Critical Thinking 3

Question 1

Community

Answer 1

The association of interacting populations is defined by the nature of their interactions or the place where they live.

Question 2

Interdependent Communities

Answer 2

Communities in which species depend on each other to exist.

Question 3

Ecotone

Answer 3

A boundary created by sharp changes in environmental conditions over a relatively short distance, accompanied by a major change in the composition of species.

Question 4

Species richness

Answer 4

The number of species in a community (area).

Question 5

Relative abundance (evenness)

Answer 5

The proportion of individuals in a community is represented by each species.

Question 6

Log-normal distribution

Answer 6

A normal, or bell-shaped, distribution that uses a logarithmic scale on the x-axis.

Question 7

Species diversity

Answer 7

Number of species in an area and their relative abundance (evenness).

Question 8

Alpha (local) diversity

Answer 8

Average diversity (number & evenness) of species in a habitat or local area

Question 9

Beta (turnover) diversity

Answer 9

Differences in species among habitat

Question 10

Gamma (regional) diversity

Answer 10

Number of species in all of the habitats that comprise a large geographic area.

Question 11

Keystone species

Answer 11

A species that substantially affects the structure of communities, although it might not be particularly numerous.

Question 12

Food chain

Answer 12

A linear representation of how different species in a community feed on each other

Question 13

Food web

Answer 13

A complex and realistic representation of how species feed on each other in a community

Question 14

Bottom-Up control

Answer 14

When the abundances of tropic groups are determined by the amount of energy available from producers.

Question 15

Top-Down control

Answer 15

The abundance of tropic groups is determined by the existence of predators at the top of the food web.

Question 16

Energy residence time

Answer 16

The length of time that energy spends in a given trophy level; the longer the residence time, the greater the accumulation of energy in that trophic level.

Question 17

Biomass residence time

Answer 17

The length of time that biomass spends in a given trophic level

Question 18

Consumption efficiency

Answer 18

The percentage of energy or biomass in a trophic level that is consumed by the next higher trophic level.

Question 19

Assimilation efficiency

Answer 19

The percentage of consumed energy that is assimilated into flesh.

Question 20

Primary productivity

Answer 20

Determines: 1) Number of tropic levels. 2) Herbivore and Predator abundance.

Question 21

In terrestrial systems

Answer 21

Pyramids of biomass and energy look similar.

Question 22

High plant longevity and defenses

Answer 22

Low consumption

Question 23

In aquatic systems

Answer 23

Pyramids of biomass and energy look inverted.

Question 24

Low plant longevity and defenses

Answer 24

High consumption

Question 25

Ecosystem

Answer 25

An assemblage of communities of organisms (biotic) along with their (abiotic) physical and chemical environment

Question 26

Primary productivity

Answer 26

The rate at which solar or chemical energy is captured and converted into chemical bonds by photosynthesis on chemosynthesis.

Question 27

Gross Primary Productivity

Answer 27

The rate at which energy is captured and assimilated by producers in an area.

Question 28

Net Primary Productivity

Answer 28

The rate of energy that is assimilated by producers and converted into producer biomass in an area; includes all energy that is not respired.

Question 29

Resistance (constancy)

Answer 29

The capacity of an ecological system to resist external perturbation

Question 30

Resilience

Answer 30

The ability of an ecological system to return to a reference state after a disturbance

Question 31

Successional endpoint

Answer 31

A community that replaces itself indefinitely in the absence of further disturbance.

Question 32

Succession

Answer 32

Process of the changes in species composition over time

Question 33

Primary Succession

Answer 33

Establishment and development of communities in newly formed habitat that was previously devoid of organic matter

Question 34

Pioneer species

Answer 34

The earliest species to arrive at a site; are typically able to disperse long distances and arrive quickly at disturbed sites.

Question 35

Secondary Succession

Answer 35

The development or regeneration of communities in disturbed habitats that contain no plants but still contain organic soil.

Question 36

Animal Succession

Answer 36

Changes in the plant community can change the habitats that are available to animals, which causes changes in the animal community.