iClickers UP TO DATE as of 2/19/25 Flashcards
Do birds prevent herbivory? do they benefit oak trees?
a) birds reduce herbivore
densities but have no
effect on tree growth
b) birds reduce herbivore
densities and have a
positive effect on tree
growth
c) birds increase
herbivore densities
and damage to trees
d) birds increase
herbivory but have no
overall effect on tree
growth
b) birds reduce herbivore
densities and have a
positive effect on tree
growth
what is the best interpretation of the results
in the previous figure?
a. compared to insecticide sprays, birds have little effect on herbivore
densities and leaf damage
b. even though birds reduce herbivore densities, birds + spraying reduces
density even further
c. neither spraying nor caging affected the amount leaf tissue that was
consumed
d. while birds reduced herbivore densities, spraying interfered with bird predation resulting in increased damage to the trees
b. even though birds reduce herbivore densities, birds + spraying reduces
density even further
if birds and bats consume herbivores, why is leaf damage
reduced when birds and bats are excluded???
a. birds and bats compete with each other for the same prey (herbivores)
b. even though birds reduce herbivore densities, the presence of bats increase
herbivore density resulting in increased damage to plants
c. removing top predators (birds & bats) releases spiders from their own predators
(‘enemy release’), resulting in increased consumption of leaf-chewing insects and
decreased leaf damage
d. while foraging for herbivores, birds and bats often consume leaf material
c. removing top predators (birds & bats) releases spiders from their own predators
(‘enemy release’), resulting in increased consumption of leaf-chewing insects and
decreased leaf damage
Why are the tropics so much warmer than the poles?
a. The atmosphere is thicker in the tropics and retains more solar radiation.
b. Solar radiation passes through less atmosphere in the tropics before more directly striking the Earth’s surface.
c. The air is moister in the tropics, holding in more heat.
d. The tropics are closer to the sun and therefore receive
more solar radiation.
b. Solar radiation passes through less atmosphere in the tropics before more directly striking the Earth’s surface
Why is it warmer in Fort Collins in June than in January?
a. The Sun emits more solar radiation in June.
b. The Earth is closer to the Sun in June.
c. The northern hemisphere is closer to the Sun in June.
d. The solar equator is closer to Ft. Collins in June.
d. The solar equator is closer to Ft. Collins in June.
Why are most of the world’s major deserts located at
30 ̊N or 30 ̊S?
a. This is where hot, dry air from the Hadley cells return
to Earth’s surface.
b. Solar radiation is most intense here.
c. Strong trade winds at these latitudes dry out the air.
d. Depending on the season, these latitudes are closest to the Sun.
a. This is where hot, dry air from the Hadley cells return
to Earth’s surface.
England and Newfoundland (Canada) are roughly the same latitude, yet England is ~20 ̊C warmer in winter. Why?
a. England is near a warm ocean current, whereas Newfoundland is near a
cold current.
b. The albedo of Newfoundland is much greater than that of England.
c. Newfoundland experiences much stronger northerly winds than does
England.
d. England receives far more sunshine in winter than does Newfoundland.
a. England is near a warm ocean current, whereas Newfoundland is near a
cold current.
Which type of ecosystem is
most efficient in turning NPP to net secondary
productivity?
a) terrestrial ecosystems
b) aquatic ecosystems
c) both are approximately equally
efficient
b) aquatic ecosystems
If N 2 (nitrogen gas) the most abundant gas (~78%) in the atmosphere,
why is nitrogen generally considered a limiting nutrient?
a) N 2 is toxic to most life forms and therefore is avoided by most organisms
b) most N 2 occurs high in the stratosphere and is inaccessible to most organisms
c) N 2 is inert (unreactive) and must be converted into a biologically usable form such as nitrates (NO 3-)
c) N 2 is inert (unreactive) and must be converted into a biologically usable form such as nitrates (NO 3-)
What makes the phosphorus ‘cycle’ different than the other nutrient
cycles?
a) phosphorus (P) is not an essential component of life, unlike H 2O, N (and all it’s forms: N 2, NH 3, NH 4+, NO 3-), and C
b) phosphorus does not occur in a gaseous phase; therefore, it is not easily transported from the oceans back
to land
c) phosphorus accumulates primarily on land, with very little reaching the oceans
b) phosphorus does not occur in a gaseous phase; therefore, it is not easily transported from the oceans back
to land
How do nitrate fertilizers (NO 3-) and phosphates (PO 4-) create ‘dead
zones’?
