Biology Unit 6

Tropical regions vary about ______ year round.

2-3 C

Which of the following accurately describe the following features of K-selected species? A. Life span B. Mortality rate C. Size of offspring

A. Long; B. Usually low; C. Large

_-selected species are those with relatively stable populations adapted to existing at or near their carrying capacity.

Blank 1: K or k-selected

_growth occurs when population growth slows down as K is approached, whereas _ growth occurs when population growth increases by some constant factor.

Blank 1: Logistic Blank 2: exponential

Interactions between two species of organisms can take many forms. _ is a relationship in which both species benefit (+/+) , whereas _ benefits one species and leaves the other unaffected (+/0).

Blank 1: Mutualism Blank 2: Commensalism

_, like herbivory, is typically nonlethal and differs from predation in that the organism typically lives and reproduces in the living host.

Blank 1: Parasitism or Parasitic

_ _ can be considered the community measure that incorporates both species number and relative abundance.

Blank 1: Species Blank 2: diversity

species have large habitat requirements, so that protecting them protects many other species in the same habitat.

Blank 1: Umbrella

_ acts as a solvent for chemical reactions, is the means by which animals eliminate waste, and is used for support in plants.

Blank 1: Water or water

can amplify the effects of temperature by increasing the rate of heat loss by convection.

Blank 1: Wind or wind

The rate of offspring production for females of a certain age is called the _-_ fertility rate.

Blank 1: age Blank 2: specific

Organisms that harvest light or chemical energy and store that energy in chemical bonds are called _

Blank 1: autotrophs

Cycles that involve the movement of chemical elements through ecosystems involving biological, geological, and chemical transport mechanisms are called _ cycles.

Blank 1: biogeochemical

Detritivores obtain their energy from consuming _organisms from all trophic levels.

Blank 1: dead

The theory and practice of _ design incorporate principles of island biogeography and landscape ecology.

Blank 1: preserve

_-selected species exhibit high per capita growth rates with poor competitive ability, whereas _-selected species exhibit low per capita growth rates with strong competitive ability.

Blank 1: r Blank 2: K

The number and relative abundance of species in a community is called

Blank 1: species Blank 2: diversity

Organisms that eat secondary consumers are called _ consumers, or secondary carnivores.

Blank 1: tertiary or 3o

In bottom-up control, the reduction in available energy passed from plants to herbivores is a line of evidence based on the properties of _ energy transfer.

Blank 1: thermodynamic

According to the species-_ hypothesis, temperate regions have less rich communities than tropical ones because they are younger, and thus not as likely to have evolved and diversified.

Blank 1: time

many species of _ take extended periods of time, hundreds and perhaps thousands of years, for seed dispersal.

Blank 1: trees

Each level of a food chain is called a(n) _ level.

Blank 1: trophic

Which of the following include methods used by population ecologists to estimate density?

Capturing animals, tagging and then releasing them Trapping animals in a small area

Which of the following is not a type of mimicry defense?

Catalepsis

All of the following are broad areas of ecology except:

Cellular

Which of the following are examples of strategies that animals have evolved to avoid being eaten by predators? Choose all that apply.

Chemical defense Camouflage and mimicry Armor and weaponry

Choose the species interaction in which one organism benefits and the other one is neither helped nor harmed.

Commensalism

Which of the following statements about ecology is INCORRECT?

Ecology is a discipline that is independent of natural selection and evolutionary history.

What type of ecology is concerned with the movement of energy and materials through organisms and their communities?

Ecosystem

Relative to other aquatic biomes, what is the nutrient level in the open ocean?

Low

Which reason given below supports the term food web over food chain?

Most carnivores and herbivores consume more than one specific species

Temperature is a very critical factor in how organisms are distributed. Why?

Most organisms cannot regulate their body temperature precisely

From the list below, choose the two types of mimicry.

Mullerian Batesian

dispersion

the extent to which individuals ina population are clustered together or spread out.

Choose all components of biodiversity.

the genetic diversity of species the ecosystems formed by species the variety of different species

evapotranspiration rate

the rate at which water moves into the atmosphere through the processes of evaporation from the soil and other surfaces and transpiration of plants

age-specific fertility rate

the rate of offspring production for females of a certain age; used to calculate how a population grows

zero population growth

the situation in which no changes in population size occur

Herds of antelope, zebra, wildebeest, and predators such as cheetah, lion, leopard, and hyena are found in the ______ biome.

tropical grassland

Many plants with medicinal value are found in this biome.

tropical rain forest

True or false: A population is a fluid entity with individuals migrating in and out of an area

true

True or false: The ecological footprint of the average American is greater than the worldwide average.

true

True or false: the accumulation of chemicals in the bodies of organisms in food chains is more of a problem at the higher trophic levels.

true

Mullerian mimicry

type of mimicry in which 2 or more noxious species converge to look the same, thus reinforcing the basic distasteful design

niche

unique set of habitat resources a species requires as well as its effect on the ecosystem

______ is a count of the number of species present in a community; ______ also takes into account the relative abundance of the different species present in the community.

Species richness; species diversity

Life table

Table that provides data on the numbers of living individuals in various age classes in a population and their relative fertilities

Which biome has annual precipitation between 30 and 70 cm, occurring in the form of snow, with very cold temperatures for long periods of time?

Temperate coniferous forest

Which biome is known commonly by its Russian name, taiga, it is found north of the temperate-zone forests and grasslands?

Temperate coniferous forest

Which biome lies north of the temperate-zone forests and grasslands, and is commonly known by its Russian name, taiga?

Temperate coniferous forest

In which of the following biomes annual rainfall is generally between 25 and 100 cm, and temperatures can fluctuate between -10C, and +30C?

Temperate grassland

Which biome is found only in coastal locales, and where will you find large evergreen trees (such as Douglas fir and Sitka spruce), as well as epiphytes and a thick and spongy litter layer?

Temperate rain forest

Which biome is found only in coastal locations due to the moderating influence of the ocean air on temperature?

