Ecology Final review with test 1,2,3 Barrett
In C4 photosynthesis, an intermediate 4-C compound is transported to adjacent specialized cells called _________ where "normal" carboxylation is facilitated by RUBISCO
bundle sheaths
In logistic growth, the level at which population growth ceases is referred to as the
carrying capacity
Which of the following is not a component of plant tissue?
chitin
The pigment that absorbs energy from light in photosynthesis is
chlorophyll
Aquatic ecosystems dominated by phytoplankton typically support _____________ rates of herbivory than those in which vascular plants dominate.
higher
the value of PAR above which gross photosynthesis exceeds respiration is the
light compensation point
Which of the following breaks down the slowest during decomposition?
lignin
what is the ultimate source of genetic variation in a population
mutation
In lakes nutrients and oxygen are seasonally vertically stratified by: ___________________.
temperature
which of the following describes the kind competition that results in lower growth rates or smaller sizes among all individuals in a population?
scramble competition
homeotherms with high mass specific metabolism are likely to be
short lived
The basal metabolic rate per unit of body mass is highest in a
small homeotherm
clumping of individuals into scattered groups can result from
spatial variation in habitat availability and social behavior
In aquatic ecosystems production and decomposition are often __________________.
spatially decoupled.
during photophosphorylation (the light reaction of photosynthesis) photosynthetically active radiation generates reducing power in the form of energy trapping compounds (ATP, NADPH) and release O2 the splitting of_____________ molecules
water
Production of the predator trophic level is equal to _____kilocalories/yr in the food web illustrated in the figure below. PE: 2% I= 6 w= 2
0.08
The mean residence time of nitrogen in the total soil N compartment of the ecosystem depicted in Figure 3 is ____________________________. total soil N= 100 g N m-2 flux= 10 g N m-2 yr-1
10 years
Nitrogen turnover from total soil nitrogen pools is ________.
10% per year
A mark-recapture campaign of field mice has collected the following observations: 100 mice were captured and marked (tattoos) in an initial capture effort (M); and 100 individuals captured in a 2nd capture campaign (n) of those mice captured in second campaign 10 marked individuals are recaptured (r) of the originally marked mice (M) what is the size of the population (N)?
1000
Assimilation by the herbivore trophic level is equal to _____kilocalories/yr in the food web illustrated in the figure below. w= 3000 I= 4000
1000
Production efficiency by the herbivore trophic level is equal to _____ in the food web illustrated in the figure below. R=970 A=1000
3
An ecologist studying productivity in a grassland measures gross primary productivity as 4000 g C / m2 / yr and autotrophic respiration as 1000 g C / m2 / yr. Based on these estimates the net primary productivity would be
3000 g C / m2 / yr.
what is the current human population of united states
331 million
Atmospheric CO2 levels have increased from 280 to over ____ ppm since the Industrial Revolution.
400
what id the current global human population
7.7 billion
Respiration by the herbivore trophic level is equal to _____kilocalories/yr in the food web illustrated in the figure below. A= 1000 P= 30
970
birth rates are currently highest in countries on which continent
Africa
some desert plants take up CO2 at night through a photosynthetic pathway called
CAM
As decomposition proceeds, which molecule is lost to the atmosphere?
CO2
_______________________ have a disproportionate impact on the community structure and ecosystem functioning relative to their abundance and/or biomass.
Keystone species
The additional enzyme associated with the C4 photosynthetic pathway is called
Phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxylase
below about 10 grams birds and mammals species employ
Poikilothermic
of all the energy acquisition strategies listed below _______ have highest assimilation efficiency
carnivores
the advantage of the C4 photosynthetic pathway is
a greater efficiency of carboxylation and water use efficiency
______________________________ changes in environmental conditions, which are common in plant succession, are brought about by the actions of organisms. a) Autogenic. b) Allogenic . c) Allergenic. d) All of these answers. e) Autozygous . f) Allopatric .
a) Autogenic.
