Deck 8: Community Ecology

Question 1

What habitat would have relatively little species biodiversity? 

A) a middle-latitude grassland 
B) a low-latitude forest 
C) the polar regions 
D) a high-latitude forest

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which term refers to a species that serves as an early warning of environmental damage? 

A) non-native species 
B) specialist species 
C) native species 
D) indicator species

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which statement is characteristic of an indicator species? 

A) It is very adaptable. 
B) It eats a wide variety of food. 
C) It is more likely to become extinct. 
D) It tolerates a wide range of environments.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Why are amphibians particularly sensitive to pollution? 

A) Amphibians are habitat generalists and live in many habitats. 
B) Amphibians lay so few eggs. 
C) Amphibians' young are weakened and deformed by increased atmospheric CO₂ . 
D) Amphibians live part of their life cycle in water and part on land.

Question 5

Which term refers to a species whose role in an ecosystem is much more important than its abundance would suggest? 

A) non-native species 
B) specialist species 
C) native species 
D) keystone species

Question 6

Which category are sea stars,dung beetles,and beavers generally considered to belong to? 

A) keystone species 
B) native species 
C) specialist species 
D) non-native species

Question 7

What is one characteristic of amphibians? 

A) Amphibians eat more insects than birds do. 
B) Amphibians are often considered keystone species. 
C) Amphibians are experiencing sharp population increases in a variety of habitats. 
D) Amphibians are not an important indicator species.

Question 8

Which organism is an indicator? 

A) a cockroach 
B) a human 
C) a fly 
D) trout

Question 9

What is least likely to be included in ecosystem structure? 

A) species abundance 
B) species diversity 
C) secondary productivity 
D) physical appearance

Question 10

Which term refers to a species that migrates to,or is accidentally introduced into,an ecosystem? 

A) specialist species 
B) keystone species 
C) non-native species 
D) native species

Question 11

Which statement describes a cockroach's niche? 

A) It is an indicator species. 
B) It is a keystone species. 
C) It is an alien species. 
D) It is a generalist species.

Question 12

Which species category do both birds and trout belong to? 

A) non-native species 
B) indicator species 
C) native species 
D) keystone species

Question 13

What is a basis for classifying an organism as an indicator? 

A) its range of tolerance 
B) its niche 
C) its range of tolerance and its niche 
D) its size

Question 14

In what habitat would you find the greatest abundance of biodiversity? 

A) in middle-latitude grassland 
B) in low-latitude forest 
C) in high-latitude forest 
D) in polar grassland

Question 15

What is associated with the term "richness"? 

A) the number of edge effects 
B) the number of ecotones in an area 
C) the number of individuals of each species 
D) the number of different species

Question 16

What would a scientist predict to occur on large islands located near the mainland,based on the theory of island biogeography? 

A) high immigration and low extinction rates 
B) low immigration and low extinction rates 
C) low immigration and high extinction rates 
D) high immigration and high extinction rates

Question 17

Which pair of predators exemplify resource partitioning by being active during different periods of time? 

A) hawks and owls 
B) lions and tigers 
C) hummingbirds and bees 
D) zebras and antelopes

Question 18

Which term refers to a species that lives and thrives in a particular ecosystem? 

A) specialist species 
B) non-native species 
C) keystone species 
D) native species

Question 19

Why have amphibian populations declined? 

A) habitat loss 
B) pollution 
C) habitat loss and pollution 
D) decreased UV radiation

Question 20

Which species category do wild African bees belong to? 

A) native species 
B) specialist species 
C) keystone species 
D) non-native species

Question 21

Which term refers to the win-win relationship of animal behaviour? 

A) commensalism 
B) co-operation 
C) mutualism 
D) benefitism

Question 22

A new kitten is added to a home with an established older cat.The older cat gobbles up the kitten's food in addition to its own food.Which term refers to the behaviour of the older cat? 

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

Question 23

What explains how species can avoid or reduce interspecific competition? 

A) by eating at the same times 
B) by foraging in close proximity to competing species 
C) by specializing in different food items 
D) by employing similar hunting tactics

Question 24

Which term is defined as a relationship in which one species benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed to any significant degree? 

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

Question 25

Which situation is the least likely death of a shark? 

A) It was eaten by an apex predator. 
B) It provided food for humans. 
C) It was attacked by a human bent on destroying the shark. 
D) It was caught by a sport fisher.

Question 26

Which term defines the relationship between redwood trees and redwood sorrel? 

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

Question 27

Which term refers to a relationship in which both species benefit? 

