Unit 2 AP Environmental Questions PDF

Multiple Choice Questions: 1. Which of the following best describes generalist species? a) They have a narrow niche b) They eat a variety of foods c) They inhabit one small range of conditions d) They are highly sensitive to environmental changes 2. A keystone species is imp...

Multiple Choice Questions: 1. Which of the following best describes generalist species? a) They have a narrow niche b) They eat a variety of foods c) They inhabit one small range of conditions d) They are highly sensitive to environmental changes 2. A keystone species is important because: a) It occupies the largest niche b) Its role is crucial in maintaining ecosystem structure c) It has the highest reproductive rate d) It is the most common species in an ecosystem 3. What is an example of a density-independent factor? a) Disease b) Food supply c) Pollution d) Space availability 4. Genetic diversity is beneficial to a population because: a) It ensures all individuals have the same traits b) It allows a population to better respond to environmental stressors c) It reduces the number of mutations d) It increases the population size 5. A bottleneck event: a) Increases genetic diversity b) Results from selective breeding c) Reduces genetic diversity d) Is caused by habitat expansion 6. Inbreeding depression is most likely to occur in: a) Large populations b) Populations with high genetic diversity c) Small populations with little genetic diversity d) Populations that are geographically dispersed 7. The resilience of an ecosystem refers to its: a) Ability to resist any disturbance b) Ability to return to its original state after a disturbance  c) Number of species it contains d) Rate of population growth 8. Which of the following is an example of a provisioning service? a) Climate regulation b) Pollination of crops c) Timber production d) Flood control 9. Human activities that disrupt ecosystem services include: a) Natural disasters b) Deforestation c) Wetland preservation d) Recycling programs 10. Ecosystem services such as wetland filtration and pollination are examples of: a) Cultural services b) Supporting services c) Provisioning services d) Regulating services 11. Island biogeography suggests that: a) Larger islands support fewer species b) Islands further from the mainland have more species c) Islands closer to the mainland support more species d) All islands have the same species richness 12. What is the relationship between island size and species richness? a) Inverse b) Direct c) Unrelated d) Cyclical 13. A species' range of ecological tolerance refers to: a) The optimal conditions for its survival b) The range of environmental conditions it can endure c) Its niche within an ecosystem d) Its reproductive rate 14. Which of the following events would most likely lead to a bottleneck effect? a) Habitat destruction  b) Increase in food supply c) Genetic mutations d) Immigration 15. The process by which organisms that are better adapted to their environment survive and reproduce more offspring is called: a) Genetic drift b) Speciation c) Natural selection d) Bottlenecking 16. An increase in global temperatures could shift a species outside of its: a) Reproductive niche b) Range of tolerance c) Feeding niche d) Predatory range 17. Which type of ecological succession occurs in an area that was previously uninhabited? a) Secondary succession b) Primary succession c) Climax succession d) Disturbance succession 18. Ecosystem services that moderate climate and air quality are examples of: a) Supporting services b) Regulating services c) Provisioning services d) Cultural services 19. Which of the following is NOT an example of a human disruption to ecosystem services? a) Overfishing b) Wetland destruction c) Forest regeneration d) Water pollution 20. What best describes genetic drift? a) A gradual increase in genetic diversity b) Random changes in gene frequencies in small populations c) A selective pressure that increases fitness d) The result of large populations with no environmental stressors 21. An indicator species is important because it: a) Indicates the overall biodiversity of an area b) Demonstrates the presence of a specific environmental condition c) Fills the role of a keystone species d) Ensures ecosystem stability 22. Which natural event would be considered periodic? a) Earthquake b) Dry-wet season c) Asteroid impact d) Tornado 23. What is adaptive radiation? a) Radiation from the sun causing mutations b) The evolution of new species to reduce competition c) A species' adaptation to radiation exposure d) Genetic drift caused by environmental pressure 24. Higher species diversity in an ecosystem typically leads to: a) Lower ecosystem resilience b) Greater ecosystem resilience c) Lower species richness d) Reduced genetic diversity 25. The first species to colonize an area after a disturbance are called: a) Keystone