12 E Environmental Change

Which of the following is most likely to cause the greatest disruption to an ecosystem?

• Emptying an aquarium containing non-native species into a local waterway

• Cutting down a small cedar tree to make holiday decorations

• Cleaning the windshield of a car with an alcohol-based glass cleaner

• Mowing the lawn in a city park

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In the dry desert areas, poor drainage can lead to a buildup of salt in water supplies. A student performed an investigation to study the effects of salinity on the germination rates of seeds. The student placed seeds in several solutions containing 0% to 3% salt. The length of the radicle, which is the root of the germinating seed, ranged from 49 mm in the 0% salt solution to 0 mm in the 3% salt solution. The data from this investigation suggest that increased salinity in more areas may lead to a decrease in which of the following?

• Air pollution

• Food Production

• Oceanic Evaporation

• Nonrenewable Resources

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Food webs such as the one shown were first used in 1927 by the animal ecologist Charles Elton. The food web below represents the feeding relationships among organisms in an Alaskan ecosystem.

An environmental change that removed which of these organisms from the ecosystem would cause the most instability in the ecosystem?

• Auklets

• Foxes

• Salmon

• Zooplankton

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Scientists estimate that of all commercial fertilizer ever produced, about one half has been applied to crops in the last 20 years. Of this fertilizer, only about half is incorporated into plant tissue and the remainder enters the environment. Which of the following is the most likely result of this nitrogen pollution?

• acid rain

• algal blooms

• global warming

• extreme weather

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Intensive fishing is one contributing factor to algae overgrowth in marine ecosystems. This overgrowth of algae poses a major problem for coral reefs. Which of the following is a possible explanation that relates the intensive fishing to the overgrowth of algae?

• Allows more sunlight to be available to algae increasing their growth.

• Decreases the competition between different algae species.

• Reduces the number of organisms available to feed on algae.

• Slows the spread of pathogens that reduce algal colonies.

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The overgrowth of algae poses a major problem for coral reefs. Intensive fishing is one factor that contributes to algae overgrowth because it does which of the following?

• Allows more sunlight to be available to algae

• Inhibits the spread of pathogens in algae colonies

• Reduces the number of organisms that feed on algae

• Increases the competition between different algae species

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Which statement best describes the relationship between biodiversity and environmental conditions in an ecosystem?

• The biodiversity of an ecosystem is independent of its environmental conditions.

• Environmental conditions of an ecosystem have no impact on its potential for biodiversity.

• The biodiversity of an ecosystem is dependent on environmental conditions.

• Environmental conditions and diversity of an ecosystem are unrelated.

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According to the information in the chart, which species will most likely negatively impact the balance of an ecosystem?

• Species I

• Species II

• Species III

• SpeciesIV

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The ability of an ecosystem to maintain a steady equilibrium by responding to internal and external negative feedback systems describes –

• ecosystem homeostasis

• biotic potential of the ecosystem

• environmental resistance to natural disasters

• ecological succession within an ecosystem

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1. Which of the following will most likely disrupt the stability of an ecosystem?

• biodiversity among microorganisms, fungi, plants, and animals

• increased frequency of environmental disturbances

• constant recycling of waste and nutrients

• ability to recover after a natural disturbance

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