Ecology Final Review

A forester that is studying the growth response of loblolly pine trees across Georgia to variation in soil fertility would be working at which ecological level of study?

population

Compared with land at the same latitude, ocean waters tend to be _______ in the winter and _______ in the summer because water has a _______ heat capacity than land has.

warmer/colder/higher

A researcher studying apple maggot flies marks 180 flies in an orchid in Michigan. The next day, she collects 70 flies and finds that 14 are marked. If the assumptions of the mark-recapture method are met, what is the best estimate for the number of apple maggot flies in that orchid? a. 180 b. 900 c. 980 d. 1,800

b. 900

The largest terrestrial vegetation formation on Earth is

boreal forest

A mouse is sitting in the sun. Solar radiation provides a net intake of energy of 30 milliwatts per minute, and infrared radiation provides an additional net input of 8 milliwatts per minute. Conductive and convective outputs are a combined 55 milliwatts per minute. There is no detectable change in heat from evaporation. Assuming that the mouse is maintaining a constant temperature, how much heat must it be generating per minute?

17 milliwatts

A population of Drosophila mauritiana reproduces in synchrony at discrete time periods every generation. Generations occur at four-week intervals. The current population size is 3000 and its geometric population growth rate is 2.0 per generation. After 12 weeks, the expected size of the population would be

24000

Hadley cells are critical drivers of the world's precipitation patterns. This process creates latitudinal belts of low precipitation at what latitudes?

30°

Tuna eat sardines and other small fish. Suppose the consumption efficiency of tuna is 40%, the assimilation efficiency is 30%, and the production efficiency is 20%. If tuna eat 1,500 kg of sardines and other small fish, how much will be used to produce tuna biomass?

36 kg (1,500 x .20 x .30 x .40) = 36)

The total NPP from ocean ecosystems is _______% of the total global NPP...

46%

The total NPP from terrestrial ecosystems is _______% of the total global NPP...

54%

You travel to the Himalayas to climb Mt. Everest. At first, you have difficulty hiking due to shortness of breath, but after a week, your performance has improved. This is most likely an example of _______ to lower partial pressure of oxygen...

Acclimitazation

What is the correct order (largest to smallest) of ecological organization?

Biosphere->ecosystem->community->population

Earthworms contribute to decomposition by...

Breaking up litter into smaller particles, thereby increasing the surface area and allowing for more efficient chemical breakdown.

Suppose that three different populations of beetles all have the same overall density over their respective ranges. Population A has a regular dispersion pattern, population B has a random dispersion pattern, and population C has a clumped dispersion pattern. The greatest effects of density are most likely experienced by individuals of population _______, and the least effects are most likely experienced by those of population _______.

C / A

In the process that takes place during the second step of photosynthesis, what is referred to as the "dark reaction"

CO2 is fixed, producing carbohydrates

What takes place during the second step of Photosynthesis, referred to as the "carbon reactions"?

CO2 is fixed, producing carbohydrates.

Convergent Evolution is best exemplified by...

Cactuses and euphorbs

Listed here are the net energy values of various seed types, along with the time associated with a bird's finding and obtaining the food (i.e., optimal foraging theory): A: 40 Calories & 15 Minutes / B: 40 Calories and 10 Minutes / C: 60 Calories and 30 Minutes / Rank the prey items in terms of the grasshopper's likelihood (from highest to lowest likelihood) of choosing this item if it is following the principle of optimal foraging....

Calculate Profitability (Profitability = Energy ÷ Time) / A = 40 ÷ 15 = 2.67 (2) / B = 40 ÷ 10 = 4.00 (1) / C = 60 ÷ 30 = 2.00 (3) / B > A > C

The biochemical pathway most commonly used by plants and chemosynthetic bacteria to fix CO2 in order to synthesize carbohydrates is...

Calvin Cycle

Decomposition of organic matter with a C:N ratio less than 25:1 (the optimal ratio for microbial growth) would result in a net release of nutrients into the soil. The reason is that microbial growth in this situation would be more limited by the _______ supply than by the _______ supply...

Carbon / Nitrogen

On a warm day, a dog pants and some of the water on its tongue evaporates. This evaporation has a _______ effect that is caused by _______...

Cooling / Latent Heat Transfer

Which of the following would be most likely to be K-selected?

Crocodiles

As a habitat becomes fragmented, the population sizes of a species in the habitat should _______, effects of genetic drift should _______, and genetic variation within populations of this species should _______...

Decrease / Increase / Decrease

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...

Decrease / Increase / Drier

What is most likely to lead to Population Cycles?

Delayed Density Dependence

Population regulation occurs when...

Density-dependent factors have been operating on birth, death, and emigration rates

Which statement about the Second Law of Thermodynamics is true?

It states that some energy will be lost in any transfer of energy.

Which of the following statements about the role of ecology in evolution is true?

Ecological changes can affect the influence of genetic drift through changes in population size / Predator-prey interactions can cause large-scale evolution in both the predators and the prey.

Suppose you were examining whether a synthetic chemical reduced the growth rate of mice. What would you take to ensure that the experiment was a controlled experiment?

Exclude groups of mice from exposure to the chemical, but otherwise treating all the mice in the same manner

An interaction in which species compete indirectly through their mutual effects on the availability of a shared resource is known as _______________ , while an interaction in which species compete directly by performing antagonistic actions altering the ability of their competitors to use a resource that both require is known as __________________...

Exploitation Competition / Interference Competition

Which of the following would be considered a Resource?

Food / Water / Light / Space

A subset of the species in a community that act or behave in similar ways, but do not necessarily use the same resources is known as a ______________ while a subset of the species in a community that use the same resources, whether or not they are taxonomically related is known as a _________...

