Exam 54: Community Ecology

As you are watching dairy cattle grazing in a field you notice a flock of starlings following them and eating insects that were disturbed by the cattles' hooves. Name the kind of species interaction you have observed and the benefit, if any.

Which of the following studies would a community ecologist undertake to learn about competitive interactions?

Connell conducted this experiment to learn more about

Prairie dogs once covered the expanses of the Great Plains. Their grazing made the grass more nutritious for the huge herds of bison, and they were preyed upon by a variety of snakes, raptors, and mammals. In fact, the black-footed ferret (now endangered)specialized in prairie dog predation. Today, increases in housing and agricultural developments have eradicated many prairie dog towns. Which of the following statements about prairie dogs is true?

How might an ecologist test whether a species is occupying its realized or its fundamental niche?

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

Which of the following statements is consistent with the principle of competitive exclusion?

Use the following diagram of five islands formed at around the same time near a particular mainland, as well as MacArthur and Wilson's island biogeography principles, to answer the following questions. -Which island would likely exhibit the most impoverished species diversity?

Species richness increases

Which of the following is an example of Müllerian mimicry?

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

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 mycorrhizae and evergreen tree roots?

A community's actual evapotranspiration is a reflection of

The Ebola virus is a very virulent zootonic pathogen that causes high mortality rates among people. In humans, this virus causes Ebola hemorrhagic fever (severe internal bleeding)and, in some years, mortality can reach 100%. The virus is likely transmitted from wild animals to people and spreads via human to human transmission. There is no vaccine or cure for people. If the virus is so deadly and kills its human hosts, speculate on a possible reason why the virus continues to survive and has not died off with the human hosts it kills in such large numbers.

Why is a pathogen generally more virulent in a new habitat?

White-breasted nuthatches and Downy woodpeckers both eat insects that hide in the furrows of bark in hardwood trees. The Downy woodpecker searches for insects by hunting from the bottom of the tree trunk to the top, whereas the white-breasted nuthatch searches from the top of the trunk down. These hunting behaviours best illustrate which of the following ecological concepts?

Please refer to the art below to answer the following question. -According to the Shannon Diversity Index, which block would show the greatest diversity?

Which of the following is an example of Batesian mimicry?

In terms of community ecology, why are pathogens more virulent now than ever before?

Keystone species