Intro to Biology: Chapters 18-20

Herbivory is an example of a _____ interaction.

+/-

In terms of + (this member of a species pair benefits from the interaction), - (this member of a species pair is harmed by the interaction), and 0 (this member of a species pair is unaffected by the interaction), predation can be described as a __________ relationship.

+/-

Approximately what percentage of the visible light that reaches Earth's producers is converted to chemical energy?

1%

If there are 500 oak trees in a forest covering 50 square kilometers (km2), then the population density is ________.

10 trees per km2

Earth's present rate of species loss may be as much as __________ times higher than at any time in the past 100,000 years.

100

What is the range of actual efficiencies of energy transfer from one trophic level to the next?

5-20%

Light levels in the _____ are too low to to support photosynthesis

APHOTIC ZONE

Which process or processes return carbon to the atmosphere?

Cellular respiration only

A distinctive biome called a(n) _____ is found where a freshwater stream or river merges with the ocean.

ESTUARY

What is one way in which the movement of energy and chemicals differ in an ecosystem?

Energy flow is unidirectional; chemical elements can be recycled.

An ideal habitat with unlimited resources is associated with

Exponential growth

What federal agency regulates the bottled water industry?

Food and Drug Administration

In an ideal, unlimited environment, what shape does a population's growth curve most closely resemble?

J

What is a characteristic of Type I survivorship curves?

Most individuals survive to older age intervals.

Which of the following correctly ranks the levels of ecological hierarchy from least inclusive to most inclusive?

Organism, Population, Community, Ecosystem, Biome, Biosphere

Fishes and marine mammals swim in open water known as the

PELAGIC REALM

Light reaches organisms in the

PHOTIC ZONE

Logistic growth involves

Population growth slowing down as the population approaches carrying capacity.

In exponential growth

Population size grows faster and faster as the population gets bigger.

Which organisms play a role in returning carbon to the atmosphere?

Producers, consumers, and decomposers.

In a population that is following a logistic growth pattern, what shape does the population's growth curve most closely resemble?

S

According to the logistic growth model, what happens to a population when the size of the population reaches carrying capacity?

The growth rate is zero.

In what ways have red lionfish affected ecosystems along the U.S. Atlantic coast?

The red lionfish is an invasive species that has spread so rapidly and so widely along the Atlantic coast and into the Caribbean that eradication seems virtually impossible.

Currently, how large is the worldwide population of humans relative to Earth's carrying capacity for humans?

There is insufficient information to answer this question.

Which option best describes Type III survivorship curves?

There is low survivorship for the very young.

A fungal disease called wheat stem rust is devastating 75% of the wheat varieties planted worldwide. In what way might biodiversity help solve this problem?

Through crossbreeding or genetic engineering, researchers might be able to incorporate fungal resistance genes from wild relatives of wheat into susceptible wheat varieties.

An unexpected freeze that kills a population of chipmunks is an example of ________.

a density-independent factor

Bears eat berries, humans, and large fish; large fish eat smaller fish and insects; humans eat bears, large fish, and berries. The scenario described here is an example of ________.

a food web

A population is defined as __________.

a group of individuals of a single species that occupies the same general area

What is a population?

a group of organisms of the same species living in a particular geographic area

Plots of age structure are helpful for predicting __________.

a population's future growth

The definition of a density-dependent factor is __________.

a population-limiting factor whose effects intensify as the population increases in density

What will be the approximate shape of the age-structure diagram of a rapidly increasing population?

a pyramid

Ignoring migration, the age structure diagram of a human population likely to maintain a relatively stable size will have what shape?

a rectangle tapering toward the top

In most developed countries, overall population growth rates ________.

are near zero, so the population size is fairly stable

During the Pleistocene era, many large mammal species went extinct. Their permanent disappearance occurred in a short period of time when humans were expanding across North America. In this situation, how do many scientists view humans?

as an invasive species

Desert owls are inactive during the day and active at night. They also have small bodies. This describes _____ adaptation to the hot and dry desert.

atomical and behavioral

The organisms that can convert atmospheric nitrogen gas to a form that can be utilized by plants are ________.

bacteria

Which of these is a biotic component of an environment?

bacteria on the surface of your skin

The use of the Indian mongoose to control rat populations ________.

became a disaster when the mongoose turned out to be as invasive as its target

An example of a mutualism, or +/+ relationship, is ________.

between corals and unicellular algae

Small areas that have a large number of endangered and threatened species are referred to as ________.

