Ecology Real quizzes Flashcards
1
Q
An ecologist interested in how the grazing activity of deer affects tree growth would study at the level of the
A
Community
2
Q
An ecologist interested in world-wide distribution of freshwater and ice would study at the level of the ___
A
biosphere
3
Q
The study of ecology could include___
A
- how energy flows through a food web
- why specific biomes are located at particular places around the planet
- how water movees through a landscape
4
Q
When Robert MacArthur studied how so many species of warbler birds could inhabit the same woodland, he used __
A
an observational approach
5
Q
Why does the Earth have geographic variation in temperature___
A
the Earth is a sphere
6
Q
Why does the Eath experience seasons?
A
The earth orbits around the sun
the Earth is tilted on its axis
7
Q
At the equater_____
A
warm,moist air rises and rain falls
8
Q
Between 30 degrees north and the equator, wind travels along the surface of the planet. Which direction does it travel?
A
from north to south
9
Q
The Earth’s rain-forests are found at ___
A
0 degrees
10
Q
This soil layer contains a mixture of minerals, clay, silts, and sand
A
A horizon
11
Q
In the __, evaporation exceeds precipitation and soils are thin and nutrient poor
A
desert
12
Q
___ is characterized by permafrost in the soils, a short growing season with very long day lengths, and very short plants with shallow roots
A
Tundra
13
Q
Plants in the __ are tolerant of a long, hot, dry summer and are fire-adapted
A
Mediterranean woodland
14
Q
__% of the surface of the planet is covered by water
A
71%
15
Q
__% of the water on Earth is liquid, freshwater
A
1%
16
Q
The average depth of the oceans is approximately
A
4,000m
17
Q
80% of solar energy striking the ocean is absorbed in the Photic Zone, which is represented by the first ___
A
10m
18
Q
Most of the ocean is ____,___,and___
A
dark
nutrient poor
comparatively oxygen-poor
cold
19
Q
The chemical conditions in lakes, rivers, and streams relate most directly to ___
A
the surrounding landscape
20
Q
Organisms living in ____ must be able to tolerate both wet and dry conditions
A
Intertidal zones
21
Q
___marine habitats are some of the most biodiverse and productive on Earth
A
Nearshore
22
Q
Temperate lakes exhibit a distinct thermocline with, warm floating at the surface, during ___
A
the summer
23
Q
Organisms living in__ must be able to tolerate changing conditions of salinity
A
estuaries
24
Q
Lake color is a direct result of __ and ___
A
biological activity, light absorption by particles
25
An adaptation gives an advantage in__
a specific environment
26
Charles Darwin's work on evolution did NOT focus on __, __, or ___
genetic drift, mutation, or immigration and emigration
27
An ecologist notices that side-botched lizards seem to have larger body sizes in some populations and smaller body sizes in other populations. This oculd be evidence of ___, ___,___, or __
selection by predators, response to differences in local climate, ecotypes, inbreeding depression in some populations
28
Which of these are conditions required for Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium?
All genotypes equally fit
29
If a hawk always targets the largest voles in the population as prey, what kind of natural selection do you think will occur in the population of voles?
Directional
30
In a population of butterflies, the genetic variance is extremely low but each butterfly's pattern looks different from the next. The heritability of pattern is
Probably very low
31
Sticky cinquefoil (Potentilla glandulosa) platns found at three elevations have different body forms. These are known as
Ecotypes
32
Seastar twins were separated as larvae. Once was raised in normal seawater and the other in reduced salinity salt water. At sexual maturity, each was tested for levels of stress hormones, first in the water in which it was raised and then in opposite environment. Both seastars showed elevated stress in the environment different than the one it was raised in. This could be an example of ___
acclimation
33
In general, less generic variation can be associated with___,___,___,____
island populations, small populations, isolated populations, higher extinction rates
34
Symptoms of inbreeding depression in a population can include____,____,___
low fertility, small offspring, low juvenile survival
35
Microclimate can be influenced by ___,__,and____
what vegetation is present, the color of the soil, elevation
36
Rainbow trout fish have two different forms of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase. What is the utility of this?
they function at different temperatures
37
Average monthly daytime temperatures in Monterey, CA range between 15 C to 20 C but in Turlock, CA they range from 12 C to 34 C. The two cities are only 86 miles apart. What best explains this?
