Ch.5 Test Review_Enviro

In the history of the world, how many mass extinctions have occurred? A. 5 B. 7 C. 10 D. 13

A. 5

A deer browsing on a shrub is an example of A. predation. B. parasitism. C. herbivory. D. symbiosis.

C. herbivory.

In the diagram, how many levels of producer and consumer are there?

One level of producer, and three levels of consumers.

Explain why a food web is a better representation of energy flow in a community than a food chain.

A chain represents a single avenue of energy transfer. In reality, there are numerous relationships between a single species and the other species in its community, so energy might travel along any of several paths.

Explain how a sudden change in environment - either through a disaster or through shifts in conditions - might affect the evolution of species in the area.

A sudden change in environment might isolate species, or change the genetic composition of the populations by wiping out a certain number of individuals. This could cause genetic drift. The population might also fail to adapt to the sudden change in conditions and go extinct.

When energy is transferred between trophic levels, the amount of available energy lost is about A. 90%. B. 50%. C. 25%. D. 10%.

A. 90%

Which best describes evolutionary success? A. A successful organism possesses adaptive traits and is able to pass those traits on to numerous offspring which then reproduce. B. A successful organism possesses traits that are different from traits in the rest of the population and that allow the organism to compete more successfully. C. A successful organism produces more offspring than others in the population. D. A successful organism possesses adaptive traits and produces more offspring than survive.

A. A successful organism possesses adaptive traits and is able to pass those traits on to numerous offspring which then reproduce.

In Madagascar, several species eats only bamboo shoots. Bamboo shoots contain a high level of cyanide, a toxic chemical. This lemur species has developed a tolerance for a certain amount of cyanide. What do you think will happen over time? A. The level of cyanide in the bamboo population will increase. B. The level of cyanide in the bamboo population will decrease. C. The level of cyanide in the bamboo population will remain the same. D. The level of cyanide in the lemur population will decrease.

A. The level of cyanide in the bamboo population will increase.

In the example above, one lemur species eats only bamboo shoots. Bamboo shoots contain a high level of cyanide, a toxic chemical. This lemur species has developed a tolerance for a certain amount of cyanide. What do you think will happen over time? A. The level of cyanide in the bamboo population will increase. B. The level of cyanide in the bamboo population will decrease. C. The level of cyanide in the bamboo population will remain the same. D. The level of cyanide in the lemur population will decrease.

A. The level of cyanide in the bamboo population will increase.

Around 65 million years ago, 95% of the planet's species were wiped out, and the age of the dinosaurs ended. Which of the following best explains why we still have numerous species today? A. The species that exist today were those that were not wiped out when the dinosaurs died. B. The species that exist to day evolved from surviving species to fill niches left vacant by the dinosaurs. C. The species that exist today speciated due to separation among different populations. D. The species that exist today have the potential to be as numerous as the ones that went extinct.

A. The species that exist today were those that were not wiped out when the dinosaurs died.

A species with a restricted tolerance for environmental conditions is A. a specialist. B. a generalist. C. highly competitive. D. an autotroph.

A. a specialist.

The first level of all food pyramids A. consists of primary producers. B. consist of primary consumers. C. is chemosynthesis. D. is photosynthesis.

A. consists of primary producers.

In a food web that consists of grass, mice, deer, coyotes, and hawks, which species is likely to have the greatest biomass? A. grass B. mice C. coyotes D. hawks

A. grass

An interaction in which an individual of one species kills and consumes an individual of another is called A. predation. B. parasitism. C. herbivory. D. symbiosis.

A. predation.

If these are present in a new environment, a species is unlikely to become invasive. A. predators, parasites, and competitors B. cane toads, kudzu, and zebra mussels C. exotic species D. symbiotic and commensalist species

A. predators, parasites, and competitors

Any being that uses the sun's energy to create sugars is a A. primary producer. B. secondary producer. C. primary consumer. D. secondary consumer.

A. primary producer.

A landslide causes part of a mountainside to fall away, leaving bare rock. In the years immediately following the landslide, the area will experience A. primary succession. B. secondary succession. C. tertiary succession. D. a climax community.