Plant community structure along an environmental gradient can often be explained by ________________. a) a tradeoff among species with respect to competitive ability and stress tolerance. b) differences among species in their abilities to tolerate stress. c) differences among species in their resistance to herbivores. d) differences among species in their competitive abilities. e) gamma diversity.
a) a tradeoff among species with respect to competitive ability and stress tolerance.
Beta diversity refers to diversity observed a) between two sites. b) in a climax successional sere. c) at a regional scale. d) at the local scale. e) in a primary successional sere.
a) between two sites.
Competition among squirrels, deer and turkey for acorns is an example of ________ competition. a) consumption b) niche-partitioning c) encounter d) overgrowth e) pre-emption
a) consumption
Which of the following symbiotic mutualism(s) involves a fungus? a) lichens and mycorrhizae mycorrhizae b) gut microbe-ruminant interactions c) lichens d) legume-Rhizobium interactions e) legume-Rhizobium interactions, lichens, and mycorrhizae
a) lichens and mycorrhizae mycorrhizae
The view of communities, advocated by Frederick Clements, that communities are deterministic and integrated units of species, is referred to as the ______________________ concept of communities. a) organismic b) food web c) individualistic continuum d) individualistic e) unified
a) organismic
Competition among plant seedlings or barnacle species in which the occupation of space by one individual prevents establishment in that space by another individual is referred to as ________ competition. a) pre-emption b) encounter c) consumption d) overgrowth e) territorial
a) pre-emption
The progressive series of changes in community composition that follows abandonment of an agricultural field is called: a) secondary succession. b) eutrophication. c) primary succession. d) speciation. e) Devolution.
a) secondary succession.
The progressive series of changes in community composition that follows abandonment of an agricultural field is called: a) secondary succession. b) eutrophication. c) primary succession. speciation. Devolution.
a) secondary succession.
Which of the following describe species interaction where two or more organisms of different species live together in close physical and/or biochemical association? a) symbiosis. b) parasitism. c) commensalism. d) amensalism. e) mutualism.
a) symbiosis. parasitism.
Species richness is: a) the number of species in a community. b) the number and evenness of species in a community. c) the productivity of species in a community. d)the density of individuals in a community e) the evenness of species in a community.
a) the number of species in a community.
In the graphical depiction of the Lotka-Volterra competition equations, the diagonal lines representing combinations of densities of two species for which dN/dt = 0 are called the a) zero-growth isoclines. b) competition zones. c) competition coefficients. d) competitive exclusion parameters. e) carrying capacities.
a) zero-growth isoclines.
Excess nitrogen in the environment may contribute to
acid rain, invasion of weedy plant species, eutrophication, nitrate contamination of ground and surface water.
The characteristics that give an organism an advantage in a given environment are called
adaptations
of the following options which has been most associated with changes in both birth and death rates over the past 50 years?
affluence
the demographic transition model predicts that
affluent countries have low birth rates and low death relative to poor countries
what are the major factors influencing population growth over the past 5000 years?
agricultural productivity
two species evolving from a common ancestor after being geographically separated are called:
allopatric species
Nitrogen fixation is
an energy intensive biochemical pathway facilitated by bacteria.
The global nitrogen cycle is dominated by the __________________________ reservoir.
atmospheric
What doesn't control alpha diversity? a) Environmental gradients b) Beta diversity c) Patch heterogenity. d) Gamma diversity e) Connection among habitats in a region
b) Beta diversity
The group of species that occupy a given area, interacting either directly or indirectly, is a(n): a) ecosystem. b) community. c) assembly d) guild. e) population. f) biome.
b) community.
Which of the following are actors that influence biodiversity patterns: a) mutualism b) environmental drivers, biogeography, and species interactions. c) all of these answers. d) natural selection. e) relationships among organisms and their environment
b) environmental drivers, biogeography, and species interactions.