Temperate rain forest

Community

an assemblage of populations of different species that live i nthe same place at the same time

The interacting system of a community of organisms and the physical environment in which they live is called:

an ecosystem

Ecology as a discipline directly deals with all of the following levels of biological organization except:

cellular

All of the following are common antipredation strategies that have evolved in animals EXCEPT:

character displacement

Intraspecific competition

competition between individuals of the same species

interspecific

competition between members of different species

interference competition

competition in which access to a resource is limited by the presence of a competitor

The field of ______ uses knowledge from molecular biology, genetics, and ecology to protect the biological diversity of life.

conservation biology

biogeochemical cycle

continuous movement of a nutrient such as nitrogen, carbon, sulfur, or phosphorus from the physical environment to organisms and back

Succession

gradual and continuous change in species composition of a community over time

pyramid of energy

graphic representation of trophic levels in a food web in which rates of energy production are used rather than biomass

survivorship curve

graphical plot of the numbers of surviving individuals for each age class in a population

The role and position a species has in its environment is best defined as its:

niche

amensalism

one-sided competition between species, in which the interaction is detrimental to one species but not to the other.

pelagic zone

open ocean where the water depth averages 4,000m and nutrient concentrations are typically low

fundamental niche

optimal range of condition in which a particular species functions best

secondary consumers

organism that eats primary consumers; also called a carnivore

macroparasites

parasite that lives in a host but releases infective juvenile stages outside the host's body

ectoparasites

parasite that lives on the outside of the host's body

logistic growth

pattern in which the growth of a population typically slows down as the population size approaches the carrying capacity.

iteoparity

pattern of repeated reproduction at intervals throughout an organism's life cycle

diversity-stability hypothesis

proposal that species-rich communities are more stable than those with fewer species

Species-time hypothesis

proposal that temperate regions have less species rich communities than tropical ones because they areyounger

The intrinsic rate of increase is represented by

rN

Which of the following is known prey of the Burmese python populations in Florida's Everglades region? Select all answers that apply.

raccoons opossums the wood stork

exponential growth

rapid population growth that occurs when the per capita growth rate remains above zero

character displacement

tendency for 2 species to diverge in morphology and thus resource use because of competition

Which of the following is an a correct statement about introduced vertebrates negatively impacting an aquatic environment? Choose all that apply.

of the nonnative freshwater fish in California, half are known to have a negative impact over 25% of freshwater fish in California are nonnative

biogeographic region

one of 6 geographic regions into which the world's biota can be divided; Nearctic, Palearctic, Neotropical, Ethiopian, Oriental, and Australian.

tertiary consumers

organism that feeds on secondary consumers; also called a secondary carnivore

The study of the physiological response of an organism to its environment and the impact of the environment on the species distribution is called:

organismal ecology

heterotroph

organisms that cannot produce their own organic molecules by using energy from inorganic sources or light, they must obtain one or more organic compounds from their environments

Salt concentrations vary widely in aquatic environments and have a great impact on ______ in animals.

osmotic balance

When humans harvest a species at a rate that is unsustainable, based on the species' natural rate of mortality and rate of reproduction, it is called _.

overexploitation

microparasites

parasite that multiplies within its host, usually within the cells

holoparasite

parasitic organism that lacks chlorophyll and is totally dependent on a host plant for its water and nutrients

hemiparasite

parasitic organism that photosynthesizes, but lacks a root system to draw water and thus depends on its host for that function

uniform

pattern of dispersion within a population in which individuals maintain a certain minimum distance between themselves to produce an evenly spaced distribution

Per capita growth rate is the ___.

per capita birth rate minus the per capita death rate

The per capita birth rate minus the per capita death rate is the ____.

per capita growth rate

production efficiency

percentage of energy assimilated by an organism that becomes incorporated into a new biomass

Trees are not usually found in the tundra biome because of:

permafrost

Which of the following statements describes the concerns for global warming on plant life. Choose all that apply.

plants cannot easily move into newly created climatic regions many regions of Earth will become warmer and some will become colder

Many individuals of the same species living together in a defined area form a(n):

population

The instantaneous growth rate of a population describes:

population growth rate over a short period of time

overexploitation

practice in which humans harvest a particular species at a rate that is unsustainable, based on its natural rate of mortality and capacity for reproduction

acid rain

precipitation with a pH of less than 5.6; results from the burning of fossil fuels.

Ecologists have found that in most studies about 75% of the prey population density is depressed by:

predators

climate

prevailing weather pattern of a given region

Secondary consumers obtain their energy directly from:

primary consumers

Liebig's Law of the Minimum

principle that states that a species' biomass or abundance is limited by the scarcest factor

eutrophication

process by which elevated nutrient levels in a body of water lead to an overgrowth of algae or aquatic plants a subsequent depletion of water oxygen concentrations when these photosynthesizers decay

continental drift

process by which, over the course of billions of years, the major landmasses, known as the continents, have shifted their positions, changed their shapes, and in some cases, become separated by each other.

adiabatic cooling

process in which increasing elevation produces a decrease in air temperature due to lowered air pressure

Primary production

production by autotrophs, normally green plants

species-productivity hypothesis

proposal that great production by plants results in greater overall species richness

species-area hypothesis

proposal that larger areas contain more species than smaller ones because they can support larger populations and a greater range of habitats

nitrogen-limitation hypothesis

proposal that organisms select food based on its nitrogen content

diversity- stability hypothesis

proposal that species rich communities are more stable than those with fewer species

Natural ecosystems provide essential services to humans. Two important such services are:

providing reservoirs of pollinators regulation of pest outbreaks

biomass

quantitative estimate of the total mass of living matter in a given area, usually measured in grams or kilograms per square meter

Exponential growth is ____, whereas logistic growth is ____.

rapid population growth; population growth slowed by limiting factors

random

rarest pattern of dispersion within a population, in which the location of individuals lacks a pattern

Age-specific fertility rate is the

rate of female offspring produced for females of a specific age class.

Consider a fundamental niche which contains a part that is occupied by competitors of that species. In this case the organism is limited to an area called the ______, where the competitor is absent.

realized niche

lentic

refers to a freshwater habitat characterized by standing water

endemic

refers to species that are naturally found only ina particular place or region

biodiversity hot spots

regions that are biologically diverse and under threat of destruction

species-area effect

relationship between the amount of available area and the number of species present

age structure

relative numbers of individuals of each defined age group in a population

Which of the following activities have contributed to human overexploitation of plants?

removal of valuable species from their native habitats

Why is urbanization so devastating to the environment?

removes natural or agricultural areas and then adds cities to further stress the environment

crisis ecoregions

representative habitats that are at greatest risk because of extensive habitat loss and lack of conservation or protection

semelparity

reproductive pattern in which organisms produce all of their offspring ina single reproductive event

The osmotic balance of aquatic animals can be greatly affected by the:

salt concentration in the water

quadrat

sampling device used by plant ecologists consisting of a square frame that often encloses an area of .25 m^2

line transect

sampling technique used by plant ecologists in which the number of plants located along a length of string are counted

Organisms that eat primary consumers are called:

secondary consumers

Tertiary consumers obtain their energy directly from:

secondary consumers

Which of the following is an example of a placental mammal out competing a marsupial mammal in Austraila? Choose all that apply.

sheep vs. red kangaroo sheep vs. western gray kangaroo sheep vs. brush-tailed rock wallyby dingo vs. thylacine

Which concerns given below are associated with the conversion of land to agriculture and livestock grazing? Choose all that apply.

silting of rivers desertification declining soil fertility

Conservation efforts that focus mainly on saving species that are deemed very important follow the ______-species approach.

single

flagship species

single large or instantly recognizable species

K-selected species exhibit ______, whereas r-selected exhibit ______ (choose all that apply).

