Assessment-Biodiversity (Elliott Only)

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4) Select the best answer for each question.
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NOTE: This assessment is only for Mr. Elliott’s students.
---If you are not one of Mr. Elliott’s students then please go back to the website and click on the link for other teachers. Thanks!

In many states the population of white-tailed deer has increased dramatically in the last 10 years, resulting in unbalanced ecosystems. Deer now often overgraze on young plants in some forests, making it difficult for these forests to grow and regenerate. This is reducing biodiversity in these forests.

What is one way that humans have contributed to deer overpopulation?

a.	humans keeping deer as pets has contributed to deer overpopulation
b.	by killing off predators such as wolves, bears, and mountain lions
c.	eliminating diseases in deer has increased the deer population
d.	reducing biodiversity by planting more types of trees in the forests where deer live

Forests are often preserved to protect biodiversity. This helps preserve the unique characteristics of the organisms that live there. Sometimes these forests are divided into separate sections that are spread out instead of one continuous forest. This is known as forest fragmentation.

Protected Forest

Which types of organisms will be the least likely to be affected by forest fragmentation?

a.	herbivorous mammals that are dependent upon specific plants for food
b.	omnivores that hibernate in winter in order to conserve energy
c.	herbivorous birds that are able to migrate great distances
d.	omnivores that burrow underground deep in to the soil.

Many people depend on food caught in the ocean.
Which of the following human practices would be most likely to negatively affect the populations of ocean species?

a.	building more sport-fishing areas near oceans
b.	breeding fish on farms that simulate ocean conditions
c.	preventing invasive species from reaching new habitats
d.	snorkeling in marine reef habitats

DDT, a powerful insecticide, was effectively used in the 1940s and 50s to kill mosquitos. This reduced human deaths from diseases such as malaria and typhus. However, this chemical often washed into streams, creeks, rivers, ponds, and lakes where it caused significant damage to the local food webs.

How could an insecticide reduce the biodiversity of higher life forms such as fish and other animals?

a.	Biodiversity is increased when we use insecticides like this because more humans are spared from dying from malaria
b.	Biodiversity of higher life forms is reduced when wildlife habitats are destroyed.
c.	Insecticides are designed to kill insects and not higher life forms. Therefore these type of chemicals will not harm fish, otters, or birds.
d.	If fish eat the poisoned mosquitoes, they will suffer and/or die. If birds or raccoons eat these fish, they too will suffer and possibly die.

Many people depend on food caught in the ocean for employment and/or for sustenance.
Which action best helps people maintain the oceans as a food source?

a.	preventing a loss of biodiversity in oceans
b.	adding garden fertilizers to oceans
c.	building more sport-fishing areas near oceans
d.	exploring new parts of oceans

The cutting down of redwood trees has led to a decrease in biodiversity in the western United States.

Saw	Redwood Forest	Ax

One potential consequence of deforestation such as this is...?

a.	the loss of plants with potential medical uses.
b.	an increase in the amount of oxygen in our atmospheric
c.	a decrease in the erosion of topsoil
d.	more robust and healthy ecosystems for the forest wildlife.

Plants, animals, and other organism exist in interconnected webs in fragile ecosystems that can be damaged by pollution. One example of this kind of food web is shown below.

Food Web
	Pollutants can harm each organism in a food web. Step 1: Harmful chemicals leak into the ground water from a nearby factory. Step 2: Plants absorb this water pollution. Step 3: Herbivores eat these plants, and the harmful chemicals are absorbed into their bodies. Step 4: Carnivores that eat these herbivores absorb the pollution into their bodies.

Which of the following choices accurately describes how water pollution in a food web could decrease biodiversity.

a.	Pollutants are absorbed by lower organisms and are passed on to the organisms that eat them.
b.	Water pollution can increase biodiversity by causing harmful mutations to appear in organisms.
c.	Life forms such as mammals easily avoid water pollution due to their superior intelligence.
d.	Water pollution may kill predators such as hawks and rattlesnakes, but it will not affect prey animals such as rabbits or mice.

If deforestation continues unchecked in the Amazon rain forest, certain trees, birds, and other forest dwellers such as jaguars may go extinct.
Which choice below correctly describes the consequence of this decrease in biodiversity?

a.	disturbances in weather patterns, leading to a higher average global temperatures
b.	a decrease in the number of herbivores due to a lack of natural predators
c.	native people will have less food sources, and the food web will be disrupted
d.	an increase in the number of producers after a herbivore population boom

During the early settlement of the United States, pioneers cut down large tracts of forests on the east coast to use for home construction, for firewood, and to create cleared spaces to plant crops.
What was the most likely effect of this kind of action?

a.	decreased carbon dioxide production	c.	increased organism biodiversity.
b.	decreased human populations	d.	decreased plant and animal diversity

10.

In the United States, Kudzu vines from Japan were planted next to highways to control erosion starting during the 1930s. These vines grow quickly and rapidly spread out to cover large areas. Kudzu vines smother other plants by blocking sunlight and occupying most of the good soil.

Kudzu Vine
(Pueraria montana)

Kudzu vines reduce biodiversity for flora (plants), but they also reduce biodiversity for fauna (animals) and other organisms.
Which choice below correctly describes how Kudzu reduces biodiversity for fauna?.

a.	Kudzu vines reduce biodiversity by covering other plants which blocks sunlight and kills them.
b.	We have discovered that anti-inflammatory medicine can be made from Kudzu plants.
c.	When Kudzu eliminates native plants, then the animals that eat these plants are also effected.
d.	Kudzu is beneficial to the soil because it increases the amount of nitrogen in the ground.