Ecology - Organisms & Population Questions and Answers

Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world. It is an island nation in southeast Asia. Half of the population lives on the largest island, Java, while the other half of the population is scattered among 13,000 smaller islands. Indonesia is a collection of several hundred unique ethnic/cultural groups, with each having their own language. Determine which population genetics term best describes each of the hypothetical scenarios below: 1) In 1883, more than two thirds of Krakatoa island was obliterated by a large volcano eruption. The eruption almost completely sterilized the island (most living things killed). Since then, the biodiversity of the island has been steadily returning. A small population of one spider species survived the eruption because they were protected by the rock caves where they were living. Now, 50% of this spider species population on the island is dark red while the other 50% is brown. However, on neighboring islands only 5% of the spiders are red and 95% are brown. : Most of the trees on the island were killed. Over time, the island has been repopulated with new tree species due to tree seeds that wash up on the beach from neighboring islands and birds that visit the island and leave the seeds in their droppings. One species of grass on the islands has two phenotypes, short and tall. Since the eruption, tall grass has become more common than short grass. Genetic studies have found that the short phenotype is caused by an allele of a gene that causes a mineral in volcanic ash to be toxic to the grass. On this island, one species of plants makes white, red, and blue flowers. The allele for blue flowers is not found anywhere else in the world, except on this island.

Two plant species live in the same biome but on different continents. Although the two species are not at all closely related, they may appear quite similar as a result of parallel evolution. convergent evolution. migration. allopatric speciation. gene flow.

Dwarf mistletoes are flowering plants that grow on certain forest trees. They obtain nutrients and water from the vascular tissues of the trees. The trees derive no known benefits from the dwarf mistletoes. Which of the following best describes the interactions between dwarf mistletoes and trees? mutualism commensalism facilitation competition parasitism

Which of the following assumptions have to be made regarding the capture- recapture estimate of population size? I. Marked and unmarked individuals have the same probability of being trapped. II. The marked individuals have thoroughly mixed with the population after being marked. III. No individuals have entered or left the population by immigration or emigration, and no individuals have been added by birth or eliminated by death during the course of the estimate. I only II only I and II only II and III only I, II, and III

Which of the following are important biotic factors that can affect the structure and organization of biological communities? precipitation, wind nutrient availability, soil pH light intensity, seasonality predation, competition temperature, water

A broad-based, pyramid-shaped age structure diagram is characteristic of a population that is growing rapidly at carrying capacity shrinking stable

In the near future, the human population is predicted to... Decrease worldwide due to limited resources Increase in all countries Decrease in most, but not all, more-developed countries and stabilize or increase in less developed countries Stay the same worldwide

Fire ants have a powerful venom that is deadly to the small animals they eat. The deadly venom has reduced the populations of birds who build nests on the ground. Source: http://www.sbs.utexas.edu/fireant/ The relationship between fire ants and ground- nesting birds is an example of (1) producer/consumer (2) predator/prey (3) scavenger/decomposer (4) parasite/host

Ecosystem ecology is best described as the study of the abiotic factors that exist in a particular area the array of interacting species within a community. a mosaic of related ecosystems in a specific geographic area. physiological and behavioral ways in which organisms meet the challenges of their environment. the interaction of a community of organisms with the physical factors of their environment

Which one of these is an example of a microclimate? CHOOSE ALL THAT MIGHT APPLY Warm and sunny over the continent of Australia The average global temperature Sunny along the coast of Santa Barbara Dampness under a rock.

You awaken to find yourself lying on the bare ground, dirty and injured. In the dim light, you can make out wreckage around you and surmise that you have survived a plane crash. Over the next few days, you wander the hot, humid area and find an amazing number of different plant and insect species. You are able to trap and eat several rodent size mammals, but do not see any larger mammals. Into what biome did your plane crash? High desert O Taiga Tropical rain forest Temperate rain forest Tropical grassland

In Section 6 of his writing on "Nature," Ralph Waldo Emerson expresses his belief in the healing power of nature: A. "I feel that nothing can befall me...,--no disgrace, no calamity...which nature cannot repair." B. "...the guest sees not how he should tire of them in a thousand years." C. "In the woods we return to reason and faith."

Read the following sentence and then define the underlined word. "According to the Malleus Maleficarum, a comprehensive witch-hunting guide published in 1486, judges at witchcraft trials should take precautions against being bewitched by the accused." What does the word precaution mean? a. dangerous measures b. b. baking measures C. c. strange measures d. d. safe measures

Complete this sentence correctly: Arrows in a food web O always point up. O always point in the direction the energy is coming from. O always point in the direction the energy is going. O always point towards the producers.

