Bio Theme Exam 4: Barbee
We studied the plight of koala populations in Australia and learned about two key factor that makes these marsupials particularly vulnerable to decline and possible extinction. What were these two factors?
-A significant portion of the eucalyptus forests upon which koalas depend has been cut down. -Koalas feed only on the leaves of eucalyptus trees and no other food source.
Choose all true statements below:
-a population could change its size and density while maintaining the same distribution pattern -a population could have a fixed size and distribution but a different density. -a population could have fixed size and density but a different pattern of distribution
The industrial pollutant sources responsible for acid deposition are:
-nitrous oxides -sulfur dioxide
The mark-recapture method for estimating the size of a population is only reliable if certain assumptions are met. Choose all that would be important assumptions are met. choose all that would be important assumptions for this method from the choices below
-no individuals are lost due to death -no new births occur in the population -no tags used in marking individuals are lost
The present day moose population on Isle Royale is declining due to which of the following impacts?
-tick infestation -increasing temperature -climate change
A species like the blue whale that produces few offspring and invests lots of time and energy in helping them reach maturity would be represented by a Type ____survivorship curve
1
2.Give two reasons why humans have been able to overcome the natural factors that tend to limit a population's size and growth rate.
1. no natural predators and 2. ?????
1.social structure of black-tailed prairie dog groups in the American midwest. 2.the effect of increasing ocean temperatures on coral reef health 3.the impact of the pesticide Roundup on herbaceous plants in an abandoned field 4.the effects of pythons on raccoon survival in the Everglades 5.the study of intraspecific competition in a wolf pack on Isle Royale
1.population ecology 2.ecosystem ecology 3.ecosystem ecology 4.community ecology 5.population ecology
A species like a canada goose that produces an intermediate number of offspring and invests a short period of time and energy in helping them reach maturity would be represented by a type ____
2
Choose the forest community composition below that would have the greatest species diversity or relative abundance.
20 maple, 30 poplar, and 22 oak trees
A species like a frog or salamander that produces a large number of offspring but invests little or no time or energy in helping them survive would be represented by a Type ____survivorship curve.
3
At what latitude (north or south) do we tend to see the formation of desert biomes?
30
26. At what latitude would you expect to find vast stretches of spruce and fir trees, also known as the taiga or boreal forest?
30°N- 60°N
You are trying to get an estimate of the number of Colorado potato beetles in a cultivated field. You capture and mark a sample of 150 beetles, then release them back into the environment. One day later, you capture a sample of 85 beetles and find that this group contains 38 of the marked beetles from the first group. What is the estimated population size of potato beetles in the field?
335
Suppose you are asked to estimate the size of a population of horseshoe crabs in a square mile of marine preserve off the coast of British Columbia. You collect and take 115 crabs using traps randomly placed throughout the area, then release them back into theater. You trap a second sample of 162 crabs and find that 38 of them are tagged individuals from the first group. what is your size estimate for this crab population?
490
You are trying to get an estimate of the number of Colorado potato beetles in a cultivated field. you capture and mark a sample of 200 beetles, then release them back into the environment. One day later, you capture a sample of 100 beetles and find that this group contains 38 of the marked beetles from the first group. Whats the estimated population size of potato beetles in the field?
526
The latitude where cooler moisture laden air rises to support the great boreal forests of the north is ----- degrees.
60
he latitude where cooler moisture laden air rises to support the great boreal forests of the north is
60°
What is the current approximate size of the human population?
7.1 bil
Commensalism → Competition → Parasitism → Mutualism → Predation →
Commensalism → +/0 Competition → -/- Parasitism → +/- Mutualism → +/+ Predation → +/-
the phenomenon that curves air flow along the earth's surface in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, depending on the hemisphere it's in is known as the
Coriolis effect
20. Why do higher latitudes of the Earth experience seasons?
EARTHS TILTED AXIS
Of the two weather events El Niño and La Niña, which one would occur if trade winds in the equatorial Pacific became unusually weak?
El Nino
If you are a sea turtle trapped on a raft of debris in the Gulf stream current off the North Carolina coast, on which land mass would you be most likely to run aground first?
