Worksheets6.4.5 Stability and Change
Total questions: 15
Worksheet time: 23mins
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is attempting to restore Bonneville cutthroat trout, Utah’s state fish, to Mill Creek Canyon in Salt Lake City. This fish species was thought to be extinct until small populations were discovered. Restoration of the species involves removing non-native fish from Mill Creek, taking out fish barriers that prevent the fish from freely swimming up and down the river, and then restocking the native Bonneville cutthroat trout to the creek.
Which of the following will show that restoration attempts have resulted in a stable Bonneville cutthroat trout population in Mill Creek Canyon?
Counts made by river fishermen show an increase in the number of non-native fish in Mill Creek.
The speed of the river is measured to be faster after fish barriers are removed.
A radio tag on a restocked cutthroat trout shows it is able to swim the entire length of the river after the fish barriers are removed.
Counts of cutthroat trout are taken every year for five years and are found to be consistent from year to year.
Hundreds of cutthroat trout are restocked to the river in April. In May, fishermen count an increased number of cutthroat trout in the river.
Beavers are a keystone species creating wetland habitats that increase plant, bird, and wildlife biodiversity, improve water quality, and raise fish populations. Unfortunately, often beavers and humans have competing needs. Beavers will sometimes build dams that flood roads or parking lots. One solution to solve this beaver-human conflict is a water flow device. Beavers are stimulated to continue working on their dams by the feel or sound of running water. Sometimes called a “beaver deceiver,” a water flow device works by removing the sound of running water resulting in a beaver no longer compelled to build onto its dam. One type of beaver deceiver works by placing an insulated pipe through the bottom of the dam. This allows water to flow through the pipe, keeping the water level of the pond lower. The beaver no longer hears or feels the running water and does not add onto the dam. The level of the beaver’s pond meets the beaver’s needs and does not interfere with man made structures.
Choose all the following statements that demonstrate the design solution is working effectively.
The pond created by the beaver maintains a controlled size that does not interfere with an adjacent road.
The wetland habitat near the beaver dam continues to support a variety of plant and animal life.
The water flow device removes too much water making it difficult for fish and other aquatic species to live in the pond.
The beaver chews through the insulated pipe stopping the flow of water and leading to an increased pond size.
Humans activities are not disturbed by the actions of the beaver in creating a dam and pond.
The greater sage-grouse can be found in sage brush country in Utah. It nests on the ground under sagebrush or grass patches. It finds it good on the ground as well, mainly eating sagebrush but also other plants and insects. The species has been in decline due to habitat loss, including human development of land and invasion of non-native grasses preventing the growth of sagebrush. The greater sage-grouse has been recognized as a threatened species by several organizations. Utah has made the health of the greater sage grouse a priority and has been attempting to increase and protect sage-grouse habitat. Eleven sage-grouse management areas have been established around Utah where habitat is protected from further development and active steps are being taken to increase the biodiversity of the land.
Which of the following statements about could be used to argue that Utah’s sage-grouse management plan has been effective?
The sage-grouse population has been trending upwards for the last 15 years.
There are natural fluctuations in the sage-grouse population.
One-half million acres of sage-grouse habitat has been enhanced or preserved since 2006.
55% of sage-grouse habitat is on private land.
There has been a 40% increase in the sage-grouse population over the last year.
Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing or slow moving water. In residential areas, standing water can accumulate in unused tires, cans, unused pools and pool covers, and other receptacles that collect water. Mosquitoes can enter homes through unscreened windows or doors, or broken screens. Mosquitoes spread harmful diseases to humans such as the West Nile and Zika viruses.
A family would like to decrease the number of mosquitos around their home. The following are solutions they are considering:
Mosquito repellant spray Pest control spray the property of home Electric mosquito trap Remove ponds and pools nearby Introduce Mosquito fish to nearby ponds, which prey on mosquitoes
What is the cost of each solution?
What region of the world do the mosquitoes originate from?
How quickly do mosquitoes travel?
How long will each solution keep mosquitos away?
How will this solution affect other organisms in the ecosystem, including humans, animals, and plants?
Utah’s highways provide people with access to all parts of the state. Highways create barriers for migrating wildlife and have impacted the habitats of many animals. Many areas of highway have deer-proof fencing, which keep the animals off the road, but make it difficult for the animals to move around their habitat to find food. In an effort to provide wildlife with a safe way to cross the highways, overpasses (bridges over the highway) and underpasses (tunnels under the highway) have been constructed for animals to use.
Which of the following statements provide evidence that these structures have been effective?
A variety of species have been recorded using overpasses and underpasses
The Division of Wildlife Resources and the Department of Transportation have worked together to build the structures.
Collisions involving wildlife have decreased in areas where overpasses exist.
Other states are building structures similar to those built in Utah
Building overpasses and underpasses can be expensive
Pesticides, chemicals that kill insects, are commonly used in modern agriculture. The chemicals can be sprayed or added to the water in order to keep insects from destroying crops. Since the introduction of pesticides, honey bee populations have drastically declined. Pesticides do not kill honey bees immediately, but slowly impair the brain function of the bees, eventually killing them. Honey bees are responsible for pollinating flowers, allowing the plants to reproduce.
Which two sentences from the text provide evidence that the introduction of pesticides had unintended consequences for the ecosystem?
Pesticides, chemicals that kill insects, are commonly used in modern agriculture.
The chemicals can be sprayed or added to the water in order to keep insects from destroying crops.
Since the introduction of pesticides, honey bee populations have drastically declined.
Pesticides do not kill honey bees immediately, but slowly impair the brain function of the bees, eventually killing them.
Honey bees are responsible for pollinating flowers, allowing the plants to reproduce.
Reduce, reuse, and recycle are the three R’s of
Population control
Pollution
Natural selection
Conservation
Fill in the table showing the positive impacts of human interaction on the environment.
Larger landfills and coal power
Recycling and solar power
Recycling and coal power
Larger landfills and bottling water
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