slow development, good competitive abilities; rapid development, poor competitive abilities low mortality rates of young, low reproductive rates; high mortality rates of young, high reproductive rates

nitrogen fixation

specialized metabolic process in which certain prokaryotes use the enzyme nitrogenase to convert inert atmospheric nitrogen gas (N2) into ammonia (NH3) also the industrial process by which humans produce NH3 fertilizer from N2

Choose the three levels at which biodiversity is examined.

species genetic ecosystem

The level of biodiversity termed ______ refers to the number and relative abundance of species in a community.

species diversity

Which of the following provide examples of introduced species? Choose all that apply.

species introduced to provide a source for timber or wool species introduced for agricultural purposes species introduced for landscaping purposes

Introduced species

species moved by humans from a native location to another location

umbrella species

species whose habitat requirements are so large that protecting them would protect many other species existing in the same habitat

K-selected species

species whose life history strategy shows a low rate of per capita population growth but good competitive ability

indicator species

species whose status provides information on the overall health of an ecosystem

keystone species

species within a community that has a role out of proportion to its abundance or biomass

demography

study of birth rates, death rates, age distributions and the size of populations

Community ecology is the

study of factors that influence the number and abundance of species in a community.

Population ecology

study of how populations grow and what factors promote or limit growth

population ecology

study of how populations grow and what factors promote or limit growth

community ecology

study of how populations of a species interact and form functional communities

community ecology

study of how populations of species interact and form functional communities

ecostystem ecology

study of the flow of energy and cycling of nutrients among organisms within a community and between organisms and the environment

ecosystem ecology

study of the flow of energy and cycling of nutrients among organisms within a community and between organisms and the environment

Biogeography

study of the geographical distribution of extinct and living species

Organismal ecology

study of the ways in which individual organisms meet the challenges of their biotic and abiotic interactions within their environments

behavioral ecology

subdiscipline of organismal ecology that focuses on how the behavior of an individual organism contributes to its survival and reproductive success, which, in turn, eventually affects the population density of the species.

secondary succession

succession on a site that has previously supported life but has undergone a disturbance

primary succession

succession on newly exposed sites that were not previously occupied by soil and vegetation

allelopathy

suppression of growth of one species due to the release of toxic chemicals by another species

oligotrophic

term used to describe aquatic systems that are low in nutrients such as phosphate and combined nitrogen and are consequently low in primary productivity and biomass, but typically high in species diversity.

Biotic

term used to describe interactions among organisms

nonphagous

term used to describe parasites that feed on one or few closely related species

sympatric

term used to describe species occurring in the same geographic area

clumped

term used to refer to the most common pattern of dispersion within a population, in which individuals are gathered in small groups.

Which of the following locations is a site where carbon can build up to high levels? Choose all that apply.

terrestrial rocks marine shells fossil fuels

Genetic diversity consists of:

the amount of genetic variation within and between populations

mark-recaptuire technique

the capture and tagging of animals so they can be released and recaptured, allowing an estimate of population size

Which of the following illustrates how food supply can be threatened by the loss of biodiversity?

the loss of the natural habitat of a wild relative of corn which has resistance to several viruses

Batesian mimicry

the mimicry of an unpalatable species (the model) by a palatable one (the mimic)

The species-time hypothesis proposes that habitats in tropical areas have greater species richness because

the organisms have had more time to evolve and diversify than in temperate and arctic areas.

Per capita growth rate

the per capita birth rate minus the per capita death ratel the rate that determines how a population grows over any time.

net reproductive rate

the population growth rate per generation

Landscape ecologists examine ______ in a geographic area.

the spatial arrangement of communities and ecosystems

Dispersion patterns are ____.

the spatial arrangement of organisms within a population

Which of the following responses accurately answers the question, 'how is the water cycle different from other cycles?' Choose all that apply.

the water cycle is a physical process rather than a chemical process driven by evaporation and precipitation

One of the lines of evidence that suggests that bottom-up effects are important in population density is that:

there is a progressive decrease of available energy passing from plants through herbivores to carnivores and to secondary carnivores

movement corridor

thin strips of habitat that may permit the movement of individuals between larger habitat patches

thermocline

thin transitional zone in a lake that separates the epilmnion from the hypolimnion

megadiversity countries

those countries with the greatest numbers of species; used in targeting areas for conservation

threatened species

those species that are likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future

The ecological footprint of the average American is about _____ that of of the world.

three times

Species whose habitat requirements are so large that protecting them would indirectly protect many other species that make up the ecological community of its habitat are called _________

umbrella species

In the _ dispersion pattern, organisms are distributed with about equal distance between them across the landscape.

uniform

epilimnion

upper layer of water in a lake, usually warm and containing high levels of dissolved oxygen

Which of the following are examples of habitat destruction? Choose all that apply.

urbanization strip mining deforestation

Biological control

use of an introduced species' natural enemies to control its proliferation

As energy is transfered from one trophic level to the next some energy is lost because it is:

used in maintenance

conservation biology

uses principles and knowledge from molecular biology, genetics, and ecology to and protect sustain biodiversity

habitat destruction

usually human-driven process in which a natural habitat is altered in a way that prevents it from supporting the species that were originally present

Biodiversity

variety of life forms that exist now and existed in the past

species interactions

various ways in which a species can interact with other species, such as predation, competition, parasitism, mutualism, commensalism; part of the study of population ecology

Select all benefits humans receive from forest ecosystems.

water retention processing of carbon dioxide maintenance of soil fertility prevention of floods

Which list below provides the correct order for the gases that are important for the greenhouse effect?

water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons

eutrophic

waters that contain relatively high levels of nutrients such as phosphate or nitrogen and typically exhibit high levels of primary productivity and low levels of biodiversity

What is the approximate amount of energy that is transferred from one trophic level to another?

10%

Only about ______ of available energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next because energy is ______.

10%; lost as heat and used for maintenance

Approximately _______ percent of global land area is under some form of environmental protection.

15%

Community A consists of two species, with 45 individuals of each species. Community B also consists of two species, but with 2 individuals of the first species and 88 individuals of the second. Which community has greater species diversity?

A

A survivorship curve is defined as which of the following?

A graph of the proportion of individuals surviving at each age

Which of the following describes a community?

A group of organisms of different species occupying the same area at the same time.

biomes

A major type of habitat characterized by distinctive plant and animal life

defensive mutualism

A mutually beneficial interaction often involving an animal defending a plant or herbivore in return for food or shelter.

dispersive mutualisms

A mutually beneficial interaction often involving plants and pollinators that disperse their pollen, and plants and fruit eaters that disperse the plant's seeds.

What lines of evidence suggest that bottom-up effects are important for limiting population size?

A progressive reduction in available energy passing from plants through herbivores to carnivores. The nitrogen-limitation hypothesis, where organisms select food in terms of the nitrogen content of the tissue.

endangered species

A species whose numbers are so small that the species is at risk of extinction

parasitism

A symbiotic association in which one organism benefits while the other is harmed but not normally killed

How can mountaintop vegetation in tropical areas have the characteristics of vegetation in a colder biome?

