Module 1: Ecology: The Study of Our World (QUESTIONS) Flashcards
Autotroph refers to _____.
A) all of the living components of a system
B) the organisms that acquire their food energy from inorganic sources
C) all of the nonliving components of a system
D) the organisms that acquire their food energy from organic sources
E) the solid outer layer of the Earth’s surface
F) the layer around the Earth that supports life
the organisms that acquire their food energy from inorganic sources
Heterotroph refers to _____.
A) the layer around the Earth that supports life
B) the organisms that acquire their food energy from organic sources
C) all of the nonliving components of a system
D) the organisms that acquire their food energy from inorganic sources
E) the solid outer layer of the Earth’s surface
F) all of the living components of a system
the organisms that acquire their food energy from organic sources
Which of the following could be considered an ecosystem?
A) all the organisms and nonliving components within a pond
B) all the organisms and nonliving components within a forest
C) all the organisms and nonliving components within the ocean
D) all the above are ecosystems
all the above are ecosystems
Sort the following from the most broad level of organization (#1) to the narrowest level of organization (#5).
\_\_\_\_\_ population \_\_\_\_\_ organism \_\_\_\_\_ ecosystem \_\_\_\_\_ biosphere \_\_\_\_\_ community
1 → biosphere 2 → ecosystem 3 → community 4 → population 5 → organism
Match the characteristic/process of an individual organism with its impact on the population.
_____ population growth
_____ increase mortality rate
_____ special distribution
_____ increase age distribution
1) behavior
2) reproduction
3) death
4) survival
(2) reproduction → population growth
(3) death → increase mortality rate
(1) behavior → special distribution
(4) survival → increase age distribution
Most commonly, individuals of a population show a _____ distribution within their habitat.
A) clumped
B) random
C) nearly uniform
D) none of the above
clumped
Suppose 200 fish are marked and released in a pond. The following week, 200 fish are caught and 100 of them have marks. There are about _____ fish in this pond.
A) 200
B) 300
C) 400
D) 2,000
400
A population of worms is growing EXPONENTIALLY in a compost heap. 30 days ago, there were 300 worms and now there are 600. How many worms will there be 30 days from now, assuming conditions remain constant and resources are unlimited?
A) 1,200
B) 1,600
C) 3,200
D) 6,400
1,200
_____ is a density-independent limiting factor that influences population growth.
A) Predation
B) Infectious disease
C) Resource competition
D) Harsh weather
Harsh weather
The rate at which population size grows or declines depends on the rate of _____.
A) births B) deaths C) immigration D) emigration E) available resources F) all the above
all the above
Species that live in unpredictable habitats are more likely to show traits that are favored by _____.
A) r-selection
B) K-selection
r-selection
All members of a cohort are the same _____.
A) sex
B) size
C) age
D) weight
age
Match each term with its most suitable description.
\_\_\_\_\_ carrying capacity \_\_\_\_\_ exponential growth \_\_\_\_\_ biotic potential \_\_\_\_\_ limiting factor \_\_\_\_\_ logistic growth
A) maximum rate of increase per individual under ideal conditions
B) population growth plots out as a S-shaped curve
C) maximum number of individuals sustainable by the resources in a given environment
D) population growth plots out as a J-shaped curve
E) essential resource that restricts population growth when scarce
(C) maximum number of individuals sustainable by the resources in a given environment → carrying capacity
(D) population growth plots out as a J-shaped curve → exponential growth
(A) maximum rate of increase per individual under ideal conditions → biotic potential
(E) essential resource that restricts population growth when scarce → limiting factor
(B) population growth plots out as a S-shaped curve → logistic growth
The human population is now about 7 billion. It reached 6 billion in _____.
A) 2007
B) 1999
C) 1802
D) 1350
1999
Compared to the less developed countries, the highly developed ones have a higher _____.
A) death rate
B) birth rate
C) total fertility rate
D) resource consumption rate
resource consumption rate
The ecological footprint of a person in the United States is about _____ that of a person in India.
A) half
B) twice
C) one-ninth
D) nine times
nine times
The demographic transition model predicts a decline in population during the _____ stage.
A) preindustrial
B) transitional
C) industrial
D) postindustrial
postindustrial
A population in which the total fertility rate exceeds the replacement fertility rate is _____.
A) increasing in size
B) decreasing in size
C) not changing in size
increasing in size
The type of physical environment in which a species typically lives is its _____.
A) niche
B) habitat
C) community
D) population
habitat
Which CANNOT be a symbiosis?
A) mutualism
B) parasitism
C) commensalism
D) interspecific competition
interspecific competition
Species richness is greatest in communities _____.
A) near the equator
B) in temperate regions
C) near the poles
D) that formed recently
near the equator
The oldest established land communities are _____.
A) in the Arctic
B) in temperate zones
C) in the tropics
D) on volcanic islands
in the tropics
Of the following four islands, which one likely possesses the FEWEST species?
A) 3,000 square kilometers in area and 100 km from the mainland.
B) 1,000 square kilometers in area and 300 km from the mainland.
C) 300 square kilometers in area and 1,000 km from the mainland.
D) 100 square kilometers in area and 3,000 km from the mainland.
E) All islands are at the same latitude, so they are all likely to have the same species richness.
100 square kilometers in area and 3,000 km from the mainland.
An example of commensalism is a(n) _____.
A) tapeworm living in a human intestine
B) yucca plant seeds dispersed by yucca moths
C) clown fish living in a sea anemone
D) orchid growing on a tree branch
E) Canadian lynx preying on a snowshoe hare
orchid growing on a tree branch
According to the _____, the number of species living on any island reflects a balance between immigration rates for new species and extinction rates for established ones.
A) inhibition model B) diversity model C) area model D) equilibrium model E) distance model
equilibrium model
Species richness refers specifically to the _____.
A) feeding levels at which the animals are located
B) number of individuals of each species present
C) ability of larger animals to enrich themselves by successfully preying on smaller ones
D) relative abundance of the species
E) number of different species in the habitat
number of different species in the habitat
All of the populations of different species that occupy and are adapted to a given area are known as _____.
A) an ecosystem B) a niche C) a community D) the habitat E) the biosphere
a community
An obligatory mutualistic association is one in which _____.
A) both species benefit to some degree but relatively unaffected in the absence of the association
B) one member of the association eventually parasitizes the other member
C) one member benefits greatly while the other remains unaffected
D) the members of the association require each other for their existence
the members of the association require each other for their existence