6.8 Consequences of Environmental Changes

According to research by the World Wildlife Fund, around what year did the human population become too large for the Earth to sustain?

• 1950

• 1970

• 1990

• 2000

What is the current status of salmon populations in the Salish Sea compared to 1991?

• The number of endangered salmon species has decreased.

• The number of endangered salmon species has remained the same.

• The number of endangered salmon species has increased from one to fourteen.

• Salmon populations are thriving due to conservation efforts.

What factors are contributing to the decline of salmon populations in rivers?

• Increased fishing quotas and new fishing technologies.

• Habitat destruction, warming, and pollution.

• Natural migratory pattern shifts and increased predation.

• Reduced rainfall and changes in ocean currents.

What percentage has the abundance of global wildlife collapsed in the past 50 years, according to a World Wildlife Fund study?

• 30%

• 50%

• 69%

• 85%

How much faster is the current rate of extinction compared to typical rates in Earth's history, according to biologist Tony Barnosky's research?

• Up to 10 times faster.

• Up to 50 times faster.

• Up to 100 times faster.

• Up to 500 times faster.

What are some consequences of rapid environmental changes mentioned by the speaker?

• Loss of fish for animals like minks and otters.

• Disappearance of ancient forests.

• Silence in natural habitats.

• All of the above.

What does mass extinction look like, according to one of the speakers?

• A complete absence of all life forms.

• Three-quarters of expected species disappearing from an area.

• A gradual decline in a few specific species.

• Only the largest predators going extinct.

How does one of the speakers differentiate between "killing the planet" and "killing our way of life"?

• The planet is resilient and will recover, but humanity's way of life is at risk.

• Killing the planet refers to physical destruction, while killing our way of life refers to cultural loss.

• The planet is being killed, and our way of life is a direct consequence.

• There is no difference; they are interchangeable terms.

What is the primary strategy employed by Mexican ecologist Gerardo Ceballos in the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve to protect the forest?

• He is paying family farmers to stop cutting down the forest.

• He is relocating endangered species to safer areas.

• He is planting new trees to replace those that have been cut.

• He is enforcing strict legal penalties for deforestation.

According to Mexican ecologist Gerardo Ceballos, are current conservation success stories, like the recovery of jaguars, sufficient to prevent mass extinction?

• Yes, these successes demonstrate that current strategies are effective.

• No, they are like grains of sand on a beach and need to be scaled up significantly.

• He believes it's too early to tell if they are sufficient.

• He argues that only global political action, not local efforts, can prevent mass extinction.