ENVIROTHON – MISSISSIPPI 2001

WILDLIFE TEST

1. LeFleur’S Bluff State Park contains all of the following habitats except:

A. lacustrine

B. palustrine

C. terresetrial

D. upland

E. marine

2. A crepuscular animal is most active at what time?

A. middle of the night

B. noon

C. twilight

D. mid-morning

3. Sand bars along the Pearl River provide important nesting habitat for which of the following species:

A. Mississippi redbelly turtle

B. Southern box turtle

C. Gopher tortoise

D. Burrowing crayfish

E. Ringed map turtle

4. The most important factor affecting endangered species is habitat loss.

A. true

B. false

5. The State of Mississippi currently recognizes 15 species of fish as endangered. What family contains the most state listed imperiled species?

A. cyprinidae

B. ictaluridae

C. percidae

D. acipenseridae

6. Controlled burning benefits what wildlife?

A. deer

B. turkey

C. quail

D. all of the above

7. The Sierra Club was developed by _______________ in 1892.

A. Aldo Leopold

B. Theodore Roosevelt

C. John Muir

D. Gifford Pinchot

E. John Lacey

8. Which president was considered the “great conservationist”?

A. John F. Kennedy

B. Jimmy Carter

C. Theodore Roosevelt

D. Calvin Coolidge

E. Franklin D. Roosevelt

9. People who purchase a federal duck stamp may be interested in …..

A. protecting wetland habitat

B. duck hunting

C. stamp collecting

D. bird watching

E. all of the above

10. Of the 23 species of mussels in Mississippi that are listed as endangered by the state, 10 are or were found exclusively in which drainage system?

A. Tennessee River

B. Pearl River

C. Pascagoula River

D. Tombigbee River

11. The Mississippi Endangered Species statute is similar to the U.S. Endangered Species statute. Which of the follow statements is false:

A. The U.S. Statute regulates endangered species habitat; the state statute does not

B. The U.S. statute provides for fines for the illegal possession of listed species; the state statute does not

C. The U.S. statute designates both endangered and threatened species; the Mississippi statute designates endangered species and species in need of management

D. The U.S. statute requires the preparation of a species recovery plan; the state statute does not.

12. Waterfowl hunters over the age of sixteen are required to purchase a federal duck stamp.

A. true

B. false

13. Threatened and endangered animals are regulated differently than threatened and endangered plants. This is primarily because:

A. Plants are considered the property of the landowner, while animals are considered the property of the government.

B. Plants don’t move around, but animals do.

C. Animals respond to external stimuli, plants do not

D. Animals are more sensitive to habitat modification than plants

14. Which of the following is false?

A. An extirpated species has disappeared from a particular geographic segment of its entire range but still exists somewhere.

B. Extinct species no longer exist on the earth as a direct result of human activities.

C. Endangered species are assumed to be in danger of extinction in the foreseeable future.

D. Threatened species are assumed to be in danger of becoming endangered in the foreseeable future.

15. What is the best wildlife practice in pine timber?

A. clear cut

B. controlled burning

C. removal of old growth timber

D. none of the above

16. When black bear sleep in the winter this is referred to as:

A. carnivorian lethargy

B. hibernation

C. deep sleep

D. none of the above

17. During winter sleep, black bear do not:

A. urinate

B. defecate

C. eat

D. drink

E. all of the above

18. What North American animal is a marsupial?

A. raccoon

B. muskrat

C. opossum

D. mink

E. kangaroo

19. How are waste products from metabolism dealt with in sleeping bears?

A. recycled in the body

B. filtered by the kidneys

C. no waste is generated

20. Name all of the poisonous snakes that are native to Mississippi?

__________________________________________________________________________

21. An ecosystem can be:

A. a watershed

B. our backyard

C. a cornfield

D. all of the above

22. Which federal agency is responsible for enforcing regulations pertaining to terrestrial animal species listed as “endangered” under the Endangered Species Act?

A. Environmental Protection Agency

B. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

C. National Park Service

D. U.S.D.A. Forest Service

23. ______________ is the term used when food, water, hunting, pollution, or predation exceeds the tolerance of a population of plants or animals those results in either a decline of numbers or lack of population growth.

A. carrying capacity

B. competition

C. limiting factor

D. zero population growth

E. compensatory loss

24. Duck populations have declined in recent years. Which of the following factors contributed most to this decline?

A. nest predators

B. thinning of egg shells

C. drought

D. wetland destruction

25. Which endangered bird has the greatest direct impact on forest management in Mississippi?

A. Spotted Owl

B. Marbled Murulet

C. Red-cockaded Woodpecker

D. Scissor-tail Flycatcher

26. Which of the following is a species-specific chemical signal released by the female in some species to attract males, and has been synthetically produced and used in survey traps?

A. pheromone

B. honey dew

C. spittle

D. urine

27. An example of an aquatic furbearer in Mississippi is the:

A. bobcat

B. raccoon

C. platypus

D. beaver

28. Which food item is the major source of protein for black bear in the southeast?

A. carrion

B. fish

C. insects

D. rodents

29. Which of the following is the most important source of protein for a baby turkey?

A. insects

B. roots

C. weed seeds

D. young grass

30. Which of the following is a Neotropical Migrant that winters in the Caribbean or Central and South America?

A. American Robin

B. Eastern Kingbird

C. Northern Mockingbird

D. Northern Cardinal

E. Eastern Bluebird

31. In general, introducing a non-native species into a new environment results in what?

A. There is no noticeable difference after introduction (one species cannot impact the environment and the native species are already well adapted to their environment).

