Environmental Science Chapter 9 – Flashcards
Unlock all answers in this set
Unlock answersquestion
Which of the following types of plants grow on top of other plants?
answer
epiphytes. Plants such as bromeliads, ferns, mosses, and orchids will grow on the branches and trunks of other plants.
question
What is the process in which forest plants release water back into the atmosphere?
answer
transpiration. like evaporation, releases atmospheric water into the atmosphere. It is important within the context of Earth's hydrologic cycle.
question
Which of the following types of organisms would most likely be found in the understory of a forest?
answer
decomposers. The understory is part of the groundcover and forest floor. Decomposers would be found here, and they contribute to a large part of the diversity of the forest.
question
With very few exceptions, what sort of forest is in the United States?
answer
secondary forests. Because most of the primary forests have been cut down and used in the United States, second-growth trees and secondary forests have replaced them.
question
A fire hits an old forest with large, old trees. A large section of the forest is burnt down. Over many years, new, immature trees replace the old ones. How can the new area be characterized?
answer
It is a secondary forest.
question
Currently, what sorts of forests are being lost more rapidly than others?
answer
tropical rain forests. Forest loss continues to occur rapidly in equatorial developing countries.
question
What is the term for the right that companies purchase to extract forest resources?
answer
concession. This often occurs in developing nations.
question
How has the "Smokey the Bear" campaign damaged forest health?
answer
It has allowed too few fires to burn in forests. Ecological research now clearly shows that many ecosystems depend on fire to maintain themselves.
question
What would one call trees planted in a stand at the same time?
answer
even aged
question
Which of the following harvesting methods is the most cost-efficient but has the greatest ecological impacts?
answer
clear-cutting
question
An approach to cutting timber that mimics natural disturbances would be considered a new forestry approach.
answer
This type of cutting is based on ecosystem-based management of forests and attempts to mimic more natural losses of forestry.
question
Which of the following phrases best describes the goals behind the resource management strategies?
answer
sustainable use of natural resources. Resource management focuses on sustaining natural resources (e.g., wood) in the face of demand for them.
question
When will a population grow most rapidly?
answer
when it is at 50% of carrying capacity. When a population is at approximately half of carrying capacity, it tends to grow most rapidly.
question
Which of the following management practices attempts to minimize ecological impact by allowing some trees in a forest to grow to maturity?
answer
ecosystem-based management
question
Which of the following forestry practices would best conserve biodiversity?
answer
using a selection system to get uneven-aged stands. This uneven growth and cutting would increase biodiversity compared to even cutting.
question
Mr. Smith has been hired to manage a swath of land owned by a private company. His goal is to manage the forest in the most sustainable way while still using the land and making a profit. At first, he manages the land using the concept of maximum sustainable yield. After a few years he realizes that ecosystem-based management is more appropriate for this particular swath of land. Mr. Smith is using adaptive management
answer
Adaptive managers are willing to try different methods using trial and error to best manage resources.
question
How do resource managers achieve maximum sustainable yield?
answer
They keep the population at 50% of the carrying capacity, thus maximizing the growth rate. The maximum population growth rate in logistic growth occurs at the midway point to the carrying capacity.
question
Approximately what areal percentage of the world's lands are designated as parks, reserves, and protected areas?
answer
12%
question
Which of the following statements is true regarding the area effect?
answer
Large islands contain more species than do smaller islands.
question
Why do urbanized societies need stretches of uninhabited and undeveloped land?
answer
Uninhabited and undeveloped lands provide natural resources that, in turn, provide the ecosystem services and the psychological relief needed to support urban populations. Nature provides a peaceful environment to relieve the pressures of urban living and protect natural resources.
question
What is the difference between biosphere reserves and other protected areas?
answer
Local people are allowed to live in and harvest resources from the outer areas of the reserve. By giving the local residents a stake in the protection of the reserve, biosphere reserves hope to have live-in park rangers that benefit from and help protect the area.
question
Within which section of a biosphere reserve is agriculture practiced sustainably, in a limited manner?
answer
transition zone. Some settlement is allowed in this outermost zone as well
question
This is the U.S. government designation that provides the most protection from human damage to a public area.
answer
wilderness area. Only wilderness areas are specifically chartered to be pristine habitats without lasting human impact.
question
What sort of reserve can act as a "peace park"?
answer
transboundary parks. These often overlap the boundaries between nations in conflict.
question
Within which country did the world's first national parks open?
answer
United States. Yellowstone National Park was the world's first national park.
question
According to the island biogeography theory, given islands of the same size, which would host the greatest amount of biodiversity?
answer
an island just off the mainland. The distance effect states that the closer an island is to a continent the greater its diversity will be because of high immigration rates.
question
What challenge does the concept of SLOSS represent?
answer
whether to make a few large reserves or many small reserves. SLOSS stands for "single large or several small" and captures the dilemma of how to better allocate land to preserve biodiversity.
question
What environmental issue, partially affected by human activities, is directly threatening to cause problems for our forest protection efforts?
answer
climate change. As temperatures rise because of global warming, environmentally sensitive species are forced to move northward or upward (if on a mountain), if they are capable of doing so. Those that cannot adapt are threatened extirpation or even extinction.
question
What sorts of limitations are placed upon national wildlife refuges?
answer
The refuges are open for hunting, fishing, education, and other public uses. Wildlife refuges allow multiple uses. While it may seem ironic that they allow hunting, hunters have been instrumental in raising money to set aside these areas.
question
What sort of negative impact is development having on forested areas?
answer
habitat fragmentation. This is a result of agriculture, expanding cities, logging, and other human impacts.
question
What are corridors?
answer
protected lands that allow animals to travel between islands of habitat. This encourages gene flow to maintain populations.
question
What percent of the world's oceans are in protected areas or reserves?
answer
1.6%. Limited fishing is sometimes allowed in these types of reserves.
question
What percent of U.S. land area is in wilderness areas?
answer
5%. This also includes Alaska.
