Ecology Final Exam

Assuming that their average population growth rates and all other factors are equal, which of the following populations would most likely be at risk for extinction?

A small population with high variation (fluctuations) in its growth rate

Which of the following would most likely exhibit a regular pattern of dispersion?

A species that competes for a limiting resource that is equally distributed in space

Which of the following statements about life tables is false?

A static life table follows the fate of a group of individuals all born at the same time

In which of the following ways can a parasite change an ecological community?

All of the above a. By attacking the dominant competitor, causing the abundances of other species to increase b. By indirectly altering the physical environment c. By changing the outcome of species interactions

Which of the following statements about allochthonous inputs is false?

Allochthonous inputs are a higher quality material than autochronous inputs

How does an agro-ecosystem differ from a natural ecosystem? Discuss the 3 categories of agro-systems including their pros and cons.

Answer: Argo ecosystems differ from a natural ecosystem in 3 different ways. The first way it differs is that there is a new input of energy influencing the ecosystem. This can be seen with labor or technology. There is also less diversity of the producers such as crops. It also differs by artificial vs natural selection. This is seen by 3 different categories. The first category is the pre industrial agriculture. This is local farming and it is self sufficient. It includes labor. This is good because it is low impact on the enviornment. However, the downside to this is that there is not providing food for cities of people, the supply it provides is not enough. The second category is industrial agriculture. This is better at providing a large amount of food for more people. However, it also comes with increased machinery, fuel, and chemicals which is not good for the environment, nor is it sustainable. The last category is alternative agriculture. This is good because while it still produces food, it is also sustainable. The crops can still feed people; however it doesnt have complete reliance on only using diels and chemicals to power it. The downside to this is that is doesn't produce as much food as industrial agriculture, however it is much more sustainable.`

Define what the term "trophic efficiency" means and describe its subcomponents and explain with 3 examples how these translate into tangible effects.

Answer: Trophic efficiency is measuring the amount of energy at a trophic level and dividing that by the amount of energy in the trophic level directly below it. There are 3 subcomponents. The first is assimilation efficiency. This is when the proportion of ingested food is assimilated. There can be symbiotic relationships that can result in a higher assumulation efficiency. The second is consumption efficiency. This is when the proportion of avalable energy is consumed. This tends to be higher for both aquatic ecosystems and carnivores. The third is production efficiency. This is the proportion of assmiliated food that foes into the consumer biomass. Production efficiency can be seen in endotherms when they are requiring more energy for production rather than using it for growth and reproduction.

Which of the following statements focusing on heterotrophy is an accurate idea?

Archaea, bacteria, and fungi are able to excrete enzymes allowing them to externally digest their food prior to ingestion

Which of the following statements about the equilibrium theory of island biogeography is false?

At equilibrium, the species composition of an island will not change

Which ideas are accurate regarding estuaries?

B and C are true

Which of the following statements about the optimal foraging theory is false?

Best exemplified by organisms that feed on mobile prey

Which terrestrial biome is located between 50o to 65o N latitudes and is displayed on the Earth as a broad belt of evergreen forest.

Boreal Forest

Which of the following populations would be expected to remain (constant/stable) in size

Both A and B a. A population with an r = 0 b. A population with a = 1

Which statement(s) about zero population growth isoclines of two competing species is/are true?

Both A and C *Species coexistence requires that the two isoclines cross *If the species coexist, they will each do so at a lower density than either would if placed alone

Life tables can be based on the life cycle stage, and/or:

Both A and C *ages of organisms *sizes of organisms

How do malarial parasites change the red blood cells of their hosts in order to obtain nutrients and avoid destruction?

Both B and C b. They cause the red blood cells to stick to other human cells, thus preventing the red blood cells from traveling in the blood stream. c. They cause transport proteins to be placed on the surface of the red blood cells, enabling more nutrients to be imported into the host cell.

Although beavers are relatively rare, they have considerable influence over species interactions in communities in which they are present because of their dams. The beaver is thus an example of a(n)

Both B and C b. ecosystem engineer c. keystone species

A bacterium that causes a rash on the skin of its host upon infection would be classified as a(n)

Both B and C b. ectoparasite c. pathogenic

According to the metapopulation model, which of the following is important in determining whether a metapopulation can persist for a long time?

Both a and b

Which of the following statements about ecotypes is true?

Both a and b *Ecotypes are populations with adaptations to unique environments *With sufficient divergence over the course of time, ecotypes can become separate species

Which of the following is an abiotic feature of the environment?

Both a and b *The average minimum temperature at night *The number of days during which at least 1 mm of rain falls

Which of the following statements about allelopathy is true?

Both a and b a. It is a form of interference competition. b. It occurs when individuals of one species release chemicals that harm individuals of another species.

Which of the following statements about fig-fig wasp association is true?

Both a and b a. These interactions show clear signs of coevolution b. These interactions are obligate

In its design, the logistic equation assumes that:

Both b and c b. the per capita growth rate declines with increasing density c. density-dependent factors can/are regulating population growth

Suppose you are studying two small lakes (lake 1 and lake 2) and how they change over time. A nearby farm accidentally spills fertilizer into lake 1. Around the same time, a nonnative fish-eating turtle is introduced into lake 2. The ecosystems of both lakes are affected by these changes. What processes most likely explain how the lakes were affected?

Bottom-up control in lake 1; top-down control in lake 2

In soil, bedrock (parent rock material) belongs to the

C Horizon

Community succession follows the general rule that selection pressures change in time such that _______ has an advantage at earlier stages while ______has the advantage during later stages.

