Ecology Biodiversity and Conservation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is an 'umbrella species' in conservation planning?
- A species with the largest geographic range
- A species whose protection simultaneously protects many other species sharing its habitat (Correct answer)
- A species at the top of the food chain
- A species that can survive in multiple biomes
Correct answer: A species whose protection simultaneously protects many other species sharing its habitat
Umbrella species have large habitat requirements, so protecting them creates reserves large enough to shelter many co-occurring species.
Question 2: The IUCN Red List category 'Critically Endangered' requires a population decline of at least what percentage over 10 years or three generations?
- 30%
- 50%
- 70%
- 80% (Correct answer)
Correct answer: 80%
Critically Endangered status requires ≥80% population reduction over 10 years or three generations under criterion A.
Question 3: Which treaty specifically regulates international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora?
- The Ramsar Convention
- CITES (Correct answer)
- The Kyoto Protocol
- The Bonn Convention
Correct answer: CITES
CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) controls cross-border trade to prevent overexploitation of wild species.
Question 4: Genetic erosion in a species most directly refers to the loss of:
- Habitat connectivity
- Allelic diversity within the gene pool (Correct answer)
- Ecological niches
- Phenotypic plasticity only
Correct answer: Allelic diversity within the gene pool
Genetic erosion is the reduction of genetic variation—specifically allele diversity—that reduces a population's adaptive capacity.
Question 5: A metapopulation is best described as:
- A single large population in a continuous habitat
- A set of spatially separated subpopulations linked by occasional dispersal (Correct answer)
- A population of migratory species spanning continents
- All populations of a species within one watershed
Correct answer: A set of spatially separated subpopulations linked by occasional dispersal
A metapopulation consists of subpopulations occupying habitat patches that exchange individuals through dispersal, allowing local extinctions to be recolonized.
Question 6: Which of the following is an example of ex situ conservation?
- Establishing a national park
- Protecting a coral reef marine sanctuary
- Maintaining a seed bank for rare plants (Correct answer)
- Restoring a riparian buffer zone
Correct answer: Maintaining a seed bank for rare plants
Ex situ conservation preserves species outside their natural habitats, such as in seed banks, botanical gardens, or zoos.
Question 7: The concept of 'rewilding' in conservation primarily involves:
- Introducing invasive species to control pests
- Restoring large predators and natural processes to recover self-sustaining ecosystems (Correct answer)
- Fencing off all human activity from an area
- Planting native grasses in degraded farmland only
Correct answer: Restoring large predators and natural processes to recover self-sustaining ecosystems
Rewilding focuses on reintroducing apex predators and keystone species to restore trophic cascades and ecological processes with minimal ongoing management.
Ecology Biodiversity and Conservation 2
What is an 'umbrella species' in conservation planning?