Question 1

What is the main advantage of controlled burnings of forested areas? Controlled burnings ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  eliminate the possibility of forest fires 
B)  clear forested areas for farmland 
C)  prevent the overgrowth of the underbrush 
D)  allow new species to form 
A)  eliminate the possibility of forest fires 
B)  clear forested areas for farmland 
C)  prevent the overgrowth of the underbrush 
D)  allow new species to form

Question 2

Use the accompanying 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 question(s) below.  
-Which island would likely exhibit the most impoverished species diversity?

Accepted Answer

A)  A 
B)  B 
C)  C 
D)  D 
E)  E 
A)  A 
B)  B 
C)  C 
D)  D 
E)  E

Question 3

-In the accompanying figure, which of the following statements is TRUE?

Accepted Answer

A)  All of the species of insects shown are in the order Hymenoptera. 
B)  There are no true mimics in the insects shown. 
C)  All of the insects are displaying Batesian mimicry. 
D)  Half of the six insects shown are harmless. 
A)  All of the species of insects shown are in the order Hymenoptera. 
B)  There are no true mimics in the insects shown. 
C)  All of the insects are displaying Batesian mimicry. 
D)  Half of the six insects shown are harmless.

Question 4

Which statement best describes the evolutionary significance of mutualism?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mutualism offers more biodiversity to a community. 
B)  Individuals partaking in a mutualistic relationship are more resistant to parasites. 
C)  Interaction increases the survival and/or population growth rate(s) of mutualistic species. 
D)  Mutualistic interaction lessens competition in communities where it is present. 
E)  Mutualistic relationships allow organisms to synthesize and use energy more efficiently. 
A)  Mutualism offers more biodiversity to a community. 
B)  Individuals partaking in a mutualistic relationship are more resistant to parasites. 
C)  Interaction increases the survival and/or population growth rate(s) of mutualistic species. 
D)  Mutualistic interaction lessens competition in communities where it is present. 
E)  Mutualistic relationships allow organisms to synthesize and use energy more efficiently.

Question 5

Elephants are not the most dominant species in African grasslands, yet they influence community structure. 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)  Elephants exhibit a disproportionate influence on the structure of the community relative to their abundance. 
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)  Elephants exhibit a disproportionate influence on the structure of the community relative to their abundance. 
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 6

While traveling in Texas, you stumble across a snake with red, yellow, and black bands. You somehow remember that this could be a poisonous coral snake or a harmless milk snake, but you forget how to differentiate them because they both have similar colors and banding patterns. You wisely decide not to pick up the snake. What defense of the snake was successful in preventing you from grabbing the snake?

Accepted Answer

A)  constitutive defense 
B)  Müllerian mimicry 
C)  Batesian mimicry 
D)  inducible defenses 
A)  constitutive defense 
B)  Müllerian mimicry 
C)  Batesian mimicry 
D)  inducible defenses

Question 7

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

Accepted Answer

A)  Bird species generally do not compete for nesting sites. 
B)  The random distribution of one competing species will have a positive impact on the population growth of the other competing species. 
C)  Two species with the same fundamental niche will exclude other competing species. 
D)  Even a slight reproductive advantage will eventually lead to the elimination of the less well adapted of two competing species. 
E)  Natural selection tends to increase competition between related species. 
A)  Bird species generally do not compete for nesting sites. 
B)  The random distribution of one competing species will have a positive impact on the population growth of the other competing species. 
C)  Two species with the same fundamental niche will exclude other competing species. 
D)  Even a slight reproductive advantage will eventually lead to the elimination of the less well adapted of two competing species. 
E)  Natural selection tends to increase competition between related species.

Question 8

What is the main difference between a disturbance and a disturbance regime?

Accepted Answer

A)  A disturbance regime includes defining the predictable frequency and severity of the disturbance. 
B)  A disturbance regime includes defining the length of the disturbance. 
C)  A disturbance regime is a more specific type of disturbance. 
D)  They are essentially the same thing. 
A)  A disturbance regime includes defining the predictable frequency and severity of the disturbance. 
B)  A disturbance regime includes defining the length of the disturbance. 
C)  A disturbance regime is a more specific type of disturbance. 
D)  They are essentially the same thing.

Question 9

In a tide pool, 15 species of invertebrates were reduced to 8 after one species was removed. The species removed was likely a(n) ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  pathogen 
B)  keystone species 
C)  herbivore 
D)  resource partitioner 
E)  mutualistic organism 
A)  pathogen 
B)  keystone species 
C)  herbivore 
D)  resource partitioner 
E)  mutualistic organism

Question 10

In the accompanying figure, which species is the stronger competitor?

