Inquizitive 20

Of the three microscopic communities represented below, which one displays the highest relative species abundance?

1

Of the three microscopic communities represented below, which one displays the highest species richness?

2

What is the species richness of this tree community?

5

How many food chains are represented in this image?

8

An ecologist investigates two communities. She measures the number of individuals of every species she finds (data presented in the table below). Which of the following statements regarding the two communities is accurate?

Community 1 has higher relative species abundance of earthworms. Community 1 has higher species richness.

Which of the following scenarios best represents an example of commensalism?

Egrets forage in a field of cattle. As the cattle move around, they stir up various prey for the egrets to eat.

Once established, climax communities last forever.

F

Which of the following ecosystems are most likely to contain ecological communities of relatively high plant and animal diversity?

Great Smoky Mountains amazon rainforest

An ecologist is interested in how diversity in a state park is affected by ongoing nearby urban development. He measures the diversity of the mammals in the park once in the year 1990 and again in the year 2010. The number of individuals of every species he finds in the two years is presented in the table below. Which of the following statements regarding changes in the diversity of the state park are accurate?

The species richness of the state park increased. The relative species abundance of the state park increased.

Which of the following statements accurately describes why the species that eventually dominate a terrestrial climax community cannot colonize a habitat in the early stages of primary succession?

These species require high levels of nutrients in their soil. These species need deep soil for their roots.

Which of the following hypothetical communities has the lowest relative species abundance?

a community with 5 bluebirds, 4 oak trees, and 4 grey squirrels

Which of the species in the food web below are likely to decrease in abundance as a direct or indirect effect of plants being removed from this food web?

all of the animals

Which of the two images shown below is a better depiction of part of a food web rather than a food chain?

bear

Currently, the red deer population in Scotland has an adverse impact on both tree and bird populations in the ecological communities within the Scottish Highlands. If the Scots decide to reintroduce wolves into the Scottish Highlands, which of the following attributes of the bird populations will most likely increase?

bird abundance bird richness bird diversity

It is common to find barnacles attached to the skin of many whale species. The whale brings the barnacles to many areas of nutrient-rich water. Meanwhile, the whales appear unaffected by the presence of the barnacles. This association is an example of what type of species interaction?

commensalism

A(n) - is a group of species that occupy the same area. When studying the diversity of a group of species, ecologists use two measures: One is a count of the total number of species in the area, which is called - . The other is a measure of how common the species are, compared to each other, which is called - .

community species richness relative species abundance

In Yellowstone, both bears and wolves eat deer and elk. Sometimes, bears take over a wolf's deer carcass and prevent the wolf from eating it, as shown in this image. This interaction is an example of which of the following?

competition

Match each species interaction to the correct example. Each answer is used only once.

competition- two grazers, such as rabbits and deer, feeding on the same grass patch mutualism- the interaction between humans and their intestinal bacteria exploitation- an eagle eating a fish commensalism- a bird nesting in a tree

Which species, or species name, in the food web below is consumed by killer whales?

elephant seal, leopard seal , crabeater seal, penguin

After playing outside for the afternoon, your cat, Mittens, comes back scratching her neck. You check her out and find a blood-sucking tick attached to her skin. What type of interaction is occurring between Mittens and the tick?

exploitation

Cheetahs are predators in their native habitat, routinely capturing many prey items, such as the African hare. This association between the cheetahs and their prey is an example of what type of species interaction?

exploitation

Species interactions can have many different impacts on the species involved. Predation, for example, may result in one species obtaining a meal and the other being killed. Predation is an example of - . In some cases, the interaction has a negative impact on both species, as is the case with - . On the other hand, an interaction could have a positive effect on both species, as is the case with - . In yet other cases, one species benefits from the interaction and the other is unaffected. These kinds of interactions are called - .

exploitation competition mutualism commensalism

The extermination of wolves in Yellowstone National Park had unforeseen effects on the park's ecosystem. For example, the population of aspen trees was dramatically reduced by the elk in the absence of wolf populations, and then beavers had less food. This is an example of which of the following?

exploitative competition

Animals are producers in communities.

