Biological Principles 2 -- 59.LS

Heterotrophs obtain their nutrition by eating other organisms.

Organisms that obtain their food by eating primary producers are called: primary consumers

List in order the steps in the nitrogen cycle. Start with the process that allows atmospheric nitrogen to enter living systems at the top.

1.       Nitrogen fixation

2.       Nitrification

3.       Assimilation

4.       Ammonification

The tendency for chemicals to concentrate in organisms at higher trophic levels is called biomagnification.

Carbon cycles among biological molecules, geological deposits, and atmospheric pools of CO2

In the pyramid of numbers, the number of individuals decreases at each trophic level

Each feeding level in the food chain is called a trophic level.

Biomass is a quantitative estimate of the total weight of living matter in a given area.

Select all consequences of elevated carbon dioxide concentrations, as illustrated by Stilling and Drake.

·         Inhibition of normal insect development

·         Prolonging of herbivore feeding time

·         Increase in likelihood that herbivores will b attacked by natural enemies

·         Reduction in foliar nitrogen

The reduction of nitrate to gaseous nitrogen is called denitrification.

Match each transport mechanisms with its properties.

·         Biological: involves the absorption and release of chemicals by living organisms

·         Geological: includes weathering and erosion of rocks and elements transported by surface and subsurface drainage

·         Chemical: includes dissolved matter in rain and snow, atmospheric gases, and dust blown by the wind

Match each description with its pyramid type.

·         Pyramid of numbers: the abundance of species decreases with increasing trophic level

·         Inverted pyramid of numbers: the abundance of species increases with increasing trophic level

·         Pyramid of biomass: when the amount of biological material decreases with increasing trophic level

·         Inverted pyramid of biomass: when the amount of biological material increases with increasing trophic level

·         Pyramid of energy: energy production decreases with increasing trophic level

The two major phenomena of the water cycle are evaporation and precipitation

The biotic community of organisms in an area in addition to the abiotic environment affecting the community is called an ecosystem.

Evapotranspiration measures the amount of water entering the atmosphere from the ground through evaporation fro the soil and through transpiration by plants.

Ammonification is carried out by two groups of organisms: bacteria and fungi

Compared to other biogeochemical cycles, the phosphorus cycle:

·         Cycles only locally

·         Does not have an atmospheric component

Trophic-level transfer efficiency is: the percentage of production transferred from one trophic level to the next

Three major constituents can be measured when investigating the different processes of an ecosystem: energy flow, biomass production, and biogeochemical cycling.

Whereas an ecosystem constantly receives energy in the form of light, chemical elements are available in limited amounts and are continually recycled.

Select all organisms of interest when measuring ecosystem biomass production.

·         Cyanobacteria

·         Algae

·         Plants

Secondary productivity is the productivity of heterotrophs and decomposers.

In an ecosystem, gross primary production is the carbon fixed during photosynthesis.

Select all main trophic levels in food chains.

·         Secondary consumers

·         Primary consumers

·         Primary producers

Two of the most important features of food webs are chain length and the pyramid of numbers.

Primary producers, primary consumers, and secondary consumers are the main trophic levels within food chains.

Order the following statements about the energy cycle, beginning at the top with how energy enters the food chain.

1.       The first trophic level produces chemical energy

2.       Unconsumed plants die and decompose

3.       Detritivores break down dead organisms

Nitrifying bacteria oxidize ammonia to nitrate ions.

Biological Principles 2 -- 58.LS

A community that is in equilibrium can be characterized by which of the following?

·         It has stable species-richness

·         It has stable species diversity

The individualistic model describes a community as an assemblage of species coexisting due to similarities in physiological tolerances and requirements.

Match how competition affects succession according to the tolerance model.

·         Competition-inteolerant species: successful early in succession

·         Competition-tolerant species: successful late in succession

The relationship between the available area and the number of species present is called the species-area effect.

Which of the following are factors of the facilitation process that assist in the establishment of a climax community?

·         Facilitation promotes the invasion of new colonists

·         Facilitation results in the most dominant species colonizing the community

Which of the following are factors that a community ecologist would address when studying a community?

·         Factors that stabilize species number

·         Factors that stabilize species abundance

Primary succession occurs after a glacier retreats.

Disturbance may increase species richness because of which of the following?

·         it creates micro-habitats that are different than the overall habitat of the area

·         it causes a progression of species who are competing for resources in the area it re-establishes after disturbance

·         it provides niches for species that otherwise would not survive in an area

Identify the steps of facilitated succession in order following a glacial retreat.

1.       Cyanobacteria, mosses, and lichens increase soil nitrogen content

2.       Seedlings of shrubs begin to colonize

3.       Soil depth and litter fall increase, and alder trees invade

4.       As soil nitrogen and litter fall increase, spruce trees begin to invade

5.       Soil becomes acidic and hemlock seedlings appear

A community is an assemblage of many species living in the same place at the same time.

The number of species in a community is referred to as its species richness

The intermediate-disturbance hypothesis predicts that areas with moderate habitat disturbance will have higher levels of species richness.

The productivity hypothesis predicts that species richness can be predicted by the total amount of plant material produced over time.