A) benefitism 
B) commensalism 
C) mutualism 
D) co-operation

Question 28

While observing beetles that can raise their abdomens and give off a defensive chemical that repels predators,an entomologist discovers a different species of beetle that also raises its abdomen but gives off no defensive chemical.What is the second beetles' defensive behaviour called? 

A) chemical warfare 
B) camouflage 
C) flight mechanism 
D) mimicry

Question 29

Which organism is referred to as an endoparasite? 

A) a mosquito 
B) a flea 
C) mistletoe 
D) a tapeworm

Question 30

Which term defines the relationship between clownfish and sea anemones? 

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

Question 31

Which term is defined by a relationship in which a member of one species obtains its nourishment by living on,in,or near a member of another species over an extended time? 

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

Question 32

Which method would a prey species avoid using in self-defence? 

A) protective shells 
B) acute senses of sight and smell 
C) pursuit and ambush 
D) camouflage

Question 33

Which relationship is an example of a positive feedback loop? 

A) competition 
B) co-operation 
C) mutualism 
D) predation

Question 34

Which statement is indicative of a true parasite? 

A) They may strengthen their hosts over a long period of time. 
B) They rarely kill their hosts. 
C) They are internal to their hosts. 
D) They are usually larger than their hosts.

Question 35

Which statement describes resource partitioning? 

A) Resource partitioning occurs when one species preys on another species. 
B) Resource partitioning occurs when species share resources at the same time. 
C) Resource partitioning occurs when one species is a parasite of the other. 
D) Resource partitioning occurs when a species evolves adaptations that allow it to reduce or avoid competition.

Question 36

Which term describes the relationship between fire ant and native ant populations? 

A) mutualism 
B) interspecific competition 
C) commensalisms 
D) intraspecific competition

Question 37

Which term reflects the obvious relationship demonstrated by a food chain? 

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

Question 38

A new kitten is added to a home with an established older cat.The older cat hisses and swats at the younger kitten in the kitchen where they are fed.Which term refers to the behaviour of the older cat? 

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

Question 39

Which of the following is an outcome of primary succession? 

A) Primary succession generally results in more simple, more self-sustaining stages than the preceding stages. 
B) Primary succession often results in a keystone species stabilizing the environment so that it can thrive indefinitely. 
C) Primary succession often leads to a more simple, unsustainable stage. 
D) Primary succession often involves a species changing its environment such that it can no longer thrive and must be replaced by other species.

Question 40

Which of the following is NOT a mutualistic relationship? 

A) lichens 
B) clownfish and sea anemones 
C) epiphytes 
D) mycorrhizal fungi and the roots of tree seedlings

Question 41

Which pair of terms applies to changes such as drought and earthquakes? 

A) natural and catastrophic 
B) human caused and catastrophic 
C) natural and gradual 
D) human caused and gradual

Question 42

Which of the following would undergo secondary succession? 

A) cooled volcanic lava 
B) a heavily polluted stream that has been cleaned up 
C) an abandoned parking lot 
D) a bare rock outcrop

Question 43

Which of the following communities can survive,and actually be aided,by the frequent occurrence of fires? 

A) a giant sequoia forest 
B) a temperate grassland 
C) a hot desert 
D) a maple forest

Question 44

Which human-caused change might be considered a catastrophic change rather than a gradual change? 

A) compaction of the soil by continued exposure to heavy farm machinery 
B) salinization of the soil though evaporation of water and deposition of salt 
C) plowing of prairie soil to commence agriculture 
D) human-caused changes associated with wind and water erosion

Question 45

What encourages soil formation in primary succession? 

A) secretion of acids by lichens 
B) trapping of nitrogen particles by lichens and mosses 
C) fluctuating phosphorous levels in soil 
D) secretion of bases by lichens

Question 46

Which pair of human activities is likely to lead to the establishment of extremely low plant diversity? 

A) plantation forestry and ecosystem restoration 
B) agriculture and plantation forestry 
C) agriculture and ecosystem rehabilitation 
D) agriculture and ecosystem restoration

Question 47

A forester observes a maple seedling grow successfully in a birch stand.Both species thrive.Which is the accepted term for what the forester observed? 

A) tolerance 
B) inhibition 
C) primary succession 
D) tertiary succession

Question 48

Which pair of terms applies to changes such as depletion of underground aquifers and water logging of irrigated soils? 

A) natural and gradual 
B) human caused and catastrophic 
C) human caused and gradual 
D) natural and catastrophic

Question 49

Which condition is likely to result in communities having the greatest diversity of species,according to the intermediate disturbance hypothesis? 

