Question 1

Parasites ____.

Accepted Answer

Parasites typically do not kill their hosts because they rely on them for survival and reproduction. Killing the host would also eliminate their own habitat and food source.

Question 2

Some prey species discourage predators with chemicals that are poisonous,irritating,foul smelling,or bad tasting.What is this called?

Accepted Answer

This is known as chemical warfare in the context of ecological interactions, where prey species use chemicals to deter predators.

Question 3

When two species behave in ways that benefit both by providing each with food,shelter,or some other resource,it is called ____.

Accepted Answer

Mutualism is the interaction between two or more species where each species benefits by providing each other with food, shelter, or some other resource.

Question 4

If multiple species find themselves competing for the same resource,the competition can be reduced by which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Resource partitioning allows different species to coexist in the same environment by utilizing different parts or aspects of the same resource, thus reducing direct competition.

Question 5

The relationship between clownfish and sea anemone is called ____.

Accepted Answer

The relationship between clownfish and sea anemone is mutualism because both species benefit from the relationship. Clownfish are protected from predators by the anemone's stinging cells, while the anemone gets nutrients from the clownfish's waste.

Question 6

The relationship between bacteria that live in the digestive systems of animals,such as humans,is ____.

Accepted Answer

The relationship between bacteria that live in the digestive systems of animals, such as humans, is mutualism. In this symbiotic relationship, both the bacteria and the host benefit. The bacteria get a suitable environment and nutrients to live, while they help the host with digestion and synthesis of essential vitamins.

Question 7

Which of the following is not considered a form of nondestructive behavior?

Accepted Answer

D) Using the energy or body of another organism as a food source is considered a form of destructive behavior because it involves consuming or harming another organism directly, unlike the other options which involve ways to coexist without direct harm.

Question 8

The primary reason why southern sea otter recovery is important is because they ____.

Accepted Answer

Southern sea otters are considered a keystone species because their presence in their environment has a disproportionately large effect on their ecological community. By preying on sea urchins, they help maintain the balance of kelp forest ecosystems, which supports a diverse array of marine life.

Question 9

Plants such as bromeliads share a commensalism interaction with large trees in tropical and subtropical forests by attaching to the trunks or branches of the trees.The bromeliads are an example of ____.

Accepted Answer

Epiphytes are plants that grow on other plants without negatively affecting them, which describes the relationship between bromeliads and large trees. Bromeliads attach to the trees for support and access to sunlight, without harming the host tree.

Question 10

What occurs when members of two or more species interact to gain access to the same limited resources?

Accepted Answer

Interspecific competition occurs when members of two or more species interact to gain access to the same limited resources, such as food, water, or territory. This can lead to a decrease in the population of one or more of the species involved as they compete for those resources.

Question 11

Kelp forests help reduce ____ by blunting the force of incoming waves and trapping some of the outgoing sand.

Accepted Answer

Kelp forests act as natural barriers that help protect shorelines by reducing the impact of waves, which in turn minimizes shore erosion. They absorb the energy of waves, lessening their force before they reach the shore, and help to trap sand that might otherwise be carried away.

Question 12

What is said to occur when one organism feeds on another organism by living on or in the other organism?

Accepted Answer

Parasitism occurs when one organism (the parasite) lives on or in another organism (the host) from which it obtains nutrients, often harming the host in the process.

Question 13

What is the most common interaction between species?

Accepted Answer

Competition is the most common interaction between species, as it occurs when two or more species vie for the same essential resources within an environment, such as food, water, or territory.

Question 14

From the ____ point of view,parasites are harmful,but from the ____ perspective,parasites can promote diversity.

Accepted Answer

From the host's perspective, parasites are harmful because they directly affect the host's health and well-being. However, from the population's perspective, parasites can promote diversity by influencing the survival and reproduction of hosts, leading to a more varied population.

Question 15

What occurs when an interaction benefits one species but has little,if any,effect on the other?

Accepted Answer

Commensalism is the relationship where one species benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed.

Question 16

Bats prey on certain species of moths by using high frequency echolocation to locate their prey.Certain moths have evolved ears that can hear these frequencies allowing them to escape.This is an example of ____.

Accepted Answer

This is an example of coevolution, where two or more species reciprocally affect each other's evolution. In this case, bats have evolved echolocation to hunt moths, and in response, certain moths have evolved ears that can detect the echolocation sounds, allowing them to evade the bats.

Question 17

Species can,over a long period of time,develop adaptations that allow them to reduce or avoid competition by sharing resources.This is called ____.

Accepted Answer

Resource partitioning refers to the process where species evolve to use different resources or use common resources in different ways, thus reducing or avoiding competition. This allows for coexistence by minimizing overlap in resource use.

Question 18

What was the primary reason the southern sea otter nearly went extinct by the early 1900s?

Accepted Answer

The primary reason the southern sea otter nearly went extinct by the early 1900s was due to their thick, luxurious fur, which was highly sought after for the fur trade. This led to excessive hunting and a dramatic decline in their population.

Question 19

When populations of two different species interact over long periods of time,changes in the gene pool of one species can lead to changes in the gene pool of the other.What is this called?

Accepted Answer

Coevolution refers to the process where two or more species reciprocally affect each other's evolution through the natural selection pressures they impose on each other. This can lead to adaptations in each species in response to those in the other.

Question 20

The non-poisonous ____ butterfly gains protection by looking like the bad-tasting ____ butterfly,which is a protective device known as ____.

Accepted Answer

The non-poisonous viceroy butterfly gains protection by mimicking the appearance of the bad-tasting monarch butterfly, a phenomenon known as mimicry.

Quiz 5: Biodiversity, species Interactions, and Population Control