AP Bio Ecology
Which of the following are important biotic factors that can affect the structure and organization of biological communities? a) predation, competition B) light intensity, seasonality c) nutrient availability, soil pH d) precipitation, wind e) temperature, water
a
You are working for the Environmental Protection Agency and researching the effect of a potentially toxic chemical in drinking water. There is no documented scientific evidence showing that the chemical toxic, but many suspect it to be a health hazard. Using the precautionary principle, what would be a reasonable environmental policy? a) set the acceptable levels of the chemical conservatively low, and keep them there unless future studies show that they can be raised safely. b) establish a contingency fund to handle insurance claims in the event that the chemical turns out to produce negative health effects c) caution individuals to use their own judgement in deciding whether to drink water from a potentially contaminated area d) establish no regulations until there are conclusive scientific studies e) set the acceptable levels at the highest levels encountered, and keep them there unless future studies demonstrate negative health effects
a
as N approaches K for a certain population, which of the following is predicted by the logistic equation a) the growth rate will approach zero b) the growth rate will not change c) the population will show an Allee effect d) the carrying capacity of the environment will increase e) the population will increase exponentially
a
how are matter and energy used in ecosystems? a) matter is cycled through ecosystems; energy is not b) energy is cycled through ecosystems; matter is not c) energy can be converted into matter; matter cannot be converted into energy d) matter can be converted into energy; energy cannot be converted into matter e) matter is used in ecosystems; energy is not
a
if a meteor impact or volcanic eruption injected a lot of dust into the atmosphere and reduced the sunlight reaching earth's surface by 70% for one year, all of the following marine communities most likely would be greatly affected excepted a) deep sea vent communities b) pelagic communities c) benthic communities d) coral reef communities e) estuary communities
a
suppose you attend a town meeting at which some experts tell the audience that they have preformed a cost benefit analysis of a proposed transit system that would probably reduce overall air pollution and fossil fuel consumption. the analysis however reveals that ticket price will not cover the cost of operating the system when fuel, wages, and equipment are taken into account. As a biologist, you know that if ecosystem services had been included in the analysis the experts might have arrived at a different answer. why are ecosystem services rarely included in economic analyses? a) their cost is difficult to estimate and people take them for granted b) they are not worth much and are usually not considered c) there are no laws that require investigation of ecosystem services in environmental planning d) there are many variables to ecosystem services making their calculation is impossible e) ecosystem services only take into account abiotic factors that affect local environments
a
the life history traits favored by selection are most likely to varying with a) population density b) population dispersion c) fluctuations in K d) the maximum size of a population e) the shape of a J curve
a
the primary different between the small population approach and the declining population approach to biodiversity recovery is a) S-PA is interested in bolstering the genetic diversity of a threatened population rather than the environmental factors that caused the population's decline b) S-PA kicks in for conservation biologist when population numbers fall below 500 c) D-PA would likely involve the bringing together of individuals from scattered small populations to interbreed to promote genetic diversity d)S-PA would investigate and eliminate all of the human impacts on the habitat of the species being studied for recovery e) D-PA would use recently collected population data to calculate an extinction vortex
a
what is the most important role of photosynthetic organisms in an ecosystem? a) converting inorganic compounds into organic compounds b) absorbing solar radiation c) producing organic detritus for decomposers d) dissipating heat e) recycling energy from other tropic levels
a
which of the following species has been shown to be most susceptible to habitat fragmentation? a) red cockaded woodpecker b) humpback whale c) Canada goose d) nile perch e) zebra mussel
a
How would an ecologist likely explain the expansion of the cattle egret? a) there are no natural predators for cattle egrets in the New World, so they continue to expand their range b) a habitat left unoccupied by native herons and egrets met the biotic and abiotic requirements of the cattle egret transplants and their descendants c) climatic factors, such as temperature and precipitation provide suitable habitat for cattle egrets d) the areas to which the cattle egret has expanded have no cattle egret parasites e) the first egrets to colonize South America evolved into a new species capable of competing with the native species of herons and egrets
b
