AP Biology Chapter 54 Community Ecology

Which of the following is considered by ecologists a measure of the ability of a community to either resist change or recover to its original state after change? A. Stability B. Succession C. Partitioning D. Productivity

a

Which of the following statements about communities is not correct? A. The trophic structure of a community describes abiotic factors such as rainfall and temperature affecting members of the community B. Some animal species distributions withing a community are linked to other species C. The distribution of almost all organisms is probably affected, to some extent, by both abiotic gradients and interactions with other species D. Ecologists refer to species richness as the number of species within a community

a

The sum total of an organism's interaction with the biotic and abiotic resources of its environment is called its A. Habitat B. Ecological Niche C. Biotic Potential D. Microclimax

b

Which of the following is not an example of a plant defense against herbivory? A. Strychnine B. Cryptic coloration C. Spines D. Thorns

b

Which of the following statements about the biogeographical aspects of diversity is not correct? A. The patterns of continental drift are important considerations in the study of past and present distributions of species B. The magnitude of photosynthesis is the factor that accounts for the major variations in species diversity over large area of Earth C. Species richness on an island reaches an equilibrium point when immigration equals extinction D. A species may be limited to a particular range because it never dispersed beyond that range, or it dispersed but failed to survive in other locations

b

Which of the following terms best describes the interaction between termites and the protozoans that feed in their gut? A. Commensalism B. Mutualism C. Ectoparasitism D. Endoparasitism

b

All of the following represent ways that animals defend themselves against predators except: A. Incorporating plant toxins into their tissues B. Cryptic coloration C. Mobbing D. Interspecific Competition

d

Consider a field plot containing 200 kg of plant material. Approximately how many kg of carnivore production can be supported? A. 100 B. 20 C. 10 D. 2

d

Disturbances to ecological communities A. Are frequently related to human activities B. Can remove organisms and alter resource availability C. Can create vacated ecological niches that other species can colonize D. All of the above are true

d

Evidence shows that some grasses benefit from being grazed. Which of the following terms would best describe this plant-herbivore interaction? A. Mutualism B. Commensalism C. Parasitism D. Predation

a

The relationship between the larvae of small wasps and caterpillars A. Parasitism B. Mutualism C. Inhibition D. Facilitation E. Commensalism

a

A species of fish is found to require a certain water temperature, a particular oxygen content of the water, a particular depth, and a rocky substrate on the bottom to thrive. These requirements are part of its A. Home base B. Ecological niche C. Prime habitat D. Resource partition

b

According to the competitive exclusion principle, two species cannot continue to occupy the same: A. Habitat B. Niche C. Territory D. Biome

b

All of the following describe possible results of competition between two species except: A. Competitive exclusion B. Aposematic coloration C. Resource partitioning D. REduction in the population of one species

b

Dwarf mistletoes are flowering plants that grow on certain forest trees, They obtain nutrients and water from the vascular tissues of the trees. The trees derive no known benefits from the dwarf mistletoes. Which of the following best describes the interactions between dwarf mistletoes and trees? A. Mutualism B. Parasitism C. Commensalism D. Competition

b

In a tide pool, 15 species of invertibrate were reduced to eight after one species was removed. The species removed was likely a(n) A. Mutualistic organism B. Keystone species C. Herbivore D. Resource partitioner

b

Resource partitioning is best described by which of the following statements? A. Competitive exclusion results in the success of the superior species B. Slight variations in niche allow similar species to coexist C. A climax community is reached when no new niches are available D. Species diversity is maintained by switching between prey species

b

The oak tree pathogen Phytophthora ramorum migrated 650 km in ten years. West Nile virus spread from New York to 46 other states in five years. The difference in the rate of spread is probably related to A. How lethal each pathogen is B. The mobility of their hosts C. The fact that viruses are very small D. Innate resistance

b

The relationship between ants and acacia trees A. Parasitism B. Mutualism C. Inhibition D. Facilitation E. Commensalism

b

The relationship between legumes and nitrogen-fixing bacteria A. Parasitism B. Mutualism C. Inhibition D. Facilitation E. Commensalism

b

The species richness of a community refers to the A. Number of food chains B. Number of different species C. Energy content of all species D. Relative numbers of individuals in each species

b

All of the following terms that ecologists use to describe communities except for: A. Species richness B. Species diversity C. Batesian diversity D. Trophic structure

c

An insect that has evolved to resemble a plant twig will probably be able to avoid A. Parasitism B. Symbiosis C. Predation D. Competition

