BIOL 412 Final Exam
In 1987, 18 black-footed ferrets, the last known individuals of this species, were captured and brought into a captive breeding program in Wyoming. In 1989, the total ferret population, still in captivity, was 120 animals. These 120 animals in 1989 represented: A. N, the total population size B. ΔN, the change in population size from 1987 to 1989 C. ΔN/Δt, the rate of change in population size D. r, the per capital change in population size E. r, the exponential rate of grwoth of the population
A. N, the total population size
____ is the proportion of individuals of an initial cohort that survives to each successive age or stage of the life cycle A. Survivorship B. Mortality C. Age structure D. Demography
A. Survivorship
A researcher hopes to estimate the size of an E. coli population in a liter of seawater. To do this, he can count the number of E. coli bacteria in a milliliter of seawater and multiply this number of 1,000 A. True B. False
A. True
Which of the following result from a mark-recapture study done on mice would reflect a large population size? A. when taking the second sample, 200 individuals are caught and 20 are marked from the first sample B. when taking the second sample, 200 individuals are caught and 80 are marked from the first sample C. Both of these scenarios would result in the same population estimate
A. When taking the second sample, 200 individuals are caught and 20 are marked from the first sample
An individual's ecological footprint is equivalent to the: A. amount of land required to provide all the resources used by that individual B. total amount of energy used by that individual C. total amount of food consumed by that individual D. total amount of carbon emissions from that individual's car
A. amount of land required to provide all the resources used by that individual
The maximum number of individuals of a given population the environment can support is the environment's ____ for that population A. carrying capacity B. effect on the intrinsic growth rate C. population size D. effect on the exponential growth rate
A. carrying capacity
Once a hemlock-spruce forest is established in Glacier Bay, it tends to remain relatively unchanged unless disturbed. This makes it the ____ for the region A. climax community B. ecosystem C. food web D. primary producer
A. climax community
Humans have a nearly ubiquiotous influence on physical environments throughout the world. Looking back through geologic history, which type of organism can claim a comparable impact on physical environments? A. cyanobacteria B. trilobites C. dinosaurs D. birds
A. cyanobacteria
You decide to plant a garden in your backyard. You dig up a strip of grass in a sunny spot. When you have finished digging up the grass, but you haven't planted anything, you have created a(an) ____ in the lawn A. ecological disturbance B. new community C. ecological disturbance and a new community D. none of the answer options is correct
A. ecological disturbance
A(n) ____ is a community of organisms and the physical environment it occupies A. ecosystem B. community C. population D. metapopulation E. interaction
A. ecosystem
What pattern of growth are humans currently exhibiting? A. exponential growth B. logistic growth C. intrinsic growth D. geometric growth E. none of the answer options is correct
A. exponential growth
Competitive exclusion describes A. failure of similar exospecies to coexist B. failure of distantly related ecospecies to coexist C. the mechanism of niche overlap D. the reason for allopatric speciation E. the reason for sympatric speciation
A. failure of similar ecospecies to coexist
A ___ depicts the flow of carbon through an ecosystem, whereas a ____depicts the transfer of energy A. food web; trophic pyramid B. trophic pyramid, food web C. food web, niche D. niche; food web
A. food web; trophic pyramid
The coast redwood (sequioa sempervirens) occurs naturally in a strip of habitat about 450 miles long and 5-35 miles wide, from southwest Oregon along the coast to just south of Monterey, California. What aspect of the population ecology of the coast redwood does this statement describe? A. geographic range B. population density C. population size D. type of distribution
A. geographic range
If you were studying the effects of climate change on the geographic ranges of species living in the mountains and your climate records showed that mean temperatures were increasing, you would predict that species ranges would show a shift toward: A. higher elevations B. lower elevations C. intermediate elecations D. unpredictable elevations---the precise response would depend on individual species, with no clear trends or averages E. none of the answer options is correct
A. higher elevations
As the standard of living of a country increases, the ecological footprint usually A. increases B. decreases C. is not affected
A. increases
As air moves from the base up the side of a mountain, it cools. What is one consequence of this movement of air? A. moisture will drop as rain as the air moves up the side of the mountain B. the air is deflected and circles back down to the base of the mountain C. the air slows because cold air is less dense than warmer air D. the air picks up additional moisture that falls on the other side of the mountain
