Environmental Science Ex2

Infectious disease accounts for ___ % of deaths globally

25

Some indoor chemicals hazards are ____

Radon and asbestos

Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring primarily focuses on the environmental problems associated with _____

Pesticide toxicity

Sulfate Aerosol

Compound that contributes to short term atmospheric cooling

Carbon Dioxide

Predominant greenhouse gas produced by burning fossil fuel

Ozone

Stratospheric greenhouse gas that absorbs the sun’s incoming short-wave radiation

Water vapor

Most abundant greenhouse gas

Nitrous Oxide

By-product of feedlots, chemical manufacturing, and fertilizer use

Methane

Produced by microbes decomposing matter in landfills and as metabolic byproduct of livestock

Studies of endocrine disruptors have shown that they are closely associated with all of the following except _____

Lung Cancer

Carcinogens may be difficult to identify because _____

There is a long lag time between exposure to the agent and disease

PCB contamination ______

is a continuing problem because PCB’s are non-biodegradable and persist in the environment

Toxicants that cause harm by effecting the immune system include

allergens

The worldwide drop in sperm count among men has been attributed to _____

endocrine disruptors

Transport of airborne toxicants, a specific problem in agricultural environments, is called pesticide ___

drift

Natural occurring chemicals that are potentially toxic to people are _____

crude oil seeps and radon gas

Mercury is to methyl mercury as DDT is to _____

DDE

Based upon the specific health effects described above, mercury would be best classified as a ___

neurotoxin

Mercury is not readily excreted; it is stored in mammalian body tissues. This is best described as _____

bioaccumulation

Concentrations of methyl mercury are higher in large fish relative to concentration in the air. This is best described as ____

biomagnification

Atrazine

Most widely used herbicide in the US; an endocrine disruptor

DDT

Insecticide used to kill mosquitos; banned in the US in 1973 due to its toxicity

Lead

Toxicant present in paint; damages the brain, liver, kidney, and stomach when ingested

Asbestos

Toxicant used as flame retardant and insulator; carcinogen and scars the lungs when inhaled

Thalidomide

Used as a sleeping pill for pregnant women; teratogen that now is banned

Mercury

Neurotoxin that magnifies within food webs; typically found in polluted bodies of water, it poisoned 1000’s of people when it was dumped into the waters of Japan; people who ate contaminated fish from the waters exhibited convulsions, slurred speech, loss of muscle control and sudden fits of laughter; some people died

The book Our Stolen Future was important because it _____

focused on the impacts of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on humans

Bisphenol-A is ____

An estrogen mimic that is used in plastic manufacturing

Aquatic animals such as fish and frogs are especially good indicators of pollution because

most chemicals are water soluble so they enter these organisms through drinking or skin absorption

___ is/are biodegradable are known to have a short persistence time

Bt

The bald eagle, brown pelican, and peregrine falcon all are ____

Top consumers susceptible to eggshell damage caused by DDT

The Yaqui Valley, Mexico, study showed that ______

developmental delays occurred in children exposed to pesticides

Louis Guillette is most famous for his studies _____

describing reproductive and developmental abnormalities in alligators in Lake Apopka

Tyrone Hayes is most famous for his studies ____

on gonadal abnormalities in frogs

Synergistic effects of toxicants ____

are greater than the sum of the effects of the components

Properties of toxicants likely to build up in animals through bioaccumulation are ____

non-biodegradable, lipid-soluble

The effect of toxicants of fetuses and young children ____

is greater because of their developmental immaturity, rapid growth and smaller biomass

The European Union’s experience with PBDE’s has shown that _____

If the toxin is removed from the environment, concentrations in human tissues fall

Prior to 2005, no rules regulating mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants existed in the US. This represents the _____

innocent-until-proven-guilty approach

Pesticides in the United States are registered through the _____

EPA

The Toxic Substances Control Act regulates ____

Industrial chemicals

FIFRA (Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act) ______

and its later amendments charge the EPA with registering new pesticides and regulating their sale, use, and labeling

Of the chemicals that fall under the TSCA _____% have been tested for toxicity and _____ have been tested for endocrine, nervous, or immune system damage.

