Record your exam number on your scantron: ______

Unit 3 Exam
Mark the best answer to each question on your scantron.
1. We are usually referring to species diversity when we talk about biodiversity. However, genetic diversity is
also important to ecological systems because diverse genes
A) increase the efficiency and productivity of a system because all niches are filled.
B) allow an individual organism to adapt to its changing environment.
) are necessary for a population to evolve in a changing environment.
!) lead to diverse ecological processes in a biological community.
") are key to balance an ecosystem.
#. "cological diversity is a measure of the number of
A) different species in an ecosystem.
B) niches, trophic levels, and ecological processes of a biological community.
) different versions of the same gene in an ecological community.
!) different kinds of organisms within a community or ecosystem.
") si$es, colors, and shapes of organisms within an ecological community.
%se the following scenario to answer four &uestions '(). *our friend is upset because his conception of what a
species is has been challenged. His professor told him that there are some problems associated with the common
way that a species is identified. *our friend learned what a species was while in high school and it was reinforced
during his first year of college. He also refers to the chapter 1' in your environmental science book for this
definition. *our friend wonders if this professor knows what she is talking about. *ou e+plain to him that there
really are some problems associated with the common way that a species is defined and you think that this
professor is correct.
'. ,he common way that a species is defined in biology -the way it is defined in hapter 1') is that a
species includes all organisms that are similar enough to
A) fill the same niche.
B) live together.
) look alike.
!) produce fertile offspring in nature.
") occupy the same community.
). ,he underlying assumption with the common definition of a species is that .......................
prevents groups of similar organisms from e+changing genes.
A) reproductive isolation caused by intraspecific competition
B) reproductive isolation caused by interspecific competition
) genetic diversity
!) ecological diversity
") reproductive isolation caused by geography, physiology, or behavior
/. ,he total number of living species is probably
A) between ' million and /0 million.
B) at least '00 million.
) between 1/ and 2/ million.
!) between /00,000 and 1 million.
") about )/0,000.
3. Appro+imately how many species have been identified on "arth4
A) A little more than ' million
B) About '0 million
) A little less than 1 million
!) A little less than 1./ million
") About /00,000
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1. 5ost of the species that are yet undiscovered are probably
A) multicellular plants
B) mammals and reptiles.
) birds and fish.
!) invertebrates and vertebrates.
") invertebrates, bacteria, and fungi.
6. 7ne of the reasons humans rely heavily on only a few food crops is because
A) there are few edible wild species.
B) it would be difficult for small farmers to cultivate the fragile wild species.
) we have not e+plored the cultivation of thousands of edible wild species.
!) we have already focused on the best tasting species for domestication and cultivation.
") All of these factors contribute to a heavy reliance on only a few species.
2. Which of the following is not a benefit of biodiversity for humans4
A) food
B) drugs and medicines
) ecological services
!) aesthetics
") All of these are benefits of biodiversity.
10. Which of the following drugs is not derived from a naturally occurring organism4
A) morphine
B) cortisone
) penicillin
!) aspirin
") All of these are natural products.
11. ,he pharmaceutical industry has an interest in preventing species e+tinction because
A) it wants to increase diversity in 8orth America.
B) people are healthier in a healthy environment.
) undiscovered species may provide important new drugs.
!) they see the benefits of eco(design.
") most ta+onomists are drug makers.
1#. 9oil formation and water purification are e+amples of ......... based on the biodiversity that benefit
humans.
A) health benefits
B) availability of food
) ecological services
!) geological cycles
") aesthetic benefits
1'. Which of the following is or would be an e+ample of a natural cause of e+tinction4
A) ,he passenger pigeon that went e+tinct at the beginning of this century.
B) An insect species in the tropical forest that cannot escape predation by native bird species in the forest.
) :enetic assimilation as in the case of the hybridi$ation of gray wolves or black ducks with mallards.
!) utting and burning of trees to stop the infestation of the Asian long(horned beetle.
") All of these are e+amples of a natural cause of e+tinction.
1). Habitat fragmentation usually leads to a-n)
A) increase in the number of introduced species.
B) increase in biodiversity due to the isolated populations.
) more stable environment.
!) reduction in the number of introduced species.
") decrease in biodiversity.
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1/. ,he current rate at which species are becoming e+tinct is estimated to be
A) 60; of all species per decade.
B) 100<s to 1000<s of species per decade.
) 1 species per decade.
!) # to ' species per decade.
