Exam 4: Adaptations to Variable Environments

When the protist Euplotes detects predators, it grows "wings" and other projections to discourage predators. However, developing the projections and wings slows down growth. This is an example of I. phenotypic trade-offs. II. phenotypic plasticity. III. inbreeding depression.

Which shows the order of phenotypically plastic traits from those that typically respond most rapidly to those that typically respond least rapidly?

-A forager that selects food type based on a balance of the energy provided, handling time, and abundance displays

Phenotypic plasticity

A scientist is studying a bird that forages for worms and takes them back to its nest. If the relation between search time and the number of prey caught remains constant but the scientist moves the food closer, what change in the bird's behaviour would central-place foraging predict?

Use the concept of phenotypic trade-offs to explain how foraging behaviour is a type of adaptive phenotypic plasticity.

Under which of the following situations would the plastic genotype be favoured over other genotypes? I. if all environments have predators II. if no environments have predators III. if environments with predators are as common as environments without predators

If a goldfish is acclimated at 25°C, at which temperature would we expect the fish to swim fastest?

Which lists the correct order from events that affect the smallest spatial scale to events that affect the largest spatial scale?

Consider an area in which plants change from one group of species to another group of species over a distance of 20 cm. How might this scale of variation affect two herbivores- aphids (very small insects) and moose (large mammals)?

A heron, a large wading bird, is hunting in a pond that contains three types of prey: fish, frogs, and snakes. All three types of prey are abundant and provide the same amount of energy to the heron. The heron has the highest handling time capturing fish, an intermediate handling time capturing snakes, and the lowest handling time capturing frogs. What prey item would foraging theory predict that the heron should catch most frequently?

One cost of self-fertilization in the absence of mates is

What form of dormancy do mammals use to conserve energy and survive seasons during which they are unable to obtain food?

Topic: Many organisms have evolved adaptations to variable abiotic conditions. Level: medium

When a given phenotype has higher fitness in one environment and different phenotypes have higher fitness in other environments, this is considered to be

Which of the following are phenotypically plastic responses of plants to reduced water availability? I. develop trichomes and produce more glucosinolate II. close stomata in leaves III. increase the root/shoot ratio

Experimental studies found that increased CO₂ caused some types of plants to increase their overall growth rates. What aspect of phenotypic plasticity contributed to the increase in growth rate?

Explain why many prey species reduce activity when they detect predators but have high activity when they do not detect predators.

Some individuals exhibit adaptive phenotypic plasticity in response to competition from members of their own species. Why would food availability probably be a more reliable cue than the number of conspecifics about the amount of competition for food?

Consider the nearby figure, which shows how Virginia pepperweed responds to herbivores. Which of the following conclusions can we make solely using the data shown? I. Plants increased glucosinolate production when aphids were present. II. Plants with more glucosinolate and trichomes had fewer aphids. III. Producing glucosinolate and trichomes reduced plant fitness when aphids were absent.