Unit 2: The Living World: Biodiversity | Fall Semester Exam

During primary succession,

1. total biomass tends to increase. 

2. pioneer species give way to annual, short-lived species. 

3. the number of tree species declines. 

4. more carbon is released into the environment than is stored by plants.

During primary succession,

1. total biomass tends to increase. 

2. pioneer species give way to annual, short-lived species. 

3. the number of tree species declines. 

4. more carbon is released into the environment than is stored by plants.

1. total biomass tends to increase. 

Examine the graph below, which shows the percent of tuskless females in different populations.

Which process is responsible for the genetic change in the female elephants living in Mozambique's Gorongosa National Park?

1. Artificial selection 

2. Mutation 

3. Founder effects 

4. Genetic drift

1. Artificial selection 

Which statement about mutations is correct?

1. Mutations may be caused by environmental factors such as UV radiation.

2. Mutations are typically harmful.

3. Mutations decrease the incidences of live birth.

4. Mutation generally involves a major restructuring of DNA.

1. Mutations may be caused by environmental factors such as UV radiation.

Researchers conduct breeding studies to examine how quickly evolution is occurring for particular species. Which is a finding that would support the occurrence of rapid evolution?

1. Changes in offspring during one generation are never observed again in subsequent generations.

2. Parents produce many offspring with a wide variety of phenotypic traits.

3. Individuals produce an excess of offspring.

4. Offspring all have similar traits.

2. Parents produce many offspring with a wide variety of phenotypic traits.

Before the evolution of humans, episodic increases in atmospheric temperatures were likely due to subtle shifts of Earth's orbit closer to the sun. What is a likely cause of high atmospheric CO2 concentrations during this warmer period?

1. release of CO2 from the ocean 

2. growth of plant biomass 

3. an increase in greenhouse gas concentrations 

4. burning of fossil fuels

1. release of CO2 from the ocean 

Based on the data shown in the graph, which of the following best describes how ecologists could determine when this ecosystem is approaching a climax community?

1. Calculate the net primary productivity of a specific indicator species every year after the eruption 

2. Determine if the keystone species in the ecosystem is present two years after the volcanic eruption

3. Record the number and type of producers present every year after the eruption

4. Measure the biomass of the pioneer species present before and after the volcanic eruption

3. Record the number and type of producers present every year after the eruption

Species	Community 1	Community 2	Community 3	Community 4
Ant	20	91	10	20
Beetle	20	1	10	20
Spider	10	1	10	20
Termite	40	1	10	20
Grasshopper		1	10
Praying Mantis		1	10
Centipede		1	10
Millipede		1	10
Earthworm	10	1	10
Caterpillar		1	10

Which community has the lowest biodiversity? (lowest richness and evenness)

1. Community 4

2. Community 3

3. Community 2

4. Community 1

4. Community 1

Species	Community 1	Community 2	Community 3	Community 4
Ant	20	91	10	20
Beetle	20	1	10	20
Spider	10	1	10	20
Termite	40	1	10	20
Grasshopper		1	10
Praying Mantis		1	10
Centipede		1	10
Millipede		1	10
Earthworm	10	1	10
Caterpillar		1	10

Which community would be least vulnerable to the effects of environmental disturbances?

1. Community 1

2. Community 2

3. Community 4

4. Community 3

4. Community 3

A river contains two species of trout—brown trout and rainbow trout. Brown trout survive in temperatures between 40 and 73 degrees Fahrenheit. Rainbow trout survive in temperatures between 60 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit. The population of rainbow trout is much larger than the population of brown trout. A cold spell causes the river water temperature to fall to 58 degrees. The rainbow trout begin to die and the brown trout populations are unaffected. This is because brown trout have

1. a smaller population size.

2. larger range of tolerance with regard to temperature.

3. an adaptation to be able to survive in warm water. 

4. resilience to any variability in temperature changes

2. larger range of tolerance with regard to temperature.

Which is an example of a provision service?

1. ecosystems provide habitats for native pollinator species

2. many important pharmaceuticals have their origin in nature 

3. rainforest ecosystems with high diversity store more carbon that cropland

4. high biodiversity can increase the aesthetic value of nature

2. many important pharmaceuticals have their origin in nature 

Foraminifera in marine soil cores provide evidence for which major shift in the Earth's climate over the past several million years?

1. Increased intensity of storms

2. Atmospheric temperature rise

3. Rising sea levels

4. Rising CO2 levels

2. Atmospheric temperature rise

What occurs when a small group from a population colonizes a new area?

1. Bottleneck effect

2. Sympatric speciation

3. Genetic drift

4. Founder effect

4. Founder effect

Which characterizes pioneer plant species such as lichen involved in primary succession?

