Deck 45: Community and Ecosystem Ecology

Question 1

Compared with the numbers of grasshoppers or deer,there are not a lot of mountain lions.The reason that large and fierce top-level carnivores are rare in an ecosystem is that

A)such animals do not tolerate other members like them.
B)through natural selection,most fierce animals have been killed off by others.
C)food chains are only 10 to 20% efficient at each step,and top carnivores are therefore limited by the availability of food in their range.
D)only a few such animals are permitted by succession in a biome,and there are only a few biomes.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the following associations is incorrect?

A)omnivore - eats both producers and consumers
B)herbivore - eats producers and performs photosynthesis
C)detritivore - feeds on decomposing organic matter
D)autotroph - performs photosynthesis or chemosynthesis
E)carnivore - feeds on other consumers

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Excluding humans,which group of organisms is most likely to change the abiotic factors within an ecosystem?

A)producers
B)herbivores
C)detritivores
D)None of these can change the abiotic factors within an ecosystem.
E)All of these can change the abiotic factors within an ecosystem.

Answer 3

E

Question 4

Which of the following associations between organism and nutrient source is incorrect?

A)raccoons - omnivores
B)cows - herbivores
C)earthworms - detritivores
D)bacteria - decomposers
E)humans - carnivores

Question 5

In a grazing food chain,

A)primary consumers eat detritus.
B)primary consumers eat photosynthetic organisms.
C)secondary consumers eat detritus.
D)secondary consumers eat photosynthetic organisms.
E)all the consumers are primary consumers.

Question 6

Which type of succession would occur after a volcanic eruption?

A)primary
B)secondary
C)tertiary
D)There won't be any succession after a volcanic eruption

Question 7

Which of the following statements about ecological pyramids is true?

A)Pyramids built upon the biomass of organisms at each level eliminate size as a factor.
B)Energy gains between trophic levels occur based upon biomass conversion.
C)The limited number of trophic levels in an ecological pyramid is due to increasing complexity and size of organisms at each greater trophic level.
D)A pyramid of organism numbers will always have a large base and a small top.
E)None of the choices are true.

Question 8

What is the correct sequence of organisms if a community is going through secondary succession? a.grasses establish themselves in the community
B)shrubs establish themselves in the community
C)soil formation occurs
D)trees establish themselves in the community

A)a - b - d
B)c - a - b - d
C)d - c - a - b
D)c - a - d
E)a - c - b

Question 9

Energy flow in an ecosystem begins with

A)omnivores.
B)herbivores.
C)autotrophs.
D)detritivores.
E)carnivores.

Question 10

Is it possible that the carbon atoms in your body may have once made up the living tissues of another person or animal in earlier times? This is

A)possible only if you are a cannibal.
B)possible since carbon cycles through the biosphere.
C)impossible since carbon can't enter a living system more than once.
D)highly unlikely since carbon is always tied up in molecules in organisms or minerals.

Question 11

Energy flow in an ecosystem is not cyclic because energy is

A)destroyed as it is used.
B)evenly spread out over many organisms.
C)converted to many kinds of useful energy.
D)increased as you go up the energy pyramid.
E)converted to heat,which is no longer useful.

Question 12

Which of the following statements about the value of the nitrogen cycle to an ecosystem is NOT true?

A)Denitrification removes nitrogen from the atmosphere and converts it to a form that plants can use.
B)Nitrogen fixation can occur in aquatic systems or in soil bacteria.
C)Nitrification occurs as ammonium is converted to nitrate.
D)Nitrification occurs as nitrogen gas is converted to nitrate.
E)Both ammonium and nitrate ions are highly water-soluble

Question 13

All food chains begin with a photosynthetic producer.

Question 14

Which of the following pairings of organisms and their method of obtaining nutrients is incorrect?

A)autotrophs - chemosynthesis
B)herbivores - algae
C)detritivores - inorganic matter
D)carnivores - other animals

Question 15

Chemical cycling may involve which of the following?

A)a reservoir unavailable to producers
B)an exchange pool as a source from which organisms can acquire chemicals
C)a biotic community in which chemicals move through food chains
D)a geological component,in which chemicals move through the soil or the air
E)All of the choices are correct.

Question 16

An ecosystem contains

A)only the biotic components of the local environment.
B)only the abiotic components of the local environment.
C)only the energy flow components of an local environment.
D)both the biotic and the abiotic components of the local environment.
E)only the food relationships found in the local environment.

Question 17

Approximately what percentage of the energy in one trophic level is incorporated into the next trophic level?

A)1%
B)10%
C)30%
D)60%
E)100%

Question 18

Which of the following statement(s)about the hydrologic cycle is (are)true?