Water's high specific heat capacity
38
A fish that is not tolerant of changing temperatures would most likely live in __
a deep pool in a river
39
Photosynthesis rates in the desert are most directly limited because____
water is very limited
40
Species that live in the ____ would most likely have a narrow thermal neutral zone
Tropical savannah
41
On a hot summer day in the desert (37C), a desert tortoise is able to stay relatively cool (30C). Whih of these could be related to how this happens?___and___
The tortoise hides in a burrow underground, the tortoise slows its metabolic rate
42
Big pelagic fish, like tunas and sharks, are able to ____ by having counter-current heat exchange
Reduce heat loss
43
Plants can reduce heat loss by__and__
retaining dead leaves, growing fuzzy hairlike pubescence
44
Which terms describe the skunk cabbage, the bloom, of which is able to melt through the snow in the earliest spring days?
Homeotherm and Endotherm
45
Which term describes the period of time when a ground squirrel lowers its metabolic rate and becomes dormant for the long, cold winter?
Hibernation
46
An organism that has its best performance at very cold temperatures would be called
Psychophilic
47
In general, ecologists might study populations by considering___,_____,and___
number of individuals, density of individuals,distribution of individuals, or growth rates
48
The geographic distribution of population could be restricted because of__
ability to tolerate environmental extremes, presence of competitors
49
A species of oropendula birds birds build their long, woven nests in just one particular species of tree. After building a nest, the pair of birds tends the eggs and then the young. Based on this information, during the breeding season, you would expect to see a ____ distribution for the population.
Clumped
50
A potential reason why young seedling plants could show a clumped distribution is because____,___, and___
- they only germinate in spots where the physical conditions are perfect
- an animal buried a large number of seeds in one spot
- they all fell to the ground directly under the parent plant, which died during the winter
51
In general, the larger an aquatic invertebrate species is___
the lower its density in the stream
52
While walking on a trail through the rain forest, you hear an insect with an interesting call. It seems to you that you walk past an individual insect every ten steps. What is an ecologist's most likely explanation?
the insect is territorial and aggressive
53
Three considerations are made when placing a species into a "Rarity" category. Which are they?
- local population sizes
- geographical range
- habitat tolerance
54
Which factors played into the eventual distribution of adult barnacles in the intertidal zone __,__,and__
- abiotic factors
- competition
- predation
55
Of these organisms, which do you predict has the greatest disperal ability in its natural habitat?
-Coconut palm
56
Dispersal is very important in stream-associated insects like dragonflies because___,___,and___
- the aquatic larva is constantly being pushed downstream
- during high flow, animals are washed downstream in spates.
- this phase (dispersal) completes the colonization cycle.
57
California Quail birds have a large number (12 to 16) of small chicks. Because it is difficult to keep track of so many young, many will fall prey to predators in their first to weeks. Once they are larger, they have excellent survival and most live to an old age. This is typical of Type____survivorships
|||
58
Which of these is not a method for estimating patterns of survival?
distribution-abundance curve
59
An age of distribution for a population of wild organisms can warn of future extinction risk if __,___,__, and___
- the vast majority of indviduals are sexually mature.
- many age categories are missing from the distribution
- there are very few young individuals
- there are mostly males in the population
60
Which of these plants most likely has a longer generations time than a pine tree does?
Giant redwood
61
A calculation of the net reproductive rate of a population takes into account___and___
survivorship and number of offspring produced at different age categories
62
Organisms with geometric populations growth have discrete generations. MAny of these have individuals that___
live only for one year
63
Exponential population growth
- requires continuous generations
| - occurs when resources are not limited
64
The carrying capacity
- limits population size
- can be influenced by resource availability
- can be influenced by pathogens
65
Which of these is an example of a density-independent factor that could influence a population's growth?
a tsunami
66
Growth rates, as measured by the per capita rate of increase, should be highest in which organism?