f

Many species have evolved camouflage to blend in with their background. This adaptation is most likely to avoid competition.

f

Species can only compete with each other when they directly interact through physical contact.

f

The diversity of species of an area is defined as the number of species found in that area.

f

The image displayed below represents a food web.

f grass -> elk-> wolf

A - is a representation of all the feeding interactions in a community. A keystone species is one that has a disproportionately large effect on a community relative to that species' - . An intertidal sea star that preys on the most abundant mussel on the shore is an example of a keystone species. When the sea star is removed, the mussel's abundance - , and the abundance of many other shore species - .

food web abundance increases decreases

A dam is built, flooding a valley and creating a new lake. Which species is most likely to be the first to colonize this new lake?

green algae

Which of the species in the food web below are likely to decrease in abundance as a direct effect of elk being removed from this food web?

grey wolf coyote

The reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone has become problematic for surrounding ranchers, who want to prevent the wolves from eating their livestock. A rancher shooting toward a wolf that is attempting to attack his sheep is an example of which?

interference competition

What is the name given to species that have an extremely high impact on their communities relative to their abundance?

keystone species

A new terrestrial habitat is created by a severe fire. Trees, ferns, grasses, and mosses all colonize the habitat over the years. When this community becomes a climax community, which species is most likely to be the dominant species there?

large woody trees

One way to avoid predation by another species is to evolve internal toxins, and then advertise that your body is toxic. Another way is to evolve an appearance similar to a toxic species. What is the name of this second mechanism?

mimicry

In many coral reefs, clownfish closely associate with sea anemones. By sticking close to the anemone's stinging tentacles, the clownfish is protected from predators. The anemone is able to feed on the clownfish's nutrient-rich excrement. This association is an example of what type of species interaction?

mutualism

In the food web below, which species would you expect to increase in abundance if the killer whale is removed?

phytoplankton and crabeater seal

Which type of succession is likely to take longer to reach a climax community?

primary succession

Succession is the process by which the species in a community change over time. For example, when a new habitat is created, such as a volcanic island, species colonize the habitat in many stages. This is called - . But habitat also can become available when there is a disturbance to an existing community. When this habitat is recolonized, it is called - . If no disturbances occur for an extremely long period of time, the species composition of the community eventually becomes fairly stable, and is then called a(n) - .

primary succession secondary succession climax community

Which of the following animals is likely to decrease in abundance if the gray wolf is removed from this food web? Not all areas of the image are clickable.

pronghorn, vole, snowshoes hare

Which of the following animal(s) is/are exclusively secondary consumers? (Exclude secondary consumers that also occupy other trophic levels.)

red fox

Although relative species abundance is not shown in these data, you can make some inferences/deductions from the species numbers that are shown. Based on this graph, which experiment contained the highest relative species abundance at the end of the experiment (1973)?

red one

Which of the following represent ecological communities?

riparian zone species human gut microbes

A forest community displays the following species interactions: hawk consumes songbird, which consumes caterpillar, which consumes grass. What is the role of the songbird in this food chain?

secondary consumer

Categorize each description as an example of primary or secondary succession.

secondary succession- Loggers remove an acre of trees from the middle of a jungle. Other species of trees fill in the vacant space.

Which of the following animal(s) is/are primary consumers? Include those that serve in more than one trophic level, as long as one of them is a primary consumer.

snowshoe hare vole coyote elk pronghorn

Which of the species in the food web below are primary consumers?

snowshoe hare vole coyote elk pronghorn

Two weeds, a dandelion and a mustard green, compete for space in an open field. A tortoise that feeds on the mustard green moves into the habitat. What is the likely effect on the two weed species?

the dandelion will increase in abundance, and the mustard green will decrease in abundance.

In the image below of microscopic organisms from a field sample, which is the rarest species in the community?

the mosquito looking one

Which of the two ecological communities shown below is more diverse?

the one with more animals

Which of the three forests below is most susceptible to colonization by new species?

the one without the trees

If you were randomly selecting two trees from one of these two forest communities, from which one would you be more likely to select two trees of the same species?

top one

Match the following descriptions to each forest. Note that each forest can accept more than one description.

top- highest relative species abundance low richness