Deck 53: Population Interactions and Community Ecology

Question 1

How has the grasshopper mouse coevolved to consume the Eleodes longicollis beetle? ​

A)The grasshopper mouse avoids the undesirable secretions by burying the beetle's abdomen.
B)The grasshopper mouse uses cryptic coloration to sneak up on the beetle.
C)The grasshopper mouse is immune to the beetle's toxins.
D)The grasshopper mouse poisons the beetle first.
E)The grasshopper mouse uses heat detectors to easily locate the beetle.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Aposematic coloring occurs when ____. ​

A)coloration serves as a disguise
B)a harmless species resembles a repellant one
C)two or more repellant species resemble one another
D)an individual can increase its size when threatened
E)repellant species exhibit bright, contrasting patterns

Answer 2

E

Question 3

In the experiment involving bluegill sunfish and their choice of diet, when equal numbers of small, medium, and large Daphnia are present, the sunfish ____. ​

A)prefer small Daphnia
B)prefer medium Daphnia
C)prefer large Daphnia
D)show no preference
E)will not consume Daphnia

Answer 3

C

Question 4

If cowbird eggs are laid in an oropendola nest in the open woodlands of Central America, what would be the expected outcome? ​

A)The cowbird eggs would be ejected from the nest to eliminate the competition.
B)The cowbird eggs would be ejected from the nest due to a reaction of the mother bird's immune system.
C)The cowbird eggs would not be ejected from the nest because they provide an additional food source.
D)The cowbird eggs would not be ejected from the nest because they provide protection from large predators.
E)The cowbird eggs would not be ejected from the nest because they provide protection from parasites.

Question 5

An herbivore with the ability to recognize odors and avoid toxic plants is exhibiting evidence of ____. ​

A)predation
B)herbivory
C)coevolution
D)optimal foraging
E)mimicry

Question 6

If cowbird eggs are laid in an oropendola nest that is located near bee hives, what would be the expected outcome? ​

A)The cowbird eggs would be ejected from the nest to eliminate the competition.
B)The cowbird eggs would be ejected from the nest due to a reaction of the mother bird's immune system.
C)The cowbird eggs would not be ejected from the nest because they provide an additional food source.
D)The cowbird eggs would not be ejected from the nest because they provide protection from large predators.
E)The cowbird eggs would not be ejected from the nest because they provide protection from parasites.

Question 7

Which interaction is advantageous for one species, but has a negative effect on the other? ​

A)predation only
B)herbivory only
C)mutualism only
D)parasitism only
E)predation, herbivory and parasitism

Question 8

What role do bees play in the interaction between cowbirds and oropendola birds? ​

A)keep away large predators
B)keep away insect pests
C)pollinate species that only cowbirds prefer
D)pollinate species that only oropendola birds prefer
E)have no effect on the relationship between cowbirds and oropendolas

Question 9

The evolution of genetically based, reciprocal adaptations in two or more interacting species is called ____. ​

A)commensalism
B)coevolution
C)mutualism
D)parasitism
E)predation

Question 10

A cinereous mourner bird's chicks resemble the poisonous larvae of flannel moths. This is an example of____. ​

A)aposematic coloration
B)Müllerian mimicry
C)competitive exclusion principle
D)cryptic coloration
E)Batesian mimicry

Question 11

How do pancake tortoises protect themselves from predators? ​

A)Their coloration serves as a disguise.
B)They emit an undesirable scent.
C)They have large jaws with teeth.
D)They puff themselves up and become wedged in between cracks in rocks.
E)They retreat into their shell.

Question 12

Which interaction is advantageous to both populations? ​

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

Question 13

Which interaction is advantageous for one species, but has no effect on the other? ​

A)commensalism
B)herbivory
C)mutualism
D)parasitism
E)predation

Question 14

A milkweed plant discourages consumption by herbivores by ____. ​

A)exuding a toxic sap
B)developing an appearance that mimics an undesirable plant
C)having hairy leaves
D)producing an undesirable scent
E)having thorns

Question 15

A crow that consumes plants, insects and carrion is a ____. ​

A)generalist and an omnivore
B)generalist and a herbivore
C)specialist and a carnivore
D)specialist and a generalist
E)specialist and a herbivore

Question 16

How do North American porcupines protect themselves from predators? ​

A)Their coloration serves as a disguise.
B)They seek shelter in a tree.
C)They have large jaws with teeth.
D)They release a noxious spray.
E)They release sharp modified hairs that stick in a predator's mouth.