Which of the following describe the principle of species individuality?

·         Competition does not create distinct vegetational zones

·         Most communities intergrade

·         Species are distributed based on physiological needs

A mechanism of succession in which earlier species make the area more suitable for subsequent species is called facilitation.

The four main hypothesis for explaining differences between species richness in different geographical areas are the area hypothesis, the time hypothesis, the productivity hypothesis, and the intermediate-disturbance hypothesis.

A series of changes in ecological community after a forest fire has destroyed the vegetation is an example of secondary succession.

Primary succession refers to a series of changes in a biotic community that occurs after a bare expanse of ground becomes newly exposed.

The gradual and continuous change in species composition and community structure over time is called succession.

A series of community changes resulting from a tsunami is secondary succession, whereas a series of changes to the community resulting from the formation of a new coastal sand dune is primary succession.

Species richness generally increase with decreasing latitude, from polar regions to tropical regions.

According to the organismic mode, communities are predictable, integrated associations species separated by sharp boundaries.

Primary succession begins with a bare expanse of newly exposed rock, whereas secondary succession begins with an existing community that has been dramatically altered.

Species-rich communities are generally considered more stable than species poor communities.

The relationship between the available are and the number of species present is called the species-area effect.

The intermediate-disturbance hypothesis predicts that areas that has some continuous habitat disturbance will have the highest degree of species richness.

Community ecology is the study of the interactions among individuals within coexisting populations found in a specific area.

The productivity hypothesis predicts that species richness can be predicted by the total amount of plant material produced over time.

According to the diversity-stability hypothesis, high diversity communities are more resistant to disturbance than low diversity communities.

Biological Principles 2 -- 57.LS

Competition is an interaction between species that affects both species negatively (-/-), as they utilize similar resources.

Select all ways in which predation, herbivory, and parasitism interactions are classified.

·         Whether or not they are lethal

·         The length of association between consumer and prey

Match the following interactions.

·         Mutualism: both species benefit

·         Commensalism: one species benefits, whereas the other remains unaffected

·         Parasitism or predation: one species benefits and the other is harmed

·         Competition: both species are negatively affected

·         Amensalism: detrimental to one species, and neutral to another

Herbivores can often overcome plant defenses by detoxifying their toxic defense metabolites. Arrange the steps in this detoxification pathway in the proper order.

1.       A mixed-function oxidase converts a secondary metabolite to its corresponding alcohol

2.       The oxidation product is conjugated to another molecule

3.       The inactive product of the pathway is excreted

What are the two types of herbivores? Generalist and specialist

Match each parasite with its features.

·         Microparasites: multiply within their hosts, sometimes within cells

·         Macroparasites: live in the host but release juvenile stages outside the host’s body

Batesian mimicry is the mimicry of an unpalatable species by a palatable one.

Select all types of interactions that are classified according to how lethal they are for the prey and the length of association between consumer and prey.

·         Predation

·         Herbivory

·         Parasitism

Choose all possible outcomes of interactions between complete competitors.

·         One species becomes extinct

·         One species moves to a different niche

·         Both species diverge in morphology

Herbivores can overcome plant defenses by detoxifying many poisons, mainly by two chemical pathways: conjugation and oxidation

Match each speciation event with its geographic distribution.

·         Sympatric: species exist in the same geographical areas

·         Allopatric: species exist in different geographic areas

Select all examples of mimicry: batesian and mullerian

Match each type of mutualism with its description.

·         Obligatory: neither species can live without the other

·         Facultative: the interaction is beneficial, but not essential to the survival and reproduction of either species

In addition to having chemical defenses, many plants have also developed mechanical defenses, such as: spines and thorns.

Allelopathy is an example of: amensalism

Species may coexist if they do not occupy identical niches.

Cryptic coloration is an aspect of camouflage, the blending of an organism with the background of its habitat.

Phoresy is an example of commensalism, when one organism uses a second organism for transportation.

Plants use the primary metabolic pathway to obtain energy and the secondary metabolic pathway for plant defense.

The term resource partitioning refers to the differentiation of niches, in both space and time, enabling similar species to coexist in a community.

Which of the following statements about endoparasites are correct?

·         Endoparasites are more specialized than ectoparasites

·         Endoparasites feed and reproduce only on certain hosts

Herbivory involves the predation of plants

Which of the following are types of mutualism?

·         Trophic mutualism

·         Dispersive mutualism

·         Defensive mutualism

Masting is the synchronous production of many progeny by all individuals in a population to satiate predators and thereby allow some progeny to survive.

Match each parasite with it host immunological response.

·         Microparasitic: strong and effective

·         Macroparasitic: short-lived, with host subject to continual reinfection

Trophic mutualism occurs when to species receive a benefit from utilizing a common resource.

Parasitism, like herbivory, is typically nonlethal and differs from predation in that the organism typically lives and reproduces in the living host.

The importance of predation on prey populations may be dependent on whether the system is donor controlled or predator controlled.

Select all antipredator strategies that have evolved in animals.

·         Altering of reproductive patterns

·         Camouflage and mimicry

·         Chemical defense