BIO 200 EXAM 2 PART 1 QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS
Tundra Biome - Correct Answers -extremely cold and dry biome; known for its
permafrost, mosses, lichens, caribou, and snowy owl
Boreal Forest Biome - Correct Answers -most of the trees in this biome are coniferous
trees; sometimes this biome is called the taiga; winters are very cold; strong seasonal
variation
Desert - Correct Answers -An extremely dry area with little water and few plants;
sunlight heats during day, sand cools at night
Temperate Grassland - Correct Answers -biome characterized by deep, nutrient-rich
soil that supports many grass species; seasonal temp variation; farmland, ranching
Chaparral Biome - Correct Answers -mostly evergreen shrubs; influenced by marine
weather; dependent on fire; mild wet winters and warm dry summers
Temperate Deciduous Forest Biome - Correct Answers -stable precipitation with temps
that vary with the seasons; fewer tree species than rainforest (oaks, beeches, maples)
Temperate Rainforest Biome - Correct Answers -lots of precipitation; moist mossy;
fertile soil susceptible to erosion; coniferous trees (cedars, spruces, hemlocks)
Savanna Biome - Correct Answers -tropical grasslands with clusters of acacia trees;
distinct rainy seasons; widely spread water holes
Tropical Dry Forest Biome - Correct Answers -significant seasonal variation in
precipitation with relatively stable warm temps; deciduous plants; erosion prone
What is restoration ecology? Why is it an important scientific pursuit in today's world? -
Correct Answers -Restoration ecology is the study of life pre-industrialization and aims
to restore functionality to ecological communities typically as a result of human
disturbance.
This is very important in today's world because humans are populating and expanding
at an invasive rate. We have to correct the subsequent damage we have caused to the
environments we are developing for human purposes.
, What factors most strongly influence the type of biome that forms in a particular place
on land? What factors determine the type of aquatic system that may form in a given
location? - Correct Answers -Temp and precipitation are typically what determine the
type of biome that will form.
Water temp, depth, salinity, dissolved nutrients, and others help to determine the type of
aquatic system that will form in a given location.
Tropical Rain Forest Biome - Correct Answers -farmed for biodiversity; constant warm
temps; lots of rain year round; dark damp; lush vegetations; more species than any
other biomes; poor acidic soil low in organic matter
Explain how competition leads to a realized niche. How does competition promote
resource partitioning? - Correct Answers -When competitors create restrictions for other
organisms, then that is when the fundamental niche becomes a realized niche.
Competition leads to resource partitioning because competing species need to find
ways to divide up the available resources, and so they specialize in different ways.
Compare and contrast the three main types of exploitative species interactions
(predation, parasitism, and herbivory,) explaining how they differ? - Correct Answers -
Predation is when one organism hunts, kills, and eats another organism--prey--in order
to survive. Predation helps shape a community's composition