Question 1

Which of the following best describes the relationship of elk to a tree species such as aspen and cottonwood?

Accepted Answer

A)  predation 
B)  mutualism 
C)  commensalism 
D)  competition 
A)  predation 
B)  mutualism 
C)  commensalism 
D)  competition

Question 2

Which species has the highest relative abundance in a forest of trees that is 30 percent loblolly pine,15 percent shortleaf pine,10 percent white oak,10 percent red oak,20 percent sweetgum,5 percent hickory,5 percent dogwood,and 5 percent redbuds?

Accepted Answer

A)  redbud 
B)  shortleaf pine 
C)  loblolly pine 
D)  sweetgum 
A)  redbud 
B)  shortleaf pine 
C)  loblolly pine 
D)  sweetgum

Question 3

During ________ a newly created habitat is inhabited.

Accepted Answer

A)  primary succession 
B)  climax community formation 
C)  disturbance colonization 
D)  keystone recovery 
A)  primary succession 
B)  climax community formation 
C)  disturbance colonization 
D)  keystone recovery

Question 4

All of the following disturbances EXCEPT ________ would be considered natural.

Accepted Answer

A)  fire 
B)  flood 
C)  windstorm 
D)  mining 
A)  fire 
B)  flood 
C)  windstorm 
D)  mining

Question 5

In a situation where two species reduce the amount of a resource (like food)for each other,but the two do not directly interact or have contact with each other,they are said to be in ________ competition with each other.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In a situation where two species reduce...

Question 6

The infographic below indicates that over time,as the population of wolves increased,the average height of aspen trees

Accepted Answer

A)  along the riverbanks without logs increased, while tree height on riverbanks with downed logs decreased. 
B)  in uplands with downed logs increased, while the height of trees in uplands without logs decreased. 
C)  along riverbanks increased, while tree height in the uplands decreased. 
D)  increased in all of the areas surveyed. 
A)  along the riverbanks without logs increased, while tree height on riverbanks with downed logs decreased. 
B)  in uplands with downed logs increased, while the height of trees in uplands without logs decreased. 
C)  along riverbanks increased, while tree height in the uplands decreased. 
D)  increased in all of the areas surveyed.

Question 7

Describe an example of a simple ecological community.Include a brief discussion of its ecological diversity.

Accepted Answer

A community of organisms living in a tre

Question 8

Describe the relative species abundance and species richness that would be expected in an ecologically diverse community.

Accepted Answer

An ecologically diverse community would

Question 9

Define the two key pieces of information used to examine diversity within a community.

Accepted Answer

Both relative species abundanc

Question 10

Which of the following ecological communities has the greater ecological diversity?

Accepted Answer

A)  the bottom dwellers of a small pond that includes 12 species of bacteria, 10 species of protists, 3 species of fungi, 13 species of invertebrate animals, and 1 species of fish 
B)  a small lawn with 2 species of pine trees, 1 species of squirrel, 1 species of grass, and 8 species of invertebrate animals 
C)  a large, deep, cold lake with 2 species of aquatic plants, 6 species of phytoplankton, 4 species of protozoans, 3 species of invertebrate animals, and 4 species of fish 
D)  a field with 3 species of bacteria in the soil, 5 species of grasses, 6 species of invertebrate animals, 2 species of birds, and 1 species of mammal 
A)  the bottom dwellers of a small pond that includes 12 species of bacteria, 10 species of protists, 3 species of fungi, 13 species of invertebrate animals, and 1 species of fish 
B)  a small lawn with 2 species of pine trees, 1 species of squirrel, 1 species of grass, and 8 species of invertebrate animals 
C)  a large, deep, cold lake with 2 species of aquatic plants, 6 species of phytoplankton, 4 species of protozoans, 3 species of invertebrate animals, and 4 species of fish 
D)  a field with 3 species of bacteria in the soil, 5 species of grasses, 6 species of invertebrate animals, 2 species of birds, and 1 species of mammal

Question 11

Why would a food web rather than a food chain be the preferred way to represent the movement of food through the community?

Accepted Answer

A)  Food chains are oversimplified and suggest that a consumer eats only a single food item. 
B)  Food webs place producers at the bottom, whereas food chains place them at the top. 
C)  Food webs are based on a foundation of producers. 
D)  Ecologists prefer to use food chains to describe food movements. 
A)  Food chains are oversimplified and suggest that a consumer eats only a single food item. 
B)  Food webs place producers at the bottom, whereas food chains place them at the top. 
C)  Food webs are based on a foundation of producers. 
D)  Ecologists prefer to use food chains to describe food movements.

Question 12

Match each term to a statement listed below.
-a fish that consumes parasites found on a shark

Accepted Answer

A) mutualism 
B) commensalism 
C) exploitation 
D) competition 
A) mutualism 
B) commensalism 
C) exploitation 
D) competition

Question 13

Why is the existence of food webs important even though food chains also exist?

