Final Biology Exam Quiz Questions

Pollinating bees that visit flowers while harvesting nectar and pollen are considered examples of _____. A. mutualism B. competition C. commensalism D. parasitism

A. mutualism

When you cut down a forest you would expect A. Increased transpiration B. Decreased nitrate export C. Colder stream temperatures D. Increased stream runoff

D. Increased stream runoff

What makes pioneering plant species successful? A. Pioneering plants are adapted for survival under all kinds of conditions. B. Pioneering plants can outcompete most other species. C. Pioneering plants are naturally selected for longevity. D. Pioneering plants rapidly colonize exposed soil. They have high reproductive output but poor competitive ability.

D. Pioneering plants rapidly colonize exposed soil. They have high reproductive output but poor competitive ability.

What is Net Primary Productivity? A. Water maintained in the soil B. Minerals and atmospheric nitrogen that can be fixed C. Solar energy consumed by photosynthetic organisms D. Primary producer biomass or organic matter that is available for consumption

D. Primary producer biomass or organic matter that is available for consumption

Which two environments contribute most to global NPP A. Coral reefs and tropical forests B. Open ocean and coral reefs C. Tropical forests and Wetlands D. Tropical forests and open oceans

D. Tropical forests and open oceans

What term describes the combination of resources used and conditions tolerated in the absence of competitors? A. A fundamental niche B. A realized niche C. Asymmetric competition D. Symmetric competition

A. A fundamental niche

What is a negative feedback in the context of global warming A. Absorption of carbon dioxide by photosynthetic organisms increases. B. Global warming increases insect infestations, killing trees which then decompose and release carbon C. Warmer temperatures increase frequency of forest fires. D. Warmer temperatures increase decomposition of tundra in northern latitudes, adding methane to the atmosphere.

A. Absorption of carbon dioxide by photosynthetic organisms increases.

You wish to estimate the size of a population of rabbits living in a large urban park. What is the best method to use? A. Capture a set of rabbits, mark and release them, and then recapture a second set of rabbits B. Count individual rabbits along a randomly placed series of transects C. Set up a life table for the rabbit population D. Count individual rabbits within a randomly placed set of quadrants

A. Capture a set of rabbits, mark and release them, and then recapture a second set of rabbits

Hanski's study of fritillaries showed that _____. A. metapopulations are dynamic over time B. Glanville fritillaries do best in forested, rich habitats C. carrying capacity is quickly exceeded in optimal habitats D. carrying capacity is highly dependent on population structure

A. metapopulations are dynamic over time

Net Primary Production = A. Gross Primary Production - Respiration B. Respiration - Gross Primary Production C. Gross Primary Production + Respiration

A. Gross Primary Production - Respiration

Energy that fuels food webs A. Is continually lost as it moves through the food web B. Cycles between the biotic and abiotic components of the ecosystem C. Only comes from the sun

A. Is continually lost as it moves through the food web

Select the example of facilitation during secondary succession. A. Mutualistic bacteria living inside nodules on the roots of Sitka alder produce ammonia that Sitka alder uses to build nitrogen-rich proteins and nucleic acids. When Sitka alder leaves fall and decay or roots die, the nitrogen becomes available to Sitka spruce. B. Invasive garlic mustard releases chemicals that inhibit the growth of mycorrhizal fungi, limiting the growth of hardwood tree seedlings. C. Shading by Sitka alder trees reduces the growth of Sitka spruce trees until Sitka spruce trees are tall enough to protrude above the Sitka alder thicket. Once the Sitka spruce trees breach the alder canopy, Sitka alder trees die out D. The establishment of western hemlock trees during succession is independent of the establishment of salmonberry and Indian plum during early successional stages.

A. Mutualistic bacteria living inside nodules on the roots of Sitka alder produce ammonia that Sitka alder uses to build nitrogen-rich proteins and nucleic acids. When Sitka alder leaves fall and decay or roots die, the nitrogen becomes available to Sitka spruce.

What produces seasonality, regular, annual fluctuations in temperature, precipitation, or both? A. Seasonality occurs because Earth is tilted on its north-to-south axis B. Seasonality is driven by Hadley cells, large cycles in global air circulation. C. Earth is closer to the Sun in summer and farther away from the Sun in winter. D. The orbiting Earth faces the Sun in summer and faces away from the Sun in winter.

A. Seasonality occurs because Earth is tilted on its north-to-south axis

In general, NPP is much higher on land than in the oceans. Why? A. The leading hypothesis is that there is more light available on land than in the ocean. B. The leading hypothesis is that there are few photosynthetic organisms in the oceans. C. The leading hypothesis is that there are more available nutrients in water than on land. D. The leading hypothesis is that oceans have higher densities of herbivores, which quickly consume the producers.

