Fall 2011 Natural Resources Practice Midterm
Name (print large and clearly):
Date:
Hr:
Directions: Do NOT open this packet until instructed to do so. There should be absolutely NO TALKING during the exam
unless you have raised your hand and have been called on by the instructor. Failure to do so will result in one verbal
warning, and then a failed test grade.
Students should sit on opposite sides of the lab tables for this exam. DO NOT sit together on the same side.
Select the BEST answer to each question from the options given (more than one may sound right, but there is only one
entirely correct answer per question). Be sure to clearly mark your answers on the Scantron sheet. You may write on
your test packet, but only answers on the Scantron will be considered.
You may use one and only one 3x5” note card with your own handwritten note. This notecard must stay on the desk in
front of you at all times.
Exam test taking tips:
Treat each question like a short answer question if you can. Cover the answers, create an answer in your head, and then
match that answer to those given to find the best answer.
If you do not know an answer, skip it and come back later.
Use information from other questions to help you. One question may help you answer another question.
Cross off answers to eliminate and lower possibilities. If you cannot narrow the options to just one, select the answer
that sounds the best to you and makes the most sense.
Read each question AND each option carefully. Do not select an answer until you have read them all!
Good Luck!
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Copyright 2011 by Craig Kohn, Agricultural Sciences, Waterford WI. This source may be freely used and distributed provided the author is cited.
1. As biodiversity increases in an ecosystem…
a. Resources become more scarce
b. Ecosystem function decreases
c. Extinctions are more likely
d. The ecosystem becomes healthier and more productive
2. The higher the biodiversity of an ecosystem…
a. The more species it can support
b. The more individuals it can support
c. The more services it can provide
d. All of the above are true
3. Which of the following is NOT a part of the 3 levels of biodiversity
a. Molecular Diversity
b. Genetic Diversity
c. Species Diversity
d. Ecosystem Diversity
4. Genetic diversity is best described as…
a. The diversity within a species
b. The diversity of different species
c. The diversity of ecosystems that exist
d. The diversity of atoms
5. Examples of ecosystem diversity include…
a. The variety of traits within a species
b. The variety of species within an ecosystem
c. The variety of ecosystems on the planet
d. All of the above
6. Which of the following is the correct formula for calculating biodiversity?
a. Biodiversity = Number of Species/Number of Individuals
b. Biodiversity = Number of Individuals/Number of Species
c. Biodiversity = Number of Individuals
d. Biodiversity = Number of Species
7. A section of a meadow has 100 individuals; there are 10 total species. What is the biodiversity score?
a. 10/100 = 0.1 b. 100/10 = 10 c. 100 d. 10
8. An example of Nutrient Cycling in an ecosystem would include…
a. Utilization of sunlight at all trophic levels
b. Filtration of water as it passes through soil
c. Pollination
d. Conversion of N2 in the atmosphere into organic nitrogen compounds like proteins
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Copyright 2011 by Craig Kohn, Agricultural Sciences, Waterford WI. This source may be freely used and distributed provided the author is cited.
9. An example of Energy Flow in an ecosystem would include…
a. Utilization of sunlight at all trophic levels
b. Filtration of water as it passes through soil
c. Pollination
d. Conversion of N2 in the atmosphere into organic nitrogen compounds like proteins
Use the graph below for the next questions
10. According to this graph, as Biodiversity decreases, Ecosystem Function
a. Increases
b. Decreases
c. Remains Unchanged
11. A Type B Ecosystem could best be described as…
a. The type of ecosystem where losses to biodiversity are immediately detectable
b. The type of ecosystem where losses to biodiversity are not noticeable until it is probably too late
c. The type of ecosystem where losses to biodiversity do not affect Ecosystem Function
d. The type of ecosystem where losses to biodiversity may actually increase Ecosystem Function
12. A Type A Ecosystem could best be described as…
a. The type of ecosystem where losses to biodiversity are immediately detectable
b. The type of ecosystem where losses to biodiversity are not noticeable until it is probably too late
c. The type of ecosystem where losses to biodiversity do not affect Ecosystem Function
d. The type of ecosystem where losses to biodiversity may actually increase Ecosystem Function
13. Extinction will occur when…
a. The last of a species dies
b. There is no chance of recovery for a species even if some remain alive
c. The species numbers decline rapidly
d. A species is moved from its habitat
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Copyright 2011 by Craig Kohn, Agricultural Sciences, Waterford WI. This source may be freely used and distributed provided the author is cited.
