Ecology Quiz Questions

The "others" group containing lichens and mushrooms has the greatest number of threatened species in 2008, as a percentage of species evaluated

.According to the table above, which taxonomic group has the greatest number of threatened species in 2008, as a percentage of species evaluated?

Species evenness

A community that has a similar number of individuals per species has more of this metric

Species composition

A list of the species found in the community

c) It evolves new adaptations that help it catch beetles faster.

A lizard is blown out to sea during a hurricane. This type of storm occurs very infrequently—on average once every 100 years. The lizard washes up on the beach of a small island and finds some beetles on the beach. Which of the following is not a possible scenario that could help this lizard survive on the island? a) It searches for alternative food sources. b) It becomes more efficient at catching beetles. c) It evolves new adaptations that help it catch beetles faster. d) It selects the biggest beetles to catch.

c) ectothermic, homeothermic

A lizard relies on its environment to create its body temperature, and it also moves constantly between shade and the sun to maintain a constant body temperature. Therefore, it is both _____________________ and ______________________. a) endothermic, poikilothermic b) ectothermic, poikilothermic c) ectothermic, homeothermic d) endothermic, homeothermic

growing

A population has an intrinsic rate of increase (r) of 0.75. This population is:

b) Delayed density dependence

A population of wolves predates a population of moose on Isle Royale, Michigan, where there are fewer wolves than moose to start. The wolves prey on the moose and eat well, allowing them to have abundant offspring. However, as the wolf population rises, the moose population drops, and over time, the wolf population begins to drop also because of the reduced availability of resources. As the wolf population drops, moose are able to better survive and reproduce, causing the moose population to rise. With this abundance of moose, the wolf population is able to rebound until their population exceeds the moose population's ability to support the number of wolves. Which population dynamic does this series of oscillations represent? a) Logistic growth b) Delayed density dependence c) Carrying capacity d) Density independent factors

d) Mark-recapture

A researcher who is interested in the number of individuals in a population of butterflies and their movement patterns would most likely use which method? a) Area based counts b) Point sampling c) Line transects d) Mark-recapture

c) isogamy

A unicellular sexual ciliate has seven different mating types that produce gametes of roughly the same size. Any gamete from any given mating type can fuse with any other gamete, except for one of its own mating type. These ciliates therefore exhibit: a) monogamy b) polygyny c) isogamy d) anisogamy

c) over multiple generations of individuals

Adaptive evolution is a process that occurs... a) when an individual is reproductively active b) within one individual's lifetime c) over multiple generations of individuals d) as the result of genetic drift in a population

Endotherm

An animal that regulates its body temperature through its own metabolism

Ectotherm

An animal that regulates its body temperature through the environment

poikilotherm

Animals that have a broad range of body temperatures

Homeotherm

Animals that have a narrow range of body temperatures

4.1 million

Based on research by Vitousek and colleagues, an Ohi'a tree that grows about 2.3 mm in diameter a year when fertilized with nitrogen and phosphorous would most likely be living on a Hawaiian island approximately _______ years old. 300 4.1 million 20,000 75,000

28

Based on the data in the figure, what is the carrying capacity in this environment? 28 10 39 5

Communication

Behavior that manipulates the behavior of other organisms

Habitat Loss and Habitat Fragmentation

Between 1958 and 1988, a growing human population and government policies intended to stimulate rapid economic development led to rapid deforestation in western Ecuador. Green indicates forest cover. This change is estimated to have resulted in the loss of more than 1,000 endemic species. Which threats to biodiversity are demonstrated in this map? Habitat Loss and Habitat Fragmentation

True

Birds that pollinate the shrub Rhabdothamnus solandri are nearly extinct on the New Zealand mainland, but densities of these birds remain high on nearby islands. Researchers recorded the percentage of R. solandri flowers that reproduced successfully (produced seeds) on island and mainland sites for each of three treatments: bagged flowers (which allowed only self-pollination), open flowers (which allowed bird pollination), and open flowers that were hand-pollinated. True or False. This experiment demonstrates that birds are important pollinators for this shrub.

The annual temperature of the hot desert ranges from 11-35 degrees Celsius with the hottest month of the year being july. Annual rainfall is extremely low.

Briefly describe the annual temperature, precipitation, and seasonality patterns of a hot desert

Random distribution is rare because the resources that an individual needs are not randomly spaced.

Briefly explain why the random spacing/distribution of individuals across a landscape is rare in nature.

