Question 1

When does disturbance usually promote maximum diversity in a community?

Accepted Answer

A)  When it is rare 
B)  When it is common 
C)  When it occurs with intermediate frequency 
D)  When it is extreme and causes a sudden change 
E)  Never, disturbance always reduces the overall diversity of a community

Question 2

An example of primary succession would be when the first

Accepted Answer

A)  barnacle larvae settle and metamorphose on a new boat mooring. 
B)  eucalypt seeds of the season germinate in a eucalypt woodland. 
C)  seed germinates after a fire. 
D)  herbaceous plants begin to grow on a recent larva flow that had previously only been colonised by lichens. 
E)  individual of a new pest species arrives in a previously uninfested region.

Question 3

All of the following match a major vegetation type with its appropriate climate or region EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

A)  high latitude-tundra. 
B)  high altitude-alpine. 
C)  mallee-wet, cold climate. 
D)  grassland-cool, dry climate. 
E)  temperate wet rainforest-non-tropical coastal regions.

Question 4

A species of ant wards off predators by secreting a pungent aroma to alert predators that the ant is toxic and extremely unpalatable. An unrelated species of ant that is palatable secretes a compound that is almost identical. Many predators are fooled into thinking this is also a toxic ant, thus it avoids predation. This is an example of

Accepted Answer

A)  thespianism. 
B)  mummer. 
C)  mimicry. 
D)  trouper. 
E)  camouflage.

Question 5

Many plants produce tannins to reduce herbivory, but tannins are not toxic when ingested. In what way do tannins make plants unpalatable to herbivores?

Accepted Answer

A)  Tannins bind to the gut walls of herbivores, inhibiting nutrient uptake. 
B)  Tannins disrupt the osmotic gradient in the digestive tract, causing ingested tissue to be flushed through the herbivores gut before nutrition can be extracted. 
C)  Tannins neutralise the pH of the herbivores gut, thereby preventing gastric juices from degrading the plant material. 
D)  Tannins denature the gut enzymes of the herbivores, preventing breakdown of the plant material. 
E)  Tannins combine with proteins in leaves, producing a high indigestible compound.

Question 6

A banana farmer in northern Australia is trying to deal with an outbreak of an extremely virulent fungal pathogen that is destroying his plantation. In desperation, he sprays a large section of his farm with a new product that consists of a number of bacterial and yeast species in a growth medium. To his surprise he finds that although the pathogenic fungus is still evident on his plants, its virulence is greatly decreased such that his plantation is once again financially viable. The application of the product containing microorganisms would be an example of a

Accepted Answer

A)  chemical fungicide. 
B)  bio-fertiliser. 
C)  hormonal application. 
D)  bacterial symbiont. 
E)  biological control.

Question 7

All of the following are defences against predators EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

A)  being physically large. 
B)  living in groups. 
C)  containing detoxifying enzymes. 
D)  speed and agility. 
E)  using camouflage.

Question 8

Ryegrass is an important pasture plant in Australia and is often found with a fungal symbiont called Neotyphodium. The fungus produces a toxin that accumulates in the leaves of ryegrass that can deter insect pests and herbivory without affecting the plant. The fungus can also increase seedling vigour and plant productivity, while the fungus is protected by the plant as it grows inside the leaves, stem and seeds of the host. This relationship would be described as

Accepted Answer

A)  mutualistic. 
B)  parasitic. 
C)  commensal. 
D)  exophytic. 
E)  All of the answers are incorrect.

Question 9

Predator-prey cycles in nature

Accepted Answer

A)  are highly predictable. 
B)  oscillate in a uniform manner. 
C)  are always tightly coupled. 
D)  are dependent on the herbivores in the ecosystem. 
E)  None of the answers are true.

Question 10

The rose-crowned fruit pigeon helps disperse seeds in a number of species of rainforest trees. It can best be described as

Accepted Answer

A)  a frugivore. 
B)  monophagous. 
C)  an insectivore. 
D)  a symbiont. 
E)  an herbivore.

Question 11

Limpets and urchins are both algal grazers. If limpets tend to eat smaller algae, while sea urchins eat both large and small sizes, we say that

Accepted Answer

A)  limpets have a smaller realised niche. 
B)  limpets and urchins are aggressively interfering with each other. 
C)  limpets and urchins are not competing. 
D)  urchins have a greater niche breadth. 
E)  limpets and urchins co-habitat.

Question 12

A community in which the growth form of the tallest stratum consists of low trees (<10m) and in which the foliage cover is 45% would be classified as

Accepted Answer

A)  open forest. 
B)  None of the options listed are correct. 
C)  closed heath. 
D)  low woodland. 
E)  open woodland.

Question 13

Symbiosis is a relationship between two organisms that is

Accepted Answer

A)  beneficial to one. 
B)  beneficial to both. 
C)  harmful to one. 
D)  specific for two organisms. 
E)  All of the answers are forms of symbiosis.

Question 14

As wildebeest move through grasslands feeding, their hooves stir up insects. The insects are caught and eaten by small birds that always follow the herd. The interaction between the birds and the wildebeest would be classified as

Accepted Answer

A)  predation. 
B)  parasitism. 
C)  commensalism. 
D)  mutualism. 
E)  symbiosis.

