Question 1

In both northern California and southwestern Ohio, the greatest number of bird species was found

Accepted Answer

A)  in urban centers. 
B)  in golf courses. 
C)  in rural areas. 
D)  in urban centers and rural areas but not in areas of intermediate land use intensity. 
E)  Bird species richness did not vary along gradients of land use intensity. 
A)  in urban centers. 
B)  in golf courses. 
C)  in rural areas. 
D)  in urban centers and rural areas but not in areas of intermediate land use intensity. 
E)  Bird species richness did not vary along gradients of land use intensity. B

Question 2

A simple tree community consists of 4 maples, 3 oaks, and 1 alder. The species richness of this community is

Accepted Answer

A)  0.42. 
B)  0.97. 
C)  1.5. 
D)  3. 
E)  not possible to calculate from the data given. 
A)  0.42. 
B)  0.97. 
C)  1.5. 
D)  3. 
E)  not possible to calculate from the data given. D

Question 3

In the Amazon forest, slight changes in soil properties tend to be correlated with

Accepted Answer

A)  similarly slight differences in plant communities. 
B)  no detectable differences in plant communities. 
C)  dramatic differences in plant communities. 
D)  dramatic differences in plant communities only if the soil property in question is moisture. 
E)  dramatic differences in plant communities only if the soil property in question is bedrock type. 
A)  similarly slight differences in plant communities. 
B)  no detectable differences in plant communities. 
C)  dramatic differences in plant communities. 
D)  dramatic differences in plant communities only if the soil property in question is moisture. 
E)  dramatic differences in plant communities only if the soil property in question is bedrock type. C

Question 4

In terrestrial soils, local patches with high water availability and local patches with high nitrate availability often show rather little overlap.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

A community is defined as

Accepted Answer

A)  a group of organisms that all make their living in a similar way. 
B)  a group of individuals of a single species inhabiting a defined area. 
C)  the portion of a defined area that supports life. 
D)  a group of subpopulations living in separate locations with active exchange of individuals among subpopulations. 
E)  an association of interacting species inhabiting a defined area. 
A)  a group of organisms that all make their living in a similar way. 
B)  a group of individuals of a single species inhabiting a defined area. 
C)  the portion of a defined area that supports life. 
D)  a group of subpopulations living in separate locations with active exchange of individuals among subpopulations. 
E)  an association of interacting species inhabiting a defined area.

Question 6

Prairie dog disturbances maximize plant diversity

Accepted Answer

A)  by burrowing and grazing. 
B)  by creating patches open for dispersal. 
C)  by allowing good competitors and good colonizers to coexist in the grassland. 
D)  at intermediate levels. 
E)  All of the choices are correct. 
A)  by burrowing and grazing. 
B)  by creating patches open for dispersal. 
C)  by allowing good competitors and good colonizers to coexist in the grassland. 
D)  at intermediate levels. 
E)  All of the choices are correct.

Question 7

Niches of single-celled algae, such as diatoms, seem most often to be distinguished by their requirements for

Accepted Answer

A)  different combinations of inorganic nutrients. 
B)  different light environments. 
C)  different water-flow environments. 
D)  different water temperatures. 
E)  Most single-celled algae have indistinguishable niches. 
A)  different combinations of inorganic nutrients. 
B)  different light environments. 
C)  different water-flow environments. 
D)  different water temperatures. 
E)  Most single-celled algae have indistinguishable niches.

Question 8

When Preston graphed log2 of species abundance against the number of species in each abundance interval it resulted in what type distribution?

Accepted Answer

A)  Binomial 
B)  Lognormal 
C)  Normal 
D)  Uniform 
A)  Binomial 
B)  Lognormal 
C)  Normal 
D)  Uniform

Question 9

Given two habitats, Habitat 1 and Habitat 2, which habitat would have greater species diversity? Habitat 1: Species A, 10; Species B, 10; Species C, 10
Habitat 2: Species A, 10; Species B, 10; Species C, 10; Species D, 10; Species E, 10

Accepted Answer

A)  Habitat 1 
B)  Habitat 2 
C)  Neither; Habitat 1 and Habitat 2 have equal diversity 
D)  Neither; Habitat 1 and Habitat 2 have equal species richness 
E)  Neither; Habitat 1 and Habitat 2 have equal species evenness 
A)  Habitat 1 
B)  Habitat 2 
C)  Neither; Habitat 1 and Habitat 2 have equal diversity 
D)  Neither; Habitat 1 and Habitat 2 have equal species richness 
E)  Neither; Habitat 1 and Habitat 2 have equal species evenness

Question 10

A relatively discrete ecological event that kills or damages organisms or alters the physical or biological environment is called a ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A relatively discrete ecological event that kills...