Mutation

Change in the DNA of a gene

S = .60/.02 = 30. This means that the disease will spread quickly with a possibility of death.

Consider the mathematical model of host-pathogen dynamics: dI/dt = βSI - mI. Where dI/dt is the rate of growth of the infected population, β is the transmission coefficient, S is the number of uninfected hosts, and m is the death and recovery (with immunity) rate. This simple model captures key elements of the combined interaction between hosts and pathogens. Notice that rather than modeling the number of parasites (as we do with predators and prey), we model the number of infected hosts (I). Assume you lived in a small town within one day's walking distance of a large port city in Europe in the mid-1500s. You have heard rumors that a terrible plague has befallen the inhabitants of the city. One day a mother and two children straggle into your town. All three are sick with early symptoms of a bacterial disease. Your town has a population of 330 people none of whom have been exposed to the disease previously. For this strain of the disease, the incidence of death or recovery (with immunity), m, is about 0.6 or 60%. The rate of transmission, β, is 0.02. Using the above equation, calculate the population size of potential hosts (S) needed for the disease to spread (S = m/β). Assuming that the bacterium is only spread by human-to-human contact, what is likely to happen to the people of your town? Why?

d) Exponential

During a hurricane, a large segment of an insect population is carried to a distant island where there are abundant resources and minimal predators. What type of growth would you likely expect in the time immediately following this colonization event? a) Declining b) Logistic c) Linear d) Exponential

Habitat loss

Globally, 22% of mammal species are threatened by extinction. These maps show the numbers of terrestrial and marine mammal species in various parts of the globe that are negatively affected by (A) habitat loss, (B) overexploitation, (C) accidental mortality, and (D) pollution. According to this map, which of the threats to diversity negatively affects the most terrestrial mammals?

b) lower; predation of herbivores

Hairston and colleagues developed "The World is Green Hypothesis." According to this hypothesis, terrestrial ecosystems have a __________ proportion of autotroph biomass consumption compared to aquatic ecosystems because _________ is stronger in terrestrial ecosystems. a) higher; predation of herbivores b) lower; predation of herbivores c) higher; competition between producers d) lower; competition between producers

All of Florida would be covered in tropical rainforest

If the precipitation in Florida (largely temperate evergreen forest) increased to an average of 275 cm per year and the temperature warmed to an average of 19°C, how would that change the landscape?

a) supply of resources limiting NPP.

In bottom-up control, energy flow through the ecosystem is determined primarily by the: a) supply of resources limiting NPP. b) assimilation efficiencies of herbivores. c) production efficiencies of herbivores. d) abundance of carnivores

dominant species

In community B, is the tree species an example of a keystone species, dominant species, or a redundant species?

c) The number of predators that die due to competition

In the Lotka-Volterra Predator Prey Model for change in prey population size (N) over time (t), what does the "mP" represent? a) The intrinsic rate of increase b) Prey that are killed by predators c) The number of predators that die due to competition d) The number of prey that are born e) The number of predators that are born

d) capture efficiency of prey by predators.

In the Lotka‒Volterra predator‒prey model, the parameter a represents the: a) efficiency with which prey biomass is converted into predator offspring b) population growth rate of prey in the absence of predators c) birth rate of prey d) capture efficiency of prey by predators.

Regular; Clumped

In the Seychelles warbler, territorial behavior encourages a _______ population dispersion pattern, and cooperative breeding encourages a _______ population dispersion pattern. Random; Clumped Regular; Clumped Clumped; Random Clumped; Regular Random; Random Regular; Random Regular; Regular Clumped; Clumped Random; Regular

Tropical forest

In which biome does habitat loss pose a very high and rapidly increasing risk?

more, calcium

Increasing levels of carbon dioxide in oceans makes them _______ acidic. This change affects the ability of marine organisms to form protective shells made up of _______ carbonate.

Mutualism

Interaction in which both species benefit

Competition

Interaction in which both species incur costs

Predation/Herbivory/Parasitism

Interaction in which one species benefits and the other incurs costs

Commensalism

Interaction in which one species benefits while the other is not affected

Amensalism

Interaction in which one species has costs and the other is not affected

b) aposematic

Many species of butterflies are noxious to predators. They also have bright red coloration that indicates to the potential predators that they are unpleasant or even harmful to eat. This is an example of _______ coloration. a) cryptic b) aposematic c) exploitative d) apomitic

fecundity

Number of offspring

Weather talks about short term changes and climate describes what an area's weather is like over a long period of time. A flood is an overflow of water into an area that normally doesn't have water. A drought is a long period with abnormally low rainfall. A flood during a drought is possible because droughts can lowers water levels. Then, during a period of high rainfall, the previously lowered water levels rise, causing a flood DURING a drought.

