ESA Wildlife Ecology & Management 2

Question 1

Adaptive management in wildlife ecology is defined as:

Accepted Answer

A structured decision-making process that treats management actions as experiments to reduce uncertainty

Answer

Adaptive management uses structured learning from monitoring outcomes to iteratively refine management actions, treating interventions as experiments.

Question 2

Which index is commonly used to assess species diversity within a community by accounting for both richness and evenness?

Accepted Answer

Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H')

Answer

The Shannon-Wiener index (H') measures both the number of species (richness) and the evenness of their relative abundances within a community.

Question 3

A 'metapopulation' is best described as:

Accepted Answer

A set of spatially separated subpopulations connected by dispersal

Answer

A metapopulation consists of spatially discrete subpopulations linked by occasional dispersal, with local extinction and recolonization dynamics.

Question 4

Which type of survivorship curve is typical of large, long-lived mammals with low offspring production and high parental care?

Accepted Answer

Type I (convex curve)

Answer

Type I survivorship curves show high survival rates throughout most of the lifespan with mortality concentrated in old age, characteristic of large mammals including humans.

Question 5

The 'umbrella species' concept in conservation biology refers to:

Accepted Answer

A species whose protection automatically protects many co-occurring species

Answer

An umbrella species has large habitat requirements such that protecting it and its habitat simultaneously protects numerous other species sharing that habitat.

ESA - Ecological Society of America Certified Ecologist Practice Test

ESA - Ecological Society of America Certified Ecologist Practice Test

ESA Wildlife Ecology & Management 2