Question 11

The most serious human-caused threat to endangered species worldwide is

Accepted Answer

A)  pollution. 
B)  the introduction of invasive species. 
C)  habitat destruction. 
D)  the pet trade. 
E)  None of the choices are correct. 
A)  pollution. 
B)  the introduction of invasive species. 
C)  habitat destruction. 
D)  the pet trade. 
E)  None of the choices are correct.

Question 12

In Leon Creek there are 5 species of fish. The species and the number of individuals in each species are as follows: 20 catfish, 15 gar, 12 large-mouth bass, 10 perch, and 2 striped bass. Calculate the Shannon-Wiener index value (H') for this fish community.

Accepted Answer

A)  -0.63 
B)  0.63 
C)  4.20 
D)  67.2 
E)  None of the choices are correct. 
A)  -0.63 
B)  0.63 
C)  4.20 
D)  67.2 
E)  None of the choices are correct.

Question 13

In most ecological communities, we find

Accepted Answer

A)  more rare species than moderately common or very common ones. 
B)  more very common species than moderately common or rare ones. 
C)  no rare species-apparently "rare" species are artifacts of incomplete sampling. 
D)  roughly equal proportions of rare, moderately common, and very common species. 
E)  more moderately common species than rare or very common ones. 
A)  more rare species than moderately common or very common ones. 
B)  more very common species than moderately common or rare ones. 
C)  no rare species-apparently "rare" species are artifacts of incomplete sampling. 
D)  roughly equal proportions of rare, moderately common, and very common species. 
E)  more moderately common species than rare or very common ones.

Question 14

Robert MacArthur's study of forest warblers suggested that

Accepted Answer

A)  fewer warbler species can survive in more complex habitats. 
B)  warbler species diversity increases with habitat complexity. 
C)  warbler species diversity decreases with habitat complexity. 
D)  most warblers have rather similar foraging niches. 
E)  None of the choices are correct. 
A)  fewer warbler species can survive in more complex habitats. 
B)  warbler species diversity increases with habitat complexity. 
C)  warbler species diversity decreases with habitat complexity. 
D)  most warblers have rather similar foraging niches. 
E)  None of the choices are correct.

Question 15

Winter storms can affect diversity on intertidal boulders because

Accepted Answer

A)  cold water temperatures kill algae and invertebrates. 
B)  some invertebrates are more vulnerable than others to being dislodged by currents. 
C)  desiccation of exposed invertebrates by unusually high winds is an important source of mortality. 
D)  strong storm waves overturn boulders and thereby accelerate competitive exclusion. 
E)  strong storm waves overturn boulders and thereby remove competitive dominants. 
A)  cold water temperatures kill algae and invertebrates. 
B)  some invertebrates are more vulnerable than others to being dislodged by currents. 
C)  desiccation of exposed invertebrates by unusually high winds is an important source of mortality. 
D)  strong storm waves overturn boulders and thereby accelerate competitive exclusion. 
E)  strong storm waves overturn boulders and thereby remove competitive dominants.

Question 16

In soil and water fertilization experiments, increasing fertilization tends to reduce the number of limiting resources for plant growth until a single resource limits growth of all species. This "ultimate" limiting resource tends to be

Accepted Answer

A)  carbon. 
B)  oxygen. 
C)  phosphorus. 
D)  nitrogen. 
E)  light. 
A)  carbon. 
B)  oxygen. 
C)  phosphorus. 
D)  nitrogen. 
E)  light.

Question 17

In Michael Huston's studies of Costa Rican forest diversity, the highest tree diversity was found on soils with

Accepted Answer

A)  very high fertility. 
B)  moderate fertility. 
C)  very low fertility. 
D)  either high or low, but not moderate, fertility. 
E)  There was no relationship between diversity and soil fertility. 
A)  very high fertility. 
B)  moderate fertility. 
C)  very low fertility. 
D)  either high or low, but not moderate, fertility. 
E)  There was no relationship between diversity and soil fertility.

Question 18

In the Grass Park Experiment, researchers have fertilized a grassland at the Rothamsted Experimental Station in Great Britain since 1856. Sampling for species diversity through time shows that rank-abundance curves have gotten ________ over time, indicating ________ species evenness.

Accepted Answer

A)  steeper; increasing 
B)  steeper; decreasing 
C)  more shallow; increasing 
D)  more shallow; decreasing 
E)  Rank-abundance curves have not changed through time. 
A)  steeper; increasing 
B)  steeper; decreasing 
C)  more shallow; increasing 
D)  more shallow; decreasing 
E)  Rank-abundance curves have not changed through time.