Functional Group / Guild

To measure the productivity of a loblolly pine seedling you enclose it in a big clear chamber where you can measure CO2 concentrations. During the day when light is shining into the chamber you measure a CO2 decline per m2 of leaf area of 5 µmol CO2/m2-sec. At night CO2 increases in your chamber by 8 µmol CO2/m2-sec. What is the NPP and GPP of the tree per m2 of leaf area?

GPP = Sum of all Photosynthesis (GPP = 5 + 8 = 13) / NPP = GPP - Respiration (NPP = 13 - 5 = 8)

Which pair of evolutionary processes can introduce new alleles into a population?

Gene Flow / Mutation

Which of the following processes changes allele frequencies by chance alone?

Genetic Drift

Paine's study of the sea star predator Pisaster, in which he removed the predator from the community, demonstrated...

How predators that decrease the abundance of a dominant competitor can lead to the persistence of inferior competitors.

In which way does the Lotka‒Volterra predator‒prey model of population growth differ from the logistic model?

In the Lotka-Voltera model, prey population growth does not depend on availability of the prey's resources

In a healthy stream, as you travel from small size (low stream order) to larger size (higher stream order), the number of fish species in the community tends to...

Increase (???)

In stream nutrient spirals can be altered by the presence of salamanders relative to fish by...

Increasing the retention time of an element in the salamanders

__________________Competition is an interaction between two species in which each is harmed when they both use the same limiting resource, while ______________Competition can occur between individuals of a single species...

Interspecific / Intraspecific

From the act of pollinating flowers, a bee population gains the benefit of a 0.06 growth rate increase per month. However, the costs imposed by the flower (bees occasionally getting stuck, time spent pollinating the flower instead of pollinating other species, etc.) is a 0.02 reduction in growth rate per month. The flower gains benefits from the pollination that enhance its population growth rate by 0.05 per month, but it incurs costs (feeding the bees, damage done by the bees) that reduce its growth rate by 0.05 per month. Which statement about the relationship between the bees and the flowers is true?

It is a Commensalism (0/+)

During the summer in temperate climates (like Athens, Georgia), the dissolved oxygen level in the bottom of eutrophic lakes tends to be ____________ the dissolved oxygen level in the bottom of oligotrophic lakes...

Lower Than

What would be the mean residence time of phosphorus in a pond if the total pool is 1,250 grams and the mean rate of input is 2,500 grams? (Assume that rates of input, output, and the total pool size have remained constant.)...

Mean Residence Time = Total Pool of Element ÷ Rate of Input so Mean Residence Time = 1,250 g ÷ 2,500 g = 0.5 (Half a year or 6 months???)

Fall and spring turnover of many lakes in temperate environments is important for...

Mixing nutrients from bottom waters back into the lake / Reducing anoxia in deep lake waters

All other things being equal, herbivores generally must consume _______ food than carnivores in order to meet their nutritional needs. The reason is that plant material, per gram of carbon, contains _______ nitrogen than animal material does...

More / Less

Earth's surface releases _______ it receives by solar radiation. Additional energy inputs to Earth's surface occur in part from back radiation due to _______...

More energy than / Greenhouse Gases

Suppose that the net primary productivity of a particular ecosystem is 80 units per year. The respiration rate of primary producers is 30 units per year, and the respiration rate of herbivores is 10 units per year. The gross primary productivity is _______ units per year...

NPP = GPP - Respiration / 80 = X - 40 / X = 120

Which of the following best describes the order of the nitrogen cycle?

N₂ is converted to NH₄⁺ through nitrogen fixation; NH₄⁺ is converted to proteins in plants; proteins are converted to NH₄⁺ through decomposition; NH₄⁺ is converted back to proteins in plants.

As nutrient loads increase in lakes they go from being...

Oligotrophic (Nutrient-poor and low primary productivity) to Eutrophic (Nutrient-rich and high primary productivity)

Suppose a plant is receiving 150 units of heat per minute due to solar radiation, and 45 units of heat per minute due to infrared radiation. Sixty units per minute of solar radiation are reflected back by the leaves, and it emits 30 units of infrared radiation. It also loses 50 units of heat per minute through evapotranspiration. The temperature of the plant is not changing. Based on this information we can conclude that the combination of conduction and convection is resulting in a net _______ of heat to the plant, and that its temperature is currently _______ than the ambient temperature...

Output; warmer: ΔH(plant) = SR + IR(in) - IR(out) ± H(conv) ± H(cond) - H(et) / ΔH(plant) = 150 + 45 - 60 -30 - 50 = 55

What is a major cause of the periodic glacial advances and retreats that have occurred over the last two million years?

Periodic changes of Earth's orbit from more circular to more elliptical

We often characterize ecosystems based on the dominant organisms responsible for primary production. In aquatic systems these are generally...

Phytoplankton or Macrophytes

Which of the following occurred in Huffaker's studies of an herbivorous mite and its mite predator when predator and prey were in a heterogeneous environment?

Predators and prey persisted and exhibited population cycles.

Stream macrohabitats include __________ (fast-moving portion with turbulent water), with coarse substrate and where primary production takes place...

Riffles

If the tilt of Earth's axis were to decrease...

Seasonality at the poles would be reduced

In cod fishing, older and larger fish are more likely to be retained in nets than younger and smaller fish. Despite the removal of these large breeders, the population is still reproducing. How do you think cod characteristics have changed due to the selection pressure from over-fishing?

Selection has led to decreases in the size of fish at the age of maturity.

In bottom-up control, energy flow through the ecosystem is determined primarily by the...

Supply of resources limiting NPP.

