Question 1

During the middle of the twentieth century, the increased elk population in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem led to a(n) _______ in the beaver population. The primary reason was that _______.
A) increase; elk were competing with beaver predators
B) increase; elk diseases were also affecting the beaver predators
C) decrease; elk diseases were also affecting beavers
D) decrease; elk were eating preferred food plants of the beavers

Accepted Answer

The increased elk population led to a decrease in the beaver population because the elk were consuming the willow and aspen plants that beavers rely on for food and building materials.

Question 2

Landscape ecology is the study of
A) how organisms interact with their environment.
B) the causes and consequences of spatial variation across a range of scales.
C) ecosystems.
D) the environmental effects of human activities.

Accepted Answer

Landscape ecology focuses on understanding the patterns and processes that create spatial variation in landscapes, examining how these variations affect ecological processes and organisms across different scales.

Question 3

A landscape is an area that must be
A) spatially heterogeneous with respect to at least one element or feature.
B) at least 1 ha in area.
C) shaped as a quadrilateral.
D) sampled via aerial photography.

Accepted Answer

A landscape is defined by its spatial heterogeneity, meaning it contains a variety of different elements or features.

Question 4

A researcher is studying hellbenders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) in their study area, which encompasses the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As such, the researcher only uses GIS files that are specific to the park rather than state-wide or nationwide files. The researcher is considering which of the following aspects of landscape analysis?
A) Scale
B) Extent
C) Grain
D) Composition

Accepted Answer

Extent refers to the area or scope of the study, and in this case, the researcher is focusing specifically on the Great Smoky Mountains National Park rather than a larger area.

Question 5

Refer to the figure.
 A graduate student interested in using a habitat map of North America finds that it is too large of a file for his school's Geographic Information System (GIS) computers to handle. 
-To reduce the file size, the graduate student changes the pixel size of the file from 30 x 30 m (Panel 1) to 1000 x 1000 m (Panel 3). This student has successfully altered the _______ but in the process has lost _______.
A) extent; detail
B) grain; detail
C) scale; accuracy
D) range; precision

Accepted Answer

The student changed the "grain" (resolution) of the file, which refers to the size of the smallest unit of measurement (pixel size), and in doing so, lost "detail" because larger pixels capture less detailed information.

Question 6

Refer to the figure.
 A graduate student interested in using a habitat map of North America finds that it is too large of a file for his school's Geographic Information System (GIS) computers to handle. 
-What is the correct order of the panels from the least accurate representation of reality to the most accurate representation of reality?
A) Panel 1, Panel 2, Panel 3
B) Panel 2, Panel 1, Panel 3
C) Panel 3, Panel 2, Panel 1
D) Panel 1, Panel 3, Panel 2

Accepted Answer

Panel 3 is the most accurate representation of reality because it is a photograph, which is a direct recording of light. Panel 2 is less accurate because it is a painting, which is an interpretation of reality by an artist. Panel 1 is the least accurate because it is a drawing, which is a simplified representation of reality.

Question 7

The composite of heterogeneous elements of a landscape is known as a(n)
A) structure.
B) mosaic.
C) grain.
D) extent.

Accepted Answer

A mosaic refers to the composite of heterogeneous elements in a landscape, representing the varied patches and patterns that make up the landscape.

Question 8

Refer to the figure.
 The figure shows soil types in a part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Assume that the top of the map is north.
- According to the map, the _______ soil type is most common on the northwestern edge of the large lake, and the _______ soil type is most common on its northeastern edge.
A) moist calcareous loam; dry acid sand
B) wet acid sand and peat; moist calcareous loam
C) wet acid sand and peat; dry acid sand without hardpan
D) dry acid sand with hardpan; dry acid sand without hardpan

Accepted Answer

The map indicates that the northwestern edge of the lake is dominated by wet acid sand and peat, while the northeastern edge is characterized by dry acid sand without hardpan.

Question 9

Refer to the figure.
 The figure shows soil types in a part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Assume that the top of the map is north. 
-Where would you most likely find moist calcareous loam?
A) On the north edge of the landscape
B) On the east edge of the landscape
C) On the south edge of the landscape
D) On the west edge of the landscape

Accepted Answer

The answer of Refer to the figure.
 The figure shows...

Question 10

Rodent activity has led to _______ losses of nuts along the edges of macadamia nut plantations that are next to _______.
A) increased; forests
B) increased; other agricultural areas
C) decreased; forests
D) decreased; other agricultural areas

Accepted Answer

Rodents are more likely to be found in forests, leading to increased losses of nuts in plantations adjacent to these areas.

Question 11

Which aspect of a landscape would most likely be estimated by means of a diversity index?
A) Structure
B) Composition
C) Extent
D) Fragmentation

Accepted Answer

A diversity index is used to measure the variety and abundance of different species within a landscape, which relates to its composition.

Question 12

In studies of landscapes, the size of the smallest homogenous unit of study that determines the resolution at which the landscape is viewed is called the
A) extent.
B) composition.
C) scope.
D) grain.

Accepted Answer

The "grain" refers to the smallest unit of study in a landscape, determining the resolution at which the landscape is analyzed.

