BIOL 1010 Final
In terms of +, - , and 0, predation can be described as a _____ relationship.
+/-
Earth's present rate of species loss may be as much as _____ times higher than at any time in the past 100,000 years.
1,000
Which of the following is an example of an evolutionary adaptation?
A portion of a forest burns in a forest fire. As a species of beetles starts to recolonize the area, the lighter-colored individuals in the population are much more visible against the burned bark compared to darker individuals. These lighter individuals are eaten by bird predators at a high rate. After two generations, most of the beetles are darker in color.
The term we use to explain our human desire to affiliate with other life in its many forms is
biophilia
The use of living organisms to detoxify polluted ecosystems is called
bioremediation
The most inclusive level of organization in nature is the
biosphere
An ecosystem is unlikely to be limited by the supply of _____ because it is obtained from the air.
carbon
According to the principle of interspecific competition, two species cannot continue to occupy the same
ecological niche
Environmental problems of today will be better understood by looking to the study of
ecology
Which of the following is directly responsible for the rapid extinctions that are occurring at an accelerated pace on Earth?
humans
The emergence of previously unknown infectious diseases, such as HIV, results from
humans disturbing a particular biological community
To get an accurate estimate of the density of a particular species, an ecologist would
increase the number and size of the sample plots where individuals are counted
The energy flow through the trophic levels of an ecosystem is represented as a pyramid because
the primary productivity decreases at each level
Which of the following is a positive benefit of global warming for a particular species?
Bark beetles are able to reproduce twice a year rather than once because of global warming.
Which of the following is the most accurate statement about the Earth's carrying capacity for humans?
Our technology has allowed us to keep increasing carrying capacity.
Which of the following is a scientific observation?
The average temperature in Europe has risen and butterflies are sensitive to temperature change.
Why do toxins accumulate at such high levels in carnivores?
The biomass at any given trophic level is accumulated from a much larger toxin-containing biomass ingested from the level below.
Which of the following is a true statement?
The increase in global temperature is often called the greenhouse effect.
The dominant greenhouse gas is
carbon dioxide
During ecological succession, the species composition of a plant community
changes gradually because each species responds differently to changes in environmental factors
Maintaining biodiversity on Earth is important because
changes that underlie a loss of biodiversity may also threaten the human population
Evolutionary changes in which an adaptation of one species leads to a counteradaptation in a second species is known as
coevolution
Which of the following is an example of primary succession?
colonization of a newly formed volcanic island
All the organisms in a particular area make up a(n)
community
The study and protection of biological diversity is a field called
conservation biology
Human activity, especially __________, significantly alters the amount of atmospheric water vapor available for the water cycle.
destruction of tropical rain forests
Assume that you are interested in finding a way to control the fungal pathogen that is devastating 75% of the wheat varieties planted worldwide. The approach you should take would be to __________.
find a resistance gene in wild relatives of wheat and insert it into the various wheat varieties
The single greatest current cause of population decline is
habitat destruction
A combination of biological, chemical, and cultural methods for sustainable control of agricultural pests is called
integrated pest management
A non-native species that has spread far beyond the original point of introduction and causes environmental or economic damage is called a(n)
invasive species
Habitat destruction and thus, habitat fragmentation, is the major cause of declining biodiversity; the second major cause is
invasive species
A landscape
is composed of interacting ecosystems
Human population growth
is currently exponential
A set of traits that affects an organism's schedule of reproduction and survival is called its
life history
The photic zone is the shallow water near shore and the upper layer of water away from shore where
light is available for photosynthesis
A decrease in the growth rate as the population size approaches carrying capacity is called
logistic population growth
Estuaries are considered examples of
marine biomes
Edge species
may require conditions found in both of the bordering ecosystems
Connections between habitat fragments are referred to as
movement corridors
Photosynthetic organisms, such as plants and algae, depend on the availability of two important inorganic nutrients, _____ and _____.
nitrogen ...phosphorus
The rising average global temperature is having the greatest effect on the
northernmost regions of the Northern Hemisphere, and the Antarctic Peninsula
Biogeochemical cycles are crucial to ecosystem function because
nutrients and other life-sustaining molecules are in limited supply and must be continually recycled
Evolutionary adaptation may not save long-lived species, such as polar bears and penguins, from extinction because
of rapid habitat loss
Which of the following is a definition of the ecological footprint?
the estimate of the amount of land required to provide the raw materials an individual or a population consumes
One piece of information that is available from a determination of population density is
the number of individuals of a species per unit area or volume of the habitat
According to the logistic growth model, the fastest growth rate of a population occurs when
the population size is at roughly half the carrying capacity of the habitat
The energy for nearly every organism in almost every ecosystem ultimately comes from
the sun
Which of the following impacts the nitrogen cycle?
use of large amounts of inorganic fertilizers
Terrestrial ecosystems are grouped into biomes primarily on the basis of
vegetative type
An example of an "ecosystem service" that is vital to people is __________.
water purification
An organism's "trophic level" refers to
what it eats
Which of the following is a true statement?
After a period of below-average rainfall, drought-resistant individuals may be more prevalent in a plant population.
Which of the following statements about the intentional release of rabbits and foxes in Australia is true?
Eradication of introduced species is virtually impossible; the best that can be done is to minimize their impact.
A population is defined as
a group of individuals of a single species that occupies the same general area
Age structures are helpful for predicting
a population's future growth
The definition of a density-dependent factor is
a population-limiting factor whose effects intensify as the population increases in density
An organism's environment consists of
abiotic and biotic factors
A student decides to take up jogging to improve her aerobic capacity. During the first few weeks of exercise, she is only able to jog for about one and a half miles before tiring. However, after three months, she is able to jog four miles with ease. This physiological change is an example of __________.
acclimation
Which of the following is a population?
all of the redwood trees that live in a forest
Kudzu is
an invasive vine
The definition of your carbon footprint is
the amount of greenhouse gas emitted as a result of your actions
Biodiversity hot spots are
regions with the potential for high levels of extinction
Consider this segment of a food web: Snails and grasshoppers eat pepper plants; spiders eat grasshoppers; shrews eat snails and spiders; owls eat shrews. The shrew occupies the trophic level(s) of
secondary and tertiary consumers
Which of the following describes the number of different species in the community?
species richness
Ecologists represent life table data graphically in a
survivorship curve
The goal of developing, managing, and conserving Earth's resources in ways that meet the needs of people today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs is known as _____.
sustainability
Acquiring the ecological information necessary for the responsible development, management, and conservation of Earth's resources is the goal of
sustainable development
Latitudes between the tropics and the Arctic Circle in the north and the Antarctic Circle in the south are called
temperate zones
A major study begun in 1979 in the Amazonian forest of Brazil to learn how to best conserve biodiversity is called
the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragmentation Project