Deck 4: Species Interactions and Community Ecology

Question 1

By definition, parasites ______________ their host

A) kill
B) feed on and harm
C) live on the external surface of
D) benefit
E) are much smaller than

Answer 1

feed on and harm

Question 2

Use the figure above to answer the following question
If global climate change results in an area of temperate grassland receiving less rainfall and higher temperatures, it will _______________

A) have no effect on the biome
B) begin to support more desert species
C) begin to support more invasive exotic species
D) gradually be replaced by savanna
E) rapidly be replaced by temperate deciduous forest

Answer 2

begin to support more desert species

Question 3

Use the figure above to answer the following question
Temperate deciduous forests are characterized by _______________.

A) hot temperatures and wet conditions (high precipitation)
B) cold temperatures and low amounts of precipitation
C) moderate temperatures and moderate amounts of precipitation
D) cold temperatures and wet condition (high precipitation)
E) hot temperatures and dry conditions (low precipitation)

Answer 3

moderate temperatures and moderate amounts of precipitation

Question 4

Zooplankton-eating fish are ______________

A) producers
B) primary consumers
C) herbivores
D) detritivores
E) secondary consumers

Question 5

Choose the item that best matches from the following:
Describes the region west of the Mississippi River; characterized by limited precipitation, thick organic soils and extreme temperature variation in winter and summer

A)tropical dry forest
B)temperate rainforest
C)boreal forest
D)savanna
E)chaparral
F)temperate grassland
G)desert
H)temperate deciduous forest
I)tropical rainforest

Question 6

Use the figure above to answer the following question
What does the diagram illustrate?

A) Biodiversity does not vary with climate.
B) Biomes are determined primarily by precipitation and temperature.
C) Tundra and desert both share a hot climate.
D) Boreal forests and tropical dry forest have identical climates.
E) Deserts and tropical rainforests normally occur within a few meters on one another.

Question 7

Choose the item that best matches from the following:
Describes Cairo, Egypt, and northwest Mexico; characterized by sparse rainfall and much variation in temperature

A)tropical dry forest
B)temperate rainforest
C)boreal forest
D)savanna
E)chaparral
F)temperate grassland
G)desert
H)temperate deciduous forest
I)tropical rainforest

Question 8

Choose the item that best matches from the following:
Describes biome in the eastern United States, north central Europe, and eastern China; characterized by stable precipitation and seasonal temperature variation

A)tropical dry forest
B)temperate rainforest
C)boreal forest
D)savanna
E)chaparral
F)temperate grassland
G)desert
H)temperate deciduous forest
I)tropical rainforest

Question 9

Zooplankton populations in Lake Erie and the Hudson River have declined by up to 70% since the arrival of zebra mussels because ______________.

A) zebra mussels carry a parasite that kills zooplankton
B) zebra mussels block sunlight penetration into lakes and thus prevent zooplankton from photosynthesizing
C) zebra mussels feed on phytoplankton, which zooplankton need as a food source
D) waste from zebra mussels promotes bacterial growth that kills zooplankton
E) zebra mussels prey exclusively on zooplankton

Question 10

Choose the item that best matches from the following:
Describes the terrestrial biome bordering the Mediterranean Sea; characterized by wet winters and warm dry summers

A)tropical dry forest
B)temperate rainforest
C)boreal forest
D)savanna
E)chaparral
F)temperate grassland
G)desert
H)temperate deciduous forest
I)tropical rainforest

Question 11

Use the figure above to answer the following question
Chaparral has a climate most similar to _________________

A) tundra
B) tropical dry forest
C) boreal forest
D) temperate rainforest
E) savanna

Question 12

Use the figure above to answer the following question
According to this diagram, you should find _____________________.

A) tropical rainforests usually bordering temperate grassland
B) vegetation is most luxuriant in moderately dry areas
C) deserts usually bordering tundra
D) tropical rainforest in most parts of Europe and North America
E) deserts anywhere in the world where hot and dry conditions prevail

Question 13

Grazing animals such as deer are ______________

A) decomposers
B) producers
C) secondary consumers
D) primary consumers or herbivores
E) detritivores

Question 14

Choose the item that best matches from the following:
Describes the Pacific Northwest of the United States and Nagasaki, Japan; characterized by heavy rainfall and relatively stable temperatures

A)tropical dry forest
B)temperate rainforest
C)boreal forest
D)savanna
E)chaparral
F)temperate grassland
G)desert
H)temperate deciduous forest
I)tropical rainforest

Question 15

Of the following, ______________ is (are) an abiotic factor.

