Human Impact on the Environment — Answer Key
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. An animal naturally found in a region is called a native species.
Native species coevolved with the local food web and climate over time.
2. A species brought from elsewhere that harms local life is invasive.
Invasive species disrupt ecosystems by outcompeting or eating natives.
3. A pathway of habitat linking protected areas is called a corridor.
Corridors reduce isolation and let animals exchange genes between populations.
4. Cutting down forests for farmland is called deforestation.
Deforestation destroys habitat and releases stored carbon into the atmosphere.
5. Land set aside by law to protect wildlife is a protected area.
Protected areas limit logging, mining, and hunting to conserve biodiversity.
6. The variety of life in a place is called biodiversity.
High biodiversity makes ecosystems more resilient to disease and disturbance.
7. When habitats break into small pieces it is called fragmentation.
Fragmented habitat traps small populations and raises extinction risk.
8. Bees, butterflies, and bats are important pollinators for many crops.
Pollinators enable about one-third of the food humans eat worldwide.
9. A managed plan to save a threatened species is a conservation program.
Conservation programs combine habitat, breeding, and law to recover species.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
Bald eagle recovery
→ Banned DDT and grew populations
Banned DDT and grew populations
Yellowstone wolf reintroduction
→ Restored elk-and-river balance
Restored elk-and-river balance
Coral reef sanctuaries
→ Protected fish nurseries from fishing
Protected fish nurseries from fishing
Highway wildlife overpasses
→ Reduced animal road deaths
Reduced animal road deaths
Real programs produce real results: pesticide bans, predator returns, sanctuaries, overpasses.