C and A c. quantity a. quality

Compare and contrast C3, C4, and CAM photosynthetic pathways in terms of their pros and cons and how these relate to environmental energy constraints.

C3 C3 has two different reactions in which it is apart of. The first reaction is the carboxylase reaction. This is associated with photosynthesis. The next reaction is the oxygenase reaction. This is associated with photorespiration. In photorespiration, temperature increases as carbon dioxide decreases. These plants thrive when there is moderate sun intensity and temperature and high CO2 levels. However, they do not thrive when these conditions are not met. C4 When temperature are high and there is low carbon dioxide, C4 plants thrive. However, the downside of that is there is more ATP required to function. These plants have a greater efficiency for being photosynthetic, so that high temperatures work well for them. They can have low water levels as well. CAM CAM plants are commonly known as succulents. They are common in arid environments. They can also be found in humid conditions. They usually don't have much access to water. They undergo the calvin cycle. At night they go through the carbon cycle and it produces a 4 carbon compound which they use during the day. If they are in conditions with high CO2, photorespiration is decreased.

Plants best adapted to (moderate sunlight / moderate temperatures / high CO2 concentrations) are best classified as:

C3 plants

Which statements regarding plants C3 & C4 photosynthetic plants is not accurate?

C4 plants are less efficient at minimizing transpiration losses compared to C3 plants

Which of the following classification schemes is generally most helpful for comparing life histories across broad ranges of size or taxonomy?

Charnov's dimensionless ratio (c)

Which of the following is a biotic factor that can theoretically bring about a succession in a community's structure?

Competition

Which of the following statements concerning "life history" is/are correct?

Complex life cycles can be advantageous as different body forms can exploit differing habitats

Which of the following best explains why the mammal families in the Philippines are more similar to those in Africa than to those in New Guinea?

Continental drift

Which of the following statements about corals and coral reefs is false?

Coral reefs can grow fairly rapidly

Compare and contrast density-dependent and density-independent factors on population size. Provide 2 examples of each in your answer.

Density dependent: In density dependent population factors, as the density increases, the reproductive rates decrease and death rate increases. Dispersal of the population also increases. While it doesn't control the population size, it does have a large effect on it. This can be seen with song sparrows. As the density of their population increased, birth rates decreased. Another example is a study done with soybeans. They planted soybeans in different densities and the populations with the highest densities shows a higher death rate. Density independent: in density independent factors, death and birth rates are not affected by the density of a population. One example of this would be a natural disaster. The density of a population does not affect death rates and birth rates if a natural disaster is in charge of decreasing the population. Another example is that a population could be affected by temperature changes such as rainfall (such as lack of rainfall causing an extreme environment).

Which of the following statement about density-dependent factors and density-independent factors is true?

Density-independent factors can result in large effects on a population size but do not regulate the population size

Identify the biome indicated by number (4).

Desert

Which of the following statements about change in communities is true?

Disturbances can create opportunities for some species to grow or reproduce due to the injury or death of other individuals

Which of the following statements about atmospheric circulation patterns is false?

Earth's equatorial region is a high pressure region resulting in lots of rainfall

Which of the following is an advantage that endoparasites have over ectoparasites?

Ease of feeding

Which of the following terms refers to a community of organisms plus their physical environment?

Ecosystem

Which of the following statements about the movement of energy through ecosystems is true?

Energy can move in one direction only (high to low) and cannot be recycled

Discuss your views (rational) on "the wonder of life" incorporating in your discussion the definition and purpose of life in terms of energy, how the 2 fundamental laws of thermodynamics fit into this scheme, as well as any religious considerations you bring to the process.

Energy is the ability to do work. The first law of thermodynamics is that energy cannot be created or destroyed. The second law of thermodynamics is that when energy is transformed from one form to another, a degradation of energy occurs changing from concentrated to dispersed. I would be harder pressed to find a reason on how science does not support God rather than how it does support the fact that there is a God. Regardless of the specifics, whether one believes in a new or old earth, it is stated in the first law of thermodynamics that energy cannot be created or destroyed. This means that in the beginning, there was something that had to produce that energy. If there is not a creator, how was energy itself created to begin with? What caused the potential big bang? There has to be a creator behind it all.

Which of the following would not be a benefit provided by dispersal?

Enhanced cooperative breeding

Which of the following does not agree with the list of ecological maxims from chapter 1?

Evolution took place in the past, but it is no longer ecologically relevant

Discuss basic conditions/factors that increase the risk of extinction rates in a population. Include what genetic drift, demographic stochasticity, and environmental stochasticity are and how they can influence extinction rates.

Extinction rates within a population increase whenever there are large fluctuations within a population or if the population is small to begin with. There are other events that can influence whether or not a population will go extinct. The first is genetic drift. Genetic drift mostly impacts the smaller populations of organisms. This is because it will cause a decrease in genetic variation. This makes the population more prone to environmental changes which will affect the population as a whole. There are also genetic mutations that can spread rapidly through a small population when there is little reproductive variance. There is aso the change of mutations caused by inbreeding. Another way a population can become extinct is demographic stochasticity. Demographic stochasticity are chance events that will affect the survival of a population. It affects survival by placing strain on survival and reproductive success of organisms. This also affects the smaller populations. Finally, there is environmental stochasticity. Environmental stochasticity are changes in the environment that are not predictable. This also affects the smaller populations. Large populations are not nearly as prone to extinction for many reasons. One reason a larger population can become extinct is from natural disasters.

At the end of the Permian period (about 250 mya), when Pangaea began to break up, a land mass called Gondwana splintered off to the south, Isla Nublar splintered off to the north, and Isla Sorna splintered off to the east.