A. primary succession.

Two species of finch live in the same environment. Over time, one develops a larger beak to consume larger seeds, while the other develops a narrow beak to consume more delicate seeds. This is an example of A. resource partitioning. B. character displacement. C. coevolution. D. competitive exclusion.

A. resource partitioning.

Identify two species in this web that might compete with each other, and explain which resources they compete for.

Alligators and bobcats are competing for food in the form of moorhens. Raccoons, moorhens, white-tailed deer, crayfish, glass shrimp, and flagfish compete for plant foods. Anhingas and alligators compete for pin frogs. Pin frogs and anhingas compete for crayfish. Bass and anhingas compete for killfish. Bass and killfish compete for grass shrimp and worms.

A reintroduced population of wolves in a national park is 90% grey and 10% black, consistent with the wolf population in other regions. After several generations in isolation, the national park's wolf population is 60% grey and 40% black. The wolf population has likely experienced A. natural selection. B. genetic drift. c. mutations. D. migration.

B. genetic drift.

In the western United States, at the southern edge of their range, moose are sometimes so severely infested with ticks that they die. The tick/moose relationship is best described as A. predatory. B. parasitic. C. symbiotic. D. mutualistic.

B. parasitic.

A niche restricted by competition is a A. fundamental niche. B. realized niche. C. resource partitioned niche. D. displaced niche.

B. realized niche.

In the years immediately after a fire, a forest will experience A. primary succession. B. secondary succession. C. tertiary succession. D. a climax community.

B. secondary succession.

The ultimate source of energy in an ecosystem in which deer eat grass and coyotes eat deer is A. the grass. B. the sun. C. the deer. D. chemosynthesis.

B. the sun.

Which of the following best describes a successful individual in evolutionary terms? A. A successful individual possesses traits that are different from the traits of the rest of the population. B. A successful individual produces many offspring that possess unique traits. C. A successful individual is well adapted to its environment and produces offspring that survive to pass on genes. D. A successful individual will be well adapted to its environment and produce a few high quality offspring.

C. A successful individual is well adapted to its environment and produces offspring that survive to pass on genes.

Humans are generally A. carnivores. B. herbivores. C. omnivores. D. detritivores.

C. omnivores

When the environment changes too quickly for an organism to adapt, what will occur? A. evolution B. speciation C. genetic drift D. extinction

D. extinction

A beehive depends on pollen from flowers to survive. Flowers depend on bees to pollinate them. Humans tend bee hives, offering the bees a place to live in exchange for some of their honey. The relationship among these three sets of organisms is A. parasitic. B. commensalist. C. symbiotic. D. mutualistic.

D. mutualistic.

In a mass extinction, the rate of extinction exceeds A. 99%. B. 85%. C. the rate of environmental change. D. the rate of background extinction.

D. the rate of background extinction.

A nation where most of the people eat a primarily vegetarian diet will be able to support a LOWER population than it would be if the people ate a lot of meat. True or False (If false, replace the capitalized word to make the statement true.)

False (higher)

You have many species of bacteria living in your gut that help you with digestion. This relationship is best defined as COMMENSALISM. True or False (If false, replace the capitalized word to make the statement true.)

False (mutualism)

An organism that depends on another without killing it is a PREDATOR. True or False (If false, replace the capitalized word to make the statement true.)

False (parasite)

Communities that are powered by the sun depend on CHEMOSYNTHESIS for their energy. True or False (If false, replace the capitalized word to make the statement true.)

False (photosynthesis)

On islands off the coast of Siberia, paleontologists have found the remains of pygmy mammoths. These populations were likely separated from mainland mammoth populations and became a new type of mammoth through allopatric ADAPTATION. True or False (If false, replace the capitalized word to make the statement true.)

False (speciation)

Two populations of a deer species are separated when a glacier forms. After the glacier melts, the two populations have become different species. This is an example of allopatric SELECTION. True or False (If false, replace the capitalized word to make the statement true.)

False (speciation)

A FOOD WEB CASCADE occurs when one species has an indirect effect on species at a different level of the energy pyramid. True or False (If false, replace the capitalized word to make the statement true.)

False (tropic cascade)

Grasslands are generally considered highly productive ecosystems, and we see some of the largest and most diverse assemblages of mammal species on grasslands such as the Serengeti. Why do you think this is, as opposed to an ecosystem like a northern pine forest, for example?