An ascent in altitude produces a temperature change that can be the equivalent to a latitude change.

predation

An interaction in which one organism kills another for food.

What are the two major types of biomes?

Aquatic and terrestrial

Why is maintenance of biodiversity and genetic variation in the wild relatives of crops vital to the continued success of crop-breeding?

Because wild relatives of crops may be resistant to many viral diseases that infect domestic crops.

Which of the following organisms would likely display a type II survivorship curve? Choose all that apply.

Birds Reptiles

Demography is the study of which of the following?

Birth and death rates, age distribution, and population sizes

Only a small group of gases is thought to be responsible for the greenhouse effect. These gases make up less than %_ of the total volume of the atmosphere.

Blank 1: 1 or one

Approximately _ of the world's land is covered in forests.

Blank 1: 1/3 or one-third

more than _ separate global areas are environmentally protected, with more being added daily.

Blank 1: 217,155

Even though _% of the water that reaches the atmosphere has passed through plants and exited by evapotranspiration, only approximately _% of water is found in the bodies of organisms or frozen in the soil.

Blank 1: 90 or ninety Blank 2: 2 or two

_ is a species interaction in which one partner receives a benefit while the other is unaffected.

Blank 1: Commensalism or commensalism

_ is an interaction between species that affects both species negatively (-/-), as they utilize similar resources.

Blank 1: Competition

_ _ are aquatic biomes that exist in warm tropical waters with clear water and solid substrates for attachment.

Blank 1: Coral Blank 2: reefs

_ refers to the spatial distribution of organisms within a population.

Blank 1: Dispersion

_ growth models assume resources are unlimited.

Blank 1: Exponential

_ involves nonlethal consumption of plants, whereas _ generally results in the death of the prey.

Blank 1: Herbivory Blank 2: predation

_ is the most important abiotic factor in the distribution of plants and animals because of its effect on biological processes.

Blank 1: Temperature

The total mass of living matter in a given area is called _

Blank 1: biomass

Major types of habitat characterized by distinctive plant and animal life is known as a(n) .

Blank 1: biome

The distribution of _ , the major types of habitat on Earth, is largely determined by regional climatic conditions.

Blank 1: biomes

Interactions among organisms and the living environment are called _ interactions, and those between organisms and their nonliving environment are termed _ interactions.

Blank 1: biotic Blank 2: abiotic

An unbranched depiction of feeding relationships in which each organism derives energy from the preceding organism is called a food _

Blank 1: chain

An unbranched depiction of feeding relationships in which each organism derives energy from the preceding organism is called a food _.

Blank 1: chain

Temperature, wind, precipitation, and light are components of_ , the prevailing weather pattern of a given region.

Blank 1: climate

The three types of dispersion patterns are _, _, and _.

Blank 1: clumped Blank 2: uniform Blank 3: random

The study of factors that influence the number and abundance of species in a community is called _ ecology.

Blank 1: community

_ is an assemblage of many different species living in the same place at the same time.

Blank 1: community

Based on his experiment with Paramecium, Georgyi Gause established that two species which compete for the exact same resources cannot stably coexist. His conclusion was later called the _ _principle.

Blank 1: competitive Blank 2: exclusion

In a temperate _ forest, precipitation is generally between 30 and 70 cm, often occurring as snow. Temperatures remain below freezing for long periods of time.

Blank 1: coniferous

Choose increase or decrease for each blank. A reduction in the amount of available resources in an environment would cause the carrying capacity to _ , and an increase in the amount of available resources would cause the carrying capacity to _

Blank 1: decrease, fall, or decline Blank 2: increase or rise

Population _ is the number of organisms in a given unit area or volume.

Blank 1: density

Mortality factors whose influence varies with the number of individuals per unit of area are called _-_.

Blank 1: density Blank 2: dependent

Density-_ factors are those whose influence varies with population density, whereas density-_ factors are those whose influence is unaffected by population size.

Blank 1: dependent Blank 2: independent

Hot _ are found around latitudes 20-30o north and south.

Blank 1: deserts

The remains of dead organisms and their waste products are referred to as .

Blank 1: detritus

While the _ of animal life in tropical deciduous forests is high, it is less than that of tropical rain forests.

Blank 1: diversity, biodiversity, or variety

A(n)_ is a community of organisms and its interactions with the physical environment.

Blank 1: ecosystem

Species that are found only in a particular place or region, and nowhere else are said to be _.

Blank 1: endemic

A lake that has relatively high nutrient levels, and therefore supports large numbers of algae, is called a(n) _ lake. In contrast, _ lakes are typically very low in nutrients and have very clear water, due to the low number of algae

Blank 1: eutrophic Blank 2: oligotrophic

Rapid population growth occurring when per capita growth rate remains above zero is called _ _

Blank 1: exponential Blank 2: growth

Since 1985 the population of Burmese pythons in the Florida Everglades has grown _.

Blank 1: exponentially

Algal blooms, which can be promoted by human activities such as fertilizer or sewage waste dumping into aquatic systems, can ultimately lead to the death of this type of animal, _ .

Blank 1: fish or fishes

Biomagnification occurs when certain chemicals concentrated in higher trophic levels in _ chains.

Blank 1: food

The diversity of structure and _ within an ecosystem provides a measure of ecosystem diversity.

Blank 1: function

There are three basic approaches to _ _ : complete restoration, rehabilitation, and ecosystem replacement.

Blank 1: habitat, restorative, or restoration Blank 2: restoration or ecology

Much of the energy assimilated by animals is used in maintenance and is lost from the organism as _.

Blank 1: heat

Primary consumers, which obtain their food by consuming primary producers, are also called _

Blank 1: herbivores

Organisms that receive their nutrition by eating other organisms or products of organisms are called _.

Blank 1: heterotrophs

Regions that are biologically diverse and under threat of destruction are called biodiversity _ _

Blank 1: hot Blank 2: spots

The status of _ species provides information on the overall health of an ecosystem.

Blank 1: indicator

The marine biome called the _ zone is the area where the land meets the sea, and is alternately submerged and exposed by the daily cycle of tides.

Blank 1: intertidal or tidal

Species that are moved by humans from their native habitat to another location are called _ species.

Blank 1: introduced

A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its community is called a(n) _ species.

Blank 1: keystone

The _ hypothesis proposes that ecosystem function will dramatically rise when biodiversity approaches its natural levels.

Blank 1: keystone

The study of the spacial arrangement of communities and ecosystems in a geographic area is called _ ecology.

Blank 1: landscape

A freshwater habitat consisting of still and often deep water is called a(n) _ habitat, whereas a freshwater habitat with flowing water is called a(n) _ habitat.

Blank 1: lentic Blank 2: lotic

A table that provides data on the number of individuals alive in each particular age class is called a(n)_ table

Blank 1: life

In addition to gases such as carbon dioxide and water, photosynthesis also requires _, which can be a limiting resource for plants.