FALSE

Complex life cycles are more common in vertebrates as compared to marine invertebrates and amphibians

FALSE

) Lambda (λ) describes the exponential growth rate or per capita finite rate of increase of a population.

False

Which of the following classification schemes is generally most helpful for comparing life histories approaches among plant species?

Grime's classification model

The term "ecology" was first proposed by: __________

Haeckel

Which of the following ideas is not correctly associated with its freshwater regime?

Hydroperiod is primary factor influencing productivity - Lentic system

Provide an overview of your favorite "case study" from chapters 9, 10, or 11.

I chose the kelp barrer to urchin study because sea urchins have always fascinated me while also scaring me. I just cant imagine a whole barrier of just sea urchins. It sounds like something out of a horror film. There are islands that have a lot of kelp in the waters. Whenever there is an abundance of kelp, barriers called sea urchin barriers can form. The sea urchins feed on the abundance of kelp. Even when the kelp is gone, the sea urchins can stick around for another few years and find other things to feed on such has microorganisms, or reabsorbing their seuxal organs. Kinda gross. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel because sea otters can eat sea urchins. Kelp forests are actually really important for the enviornment because they host a lot of organisms.

Provide an overview of your favorite "case study" from chapters 1, 2, or 3. You have to answer this question

I used to live in Seattle, WA., so my favorite case study is about climatic variation and salmon abundance. Every year, there is a salmon festival on the outskirts of Seattle around the streams to celebrate the fact that salmon are anadromous and are returning from the ocean. There are a lot of ways Salon has been threatened over the years. Some of these include dams, overfishing, and pollution. This affects their reproductive cycles resulting in less and less salmon. Something intersting is that there is a correlation that has been found between high and low periods of salmon abundance. This lines up with the idea of climatic variation. Basically, when salmon levels are high in Alasla, they are low in Seattle and vice versa. In studying the salmon population in Seattle, it led researchers to find out about the Pacific Decadel Oscillation. This is 20ish year variations in warm and colder temps throughout the PNW. There are two important things to note about the PDO. First, the organisms may not be able to adapt because their lifespans maybe shorter than the variations. Secondly, the relationship between climate and organism functionality is also very important.

Which of the following could potentially help protect a local populations from extinction?

Immigration

How does the nutrient cycle of aquatic systems differ from that of terrestrial systems?

Inputs of nutrients from outside the ecosystems are more important in aquatic ecosystems

What is the primary difference between interaction webs and food webs?

Interaction webs include non-trophic interactions; food webs do not

Two species of birds actively fight over berries. Injuries have been observed, and the presence of one species limits the survival and reproduction of the other. What type of competition is this?

Interference

Which of the following negative effects can habitat fragmentation have on a metapopulation?

It can make patches smaller, thus increasing the patch extinction rate

The "Law of Minimum" was proposed by:

Leiberg

Which of the following is responsible for the most NPP in river and stream ecosystems?

Macrophytes in shallow areas

An entomologist who is interested in the number of individuals in a population of butterflies and also in their movement patterns would most likely use which of the following methods?

Mark-recapture

Huge numbers of adult periodic cicadas emerge simultaneously from pupae at intervals of either 13 or 17 years. This phenomenon is most similar to which of the following?

Masting

Provide an overview of your favorite "case study" from chapters 4, 5, or 7.

My favorite case study was Nemo grows up. I like when science proves disney wrong. Clownfish, due to their color, spend their whole lives as adults within one single sea anemone. The largest fish within the sea anemone is the female. The second biggest is the breeding male. However, when the largest female dies, the second largest, breeding male, takes her place as the female. This is called sequential hermaphroditism. If there are two similar sized clownfish competing to be the largest, they will fight and the loser will die or leave. Clown fish have a lot of control over growth rates and reproduction. Growth is regulated tightly to the point where clownfish will avoid overgrowing so they don't have to fight the female.

Provide an overview of your favorite "case study" from chapters 12-17.

My favorite case study was about the hairworm life cycle. I think it is interesting that the hairworm enslaves the cricket. The hair worm larva is in the crickets drinking water, and that is how the cricket originally consumes it. As the larva grows, it gets nutrients from eating the crickets tissues. Once it is an adult, it fills the crickets body. However, this doesn't kill the cricket. What kills the cricket is commiting suicide by jumping into water and drowning. This isn't by choice, but because the hairworm alters its taurine in its brain to make it extremely thirsty to the point of drowning. It can also do this to spiders. It survives in spiders by eating body fluids. The spider spins its final web and the hair worm will then eat the spider.

Characterize the plant, animal life, system particulars, and man's influence in your favorite marine biome.

My favorite marine biome is probably the least helpful, at least for organisms. I was having a hard week, and I needed to relieve some stress, so I packed up my dog and went to the sandy shores of SC. They have very little available food and waves constantly crash onto the shore creating a harsh enviornment for organisms to live. Organisms include crabs, sea worms, clams, etc. They survive by burrowing into sand. Sessile organisms are found in shallow ocean water because light can reach them. Rocky shores are more stable than sandy shores, as witnessed by the Bible. I have seen this first hand. In Seattle, the rocky shores host much more life and color than sandy shores. Mans influence includes overfishing and pollution.

Discuss the basics of mycorrhizae, (its type of relationship, its prevalence, its history, and types).