On July 28, 2021 parts of Cedar City flooded after a strong thunderstorm. On that same day Cedar City was in an extreme drought. Explain how that is possible, defining both climate and weather in your answer. Also explain what a flood and a drought are directly in your answer.

R K neither K R R

R or K selected? Semelparous reproduction Long lifespan Sexual Reproduction Senescence Reduced or nonexistent parental care High juvenile mortality rate

decrease; increase; drier

Re-foresting tropical areas that have been deforested would result in a(n) _______ in the area's albedo and a(n) _______ in the area's evapotranspiration rates that should cause the area to recover from the slightly _______ regional climate that is a result of tropical deforestation.

Group A

Refer to the table. Genotype 16℃ 19℃ 22℃ 25℃ A 20, 25, 27, 29 27, 28, 32, 35 29, 32, 34, 39 33, 36, 38, 39 B 33, 35, 38, 40 32, 34, 35, 39 34, 37, 38, 41 33, 38, 39, 39 C 22, 24, 25, 26 23, 25, 27, 30 21, 24, 27, 27 21, 23, 25, 27 Three different genotypes of garter snakes (A, B, and C) were reared at different temperatures. Four individuals were in each trial. The table presents their weights (in grams). Based on these data, which genotype appears to show phenotypic plasticity?

Unburned sites

Researchers collected data on how a wildfire affected species richness of plants by surveying plots' species composition in burned and unburned sites. The species accumulations curves of their data are below: Is species richness higher in burned or unburned sites?

Community 2, because a higher Shannon Diversity Index indicates a higher species richness and a higher species evenness.

Researchers wanted to compare the diversity of two tundra moss communities. Both communities contained 121 species, but Community 1 had a Shannon Diversity Index of 0.72 and Community 2 had a Shannon Diversity Index of 1.04. Which community has higher species evenness?

A

Species 1 is a Common Raven that has a carrying capacity of 221 individuals in Cedar City. Species 2 is a Bald Eagle that has a carrying capacity of 115 individuals in Cedar City. They compete over the local trash and roadkill, as well as nesting sites. α= 0.65 and β = 0.84. Which of the four possible isocline figures best represents the competition data for these two species?

Dilution Effect

Species live in larger groups to be safer from predators

D

Suppose that the climates in the graph have been maintained for a long period of time. With everything else being equal, in which climate regime would you expect soil quality in terms of mineral-derived nutrients to be the lowest?

c) A genetic difference

Suppose that two mosquito populations are being studied. The populations differ in their choice of the water in which they choose to lay their eggs. One population is urban and avoids laying eggs in water treated with insecticides, which are heavily used in urban areas. What difference between the populations would provide the best evidence that this preference is due to ultimate causes? a) A difference in the mosquito's ability to sense insecticide levels b) A difference in taste receptors c) A genetic difference d) A learned difference in preference for insecticide-free water

group of 5

Suppose you are studying the optimal group size in a species. You collect the following data on the costs and benefits for each individual in groups of different sizes. Based on the data in the table, what is the optimal group size?

c) A species accumulation curve that leveled off

Suppose you wanted to determine whether you had adequately sampled the species richness of a given community. Which result would lead most strongly to the conclusion that the current sampling had adequately assessed the species diversity? a) A linear species accumulation curve b) A high Shannon index value c) A species accumulation curve that leveled off d) A low Shannon index value

fitness

Survival and reproductive success

10,000

The carrying capacity of this population is:

70-75

The figure shows the temperature (in °C, relative to modern temperature) and the concentrations of carbon dioxide (in ppm) and methane (in ppb) over the past 400,000 years. The current concentration of carbon dioxide is 404 ppm (not shown on the figure). Use the data in the figure to determine the highest carbon dioxide concentration levels that occurred over the past 400,000 years. At that point, the concentration of carbon dioxide was about _______% of the current concentration. 90-95 55-60 45-50 70-75

D

The map is of an imaginary planet that is roughly the same as Earth. Like Earth, it is tilted on its axis by about 23°, and it rotates around a sun-like star in approximately one year. Which site would mostly likely have the greatest variation in temperature during the year?

