Environmental Science Semester Exam

A species that can serve as a “biological smoke alarm” regarding damage to its ecosystem is called a

indicator species

A species that originates in an ecosystem and has adapted to conditions there is called a

native species

Adaption through natural selection is limited because it requires

limited when there is low genetic diversity

Along with Charles Darwin, Wallace also proposed the concept of ____ as a mechanism for biological evolution

natural selection

By controlling the spread of vegetation and the balance of certain fish species, the American alligator serve as a ___ in its ecosystem

keystone species

Each of Earth’s mass extinctions

wiped out at least half of Earth’s existing species

Reproductive isolation is a condition that leads to

speciation

Scientists estimate that the fossils found thus far represent about ___ of all species that have ever lived

1%

Selective breeding is one way to carry out

artificial selection

Species found in only one area are called ___ and are more vulnerable to extinction than species found in many areas

endemic species

The process of natural selection favors individuals that

can survive existing environmental conditions

The variety of different ways in which species within an ecosystem perform “jobs” that benefit the ecosystem and make it more resilient in the face if change is called

functional diversity

What term refers to species that can live in many different places, eat a variety of food, and often tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions

generalist species

____ diversity increases the chances that individuals will possess favorable traits needed to survive changing environmental conditions

genetic

__ is one ecosystem service that is supported by biodiversity

pollination

A J-curve of population size identifies

exponential growth

After a major forest fire, communities of plants and other organisms become reestablished after the area begins to build up a thin layer of soil. This is called

secondary succession

Because grasslands are less diverse than tropical forests and have deep root systems after a fire they tend to exhibit ___ and ___

low inertia; high resilience

Cattle egrets are often found foraging for food alongside grazing cattle. The cattle stir up insects for the egrets to eat but the cattle are unaffected by this. This relationship is an example of

commensalism

Certain plants that have evolved very long, tubular flowers that can only be pollinated by moths that have, in turn, evolved very long mouth parts. This is an example of

coevolution

Competition between oak trees for obtaining resources is an example of ___ within species

intraspecific competition

Oxpecker birds feed on parasites that live on large animals like impala. The birds get a source of food and the predators get their parasites removed. This relationship is an example of

mutualism

Southern sea otters are keystone species that are important to the ____ ecosystems in which they live

kelp forest

The sum of all limiting factors on population growth is called

environmental resistance

Tropical rain forests seem to have a great deal of inertia, but not much __ to restore species after they have been destroyed

resilience

What is the most common reason that one species mimic the appearance of another species

to trick predators into avoiding them

Which animal type could be described as r-selected

most insects

Which animal type provided an example of a late loss survivorship curve

most elephants

What four factors govern changes in population

deaths, births, immigration, emigration

Which of the following is an example of resource partioning

populations of a species evolve to eat insects on different parts of trees

About ___ of Earth’s tropical rain forests have been destroyed by agriculture and __

half; urban development

As moist air is blowing inland from an ocean reaches a mountain range

it rises, expands, and cools, losing moisture as rain and snow

Most of the world’s forest are located in __ regions

river valley

Ocean, pond, lakes, and river systems are examples of ___ ecosystems

aquatic

Over time, many inland wetlands in the wetlands in the United States have

been drained or filled to grow crops

Runoff of __ from farms and lawns causes explosive blooms of algae that removes oxygen from nearby lakes

nutrients

Temperate deserts can be

hot during the day but cold at night

The burning of fossil fuels

contributes to ocean acidification because it puts extra carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

The Coriolis effect is the result of the

rotation of Earth

The Equator is warmer than the Poles because

sunlight hits the Equator directly, but hits the Poles at a low angle

The greatest species diversity in an area tends to be found

at the transition zone between biomes

What river feature is found in the source zone

headwaters

What example best illustrates the concept of climate

averaged over the last 30 years, the high temperatures for June is an average 82 F

Which of the following is a greenhouse gas

CH4

Which portion of the open ocean is defined as the brightly lit upper zone

euphotic zone

This biome has the largest daily and annual temperature swings because of a lack of precipitation

deserts

Interspecific competition occurs between

one goat and one cow

The rainshadow means that there is more rain on the ___ side of a mountains

seaward

The __ cycle is unique in that it is not represented in the atmosphere

phosphorus

The prefix “meso” means

middle

Resistance and resilience are a product of

biodiversity

Where is most of the biodiversity on earth found

in the tropics

The taxonomic group that represents the most diverse life on earth is

insects

The area of the ocean where primary producers are found is called

euphotic

Which of the following species is a hyper-keystone species

humans

Which of the following biomes is found exclusively in the Northern hemisphere

taiga

What is the primary cause of ocean acidification

increased atmospheric CO2

After a forest has ben cleared for logging, a ___ may naturally develop

second growth forest

Debt-for-nature swaps can have a positive impact by

making it financially attractive for countries to protect tropical forests and other ecosystem

Lift raft ecosystems are

areas with healthy ecosystems that could help protect neighborhing arewas

National parks in less-developed countries

are almost entirely unprotected by law

Once marine reserves are established; fish populations can show significant improvement in

as little as 2 to 4 years

One ecosystem services grasslands do not provide is

Overgrazing can damage or destroy riparian zones, which are

strips of vegetation along streams or rivers

Returning a degraded habitat or ecosystem to a condition as similar as possible to its natural state is called

restoration

The cycle of deforestation typically begins with the

construction of logging roads deep in the forest

The main purpose of buffer zones is to

protect wild lands while allowing local people to use resources sustainably

When large, predatory open ocean fishes become more scarce

invasive species like jellyfish move in

When using __, loggers cut intermediate aged or mature trees in a forest singly or in small groups

selective cutting

When wolves, a keystone species, disappeared from Yellowstone National Park, ___

deer populations fell drastically

__ represents the first step in an ecosystem approach to sustaining terrestrial diversity

mapping and inventorying ecosystem

A species is considered endangered if it

has so few individual survivors that the species could soon become extinct

Loss of habitat in ___ results in the greatest threats to wild species and the ecosystem services they provide

tropical rain forests

One example of overexploitation that threatens certain wild species is the

illegal trade of wild species as pets

One prediction regarding a possible sixth mass extinction is that

it will wipe out up to half of Earth’s plant and animal species

One problem for captive breeding is that

Over 40% of endangered species in the United States are at risk due to impacts from

invasive species

Rapid human population growth since the Industrial Revolution has been accompanied by

an increase in wild species extinctions

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITIES)

has the power to impose large fines on violators

The current rates if extinction are approximately

1,000 times the background rare of extinction

The greatest threat to wild species is

habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation

The pesticide DDT proved harmful to predatory birds because it

caused thinning of the birds’ eggshells

The world’s 1,600 botanical gardens contain about __ of the world’s known plant species

33%

What is one shortcoming of national wildlife refuges

oil drilling is allowed on refuge lands

When did the most recent mass extinction occur on Earth

about 65 million years ago

Which characteristic most places the blue whale at risk of extinction

low reproductive rate

Researchers attempting to estimate the monetary value of ecosystem services provided by the world’s forest found that the value to be

hundreds of times more than the value of all products made from wood

One problem for captive breeding programs is that

____

One ecosystem service grasslands do not provide is

filtration of soil pollutants

One example of overexploitation that threatens certain wild species is the

illegal trade of wild species as pet

An insect that only eats one specific species of plant would best be described as a

specialist

The process of ___ is when a disturbance destroys all organic material and over time turns back into a climax community

Deforestation is currently occurring most drastically in ___, because increased agricultural activity and economic incentives

the developing world

The type of harvesting that only removes dead trees is called

salvage harvesting

Treating forest like crops to grow in a field (monoculture) is known as

plantation forestry

Why were the national forests created

ensure lumber for the future

Which of the following are negative consequences of extinguishing every forest fire

increased frequency of forest fires

Forests are oftentimes classified by

Which of the following are environmental consequences of clear cutting

carbon emissions, loss of biodiversity, erosion

The area where two biomes meet is known as

ecotone