Mycorrhizae is a symbiotic association between roots and fungi. This is a mutualistic relationship. The fungi helps to increase the surface area. Increases the surface area increases the intake for sunlight and nutrients. It also protects the plant. The plant has photosynthesic processes which will in turn provide the fungi with carbohydrates produced from it. There are different types of mycorrhizae. One of them is arbuscular mycorrhizae. This is when fungus will grow into the soil in the opposite direction of the actual root. This is seen in coral and symbiotic algae. The other kind of ectomycorrhizae. This is when fungus forms around the root like a mantle.

Which of the following describes a real influence of abiotic factors on NPP?

NPP in terrestrial settings is often limited by nitrogen and phosphorous availability

Of nitrogen and phosphorus, which is the most limiting nutrient to primary production early in primary succession, and why?

Nitrogen, because it takes a long time to accumulate in the soil through decomposition

Which of the following statements about oceanic currents is false?

Oceanic currents contribute little to the heat exchange between the tropics and polar regions

Which of the following are not true ideas and/or implications of the existence of parasitism?

Parasitism is best described as a (- , -) type of direct interaction since both organisms in the relationship are diminished somewhat.

What is the correct order of atmospheric cells as one travels from the poles toward the Equator?

Polar cells, Ferrel cells, Hadley Cells

Which of the following statements about population fluctuations/variations is false?

Population fluctuations are uncommon in wild populations

Which of the following is a plausible consequence of delayed density dependence in a population that would otherwise demonstrate logistic growth behavior?

Population fluctuations/cycles

llustrate/describe how biotic factors, abiotic factors, historical factors and the 3 basic dispersal patterns influence the distribution and abundance of populations.

Populations are a species who live in the same area and interact with one another. Abiotic features affect a population by the conditions of the enviornment that species live in. This can be pH, sunlight, the weather, and what nutrients and food are readily avaible. This affects the populations by dictating who can live there. The organisms who live in extreme enviornments must be built for them or be able to adapt to them. Biotic features include the actual organisms within the population. This can includes microorganisms, parasites, etc. For historical factors, evolution and continental drift explains this. This influences a species that were far apart living in the same area and vice versa. The first dispersal pattern is regular. This is where organisms are spaced evenly. The next pattern is random. This is where the organisms are dispersed randomly. The third pattern is clumped. This is where the organisms are clumped together within a population. Clumping is a result of habitat differences within the population and reproduction.

Which of the following statements dealing with exploitative interactions is false?

Predators always eat whichever prey is most plentiful

Which of the following statement is a plausible hypothesis in explaining why species diversification rates seem to vary with geographic location?

Productivity is highest in the terrestrial tropical regions and high productivity promotes larger populations, larger carrying capacities, higher diversities, and lower extinction rates

Production efficiency is most accurately described as.

Proportion of assimilated food that goes into consumer biomass

Which of the following groups shows greater species richness in higher latitudes than in lower latitudes

Seabirds

A forest community has reestablished itself after wild fire damaged many of the trees in one area. Which type of succession best describes the reestablishment of the community after the storm?

Secondary

Which of the following statements about size-number trade-offs is true?

Size-number trade-offs are observed within species with parental care

Of the following statements regarding soil in the environment, which if any is false?

Soil erosion only occurs due to anthropogenic means

Water flows along several energy gradients. Which of the following are untrue regarding water potential?

Soils with a high matric potential will readily convey groundwater to plant roots

Which ideas regarding a plant's potential to compensate for temperature limitations are true

Some plants shed their leaves in part to compensate for temperature stress

Which of the following would be a correct illustration of density-dependent factors influence on a population size?

Soybeans planted at higher densities had reduced rates of survivorship compared to seedlings planted at lower densities

Early life cycle stages/small size "weakness" can often be offset because the early stages can do things and/or have abilities that adult stages don't have.

TRUE

The life history approach of sexual reproduction includes the benefits that recombination promotes genetic variation and the ability to respond to environmental change, but has a negative effect in that a reduction in the population growth rate occurs.

TRUE

Identify the biome indicated by number (6).

Temperate Grassland

Only a small number of the world's species are found on each individual continent. Which of the following is an exceptional animal that has a widespread distribution across most continents?

The Norway rat

Which of the following is the most likely reason that a fish associated with a cleaner fish like Labroides dimidiatus does not eat the cleaner fish, even when the cleaner fish is in its mouth?

The benefit the fish receives from the cleaner fish in parasite removal is greater than what it would gain by eating the cleaner fish

Which of the following statements about regional scale is true?

The climate within a region is roughly uniform

Which of the following statements about the ecological footprint model is false?

The ecological footprint of a population cannot change over time

Which trophic level generates the most dead organic material in most ecosystems?

The first

Describe 4 examples of adaptations organisms (plant or animal) have developed to avoid being eaten and 4 subsequent counter adaptations predators and/or herbivores have developed to counter those defenses.

The first defensive adaptation organisms have developed to avoid being eaten is mimicry. Mimicry is when an organism has coloring or looks like another organism that would be toxic to the predator. This deters the predator from trying to hunt that specific organism. The second defense mechanism is physical properties. This can be speed, size, or some kind of outer protective layer. The third defense mechanism is crypsis. This is when an organism camouflages itself to avoid being ate by a predator. The fourth defensive mechanism is behavioral defense. This would include being on guard. This means that they prey is keeping watch for the predators. They also don't allow themselves to be vulnerable in open areas.

Which of the following ideas regarding secondary compounds is not true?

The mode of action of all secondary compounds is that they are toxic to a specific organism

The facilitation and the inhibition models of primary succession hold different assumptions about

The nature of the effects that the early colonizers have on late colonizing species

Large marine turtles called loggerhead sea turtles, which lay eggs in nests under sandy beaches, are currently listed as a threatened species. Which of the following statements about these turtles is false based on the life table analysis of this species?

