Question 1

Which of the following best describes the consequences of white-band disease in Caribbean coral reefs?

Accepted Answer

A) Staghorn coral has been decimated by the pathogen, and Elkhorn coral has taken its place. 
B) Key habitat for lobsters, snappers, and other reef fishes has improved. 
C) Algal species take the place of the dead coral, and the fish community is dominated by herbivores. 
D) Algal species take over and the overall reef diversity increases due to increases in primary productivity. 
E) Other coral species take the place of the affected Staghorn and Elkhorn species. 
A) Staghorn coral has been decimated by the pathogen, and Elkhorn coral has taken its place. 
B) Key habitat for lobsters, snappers, and other reef fishes has improved. 
C) Algal species take the place of the dead coral, and the fish community is dominated by herbivores. 
D) Algal species take over and the overall reef diversity increases due to increases in primary productivity. 
E) Other coral species take the place of the affected Staghorn and Elkhorn species.

Question 2

Which of the following best describes resource partitioning?

Accepted Answer

A) competitive exclusion that results in the success of the superior species 
B) slight variations in niche that allow similar species to coexist 
C) two species that can coevolve to share identical niches 
D) differential resource utilization that results in a decrease in community species diversity 
E) a climax community that is reached when no new niches are available 
A) competitive exclusion that results in the success of the superior species 
B) slight variations in niche that allow similar species to coexist 
C) two species that can coevolve to share identical niches 
D) differential resource utilization that results in a decrease in community species diversity 
E) a climax community that is reached when no new niches are available

Question 3

Which of the following would be most significant in understanding the structure of an ecological community?

Accepted Answer

A) determining how many species are present overall 
B) determining which particular species are present 
C) determining the kinds of interactions that occur among organisms of different species 
D) determining the relative abundance of species 
E) determining how many species are present overall, which particular species are present, the kinds of interactions that occur among organisms of different species, and the relative abundance of species 
A) determining how many species are present overall 
B) determining which particular species are present 
C) determining the kinds of interactions that occur among organisms of different species 
D) determining the relative abundance of species 
E) determining how many species are present overall, which particular species are present, the kinds of interactions that occur among organisms of different species, and the relative abundance of species

Question 4

Dwarf mistletoes are flowering plants that grow on certain forest trees.They obtain nutrients and water from the vascular tissues of the trees.The trees derive no known benefits from the dwarf mistletoes.Which of the following best describes the interactions between dwarf mistletoes and trees?

Accepted Answer

A) mutualism 
B) parasitism 
C) commensalism 
D) facilitation 
E) competition 
A) mutualism 
B) parasitism 
C) commensalism 
D) facilitation 
E) competition

Question 5

The symbols +,-,and o are to be used to show the results of interactions between individuals and groups of individuals in the examples that follow.The symbol + denotes a positive interaction,- denotes a negative interaction,and o denotes where individuals are not affected by interacting.The first symbol refers to the first organism mentioned.
-What interactions exist between cellulose-digesting organisms in the gut of a termite and the termite?

Accepted Answer

A) +/+ 
B) +/o 
C) +/- 
D) o/o 
E) -/- 
A) +/+ 
B) +/o 
C) +/- 
D) o/o 
E) -/-

Question 6

Zoonotic disease

Accepted Answer

A) is caused by suborganismal pathogens such as viruses, viroids, and prions only. 
B) is caused by pathogens that are transferred from other animals to humans by direct contact or by means of a vector. 
C) can only be spread from animals to humans through direct contact. 
D) can only be transferred from animals to humans by means of an intermediate host. 
E) is too specific to study at the community level, and studies of zoonotic pathogens are relegated to organismal biology. 
A) is caused by suborganismal pathogens such as viruses, viroids, and prions only. 
B) is caused by pathogens that are transferred from other animals to humans by direct contact or by means of a vector. 
C) can only be spread from animals to humans through direct contact. 
D) can only be transferred from animals to humans by means of an intermediate host. 
E) is too specific to study at the community level, and studies of zoonotic pathogens are relegated to organismal biology.

Question 7

Which of the following could qualify as a top-down control on a grassland community?

