Ecology Practice Questions
endo
(endo/ecto)therms are expected to have lower production efficiencies.
d
A herd of elk and a congregation of gators all live on the same island. They share resources and shelter, and live cohesively together. Which of the following terms would best describe their environment? a. biome b. population c. biosphere d. community
mutualism
A relationship between two species in which both species benefit
a
A species of panther is native to areas of Florida and Alabama along the Gulf coast. Its habitat is becoming increasingly fragmented by roads and other human building projects. Which of the following would be the best approach to test whether fragmentation poses a threat to this species? a. Measure population numbers over time in different areas to determine how population size may be changing in response to human development. b. Capture individuals and place them in fragmented or unfragmented environments to observe their behavior. c. Track the number of panther deaths that occur in developed areas, including road kills and other deaths that result from human activities. d. Divide a natural habitat in half, introduce fragmentation in one while leaving the other unfragmented, and study the behavior of the panthers in the areas.
b, b, b
A species of rabbit is preyed upon by foxes, which are preyed upon by wolves. Humans decide to open a hunting season on the wolf population. What do you predict will happen to the rabbit population over time in response to this change in the biotic environment? a. The rabbit population will neither increase nor decrease. b. The rabbit population will decrease, due to the increased fox population. c. The rabbit population will decrease, due to the decreased fox population. d. The rabbit population will increase, due to the increased fox population. Given the scenario in the previous question, what do you predict the population of the plants that the rabbits eat will do over time, in response to this change in the biotic environment? a. The plant population will decrease, due to the increased rabbit population. b. The plant population will increase, due to the decreased rabbit population. c. The plant population will neither increase nor decrease. d. The plant population will decrease, due to the decreased rabbit population. How would your predicted response in the previous question likely affect populations of other herbivores that gave little to no interaction with foxes or wolves? (Assume that these herbivores eat the same types of plant as the rabbits do.) a. The population of other herbivores will neither increase nor decrease. b. The population of other herbivores will increase, due to the increased plant population. c. The population of other herbivores will increase, due to the decreased plant population. d. The population of other herbivores will decrease, due to the decreased plant population.
d
A student remarks that it is a good thing that humans discovered how to use industrial processes to fix nitrogen because this ensures that the nitrogen cycle can remain intact if nitrogen-fixing bacteria ever go extinct. Evaluate the accuracy of this statement. a. he statement is inaccurate because the product of nitrogen fixation through industrial processes does not have the same biological properties as the product of nitrogen fixation by bacteria. b. The statement is accurate because humans are able to fix nitrogen on a large scale that rivals the rate of the process carried out by bacteria. c. The statement is accurate because nitrogen-fixing bacteria are the only living things that can fix nitrogen through biochemical pathways, and their loss would be devastating. d. The statement is inaccurate because humans would not be able to distribute the product of nitrogen fixation from industrial processes in the same way that bacteria are able to distribute it globally now.
c
According to results from the experiment described in the tutorial, how did the extinction rate in the large mossy area compare to that in small isolated mossy areas? a. All areas had the same extinction rates over the course of one year. b. After one year, the small areas were found to retain only 40% of the species found in the large area. c. 40% of the species present in the large area had become extinct in the small areas after one year. d. The extinction rate was 40% greater in the large area than in the small areas after one year.
c
Amensalism has a neutral effect on one species and a _____ effect on a second species. a. neutral b. positive c. negative
b
By what process does nitrogen enter the living components of ecosystems? a. By ingestion of plants or other primary producers whose tissues contain protein and other organic molecules that themselves contain nitrogen b. Through fixation by microbes c. Absorbed as nitrogen gas from the atmosphere d. By human-made industrial processes
a, d
Carbon dioxide is considered a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming by trapping heat in the atmosphere. Below is a list of actions paired with a carbon flux. Select all actions that would help reduce the amount of atmospheric carbon AND correctly pairs the action taken with the carbon flux it impacts. a. Planting more trees: photosynthesis b. Increase global manufacturing: burning fossil fuels c. Stop burning down the Amazon rainforest: outgassing d. Impose stricter carbon emission regulations: fossil fuel burning
commensalism
Cattle egrets eat the insects stirred up by cattle while they graze. The cattle are neither harmed nor benefited, while the birds gain food. What type of relationship is this?
a, b
Choose all the biomes that have a consistently high precipitation. a. Tropical rainforest b. Temperate rain forest c. Boreal forest d. Subtropical desert
d
Choose the correct statement that describes a Walter climate Diagram: a. The x-axis for both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres should start in January. b. The x-axis for both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres should start in July. c. In the Northern Hemisphere, the x-axis starts in July. In the Southern Hemisphere, the x-axis starts in January. d. In the Northern Hemisphere, the x-axis starts in January. In the Southern Hemisphere, the x-axis starts in July.
