Deck 26: Plant Ecology

Question 1

Sharks and dolphins live in similar habitats and have similar morphologies.This represents an example of

A)competitive exclusion.
B)ecological equivalence.
C)resource partitioning.
D)biological magnification.
E)occupying a specialized nichE.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following is a carbon sink?

A)primary producers.
B)primary consumers.
C)secondary consumers.
D)decomposers.
E)all of thesE.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

When a horse eats an apple about 10% of the energy from the apple is available to do cellular work.This is a representation of

A)the First Law of Thermodynamics.
B)the Second Law of Thermodynamics.
C)the Law of Mass and Energy Conservation.
D)both the First and the Second Law of Thermodynamics.
E)all three of these Laws.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Tropical rain forests are carbon _______ and thus are contributing to a(n)_______ in global warming.

A)sources - reduction
B)sinks - reduction
C)sinks - increase
D)sources - reduction

Question 5

The biomass of tertiary consumers is terrestrial ecosystem is typically less than that of

A)primary producers.
B)primary consumers.
C)secondary consumers.
D)decomposers.
E)all of thesE.

Question 6

Flying squirrels eat mushrooms that decompose the remains of fir trees - the dominant plants in the forest.Spotted owls eat the flying squirrels.In turn,crows eat the eggs of spotted owls.The fir trees are

A)primary producers.
B)primary consumers.
C)secondary consumers.
D)tertiary consumers.
E)none of thesE.

Question 7

Flying squirrels eat mushrooms that decompose the remains of fir trees - the dominant plants in the forest.Spotted owls eat the flying squirrels.In turn,crows eat the eggs of spotted owls.The flying squirrels are

A)primary producers.
B)primary consumers.
C)secondary consumers.
D)tertiary consumers.
E)none of thesE.

Question 8

Flying squirrels eat mushrooms that decompose the remains of fir trees - the dominant plants in the forest.Spotted owls eat the flying squirrels.In turn,crows eat the eggs of spotted owls.The crows are

A)primary producers.
B)primary consumers.
C)secondary consumers.
D)tertiary consumers.
E)none of thesE.

Question 9

Turner decided to not mow his lawn for one year and see what happened.After one year,he had a yard full of dandelions.This represents an example of

A)competitive exclusion.
B)ecological equivalence.
C)resource partitioning.
D)biological magnification.
E)occupying a specialized nichE.

Question 10

Starlings are called the rats of the bird world.They live in a wide variety of environments throughout North America.This represents an example of

A)competitive exclusion.
B)ecological equivalence.
C)resource partitioning.
D)occupying a generalized niche.
E)occupying a specialized nichE.

Question 11

The term ecology literally means the study of our

A)house.
B)planet.
C)biosphere.
D)ecosystem.

Question 12

The author who alerted the public to the importance of biological magnification was

A)Charles Darwin.
B)Louis Pasteur.
C)Rachel Carson.
D)Rosalind Franklin.
E)Claudia Johnson.

Question 13

More humans could be fed if they ate more

A)primary producers.
B)primary consumers.
C)secondary consumers.
D)tertiary consumers.
E)of all of thesE.

Question 14

Grasses,herbs,herbivores,carnivores,deep organic soils,rapid nitrogen cycling.Found in a typical grassland,collectively these represent a(n)

A)ecosystem.
B)community.
C)population.
D)biosphere.
E)combination of all of thesE.

Question 15

Tuber gibbosum is a mycorrhizal,truffle producingfungus that is food for rodents in Pacific Northwest forests.What is T.gibbosum's niche?

A)the Pacific Northwest forest
B)being a fungus
C)the combination of the fungus,the tree it is symbiotic with,and the rodent
D)providing food and being mycorrhizal
E)providing food

Question 16

Firs trees,spotted owls,rodents,slugs,and various fungal species living in a Pacific Northwest forest constitute a(n)

A)ecosystem.
B)community.
C)population.
D)biosphere.
E)combination of all of thesE.

