The Song of the Dodo: Island Biogeography in an Age of Extinctions Test | Mid-Book Test - Hard

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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What assumption does Quammen make at the end of his introductory chapter?

2. What important book did Robert McArthur and Edward Wilson publish in 1967?

3. What doe Quammen say about this rule?

4. How do scientists relate data from samples and isolates to larger areas?

5. What evidence did Wallace site to suggest problems with the special creation theory?

Short Essay Questions

1. What findings of Michael Soule's does Quammen cite at the end of Chapter 4, "Rarity Unto Death"?

2. Who is Philip Darlington, and what was his contribution to the discussion of island size and species count?

3. What examples does Quammen use of dispersal ability?

4. What is the first explanation Quammen offers for the relationship between island size and species count?

5. What does Quammen use the island of Tasmania as an example of?

6. What do we know about the dodo?

7. What is trophic cascade?

8. What are the different terms Quammen describes for how people have accounted for the degradation of ecosystems?

9. What does Quammen say about the overall pattern of the Persian rug?

10. What was the understanding about the variety of life forms before the theory of evolution came along?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

If you were going to try to make a difference in the field of rescuing species from extinction, what actions would you take, based on the information presented in this book? What strategies would you employ? What part of Quammen's book leads you to believe that this would be an effective strategy for mitigating species loss.

Essay Topic 2

Write an evaluative review of 'The Song of the Dodo'. What is this book's place in culture? What are its uses? Who is its audience? What are its limitations?

Essay Topic 3

Where is the climax of this book? Are there different climaxes? What questions does each climax resolve? What questions does each climax leave unanswered?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 827 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample