Question 1

Why don't climax species colonize gaps in the forest?

Accepted Answer

Climax species are those that dominate t

Question 2

What information about species is needed to calculate Jaccard's index?

Accepted Answer

A)  diversity 
B)  growth rate 
C)  those present 
D)  mortality 
A)  diversity 
B)  growth rate 
C)  those present 
D)  mortality

Question 3

In the study of Oregon intertidal communities, little brown barnacles (Chthamalus dalii) are first to colonize disturbed areas. Over time, the acorn barnacle (Balanus glandula) dominates the community. Which mechanism of succession explains the relationship between the two species of barnacles?

Accepted Answer

A)  tolerance 
B)  facilitation 
C)  inhibition 
D)  None of the above 
A)  tolerance 
B)  facilitation 
C)  inhibition 
D)  None of the above

Question 4

Succession is best studied using

Accepted Answer

A)  indirect observations. 
B)  chronosequences. 
C)  pollen. 
D)  direct observations. 
A)  indirect observations. 
B)  chronosequences. 
C)  pollen. 
D)  direct observations.

Question 5

Grazers can change climax communities because they

Accepted Answer

A)  consume palatable plants. 
B)  inhibit plants that are not resistant to trampling. 
C)  alter soil conditions with their waste. 
D)  alter natural predator-prey dynamics. 
A)  consume palatable plants. 
B)  inhibit plants that are not resistant to trampling. 
C)  alter soil conditions with their waste. 
D)  alter natural predator-prey dynamics.

Question 6

Suppose that seeds from large canopy trees land in an area where facilitators made the soil fertile for their germination. What are two factors that might prevent these trees from growing to maturity?

Accepted Answer

Even if the soil has been made fertile b

Question 7

A sequence of communities that exist over time at a given location is

Accepted Answer

A)  a transient climax community. 
B)  never found without soil or organic material. 
C)  a chronosequence. 
D)  an example of secondary succession. 
E)  always showing the same sequence in intertidal areas. 
A)  a transient climax community. 
B)  never found without soil or organic material. 
C)  a chronosequence. 
D)  an example of secondary succession. 
E)  always showing the same sequence in intertidal areas.

Question 8

The assumptions behind the valid use of chronosequences are usually not all met. How, then, do researchers establish the most likely scenario of terrestrial succession in a given area?

Accepted Answer

Chronosequences are a method used by eco

Question 9

(Figure 19.11) These graphs show that succession is associated with a rapid increase in species richness that slows and levels off over time. How might you explain a graph showing succession with an initial increase in species richness followed by a decline in species richness over time?

Accepted Answer

A)  a disturbance such as fire 
B)  facilitation 
C)  inhibition 
D)  tolerance 
A)  a disturbance such as fire 
B)  facilitation 
C)  inhibition 
D)  tolerance

Question 10

Terrestrial primary succession begins with

Accepted Answer

A)  lichens and mosses. 
B)  grasses and herbs. 
C)  lichens and grasses. 
D)  mosses and grasses. 
A)  lichens and mosses. 
B)  grasses and herbs. 
C)  lichens and grasses. 
D)  mosses and grasses.

Question 11

When succession was initially observed on the island of Krakatau, plants with _____ seeds dominated.

Accepted Answer

A)  animal-dispersed 
B)  wind-dispersed 
C)  sea-dispersed 
D)  ballistic-dispersed 
A)  animal-dispersed 
B)  wind-dispersed 
C)  sea-dispersed 
D)  ballistic-dispersed

Question 12

In some areas of the western United States, pines are an important part of the climax community. Fires occur at regular intervals in these areas. How could fire maintain these pine populations?

Accepted Answer

A)  Fires allow pioneer species like annual grasses to colonize. 
B)  Fires cause gaps in the canopy that allow early-succession species to thrive. 
C)  Fires kill understory species, allowing pine seedlings to thrive. 
D)  Fires make it easier for legumes to colonize, increasing soil nitrogen. 
A)  Fires allow pioneer species like annual grasses to colonize. 
B)  Fires cause gaps in the canopy that allow early-succession species to thrive. 
C)  Fires kill understory species, allowing pine seedlings to thrive. 
D)  Fires make it easier for legumes to colonize, increasing soil nitrogen.

Question 13

It is known that as succession progresses from an early seral stage to a later seral stage, not only do the plants change but so too do the animals. A possible reason for this change in animals present may be

Accepted Answer

A)  a release of inhibition by plants in later seral stages. 
B)  increased facilitation in earlier seral stages. 
C)  later seral stages tend to have greater spatial heterogeneity than earlier seral stages. 
D)  animals are more likely to be found in older habitat types. 
A)  a release of inhibition by plants in later seral stages. 
B)  increased facilitation in earlier seral stages. 
C)  later seral stages tend to have greater spatial heterogeneity than earlier seral stages. 
D)  animals are more likely to be found in older habitat types.

Question 14

A pioneer species is _____ species to arrive at a site.