Question 17

Two closely related plant species live in the same community.One has a shallow fibrous root system whereas the other has a deep tap root system.This represents an example of

A)competitive exclusion.
B)ecological equivalence.
C)resource partitioning.
D)occupying a generalized niche.
E)biological magnification.

Question 18

In the energy dynamics of an ecosystem,the energy is captured by consumers in the process of

A)cellular respiration.
B)photosynthesis.
C)protein synthesis.
D)DNA replication.

Question 19

In a particular freshwater ecosystem,fish ingested plankton that had 5 ppm (parts per million)mercury in their bodies.The fish then had 200 ppm of mercury in their bodies.Bird then ate the fish resulting in their bodies having 1600 ppm mercury.This represents an example of

A)competitive exclusion.
B)ecological equivalence.
C)resource partitioning.
D)biological magnification.
E)occupying a specialized nichE.

Question 20

Flying squirrels eat mushrooms that decompose the remains of fir trees - the dominant plants in the forest.Spotted owls eat the flying squirrels.In turn,crows eat the eggs of spotted owls.The mushrooms are

A)primary producers.
B)primary consumers.
C)secondary consumers.
D)tertiary consumers.
E)none of thesE.

Question 21

This biome includes evergreen plants with sclerophyllous leaves.Allelopathy is common and plant in this biome are adapted to frequent fires.This biome is a

A)tundrA.
B)chaparral.
C)grassland.
D)desert.
E)tropical rain forest.

Question 22

The bison in the North American prairie and the zebra in the savanna of Africa are examples of:

A)ecological equivalents
B)abiotic factors
C)producers
D)decomposers

Question 23

The main source of natural rubber comes from which native plant of the tropical rainforest?

A)Hevea brasiliensis
B)Manilkara zapota
C)Phytelephas macrocarpa
D)Bertholletia excelsa

Question 24

The retreat of a large glacier scoured the earth removing all vegetation and soil.The first plants to recolonize the devastated area were mosses.The type of succession represented in this scenario is _______ and moss is considered a _______ species.

A)primary - pioneer
B)primary - secondary
C)secondary - pioneer
D)secondary - primary
E)primary - successional

Question 25

Which ecological pyramid illustrates the observation that it takes many small organisms to support the nutritional needs of one large organism?

A)pyramid of numbers
B)pyramid of biomass
C)pyramid of energy
D)pyramid of calories

Question 26

All of the following will result from global warming except one.Choose the exception.

A)climates will become drier
B)pest and pathogen populations will increase
C)oceans will become more alkaline
D)coastal areas will be inundated
E)phenologies will be disrupted

Question 27

Global carbon dioxide levels have increased by ______ percent in the last 100 years.

A)10
B)15
C)20
D)25
E)30

Question 28

The liquid wax taken from the seeds of this desert plant is similar to the spermaceti obtained from the endangered sperm whale.This plant is called:

A)jojoba
B)carnuba
C)safflower
D)olive

Question 29

Which of the following is true about the United States and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions?

A)The US was one of the first signers of the Kyoto Protocol.
B)The US met its target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 7% in 2012.
C)The US Senate in 2003 approved a bill to curb emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases.
D)The US leads the world in its commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to slow global warming.
E)None of these statements is truE.

Question 30

Theoretically,as global warming continues,photosynthesis will ______ and respiration will ______.

A)increase - decrease
B)increase - increase
C)decrease - decrease
D)decrease - increase

Question 31

The soils of this biome are nutrient and organic matter poor and subject to wind erosion.This biome is a

A)tundrA.
B)chaparral.
C)grassland.
D)desert.
E)tropical rain forest.

Question 32

The greatest species diversity is found in this biome.

A)deciduous forest
B)tropical rain forest
C)grasslands
D)taiga

Question 33

In this biome,conifers dominate,soils have low fertility and are acidic.Caribou live in this biome part of the year.This biome is a

A)tundrA.
B)chaparral.
C)taiga.
D)desert.
E)tropical rain forest.

