Ecology
What is ecology?
A. The study of DNA and genetic inheritance
B. The study of interactions between organisms and their environments
C. The study of the internal structures of organisms
D. The study of chemical reactions in cells
B. The study of interactions between organisms and their environments
Which interaction benefits both participating species (+/+)?
A. Competition
B. Mutualism
C. Parasitism
D. Amensalism
B. Mutualism
What is interspecific competition?
A. Competition between members of the same species
B. Competition between individuals of different species
C. Competition between predators and their prey
D. Competition between an organism and its abiotic environment
B. Competition between individuals of different species
What is an ecological niche?
A. The physical size of an organism
B. The environmental conditions, resources, and ecological relationships associated with a species
C. The total number of individuals in a population
D. The number of predators in an ecosystem
B. The environmental conditions, resources, and ecological relationships associated with a species
What type of interaction commonly occurs between ants and aphids?
A. Predation
B. Amensalism
C. Mutualism
D. Competition
C. Mutualism
Which scientist introduced the term "ecology" in 1866?
A. Charles Darwin
B. Ernst Haeckel
C. Ellen Swallow Richards
D. Alfred Russel Wallace
B. Ernst Haeckel
Which interaction has a negative effect on both participating species (−/−)?
A. Commensalism
B. Predation
C. Competition
D. Mutualism
C. Competition
What is intraspecific competition?
A. Competition between organisms of the same species
B. Competition between two different ecosystems
C. Competition between organisms at different trophic levels only
D. Competition between plants and decomposers only
A. Competition between organisms of the same species
What is a fundamental niche?
A. The actual habitat occupied by a species after competition
B. The area where a species reproduces most frequently
C. The potential range of environmental conditions and resources a species can use without limiting biotic interactions
D. The range occupied exclusively by its predators
C. The potential range of environmental conditions and resources a species can use without limiting biotic interactions
What resource do aphids commonly provide to ants?
A. Nectar from flowers
B. Honeydew, a sugary secretion
C. Pollen grains
D. Nitrogen-fixing root nodules
B. Honeydew, a sugary secretion
What is carrying capacity?
A. The maximum number of different species in an ecosystem
B. The total number of offspring an organism produces
C. The maximum population size an environment can sustainably support
D. The minimum population size needed for reproduction
C. The maximum population size an environment can sustainably support
Which interaction benefits one species without significantly affecting the other (+/0)?
A. Commensalism
B. Amensalism
C. Parasitism
D. Competition
A. Commensalism
Which statement best describes the competitive exclusion principle?
A. Two species always coexist when they share resources
B. Competition occurs only when population sizes are equal
C. Two species with identical limiting resource requirements cannot coexist indefinitely under the same stable conditions
D. Competition always results in the extinction of both species
C. Two species with identical limiting resource requirements cannot coexist indefinitely under the same stable conditions
What is a realized niche?
A. The portion of the fundamental niche actually occupied under biotic constraints
B. Every environment in which a species could theoretically survive
C. The entire geographic distribution of its ancestors
D. The range of habitats occupied before any ecological interactions occur
A. The portion of the fundamental niche actually occupied under biotic constraints
What do photosynthetic dinoflagellates commonly provide to their coral hosts?
A. Organic compounds produced through photosynthesis
B. Calcium carbonate skeletons formed independently of the coral
C. Protection by consuming all coral predators
D. Oxygen-free conditions necessary for coral respiration
A. Organic compounds produced through photosynthesis
What happens to population growth as a population approaches carrying capacity in the logistic growth model?
A. Population growth accelerates indefinitely
B. Population growth slows as resources become limiting
C. Population size immediately falls to zero
D. Population growth becomes independent of resource availability
B. Population growth slows as resources become limiting
A fungus releases chemicals that inhibit the growth of nearby bacteria without receiving a meaningful benefit or cost. What interaction does this represent?
A. Mutualism
B. Commensalism
C. Predation
D. Amensalism
D. Amensalism
Two bird species feed on the same tree, but one primarily feeds near the canopy while the other feeds near the trunk. What mechanism may reduce competition between them?
A. Competitive exclusion
B. Resource partitioning
C. Parasitism
D. Population bottleneck
B. Resource partitioning
In the classic barnacle experiment, why was Chthamalus largely restricted to the upper intertidal zone when Balanus was present?
A. Chthamalus could not physiologically survive in the lower zone
B. Balanus outcompeted Chthamalus in the lower intertidal zone
C. Chthamalus required freshwater to reproduce
D. Balanus prevented sunlight from reaching Chthamalus
B. Balanus outcompeted Chthamalus in the lower intertidal zone
Which statement correctly describes a common mutualistic relationship between flowering plants and pollinators?
A. Pollinators always harm plants by removing pollen
B. Plants provide food rewards, while pollinators can transfer pollen between flowers
C. Pollination only occurs when plants consume insects
D. Pollinators and plants necessarily compete for the same resources
B. Plants provide food rewards, while pollinators can transfer pollen between flowers
A population grows rapidly when small but gradually levels off near 1,000 individuals. Which explanation best fits this pattern?
A. Population growth is exponential and unlimited
B. The population has experienced complete competitive exclusion
C. The population follows logistic growth as density-dependent limitations increase
D. The population has stopped reproducing entirely
C. The population follows logistic growth as density-dependent limitations increase
Which statement correctly distinguishes predation, parasitism, and herbivory?
A. All three interactions necessarily kill the organism being consumed immediately
B. Predation typically involves killing prey, parasitism involves exploiting a host, and herbivory involves consuming plant material
C. Predation benefits both species, while parasitism harms both
D. Parasitism and herbivory do not involve the acquisition of resources
B. Predation typically involves killing prey, parasitism involves exploiting a host, and herbivory involves consuming plant material
Two species compete for the same limiting resource. Species A consistently obtains enough resources to reproduce, while Species B's population declines. What is the most likely long-term outcome if conditions remain unchanged and no alternative resources are available?
A. Species B will necessarily evolve into Species A
B. Both populations will increase indefinitely
C. Species A will become a mutualist of Species B
D. Species B may be locally excluded by Species A
D. Species B may be locally excluded by Species A
Researchers remove a competitor from an ecosystem, and a species expands into previously unoccupied habitat. What does this most directly demonstrate?
A. The species' fundamental niche became smaller
B. The species underwent immediate genetic speciation
C. Competition had restricted the species' realized niche
D. The species no longer requires environmental resources
C. Competition had restricted the species' realized niche
A coral experiences prolonged heat stress and loses many of its symbiotic dinoflagellates. Why can this threaten the coral's survival?
A. The coral can no longer obtain any oxygen from seawater
B. The coral immediately loses all of its genetic material
C. The coral becomes incapable of interacting with other organisms
D. The coral loses an important source of photosynthetically produced organic compounds
D. The coral loses an important source of photosynthetically produced organic compounds