Ecology and Evolution - Fall 2005Study Guide
This study guide is really just a collection of questions that may show up on the final exam. The test will be comprehensive but this list of questions is not. Do not count on these exact questions showing up on the test. Instead, study the concepts surrounding the issues within each question. In addition, material for the last Quizzam (#7) is not covered in this study guide but will be on the test.
Do ecological studies support the idea of a balanced natural world that exists in a pristine state?
A)Yes, ecological studies support this idea.
B)No, ecological studies show historical variation in nature and the pervasive influence of human activities – nature is in non-equilibrium.
The word "ecology" is derived from the Greek oikos, which means: A) money or currency B) the ocean C) house D) root or origin
Who gave the word "ecology" its current broad meaning? A)the German zoologist Ernst Haeckel B)the English naturalist Charles Darwin C)the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus
Gray whales feed in the Bering Sea, then migrate far to the south, reproducing in the Gulf of California. Feeding conditions in the Bering Sea influence the reproductive success of these animals in their breeding area. Reproductive success, in turn, modifies the impact of the gray whale on marine ecosystems in the Gulf of California. What important principle do these interlinked processes illustrate?
A)All ecosystems are ultimately linked together in a single biosphere.
B)All ecosystems are tightly bounded and poorly linked with other ecosystems.
It may be said that the approach taken by an ecologist to the study of the natural world depends on the level of ecological organization studied. For example, an ecologist who takes the population approach to the study of ecology would most likely be interested in:
A)adaptations of individual organisms that suit them for life in their environment.
B)changes in numbers, resulting from births and deaths, of individuals belonging to a particular species in a particular place.
C)the number and relative abundances of species living in a particular place.
D)transport of energy and materials at the global scale.
Which of the following properties of water is most important in preventing the bottoms of large bodies of water (lakes and oceans) from freezing solid?
A) Water conducts heat rapidly. B)Water is most dense at 4°C. C)Water is capable of dissolving a wide array of substances. D) Freezing of water requires the removal of 80 times as much heat as that needed to lower the temperature of the same quantity of water by 1°C.
Which is the photosynthetic reaction? Glucose is a sugar.
A)(sunlight +) water + glucose carbon dioxide + oxygen
B)(sunlight +) water + carbon dioxide glucose + oxygen
C)(sunlight +) oxygen + glucose carbon dioxide + water
D)(sunlight +) oxygen + water glucose + carbon dioxide
Which is the cellular respiration reaction? ATP is a molecule related to available energy.
A)water + glucose carbon dioxide + oxygen (+ ATP)
B)water + carbon dioxide glucose + oxygen (+ ATP)
C)oxygen + glucose carbon dioxide + water (+ ATP)
D)oxygen + water glucose + carbon dioxide (+ ATP)
This can be limiting to photosynthesis: A)carbon dioxide B) Oxygen C) Water D) sugar such as glucose E) A & C
Assemblages of organisms and their physical environments constitute which level of the ecological hierarchy? \ A) organism B) populationC) communityD) ecosystem
T or F Mammals including humans (Homo sapiens) are dominant species of the planet because the group includes so many species compared to others.
T or F There are several species within the genus Homo.
Which of the following best relates the severity and frequency of natural events, such as storms or droughts?
A) Nothing is known about this relationship. B) The severity and frequency of these events are unrelated. C) The more severe the event, the less frequent it is. D) The more severe the event, the more frequent it is.
In the scientific process, what is an hypothesis? A) an explanation B) an experiment C) an observation D) a proven fact
In the scientific process, what is a theory? A) a proven factB) a hypothesis that has an overwhelming amount of data supporting itC) an educated guess D) an observation about the way the world works
In class, I used examples of gravity, low precipitation, and freezing water temps to illustrate what point? A) a non-equilibrium nature B) pseudoscientific processes C) Taxonomic hierarchical system of biology
How many biological “domains” are there? A) 1 B) 3C) 5D) thousands
Organisms have adaptations or have certain tolerances to extremes to get the chance to do what? A) Grow B) Reproduce C) Survive
Match:
- A logical consequence of a hypothesis.
