Basic Biology Practice Test: Conservation Biology | Practice Test / Quiz / MCQs

1. To better comprehend the magnitude of current extinctions, it will be necessary to

differentiate between plant extinction and animal extinction numbers.monitor atmospheric carbon dioxide levels more closely.identify more of the yet unknown species of organisms on Earth.use the average extinction rates of vertebrates as a baseline.focus on identifying more species of mammals and birds.

3. Burning fossil fuels releases oxides of sulfur and nitrogen. These air pollutants can be responsible for

the death of fish in lakes.direct damage to plants by leaching nutrients from the leaves.calcium deficiency in soils.precipitation with a pH as low as 3.0.All of the options are correct.

4. The use of DDT as an insecticide in the United States has been outlawed since 1971, yet is still a problem for certain top-level carnivores in the United States. Which of the following choices best explains this apparent incongruity?

Whereas most DDT-susceptible species have become resistant to persistent DDT, others are still vulnerable.Pre-1971 DDT has been deposited in certain habitats, particularly wetlands and estuaries, so predators in these ecosystems are vulnerable to biomagnifications of DDT.DDT is persistent in the environment and all of the pre-1971 DDT is still available in toxic form to poison top-level carnivores.DDT is still used for mosquito control in tropical countries, and certain migratory predators can be affected by a seasonal biomagnification.All of the options are correct.

5. The word triage originated during World War I and was first used by French doctors in prioritizing patients based on the severity of their wounds, because there were more wounded soldiers in need of urgent care than there were resources to treat them. Conservation biologists have to make similar determinations with degraded ecosystems. Which of the following is the most important consideration when it comes to managing for maintenance of biodiversity?

assessing the economic costs and the gains for societyidentifying large, high-profile vertebrates first, because steps to saving them would be most recognized by the publicmaintaining optimum size of all populations in the ecosystemdetermining which species is most important for conserving biodiversity as a wholereplanting suitable habitat for fauna

6. The most serious consequence of a decrease in global biodiversity would be the

loss of source of genetic diversity to preserve endangered species.potential loss of ecosystem services on which people depend.loss of species for 'bioprospecting.'increase in the abundance and diversity of edge-adapted species.increase in global warming and thinning of the ozone layer.

7. Although extinction is a natural process, current extinctions are of concern to environmentalists because

current extinction is primarily affecting plant diversity.None of the options are correct.the rate of extinction is unusually high.more animals than ever before are going extinct.most current extinctions are caused by introduced species.

8. Which of the following is true about 'hot spots'?

As conservation measures improve over the next ten years, hot spots will likely disappear.Around 75% of all of the undiscovered species of organisms live in ecological hot spots.One-third of all species on Earth occupy less than1.5% of Earth's land area (hot spots).The hot spots that are in most dire need of remediation are located in the tundra.All of the plants and animals containing genes that may be useful to humankind are located in Earth's hot spots.

9. Which of the following strategies would most rapidly increase the genetic diversity of a population in an extinction vortex?

Capture all remaining individuals in the population for captive breeding followed by reintroduction to the wild.Control populations of the endangered population's predators and competitors.Establish a reserve that protects the population's habitat.Introduce new individuals transported from other populations of the same species.Sterilize the least fit individuals in the population.

10. Which of the following is a type of research in which a conservation biologist would be involved?

studying population ecology of grizzly bears in Yellowstone National Parkdetermining the effect of protection programs on the recovery of the North Atlantic cod fisherystudying species diversity and interaction in the Florida Everglades, past and presentdetermining the effects of hunting white-tailed deer in Vermontreestablishing whooping cranes in their former breeding grounds in North Dakota

11. What is the biological significance of genetic diversity between populations?

Isolated populations become more fit.Genetic diversity allows for species stability by preventing speciation.Diseases and parasites are not spread between separated populations.Genes for adaptive traits to local conditions make microevolution possible.The population that is most fit would survive by competitive exclusion.

12. What is the biggest problem with selecting a site for a preserve?

Only lands that are not useful to human activities are available for preserves.Keystone species are difficult to identify in potential preserve sites.Making a proper selection is difficult because currently the environmental conditions of almost any site change so quickly.Most of the best sites are inaccessible by land transportation, so making roads to them is often prohibitively expensive.There is always a conflict about use of land set aside for preservation.