A. The leading hypothesis is that there is more light available on land than in the ocean.

What pattern do ecologists describe when referring to the latitudinal gradient? A. There are generally more species in communities at lower latitudes B. Niche separation versus niche overlap C. The productivity of a community in kilograms of biomass per hectare D. There are generally more species in communities at higher latitudes

A. There are generally more species in communities at lower latitudes

In a local population, birth exceeds deaths but the populations does not change A. This is an example of a source metapopulation B. This is an example of a sink metapopulation C. Immigration exceed immigration D. The population is growing logistically

A. This is an example of a source metapopulation

Jenkins and Buikema tested the Clements-Gleason dichotomy by _____. A. artificially creating sterile ponds and looking at how community structure developed as plankton species colonized the ponds B. creating artificial, harmless mimics of toxic species and comparing survival rates of the toxic species and the mimics C. studying logged forest clear-cuts and looking at the sequence of plants that colonized the clear-cuts D. introducing predatory crabs to aquaria and looking at resulting adaptations of prey species

A. artificially creating sterile ponds and looking at how community structure developed as plankton species colonized the ponds

Populations grow due to births and ______ A. immigration B. emigration C. deaths D. survivorship

A. immigration

Which aquatic biome has the highest NPP per unit area? A. Open ocean B. Coral reefs and algal beds C. Upwelling zones D. Estuaries

B. Coral reefs and algal beds

The heating that occurs at the equator causes A. Cold air to descend near the equator B. Dry air at about 30 degrees latitude C. Rainshadows D. Prevailing easterly winds where we live

B. Dry air at about 30 degrees latitude

Species richness and species diversity are the same thing A. True B. False

B. False

Where does the majority of the biomass in the trunk of a pine tree come from A. From minerals extracted from the soil B. From the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere C. From the nitrogen in the atmosphere D. From Phosphorus in the soil

B. From the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

How do humans impact the global water cycle when they pave land, convert forest to agriculture, and irrigate farmland? A. Precipitation is decreasing on every continent. B. Humans have brought about a global reduction of the water table. C. Humans have brought about a global increase in the water table. D. Precipitation is increasing on every continent.

B. Humans have brought about a global reduction of the water table.

Island biogeography theory is based on which two processes? A. Population size and community structure B. Immigration rates and extinction rates C. Longevity and fecundity D. Birth rates and carrying capacity

B. Immigration rates and extinction rates

What best explains snowshoe hare-lynx population cycles? A. Natural variation in the number of lynxes born B. Interaction of food availability and predation intensity C. Variation in food availability over time D. Variation in population density of hares

B. Interaction of food availability and predation intensity

Which should have the greatest species richness? A. Small island close to the mainland B. Large island close to the mainland C. Small island far from the mainland D. Large island far from the mainland

B. Large island close to the mainland

Which of these organism is capable of production A. Lion B. Pine tree C. Mushroom D. 2 and 3 E. All of the above

B. Pine tree

Biologists study how nutrients and energy move among organisms and through water, soil, and air. Which level of ecological study is this? A. it is community ecology B. it is ecosystem ecology C. it is organismal ecology D. it is population ecology

B. it is ecosystem ecology

What terrestrial biome has dense plant biomass both aboveground and belowground? A. tropical wet forest B. temperate grassland C. allow for anabolic reactions to occure D. subtropical desert

B. temperate grassland

Which lake zone does not receive sunlight? A. the benthic zone B. the aphotic zone C. the limnetic zone D. the littoral zone

B. the aphotic zone

Hadley cells explain why _____. A. high levels of precipitation occur in the vicinity of 30° latitude north and south B. the tropics are much wetter than other regions C. the poles are much colder than other areas D. rain shadows occur

B. the tropics are much wetter than other regions

Biomes are major regions that are defined by distinct abiotic characteristics and _______. A. net primary productivity B. weather C. dominant types of vegetation D. altitude

C. dominant types of vegetation

UN human population growth projection estimates hinge on _____. A. disease B. infant survival rates C. fertility rates D. life expectancies

C. fertility rates

What is the main reservoir for nitrogen? A. Nitrate ions B. Ammonium ions C. Atmospheric nitrogen gas D. Proteins and nucleic acids in living organisms

C. Atmospheric nitrogen gas

Constitutive defenses are_____ A. Constitutive defenses are used to defend mates from rivals. B. Constitutive defenses are only produced when needed. C. Constitutive defenses are always present D. Constitutive defenses are used to defend resources from other species.

