Ecology Ch. 9

Pheromones are chemical substances produced by organisms to communicate with other members of their species

Which of the following are considered to be characteristics of populations? Growth rate; density; spacing

Behavioral, physiological and anatomical characteristics interact with the environment to influence the geographical distribution of populations

Match the distribution pattern to its description.

Random – individuals have equal chance of being found anywhere

Regular – individuals occur at equally spaced intervals

Clumped – individuals have a greater chance of being found at specific locations

Using the maps, rank the following three species of Encelia from the most “hairy” to the least “hairy”. Encelia farinose; Encelia actoni; Encelia californica

A population is defined as members of a species living in a defined area

To an ecologist, niche summarizes the environmental characteristics that influence the growth, reproduction, survival of a species

The difference between the realized and the fundamental niche is the additional requirement of biotic factors as part of the definition of the realized niche

When talking about the distributions of organisms, “large scale” versus “small scale” refers to environmental change relative to the size of the organism

Which of the following would be areas where population biology would inform decision making? Pest control; wildlife management; response to epidemics

The three factors used for Rabinowitz’s rarity classification system for species includes: geographic range; local population size; habitat tolerance

Which of the following, non-demographic characteristics, would best describe the general characteristics of population presented in this chapter? Spatial

Match the kangaroo species to its biome.

Eastern Grey – temperate and tropical forests

Western Grey – Mediterranean wood and shrubland

Red – savannah and desert

In biodiversity survey of the Great Plains, you would expect to find greater numbers of field mice compared to bison in a defined sample area

Patterns of distribution are driven by a combination of environmental and social interactions

The greatest threat to biological diversity and integrity of the biosphere is the growth of human populations

Rabinowitz’s rarity classification system is designed to evaluate whether a population is at risk for extinction

The number of individuals per unit area is known as: density

The presence of tiger beetles on southern mountain tops can be explained by climate change associated with global warming; glacial retreat

Island species are at extremely high risk for extinction due to which of Rabinowitz’s risk factors? Small population size; narrow habitat tolerance; restricted range

Through which of the following factors may climate be indirectly influencing the distributions of kangaroo species? Habitat; water supply; food production

Peregrine falcons had extensive geographic range and broad habitat tolerance but low population density, resulting in an increased risk of extinction

Competition between creosote bushes was thought to be the cause of their pattern of distribution

Peters and Wassenberg expanded upon Damuth’s research on density and body size by looking at which of the following in addition to herbivorous mammals? Poikilothermic vertebrates; invertebrates; birds

Hubbell and Johnson observed that aggressive bees tended to forage in groups and nonaggressive bees foraged singly or in small groups

In studying the relationship between population density and body size, Damuth analyzed data from herbivorous mammals

The larvae of Balanus are found at similar levels of the intertidal zone compared to Chthamalus

Areas of high density for a species are referred to as hot spots

The climatic factor that is most important in determining the distribution of large kangaroos in Australia is precipitation

Like peregrine falcons, tigers had broad habitat tolerance and extensive geographic range but low population density, resulting in an increased risk of extinction

Of the 171 bird species known to have become extinct since 1600, most are species restricted to islands

On a mountain slope, where environmental change is steep, a “small scale process” would be a smaller land area than an area where environmental change was more gradual

Brown et al. looked at bird distribution when they were in their breeding grounds

The climate found at higher elevation is most similar to that of boreal forests

In response to competitive interactions, the spatial distribution of Chthamalus can be considered to be a realized niche

During the course of their growth, Phillips and McMahon found that the distribution pattern of creosote bushes varied with time

The difference between Grinnel’s niche concept and that of Elton was the inclusion of biotic factors in Elton’s definition

One of the environmental factors thought to effect the relationship between range and population size is habitat tolerance

When swarms from different hives battled over a potential nest site, they engaged in ritualized combat

Unlike animals, plant population densities decrease as individual plants grow older. This process is known as self-thinning

Even though they have a similar distribution, locally, E. frutescens and E. farinose differ in the microclimates they are found in

Whittaker and Neiring studied plants distributions along moisture and elevation gradients in the mountains of Arizona

Passenger pigeons went extinct as a result of which one of Rabinowitz’s risk factors? Narrow habitat tolerance

In trying to explain the distribution patterns of creosote bushes, Phillips and McMahon mapped sites that varied in temperature and precipitation but were similar in soil and slope