Based on the climate data (Annual Precipitation: 700 mm / Average Temperature: 10.8° C / Precipitation > Temperature), the location most likely charted here is in the _______ biome

Temperate Deciduous Forest

Most of Georgia is presently classified as ______________. If the climate in Georgia were to become warmer year round but also drier in the summer the biome may shift to _________________...

Temperate Deciduous Forest / Tropical Dry Forest

To which biome does most of the state of Florida belong?

Temperate evergreen forest

Different species of marine snails that are preyed on by a shore crab differ in terms of how easily the crab can crush their shells. Studies of these snails have provided evidence for...

The presence of trade-offs between different anti-predator adaptations.

The term ________________ refers to the point or plane of maximum temperature change within a lake...

Thermocline

Beaver dams will impact dissolved oxygen concentrations in the water column because...

They increase water temperature relative to the free flowing stream and thus hold less oxygen

If you sample benthic macroinvertebrates in a stream and find a variety of organism but few of each kind, you may have...

Toxic pollutants

The highest rates of NPP on land are found in the _______ because of their high rates of precipitation and _______...

Tropics / Long growing seasons

Which type of Survivorship Curve is seen most frequently in the wild?

Type III (most individuals die young)

Compared with land at the same latitude, ocean waters tend to be _______ in the winter and _______ in the summer because water has a _______ heat capacity than land has...

Warmer / Colder / Higher

Suppose a plant is receiving 150 units of heat per minute due to solar radiation, and 45 units of heat per minute due to infrared radiation. Sixty units per minute of solar radiation are reflected back by the leaves, and it emits 30 units of infrared radiation. It also loses 50 units of heat per minute through evapotranspiration. The temperature of the plant is not changing. Based on this, we can conclude that the combination of conduction and convection is resulting in _______ of heat, and that the plants temperature is currently _______ the ambient temperature.

a net output/ warmer than

It is often said that individuals are the products of their "nature and nurture." An alternative way of stating this would be to say that individuals are the products of their a) genotype and environment b) genotype and fitness c) phenotype and fitness d) phenotype and genotype

a) genotype and environment

Which of the following biomes is found commonly in eastern North America and southern Canada, and also in Europe and eastern Asia? a) temperate seasonal forest biome b) temperate rain forest biome c) temperate grassland/desert biome d) woodland/shrubland biome

a) temperate seasonal forest biome

Walter's climate diagrams allow us to identify any months that have water deficit. These are months in which: a) temperature is above precipitation. b) temperature does not go above 20°C. c) precipitation is above temperature. d) precipitation is equal to temperature.

a) temperature is above precipitation.

By pitting two species of worms against each other at varying densities, researchers have determined that the zero growth isocline of species A is always above that of species B. This means that a. A will always exclude B. b. B will always exclude A. c. one species will exclude the other depending on the initial conditions. d. the species will coexist at a lower density that either would alone.

a. A will always exclude B

A subset of the species in a community that act or behave in similar ways, but do not necessarily use the same resources is known as a ______________ while a subset of the species in a community that use the same resources, whether or not they are taxonomically related is known as a _________. a. Functional group, guild b. Guild, functional group c. Taxonomic affinity, guild d. Taxonomic affinity, functional group

a. Functional group, guild

68. Which statement about keystone species is false? a. If a species acts as a keystone species in one part of its range, it must act as such in all parts of its range. b. Keystone species have larger effects on community composition than would be predicted based on their biomass or abundance. c. Keystone species tend to be predators at higher trophic levels, but are not restricted to this group. d. The keystone species concept implies that protecting the keystone species may also help protect the species that depend on it.

a. If a species acts as a keystone species in one part of its range, it must act as such in all parts of its range.

6. In which way does the Lotka‒Volterra predator-prey model of population growth differ from the logistic model? a. In the Lotka‒Volterra predator-prey model, prey population growth does not depend on the carrying capacity. b. In the Lotka‒Volterra predator-prey model, population size is not used. c. In the Lotka‒Volterra predator-prey model, species interaction terms are used. d. In the Lotka-Volterra predator-prey model, r (growth rate is not used).

a. In the Lotka‒Volterra predator-prey model, prey population growth does not depend on the carrying capacity.

Which of the following is a resource? a. Oxygen being depleted by zooplankton in the ocean b. Oxygen breathed by leopards in the jungle c. Water in which dolphins are swimming d. Both a and b e. None of the above

a. Oxygen being depleted by zooplankton in the ocean

Which type of succession involves colonization of habitats devoid of life? a. Primary b. Secondary c. Pristine d. Abiotic

a. Primary

Gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) have a high mortality rate early in life but can live for decades thereafter at which time individuals tend to die in a relatively short window. This survival pattern is representative of a) Type III survival curve b) Type 2 mortality curve c) Type II survival curve d) Type I survival curve

a. Type III survival curve

At low population densities, the flocking behavior of some species of birds is disrupted to the extent that the population growth rate is lower at very low densities than it is at somewhat higher densities. This is an example of a. an Allee effect. b. genetic drift. c. environmental stochasticity. d. dampened oscillations.