C. Constitutive defenses are always present

A volcano produces a new island in the ocean. The organisms that begin growing would be an example of A. Metapopulations B. Keystone species C. Primary succession D. Secondary succession E. Facilitating species

C. Primary succession

Phosphorus originally comes from _______ and Nitrogen originally comes from _______ A. Soil, water B. Atmosphere, soil C. Rocks, atmosphere D. Rocks, water

C. Rocks, atmosphere

The total theoretical range of environmental conditions that a species can tolerate A. The realized niche B. The competitive exclusion principle C. The fundamental niche D. Climax community

C. The fundamental niche

Zootoca vivipara lizards maintain feeding and mating territories within their range. Based on these facts, what would you conclude about their pattern of distribution? A. Zootoca vivipara are likely clumped in distribution within their range. B. Zootoca vivipara are likely randomly distributed within their range C. Zootoca vivipara are likely uniformly distributed within their range D. Zootoca vivipara are likely haphazardly distributed within their range.

C. Zootoca vivipara are likely uniformly distributed within their range

Spring and fall lake turnovers occur in response to _____. A. changes in water level B. changes in humidity C. changes in air temperature D. changes in sediment composition

C. changes in air temperature

In species like sea turtles with high juvenile mortality, low adult mortality, and low fecundity, conservationists can most effectively help them by _____. A. controlling predator populations B. captive breeding programs C. focusing on keeping adults alive D. focusing on keeping juveniles alive

C. focusing on keeping adults alive

What is rmax in a species like the giant panda? A. it is high B. it is unstable C. it is low D. it is zero

C. it is low

Different types of research have all concluded that global climate change is _____. A. making climates more extreme B. increasing annual precipitation everywhere C. making storms more frequent D. increasing annual temperatures everywhere

C. making storms more frequent

What happens to population growth when (K - N)/K is zero? A. the population grows at a maximal rate B. the population drops to zero C. the population does not grow D. population growth slows

C. the population does not grow

Succession in an ecological context refers to _______. A. how species evolve as a result of coevolutionary arms races B. the predictable series of changes in a community as species evolve and become extinct C. the sequence of changes in species composition within the community over time after a disturbance D. the sequence of changes that a species goes through during its occupancy within a community

C. the sequence of changes in species composition within the community over time after a disturbance

Which factor affecting the distribution and abundance of the açaí palm would be studied at the level of community ecology? A. Açaí palm populations are in decline in the Amazon River estuary. B. Toucans consume and disperse the seeds of açaí palms. C. Açaí palms cannot tolerate freezing temperatures. D. Açaí palms require wet soils that are occasionally flooded.

D. Açaí palms require wet soils that are occasionally flooded.

You can get mercury poisoning if you eat daily meals of tuna, a top predator. However, you can safely eat daily meals of sardines, which are primary consumers. What biological process explains this? A. Persistent toxins B. Energy transfer C. Trophic levels D. Biomagnification

D. Biomagnification

Which of these scenarios describes bottom-up control of community structure? A. Removal of the sea star Pisaster ochraceus from rocky intertidal communities in the Pacific NW reduced community diversity, as the mussel M. californainus, released from sea star predation, overgrew the intertidal region. B. Reintroduction of wolves to the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem led to a decrease in elk populations and an increase in populations of trees eaten by elk such as aspen, willow, and cottonwood. C. Overhunting of sea otters triggered a trophic cascade in kelp forest communities D. Extreme warming causes photosynthetic protists to be expelled from coral animals, resulting in coral bleaching. The subsequent death of the coral has devastating effects on the coral reef community.

D. Extreme warming causes photosynthetic protists to be expelled from coral animals, resulting in coral bleaching. The subsequent death of the coral has devastating effects on the coral reef community.

A study conducted at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest watershed areas provided experimental evidence that _____ A. forest productivity is a function of number of trees and diversity of species present B. water levels become higher and more easily maintained as the number of nearby trees increases C. contamination in nearby areas passes into watersheds D. deforestation increases the rate of nutrient loss from terrestrial ecosystems

D. deforestation increases the rate of nutrient loss from terrestrial ecosystems

One effect of global warming is____ A. increased productivity of agricultural croplands B. increased evolution of new species as new niches appear C. increases in migration events as species search for suitable habitats D. geographic range shifts of species

D. geographic range shifts of species

The Type III survivorship curve has _____. A. low initial death rates and later high survivorship (e.g., humans) B. a pattern of constant survivorship throughout life (e.g., songbirds) C. a pattern of low survivorship throughout life (e.g., some fish) D. high initial death rates but later high survivorship (e.g., many insects)

D. high initial death rates but later high survivorship (e.g., many insects)

Carbon dioxide functions as a greenhouse gas because it______ A. allows plants to grow year-round, just like in a greenhouse B. directly increases atmospheric temperature, just like in a greenhouse C. creates moist, humid environments similar to a greenhouse D. reflects heat radiated from Earth back toward the Earth the way the glass of a greenhouse reflects heat

D. reflects heat radiated from Earth back toward the Earth the way the glass of a greenhouse reflects heat

Which of these organism is capable of respiration A. Lion B. Pine tree C. Mushroom D. 1 and 3 E. All of the above

E. All of the above