A) grasses
B) temperature
C) snails
D) oak trees
E) butterflies

Question 16

______________ capture solar energy and use photosynthesis to produce sugars.

A) Secondary consumers
B) Primary consumers
C) Producers
D) Detritivores
E) Heterotrophs

Question 17

Zebra mussels ______________.

A) are native to Canada
B) were introduced into the United States in the early 1900s
C) excrete waste that facilitates algae blooms and subsequent eutrophication of lakes
D) are an invasive exotic species that clogs water intake pipes at factories, power plants, and wastewater treatment facilities
E) are presently restricted to the Great Lakes and Hudson River, but they are expected to spread rapidly in the near future

Question 18

Which of the following is true about top predators?

A) They include bacteria and fungi.
B) Their removal increases biodiversity.
C) They are likely to be producers.
D) They are likely to be herbivores.
E) They are likely to be keystone species.

Question 19

Individuals of a single species fighting over access to a limiting resource is one example of ______________.

A) symbiosis
B) resource partitioning
C) interspecific competition
D) competitive exclusion
E) intraspecific competition

Question 20

Choose the item that best matches from the following:
Describes an equatorial zone with moderate precipitation that fluctuates seasonally; characterized by warm temperatures year round

A)tropical dry forest
B)temperate rainforest
C)boreal forest
D)savanna
E)chaparral
F)temperate grassland
G)desert
H)temperate deciduous forest
I)tropical rainforest

Question 21

Taiga and tundra both ______________

A) have many burrowing rodents
B) lack many birds
C) have comparatively low temperatures throughout the year
D) lack trees
E) are found in the southeastern United States

Question 22

Desert and tundra both ______________

A) lack keystone species
B) have relatively low precipitation
C) lack insects
D) have wide temperature variations throughout the year
E) lack shrubs

Question 23

The statement, ʺhiking up a mountain in the southwestern United States is like walking from Mexico to Canada,ʺ is meant to demonstrate that ______________ change(s) rapidly as you change altitude and latitude.

A) human population density
B) levels of industrial air pollutants
C) biomes
D) oxygen levels
E) carbon dioxide levels

Question 24

______________ carried out research to determine the impact of zebra mussels on fish communities.

A) Aldo Leopold
B) S.W. Breckle
C) Charles Darwin
D) David Strayer
E) Native Americans

Question 25

______________ are typical primary consumers in a temperature deciduous forest.

A) Snakes
B) Shelf fungi
C) Deer
D) Bison
E) Wolves

Question 26

Secondary succession ______________

A) occurs after a fire or flood
B) is predictable because it always ends in the formation of a climax community
C) occurs after a volcano spreads lava across a landscape
D) typically begins with lichen colonizing rock
E) requires primary succession to precede it

Question 27

Herbivory is actually a type of ______________

A) coevolution
B) competition
C) mutualism
D) predation
E) primary succession

Question 28

Kelp ______________

A) suffers intense herbivory from sea urchins
B) is pollinated by sea urchins
C) is an invasive exotic species
D) is eaten by sea otters
E) suffers intense herbivory from zebra mussels

Question 29

Environmentally and economically acceptable means of controlling introduced invasive species include ______________

A) killing off pollinators for invasive plants, food sources for invasive animals
B) application of potent pesticides that kill the introduced species
C) public education, introduction of suitable predators, examination of imported goods
D) removal of all the invasive individuals by collecting, baiting, trapping and, for plants, prescribed burning
E) banning of all importation of non-native species with heavy fines for non-compliance

Question 30

Detritivores include ______________

A) algae and photosynthetic bacteria
B) species that can break down cellulose, bone, and other durable biopolymers
C) millipedes, soil insects, many ants
D) bacteria and fungi
E) wolves, lions, oak trees

Question 31

A climax community always ______________

A) describes terrestrial biomes
B) has the lowest biodiversity of all stages of succession
C) describes aquatic biomes
D) remains in place until a disturbance restarts succession
E) is typical of the first stages of secondary succession

Question 32

Techniques to eradicate zebra mussels ______________

A) are global and long lived
B) are relatively simple
C) are relatively inexpensive
D) include introducing predators and diseases
E) have not yet been attempted

Question 33

A trophic cascade is the effect of ______________ on ______________ .