Based upon on the role of social attraction to promote clumped distributions, you could understand why populations were clumped during breeding seasons. However, clumped wintering distributions are most likely due to the presence of critical resources in specific locations rather than social attraction

Schultz found that for the tiger beetle C. longilabris, metabolic rates were higher and preferred temperatures lower than for other species of tiger beetles

Brisson and Reynolds hypothesized that the distribution of creosote bushes would reflect reduced overlap of roots from nearby individuals

Continuous environmental gradients can produce clumped species distributions based upon favorable environment conditions occurring at specific locations

When studying the distribution patterns of bees, Hubbell and Johnson hypothesized that aggressive species would have regular patterns of nest distribution while nonaggressive species would be clumped or random

Connell found that the upper limits to the distributions of the intertidal barnacles are determined by susceptibility to dessication

Areas of high density for a species are referred to as hot spots

In Hutchinson’s definition of niche, each environmental factor is an axis of an n-dimensional hypervolume. TRUE

For many organisms, there is a positive relationship between population size and range. This means that you would expect a small population to have a smaller range as compared to a larger population

Within their study area, Hubbell and Johnson found that potential nest trees were located in a random pattern

The germination of seeds at “safe sites” was part of the reason for the clumped distribution of young creosote bushes

When bees from different hives battled over an occupied nest site, they engaged in mortal combat

A proposed explanation for the distribution of creosote bushes is below ground competition

The larvae of Balanus are found at similar levels of the intertidal zone compared to Chthamalus

The concentration of fish crows near coastal locations is an example of a clumped distribution

In support of their hypothesis, Brisson and Reynolds found that the overlap of roots between adjacent plants was less than the expected overlap if the plants simply had a circular pattern of root growth

Organisms living in a continental area can also be considered “island species” when they live in extremely restricted locations

The change in distribution of creosote bushes from clumped to regular as they grow larger can also be thought of as a change in distribution reflecting the change from fundamental to realized niches

Ecology Ch. 8

Ornamentation in male guppies may indicate that ornamented males have good genes that are inherited by the female’s offspring

Some individuals reproduce at higher rates because they are better at securing mates. This is known as sexual selection

The primary focus of behavioral ecologist include: determining the mechanisms driving the evolution of a particular social system; understanding how a particular social system works

Kin selection and environmental constraints probably led to the evolution of eusociality

Nonrandom mating in plants could result from female control over fertilization; competition among pollen

A social system where helpers provide care for offspring but do not reproduce is known as cooperative breeders

When selection favors diverting resources to kin when it helps the helpers but not when it exceeds its cost to the helper can best be described as Hamilton’s rule

The reproduction of the individual plus the survival and reproduction of individuals it shares genes with is known as inclusive fitness

What factors may limit ornamentation in males under sexual selection? The risk of predation with larger, showier feathers; a reduced ability to hunt or forage

Kin selection operates by individuals helping to raise relatives that are not offspring

Identify examples of behavior in different organisms. Male prairie chickens conducting elaborate mating rituals; damselfish protecting its territory on a reed; male bluehead wrasses defending their mating territories

The evolution of sociality for some groups may have begun with a group of related individuals defending a single food resource

Very complex social behavior found in ants and termites is called eusociality

What benefits does a male gain by offering larger nuptial gifts to females? A larger nuptial gift may improve his fitness because the female is likely to lay more eggs; the female is more likely to mate with him

Endler’s experiments in natural and controlled conditions both indicated that natural selection limited the evolution of sexually selected traits

What are the similarities in social organization between naked mole rats and ant colonies? Reproduction is limited to a single queen; division of labor based on size; larger workers are used for defense

The comparative method compares multiple characteristics of different species in an attempt to isolate a particular characteristic

An individual that remains on the territory where it was raised is in its natal territory

Individuals in a social group that engage in different activities are said to be in different castes

In addition to presenting dead arthropods to females, what are the other methods a male scorpionfly can use to attract a mate? They can force a copulation; they can secrete a mass of saliva

Based on the findings of Thornhill’s experiments, which of the following scorpionflies would most likely have the highest fitness? Large males that were able to successfully find and defend a large, dead arthropod

The study of social relations is known as sociobiology

Which of the following is a major difference in the social organization of ant colonies and naked mole rats? Both male and females are workers in naked mole rats

What is the benefit to females by choosing males that provide larger arthropods? Her fitness is improved due to increased egg laying

According to Tinbergen, a behavioral ecologist attempting to understand a particular behavior would need to ask which fundamental question? How does this behavior improve reproductive success?

