Deck 19: Community Succession　

Question 1

The receding glacier at Glacier Bay in Alaska has been used to study

A) competition.
B) predation.
C) succession.
D) nutrient cycling.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

A pioneer species is _____ species to arrive at a site.

A) the final
B) the penultimate
C) the most abundant
D) the first

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Indirect observations of succession are often done by using

A) chronosequences and seral stages.
B) seral stages and climax communities.
C) climax communities and pollen.
D) chronosequences and pollen.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

A sequence of communities that exist over time at a given location is

A) a transient climax community.
B) never found without soil or organic material.
C) a chronosequence.
D) an example of secondary succession.
E) always showing the same sequence in intertidal areas.

Question 5

A climax community is generally composed of organisms

A) that dominate in a given biome.
B) that were present throughout succession.
C) from surrounding communities.
D) that are common.

Question 6

How could you tell for certain if a plant lived 2,000 years ago in a pond sediment sample?

A) carbon dating of pollen
B) tree rings
C) construction of a pond followed by direct observation.
D) observation of a chronosequence near the pond

Question 7

Development of communities in habitats that are initially devoid of plants and organic soil is known as _____ succession.

A) climax
B) initial
C) secondary
D) primary

Question 8

The age of pollen grain is determined using

A) carbon dating.
B) elemental dating.
C) chronosequences.
D) seral dating.

Question 9

Over the course of terrestrial succession, what is the general pattern of species richness?

A) a constant increase over time
B) an increase followed by an abrupt decline
C) no change over time
D) an increase that plateaus, followed by a slight decline
E) a decline followed by an abrupt increase

Question 10

Primary succession

A) begins with soil containing organic matter.
B) lasts much longer than secondary succession.
C) has rarely occurred in terrestrial environments.
D) usually begins with lichens and mosses.

Question 11

Each stage of community change during succession is called a _____ stage.

A) succession
B) seral
C) serial
D) community

Question 12

Which of the following is a pioneer species?

A) annual plants with small, light seeds
B) plants with large, heavy seeds
C) animals that stay affixed to a substrate, like sea anemones
D) animals that tend to stay very close to where they were born

Question 13

When succession was initially observed on the island of Krakatau, plants with _____ seeds dominated.

A) animal-dispersed
B) wind-dispersed
C) sea-dispersed
D) ballistic-dispersed

Question 14

To apply the concept of chronosequence, ecologists assume that

A) most terrestrial communities go through the same seral stages.
B) the layers in pond sediments are stacked from the youngest at the top to the oldest at the bottom.
C) older sites and younger sites have undergone the same disturbances.
D) wider tree rings represent periods of rapid population growth.

Question 15

Succession is change in _____ over time.

A) species interactions
B) species competition
C) species composition
D) land use

Question 16

Why might direct observation of succession be easier in intertidal communities than in terrestrial communities?

A) It is easier to see all of the organisms in an intertidal area.
B) Facilitation happens less easily in terrestrial communities, which makes it more difficult to see transitions among seral stages.
C) There are many more organisms in a forest than in an intertidal area.
D) Organisms in an intertidal area have shorter generation times than organisms in terrestrial communities.

Question 17

Why were wind- and sea-dispersed seeds the first to colonize and survive on Krakatau?

A) The seeds of these plants were more resistant to dry conditions than those of animal-dispersed plants.
B) In the early days of colonization, there were no forests to attract animals that could disperse seeds.
C) Plants with wind-dispersed seeds were able to survive the volcanic blast better than animal-dispersed plants
D) Animal-dispersed plant seeds are more likely to be digested than wind- and sea-dispersed plants.

Question 18

The last seral stage in the process of succession is called the _____ community.

A) apex
B) baseline
C) climax
D) final

Question 19

Succession studied at Glacier Bay, Alaska, and on the island of Krakatau, Indonesia, has been done using

A) direct observations.
B) indirect observations.
C) chronosequences.
D) pollen.

Question 20

Succession is best studied using

A) indirect observations.
B) chronosequences.
C) pollen.
D) direct observations.

Question 21

In the study of stream succession following a major flood event at Sycamore Creek in Arizona, what was the first organism to recolonize the stream?

A) fish
B) Cladophora
C) cyanobacteria
D) diatoms

Question 22

Succession in aquatic environments

A) is often faster than succession in terrestrial environments.
B) is often slower than succession in terrestrial environments.
C) has more seral stages than succession in terrestrial environments.
D) never reaches a climax community.

Question 23

Stream succession is rapid because

A) disturbed sites receive constant inputs of nutrients via runoff.
B) organisms that live in streams have rapid growth rates.
C) organisms can move downstream from less-disturbed sites.
D) disturbances that occur in stream communities are often not severe.

