Question 1

Decline of a predator population in an area affects only the prey population on which it feeds.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

Niche and habitat have the same meaning.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 3

Close interactions that have evolved over time between species are called:

Accepted Answer

A) niches. 
B) resource partitioning. 
C) interspecific competition. 
D) metapopulations. 
E) symbioses. 
A) niches. 
B) resource partitioning. 
C) interspecific competition. 
D) metapopulations. 
E) symbioses.

Question 4

Barnacles on the bellies of whales or on the shells of mollusks are examples of:

Accepted Answer

A) mutualism. 
B) predation. 
C) commensalism. 
D) amensalism. 
E) parasitism. 
A) mutualism. 
B) predation. 
C) commensalism. 
D) amensalism. 
E) parasitism.

Question 5

If the biomass that can be supported in higher trophic levels is dependent on the number of primary producers, then the diversity should increase as latitude decreases.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

Primary productivity is affected by the availability of:

Accepted Answer

A) sunlight. 
B) water. 
C) nutrients. 
D) sunlight and nutrients. 
E) sunlight, water, and nutrients. 
A) sunlight. 
B) water. 
C) nutrients. 
D) sunlight and nutrients. 
E) sunlight, water, and nutrients.

Question 7

Measuring its costs and benefits in terms of energy spent and/or gained, which interaction(s) involve at least one individual gaining?

Accepted Answer

A) competition 
B) predation 
C) obligate mutualism 
D) facultative mutualism 
E) commensalism 
A) competition 
B) predation 
C) obligate mutualism 
D) facultative mutualism 
E) commensalism

Question 8

Interactions that involve a gain for both participants are called:

Accepted Answer

A) competitions. 
B) mutualisms. 
C) antagonisms. 
D) commensalisms. 
E) parasitisms. 
A) competitions. 
B) mutualisms. 
C) antagonisms. 
D) commensalisms. 
E) parasitisms.

Question 9

The volcanic oceanic island of Krakatoa is located in Indonesia. In 1883, this island experienced a massive volcanic explosion that killed most of the plants and animals living on the island. For the following set of organisms, indicate the order in which you would expect the number of species on the island to return to the pre-eruption equilibrium number.

Accepted Answer

A) lizards, birds, butterflies, beetles 
B) birds, lizards, butterflies, beetles 
C) birds, butterflies, lizards, beetles 
D) birds, butterflies, beetles, lizards 
A) lizards, birds, butterflies, beetles 
B) birds, lizards, butterflies, beetles 
C) birds, butterflies, lizards, beetles 
D) birds, butterflies, beetles, lizards

Question 10

The bacterial species Staphylococus aureus is found on the skin and in the nasal passages of about 20% of the human population. In healthy individuals, S. aureus is benign (does not cause harm) in these locations. However, if it is introduced into the bloodstream through, for example, a wound, it can make a person gravely ill. Thus, the ecological relationship of S. aureus with a human:

Accepted Answer

A) can be mutualistic or antagonistic. 
B) is always antagonistic. 
C) is always mutualistic. 
D) is fixed or unchanging. 
E) is benign. 
A) can be mutualistic or antagonistic. 
B) is always antagonistic. 
C) is always mutualistic. 
D) is fixed or unchanging. 
E) is benign.

Question 11

Nutrient cycling through ecosystems can be depicted using a(n):

Accepted Answer

A) Calvin cycle. 
B) food chain. 
C) food web. 
D) trophic pyramid. 
E) ecosystem. 
A) Calvin cycle. 
B) food chain. 
C) food web. 
D) trophic pyramid. 
E) ecosystem.

Question 12

Many facultative mutualisms probably began as obligate relationships.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

G. Evelyn Hutchinson's definition of a niche is unique in that it described the niche:

Accepted Answer

A) only in terms of an organism's habitat. 
B) in terms of how an organism functions in its environment. 
C) as a combination of an organism's habitat and how that organism functions in its environment. 
A) only in terms of an organism's habitat. 
B) in terms of how an organism functions in its environment. 
C) as a combination of an organism's habitat and how that organism functions in its environment.

