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Indicator Species

Total questions: 14

Worksheet time: 7mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What is an indicator species?

a)

environmental indicators that offer an early signal of evironmental degradation or change.

b)

any animal with a backbone and large enough to see without the aid of a microscope

c)

plants that have adapted to living in harsh environments

d)

microscopic, single-celled organisms that thrive in diverse environment

2.

Species indicators show whether there is pollution in an area?

a)

True

b)

False

c)

Only In cites

d)

Only where an indicator species is present

3.

Which of these is a species indicator?

a)

Benthic macroinvertebrates

b)

Sulpher Dioxide

c)

earthworm

d)

house cat

4.

A life form that is very sensitive to environmental changes in its ecosystem. They can give us early-warning messages that a habitat is suffering.

a)

Indicator Species

b)

Flagship Species

c)

Predators

d)

Ecosystem Engineers

5.

Indicator species usually are large animals?

a)

True

b)

False

c)

Not animals only plants

6.

What is a disadvantage of using indicator species as a method of determining levels of pollution

a)

Requires specialist equipment

b)

Time consuming

c)

Difficult to do

d)

Does not tell us how much pollution there is

7.

Lichen is high in areas of...

a)

High air pollution

b)

Low air pollution

c)

Medium pollution

d)

No pollution

8.

What types of lichen are there?

a)

Crusty, leafy, and skinny

b)

Crusty, leafy, and shruby

c)

Crusty only

d)

There are no types

9.

These organisms only survive in very clean water

a)

red tailed maggots and sludgeworms

b)

Mayfly larvae and stonefly nymph

c)

caddis fly larva and freshwater shrimps

d)

water louse

10.

Which of the following is a reason why freshwater macroinvertebrates are used as indicator species?

a)

They are found in all aquatic habitats.

b)

They are often diffulcult to collect.

c)

None are capable of tolerating pollution.

d)

Often live for less than one week.

11.

Which is a better indication of the water quality, the number of organisms (for example 12 crayfish are found at one site) or the type of organisms (water penny larvae are found with lots of lunged snails and leeches) found at a site?

a)

number of organisms

b)

the type

c)

neither are important

12.
What threats are frogs facing?
a)
weather changes
b)
disease
c)
pollution
d)
all of the above
13.

Why are frogs used as an indicator species.

a)

They breath and take in water through their skin, meaning that anything in the environment is easily absorbed

b)

They eat insects.

c)

They spend most of their time in the water.

d)

All of the above.

14.

Which of the following is an example of using indicator species?

a)

In restoring a wetland, researchers will monitor for Egrets, storks and ibises. If egrets are in the area, they knew that restoration efforts were not successful where as, storks and ibises meant restoration efforts were successful.

b)

In monitoring a forest plot researchers find 30 species they know the area is healthy.

c)

In monitoring a stream in researchers find the water is 10 degrees and has a low flow rate.

d)

All of the above.