Deck 12: Ecology

Question 1

Imagine you were the manager of a national park with cheetahs.The cheetahs feed primarily on gazelles while the gazelles eat grass.It takes an acre of grassland to feed one gazelle and it takes ten gazelles to feed one cheetah.You have a maximum of ten cheetahs when the system is functioning optimally.You would like to increase the cheetah population because people pay money to see the cheetahs.How much more grassland do you need in order to double the cheetah population?

A)200 acres
B)10 acres
C)500 acres
D)100 acres

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Where would a coral reef most likely be found?

A)In the oceanic benthic realm below the continental shelf
B)In an estuary
C)In the deep sea
D)In the oceanic photic zone

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Environmentalism is ________.

A)the study of ecosystems
B)a philosophical and social movement concerned with preserving the environment
C)a collection of citizens and scientists working together to support research and preserve biodiversity
D)the study of how energy flows through an ecosystem

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Terrestrial biomes are defined in a large part by ________.

A)the animals that live there
B)the plants that live there
C)the altitude
D)the longitude

Question 5

Why is an estuary considered an intermediate biome?

A)It is the transition zone between freshwater and saltwater biomes.
B)It is intermediate in size,smaller than the largest biomes but larger than the smallest biomes.
C)It will seasonally dry up and cease to be a biome.
D)It is only a biome during high tide.

Question 6

All living things need nitrogen.How does nitrogen enter the living portion of an ecosystem?

A)Atmospheric N₂ taken in by photosynthesis
B)Atmospheric N₂ taken in by soil bacteria
C)Elemental nitrogen taken in by plant roots
D)Elemental nitrogen taken in by plant leaves

Question 7

Counting the number of turtle nests along a beach to determine if a recent oil spill had affected the local population is an example of ________ science.

A)discovery
B)comparative
C)pure
D)hypothesis-driven

Question 8

How might the removal of a wetland affect a nearby city?

A)Wetlands cause flooding.
B)Wetlands reduce flooding.
C)Wetlands reduce water quality.
D)Wetlands support a rich supply of nutrients.

Question 9

A wolf eats a rabbit that eats grass.The wolf is a ________.

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

Question 10

An ecosystem is a collection of all the ________ in a given area.

A)abiotic factors
B)plants and animals
C)plants and climate
D)living and nonliving things

Question 11

What is the most likely expectation during the third year?

A)The water level will return to 30 cm.
B)The water will overflow the bucket or nearly so.
C)The water in the bucket will dry up.
D)None of these are indicated by the data.

Question 12

All ecosystems need energy.What is the originating source for most of the energy that powers ecosystems on this planet?

A)Geothermal energy
B)Wind energy
C)Solar energy
D)Potential energy

Question 13

Which statement explains the general upwards trend of the data over the two-year time period?

A)Evaporation exceeded transpiration
B)Transpiration exceeded precipitation
C)Precipitation exceeded evaporation
D)None of these statements explains the upward trend.

Question 14

Where is the majority of Earth's biomass produced?

A)Coastlines,bays,and estuaries
B)Deep oceans
C)Tropical rainforests
D)Temperate forests

Question 15

Which of the following is not an example of an abiotic factor?

A)Temperature
B)Energy
C)Bacteria
D)Nutrients

Question 16

Which month was the wettest? (Remember that the readings are taken at the first of each month.)

A)Month 19
B)Month 16
C)Month 22
D)Month 15

Question 17

Phytoplankton is an example of a(n)________.

A)producer
B)consumer
C)herbivore
D)decomposer

Question 18

"Ecology" is best defined as the study of ________.

A)the relationships between parasites and their hosts
B)the interactions between living organisms and their environments
C)plant succession
D)interactions between predator and prey populations

Question 19

All living things need carbon.How does carbon enter the living portion of an ecosystem?

A)Atmospheric CO₂ taken in by photosynthesis
B)Atmospheric CO₂ taken in by soil bacteria
C)Elemental carbon taken in by plant roots
D)Elemental carbon taken in by plant leaves

Question 20

The processes of chemical cycling would be studied mainly by ________.