") /0 species per decade.
13. "+tinction is the term used when all members of a species
A) are in danger of disappearing in a locality.
B) disappear in a locality.
) are threatened with imminent habitat loss.
!) die.
") live in $oos.
11. ,he main reason for the current high rate of animal e+tinctions is
A) habitat destruction worldwide.
B) uncontrolled sport hunting in the developed world.
) commercial harvesting of wildlife in Africa.
!) drought conditions caused by the greenhouse effect.
") poaching of e+otic species for sale and trade.
16. ,he drastic reduction in rhinoceros is due mostly to
A) over harvesting for their meat and hide.
B) introduction of e+otic species that compete for their food.
) habitat destruction.
!) the supposed medicinal value of their horns.
") All of these have contributed e&ually to the decrease in the rhinoceros population.
12. What did =,"9 -the onvention on =nternational ,rade in "ndangered 9pecies) do in 1262 to help save
the African elephant population4
A) wrote laws making it illegal to kill or transport elephants
B) banned all trade in ivory
) established parks
!) provided funds to hire park rangers to prevent poaching.
") established breeding programs
#0. ,he main reason for continued trade in endangered species is
A) ruthless traders and collectors in tropical countries.
B) pet lovers and collectors who like e+otic species.
) the presence of poachers in tropical countries.
!) the need for international capital e+change in developing countries.
") a surplus of these species in their home countries.
#1. Which of the following statements about trade in endangered species is false4
A) ,he principal e+porters of endangered species are developing countries.
B) ,he principal importers of endangered species are developed countries.
) 7ver harvesting affects animals more than plants.
!) >eople who en?oy collecting e+otic plants and animals are the main contributors to the trade.
") 8one of these statements are false.
##. Animal control efforts kill some 100,000 birds and animals per year. Which of the following is not an
argument of the critics of the animal control program in the %nited 9tates4
A) =t kills nontarget species.
B) Animal control programs need to focus more on the higher trophic level species -top consumers) rather
than the lower trophic species -herbivores).
) =t is e+pensive to ta+payers.
!) 7ther controls are more effective and more humane.
") All of these are arguments of critics of the animal control program.
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#'. @"+oticA is another word for
A) beautiful.
B) tropical.
) desirable.
!) rare.
") foreign.
#). =ntroduced -e+otic) species tend to .......... the balance of ecosystems and ......
biodiversity.
A) upset, decrease
B) maintain, enhance
) increase, decrease
!) upset, increase
") increase, enhance
#/. ,he $ebra mussel was introduced to the :reat Bakes
A) from the 5ississippi Civer.
B) intentionally by professional anglers.
) accidentally in ocean(going ship ballast.
!) intentionally by recreational anglers.
") as a food source.
#3. Which of the following would be a characteristic of an e+otic plant species4
A) Has many predators and diseases.
B) =s a secondary consumer -trophic levels).
) >roduces a few seeds after many years to reach maturity.
!) =s a specialist, for e+ample, has a low range of tolerance for soil acidity.
") =s an opportunist that is desired by humans for food or ornamental value.
#1. =ntroduced e+otic organisms are especially dangerous to new environments because they destroy the
native biodiversity. ,his happens because they
A) do not have natural predators.
B) are freed of parasites that kept them in check in their native home.
) are freed of pathogens that kept them in check in their native home.
!) are freed of competition that kept them in check in their native home.
") All of the above describe why e+otic organisms are dangerous to native biodiversity.
#6. :enetic assimilation occurs when a rare species
A) is sub?ect to selection pressures and undergoes a change in genetic material.
B) disappears through crossbreeding with a related species.
) is strengthened through crossbreeding.
!) mutates to adapt to environmental conditions.
") is so similar that genetic diversity is lost.
#2. A species in imminent danger of e+tinction is classified by the %9 "ndangered 9pecies Act as
A) valuable.
B) vulnerable.
) at risk.
!) threatened.
") endangered.
'0. A species that is naturally rare or that has been depleted to dangerous levels is known, according to the
"ndangered 9pecies Act, as a-n) ........ species.
A) vulnerable
B) endangered
) threatened
!) at risk
") unusual
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'1. A threatened species may be e+tinct or near e+tinction
A) in the near future.
B) in most of their natural range.
) only in the distant future.
!) already.
") never.
'#. ,he main reason that there are relatively few invertebrates categori$ed as endangered species is
because
A) they do not have a significant contribution to ecosystems.
