Deck 18: Landscape Ecology

Question 1

Species that are adapted to living at the borders of patches of habitat are called ________ species.

Answer 1

edge

Question 2

The study of the causes and ecological consequences of spatial patterns on the landscape is called ________.

Answer 2

landscape ecology

Question 3

In the theory of island biogeography, species diversity on an island is determined by the ________ of an island, as well as its distance from the mainland.

Answer 3

size, or area

Question 4

The ________ of a disturbance is the mean number of disturbances that occur within a particular time interval.

Question 5

The patchwork of different types of land cover is called a ________.

Question 6

Edges along landscape patches that are caused by disturbances and are subject to successional changes over time are called ________ edges.

Question 7

The ________ mosaic view of the landscape considers landscapes as composed of multiple patches or communities, each in a different phase of successional development due to disturbances.

Question 8

MacArthur and Wilson's theory of ________ was developed to explain the number of species on islands, but it has been applied to patches of habitat as well.

Question 9

Strips of habitat that connect habitat patches are referred to as ________.

Question 10

A set of spatially separated subpopulations connected by the movement of individuals, is referred to as a(n)________.

Question 11

The ________ effect refers to the rich diversity of life that occurs along the border between adjacent habitat patches, represented by species from both adjacent patches and species adapted to edge habitats.

Question 12

A(n)________ is any relatively discrete event, such as fire, that disrupts community structure and function.

Question 13

The place where the edge of one landscape patch meets the edge of another is called a(n)________.

Question 14

Ongoing ________ generates a mosaic of smaller, isolated patches of different habitats.

Question 15

A wide transition zone between one patch and another, in which the characteristics of one patch blend gradually with the characteristics of the other, is called a(n)________.

Question 16

Define the role of corridors in fragmented environments and explain how they can function as filters.

Question 17

A(n)________ species lives within the borders of a habitat patch, avoiding edges where habitat change is abrupt.

Question 18

An opening in a community, created by a disturbance that becomes a site of regeneration and growth, is referred to as a(n)________.

Question 19

The ________ of a disturbance is measured by the spatial extent of the impact of a disturbance relative to the size of the affected landscape.

Question 20

Stable, permanent edges along landscape patches are called ________ edges.

Question 21

The greater the contrast between two adjoining habitat patches, the greater the diversity of species living along the border between the two patches.

Question 22

Borders between patches that result from natural disturbances usually do not change over time.

Question 23

The impact of a disturbance is determined by its

A)frequency, period, and scale.
B)period, scale, and type.
C)frequency, intensity, and strength.
D)frequency, intensity, and scale.

Question 24

The principal force that drives the changes within a shifting mosaic landscape is

A)succession
B)clear-cutting
C)flooding
D)none of the above. Mosaics are in a steady-state and don't change.

Question 25

According to the theory of island biogeography, the islands with the most species will be

A)small and close to the mainland.
B)small and far from the mainland.
C)large and close to the mainland.
D)large and far from the mainland.

Question 26

The community surrounding a patch is its

A)habitat.
B)ecotone.
C)corridor.
D)matrix.

Question 27

Plants adapted to living at the edges of forests are usually tolerant of shade.

Question 28

A relatively wide area that forms a gradual zone of transition between two adjoining patches is called a(n)

A)border.
B)edge.
C)ecotone.
D)matrix.

Question 29

Habitat fragmentation is harmful because there are no species that are adapted to living along habitat edges.

Question 30

Which of the following does NOT function as a habitat corridor?

A)a large lake
B)a hedgerow
C)the vegetation along a river
D)a drainage ditch

Question 31

Plants adapted to edge environments tend to be

A)tolerant of shade and prefer moisture.
B)tolerant of shade and dry conditions.
C)intolerant of shade and prefer moisture.
D)intolerant of shade and tolerant of dry conditions.

Question 32

The Indigo Bunting is an example of a(n)________ species.

A)edge
B)area-insensitive
C)interior
D)keystone

Question 33

A set of partially isolated populations that is interconnected by the movement of individuals is called a(n)

A)ecotone.
B)archipelago.
C)corridor.
D)metapopulation.

Question 34

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A)Large patches of habitat usually contain fewer species than small patches.
B)Large animals usually have larger home ranges than smaller animals.
C)Carnivore home ranges are usually smaller than herbivore home ranges.
D)Small species are usually limited to small habitat patches.

Question 35

Large habitat patches typically contain more species than smaller habitat patches.

Question 36

The relatively homogeneous areas that make up the landscape mosaic are called

A)subpopulations.
B)patches.
C)pods.
D)sinks.

Question 37

Which of the following is least considered a major agent of disturbance?

A)fire
B)flooding
C)a beaver constructing a dam
D)a rainstorm

Question 38

The size and shape of habitat patches are determined more by the activities of animals than by the interaction of geology, topography, and climate.

Question 39

The variety and density of life is usually greatest in and around habitat edges.

Question 40

A relatively stable and permanent habitat edge is called a(n)

A)inherent edge.
B)induced edge.
C)ecotone.
D)border.

Question 41

Habitat corridors have two roles: providing a unique habitat for some plant and animal species and providing a means of dispersal between larger patches of habitat.

Question 42

As a patch increases in size, the ratio of interior to edge increases.

Question 43

Discuss the differences in diversity between large and small habitat patches. What are the reasons for these differences?

Question 44

Animals can function as agents of disturbance.

Question 45

Patch size is generally more important for plant populations than for animal populations.

Question 46

Selection cutting is a more severe disturbance to a forest ecosystem than clear cutting.

Question 47

Discuss the major ecological differences between edge species and interior species.

Question 48

The intensity of a disturbance is measured by the proportion of total biomass or the population of a species that is killed or eliminated by a disturbance.

Question 49

Using a graph, illustrate how the number of species on an island can be affected by its size and distance from a mainland. What are the two important demographic variables that vary with the size of an island and its distance from a mainland?

Question 50

The scale of a disturbance is measured by the mean number of disturbances that occur within a specific time interval.

Question 51

The landscape can be thought of as a shifting mosaic of habitat patches, each in a phase of successional development.

Question 52

The theory of island biogeography predicts that the extinction rate is greater on large islands than on small islands.

Question 53

The theory of island biogeography predicts that large islands have more species than smaller islands.

Question 54

The theory of island biogeography was developed for islands and cannot be applied to habitat patches within a larger landscape.

Question 55

Explain the potential value of corridors to large-bodied species such as carnivores.

Question 56

Fire is a human-caused disturbance that is not a natural part of ecosystems.

Question 57

Wind can function as an agent of disturbance.

Question 58

Habitat corridors are usually of human origin.

Question 59

Using an example, explain how human and natural forces can combine to create habitat patches.

Question 60

Subpopulations within a metapopulation are isolated from each other with no movement of individuals between subpopulations.

Question 61

Explain the role of disturbances in the shifting-mosaic view of the landscape.

Question 62

Give two examples of disturbance, and explain how disturbance can alter a community.

Question 63

Briefly explain how silviculture practises could reduce devastating spruce budworm outbreaks. What are the disadvantages of this method and what are the alternative treatment options?

Question 64

Identify and describe three forms of anthropogenic disturbance, specifying what type of damage results from each.