Understanding Biodiversity

What does biodiversity encompass?

• Only species diversity

• Cultural and biological diversity

• Only genetic diversity

• Genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity

What is a major factor increasing extinction rates?

• Meteor impacts

• Human actions

• Animal migration

• Natural selection

What happens when biodiversity is lost in ecosystems?

• Increase in animal populations

• Ecosystems become more stable

• Ecosystems experience a loss in biodiversity

• Improved climate conditions

What is speciation?

• A genetic mutation

• A type of ecosystem

• The extinction of a species

• The process by which new species evolve

Why is genetic biodiversity important?

• It allows species to adapt to changes

• It prevents natural selection

• It reduces ecosystem diversity

• It decreases the number of species

What can cause a species to go extinct?

• Reduction in human activities

• Speciation

• Increase in biodiversity

• Overhunting and habitat loss

What role does species biodiversity play in ecosystems?

• It simplifies the food chain

• It increases competition among species

• It reduces the number of plants

• It fills more roles making ecosystems healthier

What is the result of having more extinction rates than speciation rates?

• Increase in genetic diversity

• Faster evolution of new species

• Overall decrease in biodiversity

• More stable ecosystems