Biodiversity, Succession, and Human Impact Review

Review BIODIVERSITY, SUCCESSION, HUMAN IMPACT 8.12BC/7.11AB

Biodiversity

• The number and variety of organism in an environment

• The more biodiversity the more stable the ecosystem is.

An ecosystem that is not sustainable can break down when a natural
disaster occurs.

Biodiversity and Sustainability

• variety of species allows more organisms to adapt to changes

• genetic variation makes it more likely that some individuals will survive a disease outbreak.

• species with different adaptations makes it more likely that some will survive an ecological disaster.

• a variety of herbivore species that eat producers helps ensure prey for predators in the ecosystem.

Multiple Choice

What is Biodiversity

• The number of organism in an ecosystem

• The variety of organism in an ecosystem

• The number and variety of organisms in an ecosystem

• None of these

Multiple Select

Tropical rain forests have the greatest biodiversity of any type of land ecosystem. How does biodiversity contribute to the sustainability of an ecosystem? Choose all that apply.

• The presence of more species with different adaptations makes it more likely that some organisms will survive an ecological disaster.

• Greater genetic variation within species makes it more likely that some individuals

  will survive a disease outbreak.

• there are fewer species to be affected by environmental stresses

• The presence of a variety of herbivore species that can feed on a large number of different producer species helps ensure abundant prey for predators in the ecoosystem.

Multiple Choice

An ecosystem that is not sustainable can break down when a natural disaster occurs. This can lead to organisms in the ecosystem either leaving the area or dying off. Increased biodiversity results in a more sustainable ecosystem because —

• a greater number of plant species means that there is less barren land

• a greater variety of species present allows more organisms to adapt after changes

  occur

• the transition area between two ecosystems is narrower

• there are fewer species to be affected by environmental stresses

Multiple Choice

Ecologists have shown that —

• higher animal to plants ratios provides the most stable environment

• having multiple keystone species is important to ecological stability

• higher biodiversity in an ecosystem provides better stability

• ocean ecosystems are far more stable than terrestrial ecosystems

Multiple Choice

Based on these observations in the table, which ecosystem is likely to be the least sustainable?

• Ecosystem 1, because it has the fewest species

• Ecosystem 2, because it includes both aquatic and terrestrial species

• Ecosystem 3, because it has few predators

• Ecosystem 4, because it supports many animals

Multiple Choice

Which ecosystem would be more likely to survive if a disease killed the grasses?

• The forest ecosystem, because most of the animals can eat other organisms

• The grassland ecosystem, because several predators compete for food

• The forest ecosystem, because it has three top predators

• The grassland ecosystem, because it has many herbivores

Multiple Choice

A habitat that receives little or no precipitation will most likely be suitable for organisms that -

• hibernate for long periods of time.

• are covered in thick fur to keep warm

• spend most of the day in the sunlight

• store large quantities of water internally.

Multiple Choice

Which one of the locations indicated is most likely to have the greatest biodiversity and ability to sustain the ecosystems located within the biome?

• Q

• R

• S

• T

Multiple Choice

Which of the following biomes supports the greatest variety of organisms?

• A.

• B.

• C.

• D.

Multiple Choice

The greater a habitat’s biodiversity, the greater that habitat’s -

• sustainability over time with varying conditions.

• consumption of energy in the form of sunlight.

• temperature ranges across the seasons.

• distance to the nearest water source.

• Primary succession starts with bare rock or sand.

• Secondary succession: Starts after a natural distaster (established soil)

• pioneer species modify the area and allow larger and more complex organisms to appear (lichens and mosses)

• Succession will start with less biodiversity and end with more biodiversity ( climax community)

Multiple Choice

Ecological succession is the —

• process of change to an ecological community over time

• passing down of advantageous traits to offspring

• an organism's ability to survive an environmental change

• the creation of a new species within an ecosystem

Multiple Choice

Frederick is studying how ecological succession will change a freshly-plowed piece of land. Which data table represents what Frederick is most likely to record about the plant life in each stage of ecological succession?

Multiple Select

Check all the examples of primary succession

• A forest rebuilds after a forest fire

• New island is created from hot spot in the ocean

• A tornado completely destroyed a crop of corn.

• a glacier retreated exposing the bedrock.

Multiple Choice

Some student take care of a vegetable garden. When it is time to plant in the spring, the students leave part of the garden empty in order to observe ecological succession. Which of these will most likely occur first?

• Development of topsoil

• Growth of weeds and grasses

• Growth of trees and shrubs

• Development of a stream

Multiple Select

Check all the examples of secondary succession.

• A forest is completely destroyed in a fire

• A new island is created by a hotspot in the ocean

• A tornado completely destroyed a crop of corn

• a glacier retreats exposing the bed rock.

Multiple Choice

Which organisms are common pioneer species?

• Conifer trees and tall grasses with roots that loosen the soil

• Mosses and lichens that can grow on rocky surfaces

• Grasses and weeds that arrive as seeds carried by the wind and then germinate

  in rich soil

• Vines and shrubs that help prevent the erosion of shallow soil

Multiple Choice

Weeds are plants that grow in areas where they are unwanted. Often they spread aggressively and damage garden plants by competing with them for sunlight, water, and nutrients. The growth of weeds is the first stage of ecological succession, which acts to —

• restructure a habitat and allow only the most hardy plants to survive.