- Change in the heritable traits of organisms over time.
- Place where an animal or plant normally lives; characterized by physical environmental features
- the fundamental unit of natural selection
- the fundamental unit of evolution
A) Organism
B) Habitat
C) Evolution
D) Prediction
E) Population
Why is water so important for life? A) basic ingredient in photosynthesis B) it is abundant on earthC) has unique thermal propertiesD) dissolves lots of nutrients E) all of these
Which is not an important aspect of testing a hypothesis? A) Testable B) Not falsifiable C) Repeatable D) Based upon observation and question
These are all scientific theories except: A) Theory of EvolutionB) Theory of Global WarmingC) Intellegent DesignD) Gene Ray’s Time CubeE) C & D
Which generally requires the best environmental conditions.A) GrowthB) SurvivalC) Reproduction
Which part of the electromagnetic spectrum (energy from sun) includes wavelengths that are longest (than 700 nanometers)?
A) infrared radiation (IR)B) visible light (PAR)C) Ultravioloet light (UV)D) x-rays
The energy content of electromagnetic radiation is related inversely or opposite to its wavelength. Which of the following kinds of electromagnetic radiation has the highest energy? A) infrared radiation B) visible light C) ultraviolet radiation D) x-rays
Which are perceived as heat?A)infrared radiation B) visible light C) ultraviolet radiation D) x-rays
Why are there now strict controls over the manufacture and release into the atmosphere of CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons)?
A)CFCs destroy ozone in the upper atmosphere, permitting greater penetration of harmful ultraviolet radiation.
B)CFCs absorb visible light entering the earth's upper atmosphere, resulting in a phenomenon know as "global cooling."
C)CFCs are extremely toxic to most organisms and cause severe respiratory problems in humans.
When we determine the change in heat content of an organism as a function of metabolism, evaporation of water, net radiation balance, and the net transfer of heat by conduction and convection, what are we describing? A) the habitat of the organism C) the energy or heat budget of the organism
B)the niche of the organism D)the food budget of the organism
The energy of incident solar radiation reaching the surface of the earth declines toward the poles from its maximum in equatorial regions. Why is this?
A)Cold air absorbs more solar radiation than warm air. B)A given amount of solar radiation is spread over a larger area at higher latitudes. C) Solar radiation travels a longer path through the earth's atmosphere at higher latitudes.
D)Both A and B are true. E)Both B and C are true.
Which of the following increases as one moves poleward from the tropics? A)length of the growing season C)seasonal range (variation) in temperatures
B)mean annual temperature D)all of the above
Why are areas in the tropics wetter (i.e., they receive more precipitation) than areas at higher latitudes – say, for example, the poles?
A)There is more water in tropical latitudes. B)Water cycles more rapidly through the tropical atmosphere.
C)More precipitation falls as snow at higher latitudes. D)The tropics are windier.
Air masses descending to the earth at approximately 30 degrees north and south of the equator create what conditions at the earth's surface?
A)arid (desert) climate D)unusually constant temperature B)unusually high precipitation E)all of the above
C)unusually high snowfall
Which two features distinguish a coastal zone from the adjacent continental interior?
A)higher precipitation and lower temperature variation B)lower precipitation and lower temperature variation
C)higher precipitation and higher temperature variation D)lower precipitation and higher temperature variation
What kind of oceanic circulation would you predict for the western coasts of the continents?
A)cold currents moving from the equator poleward B)warm currents moving from the equator poleward
C)cold currents moving from the poles toward the equator D)warm currents moving from the poles toward the equator
Costa Rica is relatively close to the equator. It, like Panama, is divided from the Northwest to the Southeast by the Talamanca mountain range. Northeast and Southwest of this range are slopes down to the Caribbean sea and Pacific ocean respectively. Which slope would you expect to be relatively dry due to a rainshadow effect? A) Caribbean B) Pacific
Why is the water at the bottom of a temperate lake likely to be close to 4°C year-round?
A)Cooling water below 4°C requires enormous amounts of energy. B)It is impossible to cool water below 4°C.