Blank 1: light, sun, or sunlight

Insufficient _ limits plant growth, especially in aquatic environments where it is absorbed by water.

Blank 1: light, sunlight, or sun

Because carbon can build up in marine organisms there are large deposits of _ on the ocean floor.

Blank 1: limestone

Phosphorous is a _ nutrient in aquatic systems: When more phosphorous is added, the growth of plants and algae increases.

Blank 1: limiting

The pattern in which population growth slows down as it approaches the carrying capacity is termed _ growth.

Blank 1: logistic

When a population experiences limited resource availability, the population would display _ growth.

Blank 1: logistic

The _-_ technique is a sampling method in which animals are captured, tagged, released, and recaptured to estimate population density.

Blank 1: mark Blank 2: recapture

The area where an organism can be found in nature is called a(n) _ . However, the term also can convey what an organism does in a community, including how it feeds.

Blank 1: niche

In _ mutualism, neither species can live without the other, whereas in _ mutualism, the interaction is beneficial, but not essential, to the survival and reproduction of either species.

Blank 1: obligatory Blank 2: facultative

An organism that feeds on another but does not kill it outright is called a(n) _ , and the prey is a(n) _.

Blank 1: parasite Blank 2: host

In predation, a predator consumes its prey, but in _, an organism obtains food from its prey, called the host, without killing it outright.

Blank 1: parasitism or parasites

A _ causes disease symptoms in its host.

Blank 1: pathogen

The open ocean, or the _ zone, is deep, has low nutrient concentrations, and is only warm near the surface.

Blank 1: pelagic

Marsupial mammals are often out competed by introduced _ mammals in Australia.

Blank 1: placental

A group of individuals of the same species occupying the same area at the same time is called a(n) _.

Blank 1: population

The study of factors affecting population size and how these factors change over space and time is called _ _.

Blank 1: population Blank 2: ecology

Ecosystems maintain populations of natural _ to regulate pest outbreaks.

Blank 1: predators

Invasive species often thrive in new environments because they have no natural .

Blank 1: predators or enemies

_-selected species are those with unstable populations that have a high rate of per capita population growth.

Blank 1: r or r-selected

The term _ _ refers to the differentiation of niches, in both space and time, enabling similar species to coexist in a community.

Blank 1: resource Blank 2: partitioning

The number of species present in the community is designated by the term species _. In contrast, the term species _ refers to both the number of species and their relative abundance.

Blank 1: richness Blank 2: diversity

The _-species approach to conservation focuses on saving species that are of particular importance.

Blank 1: single or singular

The number of different species in a community is known as its

Blank 1: species Blank 2: richness

The average area of land under crop cultivation throughout the world is 12% but varies _ around the world.

Blank 1: substantially, greatly, immensely, or widely

A graph of the proportion of surviving individuals at each age is called a(n) _ curve.

Blank 1: survivorship

Overexploitation occurs when humans harvest a species at a rate that is not _. This practice has been the cause of various human caused extinctions throughout the past.

Blank 1: sustainable

In a(n) _ grassland biome, annual rainfall is between 25 and 100 cm, and temperatures fall below -10 degrees C in the winter and approach 30 degrees C in the summer.

Blank 1: temperate

in a _ rain forest, the canopy is nearly closed and trees have large buttresses to support their shallow root systems.

Blank 1: tropical

The pharmaceutical industry mainly uses plants from _ _ forests for extraction and production of medicines.

Blank 1: tropical Blank 2: rain

Because carnivores consume more than one type of prey and herbivores consume more than one plant species it is better to draw relationships between these plants and animals as a food _ instead of a linear food chain.

Blank 1: web

When a population's size does not change over time, the population is exhibiting _ population growth.

Blank 1: zero, 0, or no

What type of dispersion pattern involves individuals found in groups that are often found some distance from one another?

Clumped

Which of the following are the three types of dispersion patterns?

Clumped, random, uniform

What biome is found in the dry regions at middle to high latitudes, especially in the interiors of continents and in the rain shadows of mountains?

Cold desert

In community A there are three species of butterflies, with the same number of individuals from each species. In community B there are also three species of butterflies, but two species are very rare, with only a very few individuals. The total number of butterflies in the two communities is the same. Which community has higher species diversity?

Community A has higher species diversity.

An ecologist is investigating species diversity in two communities. Community T has 172 species and an Hs value of 2.67, while community Z contains 164 species and has an Hs value of 2.83. What can be concluded from this data?

Community T has the highest species richness, while community Z has the highest species diversity

Which of the following statements is correct regarding species diversity?

Community measure that incorporates both species number and relative abundance

In a woodland community, a species interaction between rabbits and deer affects both species negatively. What type of interaction is this?

Competition

Select all factors that influence population size.

Competition Parasitism Predation Temperature

What is the exception to the competitive exclusion principle?

Competition may not be severe enough to drive one of the competitors to extinction or to a different niche.

Gause discovered that P. caudatum always became extinct when cultured with P. aurelia. This is an illustration of which of the following?

Competitive exclusion

Gause concluded that two species with the same resource requirements cannot live together in the same place and use the same resources. Gause's conclusions led him to formulate which of the following principles?

Competitive exclusion principle

Which of the following aquatic biomes occurs in warm tropical waters with clear water and solid substrates for attachment?

Coral reef

Which of the following accurately compares density dependent (DD) factors and density independent (DI) factors?

DD: mortality increases with population size; DI mortality remains unchanged with population size

Which of the following statements is the correct definition of demography?

Demography is the study of the vital statistics of populations and how they change over time.

What is density in terms of populations?

Density is the numbers of organisms in a given unit of area or volume.

Which of the following levels of organization is arranged in the correct sequence from most to least inclusive?

Ecosystem, community, population, individual

Which of the following accurately defines density-independent mortality factors?

Factors for which mortality remains unchanged in response to population density

Predation, herbivory, and parasitism are all examples of competition

False

True or false: Due to redundancy, if a species in an ecosystem becomes extinct, it will be replaced by another one with no overall impact on the ecosystem.

False

True or false: Herbivory is usually lethal to plants.

False

True or false: Phytoplankton live within coral tissue.

False

True or false: Temperature is not an important factor in the distribution of organisms because most organisms can regulate their body temperatures precisely.

False

Which of the following benefits are provided by the forest ecosystems?

Forests soak up carbon dioxide and maintain soil fertility. Forests act as a sponge to soak up water and prevent flooding.

Select the three reasons suggested by Ehrlich and Wilson for maintaining biodiversity.

Humans depend on plants, animals, and microorganisms for food, medicine, and industrial products Air quality and clean water are preserved when biodiversity is preserved We have an ethical responsibility to protect our living companions

What is the biome in which the land meets the sea, and is alternately submerged and exposed by the daily cycle of tides?

Intertidal zone

What is the importance of the quadrat method?

