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IB Biology A4.2: Cons. of Biodiv. — Practice Questions & Answers
IB Biology A4.2 study notes: levels of biodiversity, causes and evidence of the current crisis, why species matter, and in situ and ex situ conservation.
Here are 10 practice questions with full answers and explanations.
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Practice questions with answers
1
Multiple choice
What does biodiversity encompass?
Variety of life in all forms, levels, and combinations
Number of individual organisms
Size of ecosystems
Amount of available resources
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Why Biodiversity encompasses the variety of life in all its forms, levels and combinations.
2
Multiple choice
What are the three levels of biodiversity?
Ecosystem, species, and genetic diversity
Population, community, and biome diversity
Terrestrial, aquatic, and aerial diversity
Micro, macro, and mega diversity
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Why The three levels of biodiversity are ecosystem diversity, species diversity and genetic diversity.
3
Multiple choice
What does fossil evidence suggest about current species numbers?
There are more species alive today than ever before
Species numbers have remained constant
There were more species in the past
Fossil evidence is inconclusive
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Why Fossil evidence suggests more species are alive today than at any previous time in Earth's history.
4
Multiple choice
What is a key distinction between "splitters" and "lumpers" in taxonomy?
Splitters recognize more species than lumpers
Lumpers focus on genetic diversity, splitters on species diversity
Splitters use molecular data, lumpers use morphology
Lumpers only study extinct species
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Why Splitters recognize more, finely divided species, whereas lumpers group organisms into fewer, broader species.
5
Multiple choice
What is the main focus of anthropogenic species extinction?
Current sixth mass extinction caused by humans
Non-anthropogenic causes of past extinctions
Natural disasters causing extinctions
Evolutionary patterns of extinction
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Why The current sixth mass extinction is driven by human activity and is the focus of anthropogenic extinction.
6
Multiple choice
Which of the following is an example of terrestrial megafauna extinction?
North Island giant moas (Dinornis novaezealandiae)
Caribbean monk seals (Neomonachus tropicalis)
Dodo birds
Tasmanian tigers
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Why The North Island giant moa is an example of terrestrial megafauna driven to extinction by humans.
7
Multiple choice
Which of the following is an example of marine species extinction?
Caribbean monk seals (Neomonachus tropicalis)
North Island giant moas (Dinornis novaezealandiae)
Woolly mammoths
Great auks
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Why The Caribbean monk seal is an example of a marine species driven to extinction by human activity.
8
Multiple choice
Which ecosystem loss is specifically mentioned in the syllabus?
Loss of mixed dipterocarp forest in Southeast Asia
Amazon rainforest deforestation
Arctic ice melt
Coral reef bleaching
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Why Loss of mixed dipterocarp forest in Southeast Asia is the syllabus example of ecosystem loss.
9
Multiple choice
What type of data is crucial for evidence of a biodiversity crisis?
Results from reliable biodiversity surveys
Anecdotal observations
Historical records
Speculations
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Why Reliable biodiversity survey results provide the crucial data evidencing a biodiversity crisis.
10
Multiple choice
What is necessary for biodiversity surveys to provide evidence of change?
Repeated surveys
Single surveys
Surveys conducted only by experts
Surveys focused on charismatic megafauna
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Why Repeated surveys over time are needed to detect and quantify changes in biodiversity.
Key terms in Cons. of Biodiv.
Biodiversity: The variety of life, measured at the levels of species, genetic and ecosystem diversity.
Species diversity: The number of different species in an area together with their relative abundance.
Genetic diversity: The variety of alleles present within a species or population.
Ecosystem diversity: The range of different habitats and ecosystems within a region.
Background extinction rate: The natural, long-term rate of extinction, against which the current elevated rate is compared.
Ecosystem services: The benefits humans gain from ecosystems, such as pollination, nutrient cycling and water purification.
In situ conservation: Protecting species within their natural habitat, for example in nature reserves.
Ex situ conservation: Protecting species outside their natural habitat, for example in zoos, botanic gardens and seed banks.
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