Question 24

Which of the following is NOT an example of a habitat that could undergo primary succession?

A) lava flow
B) bare bedrock
C) tree-fall gap
D) sand dune

Question 25

Which of the following habitats could NOT undergo secondary succession?

A) mud slide
B) bare rock
C) clear-cut forest
D) abandoned agricultural fields

Question 26

Researchers have recently proposed a new way lake succession can occur. What is one feature of this new model?

A) Lake succession is slow and steady.
B) Colonization of plants happens from the lakeshore.
C) Colonization of plants occurs on the sediments at the lake bottom.
D) The production of a peat layer is not necessary in lake succession.

Question 27

Succession in intertidal communities is rapid because

A) the climax community has only a small number of species.
B) the generation time of the dominant species is shorter.
C) species easily disperse into the disturbed habitat.
D) algae have a very rapid growth rate.

Question 28

What role does disturbance play in the recently discovered mechanism of pond succession that isn't found in the classical mechanism of succession?

A) Droughts lower water levels so that plants can colonize lake sediments.
B) Rushing water scours the bottom of the lakes, allowing diatoms to colonize.
C) Glaciers scour the land, leaving depressions that can fill up with melting water.
D) Peat fires remove the vegetation, allowing secondary succession to proceed.

Question 29

Why does succession in intertidal communities tend to happen faster than succession after a disturbance in terrestrial communities?

A) The ocean has a higher concentration of organisms than soil.
B) There are many more disturbances in the intertidal zones than in terrestrial areas.
C) The generation time of dominant species in the intertidal zone is shorter than that of the dominant species in terrestrial habitats.
D) The generation time of dominant species in terrestrial habitats is shorter than that of the dominant species in the intertidal zone.

Question 30

Why does secondary succession occur faster than primary succession?

A) Direct observation of secondary succession is easier than for primary succession.
B) Lichens are better able to colonize soil than bare rock.
C) Soil in secondary sites can contain plant seeds and roots.
D) Primary succession areas get too much sunlight for succession to happen quickly.

Question 31

What is the clearest way to document succession?

A) pollen sediments from a pond
B) direct observation
C) tree rings
D) carbon dating of wood

Question 32

Secondary succession takes place in habitats that

A) are initially devoid of plants and organic soil.
B) have some plants following disturbance.
C) have some plants following disturbance but do not have organic soil.
D) have been disturbed and contain no plants but still contain organic soil.

Question 33

You observe three beech-maple forests in Indiana that began as ponds. How might you determine whether they all started succession with the same community composition?

A) Carbon date the maple and beech trees to see how long they have been living; older trees would suggest a more diverse starting community.
B) Calculate the species diversity of lichens found on the trees.
C) Try growing different types of pioneer species at each site.
D) Sample the soils at each site for pollen and carbon date them to get an estimate of the species that appeared first at the site.

Question 34

When succession was studied at the Duke Forest in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, how many years did it take for the forest to revert to deciduous climax forest from agricultural field?

A) 300 years
B) 200 years
C) 50 years
D) 25 years

Question 35

Which type of succession would be expected to be the slowest?

A) intertidal
B) lake
C) mountain stream
D) canyon stream

Question 36

Can you tell what plant seral state you are in by looking at the bird species in a given area?

A) yes, because bird species are usually associated with a particular seral stage
B) yes, because each bird species eats only a particular type of plant
C) no, because some bird species are associated with a number of plant seral stages
D) no, because birds eat a wide variety of insects as well

Question 37

In primary succession of sand dunes, the first species to colonize are

A) lichens.
B) grasses.
C) herbs.
D) mosses.

Question 38

Why does stream succession rely less on how fast organisms can move themselves than terrestrial succession?

A) Most streams are short.
B) Water can carry organisms from less-disturbed to more-disturbed sites.
C) Most stream organisms are algae.
D) Succession happens very slowly in streams.

Question 39

If you were assigned the task of starting a plant community that could thrive on Mars, where there is no soil on the surface, which might be good to bring for the initial colonization?

A) alders
B) pines
C) lichens
D) low-growing bushes
E) cacti

Question 40

Which is true about terrestrial succession?

A) Initial conditions do not affect the trajectory of succession.
B) Primary and secondary succession result in different climax communities.
C) The sequence of seral stages is variable.
D) The sequence of seral stages is linear.

Question 41

Describe the process that forms bogs in lakes.

Question 42

What information about species is needed to calculate Jaccard's index?

A) diversity
B) growth rate
C) those present
D) mortality

Question 43

Why must oxygen concentrations remain at low levels for pond succession to occur?

