Deck 7: Interactions Among Species

Question 1

Natural communities consist of species interacting with each other. How might the structure of the community be changed?

A) When the interactions are disrupted
B) When new species are introduced
C) When species go extinct
D) When there is a change in resources
E) All of the above

Answer 1

E

Question 2

When one organism consumes another it is called

A) competition.
B) parasitism.
C) predation.
D) amensalism.
E) commensalism.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which term best explains the following example: a spider builds a web and waits for an insect to become trapped in the web.

A) Predation
B) Parasitism
C) Competition
D) Amensalism
E) Commensalism

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Rabbits can hop rapidly. They most likely evolved to be quick due to

A) selective pressure as predators.
B) selective pressure as prey.
C) selective pressure due to an endoparasite.
D) their ability to spread pollen because of mutualistic relationships it has with plants.
E) them being introduced to islands to control other species.

Question 5

Rose thorns are an example of

A) predation pressure.
B) a response to parasitism.
C) bioaccumulation.
D) selective pressure as a predator.
E) abiotic competition.

Question 6

The sun provides energy for ecosystems by supplying the energy for producers to generate their own food through photosynthesis. This energy can then be transferred through food webs. In this example, the sun is

A) a biotic resource.
B) an abiotic resource.
C) an unlimited resource.
D) the highest trophic level.
E) Both a and c

Question 7

An interaction between organisms or species in which the fitness of one is lowered by the presence of another is referred to as

A) commensalism.
B) parasitism.
C) predation.
D) amensalism.
E) competition.

Question 8

A cheetah and a lion share the same range in their habitat in the open savannah. Cheetahs are smaller than lions, but much faster. They feed on some of the same prey. Which of the following characterizes the relationship between these two organisms?

A) Mutualism
B) Interspecific competition
C) Predator-prey
D) Intraspecific competition
E) Commensalism

Question 9

In a forest where white pine trees grow close to each other, some may get fewer resources such as light, water, and nutrients. Some trees may evolve to grow faster and taller or have a larger root system due to selective pressure. What can you conclude about these trees?

A) They are an example of interspecific competition.
B) They are an example of intraspecific competition.
C) They will all grow well after some adapt.
D) They are an example of the competitive exclusion principle.
E) Both b and d

Question 10

Intraspecific and interspecific competition

A) never occurs at the same time.
B) always occurs at the same time.
C) can occur at the same time.
D) can occur at the same time when only abiotic resources are needed.
E) only occurs when mammals are involved.

Question 11

The ecological role of an organism in a community especially in regard to food consumption is called its

A) niche.
B) habitat.
C) trophic level.
D) biomass.
E) ecosystem.

Question 12

In the diagram below, each circle represents the niche of each species.

-The overlapping area represents

A) intraspecific competition.
B) parasitism of species A on species B.
C) amensalism.
D) interspecific competition.
E) predation of species B by species A.

Question 13

In the diagram below, each circle represents the niche of each species.

-Suppose the overlapping area gradually becomes much larger. What is most likely happening?

A) Amensalism
B) Parasitism of species A on species B
C) Competitive exclusion principle
D) Commensalism
E) Predation of species B by species A

Question 14

What is happening when one organism gets its nutrients from another-harming it but not killing it right away?

A) Competition
B) Predation
C) Amensalism
D) Parasitism
E) Mutualism

Question 15

Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal disease in dogs. It is caused by a worm called Dirofilaria immitis. As many as 30 species of mosquitoes can transmit heartworms. Adult heartworms live in the heart and pulmonary arteries of infected dogs. Adult worms cause disease by clogging the heart and major blood vessels leading from the heart and also interfere with the valve action in the heart. By clogging the main blood vessels, the blood supply to other organs of the body is reduced, particularly to the lungs, liver, and kidneys, leading to malfunction of these organs. This is an example of

A) ectoparasitism.
B) mutualism.
C) amensalism.
D) predation.
E) endoparasitism.

Question 16

When one organism feeds on ectoparasites or dead tissue of another organism the relationship is considered to be

A) endoparasitism, since one organism eats other parasites.
B) ectoparasitism, since the ectoparasites are eaten.
C) cleaner-customer mutualism, since one organism gains food and the other has harmful material removed.
D) amensalism, since one organism, the ectoparasite, is negatively affected.
E) bioaccumulation, since one organism is accumulating biomass.

Question 17

Bacteria that live in the ruminant gut and help with digestion are

A) parasitic.
B) mutualists.
C) prey of the gut.
D) predators of the organism with the ruminant gut.
E) commensalistic with the digestive system.

Question 18

Which of the following is not an example of mutualism?

A) Bacteria that gives you an ear infection
B) Bacteria living in the intestines that aids with digestion
C) Bees transferring pollen from plant to plant
D) Cattle egret eating parasites off of cattle
E) Protozoa that digest wood in the gut of the termite

Question 19

A relationship where one organism is negatively affected while the other is not affected in a positive or negative way is called

A) commensalism.
B) parasitism.
C) mutualism.
D) amensalism.
E) predation.

Question 20

Which of the following terms best describes an interconnected network of who eats whom in an ecosystem?

A) Food web
B) Tropic levels
C) Food chain
D) Biomass pyramid
E) Biomagnification chart

Question 21

What is the best interpretation of the image below?
(Source: http://conservationreport.com/tag/bioaccumulation/)

A) A food web of fish and humans
B) Biomagnification of Hg (mercury)
C) Bioaccumulation of water around the organisms
D) Used by evolutionary biologists to show how humans evolved
E) The symbiotic relationships between the organisms using Hg and arrows

Question 22

When organisms eat, most biomass is digested and turned into energy. Certain compounds are stored in the body. These can be essential minerals and/or toxins. This process is called

A) trophic leveling.
B) biomagnification.
C) bioacummulation.
D) biomass.
E) biodiversity.

Question 23

What is the second greatest threat to biodiversity?

A) Habitat destruction
B) Mutualism of cleaner-customers
C) Parasitism of ectoparasites
D) Invasion of non-native species
E) Evolution due to selective pressure

Question 24

Non-native species can increase in population and become pests to an ecosystem. Which of the following reasons best describes why this can happen?

A) Non-native species do not always have natural predators.
B) Non-native species may not have natural parasites that control their populations.
C) There may not be any local competitors for the non-native species.
D) Both a and b
E) All of the above

Question 25

Which of the following best shows an ecological advantage of introducing non-native species into a habitat?

A) The non-natives may reproduce with natives, resulting in a genetically superior species.
B) The non-natives may be good pets or nice plants to have.
C) The non-natives may help restore a habitat by replace a native species that went extinct.
D) Used as a biological control agent, non-natives can be used in place of pesticides, costing less money and causing less damage to the environment.
E) There are no advantages to introducing non-native species.

Question 26

Compare and contrast predation and competition.

Question 27

The Galápagos finches are an example of differentiation. Discuss how this happened, and why.

Question 28

Differentiate between endoparasitism and ectoparasitism.

Question 29

Identify the similarities and differences between commensalism and amensalism.

Question 30

Construct a chart showing the different species interactions. Describe their influence on each of the interacting species as positive (+), negative (-), or neutral (0).

Question 31

Describe a food chain and a food web. Which is the most realistic way to show trophic relationships?

Question 32

Explain the difference between phytoplankton and zooplankton and where they fit on a food web.

Question 33

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: "Zebra mussels are good for ecosystems since they filter water and clean up toxins." Justify and defend your answer.

Question 34

Suppose there is a pest that attacks agricultural crops. This pest is affecting the food supply and hurting the local economy. There is an animal that can eat and eliminate this population of pests. Design a plan to do this.