C)Air temperatures in the temperate zone never fall below 4°C. D)Water is most dense at 4°C.
In Pennsylvania, on which slope face would you expect to find plants that tolerate drier, warmer conditions? A) North B) South C) East D) West
Many temperate lakes exhibit vertical mixing of surface and deeper waters, called overturn, twice annually. During which seasons does overturn occur?
A) winter and spring C)fall and spring B)winter and summer D)fall and summer
Species with a narrow range of environmental tolerance are called specialists. Those with a wide range of tolerance are called ______.
A)omnivores B) generalists C) opportunists D) transitional species
The similar appearances of unrelated seed-eating birds around the world are an example of ______.
A) convergence B) cloning C) polymorphism D) polygamy
Our ability to distinguish different biomes under similar conditions in different parts of the world depends primarily on which of the following factors that influence the distributions of growth forms? A) unique evolutionary histories in different parts of the world B) chance events that prevent dispersal of organisms to all parts of the world C) interactions among species D) the matching of growth form and environment
Where the distributions of various species of maple (sugar, red, black, and silver) overlap in eastern North America, the species exhibit distinctive preferences for local environmental conditions. This is a reflection of differences in ______of the species. A) growth forms B) convergences C) ecological tolerances D) biomes
Reading. Small leaf size in desert plants facilitates: A) loss of heat by convection. B) conservation of nutrients. C) capture of rainwater. D) visits to flowers by pollinators.
In Robert H. Whittaker's approach to relating terrestrial biomes and climatic variables, the principal biomes fall in a triangular area that does not include climates with:
A) high temperature and high precipitationB) high temperature and low precipitationC) low temperature and high precipitationD) low temperature and low precipitation
Walter's climate diagrams allow us to identify any months that have water deficit. These are months in which:
A) temperature is above precipitation.B) temperature does not go above 20°C.
C) precipitation is above temperature. D) precipitation is equal to temperature.
Which of the following biomes is found commonly in eastern North America and southern Canada, and also in Europe and eastern Asia?
A) temperate seasonal forest biomeB) temperate rain forest biome
C) temperate grassland/desert biomeD) woodland/shrubland biome
Which of the following biomes is associated with a Mediterranean climate? A) subtropical desert biome B) woodland/shrubland biome C) tropical seasonal forest/savanna D) boreal forest
Reading. Forests dominated primarily by evergreen trees with abundant lianas and epiphytes are found in which of the following biomes?
A) tropical rain forest biome B) tropical seasonal forest/savanna biome
C) subtropical desert biome D) woodland/shrubland biome
With respect to the world’s biomes, North America is ______.A) DiverseB) Not-diverse
The climate diagrams of Walter portray: A) evapotranspiration and precipitation. B) evapotranspiration and temperature. C) temperature and precipitation.
In which of the following biomes would you expect fire to play an important role in maintaining structure and function of the biological community?
A) tropical savanna biome B) Mediterranean woodland biome C) temperate grassland biomeD) temperate needle-leaved biome E) all of the above
Lakes are generally divided into zones, each of which has unique physical and biological attributes. In which of the following zones would you expect to find rooted vegetation? A) littoral B) limnetic C) benthic D) all of the above
Which of the following is a characteristic of a typical estuary? A)It is located at the mouth of a river. B)It has a mix of fresh and salt water. C) It is edged by tidal marshes. D) It is highly productive. E) All of the above are true.
Which of the following oceanic zones extends to the edge of the continental shelf? A)littoral B) neritic C) oceanic D) aphotic
In oceans, the biological productivity within the photic portion of the neritic zone is usually far greater than that within the photic portion of the oceanic zone. What limits productivity in the oceanic zone? A) toxic substances introduced by human activities B) low temperatures
C)low nutrient levels D)low oxygen
Coral reefs are to open oceans as ______. A)tropical rain forests are to deserts B) deserts are to tropical rain forests
Plants, algae, and some bacteria capture the energy of sunlight and store it in chemical form. We refer to these organisms collectively as ______.