Accepted Answer

A)  species 1 
B)  species 2 
C)  Both species compete equally. 
D)  It is not possible to tell from this figure. 
A)  species 1 
B)  species 2 
C)  Both species compete equally. 
D)  It is not possible to tell from this figure.

Question 11

In the hypothesis that C. stellatus (a species of barnacle) is competitively excluded from the lower intertidal zone by B. balanoides (another species of barnacle), what could be concluded about the two species?

Accepted Answer

A)  The fundamental and realized niches of B. balanoides and C. stellatus are identical. 
B)  The fundamental and realized niches of B. balanoides and C. stellatus are different. 
C)  The fundamental and realized niches of B. balanoides are different, but the fundamental and realized niches of C. stellatus are identical. 
D)  The fundamental and realized niches of B. balanoides are identical, but the fundamental and realized niches of C. stellatus are different. 
A)  The fundamental and realized niches of B. balanoides and C. stellatus are identical. 
B)  The fundamental and realized niches of B. balanoides and C. stellatus are different. 
C)  The fundamental and realized niches of B. balanoides are different, but the fundamental and realized niches of C. stellatus are identical. 
D)  The fundamental and realized niches of B. balanoides are identical, but the fundamental and realized niches of C. stellatus are different.

Question 12

According to the figure shown, a species has the highest chance of extinction when ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  the island is large and close to the mainland 
B)  the island is small and close to the mainland 
C)  the island is large and remote 
D)  the island is small and remote 
A)  the island is large and close to the mainland 
B)  the island is small and close to the mainland 
C)  the island is large and remote 
D)  the island is small and remote

Question 13

Some birds follow moving swarms of army ants in the tropics. As the ants march along the forest floor hunting insects and small vertebrates, birds follow and pick off any insects or small vertebrates that fly or jump out of the way of the ants. This situation is an example of what kind of species interaction between the birds and the ants?

Accepted Answer

A)  cooperation 
B)  consumption 
C)  commensalism 
D)  parasitism 
E)  mutualism 
A)  cooperation 
B)  consumption 
C)  commensalism 
D)  parasitism 
E)  mutualism

Question 14

Some birds follow moving swarms of army ants in the tropics. As the ants march along the forest floor hunting insects and small vertebrates, birds follow and pick off any insects or small vertebrates that fly or jump out of the way of the ants. What is the result of the association between birds and ants?

Accepted Answer

A)  Birds benefit from the association but have no impact on the ants. 
B)  Birds benefit from the association and harm the ants. 
C)  Birds and ants benefit from the association. 
D)  Birds do not benefit from the association, but the ants do. 
E)  Neither birds nor ants benefit from the association. 
A)  Birds benefit from the association but have no impact on the ants. 
B)  Birds benefit from the association and harm the ants. 
C)  Birds and ants benefit from the association. 
D)  Birds do not benefit from the association, but the ants do. 
E)  Neither birds nor ants benefit from the association.

Question 15

In biology, an arms race occurs when ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  predators become dominant over their prey species leading to the local extinction of the prey 
B)  a new species evolves into two separate species 
C)  a new niche is created because of interactions between species 
D)  there is a repeating cycle of coevolution 
E)  a prey species adapts and is able to coexist with its predators 
A)  predators become dominant over their prey species leading to the local extinction of the prey 
B)  a new species evolves into two separate species 
C)  a new niche is created because of interactions between species 
D)  there is a repeating cycle of coevolution 
E)  a prey species adapts and is able to coexist with its predators

Question 16

The symbols +, −, and 0 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 0 denotes where individuals are not affected by interacting. The first symbol refers to the first organism mentioned.
-Recall that Clements's view of biological communities is that of a highly predictable and interrelated structure, while Gleason's view of biological communities is that individual species operate independently. If we set up many identical sterilized ponds in the same area and allowed them to be colonized, what should we predict if we wished to test Gleason's hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

A)  Identical plankton communities will develop in all ponds. 
B)  Similar plankton communities will develop in all ponds. 
C)  Different plankton communities will develop in all ponds. 
D)  Limited plankton communities will develop in all ponds. 
E)  Initially the number of species in each pond will be greater than the number normally found in similar environments. 
A)  Identical plankton communities will develop in all ponds. 
B)  Similar plankton communities will develop in all ponds. 
C)  Different plankton communities will develop in all ponds. 
D)  Limited plankton communities will develop in all ponds. 
E)  Initially the number of species in each pond will be greater than the number normally found in similar environments.

