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
In a study of Retama (a plant in the bean family) and Marrubium (a plant in the mint family), when grown together both species produces significantly more leaves per branch than when the plants were grown separately. This suggests these species have a _____ association.
A) mutualistic
B) commensal
C) competitive
D) parasitic
mutualistic
The plant Pisonia produces fruits with a sticky coating. As a result, the fruits often attach to the wings of birds, falling off at some distance. The bird is unharmed. This type of relationship would be classified as a _____ association.
A) competitive
B) parasitic
C) mutualistic
D) commensal
commensal
If the two members of a symbiotic relationship rely on one another for their existence, their type of relationship is called a(n) _____.
A) obligate commensalism
B) obligatory mutualism
C) facultative mutualism
D) facultative parasitism
obligatory mutualism
In the above picture, the bee is collecting nectar for food. In exchange, the bee brought pollen to the flower for pollination. What type of relationship is this?
A) mutualism
B) competitive
C) predation
D) commensalism
mutualism
In the above picture, the shrimp gains the protection of being camouflaged on this feather star; the feather star is not impacted by the presence of the shrimp. What type of association is this?
A) mutualism
B) competitive
C) predation
D) commensalism
commensalism
Lizards that eat flies they catch on the ground and birds that catch and eat flies in the air are engaged in _____ competition.
A) exploitative B) interference C) intraspecific D) interspecific E) both A and D F) both B and C
both A and D
If you remove a species from a community, the population size of its main _____ is likely to increase.
A) parasite
B) competitor
C) predator
competitor
_____ can lead to resource partitioning.
A) Mutualism
B) Parasitism
C) Commensalism
D) Interspecific competition
Interspecific competition
_____ arises as a result of directional selection on species that share a limited resource; the result is minimized competition.
A) Intraspecific competition B) Inclusive competition C) Primary succession D) Resource partitioning E) Secondary succession
Resource partitioning
(Figure 45.6A pg. 792) The image in the above photograph is a prime example of _____.
A) associative commensalism B) double mutualism C) interference competition D) team predation E) parasitism
interference competition
Character displacement makes competing species less similar, which facilitates _____.
resource partitioning
Gause’s principle of competitive exclusion is based on the idea that _____.
A) two species can coexist if their niches do not overlap
B) no two species can occupy the same niche indefinitely when resources are limited
C) species survival depends upon evolution
D) competition for the same resources excludes species having different life styles
E) larger organisms exclude smaller ones through competition as in the case of large trees controlling underbrush
no two species can occupy the same niche indefinitely when resources are limited
Competitive exclusion is the result of _____ by two species for the same limiting resource.
A) parasitism B) symbiosis C) mutualism D) competition E) commensalism
competition
A tick is a(n) _____ .
A) parasitoid
B) ectoparasite
C) endoparasite
ectoparasite
Match the terms with the most suitable descriptions.
\_\_\_\_\_ mutualism \_\_\_\_\_ parasitism \_\_\_\_\_ commensalism \_\_\_\_\_ predation \_\_\_\_\_ interspecific competition
A) one free-living species feeds on another and usually kills it
B) two species interact and both benefit by the interaction
C) two species interact and one benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed
D) one species that feeds on another that it lives in or on
E) species both need a resource
(B) two species interact and both benefit by the interaction ➝ mutualism
(D) one species that feeds on another that it lives in or on ➝ parasitism
(C) two species interact and one benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed ➝ commensalism
(A) one free-living species feeds on another and usually kills it ➝ predation
(E) species both need a resource ➝ interspecific competition
_____ steal parental care.
A) Mutualists
B) Commensalists
C) Brood parasites
D) Predators
Brood parasites
Biological control of pest species _____.
A) has no side effects
B) involves mutualists
C) uses natural enemies
D) requires use of chemicals
uses natural enemies
By a currently favored hypothesis, species richness of a community is greatest when physical disturbances are of _____ intensity and frequency.
A) low
B) intermediate
C) high
D) variable
intermediate
Growth of a forest in an abandoned corn field is an example of _____.
