Scribd
Upload
33 views

Population Viability Analysis

1) Population viability analysis (PVA) is a tool used to predict the probability of species extinction based on factors like population size, birth and death rates, environmental fluctuations, and genetic diversity. 2) Small populations face greater risks of extinction from demographic uncertainty, inbreeding depression, and reduced genetic variation which limits their ability to adapt. 3) Isolating a population into small sub-groups or reducing habitat through activities like logging increases the probability of species extinction.

Uploaded by

Strides for English
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
33 views

Population Viability Analysis

1) Population viability analysis (PVA) is a tool used to predict the probability of species extinction based on factors like population size, birth and death rates, environmental fluctuations, and genetic diversity. 2) Small populations face greater risks of extinction from demographic uncertainty, inbreeding depression, and reduced genetic variation which limits their ability to adapt. 3) Isolating a population into small sub-groups or reducing habitat through activities like logging increases the probability of species extinction.

Uploaded by

Strides for English
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

ACADEMIC READING STRIDES IELTS TRAINING

IELTS Academic Reading Exercise 1 - Population Viability Analysis


You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 28-40 which are based on Reading Passage 20 below.

Part A
To make political decisions about the extent and type of forestry in a region it is important to
understand the consequences of those decisions. One tool for assessing the impact of forestry on the
ecosystem is population viability analysis (PVA). This is a tool for predicting the probability that a
species will become extinct in a particular region over a specific period. It has been successfully used
in the United States to provide input into resource exploitation decisions and assist wildlife managers
and there is now enormous potential for using population viability to assist wildlife management in
Australia’s forests. A species becomes extinct when the last individual dies. This observation is a
useful starting point for any discussion of extinction as it highlights the role of luck and chance in the
extinction process. To make a prediction about extinction we need to understand the processes that
can contribute to it and these fall into four broad categories which are discussed below.
Part B
     A)   Early attempts to predict population viability were based on demographic uncertainty whether
an individual survives from one year to the next will largely be a matter of chance. Some pairs may
produce several young in a single year while others may produce none in that same year. Small
populations will fluctuate enormously because of the random nature of birth and death and these
chance fluctuations can cause species extinctions even if, on average, the population size should
increase. Taking only this uncertainty of ability to reproduce into account, extinction is unlikely if the
number of individuals in a population is above about 50 and the population is growing.
     B)   Small populations cannot avoid a certain amount of inbreeding. This is particularly true if there
is a very small number of one sex. For example, if there are only 20 individuals of a species and only
one is a male, all future individuals in the species must be descended from that one male. For most
animal species such individuals are less likely to survive and reproduce. Inbreeding increases the
chance of extinction.
     C)   Variation within a species is the raw material upon which natural selection acts. Without
genetic variability, a species lacks the capacity to evolve and cannot adapt to changes in its
environment or to new predators and new diseases. The loss of genetic diversity associated with
reductions in population size will contribute to the likelihood of extinction.
    D)   Recent research has shown that other factors need to be considered. Australia’s environment
fluctuates enormously from year to year. These fluctuations add yet another degree of uncertainty to
the survival of many species. Catastrophes such as fire, flood, drought or epidemic may reduce
population sizes to a small fraction of their average level. When allowance is made for these two
additional elements of uncertainty the population size necessary to be confident of persistence for a
few hundred years may increase to several thousand.
Part C
Besides these processes, we need to bear in mind the distribution of a population. A species that
occurs in five isolated places each containing 20 individuals will not have the same probability of
extinction as a species with a single population of 100 individuals in a single locality. Where logging
occurs (that is, the cutting down of forests for timber) forest-dependent creatures in that area will be
forced to leave. Ground-dwelling herbivores may return within a decade. However, arboreal
marsupials (that is animals which live in trees) may not recover to pre-logging densities for over a
century. As more forests are logged, animal population sizes will be reduced further. Regardless of
the theory or model that we choose, a reduction in population size decreases the genetic diversity of a
population and increases the probability of extinction because of any or all of the processes listed
above. It is therefore, a scientific fact that increasing the area that is loaded in any region will increase
the probability that forest-dependent animals will become extinct.
ACADEMIC READING STRIDES IELTS TRAINING

Questions 28-31
Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Part A of Reading Passage 1? In
boxes 28-31 on your answer sheet write:
YES                if the statement agrees with the writer
NO                  if the statement contradicts the writer
NOT GIVEN    if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

Example                                                                                                Answer


A link exists between the consequences of decisions and
the decision making process itself.                                                            YES
28.     Scientists are interested in the effect of forestry on native animals.
29.     PVA has been used in Australia for many years.
30.     A species is said to be extinct when only one individual exists.
31.     Extinction is a naturally occurring phenomenon. 
Questions 32-35:
These questions are based on Part B of Reading Passage 1. In paragraphs A to D the author
describes four processes which may contribute to the extinction of a species. Match the list of
processes (i-vi) to the paragraphs. Write the appropriate number (i-vi) in boxes 32-35 on your answer
sheet.
NB. There are more processes than paragraphs so you will not use all of them.
32.   Paragraph A Processes
i   Loss of ability to adapt
33.   Paragraph B ii   Natural disasters
iii   An imbalance of the sexes
iv   Human disasters
34.   Paragraph C v   Evolution
vi  The haphazard nature of reproduction
35.   Paragraph D
Questions 36-38:
Based on your reading of Part C, complete the sentences below with words taken from the passage.
Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 36-38 on your
answer sheet.
While the population of a species may be on the increase, there is always a chance that small isolated
groups .......... (36) .......... Survival of a species depends on a balance between the size of a
population and its .......... (37) ......... The likelihood that animals which live in forests will become
extinct is increased when ..........  (38) ...........
Question 39:
Choose the appropriate letter A-D and write it in box 39 on your answer sheet.
39.  An alternative heading for the passage could be:
     A.    The protection of native flora and fauna
     B.    Influential factors in assessing survival probability
     C.    An economic rationale for the logging of forests
     D.    Preventive measures for the extinction of a species
 

You might also like