• clear-cut a habitat and allow only the smallest plants to survive.`

• bring water to a habitat and allow only the most water-loving plants to survive.

• drain water from a habitat and allow only the most fibrous plants to survive.

Multiple Choice

Over time, a shallow pond fills with plants, such as duckweed and cattails. These plants –

• will die off quickly in the shallow water.

• support ecological succession from pond to marshland.

• will grow into larger trees as they mature.

• eventually will dry out and create a fire hazard.

Multiple Choice

In the process of ecological succession, grasses appear before shrubs because grasses –

• loosen the dirt for new trees to take root.

• provide food for animals returning to the area.

• require plenty of sunlight to make their own food.

• can grow rapidly even in areas with shallow soil.

Multiple Choice

After a catastrophic wildfire that clears the land of all plants and trees, -

• plants will not grow again in the burned area.

• bushes will grow in the area before weeds grow.

• weeds will grow in the area before trees grow.

• only trees will grow in the burned area.

Watersheds

Watersheds are an important natural resource for many wildlife and

ecosystems. They are also vital to the everyday lives of people. Everyone in the world, no matter where they are, lives in a watershed and depends on its resources. In the United States, groundwater supplies about a third of freshwater for human use. The rest comes from surface water, such as rivers, streams, creeks, lakes, and reservoirs. What exactly is a watershed and why are watersheds important? What would happen if watersheds are poorly managed or did not have protection?

Human Impacts on Water

Human activities can have broad-reaching impacts on watersheds and aquifers. Manmade products such as oil, road salts, gasoline, and chemical wastes can sometimes seep into aquifers or other groundwater sources and contaminate them. Stormwater runoff is one of the most significant threats to ecosystems along the coastal areas of the United States. As the water runs over and through the watershed, it picks up and carries contaminants. Water pollution comes from

many sources, including motor oil on parking lots, plastic grocery bags, pesticides, fertilizers, and detergents. All can wash directly into waterways and be carried down the watershed into larger bodies of water, including the ocean. This pollution is linked to the creation of large dead-zones in the ocean and also threatens coral reef ecosystem health around the world.

Human Impacts on Water

Protection of groundwater resources is essential. Some of the action that can be taken starts at home. Care should be taken when disposing of harmful household chemicals—such as paints, herbicides, insecticides, and some cleaning products. Rather than dumping these down the sink or toilet, they should be taken to a waste disposal facility. Everyone can help conserve water. About three-quarters of the water used in the home is used in the bathroom. About a third is used in the shower. Most water used in the home literally goes down the toilet. There are many ways people can help to conserve and manage water resources, such as reducing pollution and waste or shortening the time spent in showers.

Multiple Choice

When fertilizers enter surface water, they cause problems in the watershed by -

• clogging narrow streams and preventing water from flowing properly.

• increasing the amount of nutrients available to fish in lakes and streams.

• causing rapid algal growth that decrease oxygen levels and choke aquatic life.

• raising the water level in nearby rivers to levels leading to flooding.

Multiple Choice

The use of pesticides and fertilizers is carefully monitored because of the effect they can have on the environment. Which of the following is a possible negative effect of the use of these chemical on the environment?

• These chemicals are expensive to produce.

• Runoff carries these chemicals into lakes and streams.

• Storage space for these chemicals is limited.

• Theses chemicals cannot be purchased in large bulk.

Multiple Choice

A neighborhood in a small Texas town had to be evacuated because the houses were sinking due to a problem in the aquifer. What is the most likely cause of this problem?

• Heavy rains caused oversaturation of soil foundations.

• Overbuilding in the area polluted the ground water.

• Runoff from fertilized land created a dead zone. Excessive removal of water weakened the ground.

• Excessive removal of water weakened the ground.

Multiple Choice

Review the graph showing marine fishing rates.If the fishing rate in Asia continues to grow, what will most likely happen as a result?

• The fish population will continue to rise.

• A wide range in ocean temperatures will be seen worldwide.

• The U.S. human population will decline.

• The overfishing will cause an imbalance in marine ecosystems.

Multiple Select

Which of the following is the cause of dead zones in the ocean? (check all that apply)

• An increase in the number of fish.

• An increase in runoff from fertilizer

• An increase in oxygen

• A decrease in oxygen

Multiple Choice

What is one way humans are trying to positively impact the ocean?

• Fishing

• Drilling for oil and natural gas

• Creating artificial reefs

• Transporting goods in ocean vessels

Multiple Choice

How do the oceans contribute to the amount of Oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere?

• Fish in the ocean produce oxygen.

• Phytoplankton in the ocean produce oxygen through the process of respiration.

• Phytoplankton in the ocean produce oxygen through the process of photosynthesis.

Multiple Choice

The largest source of pollution in the ocean comes from __________.

• Runoff

• Acid Rain

• Wind