Biology Ch. 6-7 Test(AT)

Question 1

What is the difference between an organism’s habitat and its niche?

Answer 1

A habitat just describes the abiotic and biotic factors of where an organism lives. A niche also describes the role of that organism within its ecosystem.

Question 2

What are biological aspects?

Answer 2

Biotic factors required for survival.

Question 3

Give examples of a biological aspect of an organism’s niche.

Answer 3

Mates, competitors, when and how it reproduces, the food it eats, and the way it obtains its food.

Question 4

What are physical aspects?

Answer 4

Part of a niche that involves abiotic factors required for survival.

Question 5

Give examples of a physical aspect of an organism’s niche.

Answer 5

Water, shelter, air, rocks, etc.

Question 6

What does the competitive exclusion principle state?

Answer 6

It states that no two species can occupy exactly the same niche in exactly the same habitat at exactly the same time.

Question 7

What would happen to the prey population if a predator population were to decrease?

Answer 7

If the predator population dropped, the prey population would increase.

Question 8

Define predator:

Answer 8

An organism that preys on others. The hunter.

Question 9

Define prey:

Answer 9

The organism being eaten/hunted.

Question 10

Can predators influence prey distribution? Can herbivores influence producer distribution?

Answer 10

Yes to both. Prey do not want to be where predators are. Herbivores eat plants, so where there are herbivores you’ll see less plant life.

Question 11

What is mutualism?

Answer 11

Both species benefit from the relationship.

Question 12

What is commensalism?

Answer 12

One species benefits, the other is neither helped nor harmed.

Question 13

What is parasitism?

Answer 13

One species benefits by living in or on the other. The other species is harmed.

Question 14

What are the three symbiotic relationships? Give examples for each.

Answer 14

Mutualism - Tick birds and rhinos
Commensalism - Whale and barnacles
Parasitism - Tapeworm in intestine of host

Question 15

What is the difference between primary and secondary succession? Which one happens faster and why?

Answer 15

Primary succession starts from bare rock and takes longer to proceed. The rock needs to be converted into soil which takes a long time. Secondary succession starts with soil already present, so doesn’t take as long to happen.

Question 16

What is a climax community? What does it consist of?

Answer 16

A climax community is a stable community of a diverse number of organisms. It consists of mature, tall trees, shrubs, bushes, grasses, flowers, etc. Very diverse with lots of species.

Question 17

What are natural disturbances? Give examples.

Answer 17

Natural disturbances are disasters caused by nature/earth. Ex. tornado, wildfire, hurricane, earthquake, etc.

Question 18

What are human disturbances? Give examples.

Answer 18

Human disturbances are disasters that are caused by humans. Ex. logging, farming, deforestation, damming, and forest fires.

Question 19

What is tolerance? Why is it important to stay within the optimal range of tolerance?

Answer 19

Tolerance is the variety of environmental conditions within which individuals can survive and reproduce. You should stay in the optimal range of tolerance as to avoid the zone of stress. If one enters the zone of stress or beyond, more energy will be going toward homeostasis, rather than towards finding food, shelter, a mater, etc. Will lessen the chance of reproducing and surviving.

Question 20

Why are sea otters considered a keystone species?

Answer 20

Sea otters are considered a keystone species because they are a single species that has such a powerful influence on community structures that changes in its population size can dramatically change the structure of an entire ecosystem. Sea otters eat sea urchins, which eat kelp. Without sea otters, there would be very little, if any, kelp left because the overabundance of sea urchins would eat them.

Question 21

What is biodiversity and why is it important?

Answer 21

Biodiversity is the total of all genetically-based variation in all organisms in the biosphere and it is important because it contributes to medicine and agriculture, and enables organisms and ecosystems to adapt to environmental change.

Question 22

What is resilience?

Answer 22

Resilience describes a natural or human system’s ability to recover after a disturbance. The higher the biodiversity, then the more resilient that ecosystem will be since some species will be able to adapt accordingly.

Question 23

Bumblebee pollinating a flower

Answer 23

Mutualism

Question 24

Barnacles attached to a whale

Answer 24

Commensalism

Question 25

A tapeworm inside your intestines

Answer 25

Parasitism

Question 26

A plover bird cleaning the teeth of a crocodile

Answer 26

Mutualism

Question 27

A farmer taking eggs from a chicken

Answer 27

Commensalism

Question 28

A tick on a dog

Answer 28

Parasitism

Question 29

What’s an ecological footprint? How can you improve yours?