Escherichia coli bacteria
67
In Galapagos finches, during drought years___
Feeding activity in the wetter season reduces food abundance in the dry season
68
Taking the number of births in a population and subtracting the number of deaths is one way calculate a ___
Population growth rate
69
Which statement is true about the global human population?
it continues to grow
70
Which of the following is NOT included in the study of life histories
Proportion that survives to maturity
71
A bird that produces large eggs most probably also produces ___
fewer eggs
72
In fishes, there are differences in life history__,___,__
- between different species
- between populations of the same species
- within a population
73
Very large seeds most likely are dispersed by
Being carried and buried by vertebrate animals
74
The advantage to having large seeds is___,__, and__
greater likelihood of survival of the seedlings, larger seedlings, increased recruitment
75
Which of these is not a characteristics r-selected species
late age of sexual maturity
76
Male side-blotched lizards display at one another, and if necessary, physically fight to win ownership of a rock to bask on. This describes ____
Interference competition
77
If one creosote bush in the desert absorbs a volume of water during a rain, that water is not available for other creosote bushes to take up. This describes____compeitition
Intraspecific competition
78
If two species are in competition for the same resource for many, many generations, the end result could be___
- one species goes locally extinct
- both species undergo directional selection
- character displacement
79
When two species are in competition for the same resource___
both experience a negative effect
80
Intraspecific competition can result in___
lower survivorship
- longer time to develop
- smaller body size
- fewer or smaller offspring
81
The outcome of competition between the two species of Tribolium flour beetles was___
partly dependent on whether the parasite, Adelina, was present
82
Which of the following does not provide a refuge for prey?
parasite resistance
83
Which of these factors play a role in population cycles of snowshoe hares?
- solar radiation
- disease
- lynxes
84
An ecological relationship where one species gets a benefit and the other is negatively impacted is called__
exploitation
85
Gause (the paramecium guy) was able to establish prey population cycling in the lab when___
he provided a refuge
86
Size can be a refuge, because for the predator___
the potential benefit of a meal is not worth the risk of injury
87
What do we need in order to show mutualism between corals and zooxanthellae?
Zooxanthellae receive a benefit from corals and corals receive a benefit from zooxanthellae
88
Termites cannot digest wood without their endosymbiont protozoans, and these species of protozoans do not live anywehre else except in the gut of termites. This is an example of __
obligate mutualism
89
What benefits do ants receive from bullshorn acacia__
- a place to live
- Beltian bodies for food
- nectar for food
90
What evidence showed that bullshorn acacia receive a benefit from ants?
Plants with ants grew much gaster
91
The ant mutualism with aspen sunflowers cannot become obligate due to
Periodic late frost that destroys all the flowers for that year
92
The evidence presented showing that crabs get a benefit from protecting corals was
coral lipids in the crab digestive tract
93
The interacting (and potentially interacting) species occupying a given area are described as a __
community
94
The number of different species in an area is the __
species richness
95
Most species in a community are ___
intermediate in abundance
96
Diversity takes into account
- number of species
| - relative abundances
97
Disturbance events can impact the diversity in a community. Disturbance can__,___,__, and ___
- increase diversity
- decrease diversity
- result in a change in the parrticular species present
- initiate succession
98
The dominant species in a community__
- has high biomass
| - has a big influence
99
Which of these describes an indirect interactions
-When ranchers kill gopher snakes, the gopher population increases
100
A keystone species has__biomass and___impact
low, high
101
In a trophic cascade,__and___
top-down influences occur, a predator can influence the entire community
102
Primary succession starts from__
bare rock
103
In general, during succession ___,___,__,___
the species in the community change over time, soil overall and soil horizons individually become deeper, moisture is better and better retained, organic content in soil increases
104
In succession, the climax community___and ___
is relatively stable and can resist further change, unless there is a disturbance
105
Which of the following is not one of the important factors relating to habitat space?
H'
106
The shape of a habitat can be very important if the species of interest either relies on or avoids ___ and__
the edge of the habitat type and ecotones
107
Current landscape structure can be the result of __, ___, ___,and__
the activities of living things, abiotic events, disturbances, and human influences
108
The besst predictor of species richness on an island or a continent is ___
area
109
The predicted equilibrium number of species found on an island is dependent on__ and__
extinction rate, immigration rate
110
What is true of greenhouse gases?
All of em:
- they include water vapor, CO2, and methane
- the hold heat near the surface of the Earth
- they are currently increasing in the atmosphere
- human activities are contributing to their increase in the atmosphere
- Human activities are contributing to their increase in the atmosphere
111
The primary reason so many species are currently at risk of endangerment or extinction is ___
habitat loss