Accepted Answer

A)  Food webs address the activities of consumers, whereas food chains address the activities of producers. 
B)  Food chains describe all aspects of interactions within a community, whereas food webs tell us what organisms eat and which are eaten by other organisms. 
C)  Food webs are smaller groupings than food chains. Food chains allow us to look at the overall picture, whereas food webs provide specific directional information. 
D)  Food webs tie together many more organisms than a food chain does. If one organism in a food chain disappears, a food web may allow the organisms in the chain to survive based on their interactions with other organisms. 
A)  Food webs address the activities of consumers, whereas food chains address the activities of producers. 
B)  Food chains describe all aspects of interactions within a community, whereas food webs tell us what organisms eat and which are eaten by other organisms. 
C)  Food webs are smaller groupings than food chains. Food chains allow us to look at the overall picture, whereas food webs provide specific directional information. 
D)  Food webs tie together many more organisms than a food chain does. If one organism in a food chain disappears, a food web may allow the organisms in the chain to survive based on their interactions with other organisms.

Question 14

Match each term to a statement listed below.
-bears and wolves both consuming carcasses within the same area

Accepted Answer

A) mutualism 
B) commensalism 
C) exploitation 
D) competition 
A) mutualism 
B) commensalism 
C) exploitation 
D) competition

Question 15

Which of the following examples best illustrates interference competition?

Accepted Answer

A)  Soil levels of potassium are gradually reduced by the hemlocks and cedars in a climax forest. 
B)  The growth of starling populations usually coincides with declines in songbirds because both use abandoned cavities for nesting. 
C)  When larger animals become scarce, wolves often prey on mice, reducing their availability to coyotes. 
D)  Rough-skinned newts contain enough toxin in their skin glands to kill almost any predator. 
A)  Soil levels of potassium are gradually reduced by the hemlocks and cedars in a climax forest. 
B)  The growth of starling populations usually coincides with declines in songbirds because both use abandoned cavities for nesting. 
C)  When larger animals become scarce, wolves often prey on mice, reducing their availability to coyotes. 
D)  Rough-skinned newts contain enough toxin in their skin glands to kill almost any predator.

Question 16

Two populations will likely be pitted in competition when they occupy the same ________ or set of conditions and resources that a population needs in order to survive and reproduce in its habitat.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Two populations will likely be pitted in...

Question 17

A community whose species are NOT replaced by other species is classified as a ________ community.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A community whose species are NOT replaced...

Question 18

Compare and contrast mutualism and commensalism and provide an example of each.

Accepted Answer

Commensalism occurs when one party in a

Question 19

A measurement of how common one species is compared to another species is referred to as

Accepted Answer

A)  an ecological community. 
B)  species richness. 
C)  relative species abundance. 
D)  keystone species. 
A)  an ecological community. 
B)  species richness. 
C)  relative species abundance. 
D)  keystone species.

Question 20

Sometimes the presence of a predator in an area can affect the behavior of its prey,causing the prey to avoid areas where they are easily seen by the predator.This behavior is call the ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Sometimes the presence of a predator in...

Exam 20: Communities of Organisms

Which of the following best describes the relationship of elk to a tree species such as aspen and cottonwood?

Which species has the highest relative abundance in a forest of trees that is 30 percent loblolly pine,15 percent shortleaf pine,10 percent white oak,10 percent red oak,20 percent sweetgum,5 percent hickory,5 percent dogwood,and 5 percent redbuds?

During ________ a newly created habitat is inhabited.

All of the following disturbances EXCEPT ________ would be considered natural.

In a situation where two species reduce the amount of a resource (like food)for each other,but the two do not directly interact or have contact with each other,they are said to be in ________ competition with each other.

The infographic below indicates that over time,as the population of wolves increased,the average height of aspen trees

Describe an example of a simple ecological community.Include a brief discussion of its ecological diversity.

Describe the relative species abundance and species richness that would be expected in an ecologically diverse community.

Define the two key pieces of information used to examine diversity within a community.

Which of the following ecological communities has the greater ecological diversity?

Why would a food web rather than a food chain be the preferred way to represent the movement of food through the community?

Match each term to a statement listed below. -a fish that consumes parasites found on a shark

Why is the existence of food webs important even though food chains also exist?

Match each term to a statement listed below. -bears and wolves both consuming carcasses within the same area

Which of the following examples best illustrates interference competition?

Two populations will likely be pitted in competition when they occupy the same ________ or set of conditions and resources that a population needs in order to survive and reproduce in its habitat.

A community whose species are NOT replaced by other species is classified as a ________ community.

Compare and contrast mutualism and commensalism and provide an example of each.

A measurement of how common one species is compared to another species is referred to as

Sometimes the presence of a predator in an area can affect the behavior of its prey,causing the prey to avoid areas where they are easily seen by the predator.This behavior is call the ________.

The Nature of Science

Evaluating Scientific Claims

Chemistry of Life

Life Is Cellular

How Cells Work

Cell Division

Patterns of Inheritance

Chromosomes and Human Genetics

What Genes Are

How Genes Work

Evidence for Evolution

Mechanisms of Evolution

Adaptation and Species

The History of Life

Bacteria and Archaea

Plants, Fungi, and Protists

Animals and Human Evolution

General Principles of Ecology

Growth of Populations

Ecosystems

Filters