Which of the following terms best describes the relationship between a flowering plant and an animal that harvests its pollen? a) competition b) mutualism parasitism c) herbivory d) commensalism e) carnivory f) amensalism
b) mutualism
In general, the degree of environmental heterogeneity of a community has a ________ effect on the species diversity of that community. b) positive c) neutral d) negative e) logistic f) factorial
b) positive
The portion of potential resources and habitat that an organism actually uses in the presence of competitors is called the ___________________ of that organism. a) territory b) realized niche c) geographic range d) fundamental niche e) meta-community
b) realized niche
Competition between species arises due to: a) Zolterra's J parameter b) scarcity of resources in the environment. c) overlapping rank abundance curves. d) the tendency of species interactions to become more amensal over evolutionary time. e) natural selection of antagonistic traits.
b) scarcity of resources in the environment.
The 3/4 biomass-metabolism scaling law probably arises from
biophysical constraints on maintaining energy balance
Which of the following are not drivers of alpha diversity? a) Landscape history b) Average distance of habitat from other habitat patches c) Number of bird species d) Topology (i.e., connections and geometry) of patches in region e) Size of habitat
c) Number of bird species
Which of the following is an example of an allogenic change driving succession? a) impounding of water by the construction of a beaver dam. b) Some of your chickens running away because they were scared off by opossums! c) an extreme storm, e.g., a hurricane. d) reduced salinity due to surface shading by grasses in a salt marsh. e) increased shading of seedlings by adult trees in a forest. f) increased nitrogen availability in soil due to the presence of leguminous plants.
c) an extreme storm, e.g., a hurricane.
Nitrogen fixation by Alder trees early in the growth of an Alaskan forest is an example of: a) floristic facilitation b) symbiotic convergence c) autogenic succession d) a bunch of hippy bulls#!^. e) commensual development f) allogenic succession
c) autogenic succession
Groups of sites within an area with similar climate and soils that are at different stages of succession are known as: a) autosequences. b) old fields. c) chronosequences. d) ecotypes. e) clines.
c) chronosequences
Which of the following would NOT be expected to result from competition? a) convergence towards the Zabrinski equilibrium b) evolution of character displacement c) evolution of increased niche overlap d) none of these answers e) competitive exclusion
c) evolution of increased niche overlap
When two or more organisms use a portion of the same resource simultaneously, it is referred to as: a) amensalism. b) character centralization. c)niche overlap. d) competitive release. e) commensalism.
c) niche overlap.
The net outcome of predator-prey interactions in the basic Lotka-Volterra models is that: a) the predator switches to omnivory when prey populations are low. b) the prey population crashes, causing the predator population to also crash. c) predator and prey populations oscillate. d) the predator drives its prey extinct, and then goes extinct itself. e) predator and prey populations coexist, converging on equilibrium population sizes that are maintained into infinity.
c) predator and prey populations oscillate.
In contrast to the deterministic view of plant communities that prevailed in the early 20th Century, ecologists now believe that community composition at any given location is determined by: a) community physiology. b) species interactions. c) responses of multiple species to environmental conditions and landscape history. d) disturbance. e) bottom-up effects.
c) responses of multiple species to environmental conditions and landscape history.
Which of the following elements is most closely linked to the energy cycle in ecosystems?
carbon
The enzyme RUBISCO catalyzes the reaction called:
carboxylation
The feeding strategy with the highest assimilation efficiency is
carnivore.
plant can reduce water loss by
closing their stomata
Uniform spatial patterning of plants can arise from which of the following conditions
competition for evenly distributed resources
The _____________________ describes reciprocal co-evolutionary changes observed in species of: predators and prey, host and pathogen, and competitor species living in close associations over evolutionary time. a) Directional Selection Axiom b) Convergent Evolution Principle c) Green Witch Hypothesis d) Red Queen Hypothesis e) Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium
d) Red Queen Hypothesis
when some competing individuals claim enough resources while denying others a share, this form of competition is called:
contest competition
Which of the following are the most important drivers of observed biodiversity patterns? a) The Red Queen b) Species interactions c)Biogeography dynamics d) Cannot be determined from the information provided. e) Environmental gradients
d) Cannot be determined from the information provided.