It can be used to estimate density

Select the two criteria necessary for an area to be considered a biodiversity hot spot.

It contains at least 1500 species of vascular plants as endemics It has lost at least 70% of its original habitat

If we say a species is endemic to a certain area, we mean that:

It is found only in one particular area of the world

Select all the characteristics of water that are crucial to living organisms.

It is part of the hydrostatic skeleton in some invertebrates. It is the means by which animals eliminate waste. It acts as a solvent for chemical reactions. It is used for support in plants. It takes part in hydrolysis and dehydration reactions.

Which of the following describes the mark-recapture technique for determining density?

It is the marking, releasing, and re-sampling of the population to determine the number of marked versus unmarked individuals.

Which of the following animals are mainly found in the tropical grassland?

Large mammals

Which of the following organisms would display a type I survivorship curve?

Large mammals Humans

What is a main limiting abiotic factor that affects plant growth in aquatic environments because it is necessary for photosynthesis?

Light

What effect would limited resources have on a population's growth?

Limited resources would result in a population exhibiting logistic growth.

Which of the following describes logistic growth?

Logistic growth occurs when the population is restricted by some limiting factor.

Which of the following forms of interaction does NOT have a positive effect on one species and a negative effect on the other?

Mutualism

What do carnivores eat?

Other animals

Which of the following organisms would likely display a type III survivorship curve?

Oysters

endoparasites

Parasites that live within the body of their host.

Choose all of the following that are types of species interactions studied in population ecology.

Parasitism Competition Predation

Which of the following statements about the physical environment of tundra is true?

Precipitation often locked up as snow and unavailable for plants.

What does the top-down population control model suggest?

Predators control prey populations.

Most predator-prey studies have found a large depression in prey density by predators. What can be concluded from these data?

Predators usually influence the abundance of prey in their environment.

Select all ways in which plants defend themselves against herbivores.

Production of secondary metabolites Genetically controlled host plant resistance

In general, abiotic factors have powerful effects in most ecological systems. Which of the following is an abiotic factor?

Salinity

Which of the following statements concerning consumers is correct? Choose all that apply.

Secondary consumers are called carnivores Primary consumers are called herbivores

Which of the following assumptions would be made when modeling exponential growth?

Space is available. Water is unlimited. Food is plentiful.

Introduced species

Species moved by humans from a native location to another location

In Community A, species number is 89 and Hs is 1.93. In Community B, species number is 78 and Hs is 2.42. Which of the following statements regarding these communities is true? Choose all that apply.

Species richness is higher in community A Diversity is higher in community B

What are r-selected species?

Species with high rate of per capita population growth, but poor competitive ability

Ecology

Study of interactions among organisms and their environments

Physiological ecology

Subdiscipline of organismal ecology that investigates how organisms are physiologically adapted to their environment and how the environment impacts the distribution of species

The carrying capacity is defined as which of the following?

The maximum number of individuals the environment can sustain

What is the definition of climate?

The prevailing weather pattern of a given region.

What biome blends into tropical rain forests on its wet edges, and tropical grasslands on its dry edges?

Tropical deciduous forest

Which biome is found in India, Brazil, Thailand, and Mexico and exists in equatorial regions where rainfall is more seasonal than in tropical rain forests?

Tropical deciduous forest

A South American biomes that has abundant rainfall (exceeds 230 cm per year), year round hot temperature, hundreds of different tree species is most likely.

Tropical rain forest

True or false: Predators are responsible for top-down population control, while food abundance influences bottom-up control.

True

Much of the vegetation in this very cold biome is composed of lichens and mosses.

Tundra

Which type of survivorship best describes survivorship of birds, small mammals, and reptiles?

Type II survivorship

A female preying mantis lays several hundred eggs in a foam mass in the fall. The young are most vulnerable when they emerge in the spring, but the few that survive spread out over the countryside and, if they find a mate, lay eggs the following fall. What type of survivorship curve is this?

Type III

What is aposematic coloration?

Warning coloration often associated with a chemical defense

What is a unique about the deep water availability in the tundra biome?

Water is locked in permafrost

What aquatic biome occurs at the margins of both lentic and lotic habitats?

Wetlands

What biome is made up of marshes, swamps, or bogs?

Wetlands

Choose all abiotic factors that limit distribution patterns and abundance of organisms.

Wind Water Temperature Salinity

limiting factor

a factor whose amount or concentration limits the rate of a biological process or a chemical reaction

A simple linear sequence of feeding relationships between organisms is called:

a food chain

pyramid of numbers

a graphic representation of the relative abundance of different types of organisms in an ecosystem

density-independent factor

a mortality factor whose influence is not affected by changes in population density

The main objective of studying population ecology is to understand the factors that affect

a population's growth and determine its size and density.

r-selected species

a species whose life history strategy shows high rate of per capita population growth but poor competitive ability

realized niche

actual range of an organism in nature

In a life table, the value of nx represents the number of individuals that are:

alive at the start of the time period

trophic-level transfer efficiency

amount of energy at a trophic level that is acquired by the trophic level above and incorporated into biomass

genetic diversity

amount of genetic variation occurring within and between populations

logistic equation

an equation that relates the growth of a population to the carrying capacity, K, of its environment

competition

an interaction that affects two or more species negatively, as they compete over food or other resources

autotroph

an organism that has metabolic pathways that use energy from either inorganic molecules or light to make organic molecules

parasite

an organism that lives in or on another organism; one who lives off another person

primary consumers

an organism that obtains its food by eating primary producers; also called a herbivore

nutrients

any substance that is taken in by a living organism and is required for survival, growth, development, tissue repair, or reproduction

Conspicuous coloration that advertises an animal's toxicity is called:

aposematic coloration

Introduced vertebrates can be a problem in both terrestrial and _habitats.

aquatic

Biomes can be subdivided into _ and _.

aquatic and terrestrial

zooplankton

aquatic organisms drifting in the open ocean or fresh water; including minute animals consisting of some worms, copepods, tiny jellyfish, and the small larvae of intervertebrates and fishes.

The genetic diversity of species, the variety of different species, and the different ecosystems they form are all components of __________

biodiversity

Which of the following terms includes all of the others?

biodiversity

Which of the following are involved in biogeochemical cycles? Choose all that apply.

biological mechanisms geological mechanisms chemical transport mechanisms

Select all statements that describe biodiversity hot spots.

biologically diverse contain large numbers of endemic species

A large naturally occurring community of animals and plants occupying a major habitat is best defined as a(n)

biome.

ecosystem

biotic community of organisms in an area, as well as the abiotic environment affecting that community

camouflage

blending of an organism with the background of its habitat

All of the following are basic approaches to habitat restoration except:

captive breeding

exploitation competition

competition in which organisms compete indirectly through the consumption of a limited resource

The restoration approach that applies ecological principles to return degraded habitat to its condition prior to the disturbance is known as:

complete restoration

Which approach to habitat restoration attempts to return habitat to its condition prior to the disturbance?

complete restoration

food web

complex model of interconnected food chains in which there are multiple links among different species

Wind affects living organisms by:

contributing to water loss

ntrification

conversion by soil bacteria of ammonia (NH3) or ammonium (NH4+) to nitrate (NO3-) a form of nitrogen commonly used

deforestation

conversion of forested areas by humans to nonforested land

ammonification

conversion of organic nitrogen to NH3 and NH4+ during the nitrogen cycle

The total area of productive land needed for survival in a sustainable manner is called a person's

ecological footprint.

