Conservation Science 2e, Chapter 18 Quiz

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Which of the following statements is not consistent with climate observations made over the last 150 years?
1. Average global temperature has increased.
2. Average temperature has increased in all locations.
3. Average global sea level has increased.
4. Snow cover has decreased in the northern hemisphere.
Which of the following statements is not consistent with the reconstructed record of carbon dioxide and temperature over the last 420,000 years as shown in the figure below?
1. The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is closely correlated with global temperature.
2. The amount of carbon dioxide currently in the atmosphere is unprecedented over the last 420,000 years.
3. Until recently, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has fluctuated between roughly 190 and 290 ppm.
4. The current average global temperature is unprecedented over the last 420,000 years.
Below is a list of natural (non-anthropogenic) forces that can affect the average global temperature. Of these, which one is least capable of causing an increase in average global temperature?
1. Fluctuations in solar activity
2. Changes in Earth’s orbit
3. Changes in the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide, water vapor, and other “greenhouse gases” in the atmosphere
4. Volcanic activity
Which of the following statements about anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases is false?
1. Global climate models accurately predict the observed global rise in temperature if, and only if, they include anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases.
2. Agriculture and decomposition of waste in landfills are the primary anthropogenic sources of methane gas.
3. The burning of fossil fuels is the primary anthropogenic source of carbon dioxide.
4. Anthropogenic emissions of methane are greater, by volume, than those of carbon dioxide.
Which of these statements correctly describes the biological effects associated with recent climate change?
1. Recent climate change has been unambiguously linked to the extinction of many species.
2. Recent climate change is associated with a shift in the timing of key biological events, such as flowering and nesting, to slightly later in the calendar year.
3. Recent climate change is associated with a poleward shift of the geographic range for many species.
4. None of the above statements correctly describes the biological effects associated with recent climate change.
Projections of how future climate change could affect the geographic ranges of species typically use
1. a variety of assumptions about the species’ ability to disperse to newly suitable locations.
2. a variety of models (GCMs) depicting global climatic processes.
3. a detailed description of the environmental conditions within the species’ current geographic range (known as the climate envelope).
4. All of the above
Which of these statements accurately describes the anticipated effects of climate change for the delivery of ecosystem services?
1. In the long run, glacial melt is predicted to increase the availability of fresh water to people living along the Ganges and Yangtze rivers.
2. The rising sea level is predicted to cause marshes and mangroves to expand, thereby improving protection of coastal communities from storm surge.
3. Rising temperatures are expected to uniformly increase agricultural yields.
4. None of the above
Which of the following strategies is not designed to help mitigate climate change?
1. Protect dispersal corridors so animals and plants can shift their ranges poleward in response to the warming climate.
2. Enact regulations such as a mandatory increase in the average fuel efficiency of vehicles produced in a nation.
3. Establish a cap-and-trade market for carbon dioxide emissions.
4. Provide economic incentives such as tax breaks for the development and/or adoption of renewable energy technologies.
Which of the following strategies is not designed to help nature adapt to climate change?
1. Protect dispersal corridors so animals and plants can shift their ranges poleward in response to the warming climate.
2. Protect areas just inland of important coastal ecosystems so animals and plants can shift their ranges inland as sea level rises.
3. Provide incentives for carbon dioxide capture at power plants.
4. Translocate threatened plant and animal species to areas that are expected to develop, as a result of climate change, the appropriate mix of environmental conditions for them.
The rising level of atmospheric carbon dioxide is a threat to corals because
1. carbon dioxide is a key limiting nutrient for marine algae, such that higher amounts of CO₂ in the water can stimulate algal blooms that overgrow and smother corals.
2. carbon dioxide reacts with water to form carbonic acid, thereby reducing the amount of calcium carbonate available for coral growth.
3. carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas contributing to warming of the world’s oceans, and corals are more likely to expel their algal symbionts when the water heats up.
4. Both B and C are correct.