Question 17

A cougar investing more time hunting a mountain goat than a jackrabbit is an example of ____. ​

A)a specialist species
B)a generalist species
C)optimal foraging theory
D)predation
E)high prey density

Question 18

Which adaptation(s)allow(s)a rattlesnake to locate prey more effectively? ​

A)acute sense of hearing only
B)heat and chemical sensors
C)acute sense of smell only
D)acute sense of vision and chemical sensors
E)acute sense of smell and vision

Question 19

A panda bear that consumes a diet primarily of eucalyptus leaves is a ____. ​

A)generalist and a carnivore
B)generalist and a herbivore
C)specialist and a carnivore
D)specialist and a generalist
E)specialist and a herbivore

Question 20

Which factor(s)determine a species' optimal foraging theory? ​

A)availability of parasites
B)availability of predators
C)energy needed to capture food and court mates
D)energy that foraging provides
E)energy needed to capture food and the energy that the food provides

Question 21

What benefit do legumes derive from Rhizobium ? ​

A)help make carbon dioxide more available
B)increase root surface area
C)nitrogen fixation
D)protection from predators
E)retain water so it is more available to the plant

Question 22

Connell studied two barnacle species, Balanus balanoides and Chthamalus stellatus . Where these species coexist, ____. ​

A)the realized niche of Balanus is smaller than its fundamental niche due to competition by Chthamalus
B)the realized niche of Balanus is larger than its fundamental niche due to competition by Chthamalus
C)the realized niche of Chthamalus is smaller than its fundamental niche due to competition by Balanus
D)Balanus' fundamental niche includes all of Chthamalus fundamental niche
E)the realized niche of Balanus is about equal to its fundamental niche

Question 23

Allopatric populations that are morphologically ____ use ____ resources. ​

A)similar; similar
B)similar; different
C)different; different
D)different; similar
E)unrelated; mimicry

Question 24

Interference competition and exploitative competition are both examples of ____. ​

A)coevolution
B)mimicry
C)interspecific competition
D)intraspecific competition
E)parasitism

Question 25

In 1935, the cane toad was introduced to Australia to control insect pests. Its population has since grown to 2 million, mostly due to ____. ​

A)herbivory of sugar cane
B)the absence of competing species or natural predators
C)its mutually beneficial relationship with some native species
D)parasitism of sugar cane
E)it only occupies a small niche environment

Question 26

What is an ecotone? ​

A)a parasite that is external to the body
B)a parasite that is internal to the body
C)an example of an individualistic hypothesis
D)a zone between two communities
E)the combination of species in an environment that is constant

Question 27

The range of conditions and resources required by a population is known as its ____, while the range of conditions and resources that it actually uses is known as its ____. ​

A)fundamental niche; habitat
B)trophic level; habitat
C)realized niche; fundamental niche
D)fundamental niche; realized niche
E)ecological niche; trophic level

Question 28

The individualistic view of communities proposed by ____ is supported by data showing that species compositions change gradually across environmental gradients. ​

A)Clements
B)Gleason
C)Darwin
D)Whitaker
E)Connell

Question 29

A foundation species ____. ​

A)provides a foundation for parasites
B)has mutualistic relationships with many species
C)defines the nature of a community
D)lives in many different habitats
E)provides protection for species in its community

Question 30

Which concept helps visualize resource use and the potential for interspecific competition in nature? ​

A)allopatric speciation
B)the competitive exclusion principle
C)sympatric speciation
D)ecological niche
E)resource partitioning

Question 31

Three plants that share the same niche have taproots of different length. This is an example of ____. ​

A)character displacement
B)the competitive exclusion principle
C)resource partitioning
D)allopatric speciation
E)sympatric speciation

Question 32

Which statement best describes the interactive view of communities? ​

A)Species exhibit similar distributions along environmental gradients, and the boundaries between communities are sharp.
B)Species distributions are independent, and the boundaries between communities are wide transition zones.
C)Species exhibit similar distributions along environmental gradients, and the boundaries between communities are wide transition zones.
D)Species distributions are independent, and the boundaries between communities are sharp.
E)Species exhibit the same distribution along environmental gradients, and there are no boundaries between communities.

Question 33

Which statement best describes parasitism? ​

A)A parasite is harmful to the host.
B)A parasite provides nutrients for the host.
C)A parasite does not harm the host.
D)A parasite does not receive any benefits from the host.
E)A parasite always kills its host.

Question 34

Which scenario is an example of commensalism? ​

A)acacia trees coevolved with ant colonies that protect the tree from herbivores
B)bacteria provide glucose to legume plants
C)cattle egrets feed on insects flushed out from the grass by cattle
D)plants coevolved with their pollinators
E)tapeworms feed and reproduce in the intestines of pigs

Question 35

Which conclusion can be drawn from Gause's experiments on interspecific competition between two species of Paramecium that are cultured together and feed on the same resource? ​

A)Both populations of Paramecium expire due to a build-up of waste products.
B)One population of Paramecium used the other as a food source.
C)Paramecium populations survive well together because they have no limiting resources.
D)When two populations of Paramecium use the same limiting resource, they can coexist long term.
E)When two populations of Paramecium use the same limiting resource, they cannot coexist long term.