A. moisture will drop as rain as the air moves up the side of the mountain
We think of termites as insects that "eat" wood. In fact, however, termites rely on a variety of eukaryotic and prokaryotic gut microbes to digest cellulose---without the microbes, the termites will ingest wood but will starve. This, then, is an example of a(n): A. obligate mutualisms B. obligate antagonism C. facultative mutualisms D. facultative mutualism E. none of the answer options is correct
A. obligate mutualism
Prairie dogs are rodents that live in colonies. Black-tailed prairie dog (cynomys ludovicianus) colonies typically have around 12 adult animals per hectare. What aspect of the population ecology of the black-tailed prairie dog does this statement describe? A. population density B. population size C. population growth D. life history
A. population density
In general, a species' _____ niche will be smaller than its ____ niche due to interactions with other organisms in the community A. realized; fundamental B. fundamental; realized C. ecological; multidimensional D. realized; multidimensional E. multidimensional; fundamental
A. realized; fundamental
______ are close interactions between species that have evolved over long periods of time. When these interactions enhance the reproduction and population growth of both species, they are called ____ A. symbioses; mutualisms B. mutualisms; symbioses C. symbioses; antagonisms D. antagonists; symbioses E. antagonisms; mutualisms F. mutualisms; antagonisms
A. symbioses; mutualisms
If you stand at the equator and throw a ball north (really hard), which direction will it deflect relative to where you were standing when you threw the ball? A. the ball will deflect east B. the ball will deflect west C. the ball will move at the same speed as you and come right back to you D. None of the answer options is correct
A. the ball will deflect east
A group of scientists in Alaska notices that not only have atomospheric CO2 levels increased at their sampling site but so too have methane levels. What could account for this increase in methane levels? A. the melting of permafrost and increase in methane-producing archaea B. a decrease in beef production near the sampling area C. the failure of rice paddies in Alaska, given its climate
A. the melting of permafrost and increase in methane-producing archaea
If the Earth spun on an axis that was perfectly perpendicular to the equator A. there would be no seasonality in climate B. seasonality would increase at high latitudes C. seasonality would increase at low latitudes D. summers would be warmer in the Northern Hemisphere
A. there would be no seasonality in climate
Humans add about 150,000,000 tons of fixed nitrogen to the biosphere each year, primarily: A. through the use of fertilizer B. as nitrogen emissions from burning fossil fuels C. through the nonagricultural use of ammonia D. as nitrogen emissions from industry E. through urination
A. through the use of fertilizer
At the equator, the Coriolis effect is much smaller than at the poles A. true B. false
A. true
A group of biologists went to estimate a population of beetles living in an area around a pond. They capture and mark 500 beetles, then release them on the first date. They return the following day and catch a total of 400 individuals, 200 of which are marked. What is the estimated population size for the beetles? A. 10,000 B. 1,000 C. 500 D. 250
B. 1,000
The prevailing wind over a mountain range travels from west to east. In this mountain range, rainshadows are located on the _________ side of a mountain A. South B. East C. North D. West
B. East
An individual E. coli beacterium, much like a population of E. coli, can evolve antibiotic resistance A. True B. False
B. False
The common turtle experiences relatively mortality rates throughout its life. It exhibits Type ____ survivorship A. I B. II C. III
B. II
If you were studying the effects of climate change on the geographic ranges of species living in the mountains and your climate records showed that mean temperatures were increasing, which species would you be MOST concerned about from a conservation standpoint? A. a species that is a habitat generalist and lives at low elevations B. a species that is a habitat specialist and lives at the highest elevations C. a species that is a habitat specialist and lives at low elevations D. a species that is a habitat generalist and lives at middle elevations E. a species that is a habitat specialist and lives at middle elevations
B. a species that is a habitat specialist and lives at the highest elevation
Carbon dioxide combines with water to form a weak ____; this has caused the pH seawater to go ____ A. acid; up B. acid; down C. base; down D. base; up E. antioxidant; up
B. acid; down
Some of the characteristics used to describe biomes include precipitation and: A. number of grass species B. average temperature C. number of trophic levels in the communities D. species richness
