Ecology Unit 3 Problem Set Qs

Which of the following interspecific interactions involves no cost or benefit to one of the two interacting species?

 

a. Consumer-Resource

b. Competition

c. Commensalism

d. Mutualism

Commensalism

A wasp catching a tarantula and laying eggs inside is an example of which of the following consumer-resource interactions?

 

a. Predator-Prey

b. Amensalism

c. Parasite-Host

d. Parasitoid-Host

Parasitoid-Host

Which of the following is a symbiotic ectoparasite?

 

a. Head lice

b. Malaria

c. Tick

d. Mosquito

Head lice

Mullerian mimicry is an example of what kind of interaction between the two species mimicking eachother?

 

a. Commensalism

b. Amensalism

c. Mutualism

d. Competition

Mutualism

An orchid species has flowers that produce oily substance with a strong scent.  Metallic green bees visit the flower to gather scents to attract mates, and then carry off some of its pollen to another flower of the same species.  This is best described as an example of a:

 

a. Dispersive mutualism

b. Trophic mutualism

c. Coercive mutualism

d. Defensive mutualism

Dispersive mutualism

What is meant by the ‘competitive exclusion principle’, and how is the term ‘limiting resource’ relevant to this idea?

The competitive exclusion principle states that two species competing for the same limited resource cannot coexist indefinitely. The term 'limiting resource' refers to resources that are in short supply, which can drive competition and lead to the exclusion of one species by another.

Squirrels that are active during the day eat many acorns, leaving few available for night- active rodents.  This is an example of:

 

a. Intraspecific competition

b. Exploitation competition

c. Exasperation competition

d. Interference competition

Exploitation competition

Which of Holling’s types of functional responses of predators to prey abundance is the most complex (and likely the most realistic), involving predator satiation as well as less predation at low prey abundances?

 

a. Type II

b. Type I

c. Type III

d. Type IV

Type III

An insectivorous bat feeds on beetles, and is preyed upon by owls.  When there are more beetles available, bat population size does not change, but when a disease decimates owl populations, bat populations increase.  This demonstrates that the bat population is under:

 

a. Bottom-up control

b. Type II functional response

c. Top-down control

d. Regular, cyclical population fluctuations

Top-down control