Question 1

In the lodgepole pine community, periodic disturbances occur in the form of

Accepted Answer

A)  floods. 
B)  fire. 
C)  beetle infestations. 
D)  fungal infections. 
E)  predators. 
A)  floods. 
B)  fire. 
C)  beetle infestations. 
D)  fungal infections. 
E)  predators.

Question 2

In the figure below, the species numbers of many islands of different sizes were plotted against their distance from the mainland, and data points for islands of similar size were connected to form the four curves. Circle the letter of the curve corresponding to the group of islands with the smallest size.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the figure below, the species numbers...

Question 3

How is an understanding of heterotrophic succession useful in the field of law enforcement?

Accepted Answer

Heterotrophic succession occurs in commu

Question 4

To quantify _______ diversity (diversity within a single community), biologists often use the _______ diversity index, which takes into account relative abundance as well as number of species.

Accepted Answer

The answer of To quantify _______ diversity (diversity within a...

Question 5

The island biogeography theory addresses

Accepted Answer

A)  the extent of beta diversity in different biogeographic regions. 
B)  the latitudinal gradient of species richness. 
C)  species-area relationships. 
D)  Both a and b 
E)  Both a and c 
A)  the extent of beta diversity in different biogeographic regions. 
B)  the latitudinal gradient of species richness. 
C)  species-area relationships. 
D)  Both a and b 
E)  Both a and c

Question 6

Food webs indicate

Accepted Answer

A)  how species are related. 
B)  all of the primary consumers. 
C)  the detritivores that recycle nutrients. 
D)  the trophic interactions in a community. 
E)  the amount of biomass in a community. 
A)  how species are related. 
B)  all of the primary consumers. 
C)  the detritivores that recycle nutrients. 
D)  the trophic interactions in a community. 
E)  the amount of biomass in a community.

Question 7

According to the island biogeography model, _______ and _______ determine the number of species on an island.

Accepted Answer

A)  climate; vicariant events 
B)  the size of the island; its distance from the mainland 
C)  the species pool; the speciation rate 
D)  the speciation rate; the extinction rate 
E)  elevation; shape 
A)  climate; vicariant events 
B)  the size of the island; its distance from the mainland 
C)  the species pool; the speciation rate 
D)  the speciation rate; the extinction rate 
E)  elevation; shape

Question 8

The species that live and interact in a given area constitute an ecological

Accepted Answer

A)  biome. 
B)  family. 
C)  food web. 
D)  community. 
E)  trophic level. 
A)  biome. 
B)  family. 
C)  food web. 
D)  community. 
E)  trophic level.

Question 9

Growing crops as monocultures is standard practice in modern agriculture. Why are monocultures unstable? What agricultural practices might result in more stable ecological communities?

Accepted Answer

Monocultures are unstable because they a

Question 10

A change in community composition following a disturbance is called _______ succession.

Accepted Answer

A)  primary 
B)  secondary 
C)  ecological 
D)  disaster 
E)  equilibrium 
A)  primary 
B)  secondary 
C)  ecological 
D)  disaster 
E)  equilibrium

Question 11

A termite mound alters the environment in such a way that it creates new habitats for a variety of organisms. In constructing these mounds, therefore, termites can be considered

Accepted Answer

A)  a keystone species. 
B)  trophic cascaders. 
C)  ecosystem engineers. 
D)  facilitator species. 
E)  primary producers. 
A)  a keystone species. 
B)  trophic cascaders. 
C)  ecosystem engineers. 
D)  facilitator species. 
E)  primary producers.

Question 12

Organisms that receive their energy from several trophic levels are said to be

Accepted Answer

A)  detritivores. 
B)  herbivores. 
C)  primary consumers. 
D)  secondary consumers. 
E)  omnivores. 
A)  detritivores. 
B)  herbivores. 
C)  primary consumers. 
D)  secondary consumers. 
E)  omnivores.

Question 13

Which of the following is the correct chronological order (from youngest to oldest) for the succession of species in Glacier Park?