A) High oxygen levels would cause succession to run too quickly, leaving no climax community.
B) High oxygen levels increase the chance of drought in areas around the pond.
C) Low oxygen levels allow for easier colonization of plants at the pond edge.
D) Low oxygen levels decrease decomposition rates, resulting in peat production.

Question 44

What are the characteristics of plants found immediately after a drought in a pond?

A) They have few large seeds.
B) They have low root-to-shoot ratios.
C) They are large and have high tolerance to shade.
D) They have extremely slow growth rates.

Question 45

What characteristic shared by diatoms and cyanobacteria might make them good colonizers of nutrient-poor habitats?

A) They are both extremely tough to eat.
B) They are both unicellular.
C) They both photosynthesize light to make carbohydrates.
D) They both have adaptations that allow them to survive droughts.

Question 46

Which of the following is NOT a trait of a pioneer species?

A) many seeds
B) shade tolerant
C) small seeds
D) fast growing

Question 47

How do herbivores affect the outcome of succession in intertidal zones?

A) They alter the abiotic environment with their waste products.
B) They forage on particular types of algae, allowing others to dominate.
C) They trample algae, allowing sea anemones to colonize.
D) They have little effect on the outcome of succession.

Question 48

Typical colonizers in primary succession are mosses and lichens that inhabit bare rock. What colonizers in primary succession do not inhabit bare rock?

Question 49

Late-succession species are likely to have

A) wind-dispersed seeds.
B) large seeds.
C) many seeds.
D) fast growth rate.

Question 50

Researchers studying succession in three forest sites want to determine how similar the forests are in terms of species composition. Using Jaccard's index, rate the similarity of the three forests (A, B,
C). Show your calculations.
Tree Species
Forest A
Forest B
Forest C
Acer saccharum
X
X
Fagus grandifolia
X
X
X
Quercus rubra
X
X
Quercus alba
X
X
Acer rubrum
X
X
Prunus serotina
X
Liriodendron tulipifera
X
X
Carya ovata
X
X

Question 51

Jaccard's index quantifies

A) similarity between communities.
B) differences between communities.
C) community diversity.
D) community species richness.

Question 52

Early-succession species are likely to have

A) wind-dispersed seeds.
B) high shade tolerance.
C) short seed viability.
D) large size at maturity.

Question 53

(Figure 19.11) These graphs show that succession is associated with a rapid increase in species richness that slows and levels off over time. How might you explain a graph showing succession with an initial increase in species richness followed by a decline in species richness over time?

A) a disturbance such as fire
B) facilitation
C) inhibition
D) tolerance

Question 54

When seeds of early- and late-succession species were raised under low light conditions similar to those found in the understory of a mature forest, researchers found that species with _____ seeds had _____ seedling survivorship in shade.

A) small; high
B) large; low
C) large; high
D) There was no relation between seed size and seedling survivorship.

Question 55

Which of the following is TRUE about succession?

A) Species richness initially decreases with time in aquatic succession.
B) Species richness initially increases with time in terrestrial succession.
C) Species richness shows no change with time in aquatic succession.
D) Species richness shows no change with time in terrestrial succession.

Question 56

The assumptions behind the valid use of chronosequences are usually not all met. How, then, do researchers establish the most likely scenario of terrestrial succession in a given area?

Question 57

Why do plants in early seral stages exhibit high levels of tolerance?

A) Early plants cannot inhibit the growth of other plants.
B) Early plants must deal with harsh conditions, such as fluctuating temperatures.
C) Early plants are poor competitors and thus must tolerate other plants.
D) Early plants have small and light seeds that germinate well under shade.

Question 58

Why are there no spruces in the early seral stages of succession at Glacier Bay?

A) Spruce seeds are not likely to disperse to the pioneer and low-shrub stages.
B) Spruce seedlings are inhibited by the presence of low shrubs.
C) Spruce seedlings are not tolerant to the environmental fluctuations in the pioneer stage.
D) There are few alder trees in the early seral stages to facilitate spruce establishment.

Question 59

One of the traits common in late-succession plant species is

A) small seed size.
B) low root-to-shoot ratio.
C) fast growth rate.
D) few seeds.

Question 60

As succession progresses, what is similar and what is different among fields, sand dunes, and wetlands in Indiana near Lake Michigan?

Question 61

In the study of Oregon intertidal communities, little brown barnacles (Chthamalus dalii) are first to colonize disturbed areas. Over time, the acorn barnacle (Balanus glandula) dominates the community. Which mechanism of succession explains the relationship between the two species of barnacles?

A) tolerance
B) facilitation
C) inhibition
D) None of the above

Question 62

Some of the first species to colonize an area following disturbance have to persevere under inhospitable conditions such as disturbed soils, low soil moisture, and altered nutrient levels. This is an example of

A) the priority effect.
B) facilitation.
C) inhibition.
D) tolerance.