1. High nutrient requirements

2. Rapid growth and short lifespan

3. Produces seeds that require animal dispersal

4. Low tolerance to sunlight

2. Rapid growth and short lifespan

island	Size (acres)	Distances from mainland (m)
Island A	50	2500
Island B	15	3000
Island c	75	1500
Island d	100	1500

What would be the shape of the species-area curve for this set of islands?

1. A curve that rapidly increases along the x-axis and eventually reaches a maximum

2. A straight line with a negative slope

3. A curve that rises, reaches a maximum, and then rapidly falls 

4. A curve that rapidly decreases along the x-axis and eventually reaches a minimum

1. A curve that rapidly increases along the x-axis and eventually reaches a maximum

island	Size (acres)	Distances from mainland (m)
Island A	50	2500
Island B	15	3000
Island c	75	1500
Island d	100	1500

Based on the size of each island and the distance of each island from the mainland, which island is least likely to experience species extinction following a natural disaster (e.g., a hurricane)?

1. Island B

2. Island C

3. Island D

4. Island A

3. Island D

Macroevolution refers to evolution that 

1. affects only an organism's phenotype.

2. alters the genetic makeup of the species, without creating a new species.

3. gives rise to new species, genera, families, classes, or phyla.

4. cannot be seen on a micro level.

3. gives rise to new species, genera, families, classes, or phyla.

Which factor is most relevant when determining the diversity of an ecosystem?

1. The amount of land the ecosystem covers

2. The interactions between producers and consumers

3. The number of species present

4. The number of organisms present

3. The number of species present

Processes that help to balance ecosystems, such as balancing nutrient cycling, are known as --

1. Provisions.

2. support systems.

3. Resilience.

4. regulating services.

4. regulating services.

Which is an example that can reverse the founder effect?

1. Desert plants growing extensive root systems to better absorb water

2. The breeding of Florida panthers with Texas panthers to increase genetic variation

3. Carnivorous plants evolving cup-like leaves to catch and drown insects

4. Hummingbirds evolving a long and narrow beak to obtain nectar

2. The breeding of Florida panthers with Texas panthers to increase genetic variation

A researcher examines the understory plants of a forest. What observation would provide evidence that the forest experiences periodic fires?

1. Thick layers of leaf litter and woody debris

2.  Lower insect abundance relative to unburned forests

3. Fewer understory plant species but greater tree species than unburned forests

4. Greater overall plant diversity relative to unburned forests

4. Greater overall plant diversity relative to unburned forests

For any set of islands within a region, researchers have observed that the slope of the species-area curve is generally the same across the planet. What does this observation suggest?

1. Species richness does not generally change with island size.

2. Islands of similar size are likely to have the same number of species regardless of where those islands are found on Earth.

3. Species richness increases with island size in a very predictable manner.

4. Island size is unrelated to species richness except in tropical regions.

3. Species richness increases with island size in a very predictable manner.

Study Finds Aardvarks Suffering as African Climate Heats Up

Little is known about Africa's elusive aardvarks, but new research says they are vulnerable to climate change like many other species. Hotter temperatures are taking their toll on the aardvark, whose diet of ants and termites is becoming scarcer in some areas because of reduced rainfall. Drought in the Kalahari Desert killed five out of six aardvarks that were being monitored for a year, as well as 11 others in the area. The aardvarks' body temperatures plummeted during the night because they were not getting enough energy from diminished food sources. They tried to conserve energy by looking for insects during the warmer daytime, but their efforts to adapt could not save them. Researchers said some birds, reptiles and other animals use aardvark burrows to escape extreme temperatures, reproduce, and hide from predators. They could have fewer refuges available if aardvark populations shrink because of rising temperatures, they said. The aardvark, which lives in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, is identified as an animal of "least concern" on an international "red list" of threatened species. There are no indications that the population is changing significantly in southern Africa, though it is speculated that numbers may be declining elsewhere because of habitat destruction, the bushmeat trade and other factors.”

Which of the following best identifies the author's claim?

1. Aardvarks are a keystone species and their decline could have a trophic cascade effect on the ecosystem.

2. The loss of aardvarks described in the study was an isolated incident because most aardvark populations are increasing globally.

3. Aardvarks are shifting the location of their territories as a response to global climate change.

4. Providing aardvarks with more burrows will help them maintain their body temperature and increase survival rates.

1. Aardvarks are a keystone species and their decline could have a trophic cascade effect on the ecosystem.

Which would result in the highest rate of evolution for a species?

1. A long generation time

2. A rapidly changing environment that outpaces the generation time of the Species

3. A population with high genetic variation

4. Few variations of phenotypes and genotypes

3. A population with high genetic variation

How many known mass extinctions have occurred since the evolution of complex life 500 million years ago?

1. 5

2. 6

3. 3

4. 4

1. 5

Over 12,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age, the Laurentide Ice Sheet began melting and retreating in North America. The melt water and glacial erosion created glacial lakes across the northern half of the United States. Following the formation of a glacial lake, algae and phytoplankton in the lake begin to grow and reproduce rapidly. This is an example of

1. evolutionary biodiversity. 

2. secondary succession. 

3. primary succession. 

4. tertiary succession.

3. primary succession. 

When a population suddenly reduces in size from habitat loss, natural disaster, or other environmental changes, and its subsequent genetic variation is affected, we say it has experienced

1. genetic drift.

2. the founder effect.

3. the bottleneck effect. 

4. geographic isolation.

3. the bottleneck effect. 

Which example supports the intermediate disturbance hypothesis?

1. The biodiversity in a coral reef is diminished following the opening of fishing grounds.

2. Low species diversity in the Arctic is the result of no ecological disturbances.

3. Forests that are prone to natural forest fires have a greater diversity of species.

4. Forests with no disturbances have the highest level of species diversity.

3. Forests that are prone to natural forest fires have a greater diversity of species.

A population of mice originally consisted of 7 white individuals and 3 black individuals. After a random mating event, there are now 20 mice. Of these 20, 18 are white and 2 are black.

By what percentage did the black mice decrease after the mating event?

1. 90 percent

2. 50 percent

3. 10 percent

4. 20 percent

4. 20 percent

The fundamental niche of a species can include

1. the amount of naturally occurring viruses.

2. the presence of competitors.

3. the ratio of predator species richness to prey species richness.

4. the amount of sunlight available.

4. the amount of sunlight available.

Highly specialized species tend to evolve on islands because of the environmental conditions and resource availability. Based on the theory of island biogeography, which of the following would most likely experience the greatest decline of specialist species if an invasive species emigrated from the mainland?

1. A small island a far distance from the mainland

2. A large island in close proximity to the mainland 

3. A small island in close proximity to the mainland 

4. A large island a far distance from the mainland

3. A small island in close proximity to the mainland 

A koala's diet is mainly composed of eucalyptus leaves. Although eucalyptus leaves are low in nutritional value and poisonous to many animals, koalas inhabit eucalyptus woodlands and generally sleep on the trees themselves. In this example the koala is most likely

1. both niche specialist and habitat specialist.

2. a habitat generalist. 

3. a niche generalist. 

4. a habitat specialist.

1. both niche specialist and habitat specialist.

Which ecosystems are likely to have the greatest biodiversity?

1. Ecosystems experiencing high levels of disturbance

2. Ecosystems experiencing intermediate levels of disturbance

3. Ecosystems experiencing low levels of disturbance

4. Ecosystems experiencing no disturbance

2. Ecosystems experiencing intermediate levels of disturbance

Agriculture is gradually killing forests, and yet up to half of tropical forestland in Africa, Latin America, and Asia cleared for agriculture remains idle, according to research published in the journal Science. The literature review, which analyzes a range of pantropical studies of deforestation, estimates that between 15.8 million and 21.7 million acres of tropical forests are lost to agriculture annually. (1 acre = 2.47 hectares)

Which is another way to write the rate of clearance in hectares?

1. 18 to 29 thousand hectares per day 

2. 15.5 to 23 thousand hectares per day

3. 17.5 to 24.0 thousand hectares per day

4. 43.2 to 59.4 thousand hectares per day

3. 17.5 to 24.0 thousand hectares per day

The graphs represent measurements of plant biomass through time in four different ecosystems. For each graph, the area in gray represents time before a major disturbance.

Which graph represents an ecosystem with both high resistance and high resilience?

1. Graph D

2. Graph B

3. Graph C

4. Graph A

3. Graph C

Why are animal species native to islands often more vulnerable to invasive species?

1. Animal species on islands generally lack an ability to adapt to any environmental change.

2. Animal species on islands have generally experienced a substantial period of time without evolution.

3. Animal species on islands often lack immunity to diseases carried by invasive species.

4. Animal species on islands tend to be generalist consumers whereas invasive species tend to specialists.

3. Animal species on islands often lack immunity to diseases carried by invasive species.

You are studying the regrowth of a clear-cut forest. During your first expedition you observe a beetle species in which 50 percent of the population has a brown exterior coloration and 50 percent has a green exterior coloration.

Five years later you return to the same spot to study the beetles. However, you now observe that 75 percent of the beetles have a brown exterior. This is an example of --

1. Genotypes

2. Macroevolution

3. Species diversity

4. microevolution

4. microevolution