Accepted Answer

A)  Alders, spruces, lichens 
B)  Spruces, alders, lichens 
C)  Spruces, lichens, alders 
D)  Lichens, spruces, alders 
E)  Lichens, alders, spruces 
A)  Alders, spruces, lichens 
B)  Spruces, alders, lichens 
C)  Spruces, lichens, alders 
D)  Lichens, spruces, alders 
E)  Lichens, alders, spruces

Question 14

Which of the following statements about cheese skippers is true?

Accepted Answer

A)  Their presence can be used to estimate the time of death of a body. 
B)  They are among the first species to arrive when a dead body starts decomposing. 
C)  They prefer hair and nails to flesh. 
D)  Both a and b 
E)  Both a and c 
A)  Their presence can be used to estimate the time of death of a body. 
B)  They are among the first species to arrive when a dead body starts decomposing. 
C)  They prefer hair and nails to flesh. 
D)  Both a and b 
E)  Both a and c

Question 15

One assumption of the theory of island biogeography is that _______ population sizes of species will _______.

Accepted Answer

A)  small; decrease the likelihood of speciation 
B)  small; increase the likelihood of speciation 
C)  large; increase the species pool 
D)  large; decrease the species pool 
E)  None of the above 
A)  small; decrease the likelihood of speciation 
B)  small; increase the likelihood of speciation 
C)  large; increase the species pool 
D)  large; decrease the species pool 
E)  None of the above

Question 16

Tilman's experiments showed that increasing species richness enhanced community stability because

Accepted Answer

A)  it increased the stability of each species' performance. 
B)  different species performed better under different environmental circumstances. 
C)  it increased the likelihood of predation. 
D)  more nutrients remained in the soil in communities with few species. 
E)  None of the above; increasing species richness did not enhance community stability. 
A)  it increased the stability of each species' performance. 
B)  different species performed better under different environmental circumstances. 
C)  it increased the likelihood of predation. 
D)  more nutrients remained in the soil in communities with few species. 
E)  None of the above; increasing species richness did not enhance community stability.

Question 17

Organisms that are most likely to tolerate harsh conditions are found during

Accepted Answer

A)  early primary succession. 
B)  late primary succession. 
C)  secondary succession. 
D)  early climax stage. 
E)  late climax stage. 
A)  early primary succession. 
B)  late primary succession. 
C)  secondary succession. 
D)  early climax stage. 
E)  late climax stage.

Question 18

A trophic level consists of the organisms

Accepted Answer

A)  whose energy has passed through the same number of steps to reach them. 
B)  that use similar foraging methods to obtain food. 
C)  that are eaten by a similar set of predators. 
D)  that eat both plants and other animals. 
E)  that compete with one another for food. 
A)  whose energy has passed through the same number of steps to reach them. 
B)  that use similar foraging methods to obtain food. 
C)  that are eaten by a similar set of predators. 
D)  that eat both plants and other animals. 
E)  that compete with one another for food.

Question 19

Suppose that the gamma diversity for a marshy habitat and the gamma diversity for a sandy habitat are comparable for a particular geographic region, but the alpha diversity for marshy habitats tends to be much greater than the alpha diversity for sandy habitats. We could conclude that

Accepted Answer

A)  beta diversity is higher in marshy habitats. 
B)  beta diversity is roughly the same in both marshy and sandy habitats. 
C)  beta diversity is lower in marshy habitats. 
D)  the Shannon index is higher in marshy habitats, but Sorenson's index is lower. 
E)  the Shannon index is lower in marshy habitats, but Sorenson's index is higher. 
A)  beta diversity is higher in marshy habitats. 
B)  beta diversity is roughly the same in both marshy and sandy habitats. 
C)  beta diversity is lower in marshy habitats. 
D)  the Shannon index is higher in marshy habitats, but Sorenson's index is lower. 
E)  the Shannon index is lower in marshy habitats, but Sorenson's index is higher.

Question 20

Pyramid diagrams of energy and biomass distribution for forests and grasslands differ because

Accepted Answer

A)  forests are more productive than grasslands. 
B)  forests are less productive than grasslands. 
C)  large mammals avoid living in forests. 
D)  trees store much of their energy in difficult-to-digest wood, whereas grassland plants produce few difficult-to-digest tissues. 
E)  grasses grow faster than trees. 
A)  forests are more productive than grasslands. 
B)  forests are less productive than grasslands. 
C)  large mammals avoid living in forests. 
D)  trees store much of their energy in difficult-to-digest wood, whereas grassland plants produce few difficult-to-digest tissues. 
E)  grasses grow faster than trees.