biodiversity hot spots

The intentional release of a natural enemy to attack a pest population is called ________.

biological control

The use of living organisms to detoxify polluted ecosystems is called _____.

bioremediation

The most inclusive level of organization in nature is the __________.

biosphere

What is the largest hierarchical level that global warming affects?

biosphere

Which of the following options lists the ecological hierarchy in the correct order, from largest to smallest?

biosphere; ecosystem; community; population; organism

n most developing countries, ________.

birth rates are much higher than death rates, so the population is growing rapidly

Movement corridors ________.

both harmful and beneficial, depending on the organisms that are dispersed

An ecosystem is unlikely to be limited by the supply of _____ because it is obtained from the air.

carbon

The maximum population a habitat can support is its

carrying capacity

During ecological succession, the species composition of a plant community __________.

changes gradually because each species responds differently to changes in environmental factors

Maintaining biodiversity on Earth is important because __________.

changes that underlie a loss of biodiversity may also threaten the human population

Which of these biomes are maintained by fire?

chaparral and savannas

What does the Murphree Water Treatment Plant use to disinfect the water?

chlorine

A scientist is studying how sea slugs respond to predators. Which hierarchical level of ecology does this represent?

community

All the organisms in a particular area make up a(n) __________.

community

Humans, mosquitoes, and Plasmodium together would be considered a(n) ________.

community

Together, all of the living components of the coral reef represent a(n) ________.

community

What level of ecology is concerned with groups of individuals of different species?

community

If you study how two species of finches compete for food, you are trying to answer a question about ________.

community ecology

Humans and sharks both eat fish. Which of these terms applies to the relationship between the human and the shark?

competition

Populations of two coexisting species are both tertiary consumers in a community. What relationship may exist between these two organisms?

competition

What are the two types of aquifers?

confined and unconfined

Which of these is the largest terrestrial biome on Earth?

coniferous forest

Long, snowy winters as well as evergreen trees such as pine and fir are found in

coniferous forests

A movement corridor ________.

connects otherwise isolated patches of quality habitat for a species

The study and protection of biological diversity is a field called __________.

conservation biology

The primary goal of conservation biology is to ________.

counter the loss of biodiversity

Detritus is composed of _____.

dead organic matter and excreted wastes

Which of these organisms convert organic matter to inorganic matter by breaking down dead organisms?

decomposers

What name is given to the process by which detritivores return carbon to the atmosphere?

decomposition

What is the next frontier in the drinking water industry?

desalination

Water-storing plants and deeply rooted shrubs are plants that characterize

deserts

An earthworm that feeds on the remains of plants and animals is acting as a _____.

detritivore

According to the principle of interspecific competition, two species cannot continue to occupy the same __________.

ecological niche

When the mud volcano stops erupting, the disturbed area will be colonized by a variety of species. This process of colonization is called ________.

ecological succession

What level of ecology is concerned with energy flow and the cycling of chemicals among various biotic and abiotic factors?

ecosystem

Which of these organisms has a survivorship curve similar to that of humans?

elephants

Species found in only one place on Earth are called ________ species.

endemic

which part of Earth receives the greatest intensity of solar radiation?

equator

Which biome is one of the most biologically productive of all biomes?

estuaries

In an ideal, unlimited environment, a population's growth follows a(n) ________ model.

exponential

Type I survivorship curves are typical of species that exhibit ________.

few offspring and good parental care

The red-cockaded woodpecker, an endangered species, is dependent upon ________ for maintenance of its source habitat.

fire

In the ecosystem shown, a toxin that accumulates in body tissues would have the largest effect on ________.

fish that eat shrimp and other invertebrates

Over time, the populations of most species ________.

fluctuate

Which of these factors operates on populations in a density-dependent manner?

food supply

Once a groundwater supply is contaminated with marine water, how long will it remain contaminated?

forever

Besides the atmosphere, abiotic reservoirs of carbon dioxide include ________.

fossil fuels and dissolved carbon compounds in the oceans

Most decomposers are _____.

fungi and prokaryotes

Which of these organisms has a survivorship curve similar to that of oysters?

grasses

Throughout most of human history, human population size ________.

grew very slowly

Which of the following is considered to be the safest drinking water source?

groundwater

The single largest current cause of population decline of threatened or endangered species is __________.

habitat destruction

The single greatest threat to biodiversity comes from ______.

habitat destruction and fragmentation

A combination of biological, chemical, and cultural methods for sustainable control of agricultural pests is called __________.

