habitats

Biodiversity

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How has the Gila Monster adapted to the breeding patterns of its prey the Gambel quail and desert cottontail rabbits?

Because the Gila Monster feeds on the eggs/young of the Gambel's quail and desert cottontail, its principal food supply is only available for a limited period of time each year. The Gila Monster has therefore adapted to consume its entire yearly energy supply in a few meals in the spring. It stores much of its energy as fat in its tail so it can survive the rest of the year.

Explain how microevolution and migration can affect an ecosystem.

Migration can negatively impact an ecosystem if the migration is permanent and leads to the loss of native species. Temporary migration, such as in the case of birds flying south in the winter, can maintain the biodiversity of an ecosystem. Microevolution, like migration, can aid the survival of native species.

Calcium and phosphorus are both essential for the proper growth of _______. a. bones b. hair c. fingernails d. all of the above

a

Consider the following food chain: Garden plants are eaten by snails, which are eaten by birds, which are eaten by the household cat. What happens to the other members of the food chain if the garden is removed? a. The number of snails and birds decrease. b. The number of snails increases, while the number of birds decreases. c. The number of snails decreases, while the number of birds increases. d. The number of snails and birds increase.

a

Consider the following food chain: Plants are eaten by grasshoppers, which are eaten by mice, which are eaten by snakes. In the short term, what will happen to the other members of the food chain if the mice were removed? a. the number of plants will decrease, the number of grasshoppers will increase, the number of snakes will decrease b. the number of plants will decrease, the number of grasshoppers will decrease, the number of snakes will decrease c. the number of plants will increase, the number of grasshoppers will increase, the number of snakes will decrease d. the number of plants will increase, the number of grasshoppers will increase, the number of snakes will increase

a

Land habitats Which of the following is not true about Polar bears? a. They all hibernate. b. They have black skin that helps them absorb heat. c. Their fur is transparent and hollow and helps trap heat. d. They have oversized paws with rough pads that help them walk on snow and ice.

a

The four essential elements for life are _______. a. carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen b. carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and sulfur c. carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur d. iron, nitrogen, oxygen and magnesium

a

Which of the following explains the inversion of the aquatic pyramid of biomass? a. high phytoplankton turnover rate b. slow aquatic predator metabolisms c. small number of aquatic consumers d. high energy content of phytoplankton

a

Which of the following is a specialist species? a. Giant Pandas b. Horses c. Humans d. Rabbits

a

Which of the following is not true about Polar bears? a. They all hibernate. b. They have black skin that helps them absorb heat. c. Their fur is transparent and hollow and helps trap heat. d. They have oversized paws with rough pads that help them walk on snow and ice.

a

Which statement about how organisms depend on abiotic factors in an aquatic ecosystem is not true? a. most living organisms can survive in environments with several different temperature and salinity levels b. both aquatic plants and animals depend on dissolved oxygen for respiration c. abiotic factors that impact an aquatic ecosystem include temperature, salinity, flow, and dissolved oxygen in the water d. abiotic factors of an aquatic ecosystem determine what kind of life can exist in that environment

a

A mutation that causes resistance in a population of beetles is an example of _______. a. macroevolution b. microevolution c. migration d. reproduction

b

Bacteria living in the soil are dependent upon which of the following abiotic factors? a. plant root structures and oxygen content b. soil temperature and water content c. nitrogen content and insect activity d. insect activity and plant root structures

b

Gila Monsters are one of two types of venomous lizards in the world. If you wanted to avoid coming across the Gila Monster when hiking in Arizona you would want to avoid __________ and __________ because Gila Monsters are crepuscular. a. midnight and midday b. dawn and dusk c. noon and high dusk d. later morning and early afternoon

b

How can an increase in biodiversity lead to an increase in ecosystem stability? a. A more biodiverse ecosystem is not subject to change. b. A more biodiverse ecosystem has a higher chance of adapting to species changes. c. A more biodiverse ecosystem has fewer species types to balance. d. A more biodiverse ecosystem is subject to fewer natural disasters.

b

If a stationary body of water has a constant temperature from top to bottom it is most likely a(n) _______. a. lake b. pond c. ocean d. lagoon

b

The Great Burdock plant's seeds have spines on them that attach to the fur of animals that brush against it. The seed then travels with the animal until it eventually falls off, which spreads the plant's seeds farther than the plant could have done. What type of symbiotic relationship is this? a. Mutualism b. Commensalism c. Parasitism d. Competition

b

Variation of ecological habitats within a species is characteristic of which type of diversity? a. Genetic diversity b. Ecosystem diversity c. Species diversity d. Regional diversity

b

Which of the following Gila Monster adaptations is based on the reproductive cycles of Gambel's quails and cottontail rabbits? a. water absorption through their leaky skin b. fat storage in their tails c. burrowing during periods of inactivity d. their crepuscular activity schedule

b

Which of the following are characteristics of generalist species? a. small habitat and restricted diet b. large habitat and varied diet c. restricted diet and physiological adaptations d. behavioral and physiological adaptations

b

Which of the following is a man-made aquatic habitat? a. lake b. reservoir c. stream d. pond

b

Consider the following food chain: Plants are eaten by grasshoppers, which are eaten by mice, which are eaten by snakes. What is likely to happen if a new organism that feeds off mice is introduced? a. The mice population will increase in response to the arrival of the new organism. b. The mice population, grasshopper population, and plant population will all increase. c. The new organism will compete with the snake population for resources. d. The populations of the existing organisms will remain unaffected.

