How Does Biodiversity Affect Ecosystem Health?

Which of the following is not a NATURAL ecosystem disturbance?

• Wildfire

• Storms

• Littering

• Flooding

Which of the following are ecosystem disturbances that humans cause? Check all that apply.

• Oil spills

• clearing land to harvest trees

• tsunamis

• mining for resources

An ecosystem’s ability to return to its normal state after a disturbance is known as

• Ecosystem distrubance

• ecosystem stability

• healthy ecosystem

• keystone species

An unhealthy ecosystem is one that can easily return to its natural state after an ecosystem disturbance.

• True

• False

The more biodiversity an ecosystem has, the better it can stabilize after an ecosystem disturbance.

• True

• False

If there is less biodiversity in an ecosystem, the healthier it will be.

• True

• False

A species that an ecosystem largely depends on, and the ecosystem would be drastically affected if that species were removed is called...

• keystone species

• important species

• rare species

• diverse species

According to the presentation, which of the following is considered a keystone species in California

• Sea Urchin

• Sea Otter

• Kelp

• Crabs

According to the video, sea otters were hunted almost to extinction. Today the sea otters are....

• thriving

• extinct

• endangered

• evolving

With out the sea otters, what would happen to the kelp forest?

• The kelp forest would thrive because the sea otters wouldn't be eating the kelp anymore.

• There would be no change because the sea otters do not have anything to do with the kelp.

• The kelp forest would be endangered because the sea otters eat the Sea Urchins and other marine life that eat the kelp.