Climate Change Biodiversity & Ecosystem Protection 3

Question 1

Which biome stores the most carbon per unit area and is severely threatened by climate change-linked drought and fire?

Accepted Answer

Tropical rainforest

Answer

Tropical rainforests hold the largest above-ground carbon stocks and are increasingly threatened by droughts and fires amplified by climate change.

Question 2

How does permafrost thaw threaten biodiversity beyond directly killing cold-adapted species?

Accepted Answer

It releases stored carbon, accelerating warming that further disrupts ecosystems

Answer

Thawing permafrost releases massive amounts of CO₂ and methane, creating a feedback loop that accelerates global warming and intensifies ecosystem disruption worldwide.

Question 3

What is the '30x30' conservation goal adopted at COP15 in 2022?

Accepted Answer

Protecting 30% of Earth's land and oceans by 2030

Answer

The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework's 30x30 target commits nations to protecting at least 30% of land and marine areas by 2030.

Question 4

Which type of ecosystem is considered a 'blue carbon' sink, capturing carbon while also buffering coasts from storm surge?

Accepted Answer

Mangrove forests

Answer

Mangroves sequester carbon at rates far exceeding most terrestrial forests and provide critical coastal protection, but are rapidly lost to development and rising seas.

Question 5

What term describes species whose loss would cause disproportionate collapse of an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Keystone species

Answer

Keystone species, like sea otters or wolves, have outsized roles in maintaining ecosystem structure, and their climate-driven decline can trigger trophic cascades.

Climate Change Practice Test

Climate Change Practice Test

Climate Change Biodiversity & Ecosystem Protection 3