Species richness

The number of species found in the community

c) negative; indirect negative

The presence of a mutualist spider in a certain area improves the survival of an herbaceous shrub by reducing the impact of herbivorous insects. These spiders are preyed on by lizards, and lizards are eaten by birds. An increase in the density of lizards would most likely have a direct _______ effect on spiders and a _______ effect on the plant. a) negative; indirect positive b) negative; direct negative c) negative; indirect negative d) positive; indirect positive

Natural selection

The process by which individuals with certain heritable characteristics survive and reproduce better because of those characteristics, making those characteristics more common in that population

Sexual selection

The process by which sexual individuals with certain heritable characteristics reproduce better because of those characteristics, making those characteristics more common in that population

Gene flow

The transfer of alleles between populations

Based on these graphs, birth rates are more affected by density dependent factors (like competition)

This graph demonstrates the relationship between population density (x-axis) and death rates (y-axis of left graph) and birth rates (y-axis of right graph) in a population of garter snakes. Are birth rates more affected by density independent or density dependent factors? Give an example of something that could affect birth rates in this way.

Based on the graphs, death rates are more affected by density independent factors (like pollutants in the environment).

This graph demonstrates the relationship between population density (x-axis) and death rates (y-axis of left graph) and birth rates (y-axis of right graph) in a population of garter snakes. Are death rates more affected by density independent or density dependent factors? Give an example of something that could affect death rates in this way.

60

This graph demonstrates the relationship between population density (x-axis) and death rates (y-axis of left graph) and birth rates (y-axis of right graph) in a population of garter snakes. At what density is this population's carrying capacity in this environment?

True

True or False. Although commonly confused, "mutualism" and "symbiosis" do not mean the same thing. There are mutualists that are not symbiotic (i.e., pollinators to a flower) and there are symbionts that are not mutualistic (e.g., all parasites).

False

True or False: Endotherms are always Homeotherms

True

True or False: Genetic drift leads to the fixation or loss of alleles more quickly in a small population than in a large population.

False

True or False: Geographic variation (or variation in phenotypic traits over a geographic area) is only due to natural selection in the new environments, and is not affected by the other mechanisms of evolution (mutation, genetic drift, and gene flow).

b) Feather Mite, Western Bluebird, Goldenrod Crab Spider

Use this interaction web to answer the question. In this web, arrows connect directly interacting species. If the interaction is trophic then the arrow is shaded gray; all other non-trophic interactions are white. Within the arrows are plusses, minuses, and zeroes. These indicate whether the species on the same side of the arrow gets a positive, negative, or neutral effect from the interaction with the other species. (For example, the European Starling benefits (+) from its interaction with a Quaking Aspen, as it nests in cavities of its stumps, but the Quaking Aspen is not affected (0) by this interaction in a significant way.) Which three species in this interaction web could have a trophic cascade? a) Giant Goldenrod, Darkling Beetle, Human b) Feather Mite, Western Bluebird, Goldenrod Crab Spider c) Monarch Butterfly caterpillar, Common Milkweed, Giant Goldenrod d) Western Bluebird, European Starling, Human

desublimination condensation freezing evaporation melting submilination

Water goes from: gas -> solid gas -> liquid liquid -> solid liquid -> gas solid -> liquid solid -> gas

percolation

Water moves deeper into soil or rock from surrounding soil or rock

infiltration

Water moves into soil or rock from the surface

precipitation

Water stored in clouds moves to the surface

runoff

Water travels along terrestrial surface

a) A cohort life table shows life history traits for a single cohort over time rather than a snapshot across cohorts

What is the difference between a cohort life table and a static life table? a) A cohort life table shows life history traits for a single cohort over time rather than a snapshot across cohorts b) They are different names for the same thing. c) A cohort life table can include survivorship but a static life table never will d) The data for a cohort life table can be collected relatively quickly

temperature and salinity gradients

What primarily drives the movement of water in the Great Ocean Conveyer Belt?

Cue

When a mosquito finds a human because of the CO2 released from respiration, is it using the CO2 as a signal or a cue?