Behavioral ecology is best described as the study of social relations which is focused on how behavior influences the relationship between an organism and its environment

Cooperation generally involves which of the following? Individuals exchanging resources; individuals assisting others for defense

Which of the following factors lead to the evolution of sociality? The need of group defense for mates; the need for group defense of good territories; the need for group defense of young

The total number of offspring produced over a lifetime is known as lifetime reproductive success

Haplodiploidy has a few peculiarities. Which of the following would be true of a haplodiploid mating system? Males have no fathers or sons, but they can have grandfathers and grandsons

Captive-bred individuals may improve their chances of successful reintroduction by increasing the complexity of their captive environment. This process is called environmental enrichment

Groups of related female lions are known as pride

Endler used guppies from multiple populations to ensure that color variation was present in the experimental units so that he could test for natural selection

 An animal that is considered philopatric would have a tendency to stay in the same area throughout its life

Male scorpionflies with no nuptial offerings achieved the lowest percent of mating success

When populations of endangered animals become critically low, they are often removed from the wild and bred in captivity to increase their numbers. What is a factor leading to the failure of reintroduction of captive-bred animals? The captive-bred individuals have different behaviors than individuals in the wild

Which of the following are forms of cooperation in lion societies? Female lions in a pride nurse each other’s cubs; females in a pride will defend their territory against encroaching females; females in a pride hunt together to obtain larger prey

Which of the following types of animals are known cooperative breeders? African lions; wolves; woodhoopoes

Organisms that have both male and female function in the same individual are known as hermaphrodites

The best studied group of eusocial insects are in the order hymenoptera

Asexual reproduction is least common in which group of organisms? Vertebrates

Common: plants, bacteria, protozoans

A captive-bred fish raised in a complex environment may do well in an introduction to the wild because it is able to switch from pellet food to live prey more quickly

The activities of leaf cutter ants are highly varied and include which of the following? Ants guarding the trail of ants; ants guarding the ones carrying leaves from parasitoid flies; ants carrying leaves

In a field experiment, Marshall and Fuller found that one donor sired a higher proportion of seeds than other donors, supporting non-random mating

Which of the following animals is not considered a cooperative breeder? Guppies

Considered: woodhoopoes, ants, wolves

 Kin selection operates by increasing inclusive fitness

Which of the following are secondary sexual characteristics? Brightly colored male birds where the females are typically drab; brightly colored tails in male guppies

Large naked mole rats may defend a colony by doing what? They will throw soil at a snake in attempt to turn it back; they will try to kill snakes entering the colony; blocking the entrance with soil to wall off the entrance

What did Endler’s field experiment reveal about predation and male colorfulness in guppies? Male colorfulness is a heritable, sexually selected trait that is limited by predation

Haplodiploidy is a sex-determination system where males are haploid and females are diploid

Leaf-cutter ants colonies are quite large and are known to store almost 6,000 kg of leaves; mover over 40,000 kg of soil; contain over 2,000 occupied chambers

Identify the characteristics of Green Woodhoopoes that make them great organisms to study sociality. They roost in cavities and are easily captured so individuals can be tagged and identified; they are widespread and easily observed

In biology, fitness is best defined as the number of offspring an individual contributes to future generations

What is the most important trait in determining the caste of an individual in a leaf-cutter ant colony? Size of the individual

What do larger caste members in leaf-cutter ants and naked mole rats have in common? They are used for defense of the colony

Which one of the following would lead to higher female evolutionary fitness? A larger male offering a large, dead arthropod that would increase the number of eggs laid

How did environmental complexity improve the success of reintroduction of cod? They recovered more quickly from predator attacks; they were quicker to join other wild cod; they responded more quickly to live prey

Which of the following are characteristics of a high quality nesting cavity? The depth of the cavity; the soundness of the wood; the size of the opening

Sociality, like many behaviors, has a wide range of complexity. Which of the following would not be considered a social behavior within a species? A group of vultures eating a carrion.

