APES Chapter 4
At which time after clear-cutting does the ecosystem exhibit the greatest species richness?
100 Years
The graphs above show the population size and distribution of beak sizes in a finch population on the island of Daphne Major in the Galapagos in 1976 and 1978. Smaller-beaked finches are better suited for eating grasses and small seeds. Larger-beaked finches are better suited for cracking larger seeds and nuts. In 1977 a drought took place and the vegetation of the island was affected by the lack of rain. Which of the following was the average beak size of finches on the island of Daphne Major in 1976?
9.5mm
Which of the following statements about levels of biodiversity is correct?
A population with high genetic biodiversity is better able to respond to environmental stressors.
Which of the following is most likely to be the direct result of lack of genetic diversity in a food crop such as corn?
Decreased kernel size
Which of the following best explains how environmental stressors, such as wildfires, can affect biodiversity in an ecosystem?
Ecosystems with more species diversity are more likely to recover after a disturbance than ecosystems with low species diversity.
Living organisms must acquire energy from their environment. Examples of adaptations that help organisms acquire this energy include which of the following? I. The dark, heat-absorbing coloration of a reptile. II. The fangs and claws of a lion III. The light coloration of a peppered moth
I and II only
Based on the data shown in the graph, when would the species richness of the ecosystem have been the lowest?
One to four years after the volcanic eruption
The tropical rain forests are known to have a large variety of animals. One example is the orchid mantis that is highly camouflaged when standing on a certain species of orchid found in tropical environments. Another species, the tropical cockroach, can live anywhere in the rain forest where it can find water and a food source. Which of the following statements best describes why it is predicted that the orchid mantis will be more affected by global climate change than the tropical cockroach will be?
Orchid mantises tend to be advantaged in habitats that remain constant; the rain forest habitat is likely to shift because of global climate change
Raccoons eat a variety of foods and can live in a variety of habitats, including locations near humans. Tiger salamanders eat an abundance of worms and insects and require wetland habitats so they do not dry out. Which of the following best identifies the two different species?
Raccoons are generalists, and salamanders are specialists
Salamanders, ospreys, snapping turtles, and beavers all live in aquatic habitats. Salamanders lay their eggs in small freshwater pools and feed on insects. Osprey habitats include rivers, bays, and swamps and the birds feed on fish and other animals in the water or on land. Snapping turtles live in fresh or brackish water and feed on plants, fish, frogs, and snakes. Beavers build lodges on islands, pond banks, and lake shores and eat a variety of shrubs, grasses, and crops. Based on the information provided above, which of the following species would best be classified as a specialist?
Salamanders
Which of the following is the best example of a keystone species?
Sea Otter
What is a specialist species?
Species that have narrow niches, live in limited (if not one) type of habitat, tolerate a narrow range of environmental condtions, and eat few (if not one) types of food.
What is an indicator species?
Species that indicate environmental quality or levels of pollution by their presence, absence or abundance.
What is species richness?
The number of a given species in a certain area
The table below shows measurements of the beak size of a sample of ten ground finches on each of two islands in the Galápagos archipelago. The two islands are about ten kilometers apart, and all the birds are the same species. Given that beak size is genetically determined, which of the following hypotheses is the most likely explanation for the differences in data between the islands?
The types of food found on the two islands exert selective pressure on beak size.
All of the following statements about invasive exotic species are true EXCEPT:
They tend to have low reproductive rates
What is species evenness?
a measure of the relative abundance or the comparative numbers of each species present
What is a keystone species?
a species on which other species in an ecosystem largely depend, such that if it were removed the ecosystem would change drastically.