Biodiversity & Environmental Change

Organize these options into the right categories

Groups:

(a) Stable Ecosystem

,

(b) Unstable Ecosystem

• Climax Community

• Slow growing plants

• High Biodiversity

• Recently affected by a natural disaster

• Undisturbed by Disasters

• Currently in secondary succession

• Fast growing plants only

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Which of the following best predicts the outlook of the orangutan population if succession suddenly takes place between the three forests?

• The population's odds of survival will drastically decrease because succession will eliminate the chance of expanding the habitat and uniting the orangutan populations.

• The population's odds of survival will drastically increase because succession will promote the chance of expanding the habitat and uniting the orangutan populations.

• The population's odds of survival will not change because succession does not change ecosystems.

• The population will go extinct because succession does not change ecosystems.

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Part of human's ecological footprint includes mining minerals for later use. This activity can impact ecosystems in a negative way. For example, when trees and other native vegetation (plant life) are removed from mountain sides soil is more likely to erode (wash away). In extreme cases landslides may occur.

Which of the following would MOST LIKELY prevent landslides and reduce the ecological footprint humans have on an ecosystem? Select all that apply.

• Building a city with many connecting roadways in the area that was being mined.

• Placing renewable energy sources in the area that was being mined.

• Spread grass seed and planting new trees in the area after the mining process is over.

• Creating laws that control the amount of area a company is allowed to mine within a period of time.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-4

What would happen if you were to remove a keystone species from its ecosystem?

• Removal of an ecosystem's keystone species would cause biodiversity and stability to be lost.

• Removal of an ecosystem's keystone species would cause biodiversity and stability to be gained.

• Removal of an ecosystem's keystone species would result in more natural disasters within the area.

• Removal of an ecosystem's keystone species would result in less natural disasters within the area.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-2

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In 1973 an earthquake caused the formation of a creek running through a forest ecosystem. after 35 years the creek developed into the fast flowing river that is difficult to cross. How might this development have affected the squirrel population in this area?

• The squirrels would not be affected.

• The squirrel population would increase as the amount of water increases.

• The squirrel population will be split. Each population will increase or decrease according to the resources available to them.

• The squirrels will be forced to leave the area because they are not able to survive in aquatic habitats.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-1

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Match the following

• Ecosystem stability

• Fertilizer

• Chemicals used to promote plant growth

• Algal Bloom

• Excess nutrients can cause a huge mat of

• Ecological Succession

• Growth of an ecosystem over time

• pH level

• The amount of acid in a solution

• Biodiversity Promotes _____

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Reorder the following to show the progression of secondary succession.

• Grasses and Perennials (3-4 years to grow)

• Extreme forest fire

• Annual plants (weeds: 1-2 years to grow)

• Mature oak and hickory tree forest (more than 150 years to grow)

• Shrubs, saplings, and young adult trees (5-150 years to grow)

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What would happen to the human population if a race of alien invaders came to Earth and started harvesting all of the oxygen from the atmosphere as a source of fuel for their spaceships?

• The lack of oxygen in the atmosphere would cause the human race to go extinct.

• The loss of oxygen from the atmosphere would cause all plant life to die.

• The human race would be unaffected.

• Plants would adapt by consuming atmospheric nitrogen. This would alter their DNA into becoming a race of super plants know as the GROOT population. They would then kick the aliens back to outer space resulting in the restoration of the human population.

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Organize these options into the right categories

Groups:

(a) Biodiversity

,

(b) Catastrophic Events

,

(c) Fossil Fuels

,

(d) Ecosystem Disturbance

• Drought

• Volcanic Eruption

• Acid rain

• Natural Gas

• Conifer Trees

• Gasoline

• Deciduous Trees

• Flood

• Burning Wood

• One tree falls over

• Coal

• Erosion

• Tornado

• Abundance

• Change in pH levels

• Keystone Species

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Which of the following answer choices best describes why ecosystem one is better suited to survive a disease outbreak?

• Ecosystem one has a greater resistance to disease because there are more squirrels than any other type of animal.

• Ecosystem one has a greater resistance to disease because there are more birds than any other type of animal.

• Ecosystem one has a greater resistance to disease because of its resources.

• Ecosystem one has a greater resistance to disease because of its biodiversity.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-4

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