Self-incompatibility may occur when a plant has pistils and stamens, but cannot pollinate itself

A scientist wishing to understand the evolutionary origins of cooperative breeding may have a difficult time because the origin of the trait may lay in the past; the origin of the trait cannot be directly observed

Marshall and Fuller (1994) point out that the harsh conditions in nature may have more importance on the number and size of seeds produced than non-random mating

What are the evolutionary benefits of related males forming coalitions? Cooperative behavior among related males would increase their inclusive fitness

The fitness of an individual has traditionally been defined as the number of offspring it produces. How does eusociality challenges this definition? Individuals help others or even sacrifice themselves without the opportunity to reproduce; not every individual in a eusocial society has the opportunity to reproduce

Helpers in cooperative breeding often remain on their natal territories because helpers may: eventually inherit the high quality, natal territory; improve their inclusive fitness by helping to raise young that are closely related

Why does kin selection work in lion prides? Lion prides are always close relatives; by working together they improve their inclusive fitness

What are the two major sources of reproductive success in Green Woodhoopoes? Spatial variation in the quality of roosting cavities; temporal variation in seasonal rainfall

Variability in natural conditions may have more importance on pollination than non-random mating

The Ligon’s were able to follow individual Green Woodhoopoes allowing them to study their social behavior because they roost in cavities and are easily captured and banded when exiting the cavity

How do helpers in cooperative breeding increase their inclusive fitness? The young tended by helpers are closely related

Some of the most complex sociality in a social species would occur in ant colonies

In cavity-nesting birds like the woodhoopoe, what is one of the biggest factors that determines the quality of the territory? The quality of the cavities

What are the similarities between naked mole rats and leaf-cutter ant colonies? They both have a single reproductive queen; most of the colony is non-reproductive

What are the benefits to helpers in cooperative breeding systems even though they may not be reproducing? Helpers may improve their own reproductive success by gaining experience; helpers may gain or retain access to high quality territory; helpers may improve their own genetic fitness by improving the survival rates of relatives

Which of the following social interactions are important for sexual reproduction? Birds migrate northward to warmer climates when food sources are more abundant; a male praying mantis that sacrifices himself to the female while he is mating; male spiders conducting the proper mating dance of their species to avoid being eaten by females

Which of the following is a benefit of philopatry to cavity-nesting birds like the woodhoopoe? They would have a lower rate of predation; they are familiar with the territory and have safe places to roost; they may eventually inherit the territory and its cavities

The strongest case for kin selection would occur in a haplodiploidy system where the females mate with only one male

Select the two individuals that could be correctly identified as male and female. One individual produces a few, very large gametes; the second individual produces many small gametes

In terms of evolutionary fitness, social interactions may be most directly important for sexual reproduction

What are considered the most important factors to understanding the evolution of sociality? The costs and benefits of sociality

Naked mole rat colonies differ from leaf-cutter ant colonies in that both male and females are workers

When would male lion coalitions become larger than 3 individuals? When the coalition is comprised of related individual

An example of a trade-off between ornamentation and survivorship might result in population with varying degrees of coloration in males based on predation

An example of a benefit to helpers may include experience raising young

An example of intrasexual selection would be two large males that fight each other for dominance over a mating territory

The main goal of sociobiology has been to develop a theory that explains the evolution of different types of sociality including eusociality

How would a queen mating with multiple males weaken the support for kin selection as an explanation for the evolution of eusociality in species? It would reduce the relatedness among the workers

Males and females are best identified by which characteristics? Females produce much larger gametes, males produce smaller gametes

What is the potential evolutionary cost to ornamentation? Brightly colored males are more likely to be attacked by visual predators

Nonrandom mating in plants could be determined by the performance of pollen donors

When would male lion coalitions remain smaller than 3 individuals? When the individuals are not related to each other

In woodhoopoes, males are often larger because of competition over territories and females

An example of intersexual selection would be females choosing brightly colored males that perform elaborate mating rituals

Ecology Ch. 7

Chemosynthetic autotrophs are often found near volcanic activity in the deep ocean

The rate at which organisms take in energy is limited by several factors. These factors include: supply of prey available; the rate ingested food can be processed

The cucumber beetle is a specialist that is able to feed on cucumbers despite the toxins and repellents the plant produces

Match the description of trophic (feeding) type with the appropriate definition.