A)an environmentalist
B)a community ecologist
C)a population ecologist
D)an ecosystem ecologist

Question 21

An age pyramid with a broad base that quickly slopes up to a narrow top would be indicative of ________.

A)an industrialized nation
B)a developing nation
C)a population with a high average age
D)a population with a low death rate in the pre-childbearing years of life

Question 22

A dispersion pattern refers to ________.

A)the density of organisms in a habitat
B)the extinction rates of a species
C)the spacing of organism throughout a habitat
D)the diversity of species found in a habitat

Question 23

A sudden natural catastrophe resulting in massive die-offs would be categorized as a density- ________ limiting factor.

A)independent
B)dependent
C)reliant
D)autonomous

Question 24

The bird-tick relationship is an example of ________.

A)parasitism
B)mutualism
C)predator-prey
D)commensalism

Question 25

The tendency of toxins to accumulate in top predators is called biological ________.

A)magnification
B)remediation
C)mitigation
D)concentration

Question 26

At what level is biodiversity often studied and measured?

A)The diversity of genes in a population
B)The diversity of species in an community
C)The diversity of ecosystems on the planet
D)All of these

Question 27

Which theorem states that no two species competing for the exact same resources can coexist?

A)Complex community network principle
B)Resource partitioning principle
C)Dominance species principle
D)Competitive exclusion principle

Question 28

The use of multiple forms of pest control including biological,chemical,and the planting of pest-resistant crops is a strategy commonly called ________.

A)intermediate species control
B)integrated pest management
C)multilevel systems approach
D)none of these

Question 29

Species diversity is highest when ________.

A)species richness is high and relative abundance is unevenly distributed
B)species richness is low and relative abundance is unevenly distributed
C)species richness is high and relative abundance is evenly distributed
D)species richness is low and relative abundance is evenly distributed

Question 30

The tick-rhino relationship is an example of ________.

A)parasitism
B)mutualism
C)predator-prey
D)commensalism

Question 31

A biome characterized by warm,fairly dry climate that primarily contains grasses with scattered,isolated trees is a ________.

A)savanna
B)chaparral
C)tundra
D)temperate grasslands

Question 32

Human birth rate peaked in the 1980s and has been slowly declining ever since.How is this expected to affect our population size over the next several decades?

A)The human population size will begin to decline.
B)The human population size will continue to increase,but not as fast as before.
C)The human population size will level off.
D)The human population size will continue to increase at the same rate it has for the past 100 years.

Question 33

The buildup of soil on bare rock by the decomposition of early colonizers is characteristic of ________ succession.

A)primary
B)ecological
C)opportunistic
D)secondary

Question 34

The Asian kudzu bug (Megacopta cribaria)arrived in Atlanta in 2009 and is quickly spreading across the South.In addition to eating kudzu,it also eats soybeans and can decimate entire crops.The kudzu bug is a type of ________ species.

A)control
B)journeyman
C)umbrella
D)invasive

Question 35

The bird-rhino relationship is an example of ________.

A)parasitism
B)mutualism
C)predator-prey
D)commensalism

Question 36

What type of species,if removed from the community,could lead to the collapse of the entire community?

A)Endemic species
B)Keystone species
C)Indicator species
D)Flagship species

Question 37

Which growth model would you expect to see in a stable population?

A)Logistic
B)Speculative
C)Factorial
D)Exponential

Question 38

What is the name of the theoretical maximum rate of population growth?

A)Logistic
B)Speculative
C)Factorial
D)Exponential

Question 39

While there are many varieties of banana,only the Cavendish is suitable for mass production and worldwide trade.It is currently being decimated by a soil fungus in Asia.If the banana fungus should reach the Americas before a treatment is discovered,it could spell the end of bananas in North American supermarkets.If that were to happen,how would the extinction of the Cavendish banana be categorized?