a population of white footed mice because severely overpopulated in a habitat that has been disturbed by human activity. sometimes intrinsic factors cause the population to increase in mortality and lower reproduction rates in reaction to the stress of overpopulation. which of the following is an example of intrinsic population control a) owl population frequent the area more often because of increased hunting success b) females undergo hormonal changes that delay sexual maturation and many individuals suffer depressed immune systems and die due to the stress of overpopulation c) all of the resources are used up by overpopulation and much of the population dies of exposure and/or starvation d) because of the individuals are vulnerable they are more likely to die off if a drought or flood were to occur e) clumped dispersion of the population leaders to increased spread of disease and parasites resulting in a population crash
b
a secondary consumer that can eat only primary consumers receives what percent of the energy fixed of primary producers in a typical field ecosystem? a) 0.1% b)1% c) 10% d) 20% e) 90%
b
aquatic ecosystem are least likely to be limited by which of the following nutrients? a) nitrogen b) carbon c) phosphorus d) iron e) zinc
b
dwarf mistletoes are flowering plants that grow on certain forest trees. they obtain nutrients and water from the vascular tissues of the trees. the trees derive no known benefits from the dwarf mistletoes. which of the following best describes the interactions between the dwarf mistletoes and trees? a) mutualism b) parasitism c) commensalism d) facilitation e) competition
b
in a tide pool, 15 species of invertebrates were reduced to eight after one species was removed. the species removed was likely a(n) a) community facilitator b) keystone species c) herbivore d) resource partitioner e) mutualistic organism
b
natural selection involves energetic trade offs between a) choosing how many offspring to produce over the course of a lifetime and how long to live b) high survival rates of offspring and the cost of parental care c) the emigration of individuals when they are no longer reproductively capable or committing suicide d) increasing the number of individuals produced during each reproductive episode with a corresponding decrease in parental care e) producing large numbers of gametes when employing internal fertilization versus fewer numbers of gametes when employing external fertilization
b
resource partitioning would be most likely to occur between a) sympatric populations of a predator and its prey b) sympatric populations of species with similar ecological niches c) sympatric populations of a flowering plant and its specialized insect pollinators d) allopatric populations of the same animal species e) allopatric populations of species with similar ecological niches
b
to recycle nutrients, the minimum an ecosystem must have is a) producers b) producers and decomposers c) producers, primary consumers, and decomposers d) producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and decomposers e) producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, top carnivores, and decomposers
b
which of the following is the most accepted hypothesis as the why invasive species take over communities into which they have been introduced? a) invasive species are more aggressive than natives in competing for the limited resources of the environment b) invasive species are not held in check by the predators and agents of disease that have always been in place for the natives c) humans always select which species will outcompete the nuisance native species d) invasive species have a higher reproductive potential than native species e) invasive species come from geographically isolated regions, so when they are introduced to regions where there is more competition, they thrive
b
which of the following members of a marine food chain occupies a similar trophic level to a grasshopper in a terrestrial food chain a) phytoplankton b) zooplankton c) lobster d) sea lion e) shark
b
which of the following statements best describes the effect of climate on biome distribution? a) knowledge of annual temperature and precipitation is sufficient to predict which biome will be found in an area b) it is not only the average climate that is important in determining biome distribution, but also the pattern of climatic variation c) correlation of climate with biome distribution is sufficient to determine the cause of biome patterns d) fluctuation of environmental variables is not important if areas have the same annual temperature and precipitation means e) temperate forests, coniferous forests, and grasslands all have the same mean annual temperatures and precipitation
b
which of the following terms best describes the interaction between termites and the protozoans that feed in their gut a) commensalism b) mutualism c) competitive exclusion d) ectoparasitism e) endoparaitism
b
Monarch butterflies are protected from birds and other predators but the cardiac glycosides they incorporate into their tissues are from eating milkweed when they were in their caterpillar stage of development. the wings of a different species of butterfly, the viceroy, look nearly identical to the monarch so predators that have learned not to eat the bad tasting monarch avoid viceroys as well. this example best describes a) aposmatic coloration b) cryptic coloration c) batesian mimicry d) mullerian mimicry e) mutualism