species b) Invasive species c) Pioneer species d) Indicator species 26. Species richness refers to: a) The total number of individuals in an ecosystem b) The balance between different species in an ecosystem c) The number of different species in an ecosystem d) The diversity of genes within a species 27. Which of the following is an example of a density-dependent population control factor? a) Flood b) Space availability  c) Temperature d) Pollution 28. A species with a narrow niche and a specialized diet is classified as a: a) Generalist species b) Keystone species c) Specialist species d) Indicator species 29. The idea that larger populations have more genetic diversity is important for: a) Preventing inbreeding depression b) Limiting population growth c) Increasing competition d) Limiting species richness 30. What is an example of a cultural ecosystem service? a) Timber extraction b) Climate regulation c) Scientific research in national parks d) Water purification 31. Why are pioneer species important in succession? a) They reduce biodiversity b) They modify the environment to make it more suitable for other species c) They dominate ecosystems indefinitely d) They outcompete all other species 32. Which human activity directly reduces genetic diversity in populations? a) Habitat fragmentation b) Urbanization c) Pollution d) Overfishing 33. Ecological succession impacts ecosystems by: a) Decreasing biomass over time b) Increasing species richness over time c) Maintaining constant biodiversity d) Reducing net productivity 34. Supporting services of ecosystems include: a) Carbon sequestration  b) Water purification c) Pollination d) Soil formation 35. Adaptive radiation is most commonly seen in: a) Habitats with a large number of niches b) Climates with extreme weather c) Species with narrow genetic diversity d) Populations with low genetic drift 36. Primary succession typically begins with: a) Soil formation b) Mature trees c) Lichens and mosses d) Grasslands 37. The process by which a new species forms from a single ancestral species is called: a) Speciation b) Bottlenecking c) Genetic drift d) Adaptive radiation 38. Which of the following best describes a disturbance that occurs episodically? a) Earthquake b) Drought c) Regular seasonal changes d) Hurricanes 39. Island biogeography theory states that: a) Islands farther from the mainland have more species diversity b) Larger islands closer to the mainland have the highest species diversity c) Smaller islands support more species d) Distance from the mainland has no effect on species richness 40. Which is a consequence of reduced genetic diversity in a population? a) Increased resilience to environmental stress b) Increased risk of inbreeding depression c) Decreased vulnerability to diseases d) Increased adaptation to new environments 41. Which type of ecosystem service is responsible for carbon sequestration? a) Regulating services b) Provisioning services c) Supporting services d) Cultural services 42. An ecosystem with high evenness indicates: a) A few species dominate b) All species are present in similar numbers c) Genetic diversity is low d) The ecosystem is unbalanced 43. A zone of intolerance refers to: a) Conditions where organisms thrive b) Conditions where organisms die c) Conditions where organisms are stressed d) Optimal environmental conditions 44. Ecological tolerance refers to: a) The niche a species occupies b) The ability to adapt to changing climates c) The range of environmental conditions an organism can endure d) A species’ reproductive rate 45. An example of a periodic natural event would be: a) A hurricane b) A seasonal flood c) An asteroid impact d) A forest fire caused by lightning 46. Random mutations in a population’s gene pool primarily lead to: a) A bottleneck effect b) Genetic drift c) Inbreeding depression d) Increased genetic diversity 47. The introduction of an invasive species can lead to: a) Increased biodiversity b) The extinction of native species  c) Genetic drift d) Primary succession 48. Which factor is most important in determining the biodiversity of an island? a) Distance from the mainland b) Latitude c) Human activity d) Geological age 49. What would happen to an ecosystem with low resilience after a large disturbance? a) It would quickly recover to its previous state b) It would slowly return to its original state c) It might shift to a new equilibrium state d) It would be unaffected by the disturbance 50. Which process allows ecosystems to recover after disturbances? a) Natural selection b) Succession c) Genetic drift d) Bottlenecking Answer Key: 1. b 2. b 3. c 4. b 5. c 6. c 7. b 8. c 9. b 10. d 11. c 12. b 13. b 14. a 15. c 16. b 17. b 18. b 19. c 20. b 21. b 22. b 23. b 24. b 25. c 26. c 27. b 28. c 29. a 30. c 31. b 32. a 33. b 34. d 35. a 36. c 37. a 38. d 39. b 40. b 41. a 42. b 43. b 44. c 45. b 46. d 47. b 48. a 49. c 50. b