Example questions for exams in WIS4554 and WIS5555c
Exams in WIS4554 and WIS5555c will include a variety of types of questions including fill in the blank, short answer, and short discussions. I will not have true and false. Below are a few questions in each of these formats to give you an idea of the types of questions to expect.
Chapter 1 in the book.
1) Discuss three guiding principles for conservation biology.
2) Contrast the "Resource Conservation Ethic" and the "Evolutionary-Ecological Land Ethic".
Chapter 2 in the book.
1) Describe the major factors that have been identified as playing a role in global decline of amphibians.
2) _____________ species are found in a particular region and nowhere else.
3) What is the IUCN Red List System?
4) Rabinowitz's 7 forms of rarity are based on what three traits?
5) Provide examples of 3 species that would be classified as having different types of rarity. How would conservation strategies differ for these three species?
6) What factors are most threatening to biodiversity globally and how do these vary among taxa?
Chapter 9 in the book (material on second exam)
1) What are the key factors that determine whether a nonnative species becomes invasive?
2) Describe the biotic resistance hypothesis. Is this hypothesis well supported by research? Explain.
3) Is biological control an appropriate conservation strategy? Argue both sides of this question. Yes, because.....; No, because......
Examples of types of questions from lectures
1) List three arguments that you might use to convince your congress person that preserving biological diversity is important.
2) Suppose you have been contracted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to work in coastal and off-shore areas. Your first assignment is an evaluation of wildlife issues on an island in the Caribbean. The largest native vertebrate on this island is a lizard in the iguana family. Although this particular lizard occurs in large numbers on this island, water serves as an effective barrier to movement of lizards between islands, and it does not occur on larger nearby islands (such as the Virgin Islands and other islands commonly known for their beautiful resorts). Conservationists are interested in assessing the status of this species. You have been asked to identify 1) DETERMINISTIC factors and 2) STOCHASTIC factors that might affect survival of this endemic lizard. a) Define the capitalized terms. b) Give 2 examples of deterministic factors and 2 examples of stochastic factors that could be important in impacting lizard populations in this system.
3) List 3 life history characteristics that may influence the susceptibility of a population to extinction and briefly explain why each of these characteristics may make a species "extinction-prone".
4) Briefly discuss 3 weaknesses and 3 strengths of population viability analysis.
5) Give the term that most closely represents the following:
___________ processes are processes that from an initial set of conditions always lead to the same outcome.
___________ is a systematic and comprehensive examination of the interacting factors that place a population or species at risk of extinction.
