Deck 15: Ecological Succession

Question 1

Primary and secondary succession differ in the

A) intensity of the disturbance.
B) length of the disturbance.
C) effect on soil and nutrients.
D) a and c
E) b and c

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which of the following is not true of lodgepole pine succession in Yellowstone?

A) The initial stage of succession is not very flammable.
B) The complete succession takes about 300 years.
C) Lodgepole pines are serotinous.
D) Fuel limits fires in LP3.
E) none of the above

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which of the following is impervious to disturbance?

A) coral reefs
B) tropical rain forest
C) tallgrass prairie
D) conifer forest
E) none of the above

Answer 3

E

Question 4

Which of these disturbances is most variable in its impact?

A) hurricane
B) crown fire
C) glaciation
D) flood
E) none of the above

Question 5

Hurricanes are important disturbance events in the Everglades. This ecosystem has

A) high resistance and high resilience.
B) low resistance and low resilience.
C) high resistance but low resilience.
D) low resistance but high resilience.
E) none of the above

Question 6

The Lake Michigan dunes are a useful system in which to study succession because

A) disturbance occurs regularly.
B) the system has been stable for thousands of years.
C) the distance from the shore is related to the length of time since disturbance.
D) glaciations is the primary disturbance in this system.
E) none of the above

Question 7

Studies of the Lake Michigan dune chronosequence assume

A) colonization is random.
B) colonization depends on dispersal ability.
C) the lake level continuously changes.
D) each community has gone through the same successional sequence.
E) none of the above

Question 8

Pioneer species

A) are excellent competitors.
B) can tolerate harsh abiotic conditions.
C) are resistant to disturbance.
D) are altruistic.
E) none of the above

Question 9

According to the Clementsian paradigm,

A) succession converges on a single climax.
B) climate plays no role in determining the climax community.
C) disturbance is common.
D) succession is rare in most communities.
E) none of the above

Question 10

The prairie peninsula

A) occurs at the western boundary of the prairie.
B) is an example of a disclimax.
C) is due to intense grazing by bison.
D) occurs where fire is rare.
E) none of the above

Question 11

Which of the following is not characteristic of the post-disturbance environment?

A) Light is limiting.
B) Nutrients are limiting.
C) Plant populations are static.
D) Competition for light is reduced.
E) none of the above

Question 12

Early successional plant species are characterized by

A) few effective layers of leaves.
B) competitive ability.
C) low photosynthetic rates.
D) the ability to grow in nutrient poor soil.
E) none of the above

Question 13

Pioneer species

A) are altruistic.
B) are often fugitive species.
C) must increase their competitive ability.
D) are K-selected.
E) none of the above

Question 14

In the facilitation model of succession

A) later species facilitate the persistence of pioneers.
B) early species facilitate the next disturbance.
C) early species facilitate colonization by later species.
D) late species facilitate dispersal by early species.
E) none of the above

Question 15

The inhibition model differs from the facilitation model in that in the

A) inhibition model all species can colonize after disturbance.
B) facilitation model all species can colonize after disturbance.
C) inhibition model colonists inhibit further disturbance.
D) facilitation model pioneers resist invasion by other species.
E) none of the above

Question 16

In Markov chains transitions from one state to another

A) has a specific probability.
B) all have the same probability.
C) occur in a specific sequence.
D) depend on the previous state.
E) none of the above

Question 17

In forest-grassland ecotones in Montana

A) limber pine inhibits all other species.
B) succession occurs by the inhibition model.
C) Douglas fir facilitates limber pine.
D) limber pine facilitates Douglas fir.
E) none of the above

Question 18

Pioneer species are rarely endangered.

Question 19

Late succession trees have few effective layers of leaves.

Question 20

Under high light conditions, respiration exceeds photosynthesis in early successional species.

Question 21

The adaptations of fugitive species are not an evolutionarily stable strategy.

Question 22

In Markov chains, the current state is independent of previous states.

Question 23

Aplet's study of succession in spruce/fir forests demonstrates that these forests are in long-term equilibrium.

Question 24

A disclimax occurs where disturbance is frequent.

Question 25

Climate change confounds the study of succession at high latitude.

Question 26

The chronosequence at Glacier Bay represents a single successional sequence.

Question 27

Fugitive species have high reproductive output.

Question 28

What are the characteristics of a community in the theory of patch dynamics?

Question 29

The intensity of competition __________ during secondary succession.

Question 30

__________ are poor competitors that depend on new disturbances.

Question 31

__________ is the degree to which a community withstands disturbance; __________ is the speed with which it recovers from disturbance.

Question 32

The main difference between primary and secondary succession is that in primary succession __________.

Question 33

Facilitation is a process in which __________.

Question 34

Explain the basis of the inhibition model of succession.