TAMU: ECCB 205 Exam 4

Fundamentals of Ecology and Conservation Biology

For species with good dispersal capabilities (birds and flying insects, for example), one of the following may suffice to provide connectivity between patches of suitable habitat, without the need for a continuously connected corridor.

edge habitat

habitat “peninsulas”

stepping stones

matrix habitat

stepping stones

On a landscape with habitat patches in a non-habitat matrix for a particular species, the “quality” and spatial attributes of the matrix, such as the types of ecosystems and their spatial configuration, ______ the connectivity of the habitat patches.

should not affect

can affect

can effect

A stream flowing through or under a glacier can leave deposits of soil and rock in its path. After the retreat of the glacier, these deposits appear as a long, winding hill in the landscape, called esker. This is a case of __________ on landscape structure.

legacy effects of human activities

effects of primary succession

effects of secondary succession

legacy effects of natural processes

legacy effects of natural processes

If patch A and patch B are of the same size but patch A has a smaller patch shape index value than patch B, then…

patch B has less edge habitat than patch A.

patch A has a more complex shape than patch B.

patch A has a simpler shape than patch B.

patch A has less interior habitat than patch B.

patch A has a simpler shape than patch B.

If we consider the areas within 100 m of forest to cropland edge as the edge habitat, which of the following patch has the lowest proportion of interior habitat?

a rectangle patch 100 ha in size (500 m by 2000 m)

a square patch 100 ha in size (1000 m by 1000 m)

a square patch 25 ha in size (500 m by 500 m)

a rectangle patch 25 ha in size (200 m by 1250 m)

a rectangle patch 25 ha in size (200 m by 1250 m)

What in the 1960s-1980s is likely a major cause of the fragmentation of the tiger bush landscape in Niger?

Severe drought

Excessive rainfall

Insect outbreak

Significant human population growth and associated fuel wood consumption

Significant human population growth and associated fuel wood consumption

Listed below are five consequences of habitat fragmentation. Which of these favors the brown-headed cowbird?

amount of edge habitat increases

total amount of habitat decreases

number of habitat patches increases

patch isolation increases

average patch size decreases

amount of edge habitat increases

Which of the following statement is TRUE regarding landscape structure and landscape process?

There is no interaction between landscape structure and landscape process.

Landscape process affects landscape structure, but not vice versa.

Landscape structure affects landscape process, but not vice versa.

Landscape structure affects landscape process, and vice versa.

Landscape structure affects landscape process, and vice versa.

The study of the effects of animal activities on landscape structure in Minnesota in 1926-1986 shows that __________.

the decrease of beaver population had no effect on the forest and wet/moist meadows cover

the decrease of beaver population lead to decreased forest cover and increased wet/moist meadows cover

the increase of beaver population lead to decreased forest cover and increased wet/moist meadows cover

the increase of beaver population lead to increased forest cover and decreased wet/moist meadows cover

the increase of beaver population lead to decreased forest cover and increased wet/moist meadows cover

Horses went extinct in North America and did not return until they were ferried in boats by European settlers (no land mammal can swim on its own across an ocean). From a horse's perspective, the ocean barrier is best described as what?

A sweepstakes route

A corridor

A filter

A sweepstakes route

Horses originated in North America and then migrated to Asia and Europe. As they migrated, they evolved over many generations into the horse species we see today. This is an example of which migration type?

Jump dispersal

Secular migration

Diffusion

Secular migration

When the number of species on an island is lower than the equilibrium number of species, it'll likely to _____ because the immigration rate is _____ than the extinction rate.

decrease ... lower

increase ... lower

decrease ... higher

increase ... higher

increase ... higher

Islands at equilibrium that are farther from the mainland contain fewer species than nearer islands at equilibrium because farther islands have…

greater extinction.

less immigration.

less isolation.

greater emigration.

less immigration

Pelican Island is about 10% developed/urbanized now.  If it becomes 80% developed/urbanized, assuming the curve for immigration rate stays the same, the turnover rate (T*) is likely to ______ because the ______.

increase … extinction rate will be higher

decrease … extinction rate will be lower

increase … extinction rate will be lower

decrease … extinction rate will be higher

increase … extinction rate will be higher

In an experimental study, Kyle Haynes and James Cronin (2003) from Louisiana State University found that the dispersal success of planthoppers from the central release patch onto surrounding satellite patches was ______ the type of matrix between the patches.

not affected by

dependent on

dependant on

If patch A and patch B are of the same size but patch A has a greater patch shape index value than patch B, then…

patch B has more edge habitat than patch A.

patch A has a simpler shape than patch B.

patch A has a more complex shape than patch B.

patch A has more interior habitat than patch B.

patch A has a more complex shape than patch B.

If we consider the areas within 100 m of forest to cropland edge as the edge habitat, which of the following patch has the the highest proportion of interior habitat?

a square patch 25 ha in size (500 m by 500 m)

a rectangle patch 100 ha in size (500 m by 2000 m)

a square patch 100 ha in size (1000 m by 1000 m)

a rectangle patch 25 ha in size (200 m by 1250 m)

a square patch 100 ha in size (1000 m by 1000 m)

Phenomena or processes occur over small areas change _____, and those occur over large areas change ______.

fast … fast

slow … slow

slow … fast

fast … slow

fast … slow

As a group, mammals are highly mobile species, but some species are better travelers than others. Some, like deer and wolves, easily travel long distances over varied terrain. Others, like many squirrels and mice, keep to very specific habitats and may never stray far from where they were born. Given this, how do you expect mammals to perceive a dispersal route over a high mountain pass?  

A corridor

A sweepstakes route

A filter

A filter

At equilibrium, the number of species on an island tends to ______ over time.

remain the same with consistent species composition

remain the same but the species composition may change

decrease and the species composition will change accordingly

increase and the species composition will change accordingly

remain the same but the species composition may change

In the Northern Hemisphere, the number of species of plants generally

increases from north to south.

decreases from north to south.

decreases from east to west.

increases from east to west.

increases from north to south.

The plant species diversity for the College Station area is a…

beta diversity.

gamma diversity.

alpha diversity.

gamma diversity.

Which of the following statements about beta diversity is FALSE?

Beta diversity changes depending on the scale at which you measure it.

All else being equal, specialists are likely to be more common where beta diversity is high.

Beta diversity measures how quickly species composition has changed through time.

Relatively flat, homogeneous habitats tend to have lower beta diversity.

Beta diversity measures how quickly species composition has changed through time.

Which of the following explanations of the species-area relationship would be anticipated at the smallest, local scales?

The number of species increases with area because larger areas contain a greater number of individuals.

The number of species increases with area because larger areas have more types of habitats.

The number of species increases with area because larger areas support distinct evolutionary lineages.

The number of species increases with area because larger areas contain a greater number of individuals

Three of the statements below are reasons Paul Ehrlich and E.O. Wilson offer for protecting biodiversity. Which is not one of these reasons?

Loss of biodiversity may reduce ecosystem services that would be difficult to replace.

People have an aesthetic and moral obligation to protect Earth's species.

Earth cannot "survive" another mass extinction event.

Earth's biodiversity may provide us with important new resources in the future.

Earth cannot "survive" another mass extinction event.

In North America, the number of species of mammals generally

decreases from north to south.

increases from north to south.

increases from east to west.

decreases from east to west.

increases from east to west.

The number of insect species in a large cotton field is a…

gamma diversity.

beta diversity.

alpha diversity.

alpha diversity.

The change in species composition from the serpentine-soil plant community to the adjacent non-serpentine-soil plant community is considered a…

beta diversity.

alpha diversity.

gamma diversity.

beta diversity.

Which of the following explanations of the species-area relationship would be anticipated at the intermediate, regional scales?

The number of species increases with area because larger areas have more types of habitats.

The number of species increases with area because larger areas support distinct evolutionary lineages.

The number of species increases with area because larger areas contain a greater number of individuals.

The number of species increases with area because larger areas have more types of habitats.