England
23. What is the significance of an ocean current like the Gulf Stream that flows north along the North Carolina coast? What regions of the world does it impact?
Greenland, Norway, Caribbean, North Atlantic ??????????
Circulating areas of air that rise and fall at specific latitudes of the earth's surface as a result of heating from solar radiation are known as:
Hadley Cells
Circulating areas of air that rise and fall at specific latitudes of the earth's surface as a result of heating from solar radiation are known as:
Hadley cells
15. We learned that linear food chains are uncommon in ecosystems. Which species below would be the best example of a member of a linear food chain? a.orangutan b. northeast Atlantic cod c. northwest Atlantic cod d. Javan rhino e. koala
Koala
The rebound period that alternates with El Nino events and is characterized by decreased precipitation and even severe drought conditions in known as:
La Nina
What's the one reason for parasitism being considered a form of symbiosis while predation is not?
Parasites are in close association with their hosts for a while and predators are not.
19. What is the primary factor that sets the phenomenon known as an El Nino or ENSO in motion?
TRADEWINDS; WARM MOIST AIR RISES IN WESTERN PACIFIC CAUSING STORMS
How are parasitoids like the wasps that inject their eggs into aphids and caterpillars different from true parasites?
They kill the host sooner than parasites, but not immediately.
8.Which of the following species best exemplifies an organism with a Type III survivorship curve? What about an example of one following a Type I or a Type II curve? What type of reproductive strategies for a species dictate the shape of those curves?
Type I: high probability of surviving into adulthood. examples: humans, hippos, manatees. Type II: survival independent of age. examples: frogs salamander and birds. Type III: individuals die in early stages. examples: plants and flies
What two countries battled over the proper catch level of Atlantic cod as the fishery collapsed from the 1970's to the 1990's?
US and Canada
If humans were considered an invasive species in Boone, what might be a good explanation for our relative success compared to other plants and animals that reside here?
We don't have any significant natural predators
Why are honeybees considered a keystone species?
a very large number of food-producing plant species depend on them for pollination
21. The earth's rotation and its round shape result in air circulating in a __________ direction north of the equator and a __________ direction south of the equator. Why does this happen?
above equator: northeast (counterclockwise) below equator: southeast (clockwise) THE CORIOLIS EFFECT??????????
5.Population density is determined by the total number of individuals of a species in a given ___________.
area
The Moses Cone Estate is an example of habitat destruction from soil and groundwater contamination due to ______________________.
arsenic compounds in chicken litter used as a fertilizer.
Which of the following series best defines a community within a particular area:
beavers, termites, and woodpeckers, fish, shrimp, and clams
13. The sum total of the populations of all species in a given habitat is known as a ________________.
biodiversity
12. Prey species like the snowshoe hare and predators like the Canadian lynx adapt to each other's evolutionary changes over time. What term did we use to describe this?
coevolution ????????
30. From what primary source does the atmospheric pollutants known as sulfur oxides originate? What about the main source of nitrous oxides?
combustion with no emission control, coal, volcanos, microbial in oceans
11. Can you distinguish between the various symbiotic relationships among species? If given an example, could you tell which type of relationship the two species had?
commensalism: +/0 mutualism: +/+ parasitism= +/- competition= -/-
A group of individuals from multiple species interacting together in a particular habitat is known as a(an)
community
Two species, the deer mouse and the field mouse are competing for a single food source, corn in a cultivated arm field. Near the end of the growing season, the mouse populations have expanded to the point that there is a shortage of corn. What process describes how the two competing species will deal with the shortage. (NOTE: This is a two word answer. Make sure that you spell it exactly as it is found in your notes).
competitive exclusion
all organisms that would have type 1 survivorship curve
cow, elephant, whale
4.Terms like cells per liter or individuals per square mile are used to describe a population's ___________.
density
Limiting factors on a population such as severe weather or pesticides would be described as ______.
density independent
7.Can you give an example of density-dependent limiting factor on a population? What about a density independent factor?
