Pb 360

Front 1

Do ecological studies support the idea of a balanced natural world that exists in a pristine state?

Back 1

No, ecological studies show historical variation in nature and the pervasive influence of
human activities.

Front 2

How can ecology best help each of us understand the role of humans in nature?

Back 2

Ecology provides a scientific understanding of how natural systems work and how humans
function as part of the natural world.

Front 3

The word "ecology" is derived from the Greek oikos, which means:

Back 3

house

Front 4

Who gave the word "ecology" its current broad meaning?

Back 4

the German zoologist Ernst Haeckel

Front 5

Of the following fields, all except one focus on the application of ecological understanding to
solve problems concerning the environment and its inhabitants. Which is the exception?

Back 5

ecology

Front 6

In Chapter 1, Dr. Ricklefs states: "No smaller unit in biology, such as the organ, cell, or
macromolecule, has a separate life in the environment." To which level of ecological
organization is he referring?

Back 6

organism

Front 7

Which of the following systems is comprised of assemblages of organisms together with their
physical and chemical environments?

Back 7

ecosystem

Front 8

Gray whales feed in the Bering Sea, then migrate far to the south, reproducing in the Gulf of
California. Feeding conditions in the Bering Sea influence the reproductive success of these
animals in their breeding area. Reproductive success, in turn, modifies the impact of the gray
whale on marine ecosystems in the Gulf of California. What important principle do these
processes illustrate?

Back 8

All ecosystems are ultimately linked together in a single biosphere.

Front 9

It may be said that the approach taken by an ecologist to the study of the natural world depends
on the level of ecological organization studied. For example, an ecologist who takes the
population approach to the study of ecology would most likely be interested in:

Back 9

changes in numbers, resulting from births and deaths, of individuals belonging to a particular
species in a particular place.

Front 10

As a rule, terrestrial plants and animals differ in which of the following ways?

Back 10

Terrestrial plants usually need a more continuous supply of water than terrestrial animals.

Front 11

Which of the following kinds of organisms typically assumes a threadlike growth habit, which
may exist as a loose network or may coalesce into a reproductive structure?

Back 11

fungi

Front 12

There are many examples in nature of cooperation among organisms, such as the bacteria that
inhabit the root nodules of leguminous plants. Typically such cooperative associations develop
because each organism can provide its partner with something the partner lacks or needs. When
Chapter 1: Ecology: The Study of Nature
5
such partnerships exist between organisms that live in close association, these are called:

Back 12

symbioses

Front 13

Which of the following best defines the habitat of an organism?

Back 13

the place, or physical setting, in which the organism lives

Front 14

The Peruvian rhinoceros katydid (Copiphora rhinoceros) is specialized for chewing leaves. This
information helps us better understand which of the following?

Back 14

its niche

Front 15

Thunderstorms and hurricanes. Unusually cold winters and glacial epochs. Each of these pairs of
phenomena illustrates an important general principle that applies to temporal variation in the
environment. Which of the following is the best statement of this principle?

Back 15

The more severe or extreme the event, the less frequent it is.

Front 16

Is a particular scale of spatial variation equally important to all organisms?

Back 16

No, each organism experiences spatial variation at a particular scale in a unique way

Front 17

Are scales of spatial and temporal variation in the environment related in any way?

Back 17

Yes, temporal and spatial scales of environmental variation are correlated; the area affected
by an event is roughly proportional to its duration.

Front 18

For a given spatial scale (equivalent to the area of North America, for example), terrestrial,
oceanic, and atmospheric systems undergo changes at dramatically different rates. From the
choices below, correctly rank these systems from least to most rapid rate of change:

Back 18

oceanic, terrestrial, atmospheric

Front 19

Because all ecological systems have biological components, they are exempt from the physical
constraints that govern other natural systems.

Back 19

False

Front 20

Most scientific investigations begin with a set of facts about nature. These facts are obtained by
which of the following steps?

Back 20

observation and description