Accepted Answer

A) limitation of plant biomass as a result of nitrogen deficiency 
B) effect of grazing intensity by pronghorn antelope on plant species in the prairies 
C) influence of rainfall on competition among plants 
D) influence of shade on the abundance of flowering plants and ferns 
A) limitation of plant biomass as a result of nitrogen deficiency 
B) effect of grazing intensity by pronghorn antelope on plant species in the prairies 
C) influence of rainfall on competition among plants 
D) influence of shade on the abundance of flowering plants and ferns

Question 8

Why do tropical communities tend to have greater species diversity than temperate or polar communities?

Accepted Answer

A) They are less likely to be affected by human disturbance. 
B) There are fewer parasites to negatively affect the health of tropical communities. 
C) Tropical communities are low in altitude, whereas temperate and polar communities are high in altitude. 
D) Tropical communities are generally older than temperate and polar communities. 
E) More competitive dominant species have evolved in temperate and polar communities. 
A) They are less likely to be affected by human disturbance. 
B) There are fewer parasites to negatively affect the health of tropical communities. 
C) Tropical communities are low in altitude, whereas temperate and polar communities are high in altitude. 
D) Tropical communities are generally older than temperate and polar communities. 
E) More competitive dominant species have evolved in temperate and polar communities.

Question 9

Why do moderate levels of disturbance result in an increase in community diversity?

Accepted Answer

A) Habitats are opened up for less competitive species. 
B) Competitively dominant species infrequently exclude less competitive species after a moderate disturbance. 
C) The environmental conditions become optimal. 
D) The resulting uniform habitat supports stability, which in turn supports diversity. 
E) Less-competitive species evolve strategies to compete with dominant species. 
A) Habitats are opened up for less competitive species. 
B) Competitively dominant species infrequently exclude less competitive species after a moderate disturbance. 
C) The environmental conditions become optimal. 
D) The resulting uniform habitat supports stability, which in turn supports diversity. 
E) Less-competitive species evolve strategies to compete with dominant species.

Question 10

As you study two closely related predatory insect species,the two-spot and the three-spot avenger beetles,you notice that each species seeks prey at dawn in areas without the other species.However,where their ranges overlap,the two-spot avenger beetle hunts at night and the three-spot hunts in the morning.When you bring them into the laboratory and isolate the two different species,you discover that the offspring of both species are found to be nocturnal.You have discovered an example of

Accepted Answer

A) mutualism. 
B) character displacement. 
C) Batesian mimicry. 
D) facultative commensalism. 
E) resource partitioning. 
A) mutualism. 
B) character displacement. 
C) Batesian mimicry. 
D) facultative commensalism. 
E) resource partitioning.

Question 11

According to the competitive exclusion principle,two species cannot continue to occupy the same

Accepted Answer

A) habitat. 
B) niche. 
C) territory. 
D) range. 
E) biome. 
A) habitat. 
B) niche. 
C) territory. 
D) range. 
E) biome.

Question 12

Keystone predators can maintain species diversity in a community if they

Accepted Answer

A) competitively exclude other predators. 
B) prey on the community's dominant species. 
C) allow immigration of other predators. 
D) reduce the number of disruptions in the community. 
E) prey only on the least abundant species in the community. 
A) competitively exclude other predators. 
B) prey on the community's dominant species. 
C) allow immigration of other predators. 
D) reduce the number of disruptions in the community. 
E) prey only on the least abundant species in the community.

Question 13

The most plausible hypothesis to explain why species richness is higher in tropical than in temperate regions is that

Accepted Answer

A) tropical communities cover more surface area than temperate communities. 
B) adaptive radiation occurred in tropical areas earlier than in temperate areas. 
C) tropical regions have species with high birth rates and rapid growth. 
D) tropical regions often have more available water and higher levels of sunlight. 
A) tropical communities cover more surface area than temperate communities. 
B) adaptive radiation occurred in tropical areas earlier than in temperate areas. 
C) tropical regions have species with high birth rates and rapid growth. 
D) tropical regions often have more available water and higher levels of sunlight.

Question 14

The symbols +,-,and o are to be used to show the results of interactions between individuals and groups of individuals in the examples that follow.The symbol + denotes a positive interaction,- denotes a negative interaction,and o denotes where individuals are not affected by interacting.The first symbol refers to the first organism mentioned.
-What interactions exist between the cattle egret and grazing cattle?