dependent = factor whose influence on population growth depends on number and crowding individuals. examples: water food predation pathogens and parasites. independent = factor whose influence on pop size growth happens regardless of crowding individuals. examples: severe weather and toxins
30 degrees north and south latitude
desert
27. Phytoplankton (photosynthetic microscopic marine organisms) are the major source of carbon fixation through photosynthesis in the world's oceans, thus supporting ocean food webs. They thrive when water temperatures are colder. In the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, when would you expect the highest rate of growth of these phytoplankton organisms?
during La Nina, cold phase
A group of many species interacting both with each other and also with the non-living components of their habitat is called a(an)
ecosystem
25. At what latitude on the earth would you expect to find a tropical rain forest biome?
equator 0°
3.If you were given some aspect of ecology like limiting factors or competitive exclusion, could you indicate which type of ecologist would be interested in studying them (population, community, or ecosystem ecologists)?
examples: 1. increasing temp in coral reef health = ecosystem, 2. social structure of prairie dog groups in midwest = population, 3. impact of pesticides on herbaceous plants = ecosystems, 4. effects of pythons on raccoon survival = community, 5. study of infraspecific competition of wolf pack = population
If there are no limiting factors placed upon a population, what type of growth pattern would it demonstrate?
exponential
1.Populations show two main types of growth patterns that can be illustrated them in the form of a growth curve. Can you describe the shape of these curves and explain some of the limiting factors associated with them?
exponential: unrestricted growth of populations increasing at a constant rate, common when resources are unlimited and has minimal death. Logistic: fast start and then levels off, severe weather disease competition and food shortages limit the survival and reproduction
Population typically do not exceed the carrying capacity of their environment, recognizing the limits to the number of individuals it can support.
false
Predation is a form of symbiosis that benefits the predator but harms the prey.
false
The carry capacity of an environments influenced more by biotic factors than by abiotic factors.
false
The main reason for declining maple syrup production in New England over the last few decades has been an increasing problem with bark beetle infestations in U.S. forests compared to those in Canada.
false
A population of re squirrels has a density of 65 individuals/square mile. Which of the following statements regrading this population must be true?
for every square mile where this population occurs, there are 65 red squirrels.
31. Nitrous oxides, another major contributor to acid deposition originate from what primary source?
fossil fuel combustion and agriculture, chemical production
16. Can you list some of the factors responsible for differences in climate at different places on earth? Could you put them in a particular sequence that shows how each factor is connected to or influences the others?
global warming, solar radiation, earths rotation, angle of earth, land mass elevations
What ocean current is responsible for the unusually mild weather found in Great Britain given its high latitude location?
gulf stream
What single environmental effect is linked to all the others and has the greatest impact on species diversity today?
habitat destruction
The data from Isle Royale indicates that recent increases in tick infestations on moose is linked to what environmental factor?
increasing temperatures
The day length on earth is dependent on its tilt and the location in its orbit around the sun. In what month of the year does the sun strike our region in the Boone area at an angle closest to 90 degrees?
june
The type of species that, if removed has a disproportionately great effect on its community's structure is known as a ______________ species.
keystone
If the trade winds in the equatorial Pacific Ocean increase to unusually strong levels, what weather phenomenon would this produce?
la nina
What recent factor threatens to severely impact the stability of the Isle Royale long term predator-prey study and without human intervention could possibly end it for good?
loss of the entire wolf population
24. If the Canadian north and Siberia receive a decent amount of rainfall at 60° north latitude, then why are the conifers like pines, spruce and fir adapted to fairly arid or dry conditions?
low temps; permafrost
Increasing global temperatures are causing permafrost in the tundra biome to thaw out. There is concern that this will result in the release of large amounts of ------- into the atmosphere and contribute to more global warming.
methane
ncreasing global temperatures are causing permafrost in the tundra biome to thaw out. There is concern that this will result in the release of large amounts of __________ into the atmosphere and contribute to more global warming.
methane
Which two gases below have the highest Global Warming potential?
methane and nitrous oxide
A _____ is the total of the activities and the relationships that a species is involved in to help it find all of the resources it needs to survive and reproduce.