c
Which of the following statements about light in aquatic environments is correct? a) light penetration seldom limits the distribution of photosynthetic species b) most photosynthetic organisms avoid the surface where the light is not too intense c) water selectively reflects and absorbs certain wavelengths of light d) photosynthetic organisms that live in deep water probably use red light e) longer wavelengths penetrate to greater depths
c
a movement corridor a) is a path used by migratory animals when they more to their wintering locales b) is the path most commonly used by an animal within its home range c) unites otherwise isolated patches of quality habitat d) is always beneficial to a species e) is always some natural component of the environment
c
during the course of the formation of a parasite/host relationship, a critical first step in this evolution would be a) changing the behavior of the host or intermediate host b) developing asexual reproduction c) deriving nourishment without killing the host d) starting as an ectoparasite and then late becoming an endoparasite e) utilizing both heterotopic and autotrophic nutrition during dormancy
c
extinction is a natural phenomenon. it is estimated that 99% of all species that ever lived are now extinct. why then do we say that we are now in a biodiversity crisis? a) humans are ethically responsible for protecting endangered species b) scientists have finally identified most of the species on earth and are thus able to quantify the number of species becoming extinct c) the current rate of extinction is high and human activities threaten biodiversity at all levels d) humans have greater medical needs than at any other time in history, and many potential medicinal compounds are being lost as plant species become extinct e) most biodiversity hop spots have been destroyed by recent ecological disasters
c
how is habitat fragmentation related to biodiversity loss? a) less carbon dioxide is absorbed by plants in fragmented habitats b) in fragmented habitats, more soil erosion takes place c) populations of organisms in fragments are smaller and thus more susceptible to extinction d) animals are forced out of smaller habitat fragments e) fragments generate silt that negatively affect sensitive river and stream organisms
c
how is it that the open ocean produces the highest new primary productivity of earth's ecosystem, yet net primary productivity per square meter is relatively low? a) oceans contain greater concentrations of nutrients compared to other ecosystems b) oceans receive a greater amount of solar energy per unit area c) oceans have the greatest total area d) oceans possess greater species diversity e) oceanic producers are generally much smaller than its consumers
c
imagine that you are managing a large ranch. you know from historic accounts that wild sheep used to live there, but they have been extirpated. you decide to reintroduce them. after doing some research to determine what might be an appropriately sized founding population, you do so. you then watch the population increase for several generations. the graph will appear as a) an S increasing with each generation b) an upside down U c) a J increasing with each generation d) a diagonal line getting higher with each generation e) an S that ends with a vertical line
c
relatively small geographic areas with high concentrations of endemic species are known as a) endemic sinks b) critical communities c) biodiversity hot spots d) endemic metapopulations e) bottlenecks
c
uniform spacing patterns in plants such as the creosote bush are most often associated with a) patterns of high humidity b) the concentration of nutrients within the populations range c) competition interactions among individual in the population d) the random distribution of seeds e) chance
c
which of the following examples would most accurately measure the density pf the population being studied a) multiplying the number of moss plants counted in 10, 1m squared quadrats by 100 to determine the density per kilometer squared b) counting the number of prairie dog burrows per hectare c) counting the number of zebras from airplane census observations d) counting the number of times a 1 kilometer transected by tracks of red squirrels after a snowfall e) counting the number of coyote droppings per hectare
c
which of the following is not true about estuaries? a) estuaries contain water of varying salinity b) estuaries support many semiaquatic species c) estuaries usually contain no or fewer producers d) estuaries support a variety of animal life that humans consume e) estuaries are often bordered by mudflats and salt marshes
c
which of the following treatments would most likely create a healthy, biodiverse community out of an impoverished community a) decrease the number of top level predator b) eliminate some of the pest species of trees and shrubs c) add plenty of nutrients to the soil d) add more predators e) reduce the number of primary producers
c
