CH.20 Quiz

Which ecological definition is incorrect?

A community is made up of biotic and nonliving components.

The island of Guam traditionally has not had any snakes that prey on birds; however, brown tree snakes that prey upon birds were introduced. Use your knowledge of wolf-moose population dynamics to determine what happened to the population dynamics of birds and the new snakes on Guam. Which statement is probably one of the results of the snake introduction?

All of these happened.

Which statement is true of distribution patterns in nature?

Uniform distribution allows individual organisms to maximize space between them.

Ecologists often study the spatial distribution of animals. Which of these descriptions of common distribution patterns is incorrect?

Uniform: moose are highly territorial creatures and move around an island habitat in large groups.

By studying the data collected from Isle Royale, ecologists have discovered that a large wolf population correlates to vigorous tree growth. Which statement best explains this pattern?

Wolves decrease the moose population, which consumes trees as its main diet.

Which event or condition is a density-independent factor that could influence population growth?

a volcanic eruption that covers an island in a layer of lava

How have warmer-than-normal climatic conditions affected moose populations on Isle Royale?

all of these

Once the carrying capacity of an environment is reached, the population generally _____.

all of these

When moose first arrived on Isle Royale and found a habitat without predators, the moose population _____.

all of these

Why are truly random distributions rare in nature?

all of these

Imagine a system where a finch feeds on thistle seeds and the finch population size is linked to the productivity of the thistle, and the thistle population size is related to foraging pressure of the finch population. This is an example of population dynamics at the _____ level.

community

Which of these is NOT an example of something that ecologists would generally study?

how the mitochondria of a mouse function in its cells

Ecologists study organisms at a number of levels with different numbers of components. Which sequence correctly orders these levels, from smallest to largest?

individual, population, community, ecosystem

All of these statements can be advantages of a clumped distribution pattern EXCEPT _____.

it allows individuals to maximize space between them

Which phrase is NOT a biotic factor affecting population growth of moose on Isle Royale?

summer temperatures

All of these statements regarding ecosystems are correct EXCEPT _____.

sunlight and water are good examples of living components of an ecosystem

Growth rates are _____.

the difference between birth and death rates in a population

Population dynamics are influenced by birth and death rates. Which situation is NOT a factor that can cause early death for wolves on Isle Royale?

warmer temperatures causing tick populations that feed on wolves to increase dramatically, which causes wolves to lose blood and decreases their hunting abilities

Carrying capacity is NOT the point _____.

where additional resources are available only to individuals that immigrate into the population