Autotrophs – organisms that use inorganic sources of carbon and energy; name means self-feeders

Photosynthesizers – use carbon dioxide and sunlight to synthesize organic compounds

Chemosynthetic autotrophs – use carbon dioxide and inorganic chemicals to synthesize organic molecules

Heterotrophs – use organic molecules as a source of carbon and energy; name means other-feeders

Predators, such as the bird in the image, may act as agents of natural selection by increasing the efficacy of prey defense

Herbivores: typically ingest food with lower carbon:nutrient ratio than they require for growth and metabolism

Which of the following is a type of anatomical defense that prey organisms use? Shells; spines

Photosynthetic organisms use carbon dioxide as a source of carbon. This gas comes from the atmosphere

Terrestrial plants gather energy from sunlight and nutrients from water and soil

Which of the following domains include prokaryotic organisms? Bacteria and archaea

Which of the following is not one of the five main elements that make up living organisms? Sodium

Made up of: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, nitrogen

Optimal foraging theory assumes that organisms cannot maximize all of life’s functions when energy is limited

Chemosynthetic bacteria in the ocean: may be free-living and use sulfur as their energy source; use carbon dioxide as their carbon source for sugar production; may be found associated in symbiotic relationships with other animals such as worms

Digestion-reduction chemicals produced by plants inhibit enzymes that breakdown plant proteins. This reduces the amount of nitrogen available to the consumers from the plant tissues

Match the type of photosynthesis to its characteristics.

C₃ – used by most plants and algae; fixation of carbon dioxide results in the production of PGA

C₄ – carbon dioxide combined with PEP in mesophyll cells; sugars produced in bundle sheath cells

CAM – stomata typically opened just during the night; combine PEP with carbon dioxide

Size selective predation occurs when predators select their prey based on size. This occurs because size can affect how easy it is to catch and subdue prey

Organisms that feed on nonliving organic matter, such as decaying plants, are called: detrivores

Match the type of functional response with the appropriate organism.

Type 1 – sponges that are aquatic filter-feeders

Type 2 – otters that have to crack open oyster shells on rocks to feed

Type 3 – deer mice that have to lean to seek out sawfly cocoons that are difficult to find at low density, but easier at higher densities

Many warning coloration patterns include yellow and/or orange along with sharply contrasting color such as black

Within the range of PAR, plant absorb mainly blue and red wavelengths of light

Which of the following are examples of substances that chemosynthetic bacteria may use as an energy source? Carbon monoxide; sulfur; ammonium; iron

Net photosynthesis is the result of subtracting the amount of carbon dioxide produced by plant respiration from the amount of carbon dioxide taken in during photosynthesis

The most common type of chemosynthetic bacteria found in the ocean oxidize sulfur as their energy source

Which of the following is an example of a prey characteristic that may affect predator energy intake? Amount of time the predator spends removing spines from a prey animal before ingesting the meat; prey abundance; amount of time the predator spends fighting to subdue the prey

The relationship where an increase in food availability leads to an increased feeding rate for hungry animals (up to a certain point) is called the functional response

Which of the following is not true when comparing tropical plant toxins to temperate plant toxins? Temperate plant species contain more alkaloid toxins than tropical plant species

Which of the following is true of visible light? It has sufficient energy to power photosynthesis; it makes up about 42% of the total energy of solar radiation at sea level

Net photosynthesis is calculated as the total carbon dioxide during photosynthesis subtracting the carbon dioxide produced by plant respiration

Which of the following is not true? Gasoline and petroleum derivatives are always stored above-ground

True: one petroleum derivative that can contaminate soil is benzene; some bacteria can use benzene as a source of energy; some bacteria can use benzene as a source of carbon; bacteria may be capable of breaking down benzene from leaking underground storage tanks naturally

When C:N ratios were manipulated by adding sucrose to the environment of bacteria grown in leached gold ores: the increase in the C:N ratio resulted in 100% breakdown of the available cyanide

Which of the following is not true concerning the effects of infrared light on living things? It decreases the motion of whole molecules that comprise living things

True: it does not have enough energy to drive photosynthesis; it tends to be less damaging than ultraviolet light; it can increase the temperature of the atmosphere and living organisms

CAM photosynthesis: is found among epiphytes in the canopies of forests; is found in plants in arid and semiarid environments

Because PEP carboxylase has a high affinity to carbon dioxide, C4 plants are able to increase the concentration gradient between the atmosphere and in the inside of their cells. This also allows them to have fewer stomata open, which conserves water

To minimize the effects of photorespiration, plants concentrate the gas called carbon dioxide

In CAM photosynthesis, the C4 acid produced in the mesophyll cells at night is broken down into carbon dioxide and pyruvate during the day. The carbon dioxide will be used to produce sugars and starch

When using optimal foraging theory, one of the most important prey attributes that affects predator energy intake is the abundance of prey

When Bloom and colleagues used economic theory and applied it to plants, they predicted that plants in nutrient-rich environments would invest more in the growth of stems and leaves and less in the growth of roots

Which of the following is true concerning the importance of C₄ plants? They contribute approximately 20% global terrestrial primary production; they are associated with the evolution of grazing and their predators

