BIO 212 EXAM 4 (FINAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
The five main levels of study in ecology from smallest to largest - Answers - Organismal
Population
Community
Ecosystem
Biosphere/Global
Where do rain shadows exist? - Answers - The region beyond a mountain range that
receives dry air
Whats the main type of vegetation in a tropical wet forest? - Answers - Broad-leaved
evergreen trees
What is one expected consequence of global climate change? - Answers - Variability in
rainfall will increase
The ocean is so vast that its not influenced by human impacts - Answers - False
Water depth, water flow, salinity, and nutrient availability are important abiotic factors in
aquatic biomes - Answers - True
Once nutrients sink to the bottom of lakes, they're no longer available to organisms. -
Answers - False
Explain how the open ocean is similar to the desert, and how it isn't. - Answers - Like
deserts, open oceans have plenty of sunlight but very low productivity.
Unlike deserts, which are water limited, open oceans are nutrient limited.
Temperature forest in China and temperature forest in North America are part of the
same biome but are distinct ecosystems..explain - Answers - Temperature forests in
China and North America are part of the same biome because they're both dominated
by deciduous forests and have similar temperature and precipitation profiles. However,
the particular species found in each are different due to historical factors making each
ecosystem unique.
Compare the distribution of the natural terrestrial biomes of eastern North America with
the distrubution of anthropogenic biomes. - Answers - The natural biome of eastern
North America is primarily temperate forest. However, most of this area's now occupied
by human-influenced biomes such as cities, suburbs, and farmland.
Which statement is the best explanation for seasonality on Mars? - Answers - Mars is
tilted on its axis
, Scientists predict that global climate change will cause a greater increase in average
temperature at higher latitudes than in the tropics. This seems like good news since
most of the worlds biodiversity occurs in the tropics. However, recent data suggest that
a smaller temperature change in the tropics will cause a larger physiological response in
organisms there than the larger temperature change will in organisms in temperate
areas. Based on what you have learned about thermal niches in this chapter, propose a
hypothesis to explain this. - Answers - Temperature is relatively constant in the tropics
all year, whereas temperature fluctuates dramatically at higher latitudes. Organisms that
are physiologically adapted to constant temperatures may not have as much genetic
variation for traits that enable adaptation to higher temperatures. compared to
organisms at higher latitudes, which are adapted to tolerate different temperatures at
different times of the year.
Why are species like the lionfish considered invasive? - Answers - They spread
aggressively and displace native species
DNA studies suggest that the lionfish invasion began with the few females released off
the coast of Florida, probably from a fish tank. Based on your knowledge of ocean
currents, predict the direction in which the lionfish dispersed most quickly. - Answers -
The North Atlantic Gyre flows in a clockwise direction, so the prevailing current on the
Florida coast would be south to north, and it would disperse lionfish up the coast.
List the 5 main levels of ecological study, and write a question about the ecology of
lionfish that you could research at each level. - Answers - Organismal: What range of
salinities can lionfish tolerate?
Population: What's the growth rate of the lionfish population?
Community: How are the lionfish affecting other species in the coral-reef community?
Ecosystem: How do lionfish affect the net primary productivity of the coral reef?
Global: How will climate change and ocean acidification affect the invasive behavior of
lionfish?
Volunteer conservation organizations have hosted "lionfish derbies" and lionfish
cookouts to promote the capture of thousands of lionfish from reefs in Florida and the
Bahamas. Conservationists are also trying to promote a fishery for these small but tasty
fish. Give one reason that it would be easy to promote the consumption of lionfish.
Describe one possible challenge to this effort. - Answers - It would be easy to convince
people about the devastating effects of invasive species like lionfish on coral reef
health; most people love coral reefs and would be highly motivated to eat lionfish if it
helped protect coral reefs. On the other hand, lionfish are small , pretty, and have
venomous spines that may not sound appetizing and could discourage handling. Also,
its not intuitive for humans to kill one pretty thing to protect another.
