Deck 20: Succession

Question 1

Which of the following areas are currently undergoing primary succession?

A) Areas burned by fires in California
B) Areas inundated by floods in Japan
C) On old lava flows on Mount St. Helens, Washington
D) In light gaps in North Carolina forests
E) Areas devastated by Hurricane Andrew in Florida

Answer 1

On old lava flows on Mount St. Helens, Washington

Question 2

Succession occurs following all the following disturbances except

A) Glacial retreat
B) Tides
C) Landslides
D) The creation of light gaps in forests
E) Volcanic eruptions

Answer 2

Tides

Question 3

Which of the following areas are currently undergoing secondary succession?

A) On lava flows in Hawaii
B) Behind retreating glaciers in Alaska and Canada
C) Following the cessation of farming in North Carolina
D) The area around Mt. St Helens in Oregon
E) Volcanoes in Iceland

Answer 3

Following the cessation of farming in North Carolina

Question 4

In the wake of glacier retreat, early colonizing species make environments _________ for other species.

A) More suitable
B) Less suitable
C) Unchanged
D) Less competitive
E) More climatic

Question 5

Sequential changes in community structure over physical distance, primarily influenced by time, are known as a

A) Primary sere
B) Seral stage
C) Facilitative sequence
D) Chronosequence
E) Climax community

Question 6

What is the correct sequence of seres during succession at Glacier Bay, Alaska?

A) Moss and lichens, mountain avens, spruce, alder
B) Spruce, alder, moss and lichens, mountain avens
C) Moss and lichens, mountain avens, alder, spruce
D) Mountain avens, moss and lichens, alder, spruce
E) Alder, spruce, moss and lichens, mountain avens

Question 7

In New England salt marshes, Spartina grass stabilizes the rocky substrate and reduces water velocity, allowing seedlings of other plant species to emerge. This is an example of

A) Facilitation
B) Inhibition
C) Tolerance
D) Logistic growth
E) A chronosequence

Question 8

Invasive Tamarix trees in the southwestern US and Australia increase soil salts, preventing other plant species from colonizing. This is an example of

A) Inhibition
B) Tolerance
C) Facilitation
D) A chronosequence
E) Primary succession

Question 9

In this process, any species can start succession but the eventual climax community is reached in a somewhat orderly fashion

A) Inhibition
B) Tolerance
C) Facilitation
D) Mutualism
E) Commensalism

Question 10

In the recovery of tobacco fields to natural communities in North Carolina, the earliest species to colonize are

A) White aster and ragweed
B) Broomsedge
C) Horseweed and crabgrass
D) Loblolly pine seedlings
E) Hickory seedlings

Question 11

Which of the following is a characteristic of species which occur in the early stages of succession?

A) Poor seed dispersal
B) High photosynthetic efficiency in low light
C) Low resource acquisition
D) K-selected
E) Long seed longevity

Question 12

The three basic approaches to habitat restoration are

A) Facilitation, tolerance and inhibition
B) Recovery, replacement and repair
C) Repair, dominance and increased function
D) Complete restoration, rehabilitation and ecosystem replacement
E) Ecosystem enhancement, rehabilitation and recovery

Question 13

The ecological engineering view of restoration, where habitat creation is stressed over replanting, has recently been termed the _________ view.

A) Facilitation
B) Ecosystem replacement
C) Field of dreams
D) Myth of the cookbook
E) Rehabilitation

Question 14

A review of restoration projects from around the world have revealed that ecosystem services are increased about ______% in restored over degraded habitats.

A) 5
B) 10
C) 20
D) 50
E) 100

Question 15

Facilitation and inhibition can happen in different seral stages in the same community

Question 16

Species richness usually decreases in the later stages of succession.

Question 17

Fire suppression and the introduction of hundreds of thousands of cattle into the American west hindered the expansion of pinyon pine and juniper trees.

Question 18

Small biomass plants are more frequent in the later stages of succession.

Question 19

Succession only occurs in terrestrial systems where soils are formed.