Environment: The Science Behind the Stories, 4e (Withgott)
Chapter 4 Species Interactions and Community Ecology
4.1 Graph and Figure Interpretation Questions
Use Figure 4.1 to answer the following questions.
1) What does the diagram illustrate?
A) Biomes at the highest altitudes roughly parallel biomes at the equator.
B) Biomes at the highest altitudes roughly parallel biomes at the poles.
C) Rules regarding climate and biomes do not apply to mountainous regions.
D) Increasing altitudes demonstrate the stages of succession.
E) Mountain ranges demonstrate all of Earth's biomes.
Answer: B
Diff: 1
Objective: 4.7 Earth's biomes
2) The lowest altitude in this figure most closely resembles ________.
A) desert
B) prairie
C) temperate rainforest
D) temperate deciduous forest
E) chaparral
Answer: A
Diff: 1
Objective: 4.7 Earth's biomes
3) Organisms most likely to be found at the bottom (left) of this figure would be ________.
A) loosestrife
B) frogs and fish
C) giraffes
D) bison
E) snakes
Answer: E
Diff: 2
Objective: 4.7 Earth's biomes
4) Compared to a region of equal area all at the same altitude, the area shown in the diagram ________.
A) has lower biodiversity
B) displays much less climatic variation
C) has much higher biodiversity and niche structure
D) has mostly generalist endemic species
E) supports more invasive exotic species
Answer: C
Diff: 3
Objective: 4.7 Earth's biomes
4.2 Matching Questions
Match the following.
A) tropical rainforest
B) temperate deciduous forest
C) tropical dry forest
D) temperate grassland
E) boreal forest
F) savanna
G) chaparral
H) desert
I) temperate rainforest
1) Describes biome in the eastern United States, north central Europe, and eastern China; characterized by stable precipitation and seasonal temperature variation
Diff: 1
Objective: 4.7 Earth's biomes
2) Describes the region west of the Mississippi River; characterized by limited precipitation, thick organic soils and extreme temperature variation in winter and summer
Diff: 1
Objective: 4.7 Earth's biomes
3) Describes the Pacific Northwest of the United States and Nagasaki, Japan; characterized by heavy rainfall and relatively stable temperatures
Diff: 2
Objective: 4.7 Earth's biomes
4) Describes the terrestrial biome bordering the Mediterranean Sea; characterized by wet winters and warm dry summers
Diff: 1
Objective: 4.7 Earth's biomes
5) Describes an equatorial zone with moderate precipitation that fluctuates seasonally; characterized by warm temperatures year round
Diff: 1
Objective: 4.7 Earth's biomes
6) Describes Cairo, Egypt, and northwest Mexico; characterized by sparse rainfall and much variation in temperature
Diff: 1
Objective: 4.7 Earth's biomes
Answers: 1) B 2) D 3) I 4) G 5) C 6) H
4.3 Multiple-Choice Questions
1) Zebra mussels ________.
A) are native to Canada
B) were introduced into the United States in the early 1900s
C) are presently restricted to the Great Lakes and Hudson River, but they are expected to spread rapidly in the near future
D) are an invasive exotic species that clogs water intake pipes at factories, power plants, and wastewater treatment facilities
E) excrete waste that facilitates algae blooms and subsequent eutrophication of lakes
Answer: D
Diff: 1
Objective: 4.3 Invasive species
2) Individuals of a single species fighting over access to a limiting resource is one example of ________.
A) resource partitioning
B) competitive exclusion
C) symbiosis
D) interspecific competition
E) intraspecific competition
Answer: E
Diff: 2
Objective: 4.1 Species interactions
3) Zooplankton populations in Lake Erie and the Hudson River have declined by up to 70% since the arrival of zebra mussels because ________.
A) zebra mussels prey on zooplankton
B) zebra mussels carry a parasite that kills zooplankton
C) zebra mussels feed on cyanobacteria, which zooplankton need as a food source
D) zebra mussels block sunlight penetration into lakes and thus prevent zooplankton from photosynthesizing
E) waste from zebra mussels promotes bacterial growth that kills zooplankton
Answer: A
Diff: 1
Objective: 4.1 Species interactions
4) By definition, parasites ________ their host.