Accepted Answer

A)  the final 
B)  the penultimate 
C)  the most abundant 
D)  the first 
A)  the final 
B)  the penultimate 
C)  the most abundant 
D)  the first

Question 15

Describe the difference in seedling strategy between early successional and late successional plants and explain why such a strategy makes sense.

Accepted Answer

Early successional plants typically have

Question 16

How do herbivores affect the outcome of succession in intertidal zones?

Accepted Answer

A)  They alter the abiotic environment with their waste products. 
B)  They forage on particular types of algae, allowing others to dominate. 
C)  They trample algae, allowing sea anemones to colonize. 
D)  They have little effect on the outcome of succession. 
A)  They alter the abiotic environment with their waste products. 
B)  They forage on particular types of algae, allowing others to dominate. 
C)  They trample algae, allowing sea anemones to colonize. 
D)  They have little effect on the outcome of succession.

Question 17

Early seral stages of terrestrial succession are dependent upon rates of

Accepted Answer

A)  seed dispersal. 
B)  herbivory. 
C)  parasitic invasion. 
D)  predation, particularly as related to seed predators. 
A)  seed dispersal. 
B)  herbivory. 
C)  parasitic invasion. 
D)  predation, particularly as related to seed predators.

Question 18

Why were wind- and sea-dispersed seeds the first to colonize and survive on Krakatau?

Accepted Answer

A)  The seeds of these plants were more resistant to dry conditions than those of animal-dispersed plants. 
B)  In the early days of colonization, there were no forests to attract animals that could disperse seeds. 
C)  Plants with wind-dispersed seeds were able to survive the volcanic blast better than animal-dispersed plants 
D)  Animal-dispersed plant seeds are more likely to be digested than wind- and sea-dispersed plants. 
A)  The seeds of these plants were more resistant to dry conditions than those of animal-dispersed plants. 
B)  In the early days of colonization, there were no forests to attract animals that could disperse seeds. 
C)  Plants with wind-dispersed seeds were able to survive the volcanic blast better than animal-dispersed plants 
D)  Animal-dispersed plant seeds are more likely to be digested than wind- and sea-dispersed plants.

Question 19

The receding glacier at Glacier Bay in Alaska has been used to study

Accepted Answer

A)  competition. 
B)  predation. 
C)  succession. 
D)  nutrient cycling. 
A)  competition. 
B)  predation. 
C)  succession. 
D)  nutrient cycling.

Question 20

Which of the following habitats could NOT undergo secondary succession?

Accepted Answer

A)  mud slide 
B)  bare rock 
C)  clear-cut forest 
D)  abandoned agricultural fields 
A)  mud slide 
B)  bare rock 
C)  clear-cut forest 
D)  abandoned agricultural fields

Exam 19: Community Succession

Why don't climax species colonize gaps in the forest?

What information about species is needed to calculate Jaccard's index?

In the study of Oregon intertidal communities, little brown barnacles (Chthamalus dalii) are first to colonize disturbed areas. Over time, the acorn barnacle (Balanus glandula) dominates the community. Which mechanism of succession explains the relationship between the two species of barnacles?

Succession is best studied using

Grazers can change climax communities because they

Suppose that seeds from large canopy trees land in an area where facilitators made the soil fertile for their germination. What are two factors that might prevent these trees from growing to maturity?

A sequence of communities that exist over time at a given location is

The assumptions behind the valid use of chronosequences are usually not all met. How, then, do researchers establish the most likely scenario of terrestrial succession in a given area?

(Figure 19.11) These graphs show that succession is associated with a rapid increase in species richness that slows and levels off over time. How might you explain a graph showing succession with an initial increase in species richness followed by a decline in species richness over time?

Terrestrial primary succession begins with

When succession was initially observed on the island of Krakatau, plants with _____ seeds dominated.

In some areas of the western United States, pines are an important part of the climax community. Fires occur at regular intervals in these areas. How could fire maintain these pine populations?

It is known that as succession progresses from an early seral stage to a later seral stage, not only do the plants change but so too do the animals. A possible reason for this change in animals present may be

A pioneer species is _____ species to arrive at a site.

Describe the difference in seedling strategy between early successional and late successional plants and explain why such a strategy makes sense.

How do herbivores affect the outcome of succession in intertidal zones?

Early seral stages of terrestrial succession are dependent upon rates of

Why were wind- and sea-dispersed seeds the first to colonize and survive on Krakatau?

The receding glacier at Glacier Bay in Alaska has been used to study

Which of the following habitats could NOT undergo secondary succession?

Introduction: Ecology, Evolution, and the Scientific Method

Adaptations to Aquatic Environments

Adaptations to Terrestrial Environments

Adaptations to Variable Environments

Climates and Soils

Terrestrial and Aquatic Biomes

Evolution and Adaptation

Life Histories

Reproductive Strategies

Social Behaviors

Population Distributions

Population Growth and Regulation

Population Dynamics Over Space and Time

Predation and Herbivory

Parasitism and Infectious Diseases

Competition

Mutualism

Community Structure

Movement of Energy in Ecosystems

Movement of Elements in Ecosystems

Landscape Ecology and Global Biodiversity

Global Conservation of Biodiversity

Filters

Exam 19: Community Succession　