Quiz 1 Flashcards
Who was the first person to use the term “ecology” (oekologie)?
Ernst Haeckel
The word “ecology” is derived in part from the Greek word for oikos. What does this word mean?
house
Which of the following describes a fundamental difference between natural history and ecology?
Natural history rarely involves the systematic collection of quantitative data; ecology considers data collection essential
Which of the following statements best describes a butterfly collector who travels the world looking for unusual specimens to capture and display?
The collector is a natural historian.
Which of the following statements describes a defining characteristic of ecological studies?
They involve the collection of quantitative data.
In which of the following is there a high level of O3?
the ozone layer
Ecosystems are defined as interactions among species and environmental factors over a large spatial scale.
1) True
Photoautotrophs release H2O as a metabolic byproduct
True
The thickness of the troposphere may vary seasonally
True
. Precision refers to the repeatability of an observation or measurement.
True
In a herd of wild horses, dominant individuals frequently chase lower-ranking individuals from areas where the grasses are most nutritious. What is the name of this type of ecological interaction?
. intraspecific competition
Which of the following terms refers to a group of individuals of the same species occupying a given area at a given time?
a population
Which of the following organisms were likely the first photosynthetic organisms on earth?
cyanobacteria
Which of the following conditions will be the ultimate cause of the erosion of the Colburg Penninsula?
global warming and sea level rise.
Which of the following factors exerts constraints on the fundamental niche?
. biological interactions
Which of the following characteristics is common for early successional communities?
. They are phosphorus limited
Which of the following substances is the greenhouse gas that has the greatest effect on global warming?
H2O
Which of the following aquatic biomes has the highest productivity?
coral reefs
Which species of cattail is becoming a problem in Rithet’s Bog?
Typha x glauca
hich of the following is a defining characteristic of a “flow through” system?
It is not self-sustaining
Which of the following forms of energy is in sunlight?
electromagnetic
Which of the following best describes the type of energy stored in a biochemical such as glucose?
potential
Which of the following states of energy is associated with photons?
electromagnetic
Which of the following forms of radiation has the longest wavelength?
. radio waves
Which of the following forms of radiation has the lowest density of energy per wavelength?
. microwaves
Which of the following is a characteristic of all objects with a surface temperature >–273oC?
They radiate electromagnetic energy.
Which of the following is the best estimate of the average surface temperature of Earth?
15C
Which of the following are two forms of kinetic energy?
thermal and mechanical
Which of the following is a type of kinetic energy?
. thermal
A spontaneous transformation of energy from one state to another requires which of the following conditions?
entropy in the universe is increased
Which of the following substances is the greenhouse gas that has the greatest effect on global warming?
. H2O
Which of the following substances is the only greenhouse gas that has NOT been increasing over the last several centuries?
. H2O
Which of the following ecosystems would likely experience the most intense effects of global warming?
the arctic
Which of the following aquatic biomes has the highest productivity
coral reefs
Which of the following equations describes the relationship between production and productivity?
. production = productivity X area
In which of the following ecosystems does the biomass of dead organic matter exceed the biomass of living matter?
bog
Which of the following patterns of biomass allocation is typical in a small, long-lived arctic plant such as the mountain avens?
. Most of the biomass exists as attached dead foliage.
Which of the following factors is the basis of the microbial loop in a marine euphotic food web?
. dissolved and particulate organic matter
In which of the following ecosystems is the biomass of a higher trophic level likely to exceed the biomass of a lower trophic level?
one with seasonal variation in the density of herbivores
Which of the following is the most important reason why a savannah ecosystem can support more top-level predators than a tundra ecosystem can
The savannah is a more productive ecosystem than the tundra.
Which of the following chemicals is a plant macronutrient?
d. potassium
Which of the following chemicals is not a plant micronutrient?
. potassium
Which of the following forms of nitrogen can be absorbed and used by the widest range of organisms?
. NH4+
Which of the following statements best defines the “principle of limiting factors” as it applies to nutrient cycling?
