Question 1

Which of the following is the most accepted hypothesis as to why invasive species take over communities into which they have been introduced?

Accepted Answer

A) Invasive species are more aggressive than natives in competing for the limited resources of the environment. 
B) Invasive species are not held in check by the predators and agents of disease that have always been in place for the natives. 
C) Humans always select which species will outcompete the nuisance native species. 
D) Invasive species have a higher reproductive potential than native species. 
E) Invasive species come from geographically isolated regions, so when they are introduced to regions where there is more competition, they thrive. 
A) Invasive species are more aggressive than natives in competing for the limited resources of the environment. 
B) Invasive species are not held in check by the predators and agents of disease that have always been in place for the natives. 
C) Humans always select which species will outcompete the nuisance native species. 
D) Invasive species have a higher reproductive potential than native species. 
E) Invasive species come from geographically isolated regions, so when they are introduced to regions where there is more competition, they thrive.

Question 2

Two barnacles, Balanus and Chthamalus, can both survive on the lower rocks just above the low-tide line on the Scottish coast, but only Balanus actually does so, with Chthamalus adopting a higher zone. Which of the following best accounts for this niche separation?

Accepted Answer

A) competitive exclusion 
B) predation of Chthamalus by Balanus 
C) cooperative displacement 
D) primary succession 
E) mutualism 
A) competitive exclusion 
B) predation of Chthamalus by Balanus 
C) cooperative displacement 
D) primary succession 
E) mutualism

Question 3

You are most likely to observe primary succession in a terrestrial community when you visit a(n)

Accepted Answer

A) tropical rain forest. 
B) abandoned field. 
C) recently burned forest. 
D) recently created volcanic island. 
E) recently plowed field. 
A) tropical rain forest. 
B) abandoned field. 
C) recently burned forest. 
D) recently created volcanic island. 
E) recently plowed field.

Question 4

The sum total of an organism's interaction with the biotic and abiotic resources of its environment is called its

Accepted Answer

A) habitat. 
B) logistic growth. 
C) biotic potential. 
D) carrying capacity. 
E) ecological niche. 
A) habitat. 
B) logistic growth. 
C) biotic potential. 
D) carrying capacity. 
E) ecological niche.

Question 5

Which of the following describes the relationship between ants and acacia trees?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 6

Which of the following is an example of Müllerian mimicry?

Accepted Answer

A) two species of unpalatable butterfly that have the same color pattern 
B) a day-flying hawkmoth that looks like a wasp 
C) a chameleon that changes its color to look like a dead leaf 
D) two species of rattlesnakes that both rattle their tails 
E) two species of moths with wing spots that look like owl's eyes 
A) two species of unpalatable butterfly that have the same color pattern 
B) a day-flying hawkmoth that looks like a wasp 
C) a chameleon that changes its color to look like a dead leaf 
D) two species of rattlesnakes that both rattle their tails 
E) two species of moths with wing spots that look like owl's eyes

Question 7

Which of the following examples best describes an ecological community?

Accepted Answer

A) The intraspecific competition of members of a brook trout population inhabiting a stream during a given year. 
B) The interactions of all the plant and animal species inhabiting a 2 hectare forest. 
C) The material cycling and energy transformations between the biotic and abiotic components of an open meadow. 
D) The various species of barnacles competing for resources in an intertidal zone. 
E) The interactions of the various plant and animal species of park, excepting the decomposers. 
A) The intraspecific competition of members of a brook trout population inhabiting a stream during a given year. 
B) The interactions of all the plant and animal species inhabiting a 2 hectare forest. 
C) The material cycling and energy transformations between the biotic and abiotic components of an open meadow. 
D) The various species of barnacles competing for resources in an intertidal zone. 
E) The interactions of the various plant and animal species of park, excepting the decomposers.

Question 8

Which of the following interactions can correctly be labeled coevolution?