a) phosphates and nitrates are directly toxic to algae and phytoplankton that are the primary producers in
marine ecosystems
b) phosphates and nitrates are directly toxic to most consumers of algae and phytoplankton, resulting in algal blooms because higher trophic levels are removed
c) phosphates and nitrates increase algal and phytoplankton populations faster than consumers can eat them; once the algae die, their decomposition consumes dissolved oxygen thereby killing higher trophic
levels
c) phosphates and nitrates increase algal and phytoplankton populations faster than consumers can eat them; once the algae die, their decomposition consumes dissolved oxygen thereby killing higher trophic
levels
What is the relationship between lignin content and the decomposition rate by fungi & bacteria?
a) leaves with higher lignin content were more
readily consumed by fungi and bacteria
b) leaves with higher lignin content were less
digestible by fungi and bacteria
c) there was no relationship between lignin
content and feeding by fungi or bacteria
b) leaves with higher lignin content were less
digestible by fungi and bacteria
What is the most plausible explanation
for the pattern observed in figure (b)?
a) invertebrates break down leaves
into smaller pieces that are more
easily decomposed by fungi & bacteria.
b) invertebrates prefer to consume leaves that are high in lignin
c) invertebrates compete with fungi and bacteria more strongly for
leaves that had higher lignin content
a) invertebrates break down leaves
into smaller pieces that are more
easily decomposed by fungi & bacteria.
Hyperosmotic organisms:
a. must get rid of excess water.
b. must get rid of excess salts.
c. must stay near the surface of water to maintain
equilibrium.
d. must swim towards the bottom to maintain
equilibrium.
a.must get rid of excess water.
For animals living in warm water, obtaining oxygen is a challenge because:
a. warmer water contains more solutes (e.g., salts).
b. CO2 displaces O2 in warmer water.
c. the solubility of oxygen decreases as water becomes warmer.
c. the solubility of oxygen decreases as water becomes warmer.
Compared to plants that use C3 or C4 photosynthesis,
why to CAM plants grow so slowly?
a. carbon fixation and sugar formation (Calvin cycle) are temporally
separated (occur at different times of the day) in CAM plants.
b. CAM plants are more likely to experience photorespiration, which
reverses the process of photosynthesis
c. CAM plants have very low water-use efficiency measures.
a. carbon fixation and sugar formation (Calvin cycle) are temporally
separated (occur at different times of the day) in CAM plants.
A plant found in moist climates is most likely to be?
a. a C 3 photosynthesizer.
b. a C 4 photosynthesizer.
c. a CAM photosynthesizer.
a. a C 3 photosynthesizer.
Some mammals have broad geographic ranges spanning cold climates to
warm climates. Where would you most likely see individuals with long
appendages (limbs, ears, etc.)?
a. in coastal marshlands
b. in cold tundra or high alpine regions
c. in moist, temperate forests
d. in hot deserts
d. in hot deserts
Why do most terrestrial insects excrete uric acid whereas most vertebrates excrete uraw?
a. insects can tolerate the highly toxic uric acid better than most vertebrates
b. insects have higher S:V ratios and uric acid requires little water to excrete
c. vertebrates can tolerate the higher toxicity of urea better than smaller animals like insects
d. most vertebrates have higher S:V ratios than insects and can afford to lose water to
excrete nitrogenous wastes
b. insects have higher S:V ratios and uric acid requires little water to excrete
Are plastic genotypes favored in non-variable environments?
a. yes, plastic genotypes will always have higher fitness.
b. no, a single, non-plastic (adapted) genotype will be
favored.
c. no, both plastic and adapted genotypes will have equal
success.
b. no, a single, non-plastic (adapted) genotype will be
favored.
If travel time between patches decreases (patches are closer together), how would this affect time spent foraging in a patch?
a. spend MORE time at each patch
b. spend LESS time at each patch
c. no effect on time at each patch
b. spend lESS time at each patch
When would you predict plant investment in inducible defenses against herbivores?
a. when herbivores rarely occur (e.g., every few years)
b. when the presence of herbivores is constant, and
damage is intense
c. when the presence of herbivores is unpredictable
c. when the presence of herbivores is unpredictable
If average patch quality (number of prey or quality of patch) increases, how should this affect how much time predators spend per patch?
a. Spend MORE time at each patch
b. spend LESS time at each patch
c. no effect on time spend at each patch
b. spend LESS time at each patch
D. 10%