a. an Allee effect

Which of the following describes the rate of change in the exponential growth curve typical of population growth unrestricted by density-dependent factors? a. dN/dt = rN b. dN/dt = rN (K-N)/K c. dN/dt = K*Nert d. Nt = Noert

a. dN/dt = rN

Suppose you are studying a population of herbivores. The traditional food source for these herbivores is a small native plant species. In the last 200 years, the traditional food source of these herbivores was replaced by an invasive grass. The herbivores gained 5 calories of food from every 1 minute of grazing on the native plant, but gain only 3 calories of food from every 1 minute of grazing on the invasive grass. If you compared the current population of herbivores to the historical populations 200 years ago, which change would you be least likely to observe? a. An increase in coprophagy b. A decrease in the overall length of the digestive tract c. An increase in bacterial symbionts associated with digestion d. An increased ability to acclimatize to different food sources

b. A decrease in the overall length of the digestive tract

. Assuming that their average population growth rates and all other factors are equal, which of the following populations would most likely be at risk for extinction? a. A large population with high variation in its growth rate b. A small population with high variation in its growth rate c. A large population with low variation in its growth rate d. A small population with low variation in its growth rate e. All have equal risk; population size and variation in growth rate do not influence extinction risk.

b. A small population with high variation in its growth rate

Which of the following cannot be an example of evolution? a. As a consequence of clean air acts, the frequency of black peppered moths in Europe has decreased in the last half century. b. After repeated exposure to high temperatures, an individual turtle can better tolerate heat. c. As a consequence of climate change, robins in the northeastern United States are singing earlier in the spring than they were two decades ago. d. Due to a genetic bottleneck, the frequency of one allele has increased in a population of Drosophila subobscura. e. All of the above can be examples of evolution.

b. After repeated exposure to high temperatures, an individual turtle can better tolerate heat.

Which statement best supports the speculation that large dinosaurs may have had some degree of endothermy? a. Their large bodies would have required some capacity for internal heat generation, even in cold conditions. b. Because their surface area-to-volume ratio probably would not have allowed for enough heat exchange with their environment, they would have needed to generate some internal energy. c. They would have had a high intake of nitrogen, which leads to endothermy. d. We have evidence that they evolved from endothermic ancestors.

b. Because their surface area-to-volume ratio probably would not have allowed for enough heat exchange with their environment, they would have needed to generate some internal energy.

Two similar rodent species are consistently more different from each other when they occupy the same habitat than when they live separately. What is the most likely explanation for the increased divergence when they live together? a. Decreased resource partitioning b. Character displacement c. Evolution by natural selection d. Both b and c

b. Character displacement

Which of the following statements about biomes is false? a. Biomes are characterized more by the plants that are found there than by the animals. b. Determination of biomes incorporates similarities among species assemblages. c. The same biome can be found on different continents. d. Biomes are determined according to differences in physiognomy. e. Both b and d

b. Determination of biomes incorporates similarities among species assemblages.

Which of the following statements about biomes is false? a. Biomes are characterized more by the plants that are found there than by the animals. b. Determination of biomes incorporates taxonomic similarities among organisms. c. The same biome can be found on different continents. d. Biomes are determined according to similarities in the morphological responses of organisms to the physical environment. e. Both b and c

b. Determination of biomes incorporates taxonomic similarities among organisms.

Which of the following statements about how energy moves through ecosystems is true? a. Energy can be recycled through consumers and producers. b. Energy can move in one direction only and cannot be recycled. c. Energy can reverse direction if organisms are allowed to decompose. d. Recent technology allows us to recycle the energy in our ecosystem. e. None of the above

b. Energy can move in one direction only and cannot be recycled.

An ecologist studying ecosystems would be most interested in which question? a. Is a predator species maintaining species diversity by selectively preying on the most abundant prey species? b. How much nitrogen is being taken up by organisms in a given place? c. How does temperature affect survivorship of marmots? d. How do features of the landscape affect the movement of bears?

b. How much nitrogen is being taken up by organisms in a given place?

An ecosystem ecologist would be most interested in which of the following questions? a. Is a predator species maintaining species diversity by selectively preying on the most abundant prey species? b. How much nitrogen is being taken up by organisms in a given place? c. How does temperature affect survivorship of marmots? d. How do features of the landscape affect the movement of bears? e. How does the age structure of a population affect its growth rate?

b. How much nitrogen is being taken up by organisms in a given place?

How do predation and herbivory differ from parasitism and parasitoidism? a. Parasitism and parasitoidism are not exploitative relationships. b. Most parasites and parasitoids spend their entire lives consuming a single individual, whereas herbivores and predators usually eat at least several different individuals. c. Unlike parasitoids and parasites, predators and herbivores usually do not exert strong selective pressures on their food organisms. d. Both a and b e. Both b and c

b. Most parasites and parasitoids spend their entire lives consuming a single individual, whereas herbivores and predators usually eat at least several different individuals.

Ecologists have been monitoring three metapopulations of butterflies. Population A has a patch colonization rate of 0.06 and a patch extinction rate of 0.12. Population B has a patch colonization rate of 0.04 and a patch extinction rate of 0.02. Population C has a patch colonization rate of 0.10 and a patch extinction rate of 0.14. According to Levins's metapopulation model, which population(s) would be expected to persist for a long time? a. Population A only b. Population B only c. Population C only d. Populations A and B

b. Population B only

Which statement about life tables is false? a. Life tables can be based on life-cycle stage as well as age. b. Survivorship (lx) can increase from one age class to the next. c. The age-specific survival rate is the chance that an individual of one age will survive to the next age class. d. Fecundity is the average number of offspring produced by females of a particular age class.

b. Survivorship (lx) can increase from one age class to the next.