A) top consumers; abundance of lower consumers
B) top consumers; one another
C) producers; first level consumers
D) detritivores; decomposers
E) flooding; terrestrial ecosystems

Question 34

Of the following, ______________ are pioneer species.

A) wolves and mountain lions
B) zebra mussels
C) lichens
D) aspen trees
E) beavers

Question 35

The energy content and biomass of ______________ is lowest in any food web.

A) producers
B) decomposers
C) small carnivores such as spiders and lizards
D) detritivores
E) top carnivores

Question 36

Microbes in our digestive tract that help us digest food demonstrate a ______________ association.

A) symbiotic
B) homeopathic
C) pathogenic
D) parasitic
E) benthic

Question 37

______________ terrestrial biome has the most biodiversity.

A) Tropical rainforest
B) Temperate rainforest
C) Temperate deciduous forest
D) Prairie
E) Boreal forest

Question 38

Global climate change may produce major shifts in biomes for any given location because ______________

A) soil chemistry, pH of precipitation and the frequency of invasive species will change
B) biodiversity and day length will change
C) mean temperature, precipitation and salinity will change
D) many species may become extinct
E) food web dynamics will change

Question 39

A community may undergo a regime shift or a phase shift when ______________

A) lose keystone species or suffer a major climatic change
B) all invasive and exotic species are removed
C) they suffer a natural fire or flood
D) pollutants cause a rapid rise in mutations
E) have too many symbiotic relationships among species

Question 40

Benthic organisms in the Great Lakes ______________

A) benefit from the presence of zebra mussels
B) live near the waterʹs surface
C) include zebra mussels
D) are harmed by the presence of zebra mussels
E) include phytoplankton

Question 41

Why do environmentalists favor the term food web as opposed to food chain?

Question 42

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
Human activities, including fossil fuel combustion, farming, and deforestation, are known to increase the levels of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxides in our atmosphere. Measurable warming of Earth due to these greenhouse gases can alter ecosystem dynamics. In addition to the direct climatic effects on organisms within biomes, warming can lower levels of sea ice and increase precipitation in arctic areas. Global warming also can increases sea surface temperatures, which can subsequently melt permafrost in the tundra and increase the intensity of hurricanes in vulnerable areas. Within communities, climatic change can shift interdependent species ʺout-of-sync,ʺ potentially causing indirect loss of species.
The relationship between flowering plants and bees is best described as ______________.

A) competition
B) predation
C) herbivory
D) parasitism
E) mutualism

Question 43

List the three major trophic levels in a food web. What types of organisms are found in each level? Where are the autotrophs and heterotrophs found? Discuss the significance of each level for the integral functioning of the food web.

Question 44

Discuss the interrelationship between sea otters, sea urchins, and kelp in the Pacific Ocean.

Question 45

What ecological traits do successful invasive species possess? How do these traits interact to make controlling them difficult?

Question 46

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
Human activities, including fossil fuel combustion, farming, and deforestation, are known to increase the levels of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxides in our atmosphere. Measurable warming of Earth due to these greenhouse gases can alter ecosystem dynamics. In addition to the direct climatic effects on organisms within biomes, warming can lower levels of sea ice and increase precipitation in arctic areas. Global warming also can increases sea surface temperatures, which can subsequently melt permafrost in the tundra and increase the intensity of hurricanes in vulnerable areas. Within communities, climatic change can shift interdependent species ʺout-of-sync,ʺ potentially causing indirect loss of species.
Of the following, ______________ might be first to populate an area after permafrost melts in response to global climate change.

A) grasses
B) shrubs
C) lichens
D) hardwood trees
E) aspen trees

Question 47

Distinguish between exotic species and invasive exotic species.

