Exam 5: Species Interactions, Ecological Succession and Population Control

Scientists hypothesize that some southern sea otters might be dying because coastal area cat owners flush cat litter containing parasites in feces down their toilets or dump it in storm drains that empty into coastal waters.

The interaction between a lion and a hyena fighting over a dead zebra on the African Savannah is best described as ____________________.

Explain how commensalism differs from mutualism.

Explain why primary ecological succession usually takes hundreds or thousands of years, while secondary ecological succession can occur much more quickly.

A habitat's carrying capacity is largely determined by ____.

Prey species are those species that feed directly on all or part of another organism.

Hummingbirds consume nectar from flowers, and transfer pollen in the process. This is an example of ____.

Giant African millipedes often serve as the home for small mites that scavenge organic matter, but the millipedes do not appear to be affected by the interaction. This is an example of ____.

A relationship in which one species benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed to any significant degree best illustrates ____.

In a certain population of rabbits, 25 new rabbits are born and five move into the population from surrounding areas during a single year. However, 10 rabbits die, and five leave the population during the same time frame. What is the population change for that year?

When populations of two different species interact over a long period of time, changes in the gene pool of populations of one species can lead to changes in the gene pool of the other. This process is called commensalism.

Southern sea otters were hunted to extinction in the early 1900s.

Species that have a capacity for a high rate of population increase are called ____.

Which of the following is an example of emigration?

A glacier retreats, exposing bare rock and allowing communities of organisms to move in. This is an example of ____.

If southern sea otters went extinct, then we would predict that ____.

There are four variables that govern changes in population size, including births, deaths, immigration, __________________.

When an owl consumes a mouse, this is an example of ____.

Describe what it would mean for a population of a species to have an early loss survivorship curve.

Carrying capacity refers to ____.