Question 1

Which of the following statements about ecological pyramids is true?

Accepted Answer

A) Pyramids built upon the biomass of organisms at each level eliminate size as a factor. 
B) Energy gains between trophic levels occur based upon biomass conversion. 
C) The limited number of trophic levels in an ecological pyramid is due to increasing complexity and size of organisms at each greater trophic level. 
D) A pyramid of organism numbers will always have a large base and a small top. 
E) None of the choices are true. 
A) Pyramids built upon the biomass of organisms at each level eliminate size as a factor. 
B) Energy gains between trophic levels occur based upon biomass conversion. 
C) The limited number of trophic levels in an ecological pyramid is due to increasing complexity and size of organisms at each greater trophic level. 
D) A pyramid of organism numbers will always have a large base and a small top. 
E) None of the choices are true.

Question 2

All of the conditions under which an organism could conceivably survive and reproduce constitute its

Accepted Answer

A) habitat. 
B) realized niche. 
C) fundamental niche. 
D) resource partition. 
A) habitat. 
B) realized niche. 
C) fundamental niche. 
D) resource partition.

Question 3

Which of the following is (are)correct in a predator-prey cycle?

Accepted Answer

A) A decline in the numbers of predators causes a decline in the number of prey. 
B) A decline in the numbers of prey causes a decline in the number of predators. 
C) An increase in the number of predators triggers an increase in the numbers of prey. 
D) All of these are correct,causing an up-and-down cycle for each animal. 
A) A decline in the numbers of predators causes a decline in the number of prey. 
B) A decline in the numbers of prey causes a decline in the number of predators. 
C) An increase in the number of predators triggers an increase in the numbers of prey. 
D) All of these are correct,causing an up-and-down cycle for each animal.

Question 4

In a grazing food chain,

Accepted Answer

A) primary consumers eat detritus. 
B) primary consumers eat photosynthetic organisms. 
C) secondary consumers eat detritus. 
D) secondary consumers eat photosynthetic organisms. 
E) all the consumers are primary consumers. 
A) primary consumers eat detritus. 
B) primary consumers eat photosynthetic organisms. 
C) secondary consumers eat detritus. 
D) secondary consumers eat photosynthetic organisms. 
E) all the consumers are primary consumers.

Question 5

The actual conditions under which an organism exists in nature constitute its

Accepted Answer

A) habitat. 
B) realized niche. 
C) fundamental niche. 
D) resource partition. 
A) habitat. 
B) realized niche. 
C) fundamental niche. 
D) resource partition.

Question 6

What occurs when two species with very similar niches live in an overlapping range?

Accepted Answer

A) speciation 
B) hypervolume 
C) competitive exclusion 
D) total extinction of one species 
E) a switch in habitat for one of the organisms 
A) speciation 
B) hypervolume 
C) competitive exclusion 
D) total extinction of one species 
E) a switch in habitat for one of the organisms

Question 7

Which of the following features is not part of the ecological niche of a white tailed deer?

Accepted Answer

A) The number of acorns it consumes during the fall. 
B) The availability of woods for it to use as cover in order to escape from predators. 
C) The presence of a water source within its habitat. 
D) All of these are part of a white tailed deer's ecological niche. 
A) The number of acorns it consumes during the fall. 
B) The availability of woods for it to use as cover in order to escape from predators. 
C) The presence of a water source within its habitat. 
D) All of these are part of a white tailed deer's ecological niche.

Question 8

Two communities may have exactly the same number of species,yet one might be measured as having a greater species diversity.Why?

Accepted Answer

A) composition or a listing of the various species in a community 
B) a community and all of the abiotic factors associated with it 
C) the native species plus the introduced species 
D) the potential number of species that should exist in a community minus the species that have gone locally extinct 
E) both the number of species and the evenness or relative abundance of individuals of the different species 
A) composition or a listing of the various species in a community 
B) a community and all of the abiotic factors associated with it 
C) the native species plus the introduced species 
D) the potential number of species that should exist in a community minus the species that have gone locally extinct 
E) both the number of species and the evenness or relative abundance of individuals of the different species

Question 9

Which of the following pairings of organisms and their method of obtaining nutrients is incorrect?

Accepted Answer

A) autotrophs - chemosynthesis 
B) herbivores - algae 
C) detritivores - inorganic matter 
D) carnivores - other animals 
A) autotrophs - chemosynthesis 
B) herbivores - algae 
C) detritivores - inorganic matter 
D) carnivores - other animals

Question 10

In order for a community to reach the status of climax community,succession must always begin with pioneer species.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

There are several species of grain beetles that live on dry meal and do considerable damage to stored grain.In an experiment,a dozen jars of dry meal are set up and fifty individuals of each species,both males and females,are added to each jar.The food supply is not quite sufficient to last for six months and the size of the jar is adequate so that wastes do not become toxic.Most likely,examination of the jars in six months will find

Accepted Answer

A) a totally random variation in numbers of both beetles. 
B) only one species per jar. 
C) the same ratio of beetles as when you started (about half from each species). 
D) only dead beetles in all jars due to intense competition for the niche. 
A) a totally random variation in numbers of both beetles. 
B) only one species per jar. 
C) the same ratio of beetles as when you started (about half from each species). 
D) only dead beetles in all jars due to intense competition for the niche.

