Deck 17: Communities and Ecosystems

Question 1

A relationship which benefits flow both ways between the interacting species is

A) a neutral relationship.
B) commensalism.
C) competition.
D) mutualism.
E) parasitism.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which of the following is TRUE of exotic species?

A) In general, exotic species do not have predators in their new location.
B) An exotic species is a species that evolved in one region but has been introduced to and become established in another.
C) An exotic species is often untroubled by competitors.
D) An exotic species is often untroubled by parasites and diseases.
E) All of these are true.

Answer 2

E

Question 3

Which of the following definitions is CORRECT?

A) A community refers to interaction between populations and their environment.
B) A community refers to interaction between species and their environment.
C) A community refers to the area in which different species live.
D) A community refers to all species that live and interact in a specific area.
E) None of these are correct.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

A one-way relationship in which one species benefits and directly hurts the other is called

A) commensalism.
B) competition.
C) parasitism.
D) predation.
E) more than one of these.

Question 5

Which of the following structures would be most attractive to a fire ant?

A) an electric can opener
B) a canvas patio umbrella
C) aluminum foil
D) a ceramic flower pot
E) a leather sofa

Question 6

Which of the following is the most inclusive?

A) organism
B) community
C) ecosystem
D) population
E) organ system

Question 7

Which of the following organisms was introduced in the United States in order to control the population of RIFAs?

A) houseflies
B) fruit flies
C) phorid flies
D) hanging flies
E) caddis flies

Question 8

The most species rich communities are found in

A) tropical rain forests.
B) hot deserts.
C) eastern deciduous forests.
D) grasslands.
E) northern coniferous forests.

Question 9

Structure of communities may be affected by

A) temperatures.
B) sunlight intensity.
C) humidity.
D) condition of the soil.
E) all of these.

Question 10

Which of the following terms refers to all species that live and interact in a specific area?

A) biosphere
B) community
C) ecosystem
D) population
E) niche

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT an aspect of a species' niche?

A) tolerable temperatures
B) foods it can eat
C) places where it can breed safely
D) amount of water it needs
E) all of these are aspects of a species' niche

Question 12

Which of the following geographical areas offers the most suitable environment for development of life?

A) tropical regions
B) temperate regions
C) desert regions
D) equatorial regions
E) polar regions

Question 13

In which of the following ways does the fly kill a fire ant?

A) A female fly lays an egg in the ant's soft tissues, and in the process of development, the resulting larvae kills the ant.
B) A fly (male or female) injects a poisonous substance in the ant which results in paralyzing its muscles.
C) A fly (male or female) injects a substance that sterilizes the ant.
D) A fly (male or female) causes the ant's death by depriving it from its necessary resources and habitat.
E) A fly (male or female) injects a substance that sterilizes the ant and paralyzes its muscles.

Question 14

Which of the following components are part of an ecosystem?

A) plants
B) animals
C) rocks and soils
D) plants and animals
E) plants, animals, rocks, and soil

Question 15

What term denotes the range of all factors that influence whether a species can obtain resources essential for survival and reproduction?

A) habitat
B) niche
C) carrying capacity
D) community
E) ecosystem

Question 16

Niche refers to the

A) home range of an animal.
B) preferred habitat for an organism.
C) functional role of a species in a community.
D) territory occupied by a species.
E) locale in which a species lives.

Question 17

Solenopsis invicta or red imported fire ants (RIFAs) are extremely successful in the United States because they

A) are resistant to attacks from predators.
B) are resistant to most pesticides.
C) never get troubled with diseases.
D) are resistant to attacks from predators and never get troubled with diseases.
E) have all of these characteristics.

Question 18

Which of the following are threatened by red imported fire ants?

A) native ant populations
B) ant-eating lizards
C) ground-nesting birds
D) native plants
E) all of these

Question 19

Species richness and the relative abundance of each species determine

A) the species composition of an ecosystem.
B) the species diversity of a community.
C) the species composition of a population.
D) the species diversity of a biosphere.
E) the species diversity in a niche.

Question 20

Solenopsis invicta is a species of ant that was introduced in the United States from

A) South America.
B) Canada.
C) Asia.
D) Africa.
E) Europe.

Question 21

Which of the following is true of predation?

