Deck 14: Interspecific Competition

Question 1

Interspecific competition involves individuals of two or more species vying for the same limited ________.

Answer 1

resource

Question 2

The portion of the fundamental niche that an organism actually exploits in the presence of competitors is called its ________ niche.

Answer 2

realized

Question 3

The occupation of space by a sessile organism,such as a barnacle,that precludes the establishment or occupation by another species is referred to as

A)preemptive competition.
B)consumption competition.
C)overgrowth competition.
D)encounter competition.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Interspecific ________ occurs when the competition for space between two species influences access to food and nesting sites.

Question 5

A shift in the morphology,behavior,or physiology of a species in response to resource competition is referred to as ________ displacement.

Question 6

Various species of scavengers fighting over the carcass of a dead animal is referred to as

A)consumption competition.
B)preemptive competition.
C)encounter competition.
D)overgrowth competition.

Question 7

According to the competitive ________ principle,two "complete competitors" cannot coexist.

Question 8

A relationship that affects the populations of two or more species adversely is referred to as ________ competition.

Question 9

The Lotka-Volterra equations predict the outcomes of ________ competition under different conditions.

Question 10

In the Lotka-Volterra equations,the zero ________ represent the combined values of species 1 and species 2 under which population growth is zero (dN/dt = 0).

Question 11

The Russian biologist G.F.Gause was one of the first to support the Lotka-Volterra equations by studying the competitive interactions of ________ species.

Question 12

________ competition results when non-territorial behavioral interactions between two species result in negative effects on both species.

Question 13

Chemical interaction competition in plants is called ________.

Question 14

Periods of drought or extreme environmental conditions may depress the ________ of a species below its carrying capacity (K).

Question 15

The diagonal line that represents dN/dt = 0 in the graphical depiction of the Lotka-Volterra competitions equations is called

A)a competition coefficient.
B)the carrying capacity.
C)a zero-growth isocline.
D)a competitive exclusion parameter.

Question 16

A taller plant shading those individuals below,and reducing available light,is referred to as

A)preemptive competition.
B)consumption competition.
C)overgrowth competition.
D)territorial competition.

Question 17

When a species expands its niche in response to the removal of a competitor,the species has experienced competitive ________.

Question 18

________ competition results when individuals of one species inhibit individuals of another by using up a shared resource.

Question 19

According to the Lotka-Volterra equations,which of the following is not an expected outcome of competitive interactions between two species?

A)Species 1 drives species 2 to extinction.
B)Species 2 drives species 1 to extinction.
C)Both species coexist.
D)The populations of both species increase to infinity.

Question 20

The coexistence of competitors due to differences in the range of resources used or environmental tolerances is referred to as niche ________.

Question 21

Competition for one resource often influences the ability of an organism to access other resources.

Question 22

Competition has been regarded as a major force behind species divergence and specialization.

Question 23

Laboratory studies have confirmed that two different species can coexist while using the same resource.

Question 24

Coexisting species of wild cats differ in the size of their canine teeth,which corresponds to differences in their preferred species of prey.This outcome is most likely the result of

A)resource partitioning.
B)ecological release.
C)competitive exclusion.
D)preemptive competition.

Question 25

According to the competitive exclusion principle,the populations of two species that live in the same place and have exactly the same ecological requirements

A)can coexist at the same carrying capacity (K)as when each population is separate.
B)can coexist but with the population of each species at half of the carrying capacity (K)as when each population is separate.
C)can coexist but with the population of one species much higher than that of the other species.
D)cannot coexist because one species will eventually drive the other to extinction.

Question 26

Climatic variation can function as a density-independent limitation on population density.

Question 27

The portion of potential resources and conditions that an organism actually exploits as a result of interactions with other species is its

A)home range.
B)territory.
C)realized niche.
D)fundamental niche.

Question 28

The outcome of competitive interactions is determined solely by resource availability.

Question 29

According to the Lotka-Volterra equations,when two species compete for the same resource,one or the other species eventually wins,driving the other to extinction.

Question 30

Two bird species compete in the forest for the same seeds.If α = 0.75 and β = 0.25,then

A)the rate of seed consumption is the same for both species.
B)the environment can supply both species since the sum of competition coefficients equals 1.
C)species 1 "wins" and will outcompete species 2.
D)species 2 "wins" and will outcompete species 1.

Question 31

Which of the following is a nonresource (or nonconsumable resource)that can influence the outcome of competition among plant species?

A)temperature
B)light
C)water
D)nitrogen

Question 32

Encounter competition results from the behavioral exclusion of some individuals by others from a specific space that is defended.

Question 33

Preemptive competition occurs primarily among mobile organisms,such as small mammals.

Question 34

Environmental variation can allow competitors to coexist where under constant conditions one would exclude the other.

Question 35

Two organisms using a portion of the same resource simultaneously is referred to as

A)niche overlap.
B)competitive release.
C)intraspecific competition.
D)territoriality.

Question 36

Demonstrating the occurrence of interspecific competition during a field study is problematic for all of the following reasons,except

A)it is difficult to know whether a population is at carrying capacity.
B)competition is impossible to measure in a natural setting.
C)scientists cannot control the environment.
D)scientists lack full knowledge of the life history requirements of natural populations.

Question 37

The competitive exclusion principle assumes that the competing species have exactly the same resource requirements.

Question 38

Paramecium aurelia has a higher rate of population growth and can tolerate a higher population density than P.caudatum.When both species were introduced into a tube containing a fixed amount of bacterial food,the populations of both species

A)thrived,even though they shared the same food supply.
B)initially increased,after which P.aurelia thrived and P.caudatum died out.
C)initially increased,after which P.caudatum thrived and P.aurelia died out.
D)died out.

Question 39

The competitive exclusion principle assumes that the

A)competing species have different resource requirements.
B)competing species have the same carrying capacity (K).
C)environmental conditions remain constant.
D)superior competing species will have a lower population growth rate than the inferior competitor.

Question 40

Competitive release is most likely to occur when a

A)species colonizes an island that already has potential competitors.
B)species moves into new habitats that it never occupied on a mainland.
C)species decreases in abundance.
D)competing species is added to a community.

Question 41

The burrowing behavior of small mammals can affect the competitive hierarchy of plants.

Question 42

Because of interspecific competition,species do not always occupy the part of their fundamental niche where conditions yield the highest growth rate,reproduction,or fitness.

Question 43

As environmental conditions change,the relative competitive abilities of species change very little.

Question 44

The Lotka-Volterra competition models do not take into account variation between different environments.

Question 45

Differences among species may relate to adaptation for the ability to exploit a certain environment or range of resources independent of competition.

Question 46

Changes in the outcome of competition over an environmental gradient are mediated by multiple environmental variables.

Question 47

Studying competition in the laboratory is more complex than studying competition in the field.

Question 48

Removing individuals during a competition experiment may have direct and indirect effects on the environment that are not intended or understood by the investigators and that can influence the response of the remaining species.

Question 49

Two or more organisms using a portion of the same resource simultaneously is referred to as resource partitioning.