question

All of the following statements about ecology are correct EXCEPT: a. Ecologists may study populations and communities of organisms. b. Ecology may involve the use of models and computers. c. Ecology is a discipline that is independent from natural selection and evolutionary history. d. Ecology spans increasingly comprehensive levels of organization, form individuals to ecosystems. e. Ecology is the study of the interactions between biotic and abiotic aspects of the environment

answer

c. Ecology is a discipline that is independent from natural selection and evolutionary history.

question

All of the following may be associated with mating behavior EXCEPT? a. aggressive behavior b. releaser pheromones c. search image d. territoriality e. visual communication

answer

c. search image

question

Which of the following is considered by ecologists as a measure either of the ability of a community to resist change or of the ability of a community to recover to its original state after change? a. stability b. succession c. partitioning d. productivity e. competitive exclusion

answer

a. stability

question

In a tide pool, 15 species of invertebrates were reduced to eight after one species was removed. The species removed was likely a(n) a. community facilitator b. keystone predator c. herbivore d. resource partitioner e. mutualistic organism

answer

b. keystone predator

question

Which of the following may occur when a population drops below its minimum viable population size? a. genetic drift b. a further reduction in population size c. inbreeding d. a loss of genetic variability e. all of the above are characteristics of an extinction vortex that the population may enter

answer

e. all of the above are characteristics of an extinction vortex that the population may enter

question

In which cycle are bacterial important for processes other than decomposition? a. nitrogen cycle b. hydrologic cycle c. carbon cycle d. phosphorus cycle e. energy cycle

answer

a. nitrogen cycle

question

Evidence shows that some grasses benefit from being grazed. Which of the following terms would best describe this plant-herbivore interaction? a. mutualism b. commensalism c. parasitism d. competition e. predation

answer

a. mutualism

question

An example of Batesian mimicry is a. an insect that resembles a twig. b. a butterfly that resembles a leaf. c. a nonpoisonous snake that looks like a coral snake. d. a fawn with fur coloring that camouflages it in the forest environment. e. a snapping turtle that uses tits tongue to mimic a worm, thus attracting fish.

answer

c. a nonpoisonous snake that looks like a coral snake.

question

Which of the following is the best example of K-selected species? a. desert annual flowers. b. humans. c. salmon. d. spiders. e. mosquitoes

answer

b. humans.

question

A species that is relatively r-selected might have all of the following characteristics EXCEPT: a. a disturbed habitat b. small offspring c. parental care of offspring d. numerous offspring e. little homeostatic capability

answer

c. parental care of offspring

question

How would the dispersion of humans in the United States best be described? a. dense b. clumped c. random d. intrinsic e. uniform

answer

b. clumped

question

Which of the following would be most helpful in solving the world's environmental problems? a. increased agricultural productivity b. new energy sources c. increased life expectancy d. more food form the oceans e. decreased human birth

answer

e. decreased human birth

question

As N approaches K for a certain population, which of the following is predicted by the logistic equation? a. The growth rate will not change. b. The growth rate will approach zero. c. The population will show an allele effect. d. The population will increase exponentially. e. The carrying capacity of the environment will increase.

answer

b. The growth rate will approach zero

question

Which of the following could cause a realized niche to differ from a fundamental niche? a. suitable habitat b. food size and availability c. temperature limitations d. water availability e. competition form other species

answer

e. competition form other species

question

Which of the following types of interactions INCORRECTLY paired to its effects on the two interacting species? a. predation-one benefits, one loses b. parasitism—one benefits, one loses c. commensalism—both benefit d. mutualism—both benefit e. competition—both lose

answer

b. parasitism—one benefits, one loses

question

In general, the total biomass is a terrestrial ecosystem will be greatest for which trophic level? a. producers b. herbivores c. primary consumers d. tertiary consumers e. secondary consumer

answer

a. producers

question

To recycle nutrients, the minimum an ecosystem must have is a. producers. b. producers and decomposers. c. producers, primary consumers and decomposers. d. producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and decomposers. e. producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, top carnivores and decomposers.

answer

b. producers and decomposers.

question

For most terrestrial ecosystems, pyramids of numbers, biomass and energy are essentially the same: they have a broad base and a narrow top. The primary reason for this pattern is that a. secondary consumers and top carnivores require less energy than producers. b. at each step, energy is lost from the system as a result of keeping the organism alive. c. as materials pass through ecosystems, some of them are lost to the environment. d. biomagnification of toxic materials limits the secondary consumers and top carnivores. e. Top carnivores and secondary consumers have a more general diet than primary producers.

answer

b. at each step, energy is lost from the system as a result of keeping the organism alive.

question

The human population is growing at such an alarmingly fast rate because a. technology has increased our carrying capacity and, thus, density dependent factors have not slowed reproduction. b. the death rate has greatly decreased since the Industrial Revolution. c. the age structure of many countries is highly skewed toward younger ages. d. infant mortality has decreased. e. All of the above are true.

answer

e. All of the above are true

question

Which of the following levels of organization is arranged in the correct sequence from most to least inclusive? a. community, ecosystem, individual, population b. ecosystem, community, population, individual c. individual, population, community, ecosystem d. individual, community, population, ecosystem e. individual, community, ecosystem, population

answer

b. ecosystem, community, population, individual

question

Which of the following are important biotic factors that can affect the structure and organization of biological communities? a. precipitation , wind, temperature b. nutrient availability, soil pH, light intensity c. predation, competition, disease d. A and B only e. A, B, and C

answer

c. predation, competition, disease

question

Introduced species: a. often fail to colonize the new area. b. may become common enough to become pests. c. can disrupt the balance of the natural species with which they become associated. d. Both B and Care correct. e. A, B, and C are correct.

