BIO 182 FINAL EXAM ASU questions n
correct answers
What is extinction? - correct answer ✔✔The loss or death of a species
What is mass extinction? - correct answer ✔✔A decline in biodiversity greater than the background
extinction rate
What is background extinction? - correct answer ✔✔Background extinction occurs when certain
populations are reduced to zero because of normal environment change, emerging disease, predation
pressure, or competition with another species
How are mass extinctions detected and how many have been detected? - correct answer ✔✔They're
detected geologically, and there have been 5 detected
What organisms became extinct during the Pleistocene and Cretaceous and what are possible causes for
these extinctions? - correct answer ✔✔Pleistocene: Wooly Mammoth, Giant Short-Faced Bear, Dire
Wolf, Giant Beaver, Shasta Ground Sloth, American Lion
-Could be extinct because of climate change (warmer temps), human overkill (predation), pathogens
Cretaceous: Dinosaurs
-Could be extinct because of asteroid (impact hypothesis)
What is the evidence to support that there will be a 6th mass extinction? - correct answer ✔✔Modern
rates of extinction are 100 to 1000 time greater than the background rate
What is overexploitation? - correct answer ✔✔-Any unsustainable removal of wildlife from the natural
environment by use of humans
-Harvesting of organisms at rates exceeding the species ability to replace itself
-The dominant threat to marine species
-Overhunting
, What is habitat destruction? - correct answer ✔✔Terrestrial Ecosystems: Conversion agriculture, logging,
development and urbanization
Aquatic Ecosystems: Draining and developing wetlands, damming rivers
Species area curve - As the land area decreases, the number of species decreases
What is habitat fragmentation? - correct answer ✔✔-The breakup of large pieces of natural habitat into
small, isolated pieces
-Can reduce a habitat to where it's too small to support a species
-Reduces the ability of individuals to disperse from one habitat to another (could be more vulnerable to
catastrophes)
-Creates a large amount of "edge" habitat (Edge effects light levels, pollution, poachers, and
competition)
-The species most impacted by this are those that require large territories to find food
How can an exotic species contribute to extinction? - correct answer ✔✔-An introduction of a new
species, that could possibly become an invasive species
-An exotic species could carry pathogens
What are phenology shifts? - correct answer ✔✔*Related to global climate change*
-Timing of seasonal events
-Concern mismatch between organisms
What are geographic range shifts? - correct answer ✔✔*Related to global climate change*
-Organisms move into climates to which they're adapted
-Concern for organisms in arctic and alpine regions (running out of habitat)
What are consequences of extinction? - correct answer ✔✔-Impacts productivity and stability, and
biological communities
-Ecosystem services
-Could disrupt mutualisms
correct answers
What is extinction? - correct answer ✔✔The loss or death of a species
What is mass extinction? - correct answer ✔✔A decline in biodiversity greater than the background
extinction rate
What is background extinction? - correct answer ✔✔Background extinction occurs when certain
populations are reduced to zero because of normal environment change, emerging disease, predation
pressure, or competition with another species
How are mass extinctions detected and how many have been detected? - correct answer ✔✔They're
detected geologically, and there have been 5 detected
What organisms became extinct during the Pleistocene and Cretaceous and what are possible causes for
these extinctions? - correct answer ✔✔Pleistocene: Wooly Mammoth, Giant Short-Faced Bear, Dire
Wolf, Giant Beaver, Shasta Ground Sloth, American Lion
-Could be extinct because of climate change (warmer temps), human overkill (predation), pathogens
Cretaceous: Dinosaurs
-Could be extinct because of asteroid (impact hypothesis)
What is the evidence to support that there will be a 6th mass extinction? - correct answer ✔✔Modern
rates of extinction are 100 to 1000 time greater than the background rate
What is overexploitation? - correct answer ✔✔-Any unsustainable removal of wildlife from the natural
environment by use of humans
-Harvesting of organisms at rates exceeding the species ability to replace itself
-The dominant threat to marine species
-Overhunting
, What is habitat destruction? - correct answer ✔✔Terrestrial Ecosystems: Conversion agriculture, logging,
development and urbanization
Aquatic Ecosystems: Draining and developing wetlands, damming rivers
Species area curve - As the land area decreases, the number of species decreases
What is habitat fragmentation? - correct answer ✔✔-The breakup of large pieces of natural habitat into
small, isolated pieces
-Can reduce a habitat to where it's too small to support a species
-Reduces the ability of individuals to disperse from one habitat to another (could be more vulnerable to
catastrophes)
-Creates a large amount of "edge" habitat (Edge effects light levels, pollution, poachers, and
competition)
-The species most impacted by this are those that require large territories to find food
How can an exotic species contribute to extinction? - correct answer ✔✔-An introduction of a new
species, that could possibly become an invasive species
-An exotic species could carry pathogens
What are phenology shifts? - correct answer ✔✔*Related to global climate change*
-Timing of seasonal events
-Concern mismatch between organisms
What are geographic range shifts? - correct answer ✔✔*Related to global climate change*
-Organisms move into climates to which they're adapted
-Concern for organisms in arctic and alpine regions (running out of habitat)
What are consequences of extinction? - correct answer ✔✔-Impacts productivity and stability, and
biological communities
-Ecosystem services
-Could disrupt mutualisms