5. Which of the following populations would be expected to remain stable in size? a. A population with r=1 or λ=1 b. A population with λ=1 or r=0 c. A population with λ=0 or r=0 d. A population with λ=0 or r=1 e. Both a and c

b. a population with λ=1 or r=0

An individual zooplankton can change its solute concentrations in response to a change in water salinity. This response is an example of _______ in the form of a(n) _______ adjustment. a. adaptation; osmotic b. acclimatization; osmotic c. adaptation; turgor d. acclimatization; turgor e. acclimatization; stomatic

b. acclimatization; osmotic

You are taking a plane flight from Atlanta to Fairbanks, Alaska as you are nearing your destination the pilot instructs you that the plane is malfunctioning and you have to parachute out. You land on a thick forest floor and find yourself surrounded by small, widely dispersed spruce trees. You believe you have landed in the a. alpine tundra b. boreal forest c. Shrubland d. temperate rainforest

b. boreal forest

The Coriolis effect causes moving air at Earth's surface to be deflected _______ in the Northern Hemisphere and _______ in the Southern Hemisphere. a. clockwise; clockwise b. clockwise; counterclockwise c. counterclockwise; clockwise d. counterclockwise; counterclockwise e. counterclockwise; not deflected

b. clockwise; counterclockwise

Insects feeding on the leaves of a ragwort plant stimulate the plant to produce more leaves. This is an example of: a. aposematism. b. compensatory growth response. c. competition. d. an induced defense. e. allelopathy.

b. compensatory growth response.

Heliconius nattereri is a critically endangered species of butterfly in the Atlantic rainforests of Brazil. In fact, only ten females of this species were observed last year. If, by chance, all these females failed to reproduce and the population went extinct this extinction would best be described as a consequence of a. habitat fragmentation b. demographic stochasticity. c. environmental stochasticity. d. inbreeding. e. genetic drift.

b. demographic stochasticity.

Paine's study of the sea star predator Pisaster, in which he removed the predator from the community, demonstrated a. how a new predator can evolve to replace the removed predator. b. how predators that decrease the abundance of a dominant competitor can lead to the persistence of inferior competitors. c. trade-offs between predator avoidance and survivorship. d. trade-offs between predator avoidance and fecundity.

b. how predators that decrease the abundance of a dominant competitor can lead to the persistence of inferior competitors.

The critical feature determining whether a substance is a resource is whether a. it is abiotic or biotic. b. it is required by an organism and can be used to the point of depletion. c. it is required for growth. d. it can be used to produce ATP.

b. it is required by an organism and can be used to the point of depletion

Character displacement is likely to _______ the competition coefficients in two competing species and to _______ resource partitioning. a. increase; increase b. lower; increase c. lower; eliminate d. increase; lower

b. lower/increase

Larvae of agromyzid flies are typical of herbivorous insects. They feed on leaves and tend to have _______ diets. a. broad b. narrow c. diverse d. seed e. internal fluid

b. narrow

. In equatorial regions, the sun's rays hit Earth's surface at a more _______ angle than they do toward the poles. This means that the same amount of energy is spread over a _______ area in equatorial regions than in polar regions. a. perpendicular; larger b. perpendicular; smaller c. acute (less than 90º angle); larger d. acute(less than 90º angle); smaller e. parallel; smaller

b. perpendicular; smaller

2. The relative abundances of species in a community compared with one another is known as ___________, while a measure that combines both the number of species in a community and their relative abundances compared with one another is known as _________________. a. species evenness, species richness b. species evenness, species diversity c. species richness, species evenness d. species diversity, species evenness

b. species evenness, species diversity

6. When sampling sand dunes near Lake Michigan Henry Cowles assumed that when studying succession, a. the unique conditions in particular locations are of great importance. b. that space can substituted for time. c. that we do not have the ability to make inferences about the changes in communities over time scales that span centuries. d. that succession is usually unpredictable.

b. that space can substituted for time.

The primary difference between tundra and boreal forest is that a. the tundra generally lacks permafrost. b. trees are the dominant vegetation in boreal forests but not in tundra. c. nearly all tundra areas are very dry, whereas boreal forests are wet. d. Both a and c

b. trees are the dominant vegetation in boreal forests but not in tundra.

It may be said that the approach taken by an ecologist to the study of the natural world depends on the level of ecological organization studied. For example, an ecologist who takes the community approach to the study of ecology would most likely be interested in: a) adaptations of individual plants or animals under an environment of increasing atmospheric CO2. b) changes in numbers, resulting from births and deaths, within an individual species in response to increase atmospheric CO2. c) the number and relative abundances of individual species living in a particular place in response to increase atmospheric CO2. d) changes in the transport of energy and materials at the global scale in response to increase atmospheric CO2.

c) the number and relative abundances of individual species living in a particular place in response to increase atmospheric CO2.

In a mark/recapture study to estimate the size of a Southern Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina carolinensis) population, researchers catch and mark 30 individuals. Two days later, they again capture a number of shrews and find that 20% of the individuals are marked. Assuming no births, deaths, or migrations, what is the estimated size of the population?

c. 150

A restoration ecology research team is interested in evaluating their control efforts on privet (Ligustrum sinense), they sample a 200-square-meter patch of woodlands where they previously removed privet with four quadrats of 1 meter by 1 meter. In quadrants A, B, C, and D, respectively, 100, 400, 200, and 400 individual privet stems are found. What is the best estimate for the total number of privet stems in that patch of woodlands? a. 5,000 b. 25,000 c. 55,000 d. 105,000

c. 55,000

A lizard is blown out to sea during a hurricane. The lizard washes up on the beach of a small island. The lizard finds some beetles on the beach. Individual beetles on the island vary in size. It takes the lizard the same amount of energy to catch a beetle, regardless of the size of the beetle. Which beetle does optimal foraging theory predict the lizard will eat most frequently? a. Beetles that are smaller than average b. Beetles that are average size c. Beetles that are bigger than average d. The size of the beetles is unlikely to affect the lizard's foraging preferences.