Question 36

An ant species that can live only on acacia trees is an example of ____. ​

A)an obligatory mutualism
B)parasitism
C)an ectoparasite
D)an endoparasite
E)character displacement

Question 37

An insect lays eggs inside another organism and the young consume the tissues of the living host.  This is an example of a(n)____. ​

A)parasite
B)fundamental niche
C)parasitoid
D)mutualist
E)carnivore

Question 38

Two species utilizing the same food source is an example of ____. ​

A)coevolution
B)mimicry
C)interference competition
D)exploitative competition
E)mutualism

Question 39

Who believed that once a mature community was established, its species composition was at equilibrium? ​

A)Clements
B)Gleason
C)Darwin
D)Whittaker
E)Connell

Question 40

The monarch butterfly has an undesirable taste and the viceroy butterfly has a selective advantage because it looks like the monarch. This is an example of ____. ​

A)aposematic coloration
B)Batesian mimicry
C)competitive exclusion principle
D)cryptic coloration
E)Müllerian mimicry

Question 41

Leopard seals feed on emperor penguins, which feed on secondary consumers. Which trophic level would the leopard seal occupy in this food web? ​

A)decomposer
B)detritivore
C)primary consumer
D)primary producer
E)quaternary consumer

Question 42

The colonization of Glacier Bay, Alaska by lichen and mosses allowed the growth on the mountain avens, a(n)____ species. ​

A)nitrogen-fixing
B)predator
C)keystone
D)K -selected
E)r -selected

Question 43

What is the relationship between species richness and recovery from natural disturbances? ​

A)Communities with more diversity do not recover from natural disturbances.
B)Communities with more diversity experience more natural disturbances.
C)Communities with more diversity recover less rapidly from natural disturbances.
D)Communities with more diversity recover more rapidly from natural disturbances.
E)There is no correlation between community diversity and recovery from natural disturbances.

Question 44

Which trophic level would be best represented by saprophytic fungi? ​

A)decomposer
B)detritivore
C)primary consumer
D)primary producer
E)secondary consumer

Question 45

Tertiary consumers feed directly on _____. ​

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

Question 46

Saltmarsh cordgrass is known as a(n)_____ because patches slow the velocity of incoming tides and stabilize stormy beach habitat. ​

A)parasite
B)foundation species
C)symbiote
D)mimic ​
E)ecotone

Question 47

According to the intermediate disturbance hypothesis, species richness is greatest in communities that experience ____. ​

A)rare moderate disturbances
B)high temperatures
C)frequent severe disturbances
D)frequent moderate disturbances
E)rare intense disturbances

Question 48

In a study examining the effects of disturbances and recruitment on the growth of coral in a portion of the Great Barrier Reef, researchers concluded that changes in the coral colonies are ____. ​

A)due to external factors only.
B)due to internal factors only.
C)due to both external and internal factors.
D)solely due to human interference.
E)not observable after disturbances

Question 49

Sympatric populations are able to coexist without competing for resources due to morphological differences known as ____. ​

A)niches
B)character displacements
C)resource partitions
D)mimics
E)parasitoids

Question 50

Which event can be followed by primary succession? ​

A)a landslide
B)a storm
C)a fire
D)a volcanic eruption
E)logging

Question 51

More _____ need to be studied in order to find out whether interspecific competition strongly influences the species composition and structure of most communities. ​

A)communities
B)K -selected species
C)r -selected species
D)predators
E)prey species

Question 52

An example from the text contrasts two forests, each with 10 species and a total of 50 trees. In the first forest, 39 of the 50 trees represent the dominant species. The second forest has 5 of each of the 10 different species. What conclusion can be drawn regarding these two forests? ​

A)The amount of animal species in each forest would be the same.
B)The first forest is more diverse than the second.
C)The first forest must have had some human interference.
D)The second forest is more diverse than the first.
E)The second forest must have had some human interference.

Question 53

A community in which many species are involved in a food web is ____. ​

A)more fragile since organisms have more than a single food source
B)more fragile since organisms have only a single food source
C)more stable since organisms have more than a single food source
D)more stable since organisms have only a single food source
E)most prone to damage from human interference

Question 54

Which trophic level would be best represented by an herbivorous rabbit? ​

A)decomposer
B)detritivore
C)primary consumer
D)primary producer
E)secondary consumer

Question 55

How can predators influence the species richness and structure of communities? ​

A)Predators increase the carrying capacity of their prey.
B)Predators destabilize competitive interactions among their prey.
C)Predators increase the population sizes of pathogens.
D)Predators increase the population sizes of their prey.
E)Predators reduce the population sizes of their prey.