A)Because this is a true cycle,it is impossible to run out of fresh water for human use.
B)All water molecules that evaporate from the ocean precipitate on land and move by gravity through groundwater to the ocean again.
C)Some water evaporates from land and from plants.
D)Once water sinks into the ground,it is safe from human exploitation or pollution until it has rejoined the ocean.
E)All of the choices are true.

Question 19

Consider the following food chain: hawk - rabbit - clover.Each species will contain a different amount of calories in its body (clover: 10 calories,rabbit: 500 and hawk: 1200).Each species has a different daily caloric requirement (clover: sunlight,rabbit: 100 calories,hawk: 300). How many rabbits,per day,does it take to support the hawk?

A)approximately 6
B)about 1/2 a rabbit
C)2 whole rabbits
D)12 rabbits

Question 20

The only heterotrophs required in an ecosystem are

A)omnivores.
B)herbivores.
C)decomposers.
D)autotrophs.
E)carnivores.

Question 21

Consider the consequences of a harmless prey that evolves toward mimicry of a model that has an antipredator defense (Batesian mimicry).What happens to the effectiveness of this defense as more and more prey in the population are harmless mimics? Then consider what happens when a species with bad taste evolves to resemble a model that stings (Mullerian mimicry).

A)The number of Mullerian mimics is limited because they dilute the protection afforded by the warning color pattern,but the addition of more Batesian mimics only strengthens the protective mimicry complex.
B)The increase number of Batesian mimics dilutes or weakens the protection afforded by the warning color pattern,but the addition of more Mullerian mimics only strengthens the protective mimicry complex.
C)The number of both Batesian and Mullerian mimics is limited because both dilute the protection afforded by the warning color pattern.
D)The number of both Batesian and Mullerian mimics is unlimited because they both reinforce the protection afforded by the warning color pattern.

Question 22

Which of the following is (are)correct in a predator-prey cycle?

A)A decline in the numbers of predators causes a decline in the number of prey.
B)A decline in the numbers of prey causes a decline in the number of predators.
C)An increase in the number of predators triggers an increase in the numbers of prey.
D)All of these are correct,causing an up-and-down cycle for each animal.

Question 23

MacArthur discovered that five species of warblers coexisted on spruce trees by foraging on the same caterpillar,but in different places of the tree canopy.This is

A)an exception to the competitive exclusion principle.
B)an exception based on birds taking longer to eventually compete and eliminate competitors.
C)confirmation that all warblers were actually variations of the same species because different species couldn't coexist.
D)an example of resource partitioning.

Question 24

The actual conditions under which an organism exists in nature constitute its

A)habitat.
B)realized niche.
C)fundamental niche.
D)resource partition.

Question 25

The frequent change in HIV surface proteins is a type of

A)coevolution.
B)parasitism.
C)mutualism.
D)commensalism.

Question 26

_____ occurs when one living organism feeds on another.

A)Competition
B)Mimicry
C)Commensalism
D)Predation
E)Symbiosis

Question 27

All of the conditions under which an organism could conceivably survive and reproduce constitute its

A)habitat.
B)realized niche.
C)fundamental niche.
D)resource partition.

Question 28

In order for a community to reach the status of climax community,succession must always begin with pioneer species.

Question 29

A community that contains a low species diversity will often have a high species richness.

Question 30

Two communities may have exactly the same number of species,yet one might be measured as having a greater species diversity.Why?

A)composition or a listing of the various species in a community
B)a community and all of the abiotic factors associated with it
C)the native species plus the introduced species
D)the potential number of species that should exist in a community minus the species that have gone locally extinct
E)both the number of species and the evenness or relative abundance of individuals of the different species

Question 31

In an Asian rice paddy,carp eat decaying material from around the base of rice plants while a snail scrapes algae from the leaves,stems,and roots of the same plant.They can survive at the same time in the same rice paddy because they occupy

A)the same habitat but different niches.
B)the same habitat and the same niche.
C)the same niche but different habitats.
D)different habitats and different niches.

Question 32

What occurs when two species with very similar niches live in an overlapping range?

A)speciation
B)hypervolume
C)competitive exclusion
D)total extinction of one species
E)a switch in habitat for one of the organisms

Question 33

Ecologist Robert MacArthur observed that five species of similar warblers coexisted on spruce trees because they

A)ate different kinds of insects.
B)cooperated in their foraging habits.
C)foraged in different places of the tree canopy.
D)were actually subspecies of the same species.
E)were kept below the carrying capacity by predators.

Question 34

Primary succession takes much longer than secondary succession because it involves

A)colonization by more K-selected species.
B)time for development of the soil.
C)more time for development of a seed bank.
D)colonization by organisms that are farther away.
E)redevelopment of the atmospheric gases.

Question 35

Organisms in all trophic levels may be consumed by decomposers.

