Exam 55: Species Interactions

Refer to the tables below.The first shows the types of flowers preferred by various pollinators.The second shows the characteristics of three different flowers.Some flowers attract only one kind of pollinator; others have characteristics that attract more than one. Flower A is most likely to attract

Oxpeckers, birds that ride on the backs of grazing mammals, have long been thought to provide benefits to African mammal hosts because they remove and feed on ticks (parasites that embed themselves in the skin of the grazers).However, an experimental study in 2000 suggested that the oxpeckers actually drink the blood from the mammals, with the result that the wounds heal less quickly than if the tick were simply removed.This suggests that oxpeckers may in fact be

In pollination, which characteristic of the plant being pollinated is necessary to attract all pollinators?

Eastern tent caterpillars are social nesters that spin weblike nests, or tents, to which they keep adding layers as they molt and grow.The caterpillars leave the tent several times each day to feed on the leaves of their host tree.The large, conspicuous caterpillar tents attract some predators and provide protection from others.Based on features of the tents, which animal would be most able to attack caterpillars inside their tents?

Refer to the graph below showing the average number of parasite species per host, separated by host types. Which factor most likely accounts for the great specialization of parasites on trees, as compared with the various animal groups?

Many species of algae, seaweed, and sea grasses live on and around coral reefs.Herbivores, including most fish, sea urchins, and gastropods (snails and sea slugs), graze on them.In this environment, are herbivores more likely to be generalists or specialists?

Two species of lionfish have recently invaded the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Western Atlantic region.Comparing these predatory fishes with their native competitors, the activity of the lionfish could best be classified as

Scarlet gilia, a common Rocky Mountain wildflower, produces red flowers early in the season and transitions to producing white flowers late in the season.Pollination by hummingbirds is replaced by pollination by moths.This adaptation would most likely benefit the pollination interaction because it would

All of these mechanisms are examples of a plant defense against herbivory except

Both the great biochemical diversity of flowering plants and the tremendous diversity of herbivorous insects can be explained by their _______ adaptations.

Leafcutter ants cut large amounts of leaf material and carry it back to their nests, where they use it in "fungal gardens" to feed and grow a fungus.The fungus depends on the ants for its food and is also the primary food for the ants, themselves.This interaction between ants and fungi is best described as

A frugivore can be said to be acting as a successful mutualist with a plant if it

Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for plant growth, but it must be available in a form plants can use.They can use ammonia (NH₃), but not atmospheric nitrogen gas (N₂).Legumes such as peas and beans have nodules on their roots that contain Rhizobium, a nitrogen-fixing bacterium that can trap N₂ and transform it into NH₃.Suppose two similar fields are planted, one with corn alone, and one with corn and soybeans combined.How would the growth of corn alone be likely to compare with the growth of corn combined with soybeans?

If two organisms use the same resources, and those resources are insufficient to supply their combined needs, the organisms' interactions constitute