The population's growth depends upon at least a 90% hatchling success rate

Describe, compare, and contrast as many factors as you can, the 3 different freshwater biological zones.

The three different freshwater biological zones are wetlands, streams, and lakes. Wetlands are open systems that have a lot of various different connections via water sources on land. This can include rivers and lakes. They also contain a lot of carbon. They are sometimes covered in water. A defining feature for wetlands are hydroperiod. The next system are streams. Streams have a high concentration of oxygen. The movement as well as velocity within streams are crucial. There are many different organisms that live in streams This includes riparian vegetation, microorganisms, and bottom dwellers. There are first and second order streams these are dependent on elevation above sea level. The last zone in lakes. Shallow lakes are known to have high surface area and are nutrient rich. Deep lakes do not have as much surface area and aren't as nutrient rich. They are normally formed from glaciers. There are different zones. These include the profundal zone, pelagic zone, benthic, and litoral zone. Water is temperature dependent. The top of it is warm while the bottom is cold.

Which of the following statements about climate is false?

The timing of climate variation is unimportant to biotic distribution

In his experiments with different competing pairs of Paramecium species, Gause found that sometimes both species persisted and sometimes only one species did. Which of the following hypotheses did Gause propose in order to explain the cases in which both species persisted?

The two species tended to use a limited resource in different ways

List and explain 5 recognized global patterns regarding net primary production (NPP).

There are 5 recognized global patters regarding the NPP. The GNP product of carbon is specifically about 10^15g. THis means that per year, there is a large carbon foot print. There is alot of carbon being made. There is also a higher average rate of net primary produce for land rather than for oceans. The NPP is more on land, specifically in the tropics dye to the fact that the tropical areas have longer growing seasons and more rain. These both influence net primary production. The highest percentage of NPP is in the tropical forests. More than 50% of carbon produced is used by terrestrial biomes while the rest is used by the ocean. However, in the ocea, there is a higher NPP in places where there are upwellings. This is due to the face that it brings the deeper water which is nutrient rich to the surface. In aquatic systems, there is variation within the NPP due to the nutrient inputs. In the terrestrial bioms, there are variations in the NPP dependent on the length of the growing season and the leaf area index, or surface area of the leaves.

What in theory controls global patterns of species richness/diversification and what are three explanations as to why deviations form?

There are theories for what controls the global patterns of species richness and diversification. There are 3 main explainations for what cause the deviations amongst this. These include speciation, extinction, and dispersal. Carrying capacity of a location can be seen within the tropics. In the tropics, there are large populations due to the increased productivity. This leads to lower extinction rated and a higher species. The next is the species diversification rate. This is seen by the tropics. This is due to the fact that they have the most area of land and the face that there is stability amongst the temperatures. This increased the speciation while decreasing the extinction rated. The third factor for species richness is the species diversification time. This is also seen by the tropics. This is due to the fact that the tropics have stable temperature over a period of time, so the species living there have had more time to adjust. However, in a lot of places, animals will stay where its warm.

Fecundity can change over a females lifespan, in part due to environment factors.

True

Identify the biome indicated by number (8).

Tundra

Which high-latitude, terrestrial biome encompasses ~5 million acres of treeless land and high mountain terrains with vegetation consisting of sedges, forbs, grasses, low-growing shrubs, lichens, and mosses?

Tundra

In which of the following biomes would you most likely see the greatest (%) of NPP devoted to roots?

Tundra of Alaska

Which of the following types of survivorship curves best describes a population in which mortality in low for individuals early on in their lives allowing for most to make it to old age?

Type I

Explain the logic and general applications of using the life table approach to understanding the plight of the Loggerhead Sea Turtle.

When fisheries were catching shrimp, they would use just normal nets to catch the shrimp. This reduced the loggerhead sea turtle population because it was taking the sea turtles that were at a reproductive age and killing them. This caused loggerhead turtles to become an endangered species. The life table approach was used to try to preserve loggerhead sea turtles. So far, there has been a 44% reduction in sea turtled killed due to shrimp fishing. This was done by installing TED's. TED's are turtle excluder devices. The life table gave us enough information to be able to save the juevnile and reproductive adult males, therefore increasing the turtle population.

Characterize the plant, animal life, climate particulars, and man's influence in your favorite terrestrial biome.

While this is not my favorite, I do find it interesting. This is the hot desert. This biome has high temps and low moisture. Less than 10 inches of rain a year. There really isnt too much food, vegetation, or animal population. It is located at high pressure zones at 30 N/S. An example is the Sahara desert. It has drought shrub and grasses. However, when there is a lot of rain, a superbloom can happen and the whole desert becomes colorful and full of life. Man uses the deserts finite resources for argriculture and livestock. Man has caused desertification of desert which is soil erosion and no plant coverage. Plants/animals in this area must learn to conserve water. If you are rich enough, you can build a golf course here at well.