A) A predator exerts selective pressure on its prey.
B) A prey exerts selective pressure on its predator.
C) In a typical predation case, the predator would not kill its prey.
D) Feeding on carcasses is also an example of predation.
E) Predator and prey exert selective pressure on one another.

Question 22

In contrast to predation, a parasite usually

A) does not kill the animal on which, or in which, it lives.
B) kills its host.
C) is a short-term visitor.
D) is larger than its host.
E) does not kill the animal on which, or in which, it lives and is larger than its host.

Question 23

Populations are held in check by

A) resource partition.
B) predation.
C) social parasitism.
D) competition.
E) all of these.

Question 24

How are parasitoids different than parasites?

A) they are usually not insects
B) they affect only plants
C) the host is killed
D) they have no lasting effect on their hosts
E) they usually only affect the eggs of birds

Question 25

The interaction in which one species benefits and the second species is neither harmed nor benefited is

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

Question 26

The monarch butterfly is poisonous to birds and so birds avoid eating them. Viceroy butterflies look very similar to monarch butterflies but are not poisonous. Because they look like monarch butterflies, birds also do not eat viceroy butterflies. This is an example of

A) resource partitioning.
B) competitive exclusion.
C) mimicry.
D) camouflage.
E) commensalism.

Question 27

Phorid flies lay their eggs inside the bodies of various insects and spiders. When the larvae hatch they consume the body of the 'host' from the inside out. The phorid fly is an example of

A) a brood parasite.
B) a parasitoid.
C) a commensalist.
D) a competitive excluder.
E) more than one of these.

Question 28

The bacterium, E.coli , lives in the large intestines of mammals and feeds on undigested food material. E.coli helps to synthesize vitamin K that is essential for mammalian blood clotting. The relationship between E.coli and mammals is a

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

Question 29

The subdividing of some category of similar resources in a way that allows competing species to exist is

A) competitive exclusion.
B) social parasitism.
C) predation.
D) mimicry.
E) resource partitioning.

Question 30

Which of the following is an adaptation against predation?

A) thorns
B) camouflage
C) mimicry
D) tough, chewy leaves
E) all of these

Question 31

A sheep eating by pulling the plant out of the ground is an example of

A) parasitism.
B) predation.
C) commensalism.
D) mutualism.
E) competitive exclusion.

Question 32

Hover flies like to drop in at outdoor picnics to sample the sweets, but the reaction of humans is to flee the scene because of the flies' uncanny resemblance to bees. Thus the survival of Hover flies is enhanced by

A) mimicry.
B) display behavior.
C) warning coloration.
D) chemical defenses.
E) camouflage.

Question 33

Resource partitioning is the result of

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

Question 34

Competitive exclusion is based upon the idea that

A) one species will voluntarily allow the other to survive.
B) no two species can completely occupy the same niche.
C) the larger species will dominate the smaller.
D) competition is overrated as a factor in species survival.
E) two species can live together, if they share the same niche but only at alternate times.

Question 35

A hummingbird that pollinates morning glory flowers and nests in the crotch of an apple tree. The apple tree is not harmed or helped by the hummingbird.  The relationship between the hummingbird and the apple tree is a

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

Question 36

Which of the following is NOT characteristic of parasites?

A) They are specialists and usually are able to affect only one variety of hosts.
B) They inflict serious injury and kill their hosts.
C) Some reside inside their hosts, whereas others live outside their hosts.
D) Their host may be a plant as well as an animal.
E) They are dependent on hosts.

Question 37

The interaction between two species in which both species may be harmed is known as

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

Question 38

A relationship between two species in which both species benefit is known as

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

Question 39

The relationship between the yucca plant and the yucca moth that pollinates it is best described as

A) commensalism.
B) parasitism.
C) predation.
D) mutualism.
E) all of these.

Question 40

The mycorrhizal relationship you studied in a previous chapter is an example of

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

Question 41

The primary consumer is also

A) the second link in a food chain.
B) a herbivore.
C) an animal.
D) a herbivore and an animal.
E) the second link in a food chain, a herbivore, and an animal.

Question 42

An array of organisms together with their physical environment is which of the following?

A) population
B) community
C) ecosystem
D) biosphere
E) landscape

Question 43

Which of the following is a major determinant in which plant species becomes a pioneer species in a primary succession event?

