Chapter 11

18 questions

1. This vast region is economically very valuable, yet ironically is poorly understood. Because we have so much to learn, it is considered a "research frontier."

tropical rainforests

tundra

marine systems

freshwater systems

2. Some 90% of fish living in the ocean spawn (reproduce)

in the depths of the ocean.

off the edges of the continental shelf.

in coral reefs, mangrove forests, coastal wetlands, and rivers.

in the open ocean.

3. Blamed for two-thirds of all fish extinctions in the U.S., this ongoing problem is a major source of ecosystem disruption.

introduced invasive species

agricultural runoff

over fishing

water pollution from city sewage systems

4. The largest projected population growth should occur

as development and conversion of farmland increase.

along inland rivers.

at large coastal cities.

at large inland cities.

5. The "I" of the acronym HIPPCO stands for

informed, referring to education programs designed to inform people about ecosystem degradation.

immediate, referring to the immediate threat that some pollutants present.

illegal, referring to illegal activities that result in ecosystem degradation.

invasive, referring to invasive species.

6. Average sea level

will probably rise between 7 inches and 5 feet over the next 100 years.

will flood many low-lying cities and nations over the next 100 years.

all of the choices

has increased by 4-8 inches over the last 100 years.

7. The area of ocean needed to sustain the consumption of an average person, nation, or the world is called the

aquatic fingerprint.

annual rate of consumption.

fishprint.

ecological footprint.

8. CITES is a

species of fish currently coming back from the brink of extinction.

type of fishing that degrades the ocean floor and is especially disruptive.

legislation protecting endangered species from being bought or sold.

type of pollution particularly harmful to aquatic systems.

9. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)

all of the choices

are ocean areas partially protected from human activity.

prevent all commercial fishing within these defined areas.

exist entirely within the U.S. so far.

10. When marine reserves are established to protect species within them, studies have shown that within 2-4 years after strict protection begins

reproduction triples.

fish populations double.

fish size increases by about one-third.

all of the choices

11. Global warming leading to rising sea levels is thought to

produce no effect on coral reefs. Coral reef damage results from pollution and reef degradation, not sea level changes.

help coral reefs since rising sea levels will open new habitat for potentially greater coral reef area.

kill most coral reefs and mangrove forests, leading to disastrous changes in aquatic ecosystems.

damage coral reefs, unless waters rise slowly enough for them to adapt, and other environmental stressors are low.

12. Which of the following management systems deals with getting the best fish yield, taking into account interactions among species?

complex computer models in large marine systems

maximum sustained yield

optimum sustained yield

Precautionary Principle

13. Each year, up to $34 billion are given as fishing subsidies. These subsidies

provide monies for ships, fuel, equipment, and research.

pay fishermen not to fish, offsetting their annual losses while allowing marine fish populations to recover.

are used in education programs designed to heighten public awareness of fishing practices and needed management systems.

all of the choices

14. A market-based system called individual transfer rights (ITR) can be used to control access to fisheries, yet a problem with this system is

that small fishing companies may be squeezed out of the market more easily by larger companies.

ITRs effectively transfer ownership of fisheries in publicly owned waters to commercial fishers while making the public pay for monitoring and enforcement costs.

all of the choices

that total allowable catch (TAC) limits are set too high to prevent over-fishing using this system.

15. Studies clearly indicate that

inland wetlands' ecological value is significantly less than the health problems they generate through acting as mosquito and other parasitic organism breeding grounds.

inland wetlands are vitally important areas that must be preserved, maintained, and/or created.

inland wetlands have little ecological value, provide few ecological services, and may be developed without many ecological consequences.

inland wetlands have ecological value, yet may be substituted by agricultural lands to achieve the same value.

16. Given that humans have been on the earth for a long time, modifying it to suit their own desires, it comes as no surprise to learn that aquatic species have been pushed out of at least ________% of their habitat.

17. Wild rivers are those

that are relatively inaccessible, except by trail.

found in national parks.

that are of great scenic value, free of dams, mostly undeveloped, and accessible in only a few places by roads.

that border, or are within, wildlife preserves.

18. There is growing evidence that the current harmful affects of human activities on the earth's terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity and ecosystem services

could be reversed over the next 50 years.

could be reversed, requiring about 100 years to accomplish this.

could be reversed over the next 20 years.

have permanently damaged our ecosystem, and that we will not be able to reverse the damage no matter what inputs are used.

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