Experts in deer ecology generally agree that population sizes of deer that live in temperature climates are limited by winter snow. the deer congregate in yarding areas under evergreen trees because venturing out to feed in winter is energetically too expensive when snowfall depths accumulate to above 40cm. deer often stay yarded until the spring thaw. Snow depth over 40 inches for more than 60 days results in high mortality due to starvation. this observation best illustrates which of the following principles about factors that limit distribution of organisms? a) organisms will face extinction unless they adapt to conditions or evolve new mechanisms for survival b) temporary extremes in weather conditions usually result in high morality in the deer population c) abiotic factors, such as weather extremes, ultimately limit distribution d) environmental factors are limiting not only in amount but also in longevity e) daily accumulations in snow depths gradually add up to cause increased deer morality
d
Studying species transplants is a way that ecologists a) consolidate a landscape region into a single ecosystem b) develop mathematical models for distribution and abundance of organisms c) determine if dispersal is a key factor in limiting distribution of organisms d) determine the distribution of a species in a specified area e) determine the abundance of a species in a specified area
d
Which of the following levels of organization is arranged in the correct sequence from most to least inclusive? a) individual, community, population, ecosystem b) population, ecosystem, individual, community c) community, ecosystem, individual, population d) ecosystem, community, population, individual e) individual, population, community, ecosystem
d
a porcupine eats 3,000 J of plant material. 1,600 J is indigestible and is eliminated as feces. 1,300 J are used in cellular respiration. what is the approximate production efficiency of this animal? a) .03% b) 1% c) 3% d) 10% e) 30%
d
approximately how many kg of carnivore production can be supported by a field plot containing 2000kg of pant material a) 20,000 b) 2,000 c) 200 d) 20 e) 2
d
carrying capacity is a) fixed for most species over most of their range most of the time b) determined by density and dispersion data c) the term used to describe the stress a population undergoes due to limited resources d) the maximum population size that a particular environment can support e) seldom reached by marine producers and consumers because of the vast resources of the ocean
d
fire suppression by humans a) is necessary for the protection of threatened and endangered forest species b) will always result in an increase in the species diversity in a given biome c) is a management goal of conservation biologists to maintain the health condition of biomes d) can change the species composition within biological communities e) will result ultimately in sustainable production of increased amounts of wood for human use
d
how might the extinction of some pacific island bats called flying foxes threaten the survival of over 75% of the three species in those islands? a) the bats eat the insects that harm competitor plants b) the bats consume the fruit including the seeds that would be part of the trees reproductive cycle c) the bats roost in the trees and fertilize soil around the trees with their nitrogen rich dropping d) the bats pollinate the trees and disperse seeds e) the bats pierce the fruit, which allows the seeds to germinate
d
human use of prokaryotic organisms to help detoxify a polluted wetland would be an example of a) ecosystem augmentation b) keystone species introduction c) biological control d) bioremediation e)population viability analysis
d
in mountainous areas of western North America, north facing slopes would be expected to a) receive more sunlight that similar southern exposures b) support biological communities similar to those found lower elevations on similar south facing slopes c) consisting steeper than southern exposures d) support biological communities similar to those found at higher elevations on similar south facing slopes e) be warmer and drier than comparable southern exposed slopes
d
of the following zoonotic diseases, which is the most applicable to study by a community ecologist? a) mad cow disease b)hantavirus c)AIDS d) avian flu e) trichinosis
d
the allee effect is used to describe a population that a) approaches carrying capacity b) is in crash decline c) has become so large it will have difficultly surviving and reproducing d) has become so small that it will have difficultly surviving and reproducing e) exceeds carrying capacity
d
to better comprehend the magnitude of current extinctions, it will be necessary to a) monitor atmospheric carbon dioxide levels more closely b) differentiate between plant extinction and animal extinction numbers c) focus on identifying more species of mammals and birds d) identify more of the yet unknown species of organisms on earth e) use the average extinction rates of vertebrates as a baseline
d
to measure the density of butterflies occupying a particular park, 100 butterflies are captured, marked with a small dot on a wing, and then released. the next day, another 100 butterflies captured, including the recapture of 20 marked butterflies. one would estimate the population would be a) 200 b) 900,00 c) 10,000 d) 500 e) 1,000
d
turnover of water in temperature lakes during the spring and fall is made possible by which of the following? a) cold, more dense water layered at the bottom b) a district thermocline between less dense warm water and cold, dense water c) currents generated by nektonic animals d) the density of water changes as seasonal temperatures change e) warm, less dense water layered at the top
d