Accepted Answer

A) the tendency of coyotes to respond to human habitat encroachment by including pet dogs and cats in their diets 
B) a genetic change in a virus that allows it to exploit a new host, which responds to virus-imposed selection by changing its genetically controlled habitat preferences 
C) a genetic change in foxes that allows them to tolerate human presence (and food) 
D) the adaptation of cockroaches to human habitation 
E) the ability of rats to survive in a variety of novel environments 
A) the tendency of coyotes to respond to human habitat encroachment by including pet dogs and cats in their diets 
B) a genetic change in a virus that allows it to exploit a new host, which responds to virus-imposed selection by changing its genetically controlled habitat preferences 
C) a genetic change in foxes that allows them to tolerate human presence (and food) 
D) the adaptation of cockroaches to human habitation 
E) the ability of rats to survive in a variety of novel environments

Question 9

Which of the following is an example of cryptic coloration?

Accepted Answer

A) bands on a coral snake 
B) brown color of tree bark 
C) markings of a viceroy butterfly 
D) colors of an insect-pollinated flower 
E) a "walking stick" insect that resembles a twig 
A) bands on a coral snake 
B) brown color of tree bark 
C) markings of a viceroy butterfly 
D) colors of an insect-pollinated flower 
E) a "walking stick" insect that resembles a twig

Question 10

Which of the following treatments would most likely create a healthy, biodiverse community out of an impoverished community?

Accepted Answer

A) Decrease the number of top level predators. 
B) Eliminate some of the of pest species of trees and shrubs. 
C) Add plenty of nutrients to the soil. 
D) Add more predators. 
E) Reduce the number of primary producers. 
A) Decrease the number of top level predators. 
B) Eliminate some of the of pest species of trees and shrubs. 
C) Add plenty of nutrients to the soil. 
D) Add more predators. 
E) Reduce the number of primary producers.

Question 11

Which of the following terms best describes the interaction between termites and the protozoans that feed in their gut?

Accepted Answer

A) commensalism 
B) mutualism 
C) competitive exclusion 
D) ectoparasitism 
E) endoparasitism 
A) commensalism 
B) mutualism 
C) competitive exclusion 
D) ectoparasitism 
E) endoparasitism

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

Zoonotic disease

Accepted Answer

A) describes sub-organismal pathogens such as viruses, viroids, and prions. 
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) describes sub-organismal pathogens such as viruses, viroids, and prions. 
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 14

Elephants are not the most common species in African grasslands. The grasslands contain scattered woody plants, but they are kept in check by the uprooting activities of the elephants. Take away the elephants, and the grasslands convert to forests or to shrublands. The newly growing forests support fewer species than the previous grasslands. Which of the following describes why elephants are the keystone species in this scenario?

Accepted Answer

A) Essentially all of the other species depend on the presence of the elephants to maintain the community. 
B) Grazing animals depend upon the elephants to convert forests to grassland. 
C) Elephants prevent drought in African grasslands. 
D) Elephants are the biggest herbivore in this community. 
E) Elephants help other populations survive by keeping out many of the large African predators. 
A) Essentially all of the other species depend on the presence of the elephants to maintain the community. 
B) Grazing animals depend upon the elephants to convert forests to grassland. 
C) Elephants prevent drought in African grasslands. 
D) Elephants are the biggest herbivore in this community. 
E) Elephants help other populations survive by keeping out many of the large African predators.

Question 15

In a tide pool, 15 species of invertebrates were reduced to eight after one species was removed. The species removed was likely a(n)

Accepted Answer

A) community facilitator. 
B) keystone species. 
C) herbivore. 
D) resource partitioner. 
E) mutualistic organism. 
A) community facilitator. 
B) keystone species. 
C) herbivore. 
D) resource partitioner. 
E) mutualistic organism.

Question 16

Use the following diagram of Joseph Connell's study of barnacle distribution in Scotland to answer the following two questions.
   
Figure 54.1
-Which of the following is the most logical conclusion about the distribution of the two species of barnacle, Chthamalus and Balanus?