A)primary producers (autotrophs) C) primary consumers (herbivores) D) decomposers E) reducers
Which of the following ecosystems has a level of primary production similar to that of a tropical rain forest but does not necessarily have the biological diversity?
A)subtropical desert B)open ocean D) marsh E)Mediterranean woodland C) temperate grassland
The energy ingested by an organism minus the energy content of egested materials is referred to as ______.
A)respiration B) excreted energy C)net productionD)gross production E) assimilated energy
Who were these ecologists?
This ecologist was the first to promote the concept of the "food web". The concept focuses on feeding relationships as the links connecting the organisms of an ecological system into a single functional entity.
This ecologist coined the term "ecosystem," recognizing that the biotas, plus their physical environment, constitute a fundamental level of ecological organization.
This ecologist was the first to apply thermodynamic principles to the study of ecological systems.
The concept of the ecosystem as an energy-transforming machine obeying thermodynamic principles was not widely accepted in the early part of the 20th century. It was not until the 1940s that the work of this young aquatic ecologist, also drawing from other ecologists (in the list to the right) brought widespread attention to this concept.
This ecologist promoted the “universal” model of energy transfer through ecosystems.
The ecological (food chain) efficiency relates the productivity of one trophic level to that of the trophic level supporting it. Which of the following is a typical range of ecological efficiencies encountered in a variety of ecosystems? A) 1–2% B) 5–20% C) 25–50% D) 50–100%
The ratio of energy channeled into net production (growth and reproduction) to the energy assimilated is the organism's net production efficiency. Which of the following would you expect to have the highest net production efficiency? A) active, warm-blooded animals C) active, cold-blooded animals B) sedentary, warm-blooded animals D) sedentary, cold-blooded animals
Tough question: which of the following is necessarily lower? A)net production efficiency B) gross production efficiency
Cows have lots of evolutionary adaptations for eating grass. Rumen, either internal (cow) or external (rabbit) are an evolutionary result of what?
A) low assimilation efficiency based upon dissimilarity between organisms at different trophic levels (cow eating grass).
B) high assimilation efficiency based upon the proximity of one trophic level and the next (cow eating grass).
Given what you know about transfer of energy from one trophic level to the next, what can you conclude about the potential food-chain length in natural ecosystems?
A)There is no limit to the number of trophic levels in a food chain.
B)There is an upper limit to the number of trophic levels in a food chain, probably around 4–5.
C)There is an upper limit to the number of trophic levels in a food chain, probably around 10–20.
How can humans increase their food supply and reduce their ecological impact? A)by eating higher on the food chain B) by eating lower on the food chain
Energy transformations in biological systems typically link assimilatory and dissimilatory processes. Which of the following is necessary for such transformations to occur? A) The dissimilatory process must release less energy than that required by the assimilatory process.
B)The dissimilatory process must release more energy than that required by the assimilatory process.
C)The energy released by the dissimilatory process must exactly balance the energy required by the assimilatory process.
Most biological energy transformations are associated with the biochemical oxidation (add oxygen) and reduction (adding electrons usually in the form of hydrogen such as one finds in a molecule of water) of which of the following elements? A) sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium
B) copper, iron, aluminum, and manganese C) carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur
T or F Energy flow in the ecosystem is recycled.T or F Chemicals in ecosystems are recycled.
T or F Energy flow and chemical processes are tightly linked in an ecosystem.T or F Chemicals may be residents or contained for long periods of time.
T or F Evaporation rates are greater than precipitation rates over land.T or F Evaporation rates are greater than precipitation rates over the ocean.
Which of the following is by far the largest reservoir of water on earth? A)the oceans B) polar ice caps and glaciers C) underground aquifers D) lakes and rivers E) soil moisture
Which of the following diets will lead to the greatest assimilation efficiency in herbivorous animals adapted to consuming such a diet?
A) decaying wood B) seeds C) grassesD) branches and leaves of shrubs
Which of the following animals has the lowest net production efficiency? A) lizard B) fish C) hummingbird D) cow
Which of the following biochemical reactions is an example of a dissimilatory process? A) oxidation of carbon in carbohydrate during respiration