10; 2%

The goal of the Stockholm Convention is to _____

end the use and release of 12 POP’s shown to be the most dangerous

Which of the following US agencies is primarily responsible for address issues regarding mercury pollution?

EPA

The northern hemisphere tilts away from the sun during ____

December solstice

According to the figure, the major reason we have ____

seasons is because of the tilt to our axis

The largest portion of atmospheric gases is _____

nitrogen

Carbon monoxide _____

blocks oxygen transport in human blood

Lead enters the atmosphere as a particulate pollutant. This is a problem because it ______

causes central nervous system damage in humans

Radon____

may cause lung cancer when inhaled

One of the problems that occurs as a consequence of CFC pollution is _____

increasing skin cancer in humans

Which of the following is a consequence of acidic deposition?

Leaching out important minerals from soils and loss of biodiversity

The primary causes of acid deposition are ____

sulfur and nitrogen oxides

Which one of the following is NOT yet regulated by the EPA?

Carbon dioxide

Today, ____ has the worst acid deposition problem, primarily because of ____

China/ coal-fired electrical and industrial plants

In developed countries, the two most deadly sources of indoor pollution are _____

radon and cigarette smoke

The largest source of anthropogenic greenhouse gases in the United States is _____, followed by ______

electricity generation; transportation

The atmosphere around Earth can cause global warming because ______

molecules in the atmosphere are warmed by radiation from Earth and retain that heat

Recent research indicates that the variation in solar output ______

is less than any of the anthropogenic factors affecting climate change

Earth’s climate _____

is changing as a result of natural and human processes

Of the following greenhouse gases, _____ concentrations have been increased the most since 1750.

Methane

methane

Produced by microbes decomposing matter in landfills and swamps

nitrous oxide

By-product of feedlots, chemical manufacturing and fertilizer use

Water vapor

Most abundant greenhouse gas

Sulfate aerosol

Compound that contributes to short-term atmospheric cooling

Ozone

Stratospheric greenhouse gas that absorbs that sun’s incoming short-wave radiation

An Inconvenient Truth

In 2006-2007 millions of lay citizens were powerfully educated about the reality, evidence and consequences of global climate change by the film

If anthropogenic factors continue to increase at the level shown in Fig B, then in the future _____

the trends shown in Fig C should continue

Carbon dioxide is _____

the main anthropogenic greenhouse gas produced in the USA

Environmentalists advocate immediate intervention regarding global climate change because ______

they favor the precautionary principle

A population of birds is found on a remote island. Which of the following information is most important in deciding fi the birds all belong to a single species?

Whether the matings produce viable eggs of offspring of some matings are sterile

The greatest diversity of organisms can be found in _____

insects

Which of the following can change local species diversity but not global diversity?

Immigration and extirpation

Which of the following can change global species diversity?

Speciation and extinction

Paleontologists and ecologists agree that _____

99% of all species that have ever existed are not extinct

More greenhouse gas emissions will indirectly lead to ____

Loss of ecosystem services

Loss of aesthetic and spiritual ties with nature would decrease if we ______

decreased the rate of habitat alteration and destruction

Direct consequences of biodiversity loss are _____

loss of course of medicines

The extinction of a particular population from a given area is called _____

extirpation

Changes in habitat have tremendous effect on the organisms that depend on them. These effects are _____

Generally negative; organisms are already adapted to the habitats in which they occur and any change is likely to render that habitat less suitable

A species of lizard has gone extinct. This could be due to any of the following reasons except _____

increased genetic diversity within the species

In general, successfully introducing species experience _____

competitive success against native species

Bullfrog tadpoles are often sold as fish bait, even in areas where they do not naturally. When people buy 10 of them and don’t use them all, they often dump the remainder in to the lake or river. This is an example of ______

introduced species

The species are most often vulnerable to human impact is the ______

top predator

The country of Belize depends on lobster for a major portion of its income, alone with fishing and tourism. Over the past 30 years the average size of an individual lobster has dropped, even as increasing numbers of Belizeans buy boats, build lobster traps, and enter the industry. This is an example of _____

overharvesting

Twice in the past 50 years, rabbit disease have been introduced to try and control the population, with some success. This a case where _____