Which statement about biodiversity is true? a) Alpha diversity is always greater than gamma diversity. b) Metacommunities arise from sympatric speciation events. c) Dominant species are responsible for trophic cascades. d) Diversity scales as a function of area. e) The equilibrium number of species in a community can be estimated using Zolterra's J.
d) Diversity scales as a function of area.
Which description of diversity is true for most communities? a) Common species have the greatest biomass. b) All species are common. c) All species have approximately equal abundances. d) Few species are very common and many are rare. e) All species are rare. f) Diversity scales as the ¾ power of biomass
d) Few species are very common and many are rare.
Which of the following is the least likely outcome of a host-parasite interaction? a) The species Zero-Growth Isoclines converge. b) The parasitism evolves into a mutualism. c) The parasite population evolves better means of avoiding host defenses. d) The host population evolves to become more susceptible to the parasite. e) The host population evolves stronger defenses against the parasite.
d) The host population evolves to become more susceptible to the parasite.
Gamma diversity refers to diversity found a) between two sites. b) in a climax successional sere. c) in a primary successional sere. d) at a regional scale. e) at the local scale.
d) at a regional scale.
Alpha (a) diversity refers to diversity found a) between two sites. b) at a regional scale c) in a primary successional sere. d) at the local scale. e) in a climax successional sere.
d) at the local scale.
When two different species overlap in the same ecological niche, they are a) unaffected by one another. b) dependent on one another. c) in cooperation with one another. d) in competition with one another. e) engaged in mutualism.
d) in competition with one another.
A host species which harbors only a developmental phase of a parasite is called a(n) a) direct host. b) definitive host. c) obligate mutualist. d) intermediate host. e) macrobiome.
d) intermediate host.
MacArthur's Warblers occupying different parts of coniferous trees are an example of which of the following: a) Boreal exclusion. b) competitive exclusion. c) natural selection. d) niche partitioning.
d) niche partitioning.
Succession that occurs on a site not previously occupied by a community, for example a lava field or a glacier moraine, is called ________ succession. a) basic b) allogenic c) secondary d) primary e) initial
d) primary
In Lotka-Volterra predator-prey models, predators regulate prey populations by functioning as a: a) obligate symbiont. b) Müllerian facilitator. c) source of density dependent fecundity. d) source of density dependent mortality. e) numerical response regulator.
d) source of density dependent mortality.
Changes in community composition over time are called a) zonation b) floristic evolution c) robustification d) succession e) stratification
d) succession
Measures of diversity (e.g., Simpson's D, Shannon-Weiner Index, ect.) are calculated from: a) the number of species in a community. b) the number of species functional types in a community. c) the evenness of species in a community. d) the number and relative abundances of species in a community. e) the density of individuals in a community
d) the number and relative abundances of species in a community.
In terrestrial ecosystems, the ___________ food chain is the major pathway of energy flow.
detrital
which of the following factors controlling the growth of population is most likely to be density dependent?
disease
Which of the following is/are critical to maintaining diversity in successional communities? a) Climax communities. b) The Red Queen. c) Shade tolerant tree species. d) The Yellow King. e) Disturbance. f) Competition.
e) Disturbance.
The theory of island biogeography was experimentally tested by Wilson and Simberloff in the mangrove islands of the Florida Keys in the 1960s. Species richness of insect communities on several small mangroves islands were surveyed. The islands were then fumigated with methyl bromide to clear their arthropod communities. Following fumigation the immigration of species onto the islands was monitored. What did they find? a) The empty niches tended to exhibited R* species characteristics. b) Islands all recovered their arthropod communities at the same rate. c) The islands were invaded by very large rats. d) The number of species was determined by the difference between the rate of speciation and the rate of extinction. e) Islands closer to the mainland recovered faster than those further away.
e) Islands closer to the mainland recovered faster than those further away.
