Deck 1: An Introduction to Ecology

Question 1

The abiotic components of a forest include

A) trees and water.
B) microbes and soil.
C) animals and climate.
D) soil salinity and pH.
E) plans and pollinators.

Answer 1

soil salinity and pH.

Question 2

The study of species interactions includes

A) predation, parasitism and herbivory.
B) environmental science.
C) climate change.
D) physical ecology.
E) invasive species.

Answer 2

predation, parasitism and herbivory.

Question 3

List in order of scale, from the smallest to the greatest

A) organismal
B) population
C) community
D) ecosystems

Answer 3

organismal

Question 4

Forest tent caterpillars lay down silk trails between their tent and the leaves to:

A) relocate the leaves.
B) attract colony mates.
C) deter predators.
D) a and b
E) All of the above

Question 5

Global change encompasses

A) habitat destruction.
B) the introduction of invasive species.
C) direct exploitation.
D) the addition of pollutants to the environment.
E) All of these.

Question 6

The average span of a species in the fossil record is

A) 1 million years
B) 4 million years
C) 10 million years
D) 20 million years
E) 100 million years

Question 7

Why is knowing the average life span of a species in the fossil record important?

A) to calculate the current extinction rate.
B) to determine the speciation rate.
C) to determine whether the current extinction rate is greater than the historic extinction rate.
D) to determine whether the current speciation rate is greater than the historic speciation rate.
E) to compare the current extinction and speciation rates.

Question 8

E. O. Wilson has referred to the threats of life on Earth with the acronym

A) RHINO
B) LION
C) HIPPO
D) FISH
E) SHARK

Question 9

Which is not an example of habitat loss?

A) swamp drainage
B) deforestation
C) strip mining
D) overharvesting
E) river channelization

Question 10

The Ivory Billed Woodpecker was widely assumed to have gone extinct because of

A) habitat destruction.
B) overharvesting.
C) draining of swamps.
D) introduced avian malaria.
E) DDT.

Question 11

The passenger Pigeon was widely assumed to have gone extinct because of

A) habitat destruction.
B) overharvesting.
C) invasive species.
D) pollution.
E) All of these.

Question 12

Common gaseous pollutants into the atmosphere include

A) carbon dioxide.
B) carbon monoxide.
C) sulfur dioxide.
D) nitrogen oxide.
E) All of these.

Question 13

The greatest threat to most species is

A) habitat destruction.
B) invasive species.
C) pollution.
D) direct exploitation.
E) None of these.

Question 14

You wish to investigate the effects of predatory animals on the number of invertebrates on an intertidal rock face, by mans of an experiment. The most appropriate method would be

A) a laboratory experiment.
B) a field experiment.
C) a natural experiment

Question 15

Rank the following items in their correct order.

A) data analysis
B) hypothesis formation
C) hypothesis acceptance
D) hypothesis testing
E) observation

Question 16

The interactions among living organisms are called biotic interactions.

Question 17

Ecologists generally believe that, for any given habitat, species poor communities function better than species rich communities.

Question 18

The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that in each energy transformation free energy is reduced because heat energy is lost from the system.

Question 19

Of Central American rainforest frogs, S. Alan Pounds said "Climate change is the bullet killing frogs but disease is pulling the trigger."

Question 20

Ecology is the application of environmental science to real world problems.

Question 21

An ecosystem needs a recurring input of energy from an extended source to sustain itself.

Question 22

Increasing atmospheric CO₂ will increase ocean pH.

Question 23

Field experiments are usually conducted on larger scales than laboratory experiments.

Question 24

Match the following terms with their definition

-behavioral ecology

A) considers how organisms have evolved to live in their environment
B) focuses on how the behavior of an organism contributes to its survival
C) investigates how organisms are adapted to their environment
D) focuses on the number of individuals in an area and how they reproduce and grow in numbers

Question 25

Match the following terms with their definition

-evolutionary ecology

A) considers how organisms have evolved to live in their environment
B) focuses on how the behavior of an organism contributes to its survival
C) investigates how organisms are adapted to their environment
D) focuses on the number of individuals in an area and how they reproduce and grow in numbers

Question 26

Match the following terms with their definition

-population ecology

A) considers how organisms have evolved to live in their environment
B) focuses on how the behavior of an organism contributes to its survival
C) investigates how organisms are adapted to their environment
D) focuses on the number of individuals in an area and how they reproduce and grow in numbers

Question 27

Match the following terms with their definition

-physiological ecology

A) considers how organisms have evolved to live in their environment
B) focuses on how the behavior of an organism contributes to its survival
C) investigates how organisms are adapted to their environment
D) focuses on the number of individuals in an area and how they reproduce and grow in numbers

Question 28

Match the following elements of global change with their results

-direct exploitation

A) reduction of organismal abundance and genetic diversity
B) predation, parasitism, or competition with native species
C) hunting, harvesting and collecting
D) direct and indirect mortality over a range of scales from local to global

Question 29

Match the following elements of global change with their results

-habitat destruction

A) reduction of organismal abundance and genetic diversity
B) predation, parasitism, or competition with native species
C) hunting, harvesting and collecting
D) direct and indirect mortality over a range of scales from local to global

Question 30

Match the following elements of global change with their results

-invasive species

A) reduction of organismal abundance and genetic diversity
B) predation, parasitism, or competition with native species
C) hunting, harvesting and collecting
D) direct and indirect mortality over a range of scales from local to global

Question 31

Match the following elements of global change with their results

-release of pollutants

A) reduction of organismal abundance and genetic diversity
B) predation, parasitism, or competition with native species
C) hunting, harvesting and collecting
D) direct and indirect mortality over a range of scales from local to global