A) kill
B) are much smaller than
C) feed on and harm
D) live on the external surface of
E) never kill
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Objective: 4.1 Species interactions
5) Orchids require tree limbs for support but do not harm the trees. This demonstrates ________.
A) facilitation
B) commensalism
C) amensalism
D) mutualism
E) allelopathy
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Objective: 4.1 Species interactions
6) ________ capture solar energy and use photosynthesis to produce sugars.
A) Producers
B) Primary consumers
C) Secondary consumers
D) Detritivores
E) Heterotrophs
Answer: A
Diff: 1
Objective: 4.2 Feeding relationships and energy flow
7) Grazing animals such as deer are ________.
A) producers
B) primary consumers or herbivores
C) secondary consumers
D) detritivores
E) decomposers
Answer: B
Diff: 1
Objective: 4.2 Feeding relationships and energy flow
8) Zooplankton-eating fish are ________.
A) producers
B) primary consumers
C) secondary consumers
D) detritivores
E) herbivores
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Objective: 4.2 Feeding relationships and energy flow
9) Which of the following is true about top predators?
A) They are likely to be keystone species.
B) They are likely to be herbivores.
C) They are likely to be producers.
D) They include bacteria and fungi.
E) Their removal increases biodiversity.
Answer: A
Diff: 1
Objective: 4.4 Keystone species
10) Secondary succession ________.
A) requires primary succession to precede it
B) occurs after a volcano spreads lava across a landscape
C) occurs after a fire or flood
D) typically begins with lichen colonizing rock
E) is predictable because it always ends in the formation of a climax community
Answer: C
Diff: 3
Objective: 4.5 Succession
11) ________ argued that communities are temporary associations of individual species that can reassemble themselves into different combinations.
A) David Strayer
B) Robert Costanza
C) Charles Darwin
D) Frederick Clements
E) Henry Gleason
Answer: E
Diff: 1
Objective: 4.5 Succession
12) Which terrestrial biome has the most biodiversity?
A) temperate deciduous forest
B) prairie
C) tropical rainforest
D) temperate rainforest
E) boreal forest
Answer: C
Diff: 1
Objective: 4.7 Earth's biomes
13) Desert and tundra both ________.
A) have lithosols
B) have wide temperature variations throughout the year
C) lack insects
D) have relatively low precipitation
E) lack shrubs
Answer: D
Diff: 3
Objective: 4.7 Earth's biomes
14) Taiga and tundra both ________.
A) lack trees
B) have comparatively low temperatures throughout the year
C) lack many birds
D) have many burrowing rodents
E) are found in the southeastern United States
Answer: B
Diff: 3
Objective: 4.7 Earth's biomes
15) The statement, "hiking up a mountain in the southwestern United States is like walking from Mexico to Canada," is meant to demonstrate that ________ change(s) rapidly as you change altitude and latitude.
A) biomes
B) oxygen levels
C) carbon dioxide levels
D) levels of industrial air pollutants
E) human population density
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Objective: 4.7 Earth's biomes
16) ________ are typical primary consumers in a temperature deciduous forest.
A) Snakes
B) Deer
C) Shelf fungi
D) Bison
E) Wolves
Answer: B
Diff: 3
Objective: 4.7 Earth's biomes
17) A climax community always ________.
A) is typical of the first stages of secondary succession
B) remains in place until a disturbance restarts succession
C) describes terrestrial biomes
D) describes aquatic biomes
E) has the lowest biodiversity of all stages of succession
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Objective: 4.5 Succession
18) Herbivory is a type of ________.
A) competition
B) mutualism
C) neutralism
D) ecological restoration
E) predation
Answer: E
Diff: 1
Objective: 4.1 Species interactions
19) Benthic organisms in the Great Lakes ________.
A) live near the water's surface
B) are harmed by the presence of zebra mussels
C) benefit from the presence of zebra mussels
D) include phytoplankton
E) include zebra mussels
Answer: C
Diff: 3
Objective: 4.3 Invasive species
20) Microbes in our digestive tract that help us digest food demonstrate a(n) ________ association.