A) the species of plants that preceded  it
B) the animals that occupy the area
C) chance events
D) the nature of the existing soils
E) the type of disturbance

Question 44

Mistletoe is a plant that grows commonly on the limbs of hawthorn trees and extracts nutrients from its host plant. The relationship between mistletoe and the hawthorn tree is

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

Question 45

The first plant to colonize the plains of Mt St Helens after this volcano erupted in 1980 was a prairie lupine. The prairie lupine is an example of

A) a secondary successor.
B) a pioneer species.
C) a keystone species.
D) an exotic species.
E) more than one of these.

Question 46

Many introduced species have had deleterious effects on communities and ecosystems because

A) coevolved parasites and pathogens are absent.
B) the introduced species are long-lived.
C) predators prefer the introduced species, and the local prey therefore proliferate to dangerously high levels.
D) the community from which they came lost an important predator, competitor, or parasite.
E) human beings do not know how to appreciate them.

Question 47

Detritivores are

A) bacteria.
B) plants.
C) fungi.
D) animals.
E) more than one of these.

Question 48

Two species of closely related squirrels both feed on acorns produced by oak trees. One species feed exclusively near the top of the tree and the other feeds exclusively towards the bottom of the tree. This is an example of

A) competitive exclusion.
B) resource partitioning.
C) mutualism.
D) commensalism.
E) mimicry.

Question 49

The Venus flytrap receives its nitrogen by trapping and digesting insects. This is a type of

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

Question 50

Secondary succession can occur

A) after a fire.
B) on a new sand dune.
C) on bare rock.
D) immediately after the formation of a manmade lake.
E) on a glacier.

Question 51

Which of the following is an example of an event that would set up the scene for primary succession?

A) a dense landslide of mountain rocks covering an entire valley
B) a fire that burns off all of the surface vegetation
C) an agricultural field that is abandoned
D) a lake that dries up killing all of the aquatic plants
E) all of these set the scene for secondary succession NOT primary succession

Question 52

Which of the following statements is CORRECT?

A) A population cannot exceed the carrying capacity even temporarily.
B) An organism can occupy more than one trophic level, depending upon the feeding habits of the organism.
C) Once populations of organisms become isolated, they remain so by various types of isolation mechanisms.
D) The limits of a population are all traced to climatic or physical factors.
E) Organisms with different evolutionary backgrounds can occupy the same niche at the same time.

Question 53

Most organisms are dependent upon plants because

A) plants produce oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis.
B) as producers, they form the base of food chains.
C) they function to prevent erosion and reduce desertification.
D) as they remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, they reduce the problems generated by the greenhouse effect.
E) all of these apply.

Question 54

In a natural community, the primary consumers are

A) herbivores.
B) carnivores.
C) detritivores.
D) decomposers.
E) producers.

Question 55

Which of the following represents an early stage in primary succession?

A) pine trees
B) mosses and lichen of bare rock
C) weedy annual plants in an open field
D) climax species in succession
E) fields of food crops

Question 56

The keystone species in a Pacific Northwest Old Growth Forest

A) is the Spotted owl, that preys on rodents.
B) are the mice that feed on mushrooms and truffles.
C) are the Douglas fir trees that are dominant species.
D) are the Douglas squirrels that spread the seeds of the Douglas fir.
E) are the piliated woodpeckers that nest in Douglas fir.

Question 57

Which of the following is NOT dependent on the others as a food supply?

A) carnivores
B) herbivores
C) producers
D) detritivores
E) decomposers

Question 58

Considering the traditional view of ecological succession, which of the following plants would most likely be a pioneer species in a primary succession event?

A) an oak tree that produces acorns dispersed by squirrels
B) a snapdragon flower pollinated by bees
C) a dandelion which produces seeds asexually and disperses seeds by the wind
D) it could be any of these
E) it couldn't be any of these

Question 59

Which of the following is a primary consumer?

A) tiger
B) elephant
C) eagle
D) hyena
E) snake

Question 60

The plants and animals now present on acreage from which the trees were removed ten years earlier represent

A) primary succession.
B) a climax forest.
C) pioneer species.
D) secondary succession.
E) species introduction.

Question 61

What is the ultimate fate of the heat energy released when chemical bonds are broken?

A) it is used to do metabolic work
B) it diffuses out of the ecosystem
C) it is recycled and reused
D) it is captured by other organisms further down in the food chain
E) it is used to heat animal bodies

Question 62

A Venus fly trap's niche in an ecosystem is as a _______.