integrated pest management (IPM)

Ecology is the study of ________.

interactions between organisms and their environments

What name is given to the region where ocean meets land?

intertidal zone

Competition among individuals of the same species for the same limited resources is ________ competition.

intraspecific

A non-native species that has spread far beyond the original point of introduction and causes environmental or economic damage is called a(n) __________.

invasive species

Habitat destruction, and thus habitat fragmentation, is the major cause of declining biodiversity; the second major cause is __________.

invasive species

Ignoring migration, the age structure of a human population likely to decrease in size will have what shape?

inverted pyramid

The ecological footprint of the United States ________.

is almost three times higher than the world average

Landscape ecology ________.

is the application of ecological principles to the study of land-use patterns

A regional assemblage of interacting ecosystems is a ________.

landscape

A set of traits that affects a species' schedule of reproduction and survival is called its __________.

life history

The photic zone is the shallow water near shore and the upper layer of water away from shore where

light is available for photosynthesis

If a population's growth rate decreases as the population size approaches carrying capacity, the population's growth follows a(n) ________ model.

logistic

If you have a population growth curve that shows a decrease in the growth rate as the population size approaches carrying capacity, you would say that population is exhibiting __________.

logistic population growth

Estuaries are considered examples of

marine biomes

If their own solute concentration does not match that of their surroundings, aquatic organisms

may experience problems with water balance

Which is a behavioral response to environmental variability?

migrating to a different location

Humans who have pets tend to be healthier than humans who do not have pets. Which of these terms applies to the relationship between a human and a pet?

mutualism

What process was likely important in the development of the resistance to quinine?

natural selection

Which nutrients often limit the distribution and abundance of photosynthetic organisms?

nitrogen and phosphorus

The rising average global temperature is having the greatest effect on the __________.

northernmost regions of the Northern Hemisphere and the Antarctic Peninsula

Biogeochemical cycles are crucial to ecosystem function because __________.

nutrients and other life-sustaining molecules are in limited supply and must be continually recycled

What can moderate climate by absorbing heat when the air is warm and releasing heat when the air is cold?

oceans and lakes

The ecosystem that has low primary production but contributes a large proportion of Earth's total net primary production is ________.

open ocean

Biomass is the total amount of ________ an ecosystem.

organic material in

What level of ecology is concerned with the adaptations of individuals?

organismal

Which of these terms applies to the relationship between a dog and a blood-sucking tick?

parasitism

In an aquatic ecosystem, what name is given to the region where photosynthesis can occur?

photic zone

The figure shows regions of an ocean. In what region do phytoplankton live?

photic zone

microscopic _____ and multicellular algae provide food for the animal community.

phytoplankton

Which of these would NOT contribute to a global increase in temperature?

planting trees

What level of ecology is concerned with groups of individuals of the same species?

population

Which hierarchical level is represented by a survey of students and their habits?

population

One piece of information that could be obtained from a determination of population age structure is __________.

population momentum

A human eats a deer. Which of these terms applies to the relationship between the human and the deer?

predation

A cow eating grass is an example of a _____.

primary consumer

Organisms that consume producers are ________.

primary consumers

The rate at which an ecosystem's producers convert solar energy to chemical energy stored in biomass is called ________.

primary productivity

An organism gets carbon by using carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to make sugar molecules. This organism is a

producer

Every carbon atom in the organic molecules that make up your body MUST recently have been part of

producer

In an ecosystem, phytoplankton are _____.

producers

Ignoring migration, the age structure of a human population likely to increase in size will have what shape?

pyramid

Biodiversity hot spots are __________.

regions with the potential for high levels of extinction

Which of these species typically has a mortality rate that remains fairly constant over an individual's life span?

robins

The major abiotic reservoir for phosphorus is ________.

rock

Which environmental factor is abiotic?

rock

Consider the following segment of a food web: Snails and grasshoppers eat pepper plants; spiders eat grasshoppers; shrews eat snails and spiders; and owls eat shrews. The shrew occupies the trophic level(s) of __________.

secondary and tertiary consumers

In the food chain grass → antelope → human → lion, the human is a(n) ______.

secondary consumer

When a human eats a steak, the human is acting as a _____.

secondary consumer

In an aquatic food chain, small fishes that eat zooplankton are ________.

secondary consumers

The mark-recapture method would be best for sampling a population of _____.

sharks

Switching from fossil fuels to _____ energy would significantly decrease the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

solar, nuclear, and geothermal

Which of the following describes the number of different species in the community?