B. average temperature
An ecological ____ is the set of all populations of all species found in a given place A. ecosystem B. community C. population D. metapopulation E. interaction
B. community
Sustainable developement plans are designed to allow A. conservation of species used by humans so that decreases in population size can be easily monitored and reversed B. conservation of species used by humans without causing the decline or etinction of that species C. conservation of species only in the oceans because population sizes are easier to maintain in marine species D. conservation of species in regions of high human populations becasue those are most likely to decline in popualtion through human use
B. conservation of species used by humans without causing the decline or extinction of that species
The high specific heat of water means that land masses near the equator are: A. warmer than predicted because of all the heat in the water being released into the air B. cooler than predicted because of all the heat carried by ocean waters from low to high latitudes C. the same temperature regardless of the presence of water because it is only the amount of solar radiation on the land mass that affects temperature
B. cooler than predicted because of all the heat carried by ocean waters from low to high latitudes
A general trend in global biodiversity is a gradient of: A. increasing diversity moving from the equator toward the poles B. decreasing diversity moving from the equator toward the poles C. increasing diversity moving out from continental margins to the interior D. decreasing diversity moving from continental margins to the interior
B. decreasing diversity moving from the equator toward the poles
Because tropical plants have very high species diversity, they also have very low population: A. richness B. density C. variation D. numbers
B. density
The figure represent three hypothetical populations; each circle is an individual. Select the type of distribution where food is most abundant near waterholes in he desert A. diagram A B. diagram B C. diagram C
B. diagram B
Both the land area (size) of an island and the ____ contribute to species diversity. A. depth of the water surrounding the island B. distance of the island from neighboring land masses C. rock composition of the island D. climate of the island
B. distance of the island from neighboring land masses
Nitrogen runoff leads to large increases in the populations of algae and cyanobacteria in lakes and oceans in a process known as: A. ocean acidification B. eutrophication C. the greenhouse effect D. global warming
B. eutrophication
When a population is small relative to its carrying capacity, its growth will be: A. geometric B. exponential C. logistic D. both geometric and exponential E. both geometric and logistic
B. exponential
If the Earth spun on an axis that was perfectly perpendicular to the equator, then the poles would receive the same amount of solar energy as the equator A. true B. false
B. false
Seasons are caused by the Earth's elliptical orbit around the sun A. true B. false
B. false
When the ecological footprints of every human on Earth are summed, this number corresponds exactly to the land area of Earth A. true B. false
B. false
The global carrying capacity of the human population will most liekly be determined by A. disease B. food supply C. population density D. water supply E. warfare
B. food supply
A scientist is studying a population of kangaroo rats in the southwestern deserts of the United States. For approximately 4 years the population remains at or near 125 individuals. In the fifth year, it falls to 30. This sharp decrease in population size is most likely the result of density ____ factors A. dependent B. independent
B. independent
A severe drought is an example of a density ______ factor that can influence population size. The availability of nest sites is an example of a density ____ factor A. dependent; independent B. independent; dependent C. dependent; dependent D. independent; independent
B. independent; dependent
In a pond, tadpoles eat algae and fish eat the tadpoles. Around the pond, grasshoppers eat grass and, at night, are preyed upon by bats. Other bats eat the fish that eat the tadpoles. In this community, the tadpoles are: A. primary producers B. primary consumers C. secondary consumers D. teritary consumers E. decomposers
B. primary consumers
You are MOST likely to observe succession in a terrestrial community where lichens were one of the first species to establish the area when you visit a(n): A. recently burned forest B. recently created volcanic island C. abandoned field D. recently plowed field E. tropical rain forest
B. recently created volcanic island
Specialists prosper when A. their hyperspace is broad and food is abundant B. their hyperspace is narrow and food is abundant C. their hyperspace is broad and food is scarce D. their hyperspace is narrow and food is scarce
B. their hyperspace is narrow and food is abundant