What do proximate explanations of behavior focus on? - Answers - genetic,
neurological, and hormonal mechanisms of behavior
The five main levels of study in ecology from smallest to largest - Answers - Organismal
Population
Community
Ecosystem
Biosphere/Global
Where do rain shadows exist? - Answers - The region beyond a mountain range that
receives dry air
Whats the main type of vegetation in a tropical wet forest? - Answers - Broad-leaved
evergreen trees
What is one expected consequence of global climate change? - Answers - Variability in
rainfall will increase
The ocean is so vast that its not influenced by human impacts - Answers - False
Water depth, water flow, salinity, and nutrient availability are important abiotic factors in
aquatic biomes - Answers - True
Once nutrients sink to the bottom of lakes, they're no longer available to organisms. -
Answers - False
Explain how the open ocean is similar to the desert, and how it isn't. - Answers - Like
deserts, open oceans have plenty of sunlight but very low productivity.
Unlike deserts, which are water limited, open oceans are nutrient limited.
Temperature forest in China and temperature forest in North America are part of the
same biome but are distinct ecosystems..explain - Answers - Temperature forests in
China and North America are part of the same biome because they're both dominated
by deciduous forests and have similar temperature and precipitation profiles. However,
the particular species found in each are different due to historical factors making each
ecosystem unique.
Compare the distribution of the natural terrestrial biomes of eastern North America with
the distrubution of anthropogenic biomes. - Answers - The natural biome of eastern
North America is primarily temperate forest. However, most of this area's now occupied
by human-influenced biomes such as cities, suburbs, and farmland.
Which statement is the best explanation for seasonality on Mars? - Answers - Mars is
tilted on its axis
, Scientists predict that global climate change will cause a greater increase in average
temperature at higher latitudes than in the tropics. This seems like good news since
most of the worlds biodiversity occurs in the tropics. However, recent data suggest that
a smaller temperature change in the tropics will cause a larger physiological response in
organisms there than the larger temperature change will in organisms in temperate
areas. Based on what you have learned about thermal niches in this chapter, propose a
hypothesis to explain this. - Answers - Temperature is relatively constant in the tropics
all year, whereas temperature fluctuates dramatically at higher latitudes. Organisms that
are physiologically adapted to constant temperatures may not have as much genetic
variation for traits that enable adaptation to higher temperatures. compared to
organisms at higher latitudes, which are adapted to tolerate different temperatures at
different times of the year.
Why are species like the lionfish considered invasive? - Answers - They spread
aggressively and displace native species
DNA studies suggest that the lionfish invasion began with the few females released off
the coast of Florida, probably from a fish tank. Based on your knowledge of ocean
currents, predict the direction in which the lionfish dispersed most quickly. - Answers -
The North Atlantic Gyre flows in a clockwise direction, so the prevailing current on the
Florida coast would be south to north, and it would disperse lionfish up the coast.
List the 5 main levels of ecological study, and write a question about the ecology of
lionfish that you could research at each level. - Answers - Organismal: What range of
salinities can lionfish tolerate?
Population: What's the growth rate of the lionfish population?
Community: How are the lionfish affecting other species in the coral-reef community?
Ecosystem: How do lionfish affect the net primary productivity of the coral reef?
Global: How will climate change and ocean acidification affect the invasive behavior of
lionfish?
Volunteer conservation organizations have hosted "lionfish derbies" and lionfish
cookouts to promote the capture of thousands of lionfish from reefs in Florida and the
Bahamas. Conservationists are also trying to promote a fishery for these small but tasty
fish. Give one reason that it would be easy to promote the consumption of lionfish.
Describe one possible challenge to this effort. - Answers - It would be easy to convince
people about the devastating effects of invasive species like lionfish on coral reef
health; most people love coral reefs and would be highly motivated to eat lionfish if it
helped protect coral reefs. On the other hand, lionfish are small , pretty, and have
venomous spines that may not sound appetizing and could discourage handling. Also,
its not intuitive for humans to kill one pretty thing to protect another.
What do proximate explanations of behavior focus on? - Answers - genetic,
neurological, and hormonal mechanisms of behavior
