Question 1

The abiotic components of a forest include
A) trees and water.
B) microbes and soil.
C) animals and climate.
D) soil salinity and pH.
E) plans and pollinators.

Accepted Answer

Abiotic components are non-living chemical and physical parts of the environment that affect living organisms and the functioning of ecosystems. Soil salinity and pH are examples of abiotic factors, as they are physical and chemical characteristics of the environment, not living organisms.

Question 2

The study of species interactions includes
A) predation, parasitism and herbivory.
B) environmental science.
C) climate change.
D) physical ecology.
E) invasive species.

Accepted Answer

Predation, parasitism, and herbivory are all types of species interactions.

Question 3

List in order of scale, from the smallest to the greatest
A) organismal
B) population
C) community
D) ecosystems

Accepted Answer

A

Question 4

Forest tent caterpillars lay down silk trails between their tent and the leaves to:
A) relocate the leaves.
B) attract colony mates.
C) deter predators.
D) a and b
E) All of the above

Accepted Answer

Forest tent caterpillars lay down silk trails between their tent and the leaves to attract colony mates and deter predators.

Question 5

Global change encompasses
A) habitat destruction.
B) the introduction of invasive species.
C) direct exploitation.
D) the addition of pollutants to the environment.
E) All of these.

Accepted Answer

Global change includes a wide range of environmental issues such as habitat destruction, the introduction of invasive species, direct exploitation of resources, and the addition of pollutants to the environment. These factors collectively contribute to the changing global ecosystem.

Question 6

The average span of a species in the fossil record is
A) 1 million years
B) 4 million years
C) 10 million years
D) 20 million years
E) 100 million years

Accepted Answer

The average span of a species in the fossil record is approximately 4 million years. This estimate varies among different studies and depends on the group of organisms and the time period in question, but 4 million years is a commonly cited figure in paleontology.

Question 7

Why is knowing the average life span of a species in the fossil record important?
A) to calculate the current extinction rate.
B) to determine the speciation rate.
C) to determine whether the current extinction rate is greater than the historic extinction rate.
D) to determine whether the current speciation rate is greater than the historic speciation rate.
E) to compare the current extinction and speciation rates.

Accepted Answer

Knowing the average life span of a species in the fossil record is important because it allows scientists to determine whether the current extinction rate is greater than the historic extinction rate. This comparison helps in understanding the impact of recent human activities on biodiversity and the urgency of conservation efforts.

Question 8

E. O. Wilson has referred to the threats of life on Earth with the acronym
A) RHINO
B) LION
C) HIPPO
D) FISH
E) SHARK

Accepted Answer

HIPPO stands for Habitat destruction, Invasive species, Pollution, Population (human), and Overharvesting, which are the threats to biodiversity identified by E. O. Wilson.

Question 9

Which is not an example of habitat loss?
A) swamp drainage
B) deforestation
C) strip mining
D) overharvesting
E) river channelization

Accepted Answer

Overharvesting refers to the excessive collection or removal of species from their natural environment, which can lead to population decline or extinction, but it does not directly result in the loss of habitat. Habitat loss involves the destruction or alteration of the physical environment where species live, such as through swamp drainage, deforestation, strip mining, or river channelization, which directly removes or significantly alters the habitat itself.

Question 10

The Ivory Billed Woodpecker was widely assumed to have gone extinct because of
A) habitat destruction.
B) overharvesting.
C) draining of swamps.
D) introduced avian malaria.
E) DDT.

Accepted Answer

The Ivory Billed Woodpecker was primarily driven to presumed extinction due to habitat destruction, particularly the logging of the old-growth forests in the southeastern United States where it lived.

Question 11

The passenger Pigeon was widely assumed to have gone extinct because of
A) habitat destruction.
B) overharvesting.
C) invasive species.
D) pollution.
E) All of these.

Accepted Answer

The primary reason for the extinction of the passenger pigeon was overharvesting, as they were hunted extensively for food and sport.