A) allelopathic
B) homeopathic
C) parasitic
D) symbiotic
E) benthic
Answer: D
Diff: 1
Objective: 4.1 Species interactions
21) Which of the following are pioneer species?
A) lichens
B) wolves and mountain lions
C) beavers
D) aspen trees
E) zebra mussels
Answer: A
Diff: 1
Objective: 4.5 Succession
22) Techniques to eradicate zebra mussels ________.
A) are global and long lived
B) are relatively inexpensive
C) are relatively simple
D) have not yet been attempted
E) include introducing predators and diseases
Answer: E
Diff: 1
Objective: 4.3 Invasive species
23) A community may undergo a regime shift or a phase shift when ________.
A) pollutants cause a rapid rise in mutations
B) they suffer a natural fire or flood
C) have too many symbiotic relationships among species
D) lose keystone species or suffer a major climatic change
E) all invasive and exotic species are removed
Answer: D
Diff: 1
Objective: 4.4 Keystone species
24) Kelp ________.
A) is eaten by sea otters
B) is eaten by orcas
C) suffers intense herbivory from zebra mussels
D) suffers intense herbivory from sea urchins
E) is pollinated by sea urchins
Answer: D
Diff: 1
Objective: 4.4 Keystone species
25) Environmentally and economically acceptable means of controlling introduced invasive species include ________.
A) public education, introduction of suitable predators, examination of imported goods
B) application of potent pesticides that kill the introduced species
C) banning of all importation of non-native species with heavy fines for non-compliance
D) removal of all the invasive individuals by collecting, baiting, trapping and, for plants, prescribed burning
E) killing off pollinators for invasive plants, food sources for invasive animals
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Objective: 4.3 Invasive species
26) Global climate change may produce major shifts in biomes for any given location because ________.
A) biodiversity and day length will change
B) mean temperature, precipitation and salinity will change
C) many species may become extinct
D) food web dynamics will change
E) soil chemistry, pH of precipitation and the frequency of invasive species will change
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Objective: 4.7 Earth's biomes
27) The Everglades Restoration Plan in Florida ________.
A) seeks to exterminate numerous invasive fish species and plants
B) will restore restore natural levels of water flow by undoing numerous damming and drainage projects
C) will result in serious depletion of drinking water supplies for humans in south Florida
D) will probably destroy much of the commercial fishing in the area
E) is a short-term restoration project with a two-year implementation plan
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Objective: 4.6 Ecological restoration
28) Detritivores include ________.
A) bacteria and fungi
B) algae and photosynthetic bacteria
C) millipedes, soil insects, many ants
D) wolves, lions, oak trees
E) species that can break down cellulose, bone and other durable biopolymers
Answer: C
Diff: 1
Objective: 4.2 Feeding relationships and energy flow
29) The energy content and biomass of ________ is lowest in any food web.
A) top carnivores
B) producers
C) small carnivores such as spiders and lizards
D) detritivores
E) decomposers
Answer: A
Diff: 1
Objective: 4.2 Feeding relationships and energy flow
30) A trophic cascade is the effect of ________ on ________.
A) detritivores /decomposers
B) producers/first level consumers
C) top consumers/one another
D) top consumers/abundance of lower consumers
E) flooding/terrestrial ecosystems
Answer: D
Diff: 1
Objective: 4.4 Keystone species
4.4 Essay Questions
1) What ecological traits do successful invasive species possess? How do these traits interact to make controlling them difficult?
Answer: Invasive species possess high fecundity, large dispersal ability, the tendency toward general habitat preference, large phenotypic plasticity, and an absence of native biotic controls such as competitors, predators, and pathogens. Possessing these traits, elimination can be virtually impossible, even if only a few survive. They are very adaptable to new environments and spread very rapidly once established.
Diff: 3
Objective: 4.3 Invasive species
2) Define the term invasive species and give two examples from your textbook.