A) infrequent disturbances of any kind 
B) somewhat frequent, moderate disturbances 
C) very frequent, large disturbances 
D) somewhat frequent, large disturbances

Question 50

How long does it take for natural processes to produce fertile soil? 

A) weeks to months 
B) months to years 
C) decades to a few centuries 
D) several centuries to several thousands of years

Question 51

What is among the immediate effects of a natural disturbance? 

A) maintaining the status quo and releasing resources 
B) changing conditions and releasing nutrients 
C) changing conditions and uptake of resources 
D) maintaining the status quo and uptake of resources

Question 52

Which natural change would be considered gradual rather than catastrophic? 

A) fire 
B) drought 
C) climate change 
D) landslide

Question 53

Which of the following is a natural disturbance? 

A) a lightning strike resulting in a forest fire 
B) an open pit mine 
C) deforestation 
D) slash and burn agriculture

Question 54

An ecologist observes that squirrels from an adjacent area have brought pine cones to a stand of dense hemlock,but no pine seedlings have sprouted.Which term describes what the ecologist has observed? 

A) primary succession 
B) tolerance 
C) inhibition 
D) tertiary succession

Question 55

Which process is likely guiding primary succession in an ecosystem where,over a period of years,bare rock was colonized by lichens that gave way to moss that in turn gave way to ferns? 

A) tolerance 
B) facilitation 
C) inhibition 
D) interspecific competition

Question 56

Which characteristic do immature ecosystems have? 

A) simple food webs 
B) high species diversity 
C) many specialized niches 
D) numerous decomposers

Question 57

What is provided by disturbances of most terrestrial ecosystems? 

A) increased biodiversity and opportunities for late successional species 
B) stabilized biodiversity and opportunities for early successional species 
C) increased biodiversity and opportunities for early successional species 
D) stabilized biodiversity and opportunities for late successional species

Question 58

Which of the following is a characteristic of a forest maintained by intermittent fire? 

A) It takes up to a decade for new vegetation to grow. 
B) Some species release seeds only after exposure to intense heat. 
C) Fire burns the tree crowns but not the low vegetation. 
D) Large and small trees of this forest tend to have fire-proof bark.

Question 59

Which of the following would exhibit primary succession? 

A) an area recently flooded to create a reservoir 
B) a forest that had been clear-cut 
C) an abandoned farm 
D) a rock exposed by a retreating glacier

Question 60

What is found in a mature ecosystem? 

A) low efficiency of nutrient recycling 
B) high efficiency of energy use 
C) mainly annual plants 
D) low species diversity

Question 61

Human overharvesting of natural resources has contributed to reducing the Earth's net primary productivity.

Question 62

Many sharks are predators near the top of ocean food chains and thus play an important role in their ecosystems.

Question 63

Invasive species tend to be generalists in nature.

Question 64

Latitude affects species diversity in communities.

Question 65

Resource partitioning is one solution to decreasing the intensity of competition among species.

Question 66

Populations of a number of commercially valuable shark species have decreased by 90% since 1992.

Question 67

Compared to forests,which set of characteristics do grasslands have? 

A) more diversity and more resilience 
B) more diversity and more inertia 
C) less diversity and more inertia 
D) less diversity and more resilience

Question 68

Mutualistic associations are exchanged benefits and fortified weaknesses of species' adaptive strategies.

Question 69

What characterizes a tropical rain forest? 

A) low constancy 
B) high resilience 
C) low diversity 
D) low inertia

Question 70

The introduction of a non-native species-for example,kudzu-results in a negative impact on the environment.

Question 71

The pioneer community of ecological succession is usually composed of only alien species.

Question 72

Great white sharks are streamlined predators at or near the top of ocean food chains.

Question 73

The facilitator of succession-or the cause of ecosystem change-is the impact that established species have on their own environments.

Question 74

Sharks are very vulnerable because they produce few young and take a long time to reach sexual maturity.

Question 75

Which term refers to the ability of a population to maintain a certain population size? 

A) constancy 
B) inertia 
C) resilience 
D) stability

Question 76

An area in primary ecological succession would be a suitable habitat for a population of hardwoods because of the availability of resources.

Question 77

Different types of species in a community,whether native or non-native,may play similar roles in the community's ecology.

Question 78

Which term refers to the ability of an organism to return to its former condition after a period of stress? 

A) inertia 
B) constancy 
C) stability 
D) resilience

Question 79

Predation and parasitism are examples of antagonistic ecological interactions in which one species takes advantage of another species.

Question 80

One precautionary principle for environmental protection is: prevent harm once a cause-and-effect relationship has been established.