d
Due to a severe wildfire, a forest caught on fire and approximately half of its area burned down . With less overall energy available in the form of NPP, how does this affect the amount of Deer (herbivores) and Mountain Lions (predators)? a. Both Deer and Mountain Lion populations will be positively impacted b. Only Deer populations will be negatively impacted c. Only Mountain Lion populations will be negatively impacted d. Both Deer and Mountain Lion populations will be negatively impacted
false
Ectotherms and endotherms that are approximately the same size have similar metabolic rates, therefore, the quality of food necessary to survive is about the same. True or false?
lower, lower consumption efficiencies, grass, bark
Forests have (lower, the same, higher) trophic efficiencies than grasslands. This is because forests have (lower production efficiencies, higher consumption efficiencies, lower consumption efficiencies, lower assimilated efficiencies) than grasslands due to the fact that energy stored in (grass, primary consumers, bark) is more accessible than energy stored in (grass, primary consumers, bark)
a
Herbivores are able to assimilate (use) less of the energy they consume than carnivores because a. animals (without symbionts) aren't able to digest cellulose (fiber) on their own, so much of the energy consumed is egested rather than assimilated. b. herbivores eat more continuously than carnivores, which causes them to egest more material. c. This is not correct. Herbivores are more efficient at assimilation than carnivores because carnivores expend more energy capturing their prey.
a
How are humans influencing the carbon cycle? a. All of the above b. By burning fossil fuels and manufacturing cement, which increase the atmospheric pool of CO2 c. Through changes in land use, which increase the atmospheric pools of CO2 and CH4 d. By cutting forests and burning biomass, which increase the atmospheric pool of CO2
c
How are humans influencing the nitrogen cycle? a. By increasing the production of oxides of nitrogen and other chemical forms through livestock production and some forms of agriculture b. By increasing the production of oxides of nitrogen and other chemical forms through burning fossil fuels and biomass c. All of the above d. By increasing the rate of nitrogen fixation through industrial processes and intensive agriculture
b
How do greenhouse gases and aerosols in the atmosphere affect Earth's radiation budget? a. Both increase the trapping of infrared radiation emitted by Earth. b. Greenhouse gases increase the trapping of infrared radiation emitted by Earth, and aerosols decrease the amount of solar radiation that reaches Earth's atmosphere. c. Both decrease the trapping of infrared radiation emitted by Earth. d. Greenhouse gases increase the trapping of infrared radiation emitted by Earth and aerosols increase the amount of solar radiation that reaches Earth's atmosphere.
b
How does the anthropogenic (human) influenced flux rates alter the balance between inputs and outputs of carbon between the land and the atmosphere? a. Much less carbon is being moved from land to atmosphere than atmosphere to land. b. Much more carbon is being moved from land to atmosphere than atmosphere to land. c. About the same amount of carbon is being moved from land to atmosphere than atmosphere to land.
a
How would the reintroduction of wolves impact the trout fishery in Yellowstone? a. Positively b. Negatively c. No effect
a
If two species are competing for the same food source, they have what type of species interaction? a. Competition because both species are negatively affected b. Mutualism because both species can benefit from sharing the food source c. Consumer-resource because they are consuming the same food resources d. Amensalism because when one species takes from another's food source one of the species is negatively affected while the other is unaffected
c
In a community, autotrophs generate 1,000 calories per hour of GPP and 500 calories per hour of NPP. Primary consumers convert 10 calories per hour into their own biomass. What is the ecological efficiency in the link between autotrophs and primary consumers in this community? a. 1 percent b. 10 percent c. 2 percent d. 20 percent
a
In the mossy rock ecosystem, which type of moss patch showed the greatest number of species extinctions? a. The fragmented patches with broken corridors b. The fragmented patches with no corridors c. The fragmented patches with corridors d. The large control patch
Amensalism
Penicillium grows on bread mold and produces penicillin, which prevents many forms of bacteria to grow on the bread. The Penicillium does not benefit from the killing of the other bacteria. What type of relationship is this?
b
Pick the correct statement comparing the production efficiencies of endotherms and ectotherms. a. Production efficiencies for endotherms are usually higher than ectotherms. This is because endotherms expend more energy to maintain their body temperature. b. Production efficiencies for endotherms are usually lower than ectotherms. This is because endotherms expend more energy to maintain their body temperature. c. Production efficiencies for endotherms are usually higher than ectotherms. This is because ectotherms expend more energy to maintain their body temperature. d. Production efficiencies for endotherms are usually lower than ectotherms. This is because ectotherms expend more energy to maintain their body temperature.