Question 34

What two physical factors are most important in determining the type of biome found in a region?

A)soil type and annual precipitation
B)fire and temperature
C)temperature and precipitation
D)temperature and topography

Question 35

A biome characterized by permafrost is the

A)tundrA.
B)chaparral.
C)boreal forest.
D)desert.
E)tropical rain forest.

Question 36

A ______ ______ is a linear sequence indicating the nutritional relationships between organisms in a community.

Question 37

This biome includes short-lived annuals,plants with reduced leaves and photosynthetic stems,and plants with long tap roots.This biome is a

A)tundrA.
B)chaparral.
C)grassland.
D)desert.
E)tropical rain forest.

Question 38

The growth of vegetation after a forest fire is an example of:

A)competitive exclusion
B)secondary succession
C)biological magnification
D)primary succession

Question 39

A xerophyte may have which of the following adaptations?

A)succulent stems
B)aerial roots
C)germinate during the dry summer season
D)a xerophyte may have all of these adaptations

Question 40

The savanna is a type of

A)tundrA.
B)chaparral.
C)grassland.
D)desert.
E)tropical rain forest.

Question 41

The savanna is a temperate forest biome characterized by trees that annually shed their leaves in autumn.

Question 42

The invasion of life onto an island newly created by volcanic activity is an example of primary succession.

Question 43

____________ is a process in which rubber is treated with sulfur and heat to stabilize its elastic properties.

Question 44

Habitat specifically refers to the physical setting where an organism lives.

Question 45

When a car is driven,only about 10% of the high-quality chemical energy available in the gasoline is converted into mechanical energy to propel the vehicle.The remaining 90% is degraded to low quality heat that is released into the environment.This is an illustration of the Second Law of Thermodynamics.

Question 46

___________________ are the harvests of natural products from the rain forest that can be collected with minimal environmental damage and for long-term economic gain.

Question 47

Photosynthesis is the oxidation of glucose yielding energy and releasing carbon dioxide.

Question 48

Data collected from a local forest ecosystem quantified the number of organisms from four different trophic levels: 5,50,000,150,000,and 1,000,000.The number of herbivores would most likely be 150,000.

Question 49

Niche is the broad range of characteristics of an organism that defines how it relates to the rest of its community.

Question 50

________ is the hard endosperm of a rain forest palm that can be carved into figurines,jewelry,or buttons.

Question 51

The progressive development of a forest community on an abandoned pasture is an example of primary succession.

Question 52

The biosphere is the interplay between a community and the abiotic factors in the environment.

Question 53

410 _______

Question 54

The first organisms to occupy a new successional site are called pioneer species.

Question 55

Consider a simplified ecosystem: grass->mice->weasels->.According to the pyramid of biomass concept,if you were to determine the collective dry weight of all the organisms at each trophic level,the weasels would have the largest biomass and the grasses would have the smallest.

Question 56

According to the pyramid of energy,it generally takes about 100 kilograms (dry weight)of clover to make 10 kg of rabbit,which in turn will make 1 kg of fox.

Question 57

A _______ community is the last successional stage in both primary and secondary succession.

Question 58

The dominant vegetation in the boreal or taiga biome is a forest of conifers.

Question 59

Carbon returns to the atmospheric reservoir when plants photosynthesize.

Question 60

A utility company burning coal to produce electricity is an example of the First Law of Thermodynamics.

Question 61

Autotrophs cannot synthesize food and must realize their nutritional needs by eating other organisms.

Question 62

In the shelterwood method of tree harvesting,some mature trees are not harvested to regenerate the forest naturally.

Question 63

Biomes are the climax communities for particular regions of the terrestrial environment.

Question 64

Clear-cutting is the method of tree harvesting that is least disruptive to a forest.

Question 65

Cacti have lost their leaves and developed water-storing,photosynthetic stems.Characteristics such as these that enhance the survival of an organism in its environment are known as adaptations.