid growth pattern, the food may have declined in one area, forcing a decline in population until a new
food source emerged, etc. (must discuss at lest 2 reasons!)
12. Age structure gives info about how many students to expect and what supplies and facilities will be
needed, etc.
13. The large, densely packed population (uniform pattern) of the same species would cause the insects
to spread more quickly and cause greater damage in Area B.
19. C
20. A
21. The flood is the limiting factor. Graph it.
22. A population refers to the number of organisms of a single species in a particular area. There may be
many populations of the same species.