Match these relationships with the correct definition. one organism benefits while the other is harmed both organisms benefit one organism benefits while the other is consumed for food one organism gains while the other loses one organism benefits while the other is unaffected

Sunscreen and beach towels are complementary goods. If the price of sunscreen increases, ceteris paribus, the income of consumers will decrease the quantity demanded of beach towels will decrease for every possible price the quantity demanded of beach towels will increase for every possible price the income of consumers will increase

A restaurant produces 250 meals per day with five employees. After hiring an additional employee, the restaurant now produces 260 meals per day. Calculate the marginal product of labor. 2 260 10 5/3

Predict the most likely outcome if secondary consumers were eliminated from a food web (choose all the correct answers). the producers would go extinct the primary consumers would relocate to another habitat there would be less energy for the tertiary consumers the primary consumers would become overpopulated.

Complete this sentence: Mutualism is different from commensalism because one organism does not benefit with commensalism. one organism does not benefit with mutualism. both organisms benefit with commensalism. one organism is harmed with commensalism.

PART A: Which of the following best describes Terrance Powderly's main argument for converting to an eight-hour work day? A. Reducing hours will overall improve the physical lives of the laborers, allowing them more rest and leisure. B.Reducing hours will allow people to educate themselves on economy and business so that they may improve labor inequities and depressions. C. Reducing hours will guarantee jobs for the unemployed, especially increasing waves of immigrants. D. Reducing hours will make the laborer more productive because he or she will be forced to get just as much done but in less time.

How do employees differ from employers when it comes to labor hours? A. Employers typically work more hours because they are running and managing the business. B. Employees are the workers; employers are not considered workers because they rarely directly contribute to production. C. Employers can work however many hours they wish and share in a profit from the employees; this is not true for the employees. D. Employees may be considered tools, but they are much more vital to production than the employers.

Population A has a per capita birth rate, b = 0.8 and a per capita death rate, d = 0.1. Population B has a per capita birth rate, b = 0.7 and a per capita death rate, d = 0.8. Population C has a per capita birth rate, b = 0.2 and a per capita death rate, d = 0.1. Assume no immigration (i=0) or emigration (e=0). Population A has 1000 individuals at time, t = 0. Population C has 1,000,000 individuals at time, t = 0. Time is measured in years. Which population is growing the fastest in terms of individuals per year at time t = 0? B A C

In a study of heart rate in ocean - diving birds, researchers harnessed 10 randomly sampled, wild - caught cormorants to a laboratory contraption that monitored vitals signs. Each cormorant was subjected to 6 artificial "dives" over the following week (one dive per day). A dive consisted of rapidly immersing the head of the bird in water by tipping the harness. In this way, a sample of 60 measurements of heart rate in diving birds was obtained. Do these 60 measurements represent a random sample? Why or why not?

When a populations size is below the carrying capacity of the environment then the per capita birth rate will increase when compared to the population at the carrying capacity. the per capita death rate will decrease when compared to the population at the carrying capacity. the environment will change. All of the above are correct.

Because the Pacific salmon makes such an arduous journey up many kilometres of treacherous river, it is expected that they would carefully nuture the precious offspring that they create. would be able to make use of the limited resources remaining to produce a small number of viable offspring. would produce a large number of offspring. All of the above are correct.

You have been studying a population of squirrels over the past year. 50 squirrels have been born and 24 squirrels have died. What is the approximate change in population size per month? +26 + 2.2 - 2.2 -26

A population of foxes inhabits a small forest. The size of the population is currently below the forest's carrying capacity for the foxes. Which factor could cause an increase in the population's growth rate? A The population's birth rate falls below its death rate after a predator is introduced. B. The population's level of immigration falls below its level of emigration. C. An increase in food availability increases the birth rate in the population. D. A lack of mating opportunities increases the population's level of emigration.

Pistol shrimps and gobies depend on each other for their shelter and protection, and they have a beneficial relationship with each other. What's this symbiotic relation called? A. mutualism B.commensalism C. facultative parasitism D.obligate parasitism

A particular population of chickens has a frequency for the dominant allele as 0.70 and a frequency for the recessive allele as 0.30. Which expression is the correct way to calculate the frequency of individuals that are heterozygous? A. (0.70) x (0.30) B. (0.70) - (0.30) C. 2x (0.70) × (0.30) D. 2x (0.70 -0.30)

Identify the precise word in the following quotation taken from, "Petrarch's Plague" by Paula Findlen. "He fretted that "the contagiousness of the recurring plague as well as the unhealthy air" might precipitate another untimely death. Fretted Contagiousness Recurring

A health coach tested the effectiveness of a new behavioral therapy for weight loss among college students. A sample of n = 36 college students participated in the study and each student participated in the behavioral therapy for weeks. At the end of the study, the mean difference was a 5 pounds weight loss. Identify an EXTRANEOUS VARIABLE for this study. Behavioral therapy has not been tested in weight loss before None of these is correct. No one liked the health coach so no one tried very hard College students were used in the study and are known to be unreliable

