Question 1

Taiga and tundra both ______________

Accepted Answer

Taiga and tundra both experience comparatively low temperatures throughout the year, which is a characteristic feature of these biomes. The taiga, or boreal forest, is known for its cold climate and coniferous forests, while the tundra is characterized by its permafrost, cold temperatures, and sparse vegetation.

Question 2

Desert and tundra both ______________

Accepted Answer

Both desert and tundra have relatively low precipitation compared to other biomes.

Question 3

The statement, ʺhiking up a mountain in the southwestern United States is like walking from Mexico to Canada,ʺ is meant to demonstrate that  ______________ change(s) rapidly as you change altitude and latitude.

Accepted Answer

The statement is referring to the fact that as you hike up a mountain in the southwestern United States, you will pass through various biomes that change rapidly as you change in altitude and latitude. The biomes include desert, grassland, and forest ecosystems.

Question 4

______________ carried out research to determine the impact of zebra mussels on fish communities.

Accepted Answer

David Strayer is a biologist who has conducted extensive research on the ecological impacts of invasive species, including zebra mussels.

Question 5

______________ are typical primary consumers in a temperature deciduous forest.

Accepted Answer

Deer are typical primary consumers in a temperate deciduous forest. They feed on plants and are herbivores. Snape are carnivores, shelf fungi are decomposers, bison are not present in temperate deciduous forests, and wolves are carnivores that would feed on secondary or tertiary consumers.

Question 6

Secondary succession ______________

Accepted Answer

Secondary succession occurs after a disturbance such as a fire or flood, where some original soil remains intact and allows for the regrowth of vegetation.

Question 7

Herbivory is actually a type of ______________

Accepted Answer

Herbivory involves one organism (the herbivore) consuming all or part of a plant or other autotrophic organism, which is a type of predation. Coevolution, competition, mutualism, and primary succession are all different ecological interactions or processes.

Question 8

Kelp ______________

Accepted Answer

Kelp (a type of seaweed) is known to suffer intense herbivory (consumption) from sea urchins. This is a common interaction in marine ecosystems. Kelp can also be consumed by other herbivorous animals, such as sea otters, but sea urchins are a major antagonist for kelp survival.

Question 9

Environmentally and economically acceptable means of controlling introduced invasive species include ______________

Accepted Answer

Killing off pollinators and applying potent pesticides can have negative impacts on ecosystems and the economy. Public education can help prevent the introduction of invasive species, while the introduction of suitable predators can help control their population. Examining imported goods can also help prevent the introduction of invasive species. Finally, removal of invasive individuals, using methods like collecting, baiting, trapping, and prescribed burning, can also be an effective means of control. Banning all importation of non-native species may not be practical, as some non-native species can be beneficial and necessary for certain industries.

Question 10

Detritivores include ______________

Accepted Answer

The answer of Detritivores include ______________
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Question 11

A climax community always ______________

Accepted Answer

A climax community represents the final stage of succession and remains stable until a disturbance restarts the process of succession. This is because the species within the community have reached a balanced state where the ecosystem is self-sustaining, and there are no more significant changes in terms of species composition or physical structure. Therefore, a climax community remains in place for a long period unless disturbed.

Question 12

Techniques to eradicate zebra mussels ______________

Accepted Answer

Introducing predators and diseases has been one of the methods used to eradicate zebra mussels, although there are concerns about potential unintended consequences and impacts on non-target species. The other options are not necessarily true - some techniques may be global and long lived, while others may be relatively simple or inexpensive, and some may not have been attempted yet.

Question 13

A trophic cascade is the effect of ______________ on ______________ .

Accepted Answer

A trophic cascade is a series of interactions that occur when a change in one level of the food web affects one or more of the other levels. In this case, the effect of top consumers (such as predators) on the abundance of lower consumers (such as prey) creates a cascading effect throughout the food web.

Question 14

Of the following, ______________ are pioneer species.

Accepted Answer

Lichens are pioneer species, meaning they are the first to colonize a barren or disturbed area, through their ability to survive harsh conditions and extract nutrients from bare rock. Wolves, mountain lions, zebra mussels, aspen trees, and beavers are not pioneer species.

Question 15

The energy content and biomass of ______________ is lowest in any food web.

Accepted Answer

The energy content and biomass decrease as we move up the food chain or web, with the highest energy content and biomass in producers and the lowest in top carnivores. This is because energy is lost at each trophic level through respiration, heat, and other metabolic processes, and there is less biomass available to support higher trophic levels.

Question 16

Microbes in our digestive tract that help us digest food demonstrate a ______________ association.

Accepted Answer

The relationship between the microbes in our digestive tract and us is one of mutual benefit, where the microbes live in our gut and help us digest food. This type of relationship is called symbiotic association.

Question 17

______________ terrestrial biome has the most biodiversity.

Accepted Answer

Tropical rainforests have the highest biodiversity compared to any other terrestrial biome due to their warm and moist climate, which supports a wide range of plant and animal species. It is estimated that rainforests contain nearly half of the world's plant and animal species, despite covering only 6% of the Earth's land surface.

Question 18

Global climate change may produce major shifts in biomes for any given location because ______________

Accepted Answer

Global climate change will affect mean temperature, precipitation and salinity which will have a big impact on the types of biomes that can survive in a particular location. For example, an increase in temperature and decrease in precipitation can cause grasslands to change into deserts, while an increase in precipitation can cause a forest to replace a grassland. Soil chemistry, pH of precipitation and the frequency of invasive species may also change, but these are secondary effects of the primary changes in temperature, precipitation and salinity. Biodiversity and day length may also change, but these are not the primary drivers of biome shifts. Extinction of many species is a possible outcome of major shifts in biomes, but it is not the only or most important factor governing biome shifts. Food web dynamics may also change, but this is a secondary effect of the changes in biomes and ecosystem structure caused by climate change.

Question 19

A community may undergo a regime shift or a phase shift when ______________

Accepted Answer

A community may undergo a regime shift or a phase shift when it loses keystone species or suffers a major climatic change. Keystone species play a crucial role in maintaining the overall structure and function of an ecosystem. Their removal can lead to a cascading effect of ecological changes, potentially triggering a regime shift. Similarly, changes in the climate can alter the conditions required to sustain certain species and can disrupt the delicate balance of the ecosystem, leading to a phase shift.

Question 20

Benthic organisms in the Great Lakes ______________

Accepted Answer

The answer of Benthic organisms in the Great Lakes ______________
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Quiz 4: Species Interactions and Community Ecology