conservation
When a species is classified by conservationists as "extinct," what does it mean?
Which of the following is considered an abiotic limiting factor in a terrestrial ecosystem?
Annual rainfall amount
When large plastic items break down in the environment under UV light and mechanical stress, they disintegrate into tiny fragments smaller than 5 millimeters known as
microplastics
Which ofetal of the following best represents the order of priority in the traditional "3 R's" of environmental conservation?
Which biome or ecosystem is widely recognized as having the highest terrestrial species richness and biodiversity?
It restricts the size, abundance, or distribution of a population.
How do greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane primarily warm the lower atmosphere?
By absorbing and re-emitting outgoing longwave infrared radiation emitted by the Earth's surface
In the Northern Hemisphere, in which general direction do many birds migrate as autumn approaches?
south
What is the primary purpose of establishing national parks and wildlife sanctuaries?
Why is high genetic diversity within a single population crucial for its long-term survival?
The removal of apex predators like sharks or large predatory tuna from marine ecosystems through intensive commercial fishing often results in:
Trophic cascades, where mid-level consumer populations surge and overconsume foundational species like algae-eating herbivores
What is the primary reason that invasive species often experience rapid population growth and cause ecological harm in new habitats?
Historically and globally, what is recognized as the single greatest driver of terrestrial biodiversity loss?
How do density-dependent limiting factors typically behave as a population approaches its ecosystem's carrying capacity?
They increase in intensity, raising mortality rates or lowering birth rates.
Which two primary industrial pollutant gases react with atmospheric moisture and oxygen to form acid deposition (acid rain)?
Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides
Pacific salmon are known for anadromous migration. What does this mean?
They are born in freshwater, migrate to the ocean to mature, and return to freshwater to spawn.
What is a "keystone species"?
Why do non-native invasive species frequently experience exponential population growth and severe ecological disruption in newly invaded habitats?
What typically happens immediately after a population temporarily overshoots its environment's carrying capacity?
The population experiences a decline in numbers due to resource depletion and increased mortality.
What is an "edge effect" in the context of habitat fragmentation, and why is it problematic for interior-dwelling species?
Altered microclimate conditions (like increased light and wind) at the boundary of a fragmented habitat that degrade interior living conditions
Animals move up and down mountain slopes seasonally to track temperate conditions and food availability rather than traveling across latitude lines.