13. The long-term problem with red-cockaded woodpecker habitat intervention in the southwest United States is

all of the appropriate red-cockaded woodpecker habitat has already been logged or converted to agricultural land.the mature pine forests in which they live cannot ever be subjected to forest fire.the only habitat that can support their recovery is large tracts of mature southern pine forest.what habitat remains for the red-cockaded woodpecker does not contain trees suitable for nest-cavity construction.the social organization of the red-cockaded woodpecker precludes the dispersal of reproductive individuals.

14. Which of the following examples poses the greatest potential threat to biodiversity?

trapping and relocating large predators, such as mountain lions, that pose a threat as they move into areas of relatively dense human populationsreleasing sterilized rainbow trout to boost the sport fishing of a river system that contains native brook troutreplanting, after a clear cut, a monoculture of Douglas fir trees on land that consisted of old-growth Douglas fir, western cedar, and western hemlockimporting an Asian insect into the United States to control a weed that competes with staple cropsallowing previously used farmland to go fallow and begin to fill in with weeds and then shrubs and saplings

15. Of the following statements about protected areas that have been established to preserve biodiversity, which one is not correct?

National parks are one of many types of protected areas.It is especially important to protect biodiversity hot spots.Management of a protected area should be coordinated with management of the land surrounding the area.Most protected areas are too small to protect species.About 25% of Earth's land area is now protected.

16. The biggest challenge that Costa Rica will likely face in its dedication to conservation and restoration in the future is

the potential for disturbance of sensitive species in reserves by ecotourists.its small size (as a country), which may not be able to maintain large enough reserves.spread of disease and parasites via corridors from neighboring countries.the pressures of its growing population.the large number of Costa Rican species already in the extinction vortex.

17. According to the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA), the difference between an endangered species and a threatened one is that

only endangered species are vertebrates.threatened species are endangered species outside the U.S. borders.endangered species are mainly tropical.an endangered species is closer to extinction.a threatened species is closer to extinction.

18. This is caused by excessive nutrient runoff into aquatic ecosystems.

eutrophicationbiological magnificationacid precipitationdepletion of ozone layergreenhouse effect

19. What is a critical load?

the number of predators an ecosystem can support that effectively culls prey populations to healthy levelsthe amount of nutrient augmentation necessary to bring a depleted habitat back to its former levelthe maximum abundance level of a particular species, beyond which additional numbers will degrade a habitatthe level of a given toxin in an ecosystem that is lethal to 50% of the species presentthe amount of added nutrient that can be absorbed by plants without damaging ecosystem integrity

20. Introduced species can have deleterious effects on biological communities by

competing with native species for food or light.All of the options are correct.preying on native species.competing with native species for space or breeding/nesting habitat.displacing native species.

21. According to most conservation biologists, the single greatest threat to global biodiversity is

overexploitation of certain species.alteration or destruction of the physical habitat.global climate change resulting from a variety of human activities.chemical pollution of water and air.stratospheric ozone depletion.

22. Estimates of current rates of extinction

indicate that rates may be greater than the mass extinctions at the close of the Cretaceous period.suggest that one-half of all animal and plant species may be gone by the year 2100.indicate that only 1% of all of the species that have ever lived on Earth are still alive.suggest that rates of extinction have decreased globally.indicate that we have reached a state of stable equilibrium in which speciation rates equal extinction rates.

23. Which of the following is true about the current research regarding forest fragmentation?

The disturbance of timber extraction causes the species diversity to increase because of the new habitats created.Harvesting timber that results in forest fragmentation results in less soil erosion.Fragmented forests support a lesser biodiversity because the forested-adapted species leave, and only the edge and open-field species can occupy fragmented forests.Fragmented forests are the goal of conservation biologists who design wildlife preserves.Fragmented forests support a greater biodiversity because they result in the combination of forest-edge species and forest-interior species.

25. Which of the following is the most direct threat to biodiversity?

zoned reservesincreased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxideoverexploitation of selected specieshabitat destructionthe depletion of the ozone layer

25 Questions

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25 Questions

❤ If you liked Fatskills, consider supporting us by checking out The Life Manuals You Never Got.

About | Explore | User Guide | Topics | Subjects | Doubt Solver | Career Aptitude Test | Answers | Free Tools | OSHA Basics Quiz | What Should We Know? Privacy | Terms |

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All trademarks, logos and brand names are the property of their respective owners. All company, product and service names used in this website are for identification purposes only. Use of these names, trademarks and brands does not imply endorsement.

About | Explore | User Guide | Topics | Subjects | Doubt Solver | Career Aptitude Test | Answers | Free Tools | OSHA Basics Quiz | What Should We Know?
Privacy | Terms |

Without work one finishes nothing. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
© 2026 Fatskills.com