The variety of structure and function found in an ecosystem is called:

ecosystem diversity

Elton's hypothesis of diversity-stability suggests that there is a linear relationship between:

ecosystem function and species diversity

keystone hypothesis

ecosystem function plummets as soon as biodiversity declines from its natural levels

According to the keystone hypothesis,

ecosystem function will rise dramatically when biodiversity approaches its natural levels.

Choose all grounds on which it can be argued that biodiversity should be conserved.

ethical responsibility ecosystem services human survival

Density-dependent mortality factors are ____.

factors whose influence varies with population size

photic zone

fairly narrow zone close to the surface of an aquatic environment, where light is sufficient to allow photosynthesis to occur.

polyphagous

feed on many hosts

Estuaries contribute to the essential services of ecosystems by:

filtering water and protecting rivers and coastal shores from excessive erosion

Which of the following activities have contributed to human overexploitation of animals? Choose all that apply.

fishing hunting

A population is a ____.

fluid entity composed of individuals that migrate into and out of the given area

phoresy

form of commensalism in which individuals of one species use individuals of a second species for transportation

herbivory

form of species interaction in which herbivores feed on plants

nekton

free-swimming animals in the open ocean that can swim against currents to locate food

Relative abundance

frequency of occurrence of the species in a community

fossil fuels

fuel formed in the Earth from protist, plant, or animal remains, such as coal, petroleum, or natural gas.

The physiologically optimal range of conditions for an organism is called the:

fundamental niche

The level of biodiversity that refers to the genetic variation that occurs among the members of a population and between populations is called:

genetic diversity

The three major fields of biology encompassed by conservation biology are:

genetics molecular biology ecology

global warming

gradual elevation of the Earth's average surface temperature caused by an increasing greenhouse effect

pyramid of biomass

graphic representation of trophic levels in a food web in which the organisms at each trophic level are weighed

cohorts

group of organisms of the same age

Organisms that parasites feed on are called:

hosts

competitive exclusion principle

idea that 2 species with the same resource requirements cannot occupy the same niche

idiosyncratic hypothesis

idea that ecosystem function changes as the number of species increases or decreases but that the amount and direction of change are unpredictable

equilibrium

in a chemical reaction, occurs when the rate of forward reaction is balanced by the rate of the reverse reaction. 2. in a population, the situation in which the population size stays the same

SLOSS debate

in conservation biology, the debate over whether it is preferable to protect one single, large preserve or several smaller ones

Finite rate of increase

in ecology the ratio of a population size form one year to the next

upwelling

in the ocean, a process that carries mineral nutrients from the bottom waters to the surface

biomagnification

increase in the concentration of a substance in living organisms from lower to higher trophic levels in a food chain

An organism whose presence, absence, or abundance reflects a specific environmental condition and provides information on the overall health of an ecosystem is called a(n):

indicator species

invasive species

introduced species that spread on their own, often outcompeting native species and resources

Unlike top-down control, bottom-up control:

is based on food limitations

Light can be a limiting resource for plant growth because:

it is necessary for photosynthesis

A pathogen causes disease symptoms in _____ (Select the best answer.)

its host

A species whose impact on its community or ecosystem is disproportionately large relative to its abundance is called a(n):

keystone species

Unlike parasites, predators:

kill their prey fairly quickly

The science of studying relationships between the spatial arrangement of communities and particular ecosystems in a geographic area is called:

landscape ecology

What subdiscipline of ecology examines the spatial arrangement of communities and ecosystems in a geographic area?

landscape ecology

Select the two major principles incorporated by the theory and practice of preserve design.

landscape ecology island biogeography

Maximum sustainable yield (MSY)

largest number of individuals that can be removed without causing long term decreases in the population

In general, the effect of a disturbance on a community is expected to be

less drastic in a species-rich community than a species-poor community.

food chain

linear depiction of energy flow between organisms, with each organism feeding on and deriving energy from the preceding organism

intrinsic rate of increase

maximum value of the per capita growth rate, which is attained when conditions are optimal for population growth

gross primary production (gpp)

measure of biomass production by photosynthetic organisms; equivalent to the carbon fixed during photosynthesis

species diversity

measure of the diversity of an ecological community that incorporates both the number of species and their relative abundance.

The ecological footprint of each person is as important as the total human population size because an ecological footprint:

measures lifetime consumption of Earth's resources

facilitation

mechanism for succession in which a species facilitates or makes the local environment more suitable for subsequence species.

tolerance

mechanism for succession in which any species can start the succession, but the eventual climax community is reached in a somewhat orderly fashion; early species neither facilitate nor inhibit subsequent colonists

inhibition

mechanism for succession in which early colonists exclude subsequent colonists

All of the following factors influence population size except:

metabolism

phytoplankton

microscopic photosynthetic protists that float in water or actively move through it

spring overturn

mixing of lake water as ice melts and storms churn up water from the bottom

equilibrium model of island biogeography

model that explains the process of succession on new islands, proposing that the number of species on an island tends toward an equilibrium number that is determined by the balance between immigration rates and extinction rates

secondary metabolite

molecules that are produced by secondary metabolism

Species-rich communities are generally considered to be _______ communities with low species richness.

more stable than

In the 1950s, Charles Elton proposed that species-rich communities are:

more stable than those with fewer species

inverse density-dependent factor

mortality factor whose influence decreases as population size increases

density dependent factor

mortality factor whose influence increases with the density of the population

What facilitates the movement of organisms that are vulnerable to predation outside their natural habitat?

movement corridors

resource-based mutualism

mutually beneficial interaction in which both species receive a benefit in the form of resource transfer of energy and nutrients

An important reason why many new introduced species cause so much disturbance in communities is that:

natural prey-predator balances doesn't exist

In the process of _ NH3 can be converted to NO3-.

nitrification

Which of the following ethical principles is NOT supported by conservation biology?

no legal status

Which of the following are characteristics of invasive species? Choose all that apply.

no natural enemies in new habitat reproduce rapidly tolerate a wide range of habitats

A population with r=0, in which no changes to population size have occurred, is exhibiting

no population growth.

The species richness of a community refers to the:

number of different species

population density

number of organisms of a given species in a given unit area or volume

species richness

numbers of species in a community

involves the predation of plants.

