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1 | |
A species is defined as a group of organisms that |
| | A) | look physically alike. |
| | B) | look physically alike and live in the same local area. |
| | C) | can successfully interbreed. |
| | D) | share the same ancestry. |
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2 | |
Measures of biodiversity include the number of |
| | A) | trophic levels and niches present in an area. |
| | B) | different species present. |
| | C) | genetic variants within individual species. |
| | D) | all of the above. |
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3 | |
The greatest number of known living species are |
| | A) | insects. |
| | B) | bacteria. |
| | C) | algae. |
| | D) | mites, ticks, and spiders. |
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4 | |
The number of living species is estimated to be |
| | A) | well over 100 million. |
| | B) | between 75 and 100 million. |
| | C) | 3 to 50 million. |
| | D) | no more than 5 million. |
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5 | |
The continued survival of a great number of wild species is important to humans |
| | A) | as a potential source of new kinds of foods. |
| | B) | as an important source of new drugs and medicines. |
| | C) | as the means by which important ecological processes can be preserved. |
| | D) | for all the above reasons. |
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6 | |
Substances obtained from wild species are present in over _______ percent of all U.S. prescriptions. |
| | A) | 10 |
| | B) | 25 |
| | C) | 50 |
| | D) | 80 |
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7 | |
What do bacteria, fox glove, Mexican yam, and the Rauwolfia plant have in common? They all |
| | A) | grow in the same tropical ecosystem. |
| | B) | have been discovered by biologists in the last 25 years. |
| | C) | are wild species providing us with important medicines. |
| | D) | have exciting possibilities for use as human food. |
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8 | |
Drugs obtained from wild species include |
| | A) | cancer control drugs. |
| | B) | antibiotics. |
| | C) | arthritis relief drugs. |
| | D) | all of the above. |
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9 | |
Species extinction |
| | A) | is a relatively recent phenomenon. |
| | B) | is linked exclusively to expanding human activities. |
| | C) | has been the fate of the vast majority of species that have inhabited the earth. |
| | D) | is characterized by more than one of the above. |
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10 | |
The most significant cause of extinction today is |
| | A) | destruction of habitat. |
| | B) | overhunting and fishing. |
| | C) | purposeful and accidental introduction of species into areas where they do not naturally occur. |
| | D) | environmental pollution. |
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11 | |
Species at imminent risk of extinction are classified as ______ species. |
| | A) | vulnerable |
| | B) | endangered |
| | C) | threatened |
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12 | |
The ban on whaling has resulted in |
| | A) | no increase in population size for any species. |
| | B) | a dramatic increase in numbers of all whale species. |
| | C) | generally positive effects on a number of whale species. |
| | D) | a continued decline in whale numbers for most species. |
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13 | |
Seafood now endangered by overharvesting includes |
| | A) | bluefin tuna. |
| | B) | orange roughy |
| | C) | sharks. |
| | D) | all of the above. |
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14 | |
Severe population decline in Atlantic cod led to the Canadian ban on fishing for this species in 1992. Since then |
| | A) | the species has begun to return to its former abundance. |
| | B) | the species has recovered so quickly that a reopening of commercial fishing is expected within the next 10 years. |
| | C) | some biologists have concluded that the populations may never recover. |
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15 | |
The goal of the Endangered Species Act is to protect |
| | A) | broad categories of ecosystems. |
| | B) | key species which are particularly important for normal ecosystem function. |
| | C) | all species, regardless of their direct usefulness to humans. |
| | D) | species providing commodities important to humans. |
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16 | |
Effects of capturing live animals for sale as pets |
| | A) | are minimal but only because of the relatively few animals involved. |
| | B) | include making many species endangered with extinction. |
| | C) | include devastation of selected marine habitats. |
| | D) | include more than one of the above. |
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17 | |
What do leafy spurge, zebra mussel, and Asian long-horned beetles have in common? They |
| | A) | are all in danger of extinction in their native habitats. |
| | B) | offer exciting prospects as potential sources of new drugs. |
| | C) | are exotic species wreaking havoc in the ecosystems into which they have been introduced. |
| | D) | offer promise as agents of biological control for pest species. |
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18 | |
Genetic assimilation refers to the |
| | A) | replacement of a native species by an introduced species in an ecosystem. |
| | B) | phenomenon of crossbreeding of a rare species with a related species thereby losing its genetic uniqueness. |
| | C) | lack of fertility in offspring associated with mating between two different genetic stocks. |
| | D) | escape of transgenic organisms into the wild resulting in the transfer of genetic information to endangered species that may be less adaptive. |
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19 | |
The story of the California condor illustrates that |
| | A) | when the population size of an endangered species drops below 50, extinction is certain. |
| | B) | large wild animals may be kept alive in zoos but cannot be successfully returned to the wild. |
| | C) | with considerable effort species can be brought back from the brink of extinction. |
| | D) | other types of animals can be rescued from extinction, but not large scavenger birds. |
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20 | |
Genetic diversity can be more consistently maintained in small, isolated populations than in large ones. |
| | A) | True |
| | B) | False |
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21 | |
DNA sequencing technology has improved biologists ability to understand ancestral relationships among different kinds of life. |
| | A) | True |
| | B) | False |
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22 | |
Ecological diversity refers to the number of different plant and animal species present in an area. |
| | A) | True |
| | B) | False |
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23 | |
Humans have domesticated nearly all the plant species that could contribute to human food production. |
| | A) | True |
| | B) | False |
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24 | |
Some field studies suggest that complex ecosystems can better withstand stress and recover more quickly from stress than less complex ones. |
| | A) | True |
| | B) | False |
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25 | |
A wide diversity of living things provides a range of intrinsic benefits to humans. |
| | A) | True |
| | B) | False |
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26 | |
Mass species extinction is uniquely associated with human-caused disruption of natural environments. |
| | A) | True |
| | B) | False |
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27 | |
Exotic species introductions have had a significant impact on biodiversity. |
| | A) | True |
| | B) | False |
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2003 McGraw-Hill Higher Education