Of the array of components influencing an overall trophic efficiency of an organism, which of the following is not real?

absorption efficiency = the proportion of assimilated food that crosses the blood / tissue barrier

Which ideas are not true regarding "long-term" climate change events of the Earth?

all are true ideas *glacial-interglacial cycles occur at frequencies of ~ every 100,000 years *last glacial maximum was ~ 18,000 years ago indicating there Earth should experience an ~ additional 30,000 years of warming *Glacial-interglacial cycling is in part explained by changes in the shape of Earth's orbit and Milankovitch cycles

Near shore marine environments are _____

all of the above *are more nutrient rich then open water regions *influenced by waves, tidal, salinity, temperature, and pressure variations *onsidered to have the greatest variety of life on Earth

Different clumping patterns can theoretically result from:

all of the above *local geographical differences *weather fluctuations *reproductive pressures *social interactions

A community is most accurately defined as:

all populations inhabiting a specific area at a given time

A leaf from a forest that falls into a large stream and is consumed by aquatic invertebrate would be a source of _______ energy for the stream ecosystem.

allochthonous

Which of the following is not true regarding soil in the environment?

an increase in soil erosion is associated with a decrease in pollution

In the Lotka-Volterra predator-prey model, an increase in the capture efficiency should lead to _______ in the number of predators and _______ in the number of prey.

an increase; a decrease

Which population sampling method is best suited for sessile organisms?

area based counts (quadrats

In the CAM photosynthetic pathway, CO2 uptake occurs _______ while the Calvin cycle occurs _______ as a means to reduce photorespiration losses.

at night; during the day

Which are correct statements about where high biodiversity is located?

b and c are true b. coral reef habitats, coastal zones, and estuaries have highest diversity in marine environments c. in terrestrial environment, diversity of tropical rainforests is higher than all other habitats

Which of the following statement(s) about logistic growth is/are false?

both A and B are false a. carrying capacity equals the minimum population size needed to sustain a population b. changes in environmental conditions will not influence the carrying capacity (k)

What is/are real hypotheses as to why terrestrial primary consumers consume a lower proportion of autotroph biomass than aquatic primary consumers?

both A and B are true aquatic autotrophs are more nutritious for herbivores than terrestrial plants b. terrestrial autotrophs have defenses against herbivory, such as secondary compounds, spines, etc.

Which of the following are real ways in which genetic drift can negatively impact a small population?

both B & C are correct *b. results in population being more susceptible to environmental change *c. results in higher frequency of inbreeding which begets more homozygous individuals

Temperature can influence photosynthetic rates via:

both a and b *the rates of enzymatic reactions *structure of membranes in the leaves

Which of the following are real ideas concerning how the generation of oxygen by early photosynthesizing organisms altered conditions on early Earth?

both a and c *led to the creation of the ozone layer, protecting life forms from high-energy UV radiation. * allowed for the process of aerobic respiration to develop

Which of the following statements about phenotypic plasticity is true?

both b and c *plasticity can involve physiological responses *in some types of phenotypic plasticity, a single genotype can produce discrete morphs

Which of the following ideas are false regarding chemosynthesis?

chemosynthesis is an unimportant process in today's photosynthetic world since it only occurs on/in hydrothermal vent communities.

The ________ stage in ecological succession is described as being stable and self-sustaining.

climax

In some worm species, the actions of individual worms make the soil more hospitable to other members of the species. Such a phenomenon would tend to encourage which dispersion pattern?

clumped

A bear accidentally carries the seeds of a weedy plant in its fur. Transporting the seeds neither helps nor harms the bear, but it is beneficial to the plant. This is an example of a(n)

commensalism

Herbivores feeding on the blades of a grass stimulate the plant to produce more growth is an example of:

compensation

Moths resting on the trunks of trees often resemble the tree bark such that potential predators do not perceive them as prey. This is an example of:

crypsis

Which of the following factors is/are incorrect in describing influences on a population's survivorship?

delayed start of reproductive phase always results in an overall net decreases in population growth

Suppose that only two females and a small number of males are left in a population of a highly endangered bird. Although all of these birds are healthy, by chance, both females fail to reproduce and the population goes extinct. This extinction is best described as a consequence of

demographic stochasticity

beetle that feeds exclusively on dead wood is an example of a(n) _______ and is part of the _______ trophic level.

detritivore; second

Which of the following ideas about the ecosystem models "old field" versus "pond" are false?

detritivores and decomposers are most common in soil of the field and water in the pond

The equilibrium theory of island biogeography simple relates regional differences in species diversity as a function of:

distance to species source (less = increased diversity) & land area (more = increased diversity)

A mudslide kills a large fraction of a population of snails. The reduction in this snail population allows for an increase in the population size of a clam that competes with the snail. This is an example of

disturbance

A powerful ice storm in 1998 felled a large proportion of trees across much of southeast Canada consequently leading opportunities for new bird species. With regard to its effects on the abundance of bird species, the 1998 storm would be considered a:

disturbance event

A decreases in _______ would tend to increase the number of trophic levels in an ecosystem.

disturbance frequency

Which of the following statements and ideas is not a true ideas regarding communities?

ecologists only define communities based on biological characteristics

A mycorrhizal-associated fungus grows between cells of the root of a plant, forming a mantle around the exterior of the root. This is an example of a(n) _______ association.

ectomycorrhizal

Not all consumed matter is incorporated into the biomass of a heterotroph. A heterotroph's growth is determined by its net secondary production, which equals ingestion minus _______.

egestion and respiration

Which of the following general factors regarding the study of ecology is false?

emergent properties resulting at higher levels can be predicted

Within autogenic succession, which of the following changes are not typically what occurs?

entropy increases with time

For an ecological interaction to be a mutualism, the net benefits must:

exceed the net costs for both partners`

Age structure analysis of an imaginary population tell us that a population with a disproportionately high percentage of individuals in the "older/post reproductive" age bracket will:

experience negative growth

Few species display the population distribution pattern of "clumped" across their geographic range.

false

H2O is an unimportant factor in the greenhouse process.

false

In natural undisturbed habitats, it is common for birth rates and death rates to be constant over time at any given density, thereby making the carrying capacity (K) constant.