All of the following are examples of limiting factors in an ecosystem except Space Food Population density Water

What evidence can we use to support the hypothesis that lactase persistence due to a mutation in the lactase gene has been favoured by natural selection? The mutation observed in African populations which practice dairy agriculture arrived via gene flow from European populations Reduced homozygosity around the lactase gene An independent origin of lactase persistence in African populations which practice dairy agriculture Reduced recombination around the lactase gene

A botanist discovers what she thinks may be a new species of asexual wildflower growing in the Chocolate Mountains in the deserts of CA. Which of the following species concepts would not be useful in helping her define this population as a new species? Biological species concept Ecological species concept Morphological species concept Genetic species concept

Which of the following populations is likely evolving, based on the Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium? Select all that apply. A small population that has split from, and moved away from their larger origin population A population where mating is completely random A population where both dominant and recessive homozygous individuals are being selected against A population where the number of individuals is increasing, and the allele frequencies are staying the same

In the western United States, pronghorn antelopes and domestic cattle often associate with one another in the same open rangeland. In a hypothetical situation, a certain species of flea originally fed only on pronghorn antelopes. Some of these fleas developed a strong preference for cattle blood and mated only with other fleas that also preferred cattle blood. The host mammal can be considered as the fleas' habitat. Which of the following processes (both speciation and reproductive isolation) most likely occurred if the situation persisted and a new species evolved? allopatric speciation and habitat isolation allopatric speciation and gametic isolation sympatric speciation and habitat isolation. sympatric speciation and temporal isolation

A population started with 100 individuals. Over a year, population data were collected. Calculate birth rates, death rates, and net migration rate, and use your equation to calculate the rate of population change for the data below (as percentages): (a) Births = 14: Birth rate = (b) Net migration = +2: Net migration rate = (c) Deaths = 20: Death rate = (d) Rate of population change = (e) State whether the population is increasing or declining:

Two species cannot occupy the same niche in a habitat. This is referred to as the population interaction principle community inclusion principle interactive niche principle competitive exclusion principle

Suppose that this population of mice has stabilized so that both white and brown appear. White mice survive better in the winter and brown mice survive better in the warmer months. If a group of these mice migrated to an area that didn't get snowy in the winter, what do you think would be the long term effect on the color of these mice? Explain why.

Natural selection has a role in organismal adaptations that are specific to their habitats. True False

Grasses and fungi can engage in an obligate mutualism, which mathematically lead to the expectation that the two partners to run toward infinity. What are some factors that in nature could halt their run-away path? a. Limiting factors such space or resources b. Herbivory on the grass c. Competition for light between the grass and other plants d. All of the above e. None of the above

Oxpeckers, a type of bird, land on the backs of rhinos. They do this to eat the ticks of of their skin. The oxpeckers get a nutritious meal, while the rhinos rid themselves of pests. This an example of which type of ecological relationship? parasitism predation commensalism mutualism

Which of the following groups is (are) absolutely essential to functioning of an ecosystem? a. producers b. producers and herbivores c. producers, herbivores, and carnivores d. producers and decomposers

In cold temperatures... Choose all that apply The metabolic rate of an endotherm rises The metabolic rate of an endotherm falls The metabolic rate of an ectotherm falls The metabolic rate of an ectotherm rises

Which of the following is incorrect with regards to homeostasis It is a physiological state of physical and chemical conditions It is highly regulated by various processes to keep the body in a state of static equilibrium Highly controlled by negative and positive feedback mechanisms It encompasses the body's ability to regulate its inner environment in response to the outside environment

Wolves prefer the taste of black cats to the taste of orange cats. As a result, the number of black cats in the area is fewer than the number of orange cats. In the scenario above, what would happen to the color distribution amongst the cats if the wolves were removed soon after they were introduced? The black cats would dominate the population The black cats would become extinct The orange cats would become extinct The black and orange colors would equalize again over time

Which factor is unique to the city-states of Mesopotamian civilizations? A.location along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers B.dry, arid weather C.evidence of monumental architecture D.remains of a settlement

An ethnic group is a group of people who share a common culture, including traditions, language, religion and history. True False

Today, most people on the planet can read. According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, about 84 percent of the world's adults were literate in 2011.... Which words from these sentences help you understand the meaning of the word literate? a) the world's adults b) most people c) UNESCO Institute for Statistics d) can read

Which of the following could INCREASE the life expectancy of humans in the USA? The development of new vaccines &/or drug treatments Another global flu pandemic Future terrorist attacks &/or wars The appearance of new viruses, such as the West Nile, Zika, & SARS-2, in the USA None of the above