In plants doing C4 photosynthesis, the four-carbon acids initially produced diffuse into bundle sheath cells where they can be converted to three-carbon acids and carbon dioxide

Bacteria near leached gold ore have been found to convert cyanide to ammonia. The ammonia can then be converted by other bacteria to nitrate which can also contaminate the soil

P_MAX shown in this curve is the maximum rate of photosynthesis

The graphs shown support the ideas of optimal foraging theory

Which of the following is correct with regards to photorespiration? It occurs in the presence of light; it produces carbon dioxide; it occurs when oxygen combines with ribulose biphosphate

Nitrifying bacteria oxidize ammonium and use the energy to synthesize organic molecules such as sugar

Carbon fixation refers to: the process where carbon dioxide is incorporated into an organic acid

When several species of noxious organisms show similar patterns of warning coloration is called Mullerian mimicry

When plants are grown to study their photosynthetic potential, they are grown under ideal temperatures for the particular species, as well as being given abundant nutrients and water

When a harmless species displays the same warning coloration pattern as a noxious species, this is called Batesian mimicry

Cellulose: strengthens plant tissues and increases the C:N ratio in those tissues

While most plants are photosynthesis, some are heterotrophic ad ingest other carbon sources

Longer wavelengths, such as infrared light, carry less energy than shorter wavelengths of light, such as UV light

CN-contaminated gold ore can be cleaned up by supplementing the environment with sucrose as a source of carbon for bacteria. Any waste NO3- can be incorporated into the biomass of heterotrophic bacteria and fungi

The process of photosynthesis is powered by light as an energy source

In the Bolser and Hay experiment testing the chemical defenses of tropical vs. temperate seaweeds, why did the scientist freeze-dry the seaweed, mix it with agar, and produce strips of seaweed material? It made quantifying the amount of seaweed eaten by the urchins easy; it negated any affects that could be due to physical differences in the seaweed

Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) is quantified as photon flux density

During photosynthesis, photosynthetic pigments absorb photons of light and transfer the energy directly to: electrons

When Tilman and Cowan grew four species of grass and four species of forbs on soils of different nitrogen content, they found: plants grown at higher nitrogen levels had lower root:shoot ratios

Herbaceous plant tissues generally have high C:N ratios, meaning the amount of nitrogen available to consumers is relatively low

While leached gold ore is a rich source of nitrogen for bacteria, the ore contains little of what other element necessary for survival? Carbon

According to Bloom and colleagues, plants that grow in light-rich environments should invest more in roots than in portions of the plant involved in photosynthesis or vertical growth

There are no known naturally occurring populations of bacteria that use benzene as their source of carbon and energy. FALSE

A newer method of extracting gold involves leaching ore with: cyanide

The results of the Bolser and Hay experiments where sea urchins were fed temperate and tropical seaweed suggested that tropical seaweeds are better defended against attack by herbivores due to plant toxins

In C3 photosynthesis, there is a relatively low rate of carbon dioxide uptake. One reason for this is that the enzyme RuBP carboxylase has a low affinity for carbon dioxide

Which of the following is untrue concerning clean-up of CN- contaminated gold mines? Adding sucrose to the environment leads to a buildup of NO3-

True: adding sucrose promotes breakdown of CN-; heterotrophic fungi can use waste NO3- as a nitrogen source and incorporate it into their biomass; heterotrophic bacteria can use waste NO3- as a nitrogen source and incorporate it into their biomass

Ecological stoichiometry suggests that the lower C:N ratio in herbivores, compared to the plants they ingest, causes the consumer to eat more plants to ingest the necessary nitrogen

The Eurasian otter is an example of how geography affects the specific prey species consumed, but not the carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus content ingested

Which of the following is not true concerning the light-absorbing pigment called rhodopsin? Bacteria found in deep, clear waters have rhodopsin that absorbs green wavelengths of light most strongly

True: it is involved in the visual process of animals; it is involved in the production of ATP; bacterial rhodopsins are adapted to environmental differences in light quality

Bald-faced hornets hunt insects by flying rapidly among plants and pouncing on: anything that might be their prey

To study the relationships between ratios of elements in a food resource to the ratios of those same elements in the organism consuming that resource, ecological stoichiometry is used

Living plant tissues have higher nitrogen levels compared to plant tissues that fall from the plant and decay

Rhodopsin is a light-absorbing pigment found in: animal eyes, bacteria, and archaea