Chapter 1 Flashcards
Do ecological studies support the idea of a balanced natural world that exists in a pristine state?
A) Yes, ecological studies support this idea.
B) No, ecological studies show historical variation in nature and the pervasive influence of
human activities.
B) No, ecological studies show historical variation in nature and the pervasive influence of
human activities.
How can ecology best help each of us understand the role of humans in nature?
A) Ecology provides a reference point of unspoiled nature.
B) Ecology provides a set of moral precepts.
C) Ecology provides a set of values.
D) Ecology provides a scientific understanding of how natural systems work and how humans
function as part of the natural world.
D) Ecology provides a scientific understanding of how natural systems work and how humans function as part of the natural world.
The word “ecology” is derived from the Greek oikos, which means:
A) money or currency B) ocean C) house D) root or origin
C) house
Who gave the word "ecology" its current broad meaning? A) the German zoologist Ernst Haeckel B) the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus C) the English naturalist Charles Darwin D) the American ecologist Rachel Carson
A) the German zoologist Ernst Haeckel
Of the following fields, all except one focus on the application of ecological understanding to
solve problems concerning the environment and its inhabitants. Which is the exception?
A) environmental science
B) applied ecology
C) conservation biology
D) ecology
D) ecology
In Chapter 1, Dr. Ricklefs states: “No smaller unit in biology, such as the organ, cell, or
macromolecule, has a separate life in the environment.” To which level of ecological
organization is he referring?
A) organism B) population C) community D) ecosystem E) biosphere
A) organism
Which of the following systems is comprised of assemblages of organisms together with their
physical and chemical environments?
A) organism B) population C) community D) ecosystem E) biosphere
D) ecosystem
Gray whales feed in the Bering Sea, then migrate far to the south, reproducing in the Gulf of
California. Feeding conditions in the Bering Sea influence the reproductive success of these
animals in their breeding area. Reproductive success, in turn, modifies the impact of the gray
whale on marine ecosystems in the Gulf of California. What important principle do these
processes illustrate?
A) All ecosystems are ultimately linked together in a single biosphere.
B) All ecosystems are tightly bounded and poorly linked with other ecosystems.
A) All ecosystems are ultimately linked together in a single biosphere.
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
population approach to the study of ecology would most likely be interested in:
A) adaptations of individual organisms that suit them for life in their environment.
B) changes in numbers, resulting from births and deaths, of individuals belonging to a particular
species in a particular place.
C) the number and relative abundances of species living in a particular place.
D) activities of organisms as well as physical and chemical transformations of energy and
materials in the soil, atmosphere, and water.
E) transport of energy and materials at the global scale.
B) changes in numbers, resulting from births and deaths, of individuals belonging to a particular
species in a particular place.
As a rule, terrestrial plants and animals differ in which of the following ways?
A) Terrestrial plants usually are larger than terrestrial animals.
B) Terrestrial plants usually live longer than terrestrial animals.
C) Terrestrial plants usually need a more continuous supply of water than terrestrial animals.
D) Terrestrial plants usually live in warmer climates than terrestrial animals.
C) Terrestrial plants usually need a more continuous supply of water than terrestrial animals.
Which of the following kinds of organisms typically assumes a threadlike growth habit, which
may exist as a loose network or may coalesce into a reproductive structure?
A) plants B) animals C) fungi D) protists E) bacteria
C) fungi
There are many examples in nature of cooperation among organisms, such as the bacteria that
inhabit the root nodules of leguminous plants. Typically such cooperative associations develop
because each organism can provide its partner with something the partner lacks or needs. When
such partnerships exist between organisms that live in close association, these are called:
A) networks B) communities C) symbioses D) assemblages
C) symbioses
Which of the following best defines the habitat of an organism?
A) the place, or physical setting, in which the organism lives
B) the organism’s role in the ecological system
A) the place, or physical setting, in which the organism lives
The Peruvian rhinoceros katydid (Copiphora rhinoceros) is specialized for chewing leaves. This
information helps us better understand which of the following?
A) its habitat
B) its niche
B) its niche
Thunderstorms and hurricanes. Unusually cold winters and glacial epochs. Each of these pairs of
phenomena illustrates an important general principle that applies to temporal variation in the
environment. Which of the following is the best statement of this principle?
A) All events occur with about the same severity and frequency.
B) The more severe or extreme the event, the less frequent it is.
C) The more severe or extreme the event, the more frequent it is.
D) There is no relationship between severity and frequency of events.
B) The more severe or extreme the event, the less frequent it is.
Is a particular scale of spatial variation equally important to all organisms?
A) Yes, all organisms respond in a similar fashion to spatial variation at a particular scale.
B) No, each organism experiences spatial variation at a particular scale in a unique way.
B) No, each organism experiences spatial variation at a particular scale in a unique way.
