Lesson 8 - Biodiversity

Which of these is true of every ecosystem on Earth?

• • Every ecosystem works in exactly the same way.

• Every ecosystem has the same number of species.

• Every ecosystem of a similar type has the same number of species.

• Every ecosystem has a set of species that are found there naturally.

Biodiversity is the

• number of species found in a particular habitat or ecosystem

• variety of organisms on Earth in a particular habitat or ecosystem

• term used to differentiate different ecosystems and habitats from each other

• term scientists use to describe an ecosystem that has too many species to count.

How do scientists seek to understand biodiversity?

• • Scientists collect different organisms from an ecosystem

• Scientists research what species lived in the ecosystem a long time ago

• • Scientists classify different species by organizing them into categories

• All of the above

A proportion is a relationship between a(n) ______ and a(n) ______

• part; whole

• organism; species

• ecosystem; cycle

• percentage; number

Which of the following is true of a tundra ecosystem

• Tundra ecosystems are found near oceans

• Tundra ecosystems have long, temperate summers

• Many species can live in a tundra ecosystem

• Many tundra ecosystems have relatively little food availability

Which of these is an example of a species attempting to survive in a tundra ecosystem

• a seal looks for dry land

• a polar bear walks across ice caps

• a tree is uprooted from a mountainside during winter

• • a caribou migrates to a warm climate during summer

A niche is

• a description for a specific part of an ecosystem

• a way of describing how species interact in a system

• the ecological role that a species plays in an ecosystem

• the place that a species can find shelter in a tundra ecosystem.

What is one effect of having relatively low biodiversity in a tundra ecosystem

• There is very little plant life.

• The tundra ecosystem is fragile.

• • Predators greatly outnumber prey.

• There is only one predator species.

Which of the following describes the level of biodiversity in a kelp forest?

• very high in biodiversity

• lower than a tundra ecosystem

• not very low, but not very high

• lower than a desert ecosystem

How is extirpation different than extinction?

• There is no real distinction between the two.

• Extirpation applies to a particular place, while extinction applies to the entire planet.

• Extirpation applies to the death of an ecosystem, while extinction applies to the death of a species.

• • Extirpation applies to a sudden growth of species, while extinction applies to the death of a species.