Accepted Answer

A) Chthamalus and Balanus compete for the same types of food. 
B) Balanus is less able to resist desiccation than Chthamalus. 
C) Chthamalus prefers higher temperatures than Balanus. 
D) Balanus is a better osmoregulator that Chthamalus. 
E) Chthamalus is preyed upon more than Balanus by birds because of its size. 
A) Chthamalus and Balanus compete for the same types of food. 
B) Balanus is less able to resist desiccation than Chthamalus. 
C) Chthamalus prefers higher temperatures than Balanus. 
D) Balanus is a better osmoregulator that Chthamalus. 
E) Chthamalus is preyed upon more than Balanus by birds because of its size.

Question 17

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 18

Which of the following is an example of Batesian mimicry?

Accepted Answer

A) an insect that resembles a twig 
B) a butterfly that resembles a leaf 
C) a non-venomous snake that looks like a venomous snake 
D) a fawn with fur coloring that camouflages it in the forest environment 
E) a snapping turtle that uses its tongue to mimic a worm, thus attracting fish 
A) an insect that resembles a twig 
B) a butterfly that resembles a leaf 
C) a non-venomous snake that looks like a venomous snake 
D) a fawn with fur coloring that camouflages it in the forest environment 
E) a snapping turtle that uses its tongue to mimic a worm, thus attracting fish

Question 19

The principle of competitive exclusion states that

Accepted Answer

A) two species cannot coexist in the same habitat. 
B) competition between two species always causes extinction or emigration of one species. 
C) competition in a population promotes survival of the best-adapted individuals. 
D) two species that have exactly the same niche cannot coexist in a community. 
E) two species will stop reproducing until one species leaves the habitat. 
A) two species cannot coexist in the same habitat. 
B) competition between two species always causes extinction or emigration of one species. 
C) competition in a population promotes survival of the best-adapted individuals. 
D) two species that have exactly the same niche cannot coexist in a community. 
E) two species will stop reproducing until one species leaves the habitat.

Question 20

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

Exam 54: Community Ecology

Which of the following is the most accepted hypothesis as to why invasive species take over communities into which they have been introduced?

Two barnacles, Balanus and Chthamalus, can both survive on the lower rocks just above the low-tide line on the Scottish coast, but only Balanus actually does so, with Chthamalus adopting a higher zone. Which of the following best accounts for this niche separation?

You are most likely to observe primary succession in a terrestrial community when you visit a(n)

The sum total of an organism's interaction with the biotic and abiotic resources of its environment is called its

Which of the following describes the relationship between ants and acacia trees?

Which of the following is an example of Müllerian mimicry?

Which of the following examples best describes an ecological community?

Which of the following interactions can correctly be labeled coevolution?

Which of the following is an example of cryptic coloration?

Which of the following treatments would most likely create a healthy, biodiverse community out of an impoverished community?

Which of the following terms best describes the interaction between termites and the protozoans that feed in their gut?

Keystone predators can maintain species diversity in a community if they

Zoonotic disease

In a tide pool, 15 species of invertebrates were reduced to eight after one species was removed. The species removed was likely a(n)

Use the following diagram of Joseph Connell's study of barnacle distribution in Scotland to answer the following two questions. Figure 54.1 -Which of the following is the most logical conclusion about the distribution of the two species of barnacle, Chthamalus and Balanus?

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

Which of the following is an example of Batesian mimicry?

The principle of competitive exclusion states that

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?

Introduction: Themes in the Study of Life

The Chemical Context of Life

Water and the Fitness of the Environment

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: Harvesting Chemical Energy

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

Control of Gene Expression

Viruses

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 Introduction to Animal Diversity

Invertebrates

Vertebrates

Plant Structure, Growth, and Development

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 Signaling

Nervous Systems

Sensory and Motor Mechanisms

Animal Behavior

An Introduction to Ecology and the Biosphere

Population Ecology

Ecosystems

Conservation Biology and Restoration Ecology

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