Question 1

An interaction in which one species benefits and the second species is neither harmed nor benefited is

Accepted Answer

In commensalism, one species benefits while the second species is unaffected. This is different from mutualism where both species benefit, parasitism where one species benefits and the other is harmed, competition where both species are potentially harmed, and predation where one species benefits by killing and consuming the other.

Question 2

Two species of phorid flies are being used to control fire ants.The fly

Accepted Answer

Both species of phorid flies used for fire ant control are parasitoids of the fire ant. They lay their eggs in the ant's soft internal tissues, and the resulting larva feeds on the ant's interior. Additionally, one of the species uses the ant's empty head as a metamorphosis chamber before emerging as an adult fly.

Question 3

Which of the following would be more likely to affect an animal's habitat than its niche?

Accepted Answer

Rainfall can significantly affect an animal's habitat by altering the availability of water resources and changing the physical characteristics of the environment. This can impact the distribution and diversity of plant and animal species that inhabit the area. Prey abundance, predators, defense mechanisms, and competitors are all components of an animal's niche and may influence its survival and reproductive success, but they are less likely to affect the physical characteristics of the habitat itself.

Question 4

Niche refers to the

Accepted Answer

Niche refers to the functional role of a species in a community, including its habitat, interactions with other species, and its impact on the environment. It’s not strictly related to the animal's home range, territory, preferred habitat, or feeding levels, but rather encompasses all of these factors.

Question 5

The sting of imported fire ants can cause

Accepted Answer

The sting of imported fire ants can cause fluid filled pustules that are slow to heal, as well as nausea, dizziness, and in rare cases, death.

Question 6

Imported fire ants attack

Accepted Answer

Imported fire ants can attack and cause harm to humans, livestock, pets, and wildlife, making option E the correct answer. It is important to take steps to prevent and control their spread to protect both human and animal populations.

Question 7

The weakest symbiotic association, in which one species simply lives better in the presence of another species is

Accepted Answer

Commensalism is the weakest symbiotic association as it only benefits one species without harming the other. The other species may not be affected positively or negatively, but could simply provide better living conditions for the commensal species. Competitive exclusion refers to the elimination of one species by another through competition, mutualism involves both species benefiting from the interaction, facultative obligate mutualism is a contradicting term, and parasitism involves one species benefiting at the expense of the other.

Question 8

The condition of the fire ant in the above photograph is caused by

Accepted Answer

The photo shows a fire ant with a parasitic phorid fly attached to its head. These flies are used as a form of biological control to help manage fire ant populations. None of the other options presented in the question would result in this particular condition seen on the fire ant in the photo.

Question 9

When Shakespeare wrote about the world as a stage and each of us being players, he was unknowingly referring to the biological concept of

Accepted Answer

The biological concept of the niche refers to an organism's specific role or position within an ecosystem. Just as actors have specific roles to play on a stage, each species has a specific niche to occupy within their habitat. Shakespeare's metaphor of the world as a stage and humans as players inadvertently aligns with this biological concept.

Question 10

Which of the following is (are) a factor(s) determining community structure?

Accepted Answer

Community structure is determined by a complex interplay of various factors, including species interactions, species adaptations, climate and topography, and seasonal resource availability. Therefore, all of these factors contribute to determining the community structure.

Question 11

All of the populations of different species that occupy and are adapted to a given area are

Accepted Answer

A community is defined as all of the populations of different species living and interacting within a given area. The other options do not encompass all of the populations of different species within an area. The biosphere refers to all living and nonliving components of the planet, the ecosystem refers to the living and nonliving components interacting with each other, a niche refers to the specific role and position of a species within an ecosystem, and an ecotone refers to the transition zone between two different ecosystems.

Question 12

Coevolution is

Accepted Answer

Coevolution is the process where two or more species have a reciprocal effect on each other's evolution. In this process, each species acts as a selective agent that shifts the range of variation in the other. This process leads to an evolutionary arms race, where each species adapts and evolves in response to changes in the other. Thus, option A is the only correct choice that defines coevolution accurately.

Question 13

Argentine fire ants entered the United States in the

Accepted Answer

Argentine fire ants were first discovered in the southern United States in the 1930s, specifically in Mobile, Alabama.

Question 14

Promising options being explored to control fire ants include

Accepted Answer

Biological controls, such as introducing natural predators and parasites of fire ants, have shown promise in controlling their populations without the use of harmful chemicals. Pesticides and herbicides may have negative impacts on the environment and other species, and physical destruction of mounds may only temporarily reduce populations.

Question 15

The reason why twelve species of fruit-eating pigeons can survive in Papua New Guinea's tropical rain forests is related to

Accepted Answer

The twelve species of fruit-eating pigeons can survive in Papua New Guinea's tropical rain forests due to mutualistic associations (such as seed dispersal), as well as resource partitioning (dividing the available resources amongst themselves to reduce competition). Therefore, choice D (mutualistic associations and resource partitioning) is the best choice. Choice E includes commensalism, which is not directly relevant to the survival of the fruit-eating pigeons in this context.

Question 16

A one-way relationship in which one species benefits at the expense of another is

Accepted Answer

Parasitism is a one-way relationship where one species (the parasite) benefits and the other species (the host) is harmed or negatively affected.

Question 17

Insects that lay their eggs in and whose larvae subsequently feed on the soft tissues of the host are

Accepted Answer

Insects that lay their eggs in and whose larvae subsequently feed on the soft tissues of the host are known as parasitoids. Unlike typical parasites, which may harm their host but generally do not kill it, parasitoids are known for ultimately killing their hosts. Commensals benefit from their interactions with the host but do not cause harm, predators directly attack and kill their prey, and cannibalistic insects feed on members of their own species.

Question 18

An interaction between two species in which one species benefits and the other species is harmed is

Accepted Answer

Predation is the interaction between two species in which one species (the predator) benefits by killing and consuming the other species (the prey), which is harmed. Mutualism is an interaction in which both species benefit, commensalism is an interaction in which one species benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed, and competition is an interaction in which both species are harmed. None of these options fully describe a situation in which one species benefits and the other is harmed.

Question 19

The range of all factors that influence whether a species can obtain resources essential for survival and reproduction is its

Accepted Answer

The range of factors that influence whether a species can obtain essential resources for survival and reproduction is its niche. A niche includes interactions with biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors such as food sources, predators, competitors, temperature, and water availability. A habitat refers to the physical location where a species lives, while carrying capacity refers to the maximum number of individuals that can be supported in a given area. Ecosystem and community refer to broader levels of biological organization beyond the individual species level.

Question 20

A relationship in which two species intereact and both benefit is

Accepted Answer

Mutualism is the relationship where both species benefit from each other. This is a type of symbiotic relationship where both species rely on each other for survival, such as pollinators and flowering plants.

Quiz 46: Community Structure and Biodiversity