Question 1

A protist lives in the gut of a termite, breaking down the cellulose that the termite ingests and providing glucose to benefit both of them. This kind of relationship is called ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A protist lives in the gut of...

Question 2

Two weed species live in the same patch of ground. One has very deep roots to tap into ground water. The other has broad, shallow roots to take advantage of the frequent light rains that don't penetrate very deeply into the soil. This is an example of ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Two weed species live in the same...

Question 3

There are several species of plain-looking, brownish-gray moths that, when they spread their wings, have large bright red or orange eye-shaped circles on their hind wings. What is this adaptation called, and what advantage does it give to the moth?

Accepted Answer

The answer of There are several species of plain-looking, brownish-gray...

Question 4

Startle coloration is used to attract mates. True or False?

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

You suspect that the American alligator is a keystone species in specific habitats in Florida. How could you experimentally prove or disprove this hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

The answer of You suspect that the American alligator is...

Question 6

Two families of feral cats move into the same barn. One family preys on the mice; the other preys on the pigeons. This behavior is an example of:

Accepted Answer

A) parasitism. 
B) interspecific competition. 
C) mutualism. 
D) ecosystem profile. 
E) resource partitioning.

Question 7

Similar climax communities distributed over a very large geographical area are known as ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Similar climax communities distributed over a very...

Question 8

Which behavioral response to the threat of predation is most likely to be selected for in a species that uses camouflage for protection from predators?

Accepted Answer

A) a quick escape response 
B) sudden display to startle the predator 
C) cooperative behavior 
D) behavior that mimics the behavior of the predator 
E) motionless behavior

Question 9

A certain species of animal represents just 3% of the biomass in its ecosystem. We might classify this as a keystone species if its removal:

Accepted Answer

A) allowed an even rarer species to increase in numbers and take its place. 
B) caused 2% of the other species in the community to disappear. 
C) caused the diversity of the plant community to decline by 40%. 
D) caused plant biomass to increase by 5%. 
E) had no effect on the community whatsoever.

Question 10

Succession after a disturbance such as forest harvest or a landslide is referred to as ________ succession.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Succession after a disturbance such as forest...

Question 11

-The succession shown in the illustration is:

Accepted Answer

A) primary. 
B) secondary. 
C) subclimax. 
D) climax. 
E) biome.

Question 12

On the slopes of the Washington Cascades, ecologists have studied some closely related vole species for decades. Many of these vole species, when they occur on separate mountains, tend to choose very similar food sizes. However, when these species occur together on the same mountain slope, their food choices tend to differ, with some species selecting small seeds and others feeding exclusively on larger seeds. This behavior may be an example of:

Accepted Answer

A) niche fragmentation. 
B) resource partitioning. 
C) habitat fragmentation. 
D) intraspecific competition. 
E) intraspecific range diversion.

Question 13

If an insect eats the lettuce seedlings in your yard, it is acting most like a(n):

Accepted Answer

A) omnivore. 
B) host. 
C) mutualist. 
D) carnivore. 
E) herbivore.

Question 14

Hawks that eat field mice are practicing mutualism. True or False?

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

What kinds of plant species are likely to be pioneers in secondary succession? Explain why.

Accepted Answer

The answer of What kinds of plant species are likely...

Question 16

The caterpillar in the illustration displays:

Accepted Answer

A) aggressive mimicry. 
B) warning coloration. 
C) camouflage. 
D) chemical defenses. 
E) startle coloration.

Question 17

Many plants produce chemicals that are used as medicines. For example, the drug digitalis, which stimulates the human heart, is derived from foxglove, a poisonous plant. What advantage does producing toxic compounds have for the plant?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Many plants produce chemicals that are used...

Question 18

The physical home of a species is its ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The physical home of a species is...

Question 19

Humans contract bacterial infections such as tuberculosis or syphilis. What is this ecological relationship called?

Accepted Answer

A) predation 
B) parasitism 
C) mutualism 
D) resource partitioning 
E) competition

Question 20

Succession after a catastrophic disturbance such as a volcanic eruption is referred to as ________ succession.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Succession after a catastrophic disturbance such as...

Exam 27: Community Interactions