In an agricultural landscape in the Midwest with remnant forest patches, a forested corridor connecting two forest patches could function…

as a conduit to forest animals

as a barrier to open-land animals

as a barrier or filter to erosion flow

all of above

all of the above

What is the matrix of a post oak savanna landscape (~10 km²) that consists of grass areas (60%), wooded areas (30%), crop fields (7%), and water (3%)?

 

grass areas

wooded areas

crop fields

water

grass areas

On small islands created by damming of a large river in Venezuela, predator abundance _____ and herbivore abundance ______, which led to an increase in tree mortality and ______ in tree recruitment.

 

decreased … increased … a decrease

decreased … increased … an increase

increased … decreased … a decrease

increased … decreased … an increase

decreased … increased … a decrease

Of the three types of bees included in their study, Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter and colleagues found that wild bees, which fly relatively short distances when foraging, were influenced by the nature of the landscape mosaic at __________?

 

small (250 m) scales

medium (750 m) scales

large (3,000 m) scales

small (250 m) scales

A ______ food chain is one that includes a primary producer at the lowest trophic level and a herbivorous primary consumer at the second trophic level.

aquatic

grazing

terrestrial

detrital

grazing

Consumption efficiency (CE) is calculated as:

secondary production / assimilation

assimilation / ingestion

ingestion / primary production

secondary production / primary production

ingestion / primary production

Assimilation efficiency (CE) is calculated as:

secondary production / assimilation

assimilation / ingestion

ingestion / primary production

secondary production / primary production

assimilation / ingestion

Production efficiency (CE) is calculated as:

secondary production / assimilation

assimilation / ingestion

ingestion / primary production

secondary production / primary production

secondary production / assimilation

Energy used in ______ is not part of the “respiration” (respired energy) of an animal.

standard metabolism (breathe, heart beat)

specific dynamic action (digest, assimilate)

play

thermoregulation

play

Coyotes likely have ______ assimilation efficiency than deer, because they eat ______ quality food.

lower ... higher

higher ... higher

higher ... lower

lower ... lower

higher ... higher

Some migratory birds are heterothermic, meaning they sometimes maintain a constant body temperature and other times allow their body temperature to vary. For example, on cold nights, they sometimes reduce their metabolic rate and allow their body temperature to drop as the air temperature falls. These birds allow their temperature to drop in order to increase their _______ efficiency

assimilation efficiency

consumption efficiency

production efficiency

production efficiency

Which of the following would you expect to have the lowest production efficiency? 

active, cold-blooded animals

sedentary, warm-blooded animals

sedentary, cold-blooded animals

active, warm-blooded animals

active, warm-blooded animals

Which of the following would you expect to have the highest production efficiency? 

active, cold-blooded animals

sedentary, warm-blooded animals

sedentary, cold-blooded animals

active, warm-blooded animals

sedentary, cold-blooded animals

If we take a "ballpark estimate” of 10% for ecological efficiencies of herbivores and carnivores, what percentage of the energy content of net primary production (100%) would we expect to find in production at the second trophic level (herbivores) ?

0.01%

0.1%

1%

10%

10%

What is the primary cause of the Dead Zone in the Gulf?

Pesticide pollution

Nutrient pollution

Oil spills

Natural disasters

Nutrient pollution

A ______ food chain is one whose primary consumers are decomposers, organisms who consume dead particulate organic matter.

grazing

terrestrial

aquatic

detrital

detrital

Storage time is calculated by…

pool size/total flux out

pool size/total flux in

total flux in - total flux out

total flux out - total flux in

total flux in - total flux out

Residence time is calculated by…

pool size/total flux out

pool size/total flux in

total flux in - total flux out

total flux out - total flux in

pool size/total flux out

The Pacific yew trees, from which the drug

Taxol (more than $1.5 billion in annual sales)

derived, is an example of _____ services of

ecosystems.

supporting

provisioning

regulating

cultural

provisioning

Humans rely on insect pollinators for ~1/3

of the food we eat. Insect pollination is an

example of _____ services of ecosystems.

supporting

provisioning

regulating

cultural

regulating

A drama/tragedy of the commons results when individuals choose to use more than their "fair" share of a common‐pool resource. Under what circumstances are these dramas more likely to occur?