Question 19

Odegaard's study estimating the number of tropical forest beetles illustrates that sampling from multiple sites

Accepted Answer

A)  is not affected by the sampling effort devoted to estimation. 
B)  usually requires only limited effort by ecologists. 
C)  can usually be made more easily by sampling only a single indicator taxon. 
D)  is intensively all that is necessary to calculate species diversity. 
E)  must, to be useful, be based on standardized sampling techniques. 
A)  is not affected by the sampling effort devoted to estimation. 
B)  usually requires only limited effort by ecologists. 
C)  can usually be made more easily by sampling only a single indicator taxon. 
D)  is intensively all that is necessary to calculate species diversity. 
E)  must, to be useful, be based on standardized sampling techniques.

Question 20

Which of the following statements correctly represents the variation seen between the niches for forest birds and that of algae and plants?

Accepted Answer

A)  Increased foliage height diversity reduces bird species diversity; algae niches are defined by their nutrients. 
B)  Algae species use nutrients at the same rates; bird species diversity increases with foliage height diversity. 
C)  Environmental complexity for plants is based on nutrient availability, moisture, and pH; bird species diversity increases with foliage height diversity. 
D)  Increased foliage height diversity reduces bird species diversity; algae niches are defined by fish diversity. 
A)  Increased foliage height diversity reduces bird species diversity; algae niches are defined by their nutrients. 
B)  Algae species use nutrients at the same rates; bird species diversity increases with foliage height diversity. 
C)  Environmental complexity for plants is based on nutrient availability, moisture, and pH; bird species diversity increases with foliage height diversity. 
D)  Increased foliage height diversity reduces bird species diversity; algae niches are defined by fish diversity.

Exam 16: Species Abundance and Diversity

In both northern California and southwestern Ohio, the greatest number of bird species was found

A simple tree community consists of 4 maples, 3 oaks, and 1 alder. The species richness of this community is

In the Amazon forest, slight changes in soil properties tend to be correlated with

In terrestrial soils, local patches with high water availability and local patches with high nitrate availability often show rather little overlap.

A community is defined as

Prairie dog disturbances maximize plant diversity

Niches of single-celled algae, such as diatoms, seem most often to be distinguished by their requirements for

When Preston graphed log2 of species abundance against the number of species in each abundance interval it resulted in what type distribution?

Given two habitats, Habitat 1 and Habitat 2, which habitat would have greater species diversity? Habitat 1: Species A, 10; Species B, 10; Species C, 10 Habitat 2: Species A, 10; Species B, 10; Species C, 10; Species D, 10; Species E, 10

A relatively discrete ecological event that kills or damages organisms or alters the physical or biological environment is called a ________.

The most serious human-caused threat to endangered species worldwide is

In Leon Creek there are 5 species of fish. The species and the number of individuals in each species are as follows: 20 catfish, 15 gar, 12 large-mouth bass, 10 perch, and 2 striped bass. Calculate the Shannon-Wiener index value (H') for this fish community.

In most ecological communities, we find

Robert MacArthur's study of forest warblers suggested that

Winter storms can affect diversity on intertidal boulders because

In soil and water fertilization experiments, increasing fertilization tends to reduce the number of limiting resources for plant growth until a single resource limits growth of all species. This "ultimate" limiting resource tends to be

In Michael Huston's studies of Costa Rican forest diversity, the highest tree diversity was found on soils with

In the Grass Park Experiment, researchers have fertilized a grassland at the Rothamsted Experimental Station in Great Britain since 1856. Sampling for species diversity through time shows that rank-abundance curves have gotten ________ over time, indicating ________ species evenness.

Odegaard's study estimating the number of tropical forest beetles illustrates that sampling from multiple sites

Which of the following statements correctly represents the variation seen between the niches for forest birds and that of algae and plants?

Introduction to Ecology: Historical Foundations and Developing Frontiers

Life on Land

Life in Water

Population Genetics and Natural Selection

Temperature Relations

Water Relations

Energy and Nutrient Relations

Social Relations

Population Distribution and Abundance

Population Dynamics

Population Growth

Life Histories

Competition

Exploitative Interactions: Predation, Herbivory, Parasitism, and Disease

Mutualism

Species Interactions and Community Structure

Primary Production and Energy Flow

Nutrient Cycling and Retention

Succession and Stability

Landscape Ecology

Geographic Ecology

Global Ecology

Filters

When Preston graphed log₂ of species abundance against the number of species in each abundance interval it resulted in what type distribution?

In the Grass Park Experiment, researchers have fertilized a grassland at the Rothamsted Experimental Station in Great Britain since 1856. Sampling for species diversity through time shows that rank-abundance curves have gotten over time, indicating species evenness.