Lesson 3 - How Do Environmental Changes Affect Organisms

Hurricanes that strike land are considered natural disasters. Why are hurricanes also considered seasonal disasters?

• Hurricanes can cause major damage.

• Hurricanes occurs in areas all over the country.

• Hurricanes develop only during certain times of the year.

• Hurricanes strike only coastal regions and not areas that are far inland.

Carrotwood is a fast-growing landscape tree. Today, this tree is found in many habitats, including dunes, coastal areas, freshwater marshes and riverbanks. It crowds out native plants and competes for light and other resources. Which term describes the carrotwood species?

• native

• natural

• invasive

• predatory

When an environment changes, differences between individuals can allow some plants and animals to survive while others die or move to new locations. Which statement best describes how it happens?

• Environmental changes allow animals to survive, adapt, and vary.

• All animals survive when the environment changes, which leads to their variations and adaptations.

• Animals have variations that may allow them to adapt and survive when the environmental changes.

• Animals have adaptations that allow them to survive environmental changes, which leads to variation

After large numbers of people moved to an area, several species of animals and plants became extinct. Which event most likely led to the extinction of so many species in a short amount of time?

• natural disasters

• habitat destruction

• variations in the species

• the change in climate

A developer is planning a new housing development and is interested in protecting crocodile habitats. The graph below shows which habitats crocodiles prefer.

The developer wants to build where the fewest crocodile observations have occurred. Near which type of areas is the developer most likely to place the new housing development?

• coves

• ponds

• creeks

• shoreline

The gradual change of organisms in an ecosystem is called...

• extinction

• succession

• conservation

• limiting

A process of protecting ecosystems and the organisms living in them.

• conservation

• drought

• extinction

• succession

What is a gradual buildup of organisms in an environment that consists of bare rock called....

• secondary succession

• invasion of nonnative animals

• primary succession

• pollution

This happens when all the members of a certain species die.

• Extinction

• Conservation

• Pollution

• Succession

A gradual buildup of organism in an environment that has soil already is called....

• primary succession

• secondary succession

• pollution

• volcanic eruption