Answer 29

The total area of healthy land and water ecosystems needed to provide the resources you use. You can improve yours by reducing your waste, eating less meat and dairy, using less energy, and planting more trees.

Question 30

The average American has an ecological footprint that’s ______ larger than the global average.

Answer 30

4 times

Question 31

What is the Anthropocene? When did it start?

Answer 31

The “Age of Humans” or anthropocene is nearly everything people did impacted global systems due to feeding a growing population. It started during the 1950’s.

Question 32

What are causes and effects of global change due to human activity? In other words, how are humans harming the environment(things to mention include sea ice, sea levels, global warming, fossil fuels, CO2 emissions, CFC’s, ozone layer, etc.)

Answer 32

Humans are harming the environment with overpopulation, pollution, burning fossil fuels, and deforestation.

Question 33

What is the difference between climate and global warming?

Answer 33

Climate change is measurable long-term changes in averages of temperature, clouds, winds, precipitation, and the frequency of extreme weather events. Global warming is increase in average global temperatures.

Question 34

Explain how ocean acidification occurs and its consequences?

Answer 34

Acidification occurs from burning fossil fuels which leads to acid rain and ocean acidification and the consequences are it could decrease storm protection from reefs, tourism opportunities, and other benefits that are difficult to value.

Question 35

What are the detrimental effects of deforestation?

Answer 35

It can have negative effects on soil quality and climate change. Since there’s less trees, there’s more CO2 in the atmosphere and more erosion since the tree roots hold onto soil. Trees help to protect freshwater, absorb CO2 and moderate local climate. Forests also are homes and/or a source of food to many animals.

Question 36

What are the advantages and disadvantages to monoculture farming?

Answer 36

Some advantages of monoculture farming are crops in-demand, easy and simple, and perfect match of conditions. Also a lot of food can be produced. Some disadvantages are that it creates the spread of pests and diseases. Also farmers spend more money on fertilizer and pesticides and this uses more fossil fuels.

Question 37

What is the difference between habitat loss and habitat fragmentation?

Answer 37

Habitat loss is when natural habitats are completely changed, species that once lived in that area can be lost to human development. Habitat fragmentation causes biodiversity loss and makes ecosystems more vulnerable to other disturbances since the land itself has been divided into smaller sections.

Question 38

How can invasive species decrease biodiversity?

Answer 38

Invasive species can crowd out native species by taking over their habitat. Native species would then have to compete and could die out.

Question 39

DDT was a pesticide used to kill insects back in the 1960s. What does it have to do with biological magnification?

Answer 39

It was used to kill insects but it ended up killing several other species when it ended up in places it wasn’t intended for(i.e. water supply). As DDT made its way up the trophic levels, it was magnified in concentration. The top consumer gets the highest pollutant concentration. Like bird eggs.

Question 40

What are three steps that ecologists take when designing solutions to a problem?

Answer 40

1. Identify a problem in the environment.
2. Gathering data to document and analyze the problem and identify its cause.
3. Find a solution by changing behavior.

Question 41

What are some success stories due to the help from ecologists and governmental change?

Answer 41

Lead in drinking water, banning of CFC’s, organisms being taken off endangered or threatened lists.

Question 42

What is sustainable development? Give examples.

Answer 42

Sustainable development is using resources in ways that preserve ecosystem services. Some examples are green space, crop rotation, water treatment, environment, society, and economy.

Question 43

What is the difference between a renewable and nonrenewable resource? Give examples for each.

Answer 43

A renewable resource is a resource that can be produced by a healthy ecosystem and a nonrenewable resource is a resource that cannot be replenished or replaced by a natural process.

Question 44

What are some examples of renewable and nonrenewable resources?

Answer 44

A renewable example is a single tree because a new tree can be planted in place of an old tree if it dies or is cut down. A nonrenewable example is fossil fuels because they come from buried organic materials that are millions of years old. When existing deposits are depleted, they are gone.

Question 45

Scientists apply cause-and-effect relationships to develop computer simulations of Earth’s climate, which are useful for predicting how the climate will change. Arrange the following statements in order, from top to bottom, to show a chain of cause-and-effect relationships. Each statement should describe a cause of the statement below it.

Answer 45

1. Human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels, are adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
2. The greenhouse effect is increasing.
3. The temperature of the atmosphere is increasing.
4. The climate is changing, including patterns of precipitation, storms, droughts, and heat waves.
5. Ecosystems are changing, and many species are now at risks.