Blank 1: Herbivory or herbivory

Ecological footprint

amount of productive land needed to support each person on earth

How many broad terrestrial biomes are defined by Whittaker's scheme based on average annual temperature and precipitation?

10

Mountaintop vegetation, even in tropical areas, can have the characteristics of a colder biome because a vertical ascent of 600 m produces a temperature change equivalent to an increase in latitude of:

1,000 km

Replication

1. copying of DNA strands. 2. the performing of experiments several or many times.

What is a life table?

A life table is a data table of the number of individuals alive in each age class.

host plant resistance

Ability of plants to prevent herbivory via chemical or mechanical defenses.

Of the following organisms, which ones do not display type I survivorship?

Animals with a relatively high rate of loss of their offspring

What do predation, herbivory, and parasitism all have in common?

All have a positive effect on one species and a negative effect on the other.

Select the example of commensalism.

Barbed seeds that cling to mammal fur..

What species interaction adversely affects both species?

Competition

Select reasons why very little energy is available to higher trophic levels in a food web.

Energy is lost as heat in a single trophic level. Energy is lost in the conversion from one trophic level to another.

Which statements related to eutrophication are correct? Choose all that apply.

Eutrophication occurs when algal blooms are followed by bacterial decomposition of the alga which leads to reduced oxygen levels Eutrophication results in the death of fish due to reductions in oxygen levels

Shannon diversity index equation

HS= -Epi in pi-

Is parasitism more like predation or herbivory?

Herbivory

Select all interactions that have a positive effect on one species and a negative effect on the other.

Herbivory Parasitism Predation

What organisms obtain their nutrition by consuming other organisms?

Heterotrophs

Where are cold deserts typically found?

In dry regions at middle to high latitudes

Beetles and caterpillars use physical intimidation to compete for the same food resources. What type of competition is this?

Interspecific competition

NPP equation

NPP = GPP - R

Which of the following geographical regions have the largest fluctuations in yearly temperatures?

Northern hemisphere

These energy-rich compounds are synthesized by primary producers.

Organic molecules

Which of the following energy-rich compounds are synthesized from CO2 and water by primary producers?

Organic molecules

Choose all types of competition that occur in nature.

Organisms interact directly through intimidation. Individuals compete with members of another species. Individuals of the same species compete with each other. Organisms compete indirectly for a limited resource.

_______ ecology focuses on groups of interbreeding individuals in an attempt to understand factors that determine group size and density.

Population

allelochemicals

Powerful plant chemical, often a root exudate, that kills other plant species

Which of the following terms refers to the differentiation of niches, in both space and time, that enables similar species to coexist in a community?

Resource partitioning

The distribution of organisms is determined mainly by which of these factors?

Temperature

abiotic

Term used to describe interactions between organisms and their nonliving environment

What is ecosystem ecology?

The flow of energy and abiotic materials through biotic components of a community.

What are biomes?

The major types of habitats on Earth.

What is population ecology?

The study of how populations grow and what factors promote and limit population growth.

allopatric

The term used to describe species occurring in different geographic areas.

What is biomass?

The total weight of living matter in a given area

Species interactions

The various ways in which a species can interact with other species, such as predation, competition, parasitism, mutualism, commensalism; part of the study of population ecology

Which population control model suggests that predators limit the number of herbivores, which, in turn, increases host plant density?

Top-down control

In what biome will you find high species diversity, trees that shed their leaves in dry months, and an understory of herbs and grasses?

Tropical deciduous forest

As you are walking through a biome, you notice that there are as many as 100 tree species per square kilometer. Also, the trees have large buttresses to help support their shallow root systems, and little light is penetrating through the canopy. What biome are you walking through?

Tropical rain forest

This biome is found in equatorial regions, has a very high species diversity, and contains trees with buttress roots to support their shallow root systems.

Tropical rain forest

Select all of the following that are broad terrestrial biomes.

Tropical rain forest Tundra Tropical grassland Tropical deciduous forest

True or false: Competition between species may be equal or unequal.

True

The ethical principles of conservation biology include the premise that:

We should actively conserve resources by focusing on management of natural resources to allow the wisest current and future use of them Natural areas have spiritual value and should be preserved rather than used as a source of natural products

Flagship species:

are large or instantly recognizable species

rain shadow

area on a side of a mountain that is sheltered from the wind and experiences less precipitation

intertidal zone

area where the land meets the sea, which is alternately submerged and exposed by the daily cycle of tides.

subsidence zones

areas of high pressure that are the sites of the world's tropical deserts because the subsiding air is relatively dry, having released all of its moisture over the equator.

primary producers

autotrophs such as plants, algae, and photosynthetic bacteria that use sunlight and form the basis of the food chain

total fertility rate

average number of live births a female has during her lifetime

sea level

average surface of one or more of Earth's oceans

commensalism

benefits one species and leaves the other unaffected

The conversion of forested areas to non-forested land is called .

deforestation

Dead, unconsumed plant material, animal material, and waste is called:

detritus

resource partitioning

differentiation of niches, both in space and time, that enables similar species to coexist in a community

climax community

distinct end point of succession

assimilation

during the nitrogen cycle, process by which plants and animals incorporate the NH3, NH4+, and NO3- formed through nitrogen fixation and nitriification

trophic level

each of the feeding levels in a food chain.

net primary production (NPP)

gross primary production minus the energy lost in plant cellular respiration

population

group of individuals of the same species that occupy the same environment and (for sexually reproducing organisms) can interbreed with one another.

Ecologists often refer to population growth rates over very short time intervals, which are called ______ growth rates.

instantaneous

facultative mutualism

interaction between mutualistic species that is beneficial but not essential to the survival and reproduction of either species

obligatory mutualism

interaction in which 2 mutualistic species cannot live without each other

mutualism

interaction in which both species benefit

When conditions are optimal for the population, r (the per capita growth rate) is at its maximum rate and is called the:

intrinsic rate of increase

climate change

long-term change in earth's climate or change in climate ina particular region

biome

major type of habitat characterized by distinctive plant and animal life.

Population ecology includes the study of species interactions, which focuses on all of the following except:

mating systems

Which of the following demonstrate the importance of phosphorous? Choose all that apply.

phosphorous is incorporated into the skeletons of animals phosphorous is incorporated into the nucleic acids of all creatures

halophyte

plant that can tolerate higher than normal salt concentrations and can occupy coastal salt marshes or saline deserts

Autotrophs include which of the following? Choose all that apply.

plants photosynthetic bacteria algae

denitrification

reduction of nitrate (NO3-) to gaseous nitrogen (N2)

Similar ecosystems in different parts of the world may have different numbers of species. This observation suggests that:

redundancy is important

lotic

refers to a freshwater habitat characterized by running water

edge effects

special physical condition that exists at the boundary, or edge, of an area of habitat

pathogen

virus or microorganism that causes disease symptoms in its host

aposematic coloration

warning coloration that advertises an organism's unpalatable taste

Select all ways in which humans benefit from estuaries.

water filtration erosion control