Question

food web (image omitted)
a. increase in mountain lion population
b. increase in deer population
c. increase in grasshopper population
d. decrease in squirrel population
__16. where are most biodiversity hotspots located?
a. islands, tropical rain forests, and coastal areas
b. cities and developed areas of the world
c. desert and polar environments
d. all of the above
__17. reasons for preserving biodiversity include all of the following except:
a. preventing natural evolution,
b. increasing the chances of discovering organisms with medicinal value.
c. isolating unique genetic material so it can be incorporated into existing crops.
d. finding new plants that can supplement the world’s food supply.
18. an energy pyramid is used to show ____.

Explanation:

Question 16

Biodiversity hotspots are regions with high species richness and endemism, threatened by human activities. Islands (isolated, unique evolution), tropical rainforests (high productivity, diverse niches), and coastal areas (mix of aquatic/terrestrial habitats) have high biodiversity. Cities/developed areas have low biodiversity (human impact), deserts/polar environments have low species diversity due to harsh conditions. So option a is correct.

Preserving biodiversity supports natural evolution (species adapt), so "preventing natural evolution" is not a reason. Other options: medicinal organisms (e.g., plants for drugs), genetic material for crops (e.g., disease resistance), new food plants (e.g., drought - tolerant crops) are valid reasons.

An energy pyramid shows the flow of energy through trophic levels in an ecosystem. It illustrates the amount of energy available at each trophic level (producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, etc.), with energy decreasing as it moves up (due to energy loss as heat, for maintenance, etc.). Typically, it shows the relative amount of energy (or biomass, number of organisms) at each trophic level, demonstrating how energy is transferred and lost between levels.

Answer:

a. islands, tropical rain forests, and coastal areas

Question 17