BIOL 1010 Final

In terms of +, - , and 0, predation can be described as a _____ relationship.

+/-

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

1,000

Which of the following is an example of an evolutionary adaptation?

A portion of a forest burns in a forest fire. As a species of beetles starts to recolonize the area, the lighter-colored individuals in the population are much more visible against the burned bark compared to darker individuals. These lighter individuals are eaten by bird predators at a high rate. After two generations, most of the beetles are darker in color.

The term we use to explain our human desire to affiliate with other life in its many forms is

biophilia

The use of living organisms to detoxify polluted ecosystems is called

bioremediation

The most inclusive level of organization in nature is the

biosphere

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

carbon

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

ecological niche

Environmental problems of today will be better understood by looking to the study of

ecology

Which of the following is directly responsible for the rapid extinctions that are occurring at an accelerated pace on Earth?

humans

The emergence of previously unknown infectious diseases, such as HIV, results from

humans disturbing a particular biological community

To get an accurate estimate of the density of a particular species, an ecologist would

increase the number and size of the sample plots where individuals are counted

The energy flow through the trophic levels of an ecosystem is represented as a pyramid because

the primary productivity decreases at each level

Which of the following is a positive benefit of global warming for a particular species?

Bark beetles are able to reproduce twice a year rather than once because of global warming.

Which of the following is the most accurate statement about the Earth's carrying capacity for humans?

Our technology has allowed us to keep increasing carrying capacity.

Which of the following is a scientific observation?

The average temperature in Europe has risen and butterflies are sensitive to temperature change.

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.

Which of the following is a true statement?

The increase in global temperature is often called the greenhouse effect.

The dominant greenhouse gas is

carbon dioxide

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

Evolutionary changes in which an adaptation of one species leads to a counteradaptation in a second species is known as

coevolution

Which of the following is an example of primary succession?

colonization of a newly formed volcanic island

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

community

The study and protection of biological diversity is a field called

conservation biology

Human activity, especially __________, significantly alters the amount of atmospheric water vapor available for the water cycle.

destruction of tropical rain forests

Assume that you are interested in finding a way to control the fungal pathogen that is devastating 75% of the wheat varieties planted worldwide. The approach you should take would be to __________.

find a resistance gene in wild relatives of wheat and insert it into the various wheat varieties

The single greatest current cause of population decline is

habitat destruction

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

integrated pest management

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

A landscape

is composed of interacting ecosystems

Human population growth

is currently exponential

A set of traits that affects an organism's 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

A decrease in the growth rate as the population size approaches carrying capacity is called

logistic population growth

Estuaries are considered examples of

marine biomes

Edge species

may require conditions found in both of the bordering ecosystems

Connections between habitat fragments are referred to as

movement corridors

Photosynthetic organisms, such as plants and algae, depend on the availability of two important inorganic nutrients, _____ and _____.

nitrogen ...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

Evolutionary adaptation may not save long-lived species, such as polar bears and penguins, from extinction because

of rapid habitat loss

Which of the following is a definition of the ecological footprint?

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

One piece of information that is available from a determination of population density is

the number of individuals of a species per unit area or volume of the habitat

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

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

the sun

Which of the following impacts the nitrogen cycle?

use of large amounts of inorganic fertilizers

Terrestrial ecosystems are grouped into biomes primarily on the basis of

vegetative type

An example of an "ecosystem service" that is vital to people is __________.

water purification

An organism's "trophic level" refers to

what it eats

Which of the following is a true statement?

After a period of below-average rainfall, drought-resistant individuals may be more prevalent in a plant population.

Which of the following statements about the intentional release of rabbits and foxes in Australia is true?

Eradication of introduced species is virtually impossible; the best that can be done is to minimize their impact.

A population is defined as

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

Age structures 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

An organism's environment consists of

abiotic and biotic factors

A student decides to take up jogging to improve her aerobic capacity. During the first few weeks of exercise, she is only able to jog for about one and a half miles before tiring. However, after three months, she is able to jog four miles with ease. This physiological change is an example of __________.

acclimation

Which of the following is a population?

all of the redwood trees that live in a forest

Kudzu is

an invasive vine

The definition of your carbon footprint is

the amount of greenhouse gas emitted as a result of your actions

Biodiversity hot spots are

regions with the potential for high levels of extinction

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

secondary and tertiary consumers

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

The goal of developing, managing, and conserving Earth's resources in ways that meet the needs of people today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs is known as _____.

sustainability

Acquiring the ecological information necessary for the responsible development, management, and conservation of Earth's resources is the goal of

sustainable development

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

temperate zones

A major study begun in 1979 in the Amazonian forest of Brazil to learn how to best conserve biodiversity is called

the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragmentation Project