c

Elephants are not the most dominant species in African grasslands, yet they influence community structure. The grasslands contain scattered woody plants, but they are kept in check by the uprooting activities of the elephants. Take away the elephants, and the grasslands convert to forests or to shrublands. The newly growing forests support fewer species than the previous grasslands. Elephants can be defined as what type of species in this community? A. Redundant B. Dominant C. Keystone D. Dominant and keystone

c

If you wanted to alter the structure of a bottom-up community, your best bet would be to A. Remove the top predators B. Remove the trees and shrubs C. Add plenty of fertilizer D. Add more predators

c

In a particular case of secondary succession, three species of wild grass all invaded a field. By the second season, a single species dominated the field. A possible factor in this secondary succession was A. Equilibrium B. Immigration C. Inhabition D. Mutualism

c

Prairie dogs once covered the expanses of the Great Plains. Their grazing made the grass more nutritious for the huge herds of bison, and they were preyed upon by a variety of snakes, raptors, and mammals. In fact, the black-footed ferret (now endangered) specialized in prairie dog predation. Today, increases in housing and agricultural developments have eradicated many prairie dog towns. Which of the following statements about prairie dogs is true? A. Their realized niche has diminished B. They are commensals with bison C. Their fundamental niches has diminished D. Their fundamental niche remains unaltered

c

When lichens grow on bare rock, they may eventually accumulate enough organic material around them to supply the foothold for later rooted vegetation. These early pioneering lichens can be said to do what to the later arrivals? A. Tolerate B. Inhibit C. Facilitate D. Exclude

c

Which of the following is least likely to kill the organism it feeds on? A. Herbivore B. Predator C. Parasite D. Carnivore

c

Which of the following members of a marine food chain is most analogous to a grasshopper in a terrestrial food chain? A. Phytoplankton B. Zooplankton C. Fish D. Shark

c

Which of the following statements about community interaction is not correct? A. Closely related species may not be able to coexist if there is at least one significant difference in their niches B. Plants can defend themselves against herbivores by the production of compounds that are irritating or toxic C. Keystone predators reduce diversity in a community by holding down or wiping out prey populations D. Mutualism is an important biotic interaction that occurs in communities

c

Which of the following statements about succession is correct? A. Secondary succession occurs where no soil exists B. Primary succession occurs in areas where soil remains after a disturbance C. Secondary succession can occur where a disturbance has left soil intact D. Some cases of succession involve facilitation, a phenomenon in which local species inhibit the growth of newcomers

c

Which of the following types of species interaction is incorrectly paired to its effects on the density of the two interacting populations? A. Predation - one increases, one decreases B. Parasitism - one increases, one decreases C. Commensalism - both increase D. Mutualism - both increase

c

With a few exceptions, most of the food chains studied by ecologists have a maximum of how many links? A. 2 B. 3 C. 5 D. 10

c

Following clear-cutting of a broadleaf forest several hundred years ago, the land was colonized by herbaceous species that were replaced largely over time by shrubs, then by forest trees. Assuming the growth of the shrubs and trees was enhanced by the soil-holding properties of the herbaceous plants, which of the following processes best describe the progression from herbaceous plants to forest trees? A. Primary succession; facilitation B. Primary succession; inhibition C. Primary succession; toleration D. Secondary succession; faciliation

d

Successional even in which one organism makes the environment more suitable for another organism A. Parasitism B. Mutualism C. Inhibition D. Facilitation E. Commensalism

d

The dominant species in a community is A. Characterized by very large individuals with long lives B. The best competitor in the community C. The best predator in the community D. The population with the most biomass

d

There are more species in tropical areas than in places farther from the equator. This is probably a result of A. Fewer predators B. A longer growing season C. Fewer major disturbances D. B and C only

d

To measure species diversity in a community, you need to know A. The number of species B. The relative abundance of each species C. The physical size of each species D. Both A and B

d

Which of the following statements about the Yellowstone National Park fires of 1988 is false? A. Secondary succession followed the fires B. The dominant lodgepole pines required fire to complete their normal life history C. Human environmental policy increased the severity of the fires D. It took years before new vegetation returned to the area

d

Which of the following statements concerning the control of community structure is false? A. A bottom-up community is controlled by nutrients B. A top-down community is controlled by predators C. Increasing the biomass of vegetation in a bottom-up community will increase herbivores D. Increasing the number of predators in a top-down community will decrease the biomass of vegetation

d

You are most likely to observe primary succession when you visit a(n) A. Deep sea vent B. Abandoned field C. Old riverbed D. Fairly recent volcanic island

d