Global change/Conservation Biology quiz

The main cause of the increase in the amount of CO2 in Earth’s atmosphere over the past 170 years is

• increased worldwide fertilizer production.

• increased worldwide primary production

• increased infrared radiation absorption by the atmosphere.

• the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation.

What is the single greatest threat to biodiversity?

• overharvesting of commercially important species

• habitat alteration, fragmentation, and destruction

• introduced species that compete with native species

• novel pathogens

Which of these is a consequence of biological magnification/bioaccumulation?

• Toxic chemicals in the environment pose a greater risk to top-level

  predators than to primary consumers.

• Populations of top-level predators are generally smaller

  than populations of primary consumers.

• The biomass of producers in an ecosystem is generally

  higher than the biomass of primary consumers.

• Only a small portion of the energy captured by producers is

  transferred to consumers.

What are the three levels of biodiversity?

• Genetic, population, ecosystem

• Genetic, species, biome

• Molecular, species, ecosystem

• Genetic, species, ecosystem

The greatest cause of extinction of species today is __________.

• global warming

• habitat alteration/loss

• predation

• overharvesting/overexplotation

Which of the following is thought to be a possible consequence of rising CO₂ levels?

• Increased levels of atmospheric methane

• Falling global temperature

• Increased breakdown of atmospheric ozone

• Increased vegetative productivity