Genetic drift

When chance events affect which alleles are passed from one generation to the next

Anthropomorphism

When humans wrongly project our own umwelt onto our understanding of another species

dN/dt = rN(1 ‒ N/K)

Which equation best describes the pattern of population dynamics of the sheep in Tasmania from their introduction to the present day? dN/dt = rN dN/dt = rN(1 ‒ N/K) Nt = λtN0

A

Which of the communities would have the highest Shannon Diversity Index?

a and d

Which of the following are benefits of sexual reproduction? a) Having more variable offspring means that at least one of them is more likely to survive in a variable environment b) Sexually reproducing organisms have to spend time finding mates c) A sexual organism can have more offspring than an asexual organism d) Offspring in a population have more genetic variation

a) Oxygen being depleted by zooplankton in the ocean

Which of the following is a resource? a) Oxygen being depleted by zooplankton in the ocean b) The temperature of the ocean c) Oxygen breathed by leopards in the jungle d) Water in which dolphins are swimming

d) All individuals have an equal chance of being captured and recaptured

Which of the following is an assumption of the Lincoln-Peterson Mark-Recapture Method? a) Individuals are clumped within an area b) Individuals will migrate in and out of the population c) Births and deaths happen regularly d) All individuals have an equal chance of being captured and recaptured

c) Ice sheets in Antarctica

Which of the following is decreasing due to recent climate change? a) Ocean acidification b) Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere c) Ice sheets in Antarctica d) Sea level e) Global average annual temperatures

a, e, and f

Which of the following sentences describe climate (not weather)? a) The average annual global temperature has increased by two degrees b) The wind knocked over a telephone pole in that neighborhood c) On Thursday, it was 37 degrees Celsius d) We had a record low temperature today e) We get about six inches of snow every December f) A rainforest has high levels of precipitation each year

all of the above

Which of the following water conservation measures are currently being pursued in Iron County? a) West Desert Pipeline (planning stage) b) Recharging the aquifers from Coal Creek c) Education events like the annual Water Festival d) Grants to transform irrigation systems to Low-elevation spray application e) Lawn watering regulations (e.g., can only water at night) f) Rebates for Smart Controllers for home lawn watering g) Education about less water hungry crops, like corn

c) Acidity in the water that is limiting the reproduction of certain fish species

Which of the following would be considered a community stress? a) Predation by a new predator b) A beaver population that is causing trees to fall c) Acidity in the water that is limiting the reproduction of certain fish species d) A fire that destroys half of the trees in an area

a) tick

Which of the species involved is considered a vector? a) tick b) B. burgdorferi c) human d) deer e) white footed mouse

d

Which of these in an example of habitat degradation, rather than habitat loss? a) Dredging a bay to allow ships to dock b) Filling a wetland to expand a city c) Cutting a rainforest to build a shopping center d) Polluting a river with agricultural waste

c) Yellow Lichen

Which species would be considered a pioneer species? a) Distant Pine b) Purple Spray c) Yellow Lichen d) Spikey Grass

b

Which statement best explains the downward trend that follows the peak of each curve? a) Soils with extremely high water content are able to sustain decomposition activity. b) Soils with over one half of the water content indicated have concentrations of oxygen that are too low for optimal rates of decomposition. c) Soils with over one half the water content indicated increases the metabolic rate of decomposers. d) Low soil moisture limits the activity of decomposers.

a

Which statement is supported by the figure? a) Soils with low water content limit rates of decomposition at all temperatures. b) Microbes in soils at 15°C require less soil moisture to reach their peak rate of decomposition than microbes in soils do at 30°C. c) Decomposers at higher temperatures need less moisture to reach peak levels of activity than decomposers at lower temperatures do. d) High soil moisture decreases microbial activity only at a temperature of 30°C.

a) First (Producers)

Which trophic level generates the most dead organic material in most terrestrial ecosystems? a) First (Producers) b) Fourth (Secondary Carnivores) c) Second (Herbivores) d) Third (Primary Carnivores)

grow

Will this population grow, shrink, or stay the same?

Umwelt

Worldview of a species

The Lincoln-Peterson method is calculated by using the following equation: M/N=R/n and N=Mn/R (67)(112)/(22) = 341 The estimated population of black-tailed jackrabbits is 341.

You are conducting an evaluation of the local black-tailed jackrabbit population at Three Peaks. The first day you set out traps, you catch and mark 67 individuals. The second day you set out traps, you catch 112 individuals and 22 of them are marked. Use the Lincoln-Peterson method to estimate the population size.

Shannon Diversity Index

a measure of diversity that includes the number of species and their evenness

Gross Primary Production

the amount of energy captured by autotrophs per unit time

Net Primary Production

the amount of energy captured by autotrophs/time minus respiration costs

Net Ecosystem Exchange

the combined fluxes of carbon in an ecosystem (GPP - (AR + HR))