A) primary succession
B) resource partitioning
C) secondary succession
D) competitive exclusion
secondary succession
In most ecosystems, the primary producers use energy from _____ to build organic compounds.
A) sunlight
B) heat
C) breakdown of wastes and remains
D) breakdown of inorganic substances in the habitat
sunlight
Organisms at the lowest trophic level in a tallgrass prairie are all _____.
A) two steps away from the original energy input B) autotrophs C) heterotrophs D) both A and B E) both A and C
autotrophs
All organisms at the top trophic level _____.
A) capture energy from a nonliving source
B) obtain carbon from a nonliving source
C) would be at the top of an energy pyramid
D) all of the above
would be at the top of an energy pyramid
Efficiency of energy transfers in aquatic ecosystems is typically higher than in land ecosystems because _____.
A) aquatic food webs include more endotherms
B) algae do not make lignin
C) primary production cannot occur in water
D) all of the above
algae do not make lignin
Primary productivity is affected by _____.
A) nutrient availability
B) amount of sunlight
C) temperature
D) all of the above
all of the above
Most of Earth’s freshwater is _____.
A) in lakes and streams
B) in aquifers and soil
C) frozen as ice
D) in bodies of organisms
frozen as ice
Earth’s largest carbon reservoir is _____.
A) the atmosphere
B) sediments and rocks
C) seawater
D) living organisms
sediments and rocks
Carbon is released into the atmosphere by _____.
A) photosynthesis
B) the greenhouse effect
C) burning fossil fuels
D) fertilizer use
burning fossil fuels
Nitrogen fixation converts _____ to _____.
A) nitrogen gas; ammonia B) nitrates; nitrites C) ammonia; nitrogen gas D) ammonia; nitrates E) nitrogen gas; nitrogen oxides
nitrogen gas; ammonia
Burning fossil fuels releases _____ into the air.
A) carbon dioxide
B) nitrous oxide
C) phosphates
D) A and B
carbon dioxide
The _____ cycle is a sedimentary cycle.
A) phosphorus
B) carbon
C) nitrogen
D) water
phosphorus
Earth’s largest phosphorus reservoir is _____.
A) the atmosphere
B) the ocean
C) sedimentary rock
D) living organisms
sedimentary rock
Plant growth requires uptake of _____ from the soil.
A) nitrogen B) carbon C) phosphorus D) both A and C E) all of the above
both A and C
The Northern Hemisphere is most tilted toward the sun on the _____.
A) March equinox
B) September equinox
C) June solstice
D) December solstice
June solstice
Which latitude will have the most hours of daylight on the summer solstice?
A) 0º (the equator)
B) 30º north
C) 45º north
D) 60º north
60º north
Warm air _____ and it holds _____ water than cold air.
A) sinks; less
B) rises; less
C) sinks; more
D)rises; more
rises; more
A rain shadow is a reduction in rainfall _____.
A) on the inland side of a coastal mountain range
B) during an El Niño event
C) that results from global warming
on the inland side of a coastal mountain range
The Gulf Stream is a current that flows _____ along the _____ coast of the United States.
A) north to south; east
B) north to south; west
C) south to north; east
D) south to north; west
south to north; east
Biome distribution depends on _____.
A) climate
B) elevation
C) soils
D) all of the above
all of the above
Unrelated species in geographically separated parts of a biome may resemble one another as a result of _____.
A) morphological divergence
B) morphological convergence
C) resource partitioning
D) coevolution
morphological convergence
_____ have a deep layer of nutrient-rich topsoil.
A) Deserts
B) Grasslands
C) Rain forests
D) Seamounts
Grasslands
Grasslands most often are found _____.
A) at 30º north and south
B) at high altitudes
C) in interior of continents
D) where fire is rare
in interior of continents
Warm, still water holds _____ oxygen than cold, fast-flowing water.
A) more
B) less
less
Corals rely on symbiotic _____ for sugars.
A) fungi
B) amoebas
C) dinoflagellates
D) green algae
dinoflagellates
Chemoautotrophic bacteria and archaea are the main primary producers for food webs _____.
A) in mangrove wetlands
B) at seamounts
C) on coral reefs
D) at hydrothermal vents
at hydrothermal vents