An invasive species has reduced the genetic diversity of indigenous species

The female cowbird flies up to an unattended nest, quickly lays an egg in another bird’s nest, and leaves the host parents to raise their "adopted" young. Wood thrushes are decreasing in numbers because ____

habitat fragmentation makes it easier for cowbird parasitism to occur

The cause of the current (6th) mass extinction include all of theses, but not _____

earthquakes, tsunamis and forest fires

Extinction

The loss of species from the planet

Genetic diversity

Difference in DNA composition among individual within a given species

Speciation

A population differentiating, over time, into a new species

Umbrella species

Protected animals, such as tiger, that need large amounts of land

Biophilia

The connections that human beings subconsciously seek with the rest of the life

Hotspot

An area that supports an especially great diversity of endemic species

Biodiversity enhances human food security because it_____

is a potential source of new food item or new genetic varieties of existing foods

Removal of which of the following species will always result in the greatest changes in an ecological system

A keystone species

Farmers spraying pesticides affect these bats, which eat the insects and also feed them to the baby bats. This could be the start of a story about _____

Threats to a keystone species

The IUCN’s Red List is ____

An updated list of species facing unusually high risk of extinction

The field of conservation biology ____

attempts to integrate an understanding of evolution, ecology and extinction

Ecotourism ____

increases biodiversity by providing income to areas that might otherwise be destroyed

The Convention on Biological Diversity has goals _____

that require biodiversity be used in a sustainable manner

In his recent book, Richard Louv maintains that today’s children _____

suffer psychologically and emotionally from "nature deficit syndrome"

In 2010, the Endangered Species Act of 1973 is _____

finding a more sympathetic political environment

Contrary to popular belief, the Endangered Species Act allows ______

Landowners to harm a protected species in one area if they protect it in another

Studies of endocrine disruptors have shown that they are closely associated with all of the following except ________.

Lung cancer

You decide to greatly reduce the amount of chemical fertilizers you use in your landscape and rely more on mulching and imposting. This will benefit your yard "ecosystem" by ______

reducing nutrient pollution in nearby areas and increasing soil organisms’ biodiversity

Which term quantitatively describes the likelihood that you would have an effect from exposure to an environmental toxin?

Probability

Risk _____ includes decisions and strategies that will minimize risk.

Management

The Toxic Substances Control Act regulates ________.

Industrial Chemicals

Risk is determined using the statistical description called _____, which helps us to determine the likelihood of a certain even occurring.

Probability

If an evaluating committee places the burden of proof of the safety of a new chemical on the manufacturer of the chemical, then the committee is using the _________.

Precautionary principle

Which of the following statements about the United States and Europe are true regarding toxins?

European nations tend to use the precautionary principle, whereas the United States follows the innocent-until-proven-guilty approach.

Which of the following types of hazards spread quickly worldwide because of human mobility?

Biological Hazard

BPA and phthalates are known _________.

Endocrine Disruptors

Nicotine and alcohol have been shown to be harmful to a fetus in the womb in that they can lead to birth defects. Nicotine and alcohol are therefore potential _____.

teratogens

An infant can receive _________.

toxins from its mother while in the womb

Scientists are interested in the effects of environmental hazards on wildlife because _________.

animals can serve as an early warning to the damage of environmental toxins

A child enters the pediatrician’s office with symptoms that include anemia, hearing loss, kidney, and stomach problems. The family has just recently moved into a 50-year-old home and is doing renovations. What might be the problem with this child?

Lead poisoning

Which of the following statements is true regarding toxins?

Toxic exposures can be natural or as a result of exposure to man-made chemicals.

