Exam 1: Introduction: Ecology, Evolution, and the Scientific Method

What method is used to increase experimental reliability?

Because it is difficult to experiment on large ecological systems, researchers often replicate the essential features of a system in smaller, simplified laboratory or field settings known as

Natural selection tends to result in individuals of a species that

Explain the difference between organisms identified as decomposers and those identified as detritivores.

Many warm-blooded organisms must maintain a constant temperature that is commonly warmer than their surroundings. What is the cost associated with maintaining the dynamic steady state, and how is this cost met?

Which would be the most informative about the reliability of data gathered in an experiment?

Which ecological level would be of most interest to an ecologist studying adaptations?

A scientist hypothesizes that the larvae of a particular species of swallowtail butterfly uses olfaction (the sense of smell) to locate their preferred host plants in the carrot family. To test the hypothesis, the scientist uses extracts from various plants-including some from the carrot family-to moisten small pieces of paper arranged randomly under a wire screen. Swallowtail larvae are released on the wire screen but cannot come into direct physical contact with the pieces of paper. What is the advantage of this experiment compared to simply presenting the larvae with a choice among various plants?

Explain why a species with a very limited niche is particularly susceptible to human influences.

The boundaries of communities are

Fishermen living along the North Pacific Rim felt threatened by increased populations of sea otters because sea otters consume commercially valuable abalone, sea urchins, and spiny lobster. What beneficial aspect of sea otter ecology did these fishermen ignore?

Which level of ecological hierarchy includes the movement of water and air?

The law of conservation of matter states that matter cannot be destroyed. Why, then, are we concerned about the depletion of resources?

To better understand what happens in an aquatic system (freshwater lake) when exposed to acid deposition (acid rain), an ecologist would likely look at the lake from the

Plants and animals exchange energy and materials with their physical environments. These exchanges occur across surfaces. In animals, surfaces tend to be internal, while in plants, surfaces tend to be external. Discuss the principal reason for this important difference.

Blue-green algae are

In evolution by natural selection, which of the following is true?

Which of the following is NOT a property used in the study of populations?

In a dynamic steady state

Which is the best action if an experiment does not support a hypothesis?