. The environmental factor in least supply controls productivity.
Which of the following units are used to measure nutrient fluxes?
mass per area per time
Which of the following situations represents an input of nutrients into an ecosystem?
feces deposited by migrating geese
Which of the following processes is critical for making minerals in rocks available for biological uptake?
. becoming water-soluble
Which of the following classes of chemicals is not available for biological uptake?
insoluble precipitates
Which of the following elements is the most abundant constituent of the dry biomass of organisms?
. C
Which of the following forms of carbon is the most abundant in the atmosphere?
CO2
Suppose a researcher establishes stations in several locations around the world for the continuous monitoring of atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Which of the following stations would record the greatest variation in atmospheric CO2 concentration during one year?
. one that is located in the arctic
Which of the following terms refers to the dead plant biomass that accumulates under anaerobic conditions?
peat
Which of the following countries has the lowest per capita emissions of CO2?
. China
Which of the following conditions has contributed significantly to recent increases in atmospheric concentrations of CH4?
increased populations of ruminant livestock
Which of the following statements best explains why N2 gas is not biologically available to most organisms?
In N2 gas, the atoms are joined by a triple bond that is difficult to break.
Which of the following occurrences is a significant abiotic cause of nitrogen fixation?
. lightning
Which of the following nitrogen compounds acts as a substrate for Nitrobacter bacteria
NO2–
Which of the following explains the most important reason why phosphorous is often the limiting factor for primary productivity?
There is relatively little of it in most ecosystems.
Which of the following substances is the major form in which sulphur occurs in rocks and soil?
metal sulphides
Which of the following is a major natural source of sulphur dioxide?
Volcanoes
Which of the following statements explains why human infants are more susceptible to nitrate poisoning than adults?
Infants’ stomachs are relatively acidic, causing nitrate to convert to nitrite.
Which of the following substances has a mostly biogenic (biological) origin?
CaCO3
Which of the following describes a key characteristic of humus?
It contains organic molecules such as humic acids
Which of the following parent materials give rise to soil with the poorest drainage?
Clay
Which of the following components makes the smallest contribution, on a fractional basis, to the composition of loam?
Clay
Which of the following words is the generic term for a layer within the soil?
. horizon
Which of the following differences between litter and humus is critical?
. Humus is more highly decomposed than litter.
Which of the following terms is a synonym for leaching?
eluvation
Which of the following statements describes a key difference between brunisol and podzol?
Podzol develops under coniferous forests, and brunisol develops under hardwood
In the context of environmental factors, which of the following words is a synonym for abiotic?
. inorganic
Which of the following statements accurately describes the distribution of endemic species?
There are more endemics in the tropics than in temperate areas because the tropics are older than temperate areas.
Select all the forests in Canada that are rare and/or threatened?
Garry oak-dominated forest on Vancouver Island
Which of the following provides the best definition of an ecotone?
a rapid or gradual transitional zone between two ecological communities
Which of the following statements best represents Clements’s view of community structure?
The community is a highly organized and integrated entity.
Regarding the structure of ecological communities, most modern ecologists hold which of the following viewpoints?
Both viewpoints are somewhat correct, but the Gleasonian model is more correct than the Clementsian model.
Which of the following describes a fundamental difference between commensalism and mutualism?
Mutualism benefits both parties, but commensalism benefits one party.
Beavers build dams that make ponds in streams, thus creating habitat for insects to lay their eggs. Which of the following terms describes the type of relationship between the beavers and insects?
commensal
Which of the following examples represents a functional group within a community?
decomposers
Which of the following types of plants has a reproductive strategy that favours the production of many small seeds
ruderals
In regard to rank-abundance data, which of the following options explains the fundamental difference between (i) the logarithmic series and (ii) the log-normal distribution?
(i) The x-axis is on an arithmetic scale; (ii) the x-axis is on a logarithmic scale.
Consider a tropical reef that has been disturbed and is being recolonized. If the fish species invading the disturbed site are similar in their competitive abilities, growth rate, tolerance of local conditions, etc., which of the following describes a likely outcome?