The "precautionary principle approach" to chemical testing ______________.

prevents products from entering the marketplace until well tested

We have good information about how some toxicants affect human health because _________.

accidental exposures (chemical spills, poisonings) have been noticed immediately allowing the development of case histories that track the patient from exposure to the problems caused by the chemical

Epidemiology is important for understanding human toxicology because _______.

following individuals with exposure to toxicants or mutagens allows for the calculation of the rates at which health problems are likely to develop

Biomagnification _______.

is the increase in toxicant concentration as it moves up to the top trophic levels in the food chain

How do endocrine disruptors affect human health at very low doses?

They mimic or block hormones that direct reproductive and developmental processes.

A low LD50 indicates _______.

a high toxicity

Which of the following is NOT assessed by a toxicologist to determine the potential for environmental damage of a new chemical?

the methods for counteracting the new chemical in the environment

Synthetic pesticides _______.

can be distributed through the global circulation system and are therefore an international problem

Environmental health advocates criticize the process of risk management, saying that it gives too much weight to _______.

Economic interest

Exposure to low amounts of a chemical over long periods of time is _______.

Chronic exposure

Dose-response curves are developed by _______.

graphing the response of model systems or organisms to specific doses of toxicants

International regulation of toxicants _______.

has resulted in the proposal of conventions for toxicant regulation

The use of insecticides (such as DDT) that have been banned by many developed countries goes on in some developing countries _______.

because the benefits to human health are believed to outweigh the environmental costs

Which of the following is an example of a cultural hazard?

smoking cigarettes

The leading cause of death in the world today is _________.

Disease

Living on a fault line that is prone to earthquakes is an example of a _____ hazard.

physical

Cigarette smoke and radon are two of the most common _____ hazards.

indoor

Which of the following statements is true regarding toxins?

Toxic exposures can be natural or because of exposure to synthetic chemicals.

Most widely used herbicide in the United States; an endocrine disruptor

Atrazine

Insecticide used to kill mosquitoes; banned in the United States in 1973 due to its toxicity

DDT

Toxicant potentially present in paint; damages the brain, liver, kidney, and stomach when ingested

Lead

Toxicant used as a flame retardant and insulator; carcinogen and scars the lungs when inhaled

Asbestos

Used as a sleeping pill for pregnant women; teratogen that now is banned

Thalidomide

Neurotoxin that magnifies within food webs; typically found in polluted bodies of water; it poisoned thousands of people when it was dumped into a Japanese bay; people who ate contaminated fish from the waters exhibited convulsions, slurred speech, loss of muscle control, and sudden fits of laughter; some people died

Mercury

Tyrone Hayes is well known for his studies of ________.

gonadal abnormalities in frogs

Infectious disease accounts for ________% of deaths globally

25

The European Union’s experience with polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) has shown that ________.

if the toxin is removed from the environment, concentrations in human tissues fall

A naturally occurring substance that is potentially toxic to people is ________.

Radon gas

Which of the following are indoor chemical hazards?

Radon and Asbestos

Which important environmental book exposed the hazards of using the insecticide DDT?

Silent Spring

Which term describes a type of toxicant that can cause cancer?

Carcinogen

Why are insecticides (such as DDT) used in developing countries despite being banned in many developed countries?

They are used because the benefits to human health are believed to outweigh the environmental costs.

In many waterways around the United States, poly-chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have contaminated the sediments and wildlife. Given that most of the PCBs in the environment were released before 1980 and are still present in these ecosystems, which best describes this phenomenon?

Long persistence

How do endocrine disruptors affect human health at very low doses?

They mimic or block hormones that direct reproductive and developmental processes.

An infant can receive _________.

toxins from its mother while in the womb

Nicotine and alcohol have been shown to be harmful to a fetus in the womb in that they can lead to birth defects. Nicotine and alcohol are therefore potential __________.