c. Beetles that are bigger than average

. Which photosynthetic pathway is most efficient at limiting transpiration? a. C3 b. C4 c. CAM d. Both a and b e. They are all equally efficient at limiting transpiration

c. CAM

During the 1950s and 1960s, the cattle egret was quickly colonizing Florida. What pattern of population growth best describes that of the cattle egret at that time? a. Deterministic stochasticity b. Large, random fluctuations c. Exponential growth d. Logistic growth

c. Exponential growth

Suppose that following a lava flow, pine grass (a hypothetical species) is the first species to colonize the area. Chemicals produced by pine grass change the soil chemistry in the environment, these chemicals accelerate the rate of subsequent colonization by later species. Which model would best explain this scenario of succession? a. Inhibition b. Tolerance c. Facilitation d. Both a and b

c. Facilitation

Which of the following statements about the marginal value theorem is false? a. It is based on the idea that once an organism finds a productive patch, its rate of energy gain decreases and eventually becomes marginal as the forager depletes the food supply. b. It assumes that a foraging animal will stay in a patch until the rate of energy gain in that patch has declined to the average rate for the habitat. c. It assumes that the rate of energy gain that an animal receives by staying in a patch will remain constant no matter how long the animal has been in the patch. d. It predicts that the longer the travel time between food patches, the longer the organism should stay in a patch. e. All of the above are true; none is false.

c. It assumes that the rate of energy gain that an animal receives by staying in a patch will remain constant no matter how long the animal has been in the patch.

From the act of pollinating flowers, a bee population gains the benefit of a 0.06 growth rate increase per month. However, the costs imposed by the flower (bees occasionally getting stuck, time spent pollinating the flower instead of pollinating other species, etc.) is a 0.02 reduction in growth rate per month. The flower gains benefits from the pollination that enhance its population growth rate by 0.05 per month, but it incurs costs (feeding the bees, damage done by the bees) that reduce its growth rate by 0.05 per month. Based on the data for this specific case, which statement about the relationship between the bees and the flowers is true? a. It is a host‒parasite relationship in which the flowers are the hosts and the bees are the parasites. b. It is an amensalism. c. It is a commensalism. d. It is a mutualism.

c. It is a commensalism.

Animals and plants share the same heat exchange factors with one exception. Which of the following kinds of heat exchange is not shared by animals and plants? a. Output of infrared radiation (IRout), which is common in animals but rare in plants b. Solar radiation (SR), which is characteristic only of plants c. Metabolic heat generation (Hmet), which is common in animals but rare in plants d. Convective heat transfer (Hconv), which is characteristic only of plants e. Conductive heat transfer (Hcond), which is common in animals but rare in plants

c. Metabolic heat generation (Hmet), which is common in animals but rare in plants

Rubisco, which is an important catalyst in photosynthesis, is also a catalyst in the process of photorespiration. Photorespiration differs from photosynthesis in that in photorespiration _______ is taken up, _______ is released, and there is a net _______ of energy. a. CO2; O2; loss b. CO2; O2; gain c. O2; CO2; loss d. O2; CO2; gain

c. O2; CO2; loss

For which organism would it be advantageous to allocate more resources to reproduction than to growth? a. One with a long life span b. One in which fecundity increases with increased body size c. One with low adult survival rates d. One in which offspring survival is very low

c. One with low adult survival rates

Which of the following is the most important criterion for determining whether an ecological relationship is a symbiosis? a. Whether both parties benefit b. Whether the parties are from the same kingdom c. The degree of proximity between the two parties d. The number of parties in the interaction

c. The degree of proximity between the two parties

Which of the following statements about the concept of natural selection is false? a. Natural selection is an evolutionary process whereby different individuals survive and reproduce at different rates based on particular characteristics they possess. b. According to the concept of natural selection, those who survive and reproduce at a greater rate pass on more of their genes to the next generation, as compared to those who have a lower survival and reproduction rate. c. The offspring of the individuals favored by natural selection will always have the same characteristics that gave their parents an advantage. d. The development in bacteria of resistance to antibiotics is an example of natural selection. e. Only natural selection can produce adaptative evolution consistently.

c. The offspring of the individuals favored by natural selection will always have the same characteristics that gave their parents an advantage

In his experiments with different competing pairs of Paramecium species, Gause found that sometimes both species persisted and sometimes only one species did. Which hypothesis did Gause propose in order to explain the cases in which both species persisted? a. One species was a much better competitor than the other. b. Periodic disturbance allowed for coexistence. c. The two species tended to use different resources. d. The two species exhibited only interference competition, not exploitative competition.

c. The two species tended to use different resources.

Black walnut trees release juglone and other chemicals that can be toxic to other plants. This phenomenon may be an example of ____________. a. isoclines b. exploitative competition c. allelopathy d. character displacement e. chthamalus

c. allelopathy

A larger beak improves the ability of a finch to eat large seeds, but it decreases its ability to eat smaller seeds. This phenomenon is an example of a. a maladaptive radiation. b. disruptive selection. c. an ecological trade-off. d. genetic drift.

c. an ecological trade-off.

