Biodiversity

Question 1

Biodiversity

Answer 1

the variety of life across all levels of biological organization (genes through ecosystems).

Question 2

species

Answer 2

a set of organisms that share unique characteristics, can breed, and produce fertile offspring.

Question 3

_____ describes the number or variety of species found in a region.

Answer 3

Species diversity

Question 4

_________ describes the number of species.

Answer 4

Species richness

Question 5

____ or ________describes how much the species differ in numbers of individuals.

Answer 5

Evenness, relative abundance

Question 6

_______ includes differences in D N A composition among individuals.

Answer 6

Genetic diversity,

Populations with little genetic diversity are more likely to be vulnerable to environmental change, as they lack the variants needed to help adapt to new conditions.

Question 7

_________ refers to the number and variety of ecosystems, communities, or habitats.

Answer 7

Ecosystem diversity

Question 8

Species richness generally increases as one approaches the equator, a pattern called ___________.

Answer 8

the latitudinal gradient in species richness.

• Greater geographic area
• More solar energy
• Stability of tropical climates
• Lack of disruptive glaciation events

Question 9

Species diversity also tends to increase in areas with more _______, such as ecotones.

Answer 9

diverse habitats

Question 10

Structurally diverse habitats, like forests, also tend to be more ____.

Answer 10

biodiverse

Question 11

_________ is searching for organisms that might provide new foods, medicines, or other products.

Answer 11

Bioprospecting

This includes animals that are endangered and may go extinct before the substances can be discovered.

Question 12

Biodiversity increases the _________ of an ecosystem—its ability to withstand disturbance, recover from stress, or adapt to change.

Answer 12

resilience

Question 12

If a ____________ like a top predator is lost, consequences will cascade down the entire food chain.

Answer 12

keystone species

Question 13

If an __________ is lost, the entire structure of an ecosystem can change.

Answer 13

ecosystem engineer

Question 14

A biologist named Edward O. Norton suggested that human beings share an instinctive love for nature and feel an emotional bond with other living things.
He called this _______.

Answer 14

biophilia

Question 15

Organisms that benefit from ___________ also tend to be geographically widespread, small and fast-reproducing, and lower on the food chain.

Answer 15

human development

Question 16

As a ________ shrinks, it loses both genetic diversity and geographic range.

Answer 16

population

Question 17

The United Nations Environment Programme (U N E P) developed the ______________ as a way to express how large the average population size of a species is now compared to a baseline year of 1970.

Answer 17

Living Planet Index

Question 18

_________ occurs when the last member of a species dies and the entire species ceases to exist.

Answer 18

Extinction

Question 19

_________ is the loss of a species from one area, but not the entire world.

Answer 19

Extirpation

Question 20

The _____________ is the pace at which organisms independently go extinct.

Answer 20

background extinction rate

Question 21

________________ are ones that eliminated at least half of the species on Earth.

Answer 21

Mass extinction events

Question 22

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (I U C N) maintains the __________, all species facing high risks of extinction.

Answer 22

Red List

Question 23

This makes habitats ________ and prevents movement of organisms between habitats.

Answer 23

smaller

Question 23

Habitat loss most commonly occurs through gradual, piecemeal degradation called ____________.

Answer 23

habitat fragmentation

Question 24

Habitat loss is the primary source of population declines for more than ____ of threatened birds and mammals.

Answer 24

80%

Question 24

Habitat loss has affected every biome, with _______ being especially threatened.

Answer 24

wetlands

Question 25

_____ is the illegal killing of wildlife for meat or body parts.

Answer 25

Poaching

Question 26

_________, non-native species introduced to new environments, can proliferate and displace native species.

Answer 26

Invasive species

Question 27

Species native to islands are particularly ________, as they have been isolated from new parasites, predators, and competitors.

Answer 27

vulnerable

Question 28

Climate change is causing some animals to shift their _____ to be closer to the poles or _____ in altitude.

Answer 28

ranges, higher

Question 29

_____________ is a study that seeks to understand the loss, protection, and restoration of biological diversity.

Answer 29

Conservation biology

Question 30

____________ determine how small a population can become and how much genetic variation it can lose before encountering inbreeding depression.

Answer 30

Conservation geneticists

By determining this size, they can help wildlife managers make plans for increasing the size of a population.

Small and isolated populations are the most vulnerable, so they get special attention.

Question 31

The ______________ offers protection to species that fall within two categories:

Answer 31

Endangered Species Act of 1973

Question 32

_________, or in danger of becoming extinct in the near future

Answer 32

Endangered

Question 33

The E S A _______ the U.S. government and citizens from taking actions that destroy individuals within identified species.

Answer 33

forbids

Question 34

____________ plans allow the landowner to harm some individuals of a species if the overall habitat is improved.

Answer 34

Habitat conservation

Question 35

A _____________- is a promise that the government will not pursue additional action if the landowner pursues actions that assist in the species’ recovery.

Answer 35

safe harbor agreement

Question 36

The 1973 ____________ bans the international transport of the body parts of rare species.

Answer 36

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (C I T E S)

Question 37

The ___________________ is a treaty that provides funding and incentives for conservation in developing countries.

Answer 37

Convention on Biological Diversity

Question 38

Zoos and botanical gardens have become centers for __________, where endangered individuals such as black rhinos are bred and raised with the intention of reintroducing their progeny into the wild.

Answer 38

captive breeding

Question 39

__________ is the analysis of evidence to make an identification or answer a question relating to a crime.

Answer 39

Forensic science

Question 40

Conservation biologists are using forensics to trace the geographic origin of organisms or body parts recovered from _______

Answer 40

the black market.

Question 41

The protection of __________ helps to protect many others.

Answer 41

umbrella species

Question 42

Environmental organizations use large charismatic vertebrates as _________ to promote conservation.

Answer 42

flagship species

Question 42

_____________ are regions that support a great number of species that are found nowhere else.

Answer 42

Biodiversity hotspots

Question 43

convergent evolution

Answer 43

the independent development of similar traits or features (as of body structure or behavior) in unrelated or distantly related species or lineages that typically occupy similar environments or ecological niches.

Question 44

The process by which new species are generated is termed ________.

Answer 44

speciation

Question 45

Allopatric speciation

Answer 45

occurs when a species separates into two separate groups that are isolated from one another. A physical barrier, such as a mountain range or a waterway, makes it impossible for them to breed with one another.