Biology: Ecology

Question 1

Soil horizon containing humus

Answer 1

Organic layer (O)

Question 2

Soil horizon containing minerals with humus, layer with most nutrients

Answer 2

Topsoil (A)

Question 3

Soil horizon containing leached minerals and organic matter

Answer 3

Eluviation layer (E)

Question 4

Soil horizon containing deposited materials & metal salts

Answer 4

Subsoil (B)

Question 5

Soil horizon containing partly weathered rock

Answer 5

Parent rock (C)

Question 6

Soil horizon containing unweathered parent rock

Answer 6

Bedrock (R)

Question 7

Grouping of terrestrial ecosystems on a given continent that is similar in vegetation structure, physiognomy, features of the environment

Answer 7

Biome

Question 8

Types of ecological pyramids

Answer 8

Energy, biomass, number of organisms

Question 9

Which ecological pyramids can be inverted

Answer 9

Biomass and numbers

Question 10

Main reasons behind the evolution of sexual reproduction

Answer 10

DNA repair, variation, complementation

Question 11

Species whose populations are governed by their biotic potential/maximum reproductive capacity (unstable environment, smaller, reproduce rapidly, weak, “at least some will survive”)

Answer 11

R strategists

Question 12

Species who grow slowly, live close to carrying capacity, and produce a few progeny with high chance of survival (larger, more efficient)

Answer 12

K strategists

Question 13

Maximum reproductive capacity of an organism under optimum environmental conditions

Answer 13

Biotic potential

Question 14

Species’ average population size in a particular habitat / maximum population size of a biological species that can be sustained by that specific environment

Answer 14

Carrying capacity

Question 15

Process where distantly related organisms independently evolve similar traits to adapt to similar necessities

Answer 15

Convergent evolution

Question 16

Process where accumulation of differences between closely related populations within a species

Answer 16

Divergent evolution

Question 17

(Convergent/divergent) evolution leads to speciation.

Answer 17

Divergent

Question 18

According to Begmann’s rule, in cold climates, organisms tend to be (bigger/smaller) to have a (bigger/smaller) SA-to-volume ratio that reduces heat loss.

Answer 18

Bigger, smaller