Question 17

According to bottom-up and top-down control models of community organization, which of the following expressions would imply that an increase in the size of a carnivore (C) population would negatively impact its prey (P) population, but not vice versa?

Accepted Answer

A)  P ← C 
B)  P → C 
C)  C ↔ P 
D)  P ← C → P 
E)  C ← P → 
A)  P ← C 
B)  P → C 
C)  C ↔ P 
D)  P ← C → P 
E)  C ← P →

Question 18

-In the figure shown, which community has the highest species diversity?

Accepted Answer

A)  Community 1 
B)  Community 2 
C)  Community 1 and Community 3 have the highest species diversity. 
D)  Community 4 
A)  Community 1 
B)  Community 2 
C)  Community 1 and Community 3 have the highest species diversity. 
D)  Community 4

Question 19

People with at least one copy of the HLA-B53 gene are better able to beat back malarial infections before the infection progresses. If this is a coevolutionary arms race between Plasmodium and humans, what would the next step in this race be?

Accepted Answer

A)  to see humans with more than one copy of the HLA-B53 gene 
B)  to see humans without the HLA-B53 gene 
C)  to see Plasmodium populations that counter the HLA-B53 gene 
D)  to see Plasmodium populations that have the HLA-B53 gene 
E)  to see a mutation in the HLA-B53 gene that makes it more effective against malarial infections 
A)  to see humans with more than one copy of the HLA-B53 gene 
B)  to see humans without the HLA-B53 gene 
C)  to see Plasmodium populations that counter the HLA-B53 gene 
D)  to see Plasmodium populations that have the HLA-B53 gene 
E)  to see a mutation in the HLA-B53 gene that makes it more effective against malarial infections

Question 20

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.

Exam 52: Community Ecology

What is the main advantage of controlled burnings of forested areas? Controlled burnings ________.

Use the accompanying 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 question(s) below. -Which island would likely exhibit the most impoverished species diversity?

-In the accompanying figure, which of the following statements is TRUE?

Which statement best describes the evolutionary significance of mutualism?

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

What is the main difference between a disturbance and a disturbance regime?

In a tide pool, 15 species of invertebrates were reduced to 8 after one species was removed. The species removed was likely a(n) ________.

In the accompanying figure, which species is the stronger competitor?

In the hypothesis that C. stellatus (a species of barnacle) is competitively excluded from the lower intertidal zone by B. balanoides (another species of barnacle), what could be concluded about the two species?

According to the figure shown, a species has the highest chance of extinction when ________.

In biology, an arms race occurs when ________.

According to bottom-up and top-down control models of community organization, which of the following expressions would imply that an increase in the size of a carnivore (C) population would negatively impact its prey (P) population, but not vice versa?

-In the figure shown, which community has the highest species diversity?

People with at least one copy of the HLA-B53 gene are better able to beat back malarial infections before the infection progresses. If this is a coevolutionary arms race between Plasmodium and humans, what would the next step in this race be?

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

Biology and the Tree of Life

Water and Carbon: the Chemical Basis of Life

Protein Structure and Function

Nucleic Acids and the Rna World

An Introduction to Carbohydrates

Ecosystems and Global Ecology

Lipids, Membranes, and the First Cells

Inside the Cell

Energy and Enzymes: an Introduction to Metabolism

Cellular Respiration and Fermentation

Photosynthesis

Cellcell Interactions

The Cell Cycle

Meiosis

Mendel and the Gene

Dna and the Gene: Synthesis and Repair

How Genes Work

Transcription, Rna Processing, and Translation

Control of Gene Expression in Bacteria

Control of Gene Expression in Eukaryotes

The Molecular Revolution: Biotechnology and Beyond

Genes, Development, and Evolution

Evolution by Natural Selection

Evolutionary Processes

Speciation

Phylogenies and the History of Life

Bacteria and Archaea

Protists

Green Algae and Land Plants

Fungi

An Introduction to Animals

Protostome Animals

Deuterostome Animals

Viruses

Plant Form and Function

Water and Sugar Transport in Plants

Plant Nutrition

Plant Sensory Systems, Signals, and Responses

Plant Reproduction and Development

Animal Form and Function

Water and Electrolyte Balance in Animals

Animal Nutrition

Gas Exchange and Circulation

Animal Nervous Systems

Animal Sensory Systems

Animal Movement

Chemical Signals in Animals

Animal Reproduction and Development

The Immune System in Animals

An Introduction to Ecology

Behavioral Ecology

Population Ecology

Biodiversity and Conservation Biology

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