The Mojave Desert lies to the east of the coastal and Sierra Nevada mountain in California. Deserts in Chile lie to the west of the Andes mountain. Both California and the Andes mountains run along the west coast of their respective continents. What probably accounts for the fact that one desert is on the east side of its neighboring mountain range, while the other is on the west side of its neighboring mountain range? A. winds to the west of the Andes dry the air and create the deserts B. winds move from east to west along the Andes in the southern hemisphere C. the Andes are very high, and block any wind that might move over D. The Andes are a young mountain range and there hasn't been enough time for plants to colonize the range
B. winds move from east to west along the Andes in the southern hemisphere
What is the approximate size of the human population today? A. 2 billion people B. 5 billion people C. 8 billion people D. 10 billion people E. 25 billion people
C. 8 billion people
Consider a population undergoing logistic growth. When (K- N)/K= 0, what does that imply about the birth rate (b) and death rate (d) A. b > d B. b < d C. b = d D. it is not possible to make an inference about b and d from this information
C. b = d
In addition to burning fossil fuels, humans return CO2 to the atmosphere faster than it can be removed by: A. polluting the oceans B. generating nutrient pollution C. clearing forests for agriculture D. expanding rice production E. expanding beef production
C. clearing forests for agriculture
In the late 1960s, Robert Paine conducted landmark studies in diversity in the rocky intertidal zone, comparing the species diversity in control plots with diversity in experimental plots from which is removed the top predator, sea stars. After 5 years, 15 species of intertidal invertebrates lived in the control plots, while the experimental plots were dominated by only two species, one mussel and one barnacle. The process MOST likely responsible for the loss of species diversity in the experimental plots was A. mutualism B. predation C. competitive exclusion D. parasitism E. resource partiining
C. competitive exclusion
Which of the following statements about the concept of an ecological footprint is FALSE? A. It is an estimate of how much land is required to provide the resources used by an individual B. the total ecological footprint for humanity is greater than the actual surface of Earth C. countries with the largest population sizes have the largest ecological footprints D. it encompasses the energy used to produce goods and the energy used to ship those goods to a store E. underdeveloped countries have smaller ecological footprints than developed countries
C. countries with the largest population sizes have the largest ecological footprints
When lichens grow on bare rock, they may eventually accumulate enough organic material around them to supply the foothold for later rooted vegetation. These early pioneering lichens can be said to do what for species arriving in a later successional stage? A. inhibit B. exclude C. facilitate D. tolerate E. concentrate
C. facilitate
Warm air is ____ dense than cold air, and warm air holds ____ moisture than cold air A. more; less B. more; more C. less; more D. less; less
C. less; more
A large population made up of smaller populations linked by migration is a: A. colonization B. island founder event C. metapopulation D. habitat patch
C. metapopulation
'Fairy rings' of mushrooms are the result of A. niche construction B. niche maintenance C. niche destruction D. changes in niche requirement E. all of the above
C. niche destruction
Liebig's Law of the Minimum states that A. only one chemical element limits plant growth rate B. many chemical elements limit plant growth rate C. one chemical element limits plant growth rate at any one time D. many chemical elements limit plant growth rate at any one time E. many chemical elements limit plant yield
C. one chemical element limits plant growth rate at any one time
The ____ of box turtles in the United States includes all of the individual box turtles that could mate and reproduce within the 50 states A. density B. growth rate C. population D. carrying capacity
C. population
Which of the following would result in a DECREASE in the size of your ecological footprint? A. constructing a new home from brick and stone B. setting the thermostat to 68 degrees in the winter instead of 66 degrees C. purchasing produce from local farmers instead of produce shipped from overseas D. only purchasing clothing that was made overseas E. none of the answer options is correct
C. purchasing produce from local farmers instead of produce shipped from overseas
Two people place flags simultaneously on the surface of the Earth: one flag just north of the South Pole (at approximately 85 degrees), and one flag at the equator (approximately 0 degrees). Which of the statements is a CORRECT reflection of their speed? A. both flags travel at the same speed because the Earth spins on its axis B. the flag at the pole travels at a faster speed than the flag at the equator, but it makes multiple revolutions in order to travel the same distance as the flag at the equator C. the flag at the equator travels faster than the flag at the pole because it will go further in one day (i.e., one turn on its axis) D. none of the answer options is correct