Question 63

Electrical companies have discovered that dense shrub thickets, once established, can prevent growth of trees under power lines. Which mechanism of succession are these companies using by planting shrubs under power lines?

A) facilitation
B) inhibition
C) tolerance
D) shade tolerance

Question 64

Experimental removal of a single species in succession would

A) help determine whether that species facilitated the growth of a later-successional species.
B) usually have very little effect on succession.
C) happen only in the intertidal zones.
D) always increase the energy available for climax species.

Question 65

When considering the effect of one species on the probability of a second species becoming established, facilitation is _____, inhibition is _____, and tolerance is _____.

A) neutral; positive; negative
B) positive; neutral; negative
C) positive; negative; neutral
D) negative; positive; neutral

Question 66

Which of the following is NOT an example of inhibition?

A) A species outcompetes another species.
B) A species suppresses other species using allelopathy.
C) A species casts deep shade to prevent growth of another species.
D) A species acts as a nurse plant and increases water available to other species.

Question 67

Suppose two species of trees are able to colonize an area disturbed by fire. One species typically grows to 5 meters, while the other species tends to stay under 2 meters in height. The two species have seeds of the same shape that are relatively light. Which one is more likely to colonize the disturbed area and why?

Question 68

Legumes contain nitrogen-fixing bacteria in their roots that increase soil nitrogen for use by other species. This is an example of

A) inhibition.
B) tolerance.
C) suppression.
D) facilitation.

Question 69

Which mechanism of succession is independent of the presence or absence of other species?

A) inhibition
B) tolerance
C) facilitation
D) facilitation and tolerance

Question 70

If a legume inhibits the growth of other plants around it by using noxious chemicals,

A) the plant will eventually kill itself with the chemicals.
B) nitrogen will build up in the soil over time.
C) no birds will come to the area to help distribute the legume's seeds.
D) the legume's bacteria will die off, killing the plant.

Question 71

Which mechanisms of succession depend on one species arriving at a site before another species?

A) inhibition and tolerance
B) facilitation and inhibition
C) tolerance and facilitation
D) inhibition, facilitation, and tolerance

Question 72

A mechanism of succession in which the presence of one species increases the probability that a second species can become established is

A) facilitation.
B) tolerance.
C) inhibition.
D) priority effect.

Question 73

(Figure 19.14) In the experiment associated with the figure, acorn barnacles facilitate the growth of algae. If you removed both acorn barnacles and the limpet predators of algae, what would you be likely to observe over time?

A) a dense carpet of little brown barnacles only
B) a carpet of little brown barnacles followed by algal growth
C) no colonization of any organisms
D) a dense carpet of algae only

Question 74

_____ is a mechanism of succession in which the probability that a species can establish itself depends on its dispersal ability and its ability to persist under the physical conditions of the environment.

A) Facilitation
B) Inhibition
C) Tolerance
D) Resilience

Question 75

Why is tolerance a mechanism that can be found in both early and late seral stages?

A) Both early and late seral species need to be tolerant to low levels of moisture.
B) Both early and late seral species require high temperatures to germinate.
C) Early seral species need tolerance of stressful environments, while late seral species need tolerance of deep shade.
D) Early seral species are tolerant to insects and late seral species are tolerant to fire.

Question 76

Inhibition is a mechanism of succession in which

A) the probability that a species can become established depends on the presence of another species.
B) the arrival of one species at a site affects the subsequent colonization of other species.
C) one species decreases the probability that a second species will become established.
D) one species increases the probability that a second species will become established.

Question 77

In the Sonoran Desert of Arizona, young saguaro cacti often begin life in the shade of mesquite trees; they usually die if they begin life in out in the open. This is an example of

A) tolerance.
B) facilitation.
C) a disturbance.
D) inhibition.
E) a gap-maintained climax community.

Question 78

Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is a common invasive species in the eastern United States. One mechanism that allows it to dominate in some areas is the production of chemicals that interfere with the ability of other plants to gain nutrients through mutualistic fungi. This mechanism is an example of

A) tolerance.
B) inhibition.
C) the priority effect.
D) facilitation.

Question 79

Plants _____ should be used for initial seeding of abandoned strip mines.

A) with few large seeds
B) that are adapted to fire
C) with high tolerance to shade
D) with long seed viability
E) with high root-to-shoot ratios

Question 80

The priority effect occurs when the

A) first species to arrive at a site have a greater probability of becoming established than subsequent species.
B) first species to arrive at a site have a lower probability of becoming established than subsequent species.
C) arrival of one species at a site affects the subsequent colonization of other species.
D) arrival of one species at a site improves conditions so there is an increased probability of subsequent species becoming established.