Question 14

Five species of ants can be found on aspen sunflowers (Helianthella quinquenervis), which live in wet mountain meadows of the Rocky Mountains. The aspen sunflowers provide nectar to the ants in special structures called extrafloral nectaries. The ants, in turn, protect the sunflowers from other insects. The ants, however, are not found solely on the sunflowers-they can be found tending aphids on other flower species and collecting nectar from other species as well. This, then, is an example of a(n):

Accepted Answer

A) obligate mutualism. 
B) obligate antagonism. 
C) facultative mutualism. 
D) facultative antagonism. 
E) None of the answer options is correct. 
A) obligate mutualism. 
B) obligate antagonism. 
C) facultative mutualism. 
D) facultative antagonism. 
E) None of the answer options is correct.

Question 15

In general, a species' _____ niche will be smaller than its _____ niche due to interactions with other organisms in the community.

Accepted Answer

A) realized; fundamental 
B) fundamental; realized 
C) ecological; multidimensional 
D) realized; multidimensional 
E) multidimensional; fundamental 
A) realized; fundamental 
B) fundamental; realized 
C) ecological; multidimensional 
D) realized; multidimensional 
E) multidimensional; fundamental

Question 16

Tropical leafcutter ants collect leaf cuttings which they transport to special underground chambers. There, they chew the leaves to create nursery beds on which they grow a species of fungus they use for food. When ant queens disperse to establish new colonies, they carry the fungus with them, dispersing it as well (this benefits the fungus). In the ants' nest, the fungus is at risk of being destroyed by another fungal species that is able to grow in the same habitat, using the same limited resources. On their bodies, the ants carry and provide a home for bacteria that produces antibiotics the ants use to kill this second fungus and thereby protect their food supply. In this system, the relationship between the leafcutter ants and their fungal food species is:

Accepted Answer

A) interspecific competition. 
B) mutualism. 
C) predation. 
D) parasitism. 
E) commensalism. 
A) interspecific competition. 
B) mutualism. 
C) predation. 
D) parasitism. 
E) commensalism.

Question 17

You sample the solid waste of three infants from three different families each week for 24 weeks. You find that the population of bacteria in the gut is dominated by one species for the first 12 weeks, and then shifts to another species. This shift in the biological composition of a community over time is called:

Accepted Answer

A) competition. 
B) mutualism. 
C) succession. 
D) evolution. 
E) ecology. 
A) competition. 
B) mutualism. 
C) succession. 
D) evolution. 
E) ecology.

Question 18

A gardener treats his plants with pesticides, killing any aphids. Once the aphids die, what likely happens to the mutualistic bacteria inhabiting their digestive tracts?

Accepted Answer

A) The bacteria would contribute to the decomposition of dead aphids. 
B) The bacteria would migrate outside of the digestive tract, and survive on the leaves of garden plants. 
C) The bacteria would likely die without their mutualistic aphids, as this is an example of a facultative relationship. 
D) The bacteria would likely die without their mutualistic aphids, as this is an example of an obligate relationship. 
A) The bacteria would contribute to the decomposition of dead aphids. 
B) The bacteria would migrate outside of the digestive tract, and survive on the leaves of garden plants. 
C) The bacteria would likely die without their mutualistic aphids, as this is an example of a facultative relationship. 
D) The bacteria would likely die without their mutualistic aphids, as this is an example of an obligate relationship.

Question 19

In a pond, tadpoles eat algae and fish eat the tadpoles. Around the pond, grasshoppers eat grass and, at night, are preyed upon by bats. Other bats eat the fish that eat the tadpoles. In this community, the tadpoles are:

Accepted Answer

A) primary producers. 
B) primary consumers. 
C) secondary consumers. 
D) tertiary consumers. 
E) decomposers. 
A) primary producers. 
B) primary consumers. 
C) secondary consumers. 
D) tertiary consumers. 
E) decomposers.