A) producer
B) primary consumer
C) second-level consumer
D) producer and primary consumer
E) producer and second-level consumer

Question 63

Which of the following statements is FALSE?

A) Heat loss represents a one-way loss of energy from an ecosystem.
B) Organisms in the food chain can use all the energy contained in the food that they eat.
C) In some ecosystems, the majority of the energy stored in plants does not become available until the plants die.
D) Heat and energy are lost by each organism in the ecosystem.
E) The two food webs are classified as grazing and detrital.

Question 64

The niche of a lichen in an ecosystem is A) a producer.
B) a consumer.
C) a detritivore.
D) a decomposer.
E) more than one of these.
F) Because lichens are both fungi and a photosynthetic partner, a lichen is both a consumer (the fungus) and a producer (the photosynthetic partner)

Question 65

In a hypothetical land ecosystem, plants- the primary producers- capture 1000 kilocalories of sunlight energy per square meter per year. Approximately, how many kilocalories of the plant's energy will be harvested by the third trophic level?

A) 1
B) 10
C) 100
D) 1000
E) impossible to calculate

Question 66

The greatest concentration of nitrogen on earth is found in

A) living organisms, including bacteria.
B) the atmosphere.
C) soil minerals.
D) fossil fuels.
E) oceans.

Question 67

Which of the following is a TRUE statement concerning ecosystems?

A) Energy flow through an ecosystem is one way and nutrients are recycled.
B) Energy and nutrients are both recycled.
C) Energy flow and nutrient flow are both one way.
D) Nutrient flow through an ecosystem is one way and energy is recycled.
E) None of these statements is true.

Question 68

The niche of an earthworm in an ecosystem is

A) a producer.
B) a consumer.
C) a detritivore.
D) a decomposer.
E) more than one of these.

Question 69

What percent of Earth's total primary production is supplied by the ocean's primary producers?

A) 10
B) 30
C) 50
D) 70
E) 90

Question 70

In a ecosystem, what does a producer produce that flows through the ecosystem?

A) carbohydrates
B) minerals
C) water
D) carbohydrates and minerals
E) minerals and water

Question 71

Energy flow in an ecosystem is

A) cyclical.
B) one-way.
C) two-way.
D) reversible under different conditions.
E) a conservation mechanism.

Question 72

Which of the following statements is FALSE?

A) Ecologist use models to represent relationships between biogeochemical cycles and most ecosystems.
B) The physical environment has virtually no reservoir for most elements.
C) Inputs from the physical environment and recycling made possible by decomposers and detritivores maintain the nutrient reserves in an ecosystem.
D) In most major ecosystems, the amount of nutrients that is cycled within the ecosystem is greater than the amount entering or leaving the ecosystem in a given year.
E) Once elements are in the biological part of the biochemical cycles, they are unlikely to leave until the organism dies.

Question 73

Animals obtain minerals such as phosphorus

A) primarily dissolved in drinking water.
B) by inhalation.
C) by eating meat.
D) by eating plants.
E) by eating meat and by eating plants.

Question 74

Which of the following is NOT a recycled element of an ecosystem?

A) water
B) phosphorous
C) oxygen
D) energy
E) more than one of these

Question 75

In an energy pyramid, which of the following represents the base, the largest part of the pyramid?

A) primary producers
B) detritivores
C) decomposers
D) herbivores
E) carnivores

Question 76

Decomposers perform their recycling efforts on organisms

A) at the end of a food chain.
B) on the top of a pyramid.
C) that are producers.
D) that are consumers.
E) that are all of these.

Question 77

At the bottom or base of a pyramid of energy are the

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

Question 78

In most land ecosystems, ___ food chains are most common.

A) decomposer
B) detrital
C) producer
D) consumer
E) more than one of these

Question 79

The pyramid of energy is

A) a demonstration of the first law of thermodynamics.
B) a result in the decline in the energy available as energy travels through the trophic levels.
C) fundamentally different from the pyramid of biomass and the pyramid of numbers.
D) just one of the manifestations of competition.
E) the result of eating the correct foods.

Question 80

Most of the water vapor in the earth's atmosphere comes from evaporation from

A) lakes.
B) rivers.
C) land.
D) oceans.
E) plants.