The resulting fish community will have high diversity.
Consider two species that overlap in niche space along a particular axis. If more axes are taken into account, what will likely happen to the degree of overlap between the two species?
The apparent niche overlap will be reduced.
According to this experiment, which of the following statements accurately describes Species A and B in terms of their realized niche?
Species A controls the realized niche of Species B.
Referring to this experiment, which of the following changes directly results from resource partitioning?
an increase in the number of species that can coexist
Which of the following types of species tend to dominate in a low-disturbance community?
ones that are competitive
Which of the following organisms defines an ecological community?
the dominant vegetation
Which of the following statements is consistent with the community unit hypothesis?
The ecotone would be narrow, and adjacent communities would have few species in common.
Which of the following statements best represents Gleason’s view of community structure?
The community is a coincidental assemblage of species with similar requirements.
Which of the following statements most accurately represents the factors that affect the structuring of ecological communities
Biotic factors are more important than abiotic factors.!!!!?????!??!??!?!??!?
Beavers build dams that make ponds in streams, thus creating habitat for insects to lay their eggs. Which of the following terms describes the type of relationship between the beavers and insects?
commensal
Which of the following examples represents a functional group within a community?
decomposers
Which of the following types of plants has a reproductive strategy that favours the production of many small seeds?
ruderals
According to the centrifugal organization model, which of the following characteristics is the major determinant of the number of plant species in a community?
species diversity in peripheral habitats
Which of the following equations states the correct relationship among the terms listed?
(a) (b)
(c) (d)
Suppose you want to determine the number of plant species in a particular community. You sample several plots and record any new species observed in that plot. Which of the figures above describes the relationship between number of samples taken and total number of species observed?
species diversity + richness = biodiversity
richness + evenness = diversity
species diversity + evenness = biodiversity
diversity + evenness = richness
Consider a forest ecosystem in North America. Which of the following characteristics can be considered an emergent property of the ecosystem?
the interactions among species of invertebrates in the leaf litter
Which of the following is a defining characteristic of an emergent property of an ecosystem?
one that cannot be predicted by examining the components of an ecosystem
Which of the following statements describes the critical difference between a hypothesis and a theory?
An hypothesis is a specific, narrow explanation; a theory explains a large set of phenomena
Which of the following statements describes a key characteristic of chemicals that bioconcentrate?
They are fat soluble.
Which of the following terrestrial biomes has the highest productivity?
wetlands
Which of the following is the major source of sulphur dioxide?
Industrial Activity
Match the colour with its pigment (use the number).
4 (4) red \_\_3\_\_ green \_\_1\_\_ (1) orange \_\_2\_\_ yellow 1. Carotinoids 2. Xanthophylls 3. Chlorophylls 4. Anthocyanins
Which is the correct name for an enzyme found in photosynthesis: UNESCO, DISCO, RUBISCO or RUBESCO?
What does the C stand for in the enzymes name?
What does the O stand for in the enzymes name?
What process do the O side chains contribute to the plant?
RUBISCO, carboxylase, oxygenase, photorespiration)
What is the Jolly Green Giant if his skin has chlorophyll?
Photoheterotroph
Match the life cycle stage to its number on the diagram of a dinoflagellate
Match the life cycle stage to its number on the diagram of a dinoflagellate. \_\_2\_\_ Sexual Stage \_\_4\_\_ Spore Stage \_\_1\_\_ Clonal Stage \_\_3\_\_ (3) Zygote Stage
Match the trophic biology with the metabolic group. Use the numbers.
1) Photoautotrophs
2) Photoheterotrophs
3) Chemoautotrophs
4) Chemoheterotrophs
__2__ (2) Purple and green photosynthetic bacteria.
__3_ (3) Sulphur and iron oxidizing bacteria, most methanogens.
__4__ Most bacteria (such as E. coli), fungus and animals.
__1__ Plants, algae, cyanobacteria, purple and green sulphur bacteria.