Grasslands produce a huge amount of available plant energy, which in turn supports a large number of herbivores, and a higher concentration of carnivores. A forest contains a lot of biomass as unavailable woody material that animals cannot easily consume, so energy remains locked at the producer level.

_______________________ is an interaction in which an animal eats a plant.

Herbivory

Explain the difference between mutualism and commensalism, with examples.

In mutualism and commensalism, both species are unharmed. In mutualism, both species benefit, as in the example of the hawk moth pollinating the flower; the flower is pollinated and the moth is fed. In commensalism, one species benefits while the other doesn't experience a negative or a positive effect. Trees providing shade and moisture to desert shrubs is an example of commensalism.

Explain why understanding competition and niche could be important to controlling an invasive species or predicting whether an exotic species will become invasive.

Invasive species are usually able to outcompete species that are occupying a similar niche. By understanding the way in which resident species occupy their niche, we might be able to predict whether a new species will be able to take over. This might also allow us to determine a strategy for controlling a species that is already invasive.

_________________ is an accidental change in DNA.

Mutation

If an anhinga consumes a crayfish, what percentage of the energy of the crayfish's original plant-based meal will reach the anhinga?

One percent of the original energy of the plants will be available to the anhinga.

Imagine that alligators are eliminated from the ecosystem. What might the effects be on the entire food web? Refer to specific species as you explain.

Other predators, such as bobcat and anhinga, might increase because there is less competition for the resources that they rely on. Prey species such as frogs, moorhens, and bass might also increase, which would put more pressure on the crayfish and flagfish. This in turn might cause an increase in plants and algae.

Identify a producer, a primary consumer, and a secondary consumer from this illustration.

Plants are producers. Deer, crayfish, moorhens, raccoons, shrimp, and flagfish are primary consumers. Pin frogs, bobcats, alligators, crayfish, killfish, largemouth bass, anhingas, and alligators are secondary consumers.

Pronghorn are a species of extremely fast hooved mammal that live on the plains of western North America. They are so fast that no current North American predator can catch them. During the ice age, cheetahs occupied North America. Speculate about how pronghorn became so fast.

Pronghorn probably evolved in an evolutionary "arms race" with the cheetah population. They became faster and faster to escape from cheetahs, which were probably fast enough to catch them.

At the end of the Pleistocene Ice Age, around 10,000 years ago, the climate changed dramatically. Using your knowledge of evolution and adaptation, explain why so many species went extinct, and speculate as to why others - such as bison, elk, and wolves - survived.

Species went extinct at the end of the last ice age because they couldn't adapt fast enough to the changing climate and environment. Species that had evolved to thrive in ice age conditions could no longer do so. These species were most likely specialists. On the other hand, species that were generalists managed to adapt to the new conditions successsfully.

________________________ is a close, long-term association between two organisms.

Symbiosis

What would happen if alligators were removed from the ecosystem? Explain the effects on each level of the food web.

The alligator's prey species might increase, which might put pressure on plant resources and on other species that the alligator's prey species eat. On the other hand ,competitors of the alligator would most likely flourish, so anhingas might also experience an increase in population.

Which animals would you expect to have the lowest relative populations in this ecosystem, and why?

The alligator, bobcat, and anhinga probably have lower populations than the other species. These are third-level consumers and most energy has already been lost by the time it reaches their level, so the ecosystem cannot support as many of these animals as it can others.

Which populations in this ecosystem would you expect to have the fewest members, and why?

The anhingas, bobcats, and alligators would probably be fewer in number than other species, since they are secondary or tertiary consumers and much of the ecosystem's energy has been lost by the time it reaches them.

Compare and contrast what is likely to happen to an area that has just experienced a severe forest fire, and what is likely to happen to an area that has just been exposed after centuries of glaciation. Which will regrow more quickly, and why?

The area that experiences a forest fire will undergo secondary succession, building on the parts of the community that survived the fire. This area will likely regrow more quickly. The area that has been glaciated will experience primary succession, and will probably regrow more slowly. Pioneer species must colonize from new areas, which takes longer.

In the illustration, what do the arrows represent? (aside from "this species is eaten by that one")

The arrows represent energy flow.