niche
Which of the following is not a required characteristic in defining a population?
no gene flow between different populations is permitted
which is not a characteristic of defining a population
no gene flow between different populations is permitted
29. Where in U.S. is an environmental phenomenon known as acid rain deposition most severe? Why would that be?
north eastern US ( coal burning plants )
14. What role in a community food web do keystone species usually play? Is that a certain thing, or are there exceptions to that rule?
one that has a disproportionate effect on its community relative to its abundance. bees are the exception to the abundance rule
What will become of two different species that are competing for the exact same exclusive (no other food available) food source?
one will prevail, and the other will be eliminated
choose all biotic factors influencing population growth from the list below
parasitism predation
Choose all biotic factors influencing population growth from the list below:
parasitism, predation
What organisms serve as the base food supply in open ocean food webs?
phytoplankton
The Demographic Transition Model helped us examine some of the factors that have contributed to the growth rates of human populations. Much of that growth since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution appears to be mainly due to ________________________.
pre: high birth and death rate. transitional: high birth rate and low death rate. Industrial: birth rate approaches death rate, and population growth slows. Post: lower birth rate and growth rate approaches 0
Which of the following would be good examples of coevolution? (choose all that apply)
predators and prey, plants and insect pollinators
Which of the following series is the correct sequence of stages in the demographic transition model explaining human population growth?
preindustrial-transition-industrial-postindustrial
The tendency for mountain ridges to trap moisture and produce more rainfall on the front of their slopes and drier air on the back side of their slopes is called a
rain shadow
22. Low pressure storm systems from the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean move across North Carolina from southeast to northwest and trap moisture along the Blue Ridge escarpment. The resulting weather can be rainier or foggier along the Parkway. This is an example of what type of weather phenomenon?
rainshadow effect
A population of deer mice and a population of meadow voles (rodents, also) reside in a community where they compete for food sources including acorns, hazelnuts and seeds. In a season when these food sources become limited, what strategy will these species use to deal with the shortage? (NOTE: This is a two word answer. Make sure you spell them correctly and enter them just as they are found in the lecture materials).
resource partitioning
What two latitudes on earth experience the greatest amount of rainfall?
the equator and 60 degrees
17. What climate factors drive the wind circulation patterns on earth?
the uneven heating of the earth surfaces
Which of the following is NOT a reason why invasive species do so well in the habitats where they are introduced?
they usually share a common ancestor with the native species
28. In the nitrogen cycle, how does nitrogen enter the food chain (or get incorporated into living things)?
through plants absorbing nitrates and then it travels through the chain
Competition,disease, and parasitism within a population are described as density-dependent factors.
true
Neither humans nor plants are able to utilize atmospheric nitrogen directly.
true
The increased fog and occasionally higher precipitation levels along the Blue Ridge, associated with low pressure systems leaving the Gulf of Mexico and moving up the eastern seaboard are an example of a climatic effect known as a rain shadow.
true
The most common type of dispersion we see in populations in nature is clumped.
true
most common dispersion in nature is clumped
true
6.Populations show dispersal or distribution patterns based on biotic and abiotic influences. When resources are extremely scarce as in desert environments or there is a strong territorial interaction between individuals in a population, what type of distribution would you expect that population to show?
uniform
Common terms are shorebirds that migrate long distances and breed in isolated colonies made up of equally scared territories on coastal island sand flats. During this breeding period, these populations display a ___ pattern of distribution.
uniform
What type of distribution would you expect a population to have if the species in question is living in an environment with very limited resources?
uniform
a population subject to strong territorial and other social interactions would tend to show this type of dispersion pattern
uniform
18. In what ocean region does the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) occur?
warming phase: el Nino ( tropical eastern pacific)
What conditions in the Pacific would tell you that Boone is going to have a greater chance of a wet and possibly snowy winter?
weak trade winds and reduced upwelling
In which area of the equatorial Pacific would the bulk of storm activity be located if the eastern Pacific was experiencing strong cold water upwelling along the coast of South America? (just enter one of these words: east/west/north/south)
west