What is biodiversity?

1. What is biodiversity?

A. The variety of genes within a species

B. The variety of species within an ecosystem

C. The variety of ecosystems on the planet

D. All of the above

2. Which of the following best describes genetic diversity?

A. Variety of genes within an individual

B. Variety of genes within a population of a species

C. Variety of species within an ecosystem

D. All of the above

3. Which of the following best describes ecosystem diversity?

A. Variety within an ecosystem

B. Variety of ecosystems

C. Variety of species

D. All of the above

4. What leads to genetic diversity?

A. Natural selection

B. Reproduction

C. Genetic mutation

D. All of the above

5. Biodiversity varies depending on location. Which of the following places has the greatest biodiversity?

A. The Sahara Desert

B. The Nile River Delta

C. Mount Everest

D. The Amazon Rainforest

6. Approximately how many unique species have been named and categorized?

A. 500,000

B. 1.5 million

C. 15 million

D. 50 million

7. The extinction rate of species from non-human related causes is about one species per 100 years. What is the approximate current rate of extinction, including human related causes?

A. One per 100 years

B. One per 50 years

C. One per 10 years

D. One per year

8. What is the overall greatest threat to biodiversity?

A. Invasive species

B. Habitat loss

C. Use of pesticides

D. Over hunting and over harvesting

9. At what time scale is life able to adapt to environmental change?

A. Months to years

B. Decades to centuries

C. Centuries to millennia

D. All of the above

10. Biodiversity is important for natural ecosystems, but how much impact does declining biodiversity really have on human life?

A. Declining biodiversity minimally affects humans.

B. The only impact to humans is a decrease in the health of natural areas and less wildlife for us to enjoy.

C. The only major impact is that as species go extinct, we will lose opportunities for discovering new, lifesaving drugs.

D. Human life depends on biodiversity.

11. Ecosystem services are an integral part of biodiversity. What is an ecosystem service?

A. A government program to help preserve biodiversity

B. A process within an ecosystem that provides a benefit to humans or the environment

C. A system for assessing the level of biodiversity of a given region

D. The repair and rehabilitation of an ecosystem

12. The following is an example of an ecosystem service:

A. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

B. The cooling effect greenways have on an urban environment

C. Geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing

D. The process of clean up after an oil spill

13. What actions can an individual take to help preserve biodiversity?

A. Buy local produce

B. Drive and fly less

C. Use eco-friendly products

D. All of the above

14. What is a keystone species?

A. A species whose decline is an indicator of a bigger environmental problem

B. A species that is key to our understanding of biodiversity

C. A species whose impact on the ecosystem is proportionally larger than its abundance

D. A species that is more resilient to environmental disturbance than others are

15. What is an indicator species?

A. A species on the endangered species list

B. A species that is more resilient to environmental disturbance than others are

C. A species whose impact on the ecosystem is proportionally larger than its abundance

D. A species whose decline is an indicator of a bigger environmental problem

16. With respect to the scientific method , in the conclusion of an experiment, can you leave out experimental results that do no support your hypothesis?

A. No B. Yes

17. With respect to the scientific method , how many controls can you have in an experiment?

A. 0 B. 1 C. 2 D. As many as you would like

18. With respect to the scientific method ,how many independent variables can you have during an experiment?

A. 1 B. 2 C. As many as you would like D. The same amount as the number of controlled variables

19. With respect to the scientific method ,which of the following is not a requirements when creating a hypothesis for an experiment?

A. A hypothesis is based on knowledge and research.

B. A hypothesis is an idea about the solution to a problem.

C. A hypothesis is created after an experiment is completed.

D. A hypothesis should make a claim about how two factors are related.

20. What are the five steps of the scientific method in order from first to last?

A. Research, problem, hypothesis, project experimentation, conclusion

B. Research, problem, project experimentation, conclusion, hypothesis

C. Research, problem, project experimentation, hypothesis, conclusion