Ecology Biodiversity and Conservation Questions and Answers

Question 1

A conservation team is managing a critically endangered mammal species whose wild population has been reduced to fewer than 50 individuals confined to a single, small protected area.
Which of the following conservation actions should be prioritized to address the most immediate threat to the species' long-term persistence?

Accepted Answer

Establishing a captive breeding program using a subset of the wild individuals.

Answer

Expanding the size of the existing protected area.

Answer

Initiating a public awareness campaign to increase conservation funding.

Answer

Conducting a multi-year study on the species' dietary habits.

Question 2

A conservation plan is designed around protecting large, contiguous tracts of old-growth forest to ensure the viability of the Northern Spotted Owl. The rationale is that by protecting the extensive habitat required by the owls, numerous other species, from salamanders to mollusks, that also live in these forests will be indirectly protected. In this context, the Northern Spotted Owl is best described as a(n):

Accepted Answer

Umbrella species

Answer

Keystone species

Answer

Indicator species

Answer

Flagship species

Question 3

According to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and a broad consensus among conservation biologists, which of the following is the single greatest driver of biodiversity loss on land?

Accepted Answer

Changes in land use, such as deforestation for agriculture

Answer

The spread of invasive alien species

Answer

Pollution from industrial and agricultural sources

Answer

Direct exploitation of organisms, such as overhunting and overfishing

Question 4

A large coastal area of mangrove forest is cleared for the development of a commercial shrimp farm. Of the following ecosystem services provided by the intact mangrove forest, which one is most directly and critically lost, increasing the vulnerability of the adjacent inland community?

Accepted Answer

Buffering against storm surges and coastal erosion

Answer

Carbon sequestration and long-term carbon storage

Answer

Providing a nursery habitat for open-ocean fish species

Answer

Regulation of local air quality through photosynthesis

Question 5

An ecologist is assessing the health of a threatened population of panthers by analyzing DNA samples to determine the frequency and distribution of various alleles for key immune system genes. This investigation is focused on measuring which level of biodiversity?

Accepted Answer

Genetic diversity

Answer

Ecosystem diversity

Answer

Species diversity

Answer

Functional diversity

Question 6

Which of the following conservation efforts is a clear example of an *ex-situ* conservation strategy?

Accepted Answer

Operating a cryogenic seed bank to preserve the genetic material of rare and endangered plants.

Answer

Establishing a marine protected area to conserve a coral reef.

Answer

Restoring a degraded wetland to support migratory bird populations.

Answer

Creating a wildlife corridor to connect two fragmented forest patches.