14. Functional extinction occurs when…
a. The last of a species dies
b. There is no chance of recovery for a species even if some remain alive
c. The species numbers decline rapidly
d. A species is moved from its habitat
15. Extinction is always…
a. Natural b. Bad c. Preventable d. Final
16. Prior to modern civilization, there have been
a. No b. Two c. Five d. Ten
17. The
major mass extinctions in geological history
extinction shows signs of causing the most rapid loss of species in geological history.
a. Holocene b. Cretaceous c. Devonian d. Ordovician
18. The current rate of extinction is
a. About the same
b. Less than
c. Slightly higher than
d. Over a 1000 times greater than
the normal sustainable rate of extinction.
19. According to an article published in The American Scientist, three species are going extinct every
a. Year b. Month c. Day d. Hour
20. Of the estimated 6 to 10 million living species on the planet, we have identified roughly…
a. 1000 b. 1 million c. Half d. Almost all
21. Previous catastrophic extinctions, such as the one that wiped out the dinosaurs, took
a. Decades b. Centuries c. Thousands of years d. Billions of years
to happen.
22. Which of the following can best describe today’s rate of extinction?
a. Lower than normal since the passage of the Endangered Species Act
b. Roughly the same as the normal, sustainable rate of extinction
c. Roughly the same as when the dinosaurs went extinct
d. Faster than any known point in geological history, with half of all known species extinct in under 100
years (E. O. Wilson, 2002) as opposed to over many thousands of years with the dinosaurs.
23. Natural species are important because…
a. One quarter of prescription medicines were developed from compounds found in living species.
b. Newfound wild species have the potential to help us produce stronger, more productive crops
c. Only 20 plants supply 90% of our food; each is highly susceptible to disease because of selective
breeding
d. All of the above
24. As biodiversity decreases due to extinction, what happens to ecosystem function and services?
a. They go down
b. They increase
c. They stay the same
d. Ecosystem function is not affected by extinction, only by biodiversity
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Copyright 2011 by Craig Kohn, Agricultural Sciences, Waterford WI. This source may be freely used and distributed provided the author is cited.
25. What are the four main causes of extinction today?
a. Habitat loss, pollution, the hole in the ozone, and weakened solar radiation
b. Habitat loss, pollution, invasive species, and overharvesting
c. Litter, excess precipitation, invasive species, and overharvesting
d. Litter, excess precipitation, the hole in the ozone, and weakened solar radiation
26. A place where a population of a species lives is its…
a. Habitat b. Population c. Community
d. Niche
27. A group of interacting species sharing resources of an area is known as a…
a. Habitat b. Population c. Community d. Niche
28. The specific role an organism plays in a habitat is its
a. Habitat b. Population c. Community d. Niche
29. A group of the same organisms sharing the same place at the same time is a….
a. Habitat b. Population c. Community d. Niche
30. An ecosystem is…
a. A habitat
b. A series of interactions between the living and non-living components of a specific area
c. The non-living portion of the environment
d. A specific kind of habitat only found in North America
31. An example of a predation niche is…
a. Pollination of flowers by butterflies
b. Attacking and killing of a squirrel by a hawk
c. The farming-style relationship between ants and aphids
d. The co-dependence of cattle and the microbes in their stomach
32. An example of symbiosis is…
a. Pollination of flowers by butterflies
b. Attacking and killing of a squirrel by a hawk
c. The farming-style relationship between ants and aphids
d. The co-dependence of cattle and the microbes in their stomach
33. Structure of a habitat includes…
a. Air, water, sunlight, weather, and terrain
b. All living species of an area
c. The types, arrangement, and dispersal of plant life
d. =The rate of change of a habitat
34. Succession in a habitat is…
a. Air, water, sunlight, weather, and terrain
b. All living species of an area
c. The types, arrangement, and dispersal of plant life
d. The rate of change of a habitat
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Copyright 2011 by Craig Kohn, Agricultural Sciences, Waterford WI. This source may be freely used and distributed provided the author is cited.