d
Pick the statement that best describes what a Walter diagram is: a. On one graph, Walter diagrams utilize average trends in temperature and pressure for different regions over the course of one month b. On one graph, Walter diagrams utilize average trends in temperature and pressure for different regions over the course of one year c. On one graph, Walter diagrams utilize average trends in temperature and precipitation for different regions over the course of one month d. On one graph, Walter diagrams utilize average trends in temperature and precipitation for different regions over the course of one year
b
Pick the statement that correctly describes a biome: a. all of the populations of different species that live in the same area and interact with one another b. distinct physical environment that is inhabited by ecologically similar organisms with similar adaptations c. total area on earth where living things preside d. biotic and abiotic factors of a particular environment/small geographic area that interact with each other
c
Precipitation tends to be _______ on the _______ side of a mountain because water vapor _______ as it rises there. a. lower; windward; expands b. lower; leeward; condenses c. higher; windward; condenses d. higher; leeward; expands
c
Production efficiencies for homeotherms/endotherms are usually lower than production efficiency for poikilotherms/ectotherms because a. Ectotherms do not spend as much energy in cellular respiration acquiring their food. b. This is not true. Homeotherms tend to be carnivores which assimilate more of the energy they consume. c. homeotherms expend a larger proportion of assimilated energy on cellular respiration due to maintaining a constant body temperature.
parasitism
Tapeworms or fleas and their host. What type of relationship is this?
c
The Cascade Mountains bisect the state of Washington into western and eastern portions. The western portion is bounded on its western border by the Pacific Ocean. The eastern portion is bounded on its eastern border by the state of Idaho. What might you predict about these two portions based on the information presented in the tutorial? a. Eastern Washington is more humid than western Washington. b. Eastern Washington has more vegetation than western Washington. c. Eastern Washington has a higher proportion of drought-resistant vegetation than western Washington. d. Eastern Washington is wetter than western Washington.
false
The biosphere's fluxes or reservoirs are not impacted by human activity. True or false?
a
The cycle of energy is based on the flow of energy through different trophic levels. Select the best choice that illustrates how energy flows through trophic levels. a. Sunlight → Carrot → Rabbit → Snake b. Egg → Larva → Pupa → Adult c. Precipitation → Surface Runoff → Evaporation → Condensation d. Sunlight → Worm → Dirt → Bird
b
The difference in amount of energy available for a deer herbivore between grassland and forest ecosystems is most likely due to a. A higher percentage of trees (mostly wood) is edible than grass (mostly leaves). b. A higher percentage of grass (all leaves) is edible than trees (mostly wood).
b
Warm temperatures that vary little across the year and a distinct dry season are characteristics of which biome? a. Tropical Rainforest b. Tropical savanna/ Seasonal forest c. Temperate grassland d. Tundra e. Boreal Forest
d
What do you predict would have happened if the broken corridors in the second experiment had been mended and then re-assessed after one more full year? a. New species would have colonized the fragmented patches, making their species profile significantly different than that of the main patch. b. The species count would have continued to decline in the fragmented patches. c. There would have been no change from the results after the first year. d. There would have been an improved density of organisms in the fragmented patches.
a
What form of radiation is absorbed by Earth's surface and atmosphere, and what form does this radiation take when it eventually moves off into space? a. Earth absorbs short-wave visible and ultraviolet radiation and emits long-wave infrared radiation. b. Earth absorbs long-wave visible and ultraviolet radiation and emits short-wave infrared radiation. c. Earth absorbs short-wave infrared radiation and emits long-wave visible and ultraviolet radiation. d. Earth absorbs long-wave infrared radiation and emits short-wave visible and ultraviolet radiation.