false

c4 plants, which precede the appearance of C3 plants on planet Earth, tend to thrive in areas where sunlight intensity is moderate, temperatures are moderate, and carbon dioxide concentrations are high

false

The result of two species competing for the same ecological niche and the eventual competitive exclusion of one of those species illustrates _______________.

gause's Principle

Which of the following best describes the primary climate differences between temperate shrub-lands and temperate grasslands?

grasslands have warm-moist summers & cool-dry winters while shrub-lands have wet winters and hot-dry summers

he total amount of energy fixed during photosynthesis is referred to as:

gross primary production (GPP)

Net primary production is:

gross primary production minus autotroph respiration

In simplest terms, a population is defined as:

group of interacting individuals of the same species living in a particular area

A fungus that lives in concert with a plant and gains energy from it increases the ability of a plant to grow under high-salt conditions. For the plant, this association is a _______ mutualism.

habitat

The observation that 2 dry tolerant plant species, like the Creosote bush and the Saguaro cactus, have different cold tolerances, and therefore different geographic ranges best exemplifies that _________ is influencing their distributions and abundances.

habitat suitability

A distinctive trait of mangrove swamps and coral reefs compared to other marine ecosystems is that they:

have potential to build land

The __________ stratum contains the soil sediment and decaying organic matter while the _________ contains the self-nourishing / light fixing organisms.

heterotrophic, autotrophic

Compared with large endotherms, small endotherms require _______ feeding rates, partly because they have a _______ surface area-to-volume ratio.

higher; higher

Which of the following statements about net secondary production is false?

in most ecosystems, net secondary production is a large fraction of NPP

An influential characteristic of a lotic ecosystem that is less prominent in wetland and lentic ecosystems is:

increased water velocity

Which of the following statements regarding incoming radiation is false?

is an important energy source for hydrothermal vent communities

The critical feature determining whether a substance is a resource is whether:

it is required by an organism and can be used to the point of depletion

The grizzly bear, which reaches breeding maturity at 6 years of age and generally gives birth to 2 cubs every 3 years from thereafter would best be described as a _________ reproductive strategy.

iteroparous

A population of organisms that display slow development, late reproduction, and limited #s of offspring would best be described as having a ____________life history approach.

k-selection

Despite having a relatively small biomass, populations of grizzly bears often have strong effects on their communities. The grizzly bear is therefore an example of a

keystone species

Which of the following statements is most accurate regarding the heating of land/water in the environment?

land tends to heat and cool faster and to greater extremes than the adjacent waters

Of the 3 influences that can lead to extinction discussed in class, which of the following idea is not true

large populations cannot go extinct

Which of the following statements are true in regards to inputs IE and outputs OE to an ecosystem?

larger ecosystem = more independent from IE and OE

Warm air, being _______ cooler air, will tend torise causing its relative humidity levels to _______.

less dense than; increase

The statement that blue crab adults can live in the upper Cooper River, but larvae are restricted to a more haline environment illustrates the principle of:

life stage can change factor tolerances

As compared to shallow lakes, deep lakes tend to have _______ surface area-to-volume ratios and to be _______ nutrient rich)

lower; less

Compared to carnivores, herbivores tend to have _______ assimilation energies because _______.

lower; plants contain many substances that are not easily digested

the condition known as pubescence, which refers to the presence of hair on the surface of leaves,

lowers the absorption of solar radiation

Which of the following best describes alpha diversity?

measure of the diversity of species within a community

The highest rates of NPP in the ocean occur near _______ in both the northern and southern hemispheres because this is where _______ is most common.

mid latitudes; upwelling

In an inverted trophic pyramid, _______ biomass is present in the secondary carnivores than in the primary producers. Compared to terrestrial systems, aquatic systems are _______ likely to feature inverted pyramids.

more; much more

Within lentic ecosystems, another name for the littoral zone in the _______ and the dominant primary producers living there would be _______ ?

near shore, rooted vegetation

Which of the following statements about the basics of energy is/are correct?

none are correct

Which of the following ideas regarding Alfred Wallace's work with biogeography is/are true?

none are true a. mammals of the Philippines were more similar to those in the neighboring New Guinea region than in the more distant African region b. Earth's land mass can be divided into nine biogeographic regions that correspond roughly to Earth's major tectonic plates c. a gradient of species diversity with latitude exists such that diversity increases with increasing latitude.

The thermoneutral zone is the range of temperatures over which an active endotherm can/is:

operates at a minimum metabolic rate

Food webs, which are static descriptions of energy flow and trophic interactions, are not able to realistically incorporate in their design, which of the following?

organisms which are components of multiple food webs organisms that change feeding patterns over their lifetime

Which of the following attributes is more closely associated with a "r-selection" life history approach?

parental investment = low

If soil salinity affects the growth rate of plants but is not depleted by the plants, the salinity is a(n)

physical factor

Lower velocity freshwater systems, like those associated with a lake or other still waters, as compared to a flowing water system, are more closely associated with which of the following qualities?

phytoplankton play an important function in water's primary production

A group of individuals of a single species of swamp sparrows lives in an isolated reservoir and interact with one another. This is an example of a(n):

population

In a top-down controlled trophic cascade, energy flow through an ecosystem is influenced primarily by the:

predator driven factors

Deserts located on the leeward side of large mountains are often created from ______________ brought about by a mountain associated limiting condition.

rain shadows

In some trees and shrubs, competition among seedlings causes individuals to be spaced relatively evenly throughout the habitat. These plants exhibit a _______ type of dispersion pattern.