Question 12

Primary succession takes much longer than secondary succession because it involves

Accepted Answer

A) colonization by more K-selected species. 
B) time for development of the soil. 
C) more time for development of a seed bank. 
D) colonization by organisms that are farther away. 
E) redevelopment of the atmospheric gases. 
A) colonization by more K-selected species. 
B) time for development of the soil. 
C) more time for development of a seed bank. 
D) colonization by organisms that are farther away. 
E) redevelopment of the atmospheric gases.

Question 13

The first species to begin secondary succession are called pioneer species,or colonizers.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

Which type of succession would occur after a volcanic eruption?

Accepted Answer

A) primary 
B) secondary 
C) tertiary 
D) There won't be any succession after a volcanic eruption 
A) primary 
B) secondary 
C) tertiary 
D) There won't be any succession after a volcanic eruption

Question 15

Which of the following statement(s)about the hydrologic cycle is (are)true?

Accepted Answer

A) Because this is a true cycle,it is impossible to run out of fresh water for human use. 
B) All water molecules that evaporate from the ocean precipitate on land and move by gravity through groundwater to the ocean again. 
C) Some water evaporates from land and from plants. 
D) Once water sinks into the ground,it is safe from human exploitation or pollution until it has rejoined the ocean. 
E) All of the choices are true. 
A) Because this is a true cycle,it is impossible to run out of fresh water for human use. 
B) All water molecules that evaporate from the ocean precipitate on land and move by gravity through groundwater to the ocean again. 
C) Some water evaporates from land and from plants. 
D) Once water sinks into the ground,it is safe from human exploitation or pollution until it has rejoined the ocean. 
E) All of the choices are true.

Question 16

Clements proposed the climax-pattern model of succession.Governing factors for this model include

Accepted Answer

A) climate. 
B) soil conditions. 
C) each successive community preparing the way for the next. 
D) All of the choices are correct. 
A) climate. 
B) soil conditions. 
C) each successive community preparing the way for the next. 
D) All of the choices are correct.

Question 17

The relationship between plants and their pollinators is a good example of parasitism.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

Excluding humans,which group of organisms is most likely to change the abiotic factors within an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

A) producers 
B) herbivores 
C) detritivores 
D) None of these can change the abiotic factors within an ecosystem. 
E) All of these can change the abiotic factors within an ecosystem. 
A) producers 
B) herbivores 
C) detritivores 
D) None of these can change the abiotic factors within an ecosystem. 
E) All of these can change the abiotic factors within an ecosystem.

Question 19

Ecologist Robert MacArthur observed that five species of similar warblers coexisted on spruce trees because they

Accepted Answer

A) ate different kinds of insects. 
B) cooperated in their foraging habits. 
C) foraged in different places of the tree canopy. 
D) were actually subspecies of the same species. 
E) were kept below the carrying capacity by predators. 
A) ate different kinds of insects. 
B) cooperated in their foraging habits. 
C) foraged in different places of the tree canopy. 
D) were actually subspecies of the same species. 
E) were kept below the carrying capacity by predators.

Question 20

Consider the following food chain: hawk - rabbit - clover.Each species will contain a different amount of calories in its body (clover: 10 calories,rabbit: 500 and hawk: 1200).Each species has a different daily caloric requirement (clover: sunlight,rabbit: 100 calories,hawk: 300). How many clover plants,per day,does it take to support a family of hawks (mom,dad and juvenile.Assume each hawk needs the same number of calories per day)?

Accepted Answer

A) approximately 1800 clover plants 
B) approximately 600 clover plants 
C) approximately 100 clover plants 
D) approximately 18,000 clover plants 
E) None,hawks do not eat clover plants. 
A) approximately 1800 clover plants 
B) approximately 600 clover plants 
C) approximately 100 clover plants 
D) approximately 18,000 clover plants 
E) None,hawks do not eat clover plants.

Exam 45: Community and Ecosystem Ecology

Which of the following statements about ecological pyramids is true?

All of the conditions under which an organism could conceivably survive and reproduce constitute its

Which of the following is (are)correct in a predator-prey cycle?

In a grazing food chain,

The actual conditions under which an organism exists in nature constitute its

What occurs when two species with very similar niches live in an overlapping range?

Which of the following features is not part of the ecological niche of a white tailed deer?

Two communities may have exactly the same number of species,yet one might be measured as having a greater species diversity.Why?

Which of the following pairings of organisms and their method of obtaining nutrients is incorrect?

In order for a community to reach the status of climax community,succession must always begin with pioneer species.

Primary succession takes much longer than secondary succession because it involves

The first species to begin secondary succession are called pioneer species,or colonizers.

Which type of succession would occur after a volcanic eruption?

Which of the following statement(s)about the hydrologic cycle is (are)true?

Clements proposed the climax-pattern model of succession.Governing factors for this model include

The relationship between plants and their pollinators is a good example of parasitism.

Excluding humans,which group of organisms is most likely to change the abiotic factors within an ecosystem?

Ecologist Robert MacArthur observed that five species of similar warblers coexisted on spruce trees because they

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