Biodiversity

Which action will most likely cause a negative impact on the biodiversity of a small region?

• planting native species in a bare field to attract wildlife

• draining a wetland for the development of a new park

• reducing the amount of pesticides and fertilizers used

• having a controlled burn to remove undergrowth of a forest

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How could a global decrease in plant diversity affect the biosphere?

• It could cause an increase in the amount of oxygen gas available for plants and animals.

• It could cause an increase in animal diversity in the biosphere.

• It could cause a decrease in animal populations in the biosphere.

• It could cause a decrease in the amount of water available for plants and animals.

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The African savanna is a tropical grassland that supports grazing animals, such as antelopes and zebra. Predators, such as lions, hunt the grazing animals of the savanna. Small mammals, such as shrews and mice, burrow in soil beneath the grasses. Acacia trees often take root in the savanna. These trees are usually knocked down and eaten by elephants. Which of the following is likely to cause the greatest change in the vegetation of the savanna?

• an increase in the lion population

• a decrease in the elephant population

• an increase in the shrew population

• a decrease in the antelope population

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Leafcutter ants live in South and Central American tropical rain forests. Their huge, underground colonies contain an average of 5 million individuals. These ants have a complex society that includes a queen, workers, and soldiers. Leafcutter ants tend fungus gardens within their colony to feed to their larvae. The ants keep the fungus alive by feeding it fresh plant material. How does a leafcutter ant colony help to support the tropical rain forest biome?

• The colony recycles nutrients back to the soil for plants to use.

• The colony removes dead leaves from trees and other plants.

• The colony clears the forest floor of living plant material.

• The colony removes fungi from trees and the forest floor.

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In a mountain population of wood anemone, most individual plants begin blooming around April 1 each year. However, a few individuals in this population begin blooming around March 20, while others begin blooming as late as April 30. What do the different bloom times reveal about this wood anemone population?

• Flowers with later bloom times reproduce more successfully.

• There is genetic variation among individuals in the population.

• Some individuals in the population have developed lethal mutations.

• Bloom time in this population depends mainly on environmental factors.

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Which of the following is an activity that does NOT take place in the biosphere?

• Which of the following is an activity that does NOT take place in the biosphere?

• aerobic bacteria breaking down dead plant material

• ocean waves wearing down a rocky shoreline

• West Nile virus being carried by mosquitoes

Biodiversity can include genetic diversity within a population or variation of populations within an ecosystem. Given this information, which of the following is likely to have the MOST biodiversity?

• a tropical forest

• an arctic tundra

• a deciduous forest

• a residential backyard

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Why is it difficult to create a terrarium ecosystem that will last a long time without human help?

• Terrarium ecosystems cannot get enough sunlight.

• Terrarium ecosystems cannot get enough oxygen.

• Ecosystems with few species are weak and unstable.

• All ecosystems require thoughtful human management.

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Which of these is a threat to the survival of an ecosystem?

• predator-prey population cycles

• less biomass at higher levels of the food web

• a shrinking variety of animal and plant species

• competition among some consumer populations

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Why is it important to conserve the biodiversity of Earth?

• to decrease the amount of global predator populations

• to decrease the stability of major global ocean currents

• to increase the stability of ecosystems during environmental changes

• to increase the amount of nonrenewable resources located in the lithosphere

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