Herbivores play a critical role in converting a. sugar into glucose b. glucose into carbohydrates c. carbohydrates into protein d. protein into ATP e. ATP into energy

c. carbohydrates into proteins

A bird species nests in a specific kind of tree. The tree is not harmed by the bird building its nest in the tree's branches, but the bird benefits from the shelter provided by the tree and is better able to successfully raise young. This is an example of a. mutualism. b. endosymbiosis. c. commensalism. d. symbiosis.

c. commensalism

Suppose that rabbits are the only prey and food supply of foxes, and that the predator‒prey interaction follows Lotka‒Volterra dynamics. The mortality rate of foxes in the absence of rabbits is 0.1 per week, and the intrinsic growth rate of rabbits in the absence of predation is 0.2 per week. The capture efficiency is 0.002, and the efficiency at which rabbit biomass is converted into fox biomass is 0.2. If there are initially 30 foxes and 400 rabbits, the overall rate of change in the rabbit population will be a _______ of _______ per week. a. loss; 24 b. loss; 16 c. gain; 56 d. gain; 80

c. gain; 56

The salinity of salmon is about 0.9%. Salmon living in water with 0.2% salinity would be described as _______ to the environment, and would tend to _______ water and _______ salts. a. hypoxic; gain; lose b. hypertensive; lose; gain c. hyperosmotic; gain; lose d. isoosmotic; retain; retain e. hypoosmotic; gain; lose

c. hyperosmotic; gain; lose

. If Earth were heated slightly more at the equator, Hadley cells should be become slightly _______ pronounced, and there would likely be slightly _______ rain at around 30°N. a. more; more b. less; more c. more; less d. less; less

c. more; less

In the Seychelles warbler, territorial behavior encourages a _______ population dispersion pattern, but cooperative breeding encourages a _______ population dispersion pattern. a. clumped; clumped b. clumped; regular c. regular; clumped d. regular; regular e. Neither territorial behavior nor cooperative breeding affect population dispersion.

c. regular; clumped

A population of Drosophila melanogaster with 10,000 individuals and a carrying capacity of 20,000 follows the logistic growth equation. Suppose that 5,000 individuals of a competitor species, Drosophila simulans, are added to the population, and that this species has an α of 0.5. One would predict that this number of competitive individuals will decrease the D. melanogaster population growth rate by the same amount as the addition of _______ D. melanogaster individuals would. a. 250 b. 750 c. 1,000 d. 2,500

d. 2,500

All other factors being equal, which of the following is least likely to involve coevolution? a. An obligate positive interaction in which the two parties are from different kingdoms b. An obligate positive interaction in which one party lives inside the other c. An obligate positive interaction in which the two parties are closely related d. A facultative interaction in which the two parties are from different kingdoms

d. A facultative interaction in which the two parties are from different kingdoms

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 high Shannon index value b. A low Shannon index value c. A linear species accumulation curve d. A species accumulation curve that leveled off

d. A species accumulation curve that leveled off

All exploitative interactions have the potential to reduce the _______ of food organisms. a. survival b. growth c. reproduction d. All of the above e. None of the above

d. All of the above

Which statement about populations is false? a. The distribution of a species is the geographic area where the abundance of the species is greater than zero. b. Populations are dynamic entities that vary in size over time and space. c. A population is a group of individuals from the same species that interact with one another within a particular area. d. All of the above are true; none is false.

d. All of the above are true; none is false.

Ecologists try to reduce the likelihood that variables not under the control of the experimenter will unduly influence the results of an experiment by a. replicating each treatment, including the control. b. assigning treatments to subjects or plots at random. c. never performing the same experiment twice, but trying instead to improve each experiment. d. Both a and b e. None of the above

d. Both a and b

If the tilt of Earth's axis were to increase, a. seasonality would be increased. b. the Intertropical Convergence Zone would move more. c. the Intertropical Convergence Zone would move less. d. Both a and b e. Both a and c

d. Both a and b

Which of the following is characteristic of temperate deciduous forests? a. Extended periods of subfreezing temperature b. Moderate to high precipitation c. Low soil fertility d. Both a and b e. Both b and c

d. Both a and b

The table below lists the net energy values of various food sources, along with the time associated with a bird's finding and obtaining the food. energy time a. Oyster 80 21 b. Clam 40 15 c. Crab 60 12 Rank the food types in term of the bird's likelihood (from highest to lowest likelihood) of choosing this seed if it is following the principle of optimal foraging. a. A > C > B b. C > B > A c. B > C > A d. C > A > B e. all are equally likely to be chosen

d. C > A > B

. Which statement about genetic drift is false? a. It affects allele frequencies the most when populations are small. b. It can cause slightly deleterious alleles to be fixed in populations. c. It can decrease genetic variation within populations. d. It does not function in large populations.

d. It does not function in large populations.

If the temperature of a plant is 18°C and the ambient temperature is 14°C, which process will result in a net input of heat from the air to the plant? a. Conduction b. Convection c. Evaporation d. None of the above

d. None of the above

Which of the following occurred in Huffaker's studies of an herbivorous mite and its mite predator when predator and prey were in a heterogeneous environment? a. Prey and predator populations both increased for a while, but soon crashed and went extinct. b. Predators soon went extinct, but prey persisted. c. Predators and prey persisted, and maintained relative stable population sizes. d. Predators and prey persisted and exhibited population cycles.

d. Predators and prey persisted and exhibited population cycles

. Which statement about the equilibrium theory of island biogeography is false? a. At equilibrium, the species composition of an island will not change. b. If the extinction rate increases, the number of species on an island should decrease. c. If the immigration rate increases, the number of species on an island should increase. d. The theory applies to island-like habitats as well as islands.

d. The theory applies to island-like habitats as well as islands.

A continuously growing population of alligators has a population size of 1,000 and an intrinsic rate of increase of r = 0.05 per year. Assuming that this rate of increase remains the same, about how long should it take for the population to grow larger than 4,000 individuals? (Note: The natural logarithm of 4 is about 1.386) a. Less than 4 years b. A little more than 7 years c. About 14 years d. A little more than 27 years

d. a little more than 27 years

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. exploitative b. cryptic c. apomitic d. aposematic

d. aposematic

On a warm day, a dog pants and some of the water on its tongue evaporates. This evaporation has a _______ effect that is caused by _______. a. warming; conduction b. warming; latent heat transfer c. cooling; conduction d. cooling; latent heat transfer

d. cooling; latent heat transfer

If climate change causes a boreal forest to be a little warmer and a little wetter, it will most likely become a. temperate evergreen forest. b. savanna. c. tundra. d. temperature deciduous forest.

d. temperature deciduous forest.