In plain language the equation for logistic growth can be best described as saying which of the following? a) The Carrying Capacity (K) is the absolute upper limit on population growth. b) For large values of N relative to K the rate of change in the population approaches exponential growth. c) Population growth reaches an equilibrium at the Malthusian Parameter. d) K stabilizes at populations of N individuals. e) The rate of change in a population slows as N approaches K.
e) The rate of change in a population slows as N approaches K.
A "dominant" species in a community may: a) make the largest contribution to energy flow or nutrient cycling. b) occupy the most space. c) be the most numerous. d) possess the highest biomass. e) all of these answers.
e) all of these answers
The biologist G. F. Gause used Paramecium species grown in test tubes to illustrate which prediction of Lotka-Volterra competition models? a) consumption competition b) Tilman equilibrium c) coexistence d) resource pre-emption e) competitive exclusion
e) competitive exclusion
The full range of space, resources and environmental conditions to which an organism is adapted to live in and/or use is referred to as the ___________ of that organism. a) geographic range b) territory c) realized niche d) habitat e) fundamental niche
e) fundamental niche
During the early stages of succession, diversity typically: a) approaches gamma diversity. b) decreases. c)varies frequently. d) stays the same. e) increases.
e) increases.
When a predator enhances the success of inferior competitors by suppressing a superior competitor, the interaction is called : a) facilitation. b) predaceous c) indirect predation. d) indirect commensalism. e) keystone predation.
e) keystone predation.
Alpha diversity is to gamma diversity as community is to _________________________. a) ecosystem b) rank abundance c) biome d) meta-population e) meta-community
e) meta-community
Which of the following describes a system of species interactions in which an individual of one species lives in or on its host, feeding on it but usually not killing it. a) parasitoidism b) predation c) cannibalism d) amensalism e) parasitism
e) parasitism
"...the whole (environment) system including the whole complex of physical factors together with the organism-complex (i.e. community)" is Sir Arthur Tansley's definition of the ________________________
ecosystem.
The regulation of an animals body temperature using mechanisms is described as
ectothermic
The mechanism by which some organisms regulate body temperature by internal metabolism processes is described as
endothermic
Which of the following conditions is conducive to a high rate of decomposition?
high temperature and high moisture
human population growth over the last 500 years can be best described as
exponential
the early growth of populations inhabiting favorable environments at low population densities, such as during the process of colonization and establishment in new environments, is best describe as
exponential
in a population exhibiting logistic growth, for very low values of N relative to K, the population will grow
exponentially
How many dimensions are there in Hutchenson's n-dimensional hyper-volume? a) Three: temperature, water availability, and PAR. b) Four:, temperature, water availability, PAR, and nitrogen. c) One: The Zero-scape Dimension that describes a plant species niche in water-temperature space. d) k dimensions, where k = number of species - n of limiting nutrients e) Two: populations of zooplankton and phytoplankton. f) n dimensions, where n = number of limiting nutrients and physical drivers
f) n dimensions, where n = number of limiting nutrients and physical drivers
human populations have been historically limited by
food availability and disease
Which of the following is an important process involved in decomposition?
fragmentation, mineralization, leaching
evolution is a change in _______ over time
gene frequencies
Ecosystems have two major paths of energy flow: ________ and ________
grazing; detrital
net carbon uptake by a plant can be calculated as
gross photosynthesis minus plant respiration
animals that rely on plant tissue for food are called
herbivores
evolution by natural selection requires
heritable variation in traits within a population
K-strategists typically have which of the following characteristics
high parental investment and low number of offspring
_______ maintain a fairly constant temperature
homeotherms
in Peppered Moths ( Biston betularia), the allele for dark-bodied moths is dominant, while the allele for light-bodied moths is recessive. from this information it can be concluded that light-bodied moth are
homozygous
The C4 photosynthetic pathway is typically found among plants inhabiting _______ habitats
hot
Under what conditions may one expect to encounter "inverted trophic pyramids" where consumer biomass exceeds producer biomass?
in ecosystems where turnover of phytoplankton exceeds turnover of zooplankton
which of the following has been shown to decrease fertility rates in developing nations?
increasing female rates
Decomposition
is a biotic and physical process where C and nutrients are released from organic matter, which exhibits negative exponential kinetics.