Question 13

Suppose a two-dimensional landscape image consists of 20,000 square pixels. If the size of each pixel were cut in half, _______ as many pixels would be needed to portray the same landscape. Such a decrease in the pixel size would represent a change in the _______ of the landscape.
A) twice; grain
B) twice; extent
C) four times; extent
D) four times; grain

Accepted Answer

If each pixel's size is cut in half, the number of pixels needed would be four times as many because both the width and height of each pixel are halved, resulting in four times the number of pixels. This change affects the "grain" of the landscape, which refers to the level of detail or resolution.

Question 14

Refer to the figure.
 In Panel 4, the _______ is _______ than it is in Panel 5.
A) grain; smaller
B) grain; larger
C) extent; smaller
D) structure; smaller

Accepted Answer

The answer of Refer to the figure.
 In Panel 4,...

Question 15

Henry and colleagues' studies of the behavior of the bat Rhinophylla pumilio showed that these bats
A) were likely to visit fragments of forest that had abundant food resources.
B) did not like landscapes with low grain.
C) were less likely to visit highly connected forest fragments than they were to visit isolated forest fragments.
D) were less likely to visit isolated forest fragments than they were to visit highly connected forest fragments.

Accepted Answer

Henry and colleagues' studies of the behavior of the bat Rhinophylla pumilio showed that these bats were less likely to visit isolated forest fragments than they were to visit highly connected forest fragments.

Question 16

Weathers and colleagues found that inputs of sulfur are _______ at the forest edge than in the forest interior. The primary reason for this difference is that _______.
A) higher; denser canopies in the forest edge intercept more airborne particles of sulfur
B) higher; decomposers in the forest interior take up the sulfur
C) lower; denser canopies in the forest edge intercept more airborne particles of sulfur
D) lower; chemical reactions are faster at the edge

Accepted Answer

The answer of Weathers and colleagues found that inputs of...

Question 17

Schtickzelle and Baguette studied movement patterns in the bog fritillary butterfly and found that
A) female butterflies could not cross boundaries between habitat patches.
B) isolation of habitat patches had a negative effect on the willingness of a female to travel between patches.
C) female butterflies did not cross boundaries between aggregated patches.
D) habitat fragmentation had a positive effect on the distance female butterflies were willing to travel.

Accepted Answer

Isolation of habitat patches negatively affected the willingness of female bog fritillary butterflies to travel between patches, as found by Schtickzelle and Baguette.

Question 18

Which statement about moose browsing on Isle Royale is false?
A) It is an example of how biological processes influence landscape patterns.
B) It is an example of how landscape patterns influence biological processes.
C) High rates of browsing depress net primary productivity only via direct effects.
D) High rates of browsing depress net primary productivity via indirect effects.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which statement about moose browsing on Isle...

Question 19

Which statement about the 1988 forest fires in Yellowstone National Park is false?
A) The fires are an example of a disturbance.
B) The fires burned trees from all parts of the landscape more or less evenly.
C) The fires will likely influence the composition of the landscape for many decades to come.
D) Such extensive fires have occurred in Yellowstone about every 100-500 years.

Accepted Answer

The 1988 fires did not burn trees evenly across the landscape; they were patchy, with some areas burning intensely and others not at all.

Question 20

According to studies by Dambrine and colleagues, forest plant communities are still being affected by disturbances created by settlements from the time of the Roman Empire. Regions near settlements have _______ than average species richness due to _______.
A) higher; higher soil pH
B) higher; lower phosphorus levels
C) lower; higher soil pH
D) lower; higher phosphorus levels

Accepted Answer

Regions near settlements have higher than average species richness due to higher soil pH, which is a result of disturbances from settlements dating back to the Roman Empire.

Quiz 24: Landscape Ecology and Ecosystem Management

During the middle of the twentieth century, the increased elk population in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem led to a(n) _ in the beaver population. The primary reason was that _.

Landscape ecology is the study of

A landscape is an area that must be

The composite of heterogeneous elements of a landscape is known as a(n)

Refer to the figure. The figure shows soil types in a part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Assume that the top of the map is north. - According to the map, the _ soil type is most common on the northwestern edge of the large lake, and the _ soil type is most common on its northeastern edge.

Refer to the figure. The figure shows soil types in a part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Assume that the top of the map is north. -Where would you most likely find moist calcareous loam?

Rodent activity has led to _ losses of nuts along the edges of macadamia nut plantations that are next to _.

Which aspect of a landscape would most likely be estimated by means of a diversity index?

In studies of landscapes, the size of the smallest homogenous unit of study that determines the resolution at which the landscape is viewed is called the

Suppose a two-dimensional landscape image consists of 20,000 square pixels. If the size of each pixel were cut in half, _ as many pixels would be needed to portray the same landscape. Such a decrease in the pixel size would represent a change in the _ of the landscape.

Refer to the figure. In Panel 4, the _ is _ than it is in Panel 5.

Henry and colleagues' studies of the behavior of the bat Rhinophylla pumilio showed that these bats

Weathers and colleagues found that inputs of sulfur are _ at the forest edge than in the forest interior. The primary reason for this difference is that _.

Schtickzelle and Baguette studied movement patterns in the bog fritillary butterfly and found that

Which statement about moose browsing on Isle Royale is false?

Which statement about the 1988 forest fires in Yellowstone National Park is false?

According to studies by Dambrine and colleagues, forest plant communities are still being affected by disturbances created by settlements from the time of the Roman Empire. Regions near settlements have _ than average species richness due to _.