Ecology Conservation and Restoration Ecology 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which concept describes the minimum viable population size needed to ensure a species' long-term survival?
- Carrying capacity
- MVP threshold
- Minimum viable population (Correct answer)
- Effective population size
Correct answer: Minimum viable population
Minimum viable population (MVP) is the smallest population size at which a species can persist in the wild given demographic, genetic, and environmental stochasticity.
Question 2: What is the primary goal of ex situ conservation?
- Protecting habitat in the wild
- Preserving species outside their natural habitat (Correct answer)
- Restoring degraded ecosystems
- Managing invasive species
Correct answer: Preserving species outside their natural habitat
Ex situ conservation preserves species in controlled environments such as zoos, seed banks, and botanical gardens, away from their natural habitat.
Question 3: The 'debt-for-nature swap' conservation financing mechanism involves:
- Trading carbon credits for habitat protection
- Reducing a country's debt in exchange for conservation commitments (Correct answer)
- Paying local communities to avoid deforestation
- Selling biodiversity offsets on markets
Correct answer: Reducing a country's debt in exchange for conservation commitments
Debt-for-nature swaps reduce a developing nation's foreign debt in exchange for commitments to fund or protect natural areas domestically.
Question 4: Which restoration technique involves introducing plant species to an area without active site preparation?
- Active restoration
- Passive restoration (Correct answer)
- Assisted natural regeneration
- Rewilding
Correct answer: Passive restoration
Passive restoration removes stressors and allows natural succession to occur without direct planting or site manipulation.
Question 5: What does the term 'genetic rescue' refer to in conservation biology?
- Cloning endangered animals to increase numbers
- Introducing new individuals to increase genetic diversity in inbred populations (Correct answer)
- Using gene editing to remove deleterious alleles
- Cryopreserving genetic material for future use
Correct answer: Introducing new individuals to increase genetic diversity in inbred populations
Genetic rescue involves translocating individuals from other populations to increase genetic diversity and reduce inbreeding depression.
Question 6: Which international framework sets global biodiversity targets for 2030 and beyond?
- Kyoto Protocol
- Ramsar Convention
- Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (Correct answer)
- CITES
Correct answer: Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted in 2022, sets targets including protecting 30% of land and ocean by 2030 ('30x30').
Question 7: In restoration ecology, what is a 'reference ecosystem'?
- A degraded site used as a baseline for measuring damage
- An intact or historical ecosystem used as a model for restoration goals (Correct answer)
- A laboratory model of ecosystem processes
- A database of native species for a region
Correct answer: An intact or historical ecosystem used as a model for restoration goals
A reference ecosystem represents the target condition for restoration, based on historical records or nearby intact ecosystems of the same type.
Ecology Conservation and Restoration Ecology 2
Which concept describes the minimum viable population size needed to ensure a species' long-term survival?