species richness

Ecologists represent life table data graphically in a __________.

survivorship curve

Modern conservation science increasingly aims at ________.

sustaining entire ecosystems

Latitudes between the tropics and the Arctic Circle (in the north) and between the tropics and the Antarctic Circle (in the south) are called

temperate zones

What are the two major factors determining the distribution of terrestrial biomes?

temperature and rainfall

A human who just ate a hamburger is eaten by a shark while swimming. The shark is acting as a _____.

tertiary consumer

Which of these was the first of the major events that stimulated an increase in the size of the human population?

the advent of agriculture

In 2012, the Global Footprint Network reported that ________.

the average ecological footprint for the world's population had already exceeded the planet's biocapacity per person

Which of the following is an example of primary succession?

the colonization of a newly formed volcanic island

Which of these was the third of the major events that stimulated an increase in the size of the human population?

the discovery of vaccines and the discovery of antibiotics

What is an ecological footprint?

the estimate of the amount of land required to provide the raw materials an individual or a population consumes

According to the logistic growth model, the fastest growth rate of a population occurs when __________.

the population size is at roughly half the carrying capacity of the habitat

In order to assess the species diversity of a community, you would need to know the number of different species present as well as ______.

the relative abundance of the different species

The energy for nearly every organism in almost every ecosystem ultimately comes from _____.

the sun

What are estuaries?

transition areas between a river and the ocean

Water moves from land to the atmosphere through

transpiration and evaporation

Which biome is characterized by an extensive canopy that allows little light to penetrate to the ground and by the presence of epiphytes?

tropical rainforest

Which biome is characterized by the presence of permafrost?

tundra

As a result of a severe disturbance, a community will ________.

undergo succession

To get an accurate estimate of the density of a particular species, an ecologist might __________.

use indirect indicators, such as the number of bird nests or rodent burrows

Terrestrial ecosystems are grouped into biomes primarily on the basis of

vegetation type

An organism's "trophic level" refers to __________.

what it eats

With regard to nutrient pollution in aquatic ecosystems, when is the worst time to apply fertilizer to your lawn?

when it is raining, or is about to rain

With regard to the environment as a whole, when is the worst time to apply pesticide to your lawn?

when it is raining, or is about to rain

Sustainable development ________.

will require making difficult decisions regarding the environment and lifestyle, is necessary for the survival of the human species, and will require global, multinational cooperation

Which of the following statements about tropical atmospheric circulation is true?

As warm air rises, air at the top of the atmosphere is pushed poleward and cools.

The seafloor is called the

BENTHIC REALM

________ are an example of an invasive species.

Burmese pythons

Which option best describes Type II survivorship curves?

Survivorship is constant over the lifespan.

What can be said about Earth's carrying capacity for humans?

Technology has allowed us to keep increasing Earth's carrying capacity.

What is one important difference between savannas and temperate grasslands?

Temperate grasslands are mostly treeless.

Imagine following a single carbon atom through the carbon cycle. Which of the following is a possible path for the carbon atom to take?

The atmosphere, a plant, a herbivore, a decomposer, then back to the atmosphere

Why do toxins accumulate at such high levels in carnivores?

The biomass at any given trophic level is accumulated from a much larger toxin-containing biomass ingested from the level below.

At different times in their lives, salmon can be found in all but one of these biomes. Choose the EXCEPTION.

a wetland biome

An organism's environment consists of __________.

abiotic and biotic factors

The physiological response that allows salmon to survive in fresh water, then in salt water, and then fresh water again is an example of

acclimation

What term applies to the physical and physiological changes experienced by astronauts who spend months in space?

acclimation

Oyster populations are primarily, if not exclusively, composed of _____.

adults

Integrated pest management ________.

advocates mixed-species plantings and rotating crops

Which of these removes carbon from the atmosphere?

algae

Which of these is a community?

all of the organisms living in your garden

Which of the following is a population?

all of the redwood trees that live in a forest

Human population growth __________.

has been exponential

Most crop pests ________.

have an opportunistic life history

Species that exhibit an equilibrial life history typically ________.

have long lives

Which ecosystems support life in the absence of sunlight?

hydrothermal vent habitats

Which of the following would NOT cause population size to decrease?

increased birth rate

Non-native species can have important effects on biological communities by ________.

increasing biodiversity

Which of these was the second of the major events that stimulated an increase in the size of the human population?

industrial revolution