Question 36

There are several species of grain beetles that live on dry meal and do considerable damage to stored grain.In an experiment,a dozen jars of dry meal are set up and fifty individuals of each species,both males and females,are added to each jar.The food supply is not quite sufficient to last for six months and the size of the jar is adequate so that wastes do not become toxic.Most likely,examination of the jars in six months will find

A)a totally random variation in numbers of both beetles.
B)only one species per jar.
C)the same ratio of beetles as when you started (about half from each species).
D)only dead beetles in all jars due to intense competition for the niche.

Question 37

Consider the following food chain: hawk - rabbit - clover.Each species will contain a different amount of calories in its body (clover: 10 calories,rabbit: 500 and hawk: 1200).Each species has a different daily caloric requirement (clover: sunlight,rabbit: 100 calories,hawk: 300). How many clover plants,per day,does it take to support one rabbit?

A)approximately 100 plants
B)approximately 10 plants
C)approximately 50 plants
D)approximately 3 plants
E)approximately 1000 plants

Question 38

All the populations of all the different species interacting with one another in the same environment is called

A)diversity.
B)a community.
C)an ecosystem.
D)predation.
E)symbiosis.

Question 39

A small marine amphipod has recently been discovered that carries a bad-tasting organism on its back,which is contrary to its normal behavior.If a fish ingests the pair,it immediately spits them back out.If the amphipod is alone,however,it is readily eaten.There is no apparent benefit or harm in this relationship for the "backpack" organism.This is probably a case of

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

Question 40

Chemosynthetic producers obtain energy by the oxidation of ammonia,nitrites,and sulfides,using this energy to make organic compounds.

Question 41

Which of the following features is not part of the ecological niche of a white tailed deer?

A)The number of acorns it consumes during the fall.
B)The availability of woods for it to use as cover in order to escape from predators.
C)The presence of a water source within its habitat.
D)All of these are part of a white tailed deer's ecological niche.

Question 42

Which of the following statements about parasitism is NOT true?

A)The host is generally larger than the parasite.
B)An efficient parasite usually kills its host.
C)Smaller parasites often live as endoparasites within the body of the host.
D)Ectoparasites are attached to the outside of the host's body by specialized organs.
E)Some organisms and all viruses are obligate parasites and must live inside a host.

Question 43

What is the correct order of events during primary succession?

A)Soil formation occurs - pioneer species enter the region,shrubs begin to grow - small trees begin to grow
B)pioneer species enter the region,soil formation occurs,shrubs begin to grow - small trees begin to grow
C)pioneer species enter the region,shrubs begin to grow - small trees begin to grow
D)pioneer species enter the region,climax status is reached- small trees begin to grow

Question 44

Consider the following food chain: hawk - rabbit - clover.Each species will contain a different amount of calories in its body (clover: 10 calories,rabbit: 500 and hawk: 1200).Each species has a different daily caloric requirement (clover: sunlight,rabbit: 100 calories,hawk: 300). How many clover plants,per day,does it take to support a family of hawks (mom,dad and juvenile.Assume each hawk needs the same number of calories per day)?

A)approximately 1800 clover plants
B)approximately 600 clover plants
C)approximately 100 clover plants
D)approximately 18,000 clover plants
E)None,hawks do not eat clover plants.

Question 45

_____ is the interaction between two species as both attempt to use the same environmental resources.

A)Competition.
B)A community.
C)An ecosystem.
D)Predation.
E)Symbiosis.

Question 46

Consider the following food chain: hawk - rabbit - clover.Each species will contain a different amount of calories in its body (clover: 10 calories,rabbit: 500 and hawk: 1200).Each species has a different daily caloric requirement (clover: sunlight,rabbit: 100 calories,hawk: 300). How many clover plants,per day,does it take to support one hawk?

A)approximately 600 clover plants
B)approximately 30 clover plants
C)approximately 60 clover plants
D)approximately 3 clover plants
E)None,clover plants do not support hawks.

Question 47

Clements proposed the climax-pattern model of succession.Governing factors for this model include

A)climate.
B)soil conditions.
C)each successive community preparing the way for the next.
D)All of the choices are correct.

Question 48

If there are 12,000kg in the base of an ecological pyramid,how many kg will be found in the body tissue of the tertiary consumers?

A)1200 kg
B)120 kg
C)12000 kg
D)6000
E)12

Question 49

The first species to begin secondary succession are called pioneer species,or colonizers.

Question 50

As animals take in food energy approximately 10% of it is made available to the next level in the food chain.Which of the following is one of the ways in which the energy is used by the organism and not passed along?

A)cellular respiration
B)defecation
C)excretion
D)death
E)All of these are ways in which the organism uses the energy.

Question 51

The relationship between plants and their pollinators is a good example of parasitism.