Accepted Answer

A) +/+ 
B) +/o 
C) +/- 
D) o/o 
E) -/- 
A) +/+ 
B) +/o 
C) +/- 
D) o/o 
E) -/-

Question 15

Biomanipulation can best be described as

Accepted Answer

A) removing many of the next higher trophic level organisms so that the struggling trophic level below can recover. 
B) a means of reversing the effects of pollution by applying antidote chemicals that have a neutralizing effect on the community. 
C) an example of how one would use the bottom-up model for community restoration. 
D) adjusting the numbers of each of the trophic levels back to the numbers that they were before human disturbance. 
E) monitoring and adjusting the nutrient and energy flow through a community with new technologies. 
A) removing many of the next higher trophic level organisms so that the struggling trophic level below can recover. 
B) a means of reversing the effects of pollution by applying antidote chemicals that have a neutralizing effect on the community. 
C) an example of how one would use the bottom-up model for community restoration. 
D) adjusting the numbers of each of the trophic levels back to the numbers that they were before human disturbance. 
E) monitoring and adjusting the nutrient and energy flow through a community with new technologies.

Question 16

Species richness increases

Accepted Answer

A) as we increase in altitude in equatorial mountains. 
B) as we travel southward from the North Pole. 
C) on islands as distance from the mainland increases. 
D) as depth increases in aquatic communities. 
E) as community size decreases. 
A) as we increase in altitude in equatorial mountains. 
B) as we travel southward from the North Pole. 
C) on islands as distance from the mainland increases. 
D) as depth increases in aquatic communities. 
E) as community size decreases.

Question 17

In a particular case of secondary succession,three species of wild grass all invaded a field.By the second season,a single species dominated the field.A possible factor in this secondary succession was

Accepted Answer

A) equilibrium. 
B) facilitation. 
C) immigration. 
D) inhibition. 
E) parasitism. 
A) equilibrium. 
B) facilitation. 
C) immigration. 
D) inhibition. 
E) parasitism.

Exam 54: Community Ecology

Which of the following best describes the consequences of white-band disease in Caribbean coral reefs?

Which of the following best describes resource partitioning?

Which of the following would be most significant in understanding the structure of an ecological community?

Dwarf mistletoes are flowering plants that grow on certain forest trees.They obtain nutrients and water from the vascular tissues of the trees.The trees derive no known benefits from the dwarf mistletoes.Which of the following best describes the interactions between dwarf mistletoes and trees?

Zoonotic disease

Which of the following could qualify as a top-down control on a grassland community?

Why do tropical communities tend to have greater species diversity than temperate or polar communities?

Why do moderate levels of disturbance result in an increase in community diversity?

According to the competitive exclusion principle,two species cannot continue to occupy the same

Keystone predators can maintain species diversity in a community if they

The most plausible hypothesis to explain why species richness is higher in tropical than in temperate regions is that

Biomanipulation can best be described as

Species richness increases

In a particular case of secondary succession,three species of wild grass all invaded a field.By the second season,a single species dominated the field.A possible factor in this secondary succession was

Introduction: Evolution and Themes of Biology

The Chemical Context of Life

Water and Life

Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life

The Structure and Function of Large Biological Molecules

A Tour of the Cell

Membrane Structure and Function

An Introduction to Metabolism

Cellular Respiration and Fermentation

Photosynthesis

Cell Communication

The Cell Cycle

Meiosis and Sexual Life Cycles

Mendel and the Gene Idea

The Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance

The Molecular Basis of Inheritance

From Gene to Protein

Regulation of Gene Expression

Viruses

DNA Tools and Biotechnology

Genomes and Their Evolution

Descent with Modification: A Darwinian View of Life

The Evolution of Populations

The Origin of Species

The History of Life on Earth

Phylogeny and the Tree of Life

Bacteria and Archaea

Protists

Plant Diversity I: How Plants Colonized Land

Plant Diversity II: The Evolution of Seed Plants

Fungi

An Overview of Animal Diversity

An Introduction to Invertebrates

The Origin and Evolution of Vertebrates

Plant Structure,Growth,and Development

Resource Acquisition and Transport in Vascular Plants

Soil and Plant Nutrition

Angiosperm Reproduction and Biotechnology

Plant Responses to Internal and External Signals

Basic Principles of Animal Form and Function

Animal Nutrition

Circulation and Gas Exchange

The Immune System

Osmoregulation and Excretion

Hormones and the Endocrine System

Animal Reproduction

Animal Development

Neurons,Synapses,and Signalling

Nervous Systems

Sensory and Motor Mechanisms

Animal Behaviour

An Introduction to Ecology and the Biosphere

Population Ecology

Ecosystems and Restoration Ecology

Conservation Biology and Global Change

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