Self-Test for Ecosystem Services Module

1. The services flowing from natural ecosystems are usually assigned dollar values in our "market-based" economic system
  A.   True   B.   False

2. Examples of ecosystem services include:
  A.   Aesthetic beautyl   B.   Wild game   C.   Pollination of crops   D.   Cycling of nutrients   E.   All of the above   F.   c & d

3. Technological advances have heightened our awareness of the value of natural goods and services
  A.   True   B.   False

4. One of the commercially valued ecosystem goods is the annual world fish catch and recreational sport fishery, which together, total approximately
  A.   4.6 million dollars   B.   1 billion dollars   C.   46 billion dollars   D.   460 Million dollars

5. Less than 5% of the world's energy consumption is supplied by fuelwood and other plant material
  A.   True   B.   False

6. The availability of most natural products (i.e. goods) is in decline due to:
  A.   Over-consumption   B.   Technology replacement   C.   Climate change   D.   Habitat conversion

7. Biological diversity, or biodiversity, refers to the variety of life forms at all levels or organization, and is conveniently often quantified in terms of number of species.
  A.   True   B.   False

8. In the long run, we can rely on preservation efforts such as zoological breeding programs, botanical gardens and legally protected reserves, to sustain our earth's biodiversity
  A.   True   B.   False

9. Extractions from the world's genetic library are fueling the biotechnology industry, accounting for:
  A.   An increase of legal actions taken for stolen patented genetic strains of crops   B.   An increase in crop production of 1%, valued at 1 million dollars   C.   An increase in crop production of 1%, valued at 1 billion dollars   D.   Farm-level sales of bioengineered ag products reaching 10 billion by turn of the century   E.   a & c   F.   c & d

10. The commercial value of pharmaceuticals used in traditional medicine exceeds $40 billion/year, with 85% derived from plants
  A.   True   B.   False

11. Biological life plays an important role in regulating the earth's climate by:
  A.   Enhancing warming trends by speeding up microbial decomposition of dead matter   B.   Prevent overheating by removing more of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide as the sun grows brighter   C.   Destabilizing climatic cooling through increased runoff associated with increased rainfall resulting in nutrient-enhanced growth of phytoplankton   D.   All of the above

12. Transpiration (release of water vapor from the leaves) of plants in the morning causes thunderstorms in the afternoon, demonstrating an ecosystem's ability to exert direct physical influence on local weather.
  A.   True   B.   False

13. Today, soil degradation induced by human activities afflicts nearly ______% of the earth's vegetated surface.
  A.   5   B.   75   C.   20   D.   50

14. Soil microorganisms are key to decomposition of wastes such as plastics
  A.   True   B.   False

15. The vast majority of flowering plants require animal pollination for successful reproduction
  A.   True   B.   False

16. Although the European honeybee is threatened, the diversity of natural pollinators is increasing, due to climatic warming.
  A.   True   B.   False

17. As a strategy for fighting crop pests, chemical pesticides have many drawbacks, except:
  A.   Pest resistance   B.   Increases of natural predators   C.   Negative health effects to non-target organisms, including humans   D.   Causing non-pest species to become pests   E.   b & d

18. Foremost among the immediate threats to ecosystem services are:
  A.   Climate change   B.   Destruction of natural habitats   C.   Chemical toxicants   D.   Invasion of non-native species   E.   b and d   F.   a and c

19. Threats to ecosystem services are thought to be driven by two underlying forces associated with the unsustainable growth of the human enterprise: population size in per capita consumption and ___________:
  A.   Toxic waste   B.   Increased recreation   C.   Impacts from technologies and institutions that generate consumables   D.   Carbon dioxide increases

20. The Biosphere 2 experiment attempting to duplicate the earth's environment failed in large part due to unexpected problems with the systems'__________:
  A.   Failure to provide an adequate social environment for 8 humans   B.   Hydrologic cycle   C.   Nutrient cycle   D.   Atmospheric conditions