Environmental Science Biodiversity

An endangered species is

• a species in danger of extinction.

• a species growing on public land.

• an organism brought to a place where it has not lived before.

• a species that has disappeared entirely.

How many species are estimated to be living on Earth?

• between 10,000 and 100,000

• between 500,000 and 1 million

• between 1 and 2 million

• between 10 million and 50 million

Which of the following would be most effective in slowing the loss of biodiversity?

• freezing fertilized eggs of endangered animals in case the species become extinct in the wild.

• setting aside small plots of land in a variety of ecosystems, such as forests, grasslands, and marshes.

• creating large parks/preserves in biodiversity hotspots.

• requiring every country to maintain a seed bank.

In what part of the world are the greatest number of extinctions occurring?

• in tropical rain forests

• in deserts

• in the Arctic

• in Europe and the United States

Which of the following statements about the California Condor is correct?

• The California condor has made a dramatic comeback and has been removed from the endangered species list.

• The California condor is the subject of a captive-breeding program.

• Several hundred breeding pairs of California condors have been released into the wild.

• All of the above.

The United States laws that protect endangered species

• are considered to the strongest in the world.

• are much weaker than the legal protections in most other countries.

• are rarely enforced.

• apply to only 10 species of animals and about 20 species of plants.

Reintroducing the gray wolf in certain areas of the northwestern United States

• is beneficial for all of those working in that area.

• creates a mutualist interaction between wolves and elks.

• is in accordance with the U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973.

• discourages hunters from hunting other animals.

Which of the following would not be illegal under the Endangered Species Act?

• capturing a wild animal listed as a threatened species for exhibition in a zoo, provided the animal is well cared for

• digging up an endangered plant in a public park and selling it

• destroying the habitat of an endangered plant during the building of a federal highway

• having a permit to capture and conduct research with endangered species

Earth's various organisms appear to be

• mostly small vertebrates.

• largely known to scientists.

• concentrated in certain biomes.

• evolving at an unprecedented rate.

The current rate of species extinction is

• slower than at any other time in this century.

• attributable to the actions of humans.

• the result of natural environmental processes.

• of little consequence to Earth’s long-term survival.