Answer: Invasive usually species originate from ecosystems usually far removed from from the one into which they are introduced. They are capable of attaining unnatural dominance within ecological communities. Many are introduced by humans, in some cases intentionally. In many more cases, they are introduced unintentionally. In their new environment, invasive species have little or no restraint on their population growth. Examples include zebra mussels, sea lampreys, chestnut blight fungus, and Dutch elm disease.
Diff: 2
Objective: 4.3 Invasive species
3) Give an example of how an invasive species can cause ecological or economic harm.
Answer: Lacking predators, parasites, and/or competitors in their new environment, invasive species can proliferate and dominate a community. Impacts of invasive species have become more extensive in recent years because of the increased mobility of humans and globalization. An example of an invasive species is the zebra mussel. As adults, zebra mussels can attach to boats and ships (they were carried to the Great Lakes on ships). In their new environment, they did not encounter the predators, competitors, and parasites that limited their population growth in Asia and Europe. Their population grew, and they spread to other areas.They clog up water intake pipes at factories, power plants, and municipal water supplies and wastewater treatment facilities. They damage boat engines, degrade docks, foul fishing gear, and sink buoys. It is estimated that they cost the U.S. economy hundreds of millions of dollars a year.
Diff: 2
Objective: 4.3 Invasive species
4) Why do environmentalists favor the term food web as opposed to food chain?
Answer: Ecological systems are far more complex than simple linear chains. Feeding relationships and energy flow among interacting organisms usually take many paths in a community. For instance, Figure 4.12 in the text illustrates how grasses are food for a variety of animals such as deer, mice, and rabbits. Birds eat a variety of insects, spiders, and berries. Soil bacteria decompose a variety of dead plants and animals.
Diff: 2
Objective: 4.2 Feeding relationships and energy flow
5) List the three major trophic levels in a food web. What types of organisms are found in each level? Where are the autotrophs and heterotrophs found? Discuss the significance of each level for the integral functioning of the food web.
Answer: The three major trophic levels are producer, consumer, and decomposer. Producers include green plants and chemo- and photosynthetic bacteria. All organisms are autotrophs in this level. The next level, consumers, includes herbivores as primary consumers and carnivores as secondary and tertiary consumers. All organisms at this level are heterotrophs. The final level is the decomposers, which include bacteria, and fungi and a few other microorganisms. These are all heterotrophs. Producers are important because they provide the energetic and material basis for consumption of all other levels. The decomposers' role is to aid in soil production and fertility and they recycle nutrients to the producers. The consumers are a very significant force in regulating populations of plants and prey animals. They also are important as pollinators and dispersers of plant species
Diff: 3
Objective: 4.2 Feeding relationships and energy flow
6) Discuss ways to control invasive species.
Answer: Controlling and eradicating invasive species are difficult and expensive. A wide variety of techniques has been tried, among them manual removal, introduction of predators, and application of toxic chemicals, heat, sound, electric current, and ultraviolet light. Most of these techniques are localized and short-lived solutions that are not very effective. Prevention of their spread through education and legislation might prove more effective in the future.
Diff: 2
Objective: 4.3 Invasive species
7) Discuss the interrelationship between great whales, orcas, sea lions, sea urchins, and kelp in the Pacific Ocean.
Answer: At one time, great whales, orcas, sea lions, sea urchins, and kelp lived in a balanced ecosystem in the Pacific Ocean off the coasts of southern California, north to Alaska. However, industrial whaling in the 20th century in this area significantly affected the populations of these organisms. When great whales were overhunted, orcas, which fed on the whales, had less food. Consequently, the orcas fed on seals, sea lions, and sea otters instead. Sea otters were also hunted for their fur, and they nearly went extinct. Because sea otters eat sea urchins, the sea urchin population exploded when the sea otter population decreased. Sea urchins eat kelp, so kelp beds were destroyed as the sea urchin population expanded. This was devastating for the ecosystem because kelp is habitat for many fish and invertebrates. Without kelp, the biodiversity and stability of the ecosystem was reduced significantly. This story illustrates the interrelationship of organisms within ecosystems and establishes sea otters as a prime example of a keystone species.