Question 48

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
Human activities, including fossil fuel combustion, farming, and deforestation, are known to increase the levels of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxides in our atmosphere. Measurable warming of Earth due to these greenhouse gases can alter ecosystem dynamics. In addition to the direct climatic effects on organisms within biomes, warming can lower levels of sea ice and increase precipitation in arctic areas. Global warming also can increases sea surface temperatures, which can subsequently melt permafrost in the tundra and increase the intensity of hurricanes in vulnerable areas. Within communities, climatic change can shift interdependent species ʺout-of-sync,ʺ potentially causing indirect loss of species.
Some models of climate change for North America predict that the grassland regions of the prairie states will become warmer and dryer. This would result in ______________.

A) a shift from grassland toward chaparral and savanna
B) less stress on groundwater and aquifers to irrigate crops in the area
C) increased damage from crop pests and diseases
D) the need to develop varieties of agricultural crops that tolerate desert conditions
E) the need to plant temperate deciduous forest trees to shelter crops from the sun

Question 49

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
Human activities, including fossil fuel combustion, farming, and deforestation, are known to increase the levels of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxides in our atmosphere. Measurable warming of Earth due to these greenhouse gases can alter ecosystem dynamics. In addition to the direct climatic effects on organisms within biomes, warming can lower levels of sea ice and increase precipitation in arctic areas. Global warming also can increases sea surface temperatures, which can subsequently melt permafrost in the tundra and increase the intensity of hurricanes in vulnerable areas. Within communities, climatic change can shift interdependent species ʺout-of-sync,ʺ potentially causing indirect loss of species.
Global warming has been hypothesized to cause many plants to flower earlier. If bees and other pollinators begin search for food earlier in response to this, this would represent ______________ within the community.

A) climax
B) secondary succession
C) coevolution
D) extirpation
E) primary succession

Question 50

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
Human activities, including fossil fuel combustion, farming, and deforestation, are known to increase the levels of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxides in our atmosphere. Measurable warming of Earth due to these greenhouse gases can alter ecosystem dynamics. In addition to the direct climatic effects on organisms within biomes, warming can lower levels of sea ice and increase precipitation in arctic areas. Global warming also can increases sea surface temperatures, which can subsequently melt permafrost in the tundra and increase the intensity of hurricanes in vulnerable areas. Within communities, climatic change can shift interdependent species ʺout-of-sync,ʺ potentially causing indirect loss of species.
If the climate warms significantly, tundra permafrost may melt, exposing underlying rock. This may next lead to ______________ in the community.

A) secondary succession
B) primary succession
C) facilitation
D) coevolution
E) climax

Question 51

Briefly describe what is meant by a pioneer species.

Question 52

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
Human activities, including fossil fuel combustion, farming, and deforestation, are known to increase the levels of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxides in our atmosphere. Measurable warming of Earth due to these greenhouse gases can alter ecosystem dynamics. In addition to the direct climatic effects on organisms within biomes, warming can lower levels of sea ice and increase precipitation in arctic areas. Global warming also can increases sea surface temperatures, which can subsequently melt permafrost in the tundra and increase the intensity of hurricanes in vulnerable areas. Within communities, climatic change can shift interdependent species ʺout-of-sync,ʺ potentially causing indirect loss of species.
Intense hurricanes that may result from global warming can directly lead to ______________ within impacted terrestrial communities.

A) secondary succession
B) coevolution
C) climax
D) primary succession
E) facilitation

Question 53

Discuss the differences between intraspecific and interspecific competition.

Question 54

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
Human activities, including fossil fuel combustion, farming, and deforestation, are known to increase the levels of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxides in our atmosphere. Measurable warming of Earth due to these greenhouse gases can alter ecosystem dynamics. In addition to the direct climatic effects on organisms within biomes, warming can lower levels of sea ice and increase precipitation in arctic areas. Global warming also can increases sea surface temperatures, which can subsequently melt permafrost in the tundra and increase the intensity of hurricanes in vulnerable areas. Within communities, climatic change can shift interdependent species ʺout-of-sync,ʺ potentially causing indirect loss of species.
The relationship between flowering plants and caterpillars is best described as ______________.

A) interspecific competition
B) intraspecific competition
C) mutualism
D) herbivory
E) parasitism

Question 55

Give an example of how an invasive species can cause ecological or economic harm.