Exam 57: Community Ecology

In the lodgepole pine community, periodic disturbances occur in the form of

How is an understanding of heterotrophic succession useful in the field of law enforcement?

To quantify _______ diversity (diversity within a single community), biologists often use the _______ diversity index, which takes into account relative abundance as well as number of species.

The island biogeography theory addresses

Food webs indicate

According to the island biogeography model, _______ and _______ determine the number of species on an island.

The species that live and interact in a given area constitute an ecological

Growing crops as monocultures is standard practice in modern agriculture. Why are monocultures unstable? What agricultural practices might result in more stable ecological communities?

A change in community composition following a disturbance is called _______ succession.

A termite mound alters the environment in such a way that it creates new habitats for a variety of organisms. In constructing these mounds, therefore, termites can be considered

Organisms that receive their energy from several trophic levels are said to be

Which of the following is the correct chronological order (from youngest to oldest) for the succession of species in Glacier Park?

Which of the following statements about cheese skippers is true?

One assumption of the theory of island biogeography is that _______ population sizes of species will _______.

Tilman's experiments showed that increasing species richness enhanced community stability because

Organisms that are most likely to tolerate harsh conditions are found during

A trophic level consists of the organisms

Suppose that the gamma diversity for a marshy habitat and the gamma diversity for a sandy habitat are comparable for a particular geographic region, but the alpha diversity for marshy habitats tends to be much greater than the alpha diversity for sandy habitats. We could conclude that

Pyramid diagrams of energy and biomass distribution for forests and grasslands differ because

Studying Life

Small Molecules and the Chemistry of Life

Proteins, Carbohydrates, and Lipids

Nucleic Acids and the Origin of Life

Cells: the Working Units of Life

Cell Membranes

Cell Signaling and Communication

Energy, Enzymes, and Metabolism

Pathways That Harvest Chemical Energy

Photosynthesis: Energy From Sunlight

The Cell Cycle and Cell Division

Inheritance, Genes, and Chromosomes

Dna and Its Role in Heredity

From Dna to Protein: Gene Expression

Gene Mutation and Molecular Medicine

Regulation of Gene Expression

Genomes

Recombinent Dna and Biotechnology

Differential Gene Expression in Development

Development and Evolutionary Change

Evidence and Mechanisms of Evolution

Reconstructing and Using Phylogenies

Species and Their Formation

Evolution of Genes and Genomes

The History of Life on Earth

Bacteria and Archaea: the Prokaryotic Domains

The Origin and Diversification of Eukaryotes

Plants Without Seeds: From Water to Land

The Evolution of Seed Plants

Fungi: Recyclers, Pathogens, Parasites, and Plant Partners

Animal Origins and the Evolution of Body Plans

Protostome Animals

Deuterostome Animals

The Plant Body

Transport in Plants

Plant Nutrition

Regulation of Plant Growth

Reproduction in Flowering Plants

Plant Responses to Environmental Challenges

Physiology, Homeostasis, and Temperature Regulation

Animal Hormones

Immunology: Animal Defense Systems

Animal Reproduction

Animal Development

Neurons and Nervous Systems

Sensory Systems

The Mammalian Nervous System: Structure and Higher Function

Musculoskeletal Systems

Gas Exchange in Animals

Circulatory Systems

Nutrition, Digestion, and Absorption

Salt and Water Balance and Nitrogen

Animal Behavior

Ecology and the Distribution of Life

Population Ecology

Species Interaction and Coevolution

Ecosystems and Global Ecology

Conservation Biology

Filters

To quantify _ diversity (diversity within a single community), biologists often use the _ diversity index, which takes into account relative abundance as well as number of species.

According to the island biogeography model, _ and _ determine the number of species on an island.

One assumption of the theory of island biogeography is that _ population sizes of species will _.