AEP AEP Ecological Systems & Biodiversity 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does 'biological magnification' (also called biomagnification) describe in environmental science?
- The increase in a species population following habitat restoration
- The increasing concentration of persistent pollutants at higher trophic levels in a food chain (Correct answer)
- The spread of invasive species across a landscape
- The amplification of ecosystem services by biodiversity
Correct answer: The increasing concentration of persistent pollutants at higher trophic levels in a food chain
Biomagnification is the process by which persistent pollutants such as PCBs, DDT, and methylmercury become increasingly concentrated in organisms at higher trophic levels of the food web.
Question 2: Under NEPA, which document is required for federal actions that significantly affect the quality of the human environment?
- Environmental Assessment
- Categorical Exclusion
- Environmental Impact Statement (Correct answer)
- Biological Assessment
Correct answer: Environmental Impact Statement
An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is required under NEPA for major federal actions significantly affecting the quality of the human environment, providing a comprehensive analysis of environmental impacts.
Question 3: What is the primary goal of a 'habitat conservation plan' (HCP) under ESA Section 10?
- Identify critical habitat for newly listed species
- Allow non-federal applicants to obtain incidental take permits while minimizing harm to listed species (Correct answer)
- Fund recovery programs for threatened species
- Establish wildlife corridors on federal lands
Correct answer: Allow non-federal applicants to obtain incidental take permits while minimizing harm to listed species
A Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) is developed by non-federal entities seeking an incidental take permit under ESA Section 10, describing measures to minimize and mitigate impacts on listed species.
Question 4: Which term describes the number and variety of species within a defined area, often used as a measure of ecosystem health?
- Species richness (Correct answer)
- Species evenness
- Genetic diversity
- Ecosystem resilience
Correct answer: Species richness
Species richness is the count of distinct species present in a defined area, and it is one of the most straightforward measures of biodiversity used in ecological assessments.
Question 5: In the context of environmental impact assessment, what does 'cumulative impact' mean?
- The direct impact of a single large project on a sensitive resource
- The incremental impact of a project when added to other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions (Correct answer)
- The total cost of mitigating all project-related impacts
- The combined effect of multiple pollutants on a single receptor
Correct answer: The incremental impact of a project when added to other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions
A cumulative impact is the combined environmental effect of a project's impacts added to the impacts of other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions in the same area.
Question 6: Which ecological guild describes organisms that break down dead organic matter and recycle nutrients in an ecosystem?
- Producers
- Primary consumers
- Decomposers (Correct answer)
- Apex predators
Correct answer: Decomposers
Decomposers, including bacteria and fungi, break down dead organic matter (detritus) and return nutrients to the soil and water, completing biogeochemical cycles.
AEP AEP Ecological Systems & Biodiversity 2
What does 'biological magnification' (also called biomagnification) describe in environmental science?