Question 12

Common gaseous pollutants into the atmosphere include
A) carbon dioxide.
B) carbon monoxide.
C) sulfur dioxide.
D) nitrogen oxide.
E) All of these.

Accepted Answer

All of the listed options, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxide, are common gaseous pollutants in the atmosphere. They are emitted from various sources, including vehicles, industrial processes, and the burning of fossil fuels.

Question 13

The greatest threat to most species is
A) habitat destruction.
B) invasive species.
C) pollution.
D) direct exploitation.
E) None of these.

Accepted Answer

Habitat destruction is widely recognized as the greatest threat to species worldwide. It leads to loss of the natural environment in which species live, reducing their available resources and space, ultimately causing declines in population sizes and biodiversity.

Question 14

You wish to investigate the effects of predatory animals on the number of invertebrates on an intertidal rock face, by mans of an experiment. The most appropriate method would be
A) a laboratory experiment.
B) a field experiment.
C) a natural experiment

Accepted Answer

A field experiment is most appropriate for studying the effects of predatory animals on the number of invertebrates on an intertidal rock face because it allows for the observation of natural interactions in their real environment, ensuring ecological validity.

Question 15

Rank the following items in their correct order.
A) data analysis
B) hypothesis formation
C) hypothesis acceptance
D) hypothesis testing
E) observation

Accepted Answer

The correct order is: observation (E), hypothesis formation (B), hypothesis testing (D), data analysis (A), and hypothesis acceptance (C). This sequence follows the scientific method.

Question 16

The interactions among living organisms are called biotic interactions.

Accepted Answer

Biotic interactions refer to the various ways in which living organisms interact with each other within an ecosystem. These interactions can include predation, competition, symbiosis, and more.

Question 17

Ecologists generally believe that, for any given habitat, species poor communities function better than species rich communities.

Accepted Answer

Ecologists generally believe that species-rich communities are more stable and function better because they can utilize resources more efficiently, have greater resilience to disturbances, and provide a wider range of ecosystem services.

Question 18

The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that in each energy transformation free energy is reduced because heat energy is lost from the system.

Accepted Answer

The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that in energy transformations, some energy becomes unavailable to do work, often lost as heat, increasing the entropy of the system.

Question 19

Of Central American rainforest frogs, S. Alan Pounds said "Climate change is the bullet killing frogs but disease is pulling the trigger."

Accepted Answer

The answer of Of Central American rainforest frogs, S. Alan...

Question 20

Ecology is the application of environmental science to real world problems.

Accepted Answer

Ecology is a branch of biology that studies the interactions among organisms and their biophysical environment, which includes both biotic and abiotic components, not the application of environmental science to real-world problems. Environmental science, however, is an interdisciplinary academic field that integrates physical, biological, and information sciences to study the environment and solutions to environmental problems.

Quiz 1: An Introduction to Ecology

The abiotic components of a forest include

The study of species interactions includes

List in order of scale, from the smallest to the greatest

Forest tent caterpillars lay down silk trails between their tent and the leaves to:

Global change encompasses

The average span of a species in the fossil record is

Why is knowing the average life span of a species in the fossil record important?

E. O. Wilson has referred to the threats of life on Earth with the acronym

Which is not an example of habitat loss?

The Ivory Billed Woodpecker was widely assumed to have gone extinct because of

The passenger Pigeon was widely assumed to have gone extinct because of

Common gaseous pollutants into the atmosphere include

The greatest threat to most species is

You wish to investigate the effects of predatory animals on the number of invertebrates on an intertidal rock face, by mans of an experiment. The most appropriate method would be

Rank the following items in their correct order.

The interactions among living organisms are called biotic interactions.

Ecologists generally believe that, for any given habitat, species poor communities function better than species rich communities.

The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that in each energy transformation free energy is reduced because heat energy is lost from the system.

Of Central American rainforest frogs, S. Alan Pounds said "Climate change is the bullet killing frogs but disease is pulling the trigger."

Ecology is the application of environmental science to real world problems.