Community Ecology Class Notes

Community Ecology Multiple Choice Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question. ____ 1. The relationship between durian plants and flying foxes exemplifies a. mutualism and convergent evolution. b. mutualism and coevolution. c. commensalism and convergent evolution. d. commensalism and coevolution. e. parasitism and coevolution. ____ 2. Of the following, ecosystem structure is least likely to include a. species abundance. b. species diversity. c. physical appearance. d. biochemical reactions in the intestines of detritus feeders. e. niche structure. ____ 3. What does richness refer to? a. the number of individuals of each species b. the number of different species c. the number of edge effects d. the number of ecotones in an area e. the number of different communities ____ 4. Where is most of the world's biodiversity? a. high-latitude forests b. middle-latitude grasslands c. low-latitude forests d. polar grasslands e. tundra ____ 5. Based on the theory of island biogeography, you would predict that large islands near the mainland would have relatively a. high immigration and low extinction rates. b. high immigration and high extinction rates. c. low immigration and low extinction rates. d. low immigration and high extinction rates. e. not enough information to predict. ____ 6. An organism is classified as a specialist or generalist based on its a. range of tolerance. b. niche. c. limiting factors. d. response to changing conditions. e. all of these answers ____ 7. The giant panda is an endangered species because a. it is a specialized species, eating mostly bamboo, which has periodic diebacks. b. the pandas are separated into small, isolated populations. c. of low birth rate and litter size. d. all of these answers e. none of these answers ____ 8. Species that normally live and thrive in a particular ecosystem are known as a. nonnative species. b. native species. c. keystone species. d. specialist species. e. generalist species. ____ 9. Species that serve as early warnings of environmental damage are called a. nonnative species. b. native species. c. specialist species. d. indicator species. e. generalist species. ____ 10. Species that migrate or are accidentally introduced into an ecosystem are called a. nonnative species. b. native species. c. keystone species. d. specialist species. e. generalist species. ____ 11. Which term means the opposite of the others? a. exotic species b. native species c. alien species d. nonnative species e. generalist species ____ 12. Characteristics which make amphibians particularly sensitive to pollution include a. living part of their life cycle in water and part on land. b. soft, permeable skin. c. sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation. d. all of these answers e. none of these answers ____ 13. Which of the following statements is false? a. When environmental conditions are changing rapidly, a generalist is usually better off than a specialist. b. The fundamental niche of a species is the full range of physical, chemical, and biological factors it could use if there were no competition. c. The competitive exclusion principle states that no two species with the same fundamental niche can indefinitely occupy the same habitat. d. Interspecific competition is competition between two members of the same species. e. Intraspecific competition is competition between two members of the same species. ____ 14. Which of the following predators avoid competition by being active at different times? a. lions and tigers b. hummingbirds and bees c. hawks and owls d. zebras and antelopes e. lions and cheetahs ____ 15. Interspecific competition can be avoided by a. eating at different times. b. resource partitioning. c. character displacement. d. all of these answers e. none of these answers ____ 16. A shark is least likely to be killed a. by a predator. b. for sport. c. out of fear. d. for food. e. for their jaws. ____ 17. The obvious relationship demonstrated by a food chain is a. b. c. d. e. competition. predation. parasitism. mutualism. commensalisms. ____ 18. Prey are least likely to defend themselves against predators by a. camouflage. b. acute senses of sight and smell. c. protective shells. d. pursuit and ambush. e. warning and ambush. ____ 19. You are an evolutionary entomologist. You have observed beetles who can raise their abdomens and give off a defensive chemical that generally repels predators. You discover a new species of beetle that raises its abdomen in a threatening way similar to the first species, but no defensive chemical is given off. You are most likely to characterize this defensive strategy as a form of a. camouflage. b. chemical warfare. c. mimicry. d. flight mechanism. e. warning coloration. ____ 20. A relationship in which a member of one species obtains its nourishment by living on, in, or near a member of another species over an extended time is best labeled a. competition. b. predation. c. mutualism. d. parasitism. e. commensalism. ____ 21. A relationship in which one species benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed to any significant degree is best labeled a. competition. b. predation. c. commensalism. d. parasitism. e. mutualism. ____ 22. Of the following relationships, the one most likely to be described as a positive feedback loop is a. competition. b. c. d. e. predation. mutualism. parasitism. commensalism. ____ 23. All of the following are ectoparasites except a. fleas and ticks. b. mosquitoes. c. mistletoe. d. tapeworms. e. athlete's foot fungus. ____ 24. Which of the following would exhibit primary succession? a. rock exposed by a retreating glacier b. an abandoned farm c. a forest that had been clear-cut d. newly flooded land to create a reservoir e. a forest that has been burned ____ 25. A field ecologist observes primary succession occurring over a period of years. Bare rock is colonized by lichens that give way to moss that give way to ferns. She is most likely to report that the process guiding succession in this ecosystem is a. interspecific competition. b. tolerance. c. facilitation. d. inhibition. e. intraspecific competition. ____ 26. You observe a maple seedling grow successfully in a birch stand. All species thrive. The best label for this observation would be a. primary succession. b. tolerance. c. tertiary succession. d. inhibition. e. facilitation. ____ 27. The ability of a population to maintain a certain size is known as a. stability. b. inertia. c. constancy. d. resilience. e. persistence. ____ 28. Which of the following refers to the ability of an organism to return to its former condition after a period of stress? a. stability b. inertia c. constancy d. resilience e. persistence ____ 29. The tropical rain forest is characterized by all of the following except high a. resilience. b. diversity. c. inertia. d. constancy. e. persistence. ____ 30. Compared to forests, grasslands have a. more diversity and more inertia. b. more diversity and more resilience. c. less diversity and more inertia. d. less diversity and more resilience. e. more diversity and more constancy. Community Ecology Answer Section MULTIPLE CHOICE 1. ANS: B DIF: M 2. ANS: D DIF: M TOP: 8-1 COMMUNITY STRUCTURE AND SPECIES DIVERSITY 3. ANS: B DIF: E TOP: 8-1 COMMUNITY STRUCTURE AND SPECIES DIVERSITY 4. ANS: C DIF: M TOP: 8-1 COMMUNITY STRUCTURE AND SPECIES DIVERSITY 5. ANS: A DIF: M TOP: 8-1 COMMUNITY STRUCTURE AND SPECIES DIVERSITY 6. ANS: E DIF: M TOP: 8-2 TYPES OF SPECIES 7. ANS: D DIF: M TOP: 8-2 TYPES OF SPECIES 8. ANS: B DIF: E TOP: 8-2 TYPES OF SPECIES 9. ANS: D DIF: E TOP: 8-2 TYPES OF SPECIES 10. ANS: A DIF: E TOP: 8-2 TYPES OF SPECIES 11. ANS: D DIF: E TOP: 8-2 TYPES OF SPECIES 12. ANS: D DIF: M TOP: 8-2 TYPES OF SPECIES 13. ANS: D DIF: D TOP: 8-3 SPECIES INTERACTIONS: COMPETITION AND PREDATION 14. ANS: C DIF: M TOP: 8-3 SPECIES INTERACTIONS: COMPETITION AND PREDATION 15. ANS: D DIF: M TOP: 8-3 SPECIES INTERACTIONS: COMPETITION AND PREDATION 16. ANS: A DIF: M TOP: 8-3 SPECIES INTERACTIONS: COMPETITION AND PREDATION 17. ANS: B DIF: E TOP: 8-3 SPECIES INTERACTIONS: COMPETITION AND PREDATION 18. ANS: D DIF: E TOP: 8-3 SPECIES INTERACTIONS: COMPETITION AND PREDATION 19. ANS: C DIF: M TOP: 8-3 SPECIES INTERACTIONS: COMPETITION AND PREDATION 20. ANS: D DIF: E TOP: 8-4 SPECIES INTERACTIONS: PARASITISM, MUTUALISM, AND COMMENSALISM 21. ANS: C DIF: E TOP: 8-4 SPECIES INTERACTIONS: PARASITISM, MUTUALISM, AND COMMENSALISM 22. ANS: C DIF: E TOP: 8-4 SPECIES INTERACTIONS: PARASITISM, MUTUALISM, AND COMMENSALISM 23. ANS: D DIF: M TOP: 8-4 SPECIES INTERACTIONS: PARASITISM, MUTUALISM, AND COMMENSALISM 24. ANS: A DIF: M TOP: 8-5 ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION: COMMUNITIES IN TRANSITION 25. ANS: C DIF: M TOP: 8-5 ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION: COMMUNITIES IN TRANSITION 26. ANS: B DIF: M TOP: 8-5 ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION: COMMUNITIES IN TRANSITION 27. ANS: C DIF: E TOP: 8-6 ECOLOGICAL STABILITY, COMPLEXITY, AND SUSTAINABILITY 28. ANS: D DIF: M TOP: 8-6 ECOLOGICAL STABILITY, COMPLEXITY, AND SUSTAINABILITY 29. ANS: A DIF: E TOP: 8-6 ECOLOGICAL STABILITY, COMPLEXITY, AND SUSTAINABILITY 30. ANS: D DIF: E TOP: 8-6 ECOLOGICAL STABILITY, COMPLEXITY, AND SUSTAINABILITY