C. the flag at the equator travels faster than the flag at the pole because it will go further in one day (i.e., one turn on its axis)
Which of the following would you expect to observe as you go from the base to the top of a mountain? A. the same climate and biome from the base to the top of the mountain B. the same pattern of climate and biome change one would experience if hiking from high to low latitude C. the same pattern of climate and biome change one would experience if hiking from low to high latitude D. the same biome, but varying climate as you hike up the mountain
C. the same pattern of climate and biome change one would experience if hiking from low to high latitude
The term (ΔN/N0)/Δt (where N denotes the size of a population and t represents time) is used to calculate: A. a habitat's carrying capacity B. the "available percentage of a habitat's carrying capacity C. a population's density D. a population's specific growth rate
D. a population's specific growth rate
Giant sequoia trees (Sequioadendron giganteum) are among the largest and longest-living organisms on Earth. These trees grow in weight by up to 1000 pounds of wood per year. As these trees are growing, they: A. incorporate CO2 into their biomass (wood, roots, and needles) B. are probably a net sink of CO2 C. generate some CO2 through cellular respiration D. all of these choices are correct
D. all of these choices are correct
Temperature differences on Earth are caused primarily by the: A. different seasons at each latitude B. amount of moisture in the air at each latitude C. amount of ice covering the landmass at each latitude D. amount of solar energy received per unit area at each latitude
D. amount of solar energy received per unit area at each latitude
The area shaded gray in the figure on the left represents the ____ of species A. A. actual niche B. realized niche C. accessible niche D. fundamental niche
D. fundamental niche
Sunlight hits the Earth most directly at: A. the equator rather than at the North Pole because the North Pole tilts away from the sun B. the higher latitudes rather than at the lower latitudes C. either of the poles rather than at the equator D. the equator rather than at either of the poles
D. the equator rather than at either of the poles
Per capita use of energy is highest in the United States, and is thought to be caused by differences in standard of living. The chart below shows total energy used by country. Which of the following statements explains why the United States is NOT first and second on the chart A. the United States has a smaller power (electricity) supply than other countries B. the United States provides better data than other countries C. the United States has underreported population size compared to other countries D. the table lists countries in order of decreasing popualtion
D. the table lists countries in order of decreasing populations
If the Earth spun on an axis that was perfectly perpendicular to the equator, how might this affect latitudinal differences incoming solar radiation? A. there would be no latitudinal difference because the axis of the Earth would be perpendicular to the sun B. there would be no latitudinal differences because all points on the Earth would be equidistant from the sun C. there would still be latitudinal differences because latitude is not determined by the Earth's position on its axis D. there would still be latitudinal differences because incoming solar radiation would be spread across a greater area at the poles than at the equator
D. there would still be latitudinal differences because incoming solar radiation would be spread across a greater area at the poles than the equator
Terrestrial biomes are defined by their average annual temperature and precipitation, and the range of values can be organized in such a way to produce the graph. What type of biome would you expect in an area where average annual precipitation is 100cm and the average temperature is 12C? A. temperate grassland/desert B. subtropical desert C. tundra D. woodland/shrubland E. temperate seasonal forest
D. woodland/shrubland
Broad, ecologically uniform areas with stable and distinctive collections of species are called: A. interactions B. habitats C. communities D. ecosystems E. biomes
E. biomes
The niche of an ecospecies defined as a hyperspace has A. a predominant dimension with a range of suuitability for a species B. a predominant dimension with a position of must suitability for a species C. two dimensions with a range of suitability for a species D. two dimensions with positions of most suitability for a species E. multiple dimensions with both ranges and positions of most suitability for a species
E. multiple dimensions with both ranges and positions of most suitability for a species
Primary productivity is affected by the availability of: A. sunlight B. water C. nutrients D. sunlight and nutrients E. sunlight, water, and nutrients
E. sunlight, water, and nutrients