If the body size of an ecotherm with a semi-spherical body shape were to increase considerably, the surface-to-volume ratio would _______, and the animal's ability to exchange heat with the environment would _______.

decrease/ decrease

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.

decrease/ increase/ drier

Which of the following statements about the study of ecology is false? a. It describes how organisms affect the environment. b. It describes how the environment affects organisms. c. It is a scientific study. d. Humans are part of its subject matter. e. All of the above are true; none is false.

e.

If a population of monkeyflowers has 500 members with 135 of genotype DD, 280 of genotype Dd, and 85 of genotype dd, what is the frequency of the D allele? a. 0.135 b. 0.275 c. 0.415 d. 0.5 e. 0.55

e. 0.55

Which of the following is most representative of a population's structure? a. The height distribution of sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua) trees b. A histogram of breast height diameters of red oak (Quercus rubra) in a forest stand c. The number of meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) in each of five age classes d. The size distribution of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) in Lake Lanier e. All of the above are equally representative of a population's structure

e. All of the above are equally representative of a population's structure

Which of the following statements about logistic growth is false? a. The standard logistic equation assumes that the carrying capacity is a constant. b. Changes in environmental conditions can cause the carrying capacity to fluctuate. c. The term "logistic growth" is used broadly to indicate any population whose numbers rise initially but then level off at a maximum population size. d. Variation in the birth rate that occurs at a particular density can lead to variation in the carrying capacity. e. All of the above are true; none is false.

e. All of the above are true; none is false.

Which of the following statements about roots and root NPP is false? a. Root NPP is more difficult to estimate than aboveground NPP because roots are harder to sample. b. Small roots are hardest to sample and are the most likely to decompose before being measured. c. Roots can be viewed using technology like minirhizotrons. d. Roots can transfer carbon to symbionts. e. All of the above are true; none is false.

e. All of the above are true; none is false.

What do chemosynthesis and photosynthesis have in common? a. They both store energy in carbon-carbon bonds. b. They both require sunlight. c. They both take up CO2. d. Both a and b e. Both a and c

e. Both a and c

Which statement about population growth is true? a. Exponential population growth is always faster than geometric population growth. b. We use the term "exponential growth" when the individuals in the population reproduce in synchrony at discrete individuals. c. A population that has a λ of 0.88 should grow in size. d. Lambda (λ) can be calculated from r, and is equivalent to "e" raised to the r power. e. Both a and d are true

e. Both a and d are true

Which of the following statements about the theory of optimal foraging is true? a. It applies best to the foraging behavior of animals that feed on mobile prey. b. It applies best to the foraging behavior of animals that feed on immobile prey. c. It assumes that energy is in short supply. d. Both a and c e. Both b and c

e. Both b and c

Which of the following pairs of evolutionary processes can introduce new alleles into a population? a. Mutation and recombination b. Mutation and genetic drift c. Genetic drift and recombination d. Disruptive selection and gene flow e. Gene flow and mutation

e. Gene flow and mutation

20. Which of the following is not an energy input that would influence heat energy change (ΔHplant) of plants? a. Solar radiation b. Infrared radiation c. Conductive heat transfer d. Convective heat transfer e. Heat transfer through evapotranspiration

e. Heat transfer through evapotranspiration

Huge numbers of adult periodic cicadas emerge simultaneously from pupae at intervals of either 13 or 17 years. This phenomenon is most similar to which of the following? a. Aposematism b. Compensation c. Exploitation d. Allelopathy e. Masting

e. Masting

Two species of grasshoppers live in the same area. They both feed on plants, but the presence of one species does not affect the growth, survival or reproduction of the other. What type of competition is this? a. Interference b. Exploitative c. Allelopathy d. Comensalism e. This is not an example of competition.

e. This is not an example of competition.

Some models of climate change suggest that the Gulf Stream may become weaker as global temperature increases. Such a weakening in the Gulf Stream would most likely result in a. warming in Seattle. b. warming in London. c. warming in Newfoundland. d. cooling in Seattle. e. cooling in London.

e. cooling in London.

Which statement about symbiosis is true? a. All mutualisms and commensalisms are cases of symbioses. b. All symbioses are either mutualisms or commensalisms. c. All mutualisms are symbioses. d. All symbioses are mutualisms. e. None are true.

e. none

Which of the following statements about species Distributions and Populations is false? a. The Distribution of a species is the geographic area where individuals of that species are present b. The Distribution of a species is a map of all areas where the abundance of the species is greater than zero c. Populations are dynamic entities that vary in size over time and space d. A Population is a group of individuals from the same species that interact with one another within a particular area e. none are false, all are true

e. none are false

Assuming that the concept of a river continuum as discussed in class is correct, how would a second-, third-, and fourth-order river be ranked, in terms of the importance of terrestrial vegetation as a food source for the organisms within it? a. fourth order > third order > second order b. fourth order > second order > third order c. third order > second order > fourth order d. second order > fourth order > third order e. second order > third order > fourth order

e. second order > third order > fourth order

Snow is white, and thus has a _______ albedo than bare ground. If global warming decreases snow cover, the resulting change in albedo is likely to _______ further warming.

higher/enhance

The production efficiency of a herbivore is equal to _______ divided by _______...

secondary production/ the npp that is assimilated

Leaves that are comparatively _______ and _______ lose the most heat to wind because they have _______ boundary layers than other leaves.

small/ smooth/ thinner