Biology Test Conservation Biology 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which term describes the process by which a species' population becomes so small that it loses genetic diversity and faces increased extinction risk?
- Genetic drift
- Genetic bottleneck (Correct answer)
- Founder effect
- Inbreeding depression
Correct answer: Genetic bottleneck
A genetic bottleneck occurs when a population is drastically reduced, causing loss of allelic diversity and increasing vulnerability to extinction.
Question 2: What is the primary goal of an Endangered Species Recovery Plan in the US?
- Generate tourism revenue for national parks
- Restore species populations to sustainable levels so ESA protections can be removed (Correct answer)
- Document species behavior for scientific journals
- Increase captive breeding numbers indefinitely
Correct answer: Restore species populations to sustainable levels so ESA protections can be removed
Recovery plans aim to restore wild populations to the point where they no longer need the protections provided by the Endangered Species Act.
Question 3: Which landscape feature most effectively connects isolated habitat patches to reduce extinction risk from fragmentation?
- Buffer zones
- Wildlife corridors (Correct answer)
- Captive breeding facilities
- Seed banks
Correct answer: Wildlife corridors
Wildlife corridors link fragmented habitats, allowing animals to move between patches, find mates, and maintain gene flow.
Question 4: The concept of 'ecosystem services' in conservation biology refers to:
- Services provided by park rangers to visitors
- Benefits that ecosystems provide to humans such as clean water and pollination (Correct answer)
- Monetary donations to conservation organizations
- Genetic services offered by zoos
Correct answer: Benefits that ecosystems provide to humans such as clean water and pollination
Ecosystem services are the direct and indirect benefits humans receive from functioning ecosystems, including clean air, water filtration, and crop pollination.
Question 5: Which measurement best captures the overall health and productivity of a conservation area?
- Number of large mammal species only
- Biological integrity index based on native species composition and function (Correct answer)
- Total area in square kilometers
- Annual visitor count
Correct answer: Biological integrity index based on native species composition and function
Biological integrity indices assess how closely an ecosystem resembles its undisturbed natural state based on native species and ecological processes.
Question 6: In conservation genetics, what is 'outbreeding depression'?
- Reduced fitness from mating between distantly related or locally adapted populations (Correct answer)
- Increased genetic diversity from captive breeding programs
- Loss of fitness due to excessive inbreeding
- Depression in conservationists caused by species loss
Correct answer: Reduced fitness from mating between distantly related or locally adapted populations
Outbreeding depression occurs when crosses between genetically divergent populations disrupt locally adapted gene complexes, reducing offspring fitness.
Question 7: Which IUCN criterion classifies a species as Critically Endangered based on population size?
- Fewer than 10,000 mature individuals
- Fewer than 250 mature individuals (Correct answer)
- Fewer than 50,000 mature individuals
- Fewer than 1,000 mature individuals
Correct answer: Fewer than 250 mature individuals
Under IUCN criteria, a population of fewer than 250 mature individuals qualifies a species for Critically Endangered status.
Biology Test Conservation Biology 2
Which term describes the process by which a species' population becomes so small that it loses genetic diversity and faces increased extinction risk?