regular

What are true and accurate ideas dealing with competition?

resource partitioning occurs when competing species use a limited resource in different ways allowing for the opportunity of survival of both species

The two primary components used to gauge the diversity of ecosystems are:

richness - # of variety of species and evenness - # of individuals of each species

The production efficiency of a herbivore is equal to _______ divided by _______.

secondary production; the NPP that is assimilated

Which of the following grouping best incorporates features more closely associated with the brown belt layer of an ecosystem?

sediments, decaying inorganic substances, and saprotrophs

because leaf-cutter ants and fungi help each other overcome plant defenses, the leaf-cutter ant-fungus mutualism can be described as a _______ mutualism.

service

The Shannon index is the most commonly used measure of:

species diversity

In some regions where two tectonic plates meet, one plate forces the other plate downward. Such tectonic boundaries are called

subduction zones

Which of the following are correct statements regarding the chemical environment?

the weathering of rocks and minerals can affect both salt and pH levels in the environment

Though it contains only 11% of Earth's terrestrial vegetation cover, the _______ biome is home to about half of Earth's species.

tropical rainforest

Acclimatization, the adjusting to stress by an organism through changes in its behavior or physiology is a short-term reversible process.

true

In a population that exemplifies the logistic growth pattern, when its size reaches the carrying capacity, then in theory there should be no population growth.

true

In species that exhibit anisogamy, usually the egg is much larger than the sperm generating additional energy constraints on the reproducing females.

true

Longwave radiation is absorbed by the components in the atmosphere more readily than shortwave radiation.

true

Mountains can alter or completely change the local terrestrial biomes conditions creating "ecotones"

true

Niche modeling is an approach that predicts a species' present and potential future distribution of a species based on conditions at locations the species is known to occupy.

true

Removal experiments can aid in revealing the interaction strengths that one species exerts on the population size of another species in an ecosystem.

true

Within the levels of organization of ecology, the level immediately above the landscape is the biome.

true

the light compensation point is the point of the photosynthetic CO2 uptake curve where the uptake of CO2 is balanced by CO2 loss by respiration.

true

Which statements are false regarding human use of primary productivity?

~15% of the world's population relies on non-edible primary productivity as a fuel source

Of all the solar radiation entering the atmosphere, ______ goes into heat/evaporation/wind, _____ is converted into food and other biomass, and ____is reflected back to space.

~69%, ~1%, ~30%

Which of the following is not a component required to develop a life table study of a population?

λ = geometric growth rate or per capita finite rate of increase

Extra Credit - up to 3 points possible. Describe 3 adaptations the kangaroo rat uses/possesses to cope with its arid environment.

* carbs and fats are converted to water and carbon dioxide. *they eat succulents to cope with the dry environment. This helps because it has a high water content. *they also excrete small amounts of water in their urine and feces to help prevent water loss. oh and.......FIGHT THE EVERPRESENT ENTROPY.

Which of the following attributes are more closely associated with the autotrophic stratum layer in a 2-tiered trophic structure ecosystem layering?

. A, C, and F a. photosynthesis c. green layer f. leaf

At levels lower than the "organism" on the organizational hierarchy of life, __________ prevails which implies control of the system variance is maintained to achieve steady state__________.

1 and 4

List and describe 4 ways plants can accommodate variations in temperatures and 4 ways organisms can accommodate variations in water availability.

1. Controlling their transpiration rates. This means regulating the amount of opening and number of stomates. 2. Plants can also shed their leaves in order to conserve energy during cold or dry seasons. 3. Some plants can use pubsescent hairs. This helps them reflect solar energy. 4. Heat can be lost by convection. 4 Ways organisms can accomodate water availability: 1. Some can have special organs that help with gas exchange, solute retention, and excretion management. This helps the organism retain water, causing less water loss. 2. Some birds and mammals have thick skin or fur that helps with water loss. 3. Sweat glands in mammals help with evaporative cooling, however there is a trade off due to the water loss that causes. 4. Mobility is also a factor. Most animals can go to different places to get water and maintain their water balance.

Describe 5 ecological maxims from chapter 1 with a real world/ecological example demonstrating the concept.

1. There is no free lunch. Everything comes with a price. Someone always has to pay. Ecologically this can be seen if there is an increase in population, the tradeoff is a loss of food supply or resources. 2. You can never do just one thing. When I think about this maxim, i think about the butterfly effect. The butterfly effect is when a butterfly flaps his wings, a hurrican happens across the world. It sounds crazy but everything in this world is connected. 3. Evolution matters. This one is important. Without evolution we wouldnt be here. In order to survive, we must be able to make changes to our body over time to improve. This can be seen with out immune systems. We are constantly facing new problems that we have to be equipt to handle. 4. No population can increase in size forever. At some point, there is going to be something that stops the increase. Whether it is China's barbaric one child policy or a lack of resources. 5. Time matters. In ecology time is very important. Our ecosystems are very different now than they were 1000 years ago. Over time, things change.

What is the best estimate of current situation of world's oceanic fisheries?

75% of world's oceanic fisheries are at/beyond sustainability

Rhizospheres account for ___ of metabolic activity but make up only approximately ___ of soil volume.

90%, 10%

In an aquatic system the limnetic zone is the region of the water where:

A and C photosynthesis > respiration O2 higher

Which of the following ideas are true regarding upwelling zones?

A and C are true *predominant winds move offshore *nutrient rich, cold bottom water is brought to the surface

Which of the following general statements regarding the study of ecology is/are true?

A and D are true Organisms can be indirectly connected through their ties to shared features of the environment. There are limits to growth of every population