Populations
Aquatic Ecosystems
Carrying Capacity
Changes in ecosystems
Throwback Questions
100
The graph shows the population of gray fox in an area of the United States. Which 2 factors could have caused the trend seen in the graph?
Emigration and Death
100
If a pond received less sunlight than usual, what do you think would happen to the photosynthetic organisms living there?
Population will decrease over time
100
One breezy spring, many rabbits are born in a forest. During the warm summer, several wolves move to the forest and many plant-eating birds fly away. Which would be a limiting factor that would most likely decrease the rabbit population?
A. Breezy spring weather
b. Warm summer weather
C. Wolves moving to the area
D. Birds leaving the area
Wolves moving to the area
100
What do we call the first species that colonize a new area?
Pioneer species
100
An image of a coral sand particle is shown. Which statement best describes the structure of the microscope used to create this image?
A. A medium powered microscope that can be used to view the movement of a specimen.
B. A high-powered microscope that uses an electron beam to view the surface of a specimen.
C. A low powered microscope that uses light reflected from the specimen to view surface details.
D. A high-powered microscope that transmits a beam of electrons through a specimen to view inside details.
B. A high-powered microscope that uses an electron beam to view the surface of a specimen.
200
One breezy spring, many rabbits are born in a forest. During the warm summer, several wolves move to the forest and many plant-eating birds fly away. What would be the likely effect of the wolves on the rabbit population?
The wolves would cause the rabbit population to decrease through increased deaths
200
If there were no light in the photic zone what would happen?
The producers would not be able to do photosynthesis and the ecosystem would collapse
200
Define carrying capacity and draw a graph that represents it
The maximum population size that can be sustained by an ecosystem based on available resources
200
The diagram shows how an area progresses over time after a forest fire. What process is illustrated by the diagram in boxes 4-8 after the forest fire? Primary or secondary succession (ADD IN DIAGRAM FROM 1.3 TRIVIA)
Secondary succession
200
An ecologist is examining a field with wild flowers. They want to know what types of pollinators carry the most pollen among flowers in the field. In order to determine how much pollen is being carried by each pollinator, the ecologist must examine the entire bodies of multiple organisms before releasing them back into the wild flower field. Which microscope would best assist the ecologist in this task?
Dissecting
300
Consider a population of frogs: Which factors would cause the population to increase? Select all that apply
A. Birth rates > death rates
B. Immigration < Emigration
C. Immigration > Emigration
D. Birth rates < Death rates
A. Birth rates > death rates
C. Immigration > Emigration
300
Salt water is an abundant resource but unusable for irrigation and drinking. As demands on freshwater sources increase, the use of desalination processes to remove salt from ocean water is increasing. A concern of desalinating water is the large amounts of recovered salts that are returned to the ocean. Which of the following describes the most likely impact of desalination on the surrounding ocean environment?
A. Increased levels of salts and minerals in the ocean would result in overpopulation of marine bivalves due to strengthened shells.
B. Methane gas would pollute the ocean environment as shoreline organisms begin to die and decay.
C. Alteration in ocean salt levels would cause loss of species and unbalanced populations in marine food webs.
D. Nonrenewable resources in the ocean environment would become depleted and upset the ecosystem's balance.
C. Alteration in ocean salt levels would cause loss of species and unbalanced populations in marine food webs.
300
A population of rodents becomes stranded on a remote island. Eventually, the population reaches the island's carrying capacity. At this point, which statement would be true about the birth and death rates in this population?
A. Birth and death rates would be relatively equal
B. Birth and death rates would be crashing
C. Birth and death rates would be density independent
D. Birth and death rates would be
A. Birth and death rates would be relatively equal
300
How would biodiversity change in an ecosystem as ecological succession progresses from bare, newly disturbed areas towards a mature, stable community?
Biodiversity generally increases over time
300
Renewable energy sources, such as solar energy, are often presented as a perfect solution to the complex problem of needing more energy for an expanding population. Which of the following best identifies an environmental cost associated with an increased use of solar energy?
A. Due to changing weather conditions, solar energy can be an unreliable source of energy.
B. Solar energy can be expensive to install and maintain compared to nonrenewable energy sources.
C. High greenhouse gas emissions are associated with the use of solar panels needed to capture sunlight.
D. The loss of natural resources used to make solar panels can lead to a decrease in the health of an ecosystem.
D. The loss of natural resources used to make solar panels can lead to a decrease in the health of an ecosystem.
400
A graph for a population of goatfish is shown. Which of the following is an inference that can be made based on the graph? (ADD IN GRAPH FROM 1.3 TRIVIA)
A. The carrying capacity of the population increased
B. 700 individuals moved into the area
C. An invasive species moved into the population and began mating with the natives
D. The population of the predator of goatfish increased
C. An invasive species moved into the area and began mating with the natives
400
In an estuary, river water mixes with ocean water. If a freshwater fish were suddenly placed into the open ocean, what abiotic factor would cause it the most immediate problems?
Salinity
400
Based on the graph, what may have caused the growth in the deer population to slow down?
Limiting factors (available food or space)
400
Each year after harvest, a farm is cleared to prepare for the next year's crop. One year, the farm is abandoned and new crops are not planted. Which of the following statements best describes the succession that occurred on the farmland?
A. Secondary succession began when lichens started to grow on bare rock.
B. Secondary succession occurred because the land contained soil suitable for plant growth.
C. Primary succession occurred because there were no plants growing in the abandoned farmland.
D. Primary succession began and shrubs grew, and then secondary succession occurred and resulted in tall trees.
B. Secondary succession occurred because the land contained soil suitable for plant growth.
400
An alligator is able to stick its snout out from under a frozen pond. These animals can survive the winter months in the water, only needing to have their snout above the ice layer to breathe. Which property of water protects this alligator during the winter months when the pond freezes?
Expansion upon freezing
500
In yellowstone national park, an invasive plant has rapidly spread into the park's grasslands. This aggressive plant outcompetes native grasses and wildflowers, forming dense stands. Ecologists observe altered soil moisture, increased erosion near streams, and reduced forage quality for native grazers like bison and elk. Summarize what happened in this scenario and describe the consequences on biodiversity.
The rapid spread of this invasive plant has caused competition in the native plants and a loss of resources for native animals. This has led to a significant loss of biodiversity as well as altered soil conditions and increased erosion.
500
If a pond's pH level suddenly became very acidic (low pH) due to pollution, what is the most likely general impact on the diversity of fish and insect species in that pond?
Decrease in the diversity and number of species because many species can't tolerate extreme pH
500
For many years, a forest provided everything that the Northern Spotted Owls needed to maintain their population. However, over several decades, large areas of these old forests have been removed leading to a significant decline in their population. What was the final carrying capacity and what limiting factor caused this decline?
Final carrying capacity: ~900
Limiting factor: Habitat loss
500
Which line on the graph most likely shows an ecosystem that has undergone a primary succession?
The red line. The graph starts at zero indicating there was nothing present before.
500
A food web is shown in the diagram below. If the predaceous insects was removed, what would be the long term effects of available energy in the ecosystem?
A. The energy available for the producers would increase
B. The energy available for the tertiary consumers would decrease
C. The energy available for the primary consumers would decrease
D. The energy available for the secondary consumers would increase
B. The energy available for the tertiary consumers would decrease