A)Brought on by an invasive species
B)Brought on by habitat destruction
C)Brought on by overharvesting
D)Brought on by pollution

Question 40

Of the biomes listed,which is best adapted to seasonal fires?

A)Coniferous forests
B)Tundra
C)Broadleaf forests
D)Chaparral

Question 41

Some species require a large and diverse range.Although it may not significantly decrease the overall size of the range,how might fragmenting the range with a freeway or neighborhood lead to the extinction of the entire population,even if sufficient food is available in either region to sustain two smaller populations? Suggest a compromise that would allow the population to survive and allow for the road project or neighborhood.

Question 42

Which of the following examples of adaptation fall into the same category of either anatomical,behavioral,or physiological response to environmental conditions?

A)Putting on a jacket in the winter and growing a thick coat of fur in the winter
B)A plant growing toward a light source and a plant growing in the direction of wind
C)Birds flying south in the winter and you shivering on a cold day
D)A lizard basking on a warm rock on a cold day and you internally raising your body temperature when you are cold

Question 43

A person may feel the need to wear a heavy jacket in the fall when the temperature first drops into the 50s.That same person may be wearing short sleeves when the temperature rises into the 50s by the end of the winter.This gradual acclimation to cold weather is a(n)________ response to changing environmental conditions.

A)anatomical
B)behavioral
C)physiological

Question 44

There have been several mass extinctions in the planet's history,such as the extinction of the dinosaurs,but the current mass extinction is different.Greater numbers of species are now going extinct faster than ever before.Also unique to the current mass extinction is the cause.What is causing the current mass extinction?

A)Man's direct activities
B)Climate change
C)Rising sea levels
D)Solar flares

Question 45

How does an increase in atmospheric greenhouse gases increase global temperatures?

A)By preventing some of the heat from escaping the planet's surface
B)By decreasing the ozone layer in the atmosphere
C)By increasing the amount of heat from the sun that reaches the planet's surface
D)By reacting with each other

Question 46

Using sunflower plants to naturally remove heavy toxins from contaminated soil is an example of ________.

A)land conservancy
B)bioremediation
C)the green revolution
D)biomagnification

Question 47

Why do some nonnative species spread so quickly and inflict so much devastation when introduced to a new area?

Question 48

Which is the dominant greenhouse gas leading to global warming?

A)CH₄
B)H₂O
C)NO₂
D)CO₂

Question 49

The responsible management (use and conservation)of the earth's resources indefinitely using science-driven policies and practices is called ________.

A)the maximum sustainable yield
B)landscape ecology
C)an environmental conservation trust
D)sustainable development

Question 50

Describe two ways (immediate and long term)in which burning a forest leads to an increase in atmospheric greenhouse gases.

Question 51

What category describes a species that,while not presently at risk of extinction,could likely be at risk of extinction in the near future?

A)An endangered species
B)A species of concern
C)A threatened species
D)An endemic species

Question 52

What is the term used to describe relatively small areas with unusually high concentrations of species found there and nowhere else,including many species in high risk of extinction? These areas receive the focus of global conservation efforts.

A)Natural wildlife reserve
B)Biodiversity hot spot
C)Protective wilderness refuge
D)Protective conservation zone

Question 53

Imagine a hypothetical population of elephants and rabbits in which both species remain at carrying capacity over many generations.Who would have more offspring that survive to be adults and reproduce during their lifetime,a mating pair of elephants or a mating pair of rabbits? Explain your answer.

Question 54

The practice of "eating down the food chain" refers to eating more plant material and less herbivores.Explain how this is a more efficient use of energy.

Question 55

What can a population's age pyramid tell you about current and future needs?

A)How many schools to build or to close down
B)How many workers will be needed to support retirees
C)Neither of these
D)Both of these

Question 56

Disturbances to an ecosystem,such as fires and floods,are often seen as negative.Describe a situation where regular disturbances are not only beneficial,but are required to sustain the ecosystem.