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Ch. 54 - Biodiversity and Conservation Ecology

Chapter 53, Problem 9

Suppose that record snows blanket your campus this winter. Your friend says this is proof that global warming isn't really occurring. What is the flaw in your friend's logic? a. The average temperature of the Earth is not actually increasing. b. Global warming refers to temperatures, but snow is a type of precipitation. c. While the average global temperature is increasing, local temperatures and precipitation (weather) will vary. d. Your friend is confusing global warming and global climate change.

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Hi everyone. Let's look at our next problem. It says which of the following pollutants is considered very harmful as it can pollute the environment for an extended period of time So all of our answer choices are pollutants. But we're looking for the choice that's particularly harmful due to how long it complete the environment. Well when we look at our answer choices, we have choice. A human organic wastes choice be non biodegradable pollutants. Choice C wastes from feedlots and choice. D natural nutrients present in excess. Let's note that choice is a see and D the human organic wastes waste from feedlots and natural nutrients present in excess are natural products that can be broken down by D. Composers. So all these are pollutants that can cause problems. Natural nutrients presence in excess can do things that cause algae blooms and lakes that they can cause issues that result in deaths of other species. Human organic waste and waste from feedlots um often have can carry cause disease and carry pollutants themselves. So all of these are pollutants and cause problems but they're broken down by D. Composers and eliminated over time. This is as compared to choice, be non biodegradable pollutants. And this is going to be our answer here. Um Because these are things that cannot get naturally decomposed or at least are not broken down in any sort of reasonable length of time. Um These are things that are generally often synthetic and don't break down easily. So things like plastic glass and batteries. So these are pollutants they pollute the environment. Um And then they just last sit around for a long time. They also can do things like blocking drains and harming animals, as well as just the pollutant effect themselves. So the answer to which of the following pollutants is considered very harmful. As it can pollute the environment for an extended period of time is choice be non biodegradable pollutants in the next video.
Related Practice
Textbook Question

Biologists claim that the all-taxa survey now under way at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the United States will improve their ability to estimate the total number of species living today. Discuss the benefits and limitations that this data set will provide in understanding the extent of global biodiversity.

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Textbook Question

Some biologists prefer to focus efforts on preserving endangered species while others prefer to focus on preserving ecosystems. What is your advice to biologists, based on the evidence from this chapter?

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Textbook Question

Explain why the construction of wildlife corridors can help maintain genetic diversity in a fragmented landscape.

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Textbook Question

The population size of mountain pine beetles in the American Northwest has long been held in check by freezing temperatures during the winters. As winters warm, populations of pine beetles are increasing, killing whitebark pine forest. Grizzly bears rely on the nuts of whitebark pine trees. Do you think climate change is affecting the fitness of the grizzly bear population?


a. No, because climate change is affecting the beetles, not the bears.

b. Yes, because climate change is decreasing the food supply of the bears, which means they will be less strong.

c. Yes, because climate change is decreasing the food supply of the bears, which is likely to reduce their ability to survive or reproduce.

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Textbook Question

The maps shown here chronicle the loss of old-growth forest (more than 200 years old) that occurred in the United States. In your opinion, under what conditions is it ethical for conservationists who live in the United States to lobby government officials in Brazil, Indonesia, and other tropical countries to slow the rate of loss of old-growth forest?

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Textbook Question

During the Carboniferous period, plant growth was extensive but rates of decomposition slowed (probably due to the formation of vast, oxygen-poor swamp habitats). As a result, large amounts of biomass accumulated in terrestrial environments (much of this biomass is now coal). The fossil record indicates that atmospheric oxygen increased, atmospheric carbon dioxide decreased, and global temperatures dropped. Explain why.

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