A disaster wipes out 50% of a small population of birds. Prior to the disaster, about half the birds had a green wing patch and half had a blue wing patch. Several generations after the disaster, only 10% have a blue wing patch, and 90% have a green wing patch. What do you infer happened, and why?

The bird population experienced genetic drift as the result of a sudden catastrophe. The disaster reduced genetic diversity in the population and changed the proportion of birds with a green wing patch vs. a blue wing patch.

The graph above illustrates the population cycles of a wolf and moose population. Explain what is happening in this graph.

The graph shows the way in which wolf and moose populations are interdependent. Even though wolves prey on moose, the wolf population is controlled by the number of moose. Wolf populations can only increase when moose populations increase, but they won't be able to increase past a certain point. Likewise, the wolf population regulates the moose population. You can see this especially well after the disease outbreak, when the wolf population crashes and the moose population rises.

In the graph above, what do you think will happen between 2005 and 2010? Why?

The wolf population is in decline, so the moose population will rebound, and then the wolf population will also be able to recover. These cycles occur because predators and prey regulate each other.

What does this diagram tell us about the importance of biodiversity in maintaining a functioning ecosystem?

There are many species in this system, but each species is important. If you remove even one, it has long-term effects over the entire ecosystem, even those species with which it doesn't directly interact.

Wolves were exterminated from Yellowstone National Park in the early part of the twentieth century. The elk population grew quickly once wolves were gone. Around 1950, a species of willow-nesting bird disappeared from the park. In 2005, 15 years after the reintroduction of wolves to the park, the willow-nesting bird returned. Explain what happened and how it illustrates the fact that top predators are important.

This is an example of tropic cascade. Elk eat willows, and with a large population of elk, the willows were overgrazed and the bird had no habitat. Following the reintroduction of wolves, the elk population was reduced and the willows had a chance to regrow. The bird was able to return to its former habitat. This shows how a top predator can have an effect on species that it doesn't necessarily even interact with, structuring and regulating diversity within the entire ecosystem.

In a meadow community, you observe that a high biomass of plants, a fairly high number of rodents, but only a single fox. Explain.

This is due to inefficient energy transfer through the food web. Only about 10% of energy is available from one level to the next, so a high biomass of plants will support only a few predators.

An INVASIVE species is a species that has been introduced to a new area and lacks limiting factors. True or False (If false, replace the capitalized word to make the statement truef.)

True

Animals gathering around a water hole in a drought-prone area and establishing hierarchies of access to the water is an example of COMPETITION. True or False (If false, replace the capitalized word to make the statement true.)

True

In a woodland, a rabbit eats grass, and a coyote eats the rabbit. The coyote is the secondary consumer. True or False (If false, replace the capitalized word to make the statement true.)

True

Explain the advantages to producing more offspring than might survive. How is this relevant to evolution?

With more offspring, a wider variety of traits will be produced, and those individuals with the most adaptive traits will survive to pass on their genes. This drives evolution towards natural selection for the most fit individuals.

Wolverines are snow dependent and live in highly structured, territorial populations. At the southern edge of their range, their habitat fragments into isolated, high-altitude "islands" of suitable condition, separated by an "ocean" of lowland. Despite the fragmentation, however, wolverines have not speciated - all wolverines in North America, from the Rockies to Alaska, are one species. What might you infer about wolverine life history characteristics

Wolverines are probably capable of dispersing over long distances and remaining genetically connected despite spatial separation.

The twenty varieties of heirloom tomatoes available at your local farmers' market are the result of ________________________.

artificial selection

You visit the state fair and see a display of 17 breeds of chicken. These chickens are the result of ____________________.

artificial selection

Chemosynthesis and photosynthesis use different energy sources, but each uses water and _____________________ to produce sugars.

carbon dioxide

A species introduced to a new environment without limiting factors could be ______________________.

invasive

A species of butterfly that lives in rocky, high-altitude areas and pollinates a specific flower, which in turn is eaten by a certain bird, goes extinct. There is now a vacant ____________________ in the ecological community.

niche

An organism's ________________ describes its use of resources and functional role in a community.

niche

The ability to perform photosynthesis or chemosynthesis defines a ___________________.

producer