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14 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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biodiversity is considered important because:
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-the direct economic benefit to humans, such as medicines and food
-the symbolic value that elements of the natural world can provide -the aesthetic value it holds -its potential for helping humans understand the process that gave rise to the diversity we see. |
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biodiversity hotspots are defined by which two criteria:
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species endemism and degree of threat.
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Madagascar is unusually important to conservation because it:
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has a higher percentage of endemic plants and animals than any comparably sized area on Earth.
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By fumigating several islands in the Florida Keys with methyl bromide, E.O. Wilson and Daniel Simberloff demonstrated that:
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the equilibrium number of arthropod species was a function of island size and distance from the mainland
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In a dynamic equilibrium:
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the composition of species on an island changes, but the number of species present remains the same
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Which of the following attributes of a species might render it especially susceptible to extinction?
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it has a narrow dispersal range
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What bird, once the most abundant in North America, was hunted to extinction by shooting and trapping during the 1800's?
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passenger pigeon
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How many species do biologists estimate to be currently existing on earth?
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between 5 million and 100 million
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Which of the following is currently the leading cause of extinction?
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habitat loss
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Exotic species can disrupt ecosystems because:
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they frequently have no predators in their new habitat and grow unchecked
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Ozone depletion is cause for concern because:
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without the protection against solar radiation provided by ozone, rates of skin cancer are likely to increase
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Which of the following statements about habitat loss is correct?
-small animals are not vulnerable to habitat destruction -fragmented habitats can support only small populations of the species living in them -corridors between habitat areas are only of use to active organisms such as vertebrates -Corridors can replace habitat areas for migratory species -Large animals are not vulnerable to habitat destruction |
Fragmented habitats can support only small populations of the species living in them
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An umbrella species:
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is a species whose preservation results in the preservation of many other species as well
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Even though there is a carbon cycle, carbon dioxide levels around the world seem to be rising. Which of the following best explains why this is so?
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the burning of fossil fuels releases more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
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