When a predator enhances the success of inferior competitors by suppressing a superior competitor, the interaction is called
keystone predation
according to Bergmann's Rule, an Arctic rodent species will be ______ relative to a related sub-tropical species
larger
according to Bergmann's Rule, an arctic rodent species will be ______ relative to a related sub-tropical species
larger
In Figure 2 (below), _____________________________ occurs at stage A (first part of the cycle) (figure shows process of nitrogen immobilization and mineralization and leaching)
leaching
Higher trophic levels in a food chain contain __________ energy compared to lower trophic levels.
less
In which of the following ecosystems does the grazing food chain typically have the greatest consumption efficiency?
marine ecosystems
The process of conversion of nutrients from an organic form into an inorganic form that plants can use is called
mineralization
according to density dependent limitations on population growth, as the density of a population increases, the
mortality rate increases
the mechanism of evolution on which Darwin focused in the origin of species was
natural selection
In Figure 2 (below), _____________________________ occurs at stage B (second part of cycle) (figure shows process of nitrogen immobilization and mineralization and leaching)
net N immobilization (immobilization > mineralization).
In Figure 2 below, stage C refers to: (last part of cycle) (figure shows process of nitrogen immobilization and mineralization and leaching)
net N mineralization (mineralization > immobilization).
The rate of energy acquisition by plants after accounting for autotrophic and heterotrophic respiration is
net ecosystem productivity
The rate of energy acquisition by plants after accounting for autotrophic respiration is
net primary productivity.
Which of the following elements is typically the most limiting nutrient to primary production in terrestrial ecosystems?
nitrogen
Nitrogen is a limiting nutrient to primary production in terrestrial ecosystems because
nitrogen may be tightly bound in soil humus fractions for hundreds of years; some forms of nitrogen are highly mobile in terrestrial ecosystems and easily lost; nitrogen is an important constituent of amino acids.
density-independent population regulation
occurs as a result of stochastic events
Which of the following nutrients has a cycle that does NOT contain a significant atmospheric phase?
phosphorus
Which of the following organisms are not important agents of decomposition?
plants
production efficiency is highest among
poikilotherms
All other things being equal, production efficiency is typically highest among
poikilotherms.
which of the following statements is not a requirement of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?
predation does not occur
The rate of carbon cycling between the atmosphere and the biosphere is determined by the processes of
primary production and decomposition.
Secondary production is most directly limited primarily by
primary production.
By utilizing the process of ___________, plants avoid losing all of the nutrients in senescing tissues.
reabsorption/translocation
the term ecology is defined as a the study of the
relationships among organisms and their environment
The major drawback of the C3 photosynthesis pathway is that
the enzyme RUBISCO acts as an oxygenase
Soil organic matter is:
the largest pool of terrestrial organic carbon, comprised or detritus and humus, made up of microscopic organisms, recently dead biological material and residues of decomposing plant and animal matter.
Using the data presented in in the figure below, which of the following has the greatest value?
the trophic efficiency of the gazelle trophic level
When populations at a given trophic level are controlled by populations in the trophic level above them, they are said to be under ___________________ control.
top-down
In a food web where a decrease in primary productivity is observed following the removal of predators, the resulting trophic interactions might be considered an example of:
top-down control
The "world is green" hypothesis of Hairston, Smith, and Slobodkin describing how predators influence plant production dynamics is an example of ____________ .
top-down control
Food webs can be arranged into ________ levels based on whether organisms obtain their energy through photosynthesis, from eating dead organic matter, from eating plants, or from eating animals.
trophic