B) invertebrates are more numerous and the relative percentages are similar.
) we consider other groups, such as mammals, to be more interesting and desirable.
!) worldwide there are relatively few invertebrates when compared to plants.
") 9ince there are /'# invertebrates considered endangered, none of the above is true.
''. anada has fewer listed endangered species than the %nited 9tates because
A) anada does not have a way to identify endangered species.
B) much of anada lies in the far north, where diversity is low.
) anadians are more careful with wildlife.
!) there are fewer people in anada when compared to the %nited 9tates.
") the %nited 9tates has more wild areas.
'). =n general, funding for recovery programs is given to species that are
A) most numerous.
B) in the most danger.
) the most important.
!) keystone species.
") most well known.
'/. ,he ob?ective of a species recovery plan is to
A) interbreed threatened species with common species.
B) increase an endangered species population until it is no longer endangered.
) invest corporate capital in species maintenance.
!) study the species for a better understanding of its role in the biological community.
") protect the species to aid other organisms and resources in the ecosystem.
'3. %nder habitat conservation plans, developers are allowed to destroy habitats or even DtakeD endangered
organisms by
A) funding conservation research.
B) removing predators and competitors.
) taking steps that benefit other endangered species.
!) improving habitat other areas.
") All of the above allow developers to destroy habitats and take endangered organisms.
'1. =sland biogeography e+plains the phenomenon of ....... terrestrial species on islands small and far
from the mainland when compared to larger islands that are closer to the mainland and have
.......... terrestrial species.
A) larger, smaller
B) fewer, more
) smaller, larger
!) about the same, about the same
") more, fewer
'6. onservationists and wildlife managers use gap analysis to
A) find unprotected landscapes that are rich in species.
B) establish connecting corridors.
) predict the ne+t evolutionary change an organism will undergo.
!) bring different managing agencies into closer accord.
") isolate and contain populations.
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'2. How is diversity lost in small populations4
A) A flounder effect occurs when a few individuals establish a new population.
B) A demographic bottleneck arises when only a few individuals survive some catastrophe..
) :enetic !rift occurs and there is a reduction in a populationEs gene fre&uency.
!) =nbreeding occurs because of lack of diverse genes.
") All of the above describe how diversity is lost in small population.
)0. =n general, an animal whose population is widely scattered geographically is ....... asFthan one whose
population is geographically restricted.
A) less likely to become e+tinct
B) e&ually likely to become e+tinct
) less unlikely to become e+tinct
!) more likely to become e+tinct
") e&ually unlikely to become e+tinct
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Name _______________________________ Hour _____ Score _______/20
Unit 3 Free-Response
Read the following passage and answer the questions below. Answer all parts of
the questions to receive full credit.
The American whooping crane and the California condor are two of North Americas
largest birds Although both are rare and endangered! the" are protected! and large
preser#es are a#ailable for them The two species! howe#er! seem to be responding
di$erentl" to these conser#ation e$orts
%n &'()! the whooping crane population was reduced to &* indi#iduals %t has since
reco#ered+ currentl" more than 200 birds li#e and breed in the wild %n the
preser#ation of endangered species! the whooping crane is a success stor" ,n the
other hand! the California condor population declined rapidl" so that no bird
remained in the wild between &'-( and &''2 Condors were reintroduced into the
wild after &''2 and appro.imatel" /0 condors currentl" li#e in the wild in California
and Ari0ona Howe#er! the reco#er" program cannot "et be considered a success
1a2Identify and describe T3, possible causes for the decline of these species
14escribe one cause for each species2 15 points2
1b2Describe T3, measures that were ta6en to protect these species 14escribe
one measurement for each species Specif" which of the species bene7ted
from each measure2 1* 8oints2
1c2 Describe T3, important characteristics of an endangered species that would
cause it to be slow to reco#er 1* 8oints2
Identify and Describe ) bene7ts to maintaining the biodi#ersit" of an ecos"stem
15 points2
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Unit 3 Odd Grasshopper Answer Key
1.
#. B
'. !
). "
/. A
3. !
1. "
6.
2. "
10. "
11.
1#.
1'. B
1). "
1/. B
13. !
11. A
16. !
12. B
#0. B
#1.
##. B
#'. "
#). A
#/.
#3. "
#1. "
#6. B
#2. "
'0. B
'1. A
'#. A
''.
'). B
'/. "
'3. B
'1. "
'6.
'2. "
)0. A
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