when levels of CO2 are experimentally increased, C3 plants generally respond with a greater increase in productivity than C4 plants. This is because a) C3 plants are more efficient in their use of CO2 b) C3 plants are able to obtain the same amount of CO2 by keeping their stomata open for shorter periods of time c) C4 plants don't use CO2 as their source of carbon d) C3 plants are more limited than C4 plants by CO2 availability because of transpirational water loss e) C3 plants have special adaptations for CO2 uptakes, such as larger stomata
d
which of the following assumptions have to be made regarding the capture recapture estimate of population size 1. marked and unmarked individuals have the same probability of being trapped 2. the marked individuals have thoroughly mixed with population after being marked 3. no individuals have entered or left the population by immigration or emigration, and no individuals have been added by birth or eliminated by death during the course of the estimate a) 2 only b) 2 and 3 only c) 1 only d) 1 and 2 and 3 e) 1 and 2 only
d
which of the following conditions in the most likely indicator of a population in an extinction vortex? a) the population is geographically divided into the smaller populations b) the species is found only in small pockets of its former range c)the effective population size of the species falls below 500 d) genetic measurements indicate a continuing loss of genetic variation e) the population is no longer connected by corridors
d
which of the following is the most direct threat to biodiversity? a) increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide b) the depletion of the ozone layer c) overexploitation of species d) habitat destruction e) zoned reserves
d
which of the following properly links the nutrient to its reservoir? a) nitrogen ionic nitrogen in the soil b) water atmospheric water vapor c) carbon dissolved CO2 in aquatic ecosystems d) phosphorous sedimentary rocks e) A,B, C and D are all correct
d
Coral animals a) are predominantly photosynthetic, multicellular algae b) can tolerate low oxygen and nutrient levels, and varying levels of salinity c) build coral reefs by gluing sand particles together d) can only survive in tropical waters 300 degrees Celsius and above e) are a diverse group of cnidarians often forming mutualistic symbiotic relationships with dinoflagellate algae
e
a population is correctly defined as having which of the following characteristics? 1. inhabiting the same general area 2. individuals belonging to the same species 3. possessing a constant and uniform density and dispersion a) 2 and 3 only b) 1 and 2 and 3 c) 3 only d) 1 only e) 1 and 2 only
e
if the sex ratio in a population is significantly different from 50:50 then which of the following will always be true? a) the population will enter the extinction vortex b) the genetic variation in the population will increase over time c) the genetic variation on the population will decrease over time d) the effective population size will be greater than the actual population size e) the effective population size will be less than the actually population size
e
if you wanted to convert excess grain into the greatest amount of animal biomass, to which animal would you feed the grain? a) chickens b) mice c) cattle d) carp e) mealworms
e
introduced species can have deleterious effects on biological communities by a) preying on native species b) competing with native species for food or light c) displacing native species d) competing with native species for space or breeding/nesting habitat e) a,b,c,d
e
the greatest cause of the biodiversity crisis that includes all of the others is a) pollution b) global warming c) habitat destruction d) introduced species e) overpopulation of humans
e
which of the following is primarily responsible for limiting the number of trophic levels in most ecosystems? a) many primary and higher order consumers are opportunistic feeders b) decomposers compete with higher order consumers for nutrients and energy c) nutrient cycles involve both abiotic and biotic components of ecosystems d) nutrient cycling rates tend to be limited by decomposition e) energy transfer between tropic levels is in almost all cases less than 20% efficient
e
which of the following statements best describes the difference in approach to studying the environment by early naturalists compared to present day ecologist? a) early naturalists were interested with mans interaction with the natural world; present day ecologists seek to link ecology to developmental biology b) early naturalists were interested in interactions between organisms and their environment; present day ecologists are interested in interactions between organisms c) early naturalists manipulated the environment and observed changed in plant and animal populations, while modern ecology focuses on population dynamics d) early naturalists systematically recorded what they observed in their environment; modern ecology is only concerned with mans impact on the environment e) early naturalists employed a descriptive approach; present day ecologists generate hypotheses, design experiments, and draw conclusions from their observations
e
you are most likely to observe primary succession in a terrestrial community when you visit a(n) a) tropical rain forest b) abandoned field c) recently burned forest d) recently created volcanic island e) recently plowed field
e