B. There is a minor disruption to the environment, but the native species quickly adapt to the new conditions resulting in a balance between the introduced and native species.

C. The introduced species cannot compete with the native species usually resulting in a decline of the introduced species.

D. The native species cannot compete with the introduced species usually resulting in a decline of native species.

32. If all the carnivores are removed from an ecosystem, plant diversity will usually:

A. increase

B. decrease

C. stay the same

33. _________________ is defined as the wise use of our natural resources.

A. preservation

B. hunting

C. wildlife habitat improvement

D. conservation

E. ecology

34. Which group contains four species that are “endangered” in Mississippi?

A. Southern Pink Pigtoe, Ringed Sawback, Gopher Tortoise, Gray Bat

B. Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Gopher Tortoise, Bayou Darter, Whooping Crane

C. American Alligator, Whooping Crane, Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Southern Pink Pigtoe

D. Ringed Sawback, Mississippi Sandhill Crane, American Alligator, Pileated Woodpecker

E. All the species listed in A-D are endangered in Mississippi

35. The nesting season for Eastern Wild Turkey is:

A. March and April

B. July and August

C. September and October

D. December and January

36. Of the habitat descriptions listed below, which would contain the highest diversity of fauna?

A. extensive old growth hardwood forest

B. hardwood forest, pine forest, grassland, and shrub thickets that exist in small blocks close together with a lot of edge

C. extensive old growth forest adjacent to grassland habitat

D. extensive old growth forest adjacent to old growth pine habitat

E. extensive area of wetland

37. Which of the following statements about hunting is (are) true?

A. provides recreation for sportsmen

B. goal is to maintain population numbers at or below carrying capacity

C. hunting removes some game that would otherwise be lost due to other causes

D. statements A and B are true, but not C

E. statements A, B, and C are true

38. Which of the following species of squirrels are native to Mississippi?

A. gray squirrel

B. fox squirrel

C. flying squirrel

D. A and C are native to Mississippi, but not B

E. A and B are native to Mississippi, but not C

F. All of the squirrels listed are native to Mississippi

39. Applying lime will increase the quality of wildlife habitat because:

A. The nutrients within the lime will stimulate a more diverse plant community.

B. The nutrients within the lime will attract wildlife – animals utilize the lime like a salt lick.

C. Lime is applied to land with a high pH. The lime lowers the pH, making the area more suitable for plant growth.

D. Lime is applied to land with a low pH. The lime increases the pH, making the area more suitable for plant growth.

E. Applying lime will not increase habitat quality, and is not used as a management practice.

40. Which habitat factors must be considered to meet basic wildlife survival needs?

A. food and water

B. food, water, and shelter

C. food, water, shelter, and space

D. food, water, shelter, space and arrangement

E. food, water, shelter, space, arrangement, and species birth rate

41. Food supply for resident insectivorous birds is least abundant in:

A. spring

B. summer

C. fall

D. winter

42. Which practice(s) will best improve white-tailed deer and wild turkey habitat within a 500-acre stand of 20-year old pine timber?

A. thinning the pine stand

B. burning the pine stand

C. thin and burn the pine stand

D. clearcut the pine stand and replant to hardwoods

E. clearcut 250 acres of the pine stand, and leave the remaining 250 acres in timber

43. Which of the following are reasons why species have become endangered?

A. Species have been overused for food commercial purposes, and sport.

B. Species have declined from diseases, pollution, or predation.

C. Extinction is a natural process.

D. All of the above

E. A and B but not C

44. Which wildcat(s) (is/are) native to Mississippi (present or have occurred within the state historically)?

A. bobcat

B. lynx

C. Florida panther

D. Bobcat and Florida panther

E. Bobcat, lynx, and Florida panther

45. Within Mississippi, controlled burning would commonly be used to improve habitat for:

A. red-cockaded woodpeckers

B. eastern gray squirrels

C. black bear

D. neotropical migrants

E. all of the above

46. Where would you most likely find turkey roosting?

A. in thick underbrush

B. on high tree limbs

C. in the hollow of a tree trunk

D. along the edge of a forest

47. All of the following techniques are used by a biologist to estimate the population size of a terrestrial animal species except _____________.

A. counts of pellets or fecal droppings

B. trap, mark and recapture

C. song or call counts

D. creel census

48. Which of the following wildlife management techniques are used to study extinct species.

A. radio telemetry

B. mark-recapture

C. fecal counts

D. all of the above

E. none of the above

49. Which of the following factors is most important in determining the number of offspring wildlife will product?

A. number of predators

B. food supply

C. time of year

D. none of the above

50. Which of the following usually results from the introduction of non-native plant into an ecosystem?

A. a decrease in species diversity

B. an increase in species diversity

C. no change in species diversity

D. introduced plant quickly dies out

On-site Questions

1. Identify the animal that made the track (labeled from A-F).

2. When this animal was alive, how long was it (total length)?

3. Each skull is identified with a letter from A-F. Within Column I, identify if the animal is Herbivore, Carnivore, or Omnivore and within Column II, identify the skull.

4. All rodents in the wild have to chew on bones and horns in order to survive. If they can’t find this material, they will die. Describe the cause of death.