17.E: Conservation and Biodiversity (Exercises)
17.1: Importance of Biodiversity
Multiple Choice
The number of currently described species on the planet is about ________.
A. 17,000
B. 150,000
C. 1.5 million
D. 10 million
- Answer
-
C
A secondary plant compound might be used for which of the following?
A. a new crop variety
B. a new drug
C. a soil nutrient
D. a crop pest
- Answer
-
B
Pollination is an example of ________.
A. a possible source of new drugs
B. chemical diversity
C. an ecosystem service
D. crop pest control
- Answer
-
C
Free Response
Explain how biodiversity loss can impact crop diversity.
- Answer
-
Crop plants are derived from wild plants, and genes from wild relatives are frequently brought into crop varieties by plant breeders to add valued characteristics to the crops. If the wild species are lost, then this genetic variation would no longer be available.
Describe two types of compounds from living things that are used as medications.
- Answer
-
Secondary plant compounds are toxins produced by plants to kill predators trying to eat them; some of these compounds can be used as drugs. Animal toxins, such as snake venom, can be used as medicine. (Alternate answer: antibiotics are compounds produced by bacteria and fungi which can be used to kill bacteria.)
17.2: Threats to Biodiversity
Multiple Choice
Converting a prairie to a farm field is an example of ________.
A. overharvesting
B. habitat loss
C. exotic species
D. climate change
- Answer
-
B
Which two extinction risks may be a direct result of the pet trade?
A. climate change and exotic species introduction
B. habitat loss and overharvesting
C. overharvesting and exotic species introduction
D. habitat loss and climate change
- Answer
-
C
What kind of ecosystem are exotic species especially threatening to?
A. deserts
B. marine ecosystems
C. islands
D. tropical forests
- Answer
-
C
Free Response
Describe the mechanisms by which human population growth and resource use causes increased extinction rates.
- Answer
-
Human population growth leads to unsustainable resource use, which causes habitat destruction to build new human settlements, create agricultural fields, and so on. Larger human populations have also led to unsustainable fishing and hunting of wild animal populations. Excessive use of fossil fuels also leads to global warming.
Explain what extinction threats a frog living on a mountainside in Costa Rica might face.
- Answer
-
The frog is at risk from global warming shifting its preferred habitat up the mountain. In addition, it will be at risk from exotic species, either as a new predator or through the impact of transmitted diseases such as chytridiomycosis. It is also possible that habitat destruction will threaten the species.
17.3: Preserving Biodiversity
Multiple Choice
Certain species of parrot cannot be brought to the United States to be sold as pets. What is the name of the legislation that makes this illegal?
A. Red List
B. Migratory Bird Act
C. CITES
D. Endangered Species Act (ESA)
- Answer
-
C
What is the name of the first international agreement on climate change?
A. Red List
B. Montreal Protocol
C. International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
D. Kyoto Protocol
- Answer
-
D
Free Response
Describe two considerations in conservation preserve design.
- Answer
-
Larger preserves will contain more species. Preserves should have a buffer around them to protect species from edge effects. Preserves that are round or square are better than preserves with many thin arms.
Describe what happens to an ecosystem when a keystone species is removed.
- Answer
-
Many species will disappear from the ecosystem when a keystone species is removed.
Contributors and Attributions
Remixed and/or curated from the following works:
Fowler, S., Roush, R., & Wise, J. (2013). 21.E Conservation and Biodiversity (Exercises) . In Concepts of Biology . OpenStax (CC BY 4.0; Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/concepts-biology/pages/1-introduction ).