Question 56

A climax community is ____. ​

A)relatively stable
B)a result of primary succession only
C)a result of secondary succession only
D)defined by high species diversity
E)dominated by r -selected species

Question 57

Which best describes a dominant species? ​

A)A dominant species is the only species in an area.
B)A dominant species has low genetic diversity.
C)A dominant species has high species richness.
D)A dominant species has a high relative abundance.
E)A dominant species has a low relative abundance.

Question 58

Which sequence lists the correct order of dominant plants in the ecological succession in Glacier Bay, Alaska? ​

A)lichens and moss, shrubs, young conifers, established spruce and hemlock forests
B)shrubs, young conifers, lichens and moss, established spruce and hemlock forests
C)established spruce and hemlock forests, shrubs, young conifers, lichens and moss
D)established spruce and hemlock forests, young conifers, shrubs, lichens and moss
E)lichens and moss, shrubs, established spruce and hemlock forests, young conifers

Question 59

Periwinkle snails prefer to feed on the green alga Enteromorpha . In tide pools, Enteromorpha , which other alga species, while in areas exposed at low tide, the red alga Chondrus outcompetes Enteromorpha . How did these feeding and competing interactions affect the algal populations? ​

A)Periwinkles decreased species richness in both tide pools and exposed areas. ​
B)Periwinkles eliminated all of the less dominant algal species.
C)Periwinkles eliminated the dominant algae entirely.
D)Periwinkles decreased species richness when Enteromorpha is dominant, but increased species richness when Enteromorpha is competitively inferior.
E)Periwinkles increased species richness when Enteromorpha is dominant, but decreased species richness when Enteromorpha is competitively inferior.

Question 60

What was the overall effect of removing the predatory sea star Pisaster ochraceus from its food web? ​

A)Species richness decreased rapidly.
B)Species richness increased rapidly.
C)Species richness stayed the same.
D)Another predator moved to the top position in the food web.
E)Mussel populations decreased.

Question 61

According to the ____, new species are prevented from entering a community by the existing species. ​

A)equilibrium theory of island biogeography
B)facilitation hypothesis
C)inhibition hypothesis
D)intermediate hypothesis
E)tolerance hypothesis

Question 62

What is the effect of stress on a population? ​

A)Plants compete less with each other in stressful environments.
B)Plants compete more with each other in a stressful environments.
C)Only abiotic factors contribute to environmental stress.
D)Stressful environments brought about by humans do not affect populations.
E)Stressful environments brought about by nature do not affect populations.

Question 65

Species richness on an island is determined by ____. ​

A)distance from the mainland only
B)island size only
C)the type of species on the island only
D)distance from the mainland and island size
E)distance from the mainland and type of species on the island

Question 66

Colonization rates from one habitat patch to another are ____ and extinction rates within habitat patches are ____ in contiguous habitats than on islands. ​

A)lower; lower
B)lower; higher
C)higher; higher
D)higher; lower
E)even; lower

Question 67

What causes a disclimax community? ​

A)primary succession
B)secondary succession
C)facilitation
D)inhibition
E)disturbance inhibiting successional change

Question 68

According to the MacArthur-Wilson model, the mainland harbors ____. ​

A)a lower species richness than islands
B)a species pool from which species migrate to nearby islands
C)none of the same species as on nearby islands
D)an easier community to study than nearby islands
E)many species that are extinct on nearby islands

Question 70

Succession in abandoned farms ("old fields")takes at least 100 years, and therefore is often reconstructed using ____. ​

A)field experiments
B)laboratory experiments
C)historical records
D)evolutionary records
E)fossil records

Question 72

The species-area effect for island habits is greater than that for contiguous habitats because ​

A)colonization rates are higher and extinction rates are lower in contiguous habitats than islands
B)extinction rates are higher in contiguous habitats
C)all islands have low species richness
D)large islands have lower species richness than contiguous habitats
E)immigration cannot be measured in contiguous habitats

Question 74

Community structure is a result of ____ interactions. ​

A)atypical
B)factorial
C)only positive
D)only negative
E)positive and negative

Question 78

Why do early successional stages harbor many r -selected species? ​

A)they often require shade
B)they are long-lived
C)they are not damaged by disturbances
D)they produce many small seeds that colonize open areas
E)they grow slowly

Question 79

Thomas Bell and his colleagues studied bacterial species richness in isolated European beech treehole basins ("islands"). Their data showed that ______. ​

A)island size affects beech tree populations
B)the number of bacterial species decreases with treehole volume
C)the number of bacterial species increases with treehole volume
D)large beech trees support higher bacteria populations than small beech trees
E)the species-area effects on bacterial species differs from species-area effects on animal and plant populations on true islands