Question 15

There is often an abrupt transition between a patch of grassland and a patch of woodland. The boundary between two such different communities is known as

Accepted Answer

A)  a cline. 
B)  a gradient. 
C)  a succession. 
D)  an ecotone. 
E)  a disturbance.

Question 16

A community may be described in many ways which include

Accepted Answer

A)  the types of species present. 
B)  the change of the species with time. 
C)  the interactions between the species. 
D)  the abundance of different species. 
E)  All of the answers are required to describe a community.

Question 17

Coral bleaching occurs when

Accepted Answer

A)  zooxanthellae undergo photosynthesis and provide waste products for the coral to grow. 
B)  zooxanthellae grow on coral and change their colour. 
C)  the symbiotic algae which cover corals and are white. 
D)  corals are stressed and expel their zooxanthellae leading to death by starvation. 
E)  coral reefs sink and are unable to photosynthesise in the deep water.

Question 18

The region of an environment within which a species can exist indefinitely is defined by all the biotic and abiotic factors that impinge on the survival and reproduction of the species. This is otherwise known as

Accepted Answer

A)  the realised niche. 
B)  the observed niche. 
C)  the active niche. 
D)  the ecological niche. 
E)  the fundamental niche.

Question 19

The relationship between the eastern grey kangaroo and the microbes that live in its foregut is most precisely described as

Accepted Answer

A)  commensalisms. 
B)  mutualism. 
C)  parasitism. 
D)  sessile. 
E)  symbiosis.

Question 20

Simpson's Index is one way to measure $\alpha$-diversity. It would be closest to 1 for which of the following communities?

Accepted Answer

A)  Organisms in a harsh desert environment. 
B)  Grasses living on a well-managed wheat farm. 
C)  Organisms living in Antarctica. 
D)  Organisms in a northern Australian rain forest. 
E)  Organisms in grassy woodlands.

Exam 44: Living in Communities

When does disturbance usually promote maximum diversity in a community?

An example of primary succession would be when the first

All of the following match a major vegetation type with its appropriate climate or region EXCEPT

Many plants produce tannins to reduce herbivory, but tannins are not toxic when ingested. In what way do tannins make plants unpalatable to herbivores?

All of the following are defences against predators EXCEPT

Predator-prey cycles in nature

The rose-crowned fruit pigeon helps disperse seeds in a number of species of rainforest trees. It can best be described as

Limpets and urchins are both algal grazers. If limpets tend to eat smaller algae, while sea urchins eat both large and small sizes, we say that

A community in which the growth form of the tallest stratum consists of low trees (<10m) and in which the foliage cover is 45% would be classified as

Symbiosis is a relationship between two organisms that is

As wildebeest move through grasslands feeding, their hooves stir up insects. The insects are caught and eaten by small birds that always follow the herd. The interaction between the birds and the wildebeest would be classified as

There is often an abrupt transition between a patch of grassland and a patch of woodland. The boundary between two such different communities is known as

A community may be described in many ways which include

Coral bleaching occurs when

The region of an environment within which a species can exist indefinitely is defined by all the biotic and abiotic factors that impinge on the survival and reproduction of the species. This is otherwise known as

The relationship between the eastern grey kangaroo and the microbes that live in its foregut is most precisely described as

Simpson's Index is one way to measure $\alpha$ -diversity. It would be closest to 1 for which of the following communities?

Exam 44: Living in Communities

When does disturbance usually promote maximum diversity in a community?

An example of primary succession would be when the first

All of the following match a major vegetation type with its appropriate climate or region EXCEPT

Many plants produce tannins to reduce herbivory, but tannins are not toxic when ingested. In what way do tannins make plants unpalatable to herbivores?

All of the following are defences against predators EXCEPT

Predator-prey cycles in nature

The rose-crowned fruit pigeon helps disperse seeds in a number of species of rainforest trees. It can best be described as

Limpets and urchins are both algal grazers. If limpets tend to eat smaller algae, while sea urchins eat both large and small sizes, we say that

A community in which the growth form of the tallest stratum consists of low trees (<10m) and in which the foliage cover is 45% would be classified as

Symbiosis is a relationship between two organisms that is

As wildebeest move through grasslands feeding, their hooves stir up insects. The insects are caught and eaten by small birds that always follow the herd. The interaction between the birds and the wildebeest would be classified as

There is often an abrupt transition between a patch of grassland and a patch of woodland. The boundary between two such different communities is known as

A community may be described in many ways which include

Coral bleaching occurs when

The region of an environment within which a species can exist indefinitely is defined by all the biotic and abiotic factors that impinge on the survival and reproduction of the species. This is otherwise known as

The relationship between the eastern grey kangaroo and the microbes that live in its foregut is most precisely described as

Simpson's Index is one way to measure α\alphaα -diversity. It would be closest to 1 for which of the following communities?

Simpson's Index is one way to measure $\alpha$ -diversity. It would be closest to 1 for which of the following communities?