answer

e. A, B, and C are correct.

question

Probably the most important factor(s) affecting the distribution of biomes is(are) a. wind and water current patterns b. species diversity c. community succession d. climate e. day length and rainfall

answer

d. climate

question

Which of the following abiotic factors has the greatest influence on the metabolic rates of plants and animals? a. water b. wind c. temperature d. rocks and soils e. disturbances

answer

c. temperature

question

Fire suppression by humans: a. will always result in an increase in the number of species in a given biome b. can change the species composition within biological communities c. will result ultimately in sustainable production of increased amounts of wood for human use d. is necessary for the protection of threatened and endangered forest species e. only C and D are correct

answer

b. can change the species composition within biological communities

question

In which community would organisms most likely have evolved to respond to different photoperiods? a. tropical forest b. coral reef c. savanna d. temperate forest e. abyssal

answer

d. temperate forest

question

Which of the following is a behavioral pattern that results from a proximate cause? a. A cat kills a mouse to obtain food. b. A male sheep fights with another male because it helps it to improve its social position and find a mate. c. A female bird lays its eggs because the amount of daylight is decreasing slightly each day. d. A goose squats and freezes motionless because that helps it to escape a predator. e. A cockroach runs into a crack in the wall and avoids being steeped on.

answer

c. A female bird lays its eggs because the amount of daylight is decreasing slightly each day.

question

After eating a monarch butterfly and regurgitation, a bird will subsequently avoid orange and black butterflies. This is NOT and example of a. associative learning. b. operant conditioning. c. innate behavior. d. trial and error learning. e. adaptive behavior.

answer

c. innate behavior.

question

Chickadees learned to peck through the paper tops of milk bottles left on doorsteps and drink the cream from the top.

answer

operant conditioning

question

Male insects attempt to mate with orchids but eventually stop responding to them.

answer

habituation

question

A returning salmon goes back to its own home stream to spawn.

answer

imprinting

question

A stickleback fish will attack a model fish as long as the model has red color.

answer

sign stimulus

question

Animal communication involves what type of sensory information? a. visual b. auditory c. chemical d. tactile e. All of the above can be correct.

answer

e. All of the above can be correct.

question

In the territorial behavior of the stickleback fish, the red belly of one male elicits attack from another male by functioning as: a. A pheromone b. A sign stimulus c. A fixed action pattern d. A search image e. An imprint stimulus

answer

b. A sign stimulus

question

Mayflies laying eggs on roads instead of in water involves which of the following? a. A defective behavioral gene b. Trial and error learning c. Misdirected response to a sign stimulus d. Natural behavioral variation in the mayfly population e. Insecticide poisoning

answer

c. Misdirected response to a sign stimulus

question

All of the following statements about mating behavior are correct except: a. Some aspects of courtship behavior may have evolved from agonistic interactions. b. Courtship interactions ensure that the participating individuals are non-threatening and of the proper species, sex, and physiological condition for mating. c. The degree to which evolution affects mating relationships depends on the degree of parental and postnatal input the parents are required to make. d. The mating relationship in most mammals is monogamous, to ensure the reproductive success of the pair. e. Polygamous relationships most often involve a single male and many females, but in some species this is reversed.

answer

d. The mating relationship in most mammals is monogamous, to ensure the reproductive success of the pair

question

The presence of altruistic behavior in animals is most likely due to kin selection, a theory that maintains that: a. Aggression between sexes promotes the survival of the fittest individuals. b. Genes enhance survival of copies of themselves by directing organisms to assist others who share those genes. c. Companionship is advantageous to animals because in the future they can help each other. d. Critical thinking abilities are normal traits for animals and they have arisen, like other traits, through natural selection. e. Natural selection has generally favored the evolution of exaggerated aggressive and submissive behaviors to resolve conflict without grave harm to participants.

answer

b. Genes enhance survival of copies of themselves by directing organisms to assist others who share those genes.

question

Uniform spacing patterns in plants such as the creosote bush are most often associated with which of the following? a. Chance b. Patterns of high humidity c. The random distribution of seeds d. Antagonistic interactions among individuals in the population e. The concentration of resources within the population's range

answer

d. Antagonistic interactions among individuals in the population

question

The sum total of an organism's interaction with the biotic and abiotic resources of its environment is called its: a. Habitat b. Logistic growth c. Biotic potential d. Microclimax e. Ecological niche

answer

e. Ecological niche

question

Following clear cutting of a deciduous forest several hundred years ago, the land was colonized by herbaceous species which, over time, were replaced largely by shrubs, then by forest trees. Assuming the growth of the shrubs and trees was enhanced by the soil - holding properties of the herbaceous plants, which of the following processes best describe the progression from herbaceous plants to forest trees? a. Primary succession; facilitation b. Primary succession; inhibition c. Primary succession; toleration d. Secondary succession, facilitation e. Secondary succession, inhibition

answer

d. Secondary succession, facilitation

question

Which of the following best explains why many different species can live together within an ecosystem with limited resources? a. Each species lives in a slightly different habitat b. Each species occupies a different niche c. Each species inhabits a different biome d. Each species makes up a different population e. Each species functions at a different trophic level

answer

b. Each species occupies a different niche

question

Logistic growth of a population is represented by dN/dt

answer

rN(K-N)/K

question

Exponential growth of a population is represented by dN/dt

answer

rN

Biology Review: Ecology

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