Question

Which of these effects of climate change is NOT likely to negatively impact human health?

• A. Longer summers increase the breeding season of disease vectors such as mosquitos and ticks.
• B. Deforestation and melting permafrost may bring humans into contact with novel pathogens.
• C. Hurricanes, floods, and warmer water temperatures increase our exposure to and the prevalence of waterborne bacterial diseases.
• D. All of these are likely to negatively impact human health.

Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, while overall increasing over the past several decades, do show regular cyclic fluctuations throughout the year. In what season are CO2 levels generally the lowest?

• A. Winter
• B. Spring
• C. Summer
• D. Fall

Which of these is an inducible defense?

• A. Plants producing a toxin in response to herbivory
• B. Toxins found in the skin of poison dart frogs
• C. Insects with cryptic coloration that look like leaves
• D. Harmless species of fly mimicking the yellow-and-black color pattern of a bee
• E. All of these

In the south of France, winters are getting warmer, with fewer freezing nights. In this area, wild populations of the perennial herb Thymus vulgaris (thyme) successfully persist despite the changes. Survival of T. vulgaris has been linked to an increase in the proportion of plants that produce phenolic compounds. This is an example of ________.

• A.

  a shift in phenological patterns in T. vulgaris in response to the effects of climate change

• B.

  a shift in geographical range in T. vulgaris in response to the effects of climate change

• C.

  a change in allele frequencies in T. vulgaris in response to the effects of climate change

• D.

  the adaptation of T. vulgaris to a shift in precipitation patterns

Answer 1

A) The answer is :  All of these are likely to negatively impact human health.
All the options are correct as all these climatic changes will ultimately affect the human beings because of their close association with nature.

B) The answer is : Summer
Plants generally accumulate most of the carbon dioxide during the spring and summer season , mostly in summer and release them in winter and fall seasons. Hence summer has the lowest level of CO2 in atmosphere.

C) The answer is : Plants producing a toxin in response to herbivory
Toxic aglucones and  benzoxazinoids are secreted during tissue damage thereby conferrinng inducible response

D) The answer is : the adaptation of T. vulgaris to a shift in precipitation patterns
The precipitation patterns of the snow has lead to an adaptation in the plants that will allow them to secrete more phenolic compounds as compared to the original level