Teratogens

BPA and phthalates are known _________.

endocrine disruptors

Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring focuses primarily on the environmental problems associated with ________.

pesticide toxicity

________ are substances that cause cancer.

Carcinogens

________ are substances that cause birth defects.

Teratogens

Carcinogens may be difficult to identify because ________.

there is a long lag time between exposure to the agent and disease

Substances that cause harm by affecting the immune system include ________.

allergens

The worldwide drop in sperm counts among men has been attributed to ________.

endocrine disruptors

Bisphenol-A is ________.

an estrogen mimic that is used in plastic manufacturing

The effect of a toxicant on fetuses and young children ________.

is greater because of their developmental immaturity, rapid growth, and smaller size

According to a 2002 study by scientists at the National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA), ________ % of U.S. streams contain traces of wastewater contaminants.

80

Mercury is a heavy metal that occurs naturally in minerals and rocks. Release of mercury from natural sources has been relatively constant over time. However, anthropogenic release of mercury has increased significantly in recent years primarily due to increased fossil fuel mining and combustion. Mercury that is released into the air eventually ends up in soils or surface water. Once in water, microbes convert mercury into methyl mercury, which is absorbed quickly and concentrated in the tissues of predatory fish such as shark and swordfish. Large fish typically concentrate more mercury than small fish. People who eat fish with high methyl mercury concentrations can show tremors, deafness, muscle incoordination, and attention deficits. Pregnant women and children are especially sensitive to methyl mercury’s toxic effects. Learning disabilities and developmental delays are common in children who have been exposed to significant levels of methyl mercury.

Based upon the specific health effects described in the scenario, mercury would be best classified as a ________.

neurotoxin

Why are pristine areas, undisturbed by humans, contaminated with human-generated toxicants?

The toxicants are carried by the wind.

Which of the following describes the process of biomagnification?

It is the increase in toxicant concentration as it moves up to the top trophic levels in the food chain.

PCB contamination ________.

is a continuing problem because PCBs are nonbiodegradable and persist in the environment

Aquatic animals such as fish and frogs are especially good indicators of pollution because ________.

most chemicals are water-soluble and thus can easily enter these organisms

The bald eagle and peregrine falcon are ________.

top consumers susceptible to eggshell damage caused by DDT

What are the properties of toxicants that are likely to build up in animals through bioaccumulation?

They are nonbiodegradable and lipid-soluble.

Mercury is a heavy metal that occurs naturally in minerals and rocks. Release of mercury from natural sources has been relatively constant over time. However, anthropogenic release of mercury has increased significantly in recent years primarily due to increased fossil fuel mining and combustion. Mercury that is released into the air eventually ends up in soils or surface water. Once in water, microbes convert mercury into methyl mercury, which is absorbed quickly and concentrated in the tissues of predatory fish such as shark and swordfish. Large fish typically concentrate more mercury than small fish. People who eat fish with high methyl mercury concentrations can show tremors, deafness, muscle incoordination, and attention deficits. Pregnant women and children are especially sensitive to methyl mercury’s toxic effects. Learning disabilities and developmental delays are common in children who have been exposed to significant levels of methyl mercury.

Concentrations of methyl mercury are higher in large fish than in their prey and in the air. This is best described as ________.

biomagnification

_____ studies are comparisons that track the fate of large groups of people for long periods of time in order to help answer an environmental question.

Epidemiological

A _____ LD50 indicates low toxicity while a _____ LD50 indicates high toxicity.

high; low

Which types of experiments are needed to establish that a certain toxicant actually causes a particular disease?

manipulative

Dose-response curves are developed by _______.

graphing the response of model systems or organisms to specific doses of toxicants

Exposure to low amounts of a chemical over long periods of time is _______.

chronic exposure

Which areas have the highest concentrations of pesticides in streams that are harmful to aquatic life?

urban

A low LD50 indicates _______.

a high toxicity

Epidemiology is important for understanding human toxicology because _______.

following individuals with exposure to toxicants or mutagens allows for the calculation of the rates at which health problems are likely to develop

Which determines whether groups of people that have been exposed to a chemical have experienced a statistically greater degree of harm as opposed to a group that was not exposed?