a
What is the driving force of the water cycle? a. Evaporation of water from oceans and land b. Precipitation of water vapor to form rain and snow c. The melting of ice and snow d. The cyclical action of tides
a
Which is the largest carbon reservoir? a. fossil fuels b. carbonate compounds in rocks c. ocean waters d. photosynthesis
c, d, f
Which of the following adaptations would be most likely found in organisms that live in the tropical rainforest biome? Choose all that apply. a. C4 photosynthesis b. A taproot c. Broad, thin leaves d. Ectothermy e. Production of antifreeze proteins f. Endothermy
a, b, d
Which of the following are examples of a reservoir in an ecosystem? Select all that apply. a. Water Oceans b. Plant Biomass c. Photosynthesis d. Soil
b
Which of the following biomes has the greatest annual rainfall? a. Subtropical desert b. Tropical rain forest c. Tropical seasonal forest/savanna d. Temperate seasonal forest
a
Which of the following conditions would be expected to slow the rate of movement of water through the global water cycle? a. Reduced winds b. Increased solar radiation c. Reduced precipitation over oceans d. Increased diversion of surface freshwater into groundwater reservoirs
c
Which of the following factors are important in determining the type of biome that characterizes a particular region? a. Longitude and temperature b. Precipitation and land area c. Temperature and precipitation d. Land area and latitude
a, b
Which of the following flux(es) can be attributed to anthropogenic (human) activity? a. Fossil fuel burning b. Respiration c. Photosynthesis d. Sediments
b
Which of the following is FALSE about fossil fuels? a. Carbon emissions from fossil fuels have increased since the pre-industrial period. b. The land and oceans are able to absorb all of the C emitted to the atmosphere by fossil fuels. c. Carbon from fossil fuels comes from dead organisms that have been buried for millions of years. d. Fossil fuels are a non-renewable resource
d
Which of the following is the major compartment for carbon in Earth's system? a. Living biomass b. Atmospheric CO2 c. Dissolved CO2 in oceans d. Fossil fuels
b
Which of the following sets of biomes is placed in order from lowest to highest average annual temperature? a. Tropical seasonal forest, boreal forest, woodland/shrubland b. Tundra, woodland/shrubland, subtropical desert c. Subtropical desert, temperate seasonal forest, tropical rain forest d. Tropical rain forest, temperate seasonal forest, tundra
d
Which of the following sets of biomes is placed in order from most to least biologically diverse? a. Boreal forest, woodland/shrubland, tropical seasonal forest b. Subtropical desert, temperate seasonal forest, tropical rain forest c. Tundra, woodland/shrubland, subtropical desert d. Tropical rain forest, temperate seasonal forest, tundra
a
Which of the following statements about air is correct? a. As air falls, it contracts and becomes warmer. b. As air rises, it expands and becomes warmer. c. As air falls, it expands and becomes warmer. d. As air rises, it contracts and becomes cooler.
a, c
Which of these are true? Select all that apply. a. The only flux moving carbon from the atmosphere to the ocean is dissolution. The sink it enters is ocean waters. b. Carbon moves from atmosphere to land by burning biomass, fossil fuel burning, altered land use, and respiration. c. The only flux moving carbon from the atmosphere to the land is photosynthesis. The sink it enters is plant biomass. d. Carbon moves from the atmosphere to the ocean through carbonate precipitation.
a, c, d
Which of these helps explain why food chains have low levels of ecological efficiency? (Select all that apply) a. Some ingested food cannot be digested and becomes waste. b. Some ingested food is used in growth and reproduction. c. Some ingested food is used to fuel metabolic processes and is lost as heat. d. Animals at each trophic level do not ingest all the biomass available.
c
Which pathway represents the shortest path that a nitrogen atom in atmospheric nitrogen, N2, could travel and end up in a protein in a human? a. N2 → bacterium → animal → human b. N2 → bacterium → human c. N2 → bacterium → plant → human d. N2 → human
d
Which reservoir has experienced the greatest change (in amount of carbon) from the pre-industrial period to the contemporary period? a. Atmosphere b. Land c. Ocean d. Fossil Fuels
d
Which two processes in the water cycle likely would be out of balance, and how, if the mass balance of global water was rising in the oceans and falling on land? a. Precipitation rates of water over land would be higher than evaporation rates of water over land. b. Runoff rates would be lower than evaporation rates of water over oceans. c. Transpiration rates would be lower than precipitation rates of water over oceans. d. Runoff rates would be higher than transport of water vapor from ocean to land.
direct, indirect, direct
Wolves feed on elk. Elk normally roam and trample over vegetation, which negatively affects the growth of willow trees. With the presence of the wolves, the elk began to avoid certain areas, where they would be easily trapped, like the valleys. Identify the relationship between the two organisms as direct or indirect. Wolves and elk: ____________ Wolves and willow trees: ___________ Elk and willow trees:___________
amensalism
a relationship in which one organism is harmed and the other is unaffected
assimilated efficiency
proportion of consumed energy that is assimilated
Consumption Efficiency
proportion of energy consumed from net production of the previous trophic level
Commensalism
relationship where one organism benefits and the other is unaffected
flux
the movement of carbon between stores of that carbon (unit of mass/time)
tropic efficiency
the ratio of production at one trophic level compared to production at the next lower trophic level
reservoir
where carbon is stored in the environment (unit of mass)