35. Habitat succession is different from human-caused disturbances primarily because…
a. Habitats do not change under natural succession
b. Habitats only change once under natural succession
c. Habitat succession occurs at a much slower rate
d. None of the above; succession and disturbance are the same thing
36. Patchiness is…
a. The amount of borders a habitat has
b. The measure of how “broken up” a habitat is
c. The amount of invasive species in a habitat
d. The measure of dispersal of living species
37. Edge is harmful to a habitat because it…
a. Increases the spread of disease
b. Shows the most impact from pollution
c. Is most affected by invasive species
d. All of the above
38. Fragmentation is the measure of…
a. Edge
b. Patchiness
c. Edge and Patchiness
39. The higher the fragmentation the
a. Higher
b. Lower
c. More un-measurable
d. More measureable
the biodiversity
40. In a nutshell, the Island Biogeography Model states that…
a. The more isolated the island, the greater the biodiversity
b. The larger and closer the island, the greater the biodiversity
c. The further away the island, the greater the biodiversity
d. The smaller the island, the greater the biodiversity
41. An invasive species is…
a. A native species that has a large population
b. An introduced species in a new environment
c. An introduced species that reproduces quickly
d. A species, native or introduced, that harms native species
42. Is an introduced species always invasive?
a. Yes – introduced species always disrupt natural ecosystems
b. Yes – introduced and invasive mean the same thing
c. No – many introduced species are not invasive and do not harm ecosystems
d. No – invasive species are always native
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Copyright 2011 by Craig Kohn, Agricultural Sciences, Waterford WI. This source may be freely used and distributed provided the author is cited.
43. Do most introduced species become invasive?
a. Yes – all introduced species become invasive
b. Yes – nearly all introduced species become invasive
c. No – only 1 out of 10 actually survive, and only 1 in 100 become invasive
d. No – introduced species never become invasive because their adaptations are not suited for the new
environment
44. How much estimated damage do invasive species cause in the US each year?
a. $138,000 b. S138 million c. $138 billion d. $138 trillion
45. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of an invasive species?
a. They grow rapidly and compete with other plants or animals
b. They produce large numbers of seeds/offspring at a young age
c. Their native region has a climate similar to the affected area of the US
d. They have specific needs or requirements to survive
46. What does it mean that an invasive species is a habitat generalist?
a. They can adapt to many different kinds of environments and habitats
b. They are only found in specific kinds of habitats
c. They keep existing native species alive and coordinate their niches
d. They cannot leave a particular habitat once they become established
47. Why is it that native species cannot compete with invasive species?
a. Nature is inherently weak and needs human intervention to function
b. North American species are far less evolved than European or Asian species
c. Invasive species have few if any predators to control their rapid growth and reproduction
d. Humans want and depend on most invasive species and purposely release them
48. Which of the following is an example of an invasive species?
a. Cow b. Maple Tree c. Emerald Ash Borer d. All of these are invasive
49. Could a whitetail deer be an invasive species?
a. No, it is native b. Yes, always c. Yes, if it displaces other native species. d. Only outside the US
50. What are the two primary ways in which humans enable the spread of invasive species?
a. Pollution and Habitat Disturbance
b. Habitat Disturbance and Transportation
c. Transportation and Overhunting of native species
d. Overhunting of native species and Pollution
51. A habitat disturbance is when…
a. A habitat slowly transitions from one type to another
b. A habitat is destroyed by a natural disaster, such as a flood or volcano
c. A habitat is rapidly changed by human activity
d. Both B and C are correct
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Copyright 2011 by Craig Kohn, Agricultural Sciences, Waterford WI. This source may be freely used and distributed provided the author is cited.
Use the curve above to answer the questions below
52. Which of the following statements are supported by the Invasion Curve above?
a. The most effective method of eradicating invasive species is to prevent them from becoming established
b. When most people become aware of an invasive species, it is already too late to eradicate them
c. The cost of invasive species increases from their introduction to the point of public awareness
d. All of the above would be supported by the Invasion Curve
53. Which of the following is most likely to become invasive to Wisconsin?
a. A slow-growing coniferous tree from northern Europe
b. A warm-weather insect from Costa Rica
c. A fast growing moth from central Asia
d. A large grazing mammal from the Mideast
54. Which of the following would be most effective in preventing your answer from #13 from becoming invasive?
a. Informing the public about its potential as an invasive species
b. Removing it once it arrives
c. Banning transportation
d. Preventing its arrival through trade bans and shipping inspections
55. When are invasive species good?
a. Invasive species are never good
b. When they aid human activity
c. When they help native species
d. When they eradicate other invasive species
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Copyright 2011 by Craig Kohn, Agricultural Sciences, Waterford WI. This source may be freely used and distributed provided the author is cited.