epidemiological studies

Scientists are interested in the effects of environmental hazards on wildlife because _________.

animals can serve as an early warning to the damage of environmental toxins

The book Our Stolen Future was important because it ________.

focused on the impacts of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on humans

Synergistic effects of toxicants ________.

are greater than the sum of the effects of the components

Studies of endocrine disruptors have shown that they are closely associated with all of the following except ________.

lung cancer

Risk _____ includes decisions and strategies that will minimize risk.

management

Environmental health advocates criticize the process of risk management, saying that it gives too much weight to _______.

economic interest

Of all the freshwater on Earth, approximately what percentage is frozen in ice caps and glaciers?

80%

A porous, spongelike layer of rock, sand, or gravel that is capable of holding water

aquifer

The world’s largest known aquifer

Ogallala aquifer

Any obstruction placed in a river or stream to block flow

dam

A long, raised mound of earth used to control flooding along a river

levee

A measure of the density of suspended particles (lack of clarity) in a water supply

turbidity

Only about 2.5% of all the water on our planet is fresh water, and ________.

most of this is far from where humans live

Precipitation that falls on Earth’s surface ________.

may take a variety of pathways through surface water or groundwater flow

One-fifth of Earth’s total freshwater supply is in ________.

groundwater

An artesian aquifer occurs where ________.

a water‑bearing layer is trapped between two layers that are less permeable

Which of the following best describes a floodplain?

a region of land that is periodically flooded when a river overflows

The fish in the lake at the local park are dying. A professor from the local college comes to investigate, and first she measures the dissolved oxygen because she wants to check for the ________.

possibility of eutrophication

A watershed is ________.

the area of land from which rainfall drains into rivers or lakes

A key characteristic of aquatic dead zones is ________.

a low concentration of oxygen

What is the main way that humans use water in a consumptive fashion?

irrigation

Dams create a _________ from which we can get water for human use.

reservoir

Which of the following is a large body of water that is dying because of years of improper irrigation practices?

the Aral Sea

What is the spatial relationship between the distributions of water and people?

Populations and water resources too often have an inverse relationship (lots of people where there is little water).

The most cost-effective solution for groundwater depletion and land-level subsidence is _______.

allowing no more water to be withdrawn from an aquifer than is naturally recharged

What caused the Aral Sea, the fourth largest lake on Earth, to lose four-fifths of its volume in 40 years?

overconsumption by cotton farmers

The greatest use of fresh water worldwide is __________.

agriculture

Humans use more fresh water for ________ than for any other purpose

Agriculture irrigation

We build dams to ________.

generate electricity, prevent flooding, and provide irrigation

Dam removal in this country ________.

will probably continue because the environmental impacts of dams are reviewed periodically

Data indicate that the present rate of freshwater consumption in most developed countries is ________.

unsustainable

Why was the irrigation of Soviet cotton farming operations a problem?

It drained the Aral Sea and increased the salt content of soils.

Sinkholes result from ________.

overconsumption of water from aquifers weakening the substrate

Which of the following would be the initial ecological consequence of falling water tables?

loss of permanent wetlands

The Colorado River’s water resource allocation is being complicated by ________.

the rapid growth of Las Vegas

Overpumping groundwater in coastal areas can cause ________ to move into aquifers, making the water undrinkable

saltwater

Recent research that analyzed the content of commercial bottled water indicates that ________.

bottled water is no safer or purer than most samples of tap water

Which of the following will contribute to water conservation?

watering lawns at night, using low-flow faucets, and landscaping with native plants

Gray water can ________.

usually be used for irrigation and watering lawns

Xeriscaping can save water by ________.

planting native or drought-resistant plants which require less water than typical landscaping plants

Methods for desalinating sea water to produce fresh water include ________.

reverse osmosis and distillation

Which of the following is one of the major pollutants of groundwater?

fertilizers from agricultural fields

"Blue-baby" syndrome is a consequence of excess ________ in the water supply.

nitrates

Which of the following has contributed to aquifer contamination?