When the benefit associated with using a bit more of the resource is very large, regardless of the cost

When the cost associated with using the resource is very small, regardless of the benefit to the individual

When the benefit to the individual for using a bit more of the resource is greater than the associated cost

When the group benefit of leaving the resource unused is greater than the individual's benefit of using more

When the benefit to the individual for using a bit more of the resource is greater than the associated cost

In our simulation of herbivores feeding in a farm pasture, we treated each species as if it were foraging all by itself. Of course, in real ecosystems, there are many different herbivores, some of which compete with one another for food. If both sheep and grasshoppers were feeding in a pasture, how do you think the grasshoppers would affect sheep? Choose the best answer.

Sheep consumption efficiency would be reduced.

Sheep assimilation efficiency would be increased.

Sheep production efficiency would be reduced.

The trophic efficiency of sheep would be increased

Sheep consumption efficiency would be reduced.

Some migratory birds are heterothermic, meaning they sometimes maintain a constant body temperature and other times allow their body temperature to vary. For example, on cold nights, they sometimes reduce their metabolic rate and allow their body temperature to drop as the air temperature falls. Which of the following hypotheses about this unusual strategy is consistent with what you learned in this section?

Birds allow their temperature to drop in order to increase their assimilation efficiency.

Birds allow their temperature drop in order to increase their production efficiency.

Birds allow their temperature to drop in order to increase their consumption efficiency

Birds allow their temperature drop in order to increase their production efficiency.

Which of the following statements about secondary production is false?

The production efficiency of endothermic species tends to be lower than that of ectotherms.

The production efficiency of herbivores tends to be higher than that of carnivores.

Generally, an individual's production efficiency will decline as the C:N ratio of its food increases.

All else being equal, small animals have lower production efficiencies than large ones

The production efficiency of herbivores tends to be higher than that of carnivores.

The cycles for which nutrients contain a prominent gaseous component?

Carbon only

Nitrogen only

Phosphorus only

Carbon and nitrogen only

Phosphorus and nitrogen only

Carbon and nitrogen only

Which of the following statements about algal blooms and eutrophication is true?

Eutrophication is typically caused by the addition of nitrogen and/or phosphorus.

Algal blooms cannot produce toxic substances that threaten drinking water.

When algae in an algal bloom die, decomposition produces excess oxygen, which can kill fish.

Algae populations grow when the availability of any nutrient changes.

Eutrophication is typically caused by the addition of nitrogen and/or phosphorus.

Which of the following statements about beta diversity is true?

Beta diversity measures the rate that species composition changes across the landscape.

Areas with high alpha diversity will necessarily also have high beta diversity.

Mountainous regions with variable habitats tend to have lower beta diversity.

Beta diversity does not change when you measure it at a different spatial scale

Beta diversity measures the rate that species composition changes across the landscape.

When we think of islands, we often think of them as land masses surrounded by water. Ecologists have suggested a much broader definition of an island. Which of the following would NOT be viewed as an island by an ecologist?

Mountain top habitats

Urban parks

Caves

The Sahara desert

The Sahara desert

The equilibrium theory of island biogeography has been used to make predictions about how island size, island distance, and species richness affect immigration, extinction, and turnover rates. Which of the following predictions follows from the theory of Island Biogeography? (Note: The phrase "all else being equal" applies to each option.)

Turnover rates decrease as the size of an island increases

Immigration rates increase as an island's distance to mainland increases.

Extinction rates decrease as the number of species on an island increases.

Extinction rates increase as the size of an island increases.

Turnover rates decrease as the size of an island increases

The Argentine fire ants were introduced to Alabama in the 1930s. Over the following decades, fire ants spread throughout the Southern US. This is an example of which migration type?

Jump

Diffusion

Secular migration

Diffision

How do you expect the graph of I and E curves will change if the size of the island is decreased?

E will increase (island can support more species)

E will decrease (island can support less species)

E will decrease (island can support less species)