Question 20

Antibiotics are compounds that kill bacteria. If you take an antibiotic in pill form, it is distributed throughout your body. Individuals who take antibiotic pills for a bacterial infection in their throat often find they develop an "upset stomach" because the antibiotic also kills the microbial communities in their gut. This suggests that:

Accepted Answer

A) gut bacteria have positive effects on the humans they inhabit. 
B) gut bacteria have only negative effects on the humans they inhabit. 
C) it is good to sterilize the gut. 
D) humans have a predatory relationship with their gut bacteria. 
E) None of the answer options is correct. 
A) gut bacteria have positive effects on the humans they inhabit. 
B) gut bacteria have only negative effects on the humans they inhabit. 
C) it is good to sterilize the gut. 
D) humans have a predatory relationship with their gut bacteria. 
E) None of the answer options is correct.

Exam 47: Species Interactions, Communities, and Ecosystems

Decline of a predator population in an area affects only the prey population on which it feeds.

Niche and habitat have the same meaning.

Close interactions that have evolved over time between species are called:

Barnacles on the bellies of whales or on the shells of mollusks are examples of:

If the biomass that can be supported in higher trophic levels is dependent on the number of primary producers, then the diversity should increase as latitude decreases.

Primary productivity is affected by the availability of:

Measuring its costs and benefits in terms of energy spent and/or gained, which interaction(s) involve at least one individual gaining?

Interactions that involve a gain for both participants are called:

Nutrient cycling through ecosystems can be depicted using a(n):

Many facultative mutualisms probably began as obligate relationships.

G. Evelyn Hutchinson's definition of a niche is unique in that it described the niche:

In general, a species' _____ niche will be smaller than its _____ niche due to interactions with other organisms in the community.

A gardener treats his plants with pesticides, killing any aphids. Once the aphids die, what likely happens to the mutualistic bacteria inhabiting their digestive tracts?

In a pond, tadpoles eat algae and fish eat the tadpoles. Around the pond, grasshoppers eat grass and, at night, are preyed upon by bats. Other bats eat the fish that eat the tadpoles. In this community, the tadpoles are:

Life: Chemical, Cellular, and Evolutionary Foundations

The Molecules of Life

Nucleic Acids and Transcription

Translation and Protein Structure

Organizing Principles: Lipids, Membranes, and Cell Compartments

Making Life Work: Capturing and Using Energy

Cellular Respiration: Harvesting Energy From Carbohydrates and Other Fuel Molecules

Photosynthesis: Using Sunlight to Build Carbohydrates

Cell Signaling

Cell and Tissue Architecture: Cytoskeleton, Cell Junctions, and Extracellular Matrix

Cell Division: Variations, Regulation, and Cancer

Dna Replication and Manipulation

Genomes

Mutation and Dna Repair

Genetic Variation

Mendelian Inheritance

Inheritance of Sex Chromosomes, Linked Genes, and Organelles

The Genetic and Environmental Basis of Complex Traits

Genetic and Epigenetic Regulation

Genes and Development

Evolution: How Genotypes and Phenotypes Change Over Time

Species and Speciation

Evolutionary Patterns: Phylogeny and Fossils

Human Origins and Evolution

Cycling Carbon

Bacteria and Archaea

Eukaryotic Cells: Origins and Diversity

Being Multicellular

Plant Structure and Function: Moving Photosynthesis Onto Land

Plant Reproduction: Finding Mates and Dispersing Young

Plant Growth and Development

Plant Defense: Keeping the World Green

Plant Diversity

Fungi: Structure, Function, and Diversity

Animal Nervous Systems

Animal Sensory Systems and Brain Function

Animal Movement: Muscles and Skeletons

Animal Endocrine Systems

Animal Cardiovascular and Respiratory Systems

Animal Metabolism, Nutrition, and Digestion

Animal Renal Systems: Water and Waste

Animal Reproduction and Development

Animal Immune Systems

Animal Diversity

Animal Behavior

Population Ecology

Biomes and Global Ecology

The Anthropocene: Humans As a Planetary Force

Filters

In general, a species' _ niche will be smaller than its _ niche due to interactions with other organisms in the community.