pumping hazardous waste underground

A septic system is ________.

a rural method of handling sewage

In a municipal wastewater treatment plant, the primary treatment step includes ________.

letting sewage sit in large settling tanks so suspended solids settle out

Much of the "biosolids" material that is the end product of a wastewater treatment plant is ________.

used as crop fertilizer in the United States

A recent study has revealed that chlorinated hydrocarbons, gasoline, and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have become significant pollutants in ________ from ________.

groundwater; leaking storage tanks

Artificial wetlands ________.

can help purify water and also provide wildlife habitat

Wildlife in the Serengeti is currently threatened by ________.

plans to build a highway that passes through the park

Which of the following is a true statement regarding species richness?

Species richness typically increases as one moves towards the equator.

Biological diversity can be applied at _____ level(s) of biological organization.

all (diversity of species, their genes, their populations, their communities, and their ecosystems)

Which of the following is NOT a reason we are still ignorant of the number of species that exist?

scientific methods are not able to correctly categorize or count many specialized species

Which statement about biodiversity is true?

Biodiversity can be measured at different levels including genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity.

Global biodiversity exists in a number of patterns. The largest and most obvious of these is that biodiversity is _____.

greatest at the equator and drops as you move farther north or south

Which of the following populations would have the best chance of coping with environmental changes and persisting?

a population of humans originally from countries all over the world

Why can many different species coexist and thrive in areas close to the equator?

Equatorial climatic conditions discourage any one species from dominating the ecosystem and encourage biodiversity.

Which of the following can increase species richness globally?

speciation

Differences in DNA composition among individuals within a given species

genetic diversity

A population differentiating, over time, into a new species

speciation

Animals, such as tigers, that need large amounts of land, and whose protection provides protection for many other species

umbrella species

The connections that human beings subconsciously seek with the rest of life

biophilia

An area that supports an especially great diversity of endemic species

Hotspot

Species richness is affected by many variables. As one travels to higher latitudes, one would expect ________.

the number of species to decrease

Both ________ and ________ can change global species diversity.

speciation; extinction

The term we use when a population disappears from a given area, but not globally, is __________.

extirpation

During the _____ period, close to 90% of all species are thought to have gone extinct.

Permian

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment calculated the current rate of extinction to be _____.

100 to 1,000 times greater than the background rate

If a conservation biologist wanted to try to stop the largest cause of species extinction, what should he or she focus on?

habitat alteration

The sixth mass extinction event _____.

is ongoing and has been caused by human disturbance

Which of the following is an example of the single greatest cause of species extinction?

habitat fragmentation caused by building a road through a forest

When a species declines in number, it also _____.

occupies less area than it once did

According to the text, which of the following types of species would be most vulnerable to hunting by people?

whales

All of the following are ways that humans reduce biodiversity in ecosystems except _____.

captive breeding programs

A species of lizard has gone extinct. All of the following may have contributed to this extinction except ________.

increased genetic diversity within the species

Bullfrog tadpoles are often sold as fish bait, even in areas where they do not occur naturally. When people buy 10 of them and don’t use them all, they often dump the remainder into the lake or river. This is an example of ________.

an intentional introduction

The country of Belize depends on lobster for a major portion of its income, along with fishing and tourism. Over the past 30 years the average size of an individual lobster has dropped, even as increasing numbers of Belizeans buy boats, build lobster traps, and enter the industry. This is an example of ________.

overharvesting

Removal of which of the following species will always result in the greatest changes in an ecological system?

a keystone species

Ecotourism ________.

maintains biodiversity by providing income to areas that might otherwise be destroyed

One of the most severe consequences of habitat degradation is the _____ of a population.

fragmentation

Fertilizer runoff can result in _____ a lake.

the eutrophication of

An umbrella species is best defined as _____.

a species that, if protected, will result in the protection of a large number of species that require the same habitat

The field of conservation biology ________.

attempts to integrate an understanding of evolution and extinction with ecology and environmental systems

Endemic species are ________.

limited to just one location, such as an island