c

Which energy pyramid cannot be inverted? a. pyramid of numbers b. pyramid of biomass c. pyramid of energy d. all can be inverted

c

Which habitat would have the least variation in its salinity? a. salt marsh b. mangrove forest c. lake d. estuary

c

Which is not a similarity between terrestrial and aquatic pyramids? a. both have producers as the base that can harvest the sun's energy to make food b. both types still consist of producers, herbivores, and carnivores c. both types of energy pyramids contain the same species of organisms d. both types contain a decreasing number of organisms going from the bottom to the top of the pyramid

c

Which of the following are not biotic factors in a terrestrial ecosystem? a. herbivore population b. plants c. rivers d. soil bacteria

c

Which of the following is not an example of interactions between biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem? a. flowers opening at dawn and closing at night b. bears hibernating in winter c. male elk fighting over a female d. Monarch butterflies migrating to Mexico for the winter

c

Which of the following scenarios is representative of commensalism? a. Tapeworms living in a mammal's intestinal tract b. Bees pollinating flowers c. Birds following grazing animals who stir up insects d. Clown fish living among sea anemones

c

Given that water serves as an environmental thermoregulator, which of the following biomes would you expect to have the most stable temperatures? a. temperate forest b. grassland c. rainforest d. aquatic

d

Polar bears' hair _______. a. is transparent b. is hollow c. keeps them from getting wet d. all of the above

d

The inversion of terrestrial and aquatic energy pyramids is dependent upon the nature of that environment's particular _______. a. decomposers b. climate c. primary consumers d. producers

d

The principle characteristic distinguishing marine and freshwater ecosystems is _______. a. temperature b. presence of corals c. presence of fish d. dissolved salt

d

The temperature stability of earth's atmosphere is mostly due to _______. a. the seasonal changes in day length b. the rotation of earth about its axis c. plant respiration d. water in the oceans acting as a thermoregulator

d

The water hyacinth is an invasive species that can spread extremely fast, blanketing a water surface in a very short period of time. It can limit boat traffic, swimming, and fishing, and it can deprive native plants and animals of sunlight and oxygen, thus reducing the local biodiversity. This situation demonstrates _______. a. how migratory patterns change in response to alterations in an ecosystem b. the effects of symbiosis c. the effects of local evolution or migration on an ecosystem d. how changes in biodiversity impact an ecosystem

d

When gaining biodiversity, _____________ occurs when a new resource is introduced to a species and individual members of that species begin to specialize in the resources that are available. a. geographical isolation b. polyploidy c. bottlenecking d. competition

d

Which level of consumer has access to the smallest supply of energy? a. primary b. secondary c. tertiary d. quaternary

d

Which of the following are not abiotic factors of an ecosystem? a. water abundance b. temperature c. day length d. herbivores

d

Which of the following is not a possible reason for migration? a. climate changes b. diminished food supply c. reproduction patterns d. increased biodiversity

d

Only specialist species are well adapted to their native habitats.

false

Plants and animals do not respond to the presence of abiotic factors in their ecosystems.

false

The coyote (canis latrans) is found across North America which makes it a specialist species.

false

Organisms can have positive or negative impacts on the ecosystem they live in. The cane toad, or Rhinella marina, was introduced to the Hawaiian Islands in 1932 by sugar cane farmers. Farmers released the toads in their crops to help control pests that were damaging the sugar cane. The cane toad has few natural predators, as it secretes a poisonous toxin from its skin that deters larger organisms from eating it. As a result, the cane toad population thrived and grew to number hundreds of thousands by 1935. Which role does the cane toad play in the Hawaiian Islands?

invasive species

Which is not an adaptation of desert animals that help them retain and acquire water in such a hot and dry environment? a. burrow in moist soil or live in underground dens b. excrete uric acid instead of urine c. evolved an internal 'air conditioning' system to help them stay cool d. obtain water from the plants and animals they eat

not b

Consider the following food chain: Plants are eaten by grasshoppers, which are eaten by mice, which are eaten by snakes. What will happen to the other members of the food chain if the grasshoppers are removed? a. the number of plants will increase, the number of mice will decrease, the number of snakes will decrease b. the number of plants will decrease, the number of mice will increase, the number of snakes will increase c. the number of plants will decrease, the number of mice will increase, the number of snakes will decrease d. the number of plants will increase, the number of mice will increase, the number of snakes will increase

not d

Amoebas prey upon algae in aquatic environments.

t

What would occur if the snake population is removed from the ecosystem pictured above?

the mouse population increases

Abiotic factors, like water, are critical to most food chains.

true

An increase in the biodiversity of an ecosystem leads to an increase in its productivity.

true

Ecosystems with greater biodiversity have an increased stability.

true

Water is an abiotic factor in terrestrial environments.

true