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32 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Which of the following statements about ecology is INCORRECT?
A) Ecological studies may involve the use of model systems and computer analysis B) Ecology spans increasingly comprehensive levels of organization, from individuals to ecosystems C) Ecologists may study populations and communities of organisms D) Ecologists study biochemical pathways within the cells of an organism E) Ecology is the study of the interactions between biotic and abiotic aspects of the environment |
D) Ecologists study biochemical pathways within the cells of an organism
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Which of the following examples of an ecological effect DIRECTLY leading to an evolutionary effect, is MOST CORRECT?
A) When seeds are not plentiful → trees produce more seeds B) A few organisms of a larger population survive a drought → these survivors then emigrate to drier environment C) A few individuals with denser fur survive the coldest days of an ice age → the reproducing survivors all have dense fur D) Fish that swim the fastest in running water → catch the most prey and more easily escape predation E) The insects that spend the most time exposed to sunlight → have the most mutations |
C) A few individuals with denser fur survive the coldest days of an ice age → the reproducing survivors all have dense fur
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In lecture we discussed the distribution of the Carolina Wren (Thryothorus Iudovicianus) in the USA. Which of the following would be a biotic factor limiting the range of this bird to the eastern half of the US?
A) The availability of suitable prairie nesting sites B) The level of predation by Polar bears C) The amount of rainfall in its range D) The coldest winter temperature E) The availability of food |
E) The availability of food
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Which statement best describes the effect of climate on the ecosystem distribution?
A) Knowledge of annual temperature and precipitation is sufficient to predict which ecosystem will be found at a given latitude B) Fluctuation of environmental variables is not important if areas have the same annual temperature and precipitation C) Both the average climate and the pattern of climatic variation is important in determining ecosystem distribution D) Temperate forests, coniferous forests, and grasslands all have the same mean annual temperatures and precipitation E) Only latitude and longitude coordinates are required in order to predict ecosystem distribution patterns |
C) Both the average climate and the pattern of climatic variation is important in determining ecosystem distribution
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In which of the following ecosystems would you find a community of organisms that are MOST LIKELY to have adaptations allowing them to respond to different amounts of rain?
A) Tropical forest B) Coral reef C) Savanna D) A northern forest E) Abyssal |
D) A northern forest
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The success with which certain trees extend their range northward in climate-change predictions is best determined by...
A) How deeply their roots are anchored B) Their tolerance to shade C) Their seed dispersal D) Their size E) Their growth rate |
C) Their seed dispersal
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The green sea urchin common in Maine waters is correctly classified as follows:
Eukarya/ Animalia/ Echinodermata/ Echinoidea/ Echnoida/ Strongylocentrotidea/ Strongylocentrotus/ droebachiensis Which term indicates the genus designation of the green sea urchin? A) Animalia B) Echinoidea C) droebachiensis D) Strongylocentrotus E) Eukarya |
D) Strongylocentrotus
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The lowest level of biological organization that can perform all the activities required for life is the...
A) Organelle - for example, a mitochondria B) Cell - for example, a muscle cell C) Tissue - for example, connective tissue D) Organ System - for example, the endocrine system E) Organism - for example, an amoeba, dog, human, or maple tree |
B) Cell - for example, a muscle cell
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Using the terms in the following list, which would be the LEAST descriptive of a particular organism?
order, family, domain, kingdom, genus, species, phylum, class A) Kingdom B) Phylum C) Species D) Domain E) Class |
D) Domain
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You have isolated a single-celled organism from the pond water you sampled in lab and are studying it. The organism has a cell membrane, but lacks a nucleus. To which Domain would you classify this organism?
A) Bacteria B) Archaea C) Eukarya D) Animalia E) Fungi |
A) Bacteria
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Which of the following is usually related to a scientific inquiry?
A) Observation B) Experimentation C) Hypothesis generation D) Data Analysis E) All of the above |
E) All of the above
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Through time, the lineage that led to modern wales shows a change from four limbed land animals to aquatic animals with two limbs that function as flippers. This change is best explained by...
A) Natural design B) Convergence C) The hierarchy of the biological organization of life D) Natural selection E) Selection for opposable thumbs |
D) Natural selection
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In the development of an aquatic ecosystem, which factor is MOST dependent on all the others?
A) The photosynthesizing species B) Average temperature C) Maximum rainfall D) Mineral nutrient availability E) The depth of the surfaces suitable for colonization |
A) The photosynthesizing species
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If you were correlating the energy input and reproductive success of an organism, which of the following would be the MOST plausible?
A) Large elephants that are very good parents produce many offspring per season B) Female shore birds that suffer high predation rates may produce several clutches per season C) Plants that use the wind to broadcast seeds to distant habitats tend to produce very heavy protective seed coats D) Flowers take good care of their seeds until they are ready to germinate E) Plants that produce many seeds are found in stable environments |
B) Female shore birds that suffer high predation rates may produce several clutches per season
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Which of the following statements CORRECTLY defines a population?
A) A collection of species at a uniform density on one island B) Plants and animals living in balance C) Different species of organisms living within the same general area D)Individuals of the same species living in distant and isolated areas E) Individuals of the same species living in the same general area |
E) Individuals of the same species living in the same general area
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Which of the following is a DENISTY-INDEPENDENT factor that might limit human population growth?
A) Fertility rates B) Eathquakes C) Disease D) Availability of prey E) Pollution |
B) Eathquakes
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You are studying the American Gold Finch (Spinus tristis) that live in afield near your home over the course of one year. There are lots of Gold Finch in this field, but you realize that you rarely observe any reproductive females. This most likely indicates that...
A) There is selective predation on female Gold Finch B) Female Gold Finch die before reproducing C) This habitat is not a good place for Gold Finch to reproduce D) You are observing immigrant Gold Finch populations E) The breeding season is over |
D) You are observing immigrant Gold Finch populations
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Species richness (biodiversity) of a community refers to...
A) The complexity of the food web B) The bottom-heavy shape of energy (trophic) pyramid C) The number of different species D) The relative numbers of individuals in each species E) The total number of all organisms |
C) The number of different species
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Regarding strategies that regulate populations, which of the following would be an INCORRECT statement?
A) The standard sigmoids growth curves seen in class reflect the effect of density-dependent factors, which slow down population growth when approaching the carrying capacity B) Density-independent factors have an increasingly greater effect as a population's density increases C) High densities of individuals in a population may cause physiological changes that inhibit reproduction D) Because of the overlapping nature of population-regulating factors, it is often difficult to precisely determine cause-and-effect relationships. |
B) Density-independent factors have an increasingly greater effect as a population's density increases
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Elephants are not the most common species in African grasslands. 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.
The elephants can be described as the keystone species in this ecosystem because... A) Most of the other species depend on the presence of the elephants to maintain the community 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 large African predators |
A) Most of the other species depend on the presence of the elephants to maintain the community
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Which of the following is the BEST description of an ecological community?
A) The material cycling and energy transformations between the biotic and abiotic components of an open meadow B) The members of one species of barnacles competing for resources in an intertidal zone C) The interactions of the various plant and animal species in a park, except for all the decomposers D) The intraspecific competition of members of an apple tree population inhabiting an orchard during a give year. E) The interactions of all the plant and animal species inhabiting a defined area of forest |
E) The interactions of all the plant and animal species inhabiting a defined area of forest
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An ecosystem...
A) Describes the location of where an organism lives B) Describes all the biotic and abiotic interactions in a given area C) Is a measure of all the photosynthetic activity in a given area D) Describes only trophic interactions in a given area E) Describes only the abiotic interactions in a given area |
B) Describes all the biotic and abiotic interactions in a given area
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As big as it is, the ocean is nutrient-limited. One way to investigate this would be to...
A) Follow whale migrations in order to determine where most nutrients are B) Observe Antarctic Ocean productivity from year to year to see if it changes C) Experimentally enrich some areas of the ocean and compare their productivity to that of areas not enriched D) Compare nutrient concentrations between the photic zone and the benthic zone E) Contrast nutrient uptake by autotrophs in oceans of different temperatures |
C) Experimentally enrich some areas of the ocean and compare their productivity to that of areas not enriched
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Which of the following properly links nutrients to is major reservoir?
A) Nitrogen and elemental nitrogen in plants B) Water and atmospheric water vapor C) Carbon and dissolved CO2 in marine ecosystems D) Phosphorous and sedimentary rocks E) Oxygen and its presence in CO2 |
D) Phosphorous and sedimentary rocks
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Which of the following is a primary producer?
A) A whale B) A hare C) A fungus D) A grasshopper E) Grass |
E) Grass
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If a bird were to eat a primary consumer fish, how much energy from the primary producer might be transferred to the bird?
A) 1% B) 10% C) 0.01% D) 20% E) 100% |
A) 1%
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Primary consumers will...
A) Eat most of the food in a given area B) Be herbivores C) Be carnivores D) Be at the top of the food web E) Be at the bottom of the food web |
B) Be herbivores
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An Ecological Footprint is a tool that is useful...
A) For evaluating the impact of humans on the Earth's ecosystem B) For a person living in a developing country to see how much of the world's resources are left him/her C) When calculating the conversions of meat biomass to plant biomass D) In making predictions about how many people can stand side-by-side E) In determining which nations produce the least amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the burning of fossil fuels |
A) For evaluating the impact of humans on the Earth's ecosystem
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According to the competitive exclusion principle, two species cannot continue to occupy the same...
A) Ecosystem B) fundamental niche C) tree D) range E) biome |
B) fundamental niche
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Which of the following is an example of Mullerian mimicry?
A) A day-flying hawkmoth that now flies at night B) A squid that changes its color to look like the background corals C) Two species of poisonous butterfly that have the same color pattern D) The rattle of a rattlesnakes's tail E) The brown color of tree bark |
C) Two species of poisonous butterfly that have the same color pattern
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Which of the following is a good description of an ecological niche?
A) The physical location of an organism B) How many organisms interacts with the biotic and abiotic resources in the community C) An organism's specific trophic level D) The organism's role in recycling nutrients in its habitat E) The interactions of the organism with other members of its population |
B) How many organisms interacts with the biotic and abiotic resources in the community
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Which of the following is an example of cryptic camouflage?
A) The stripes of a skunk B) Blue eye color in humans C) The green color of a plant D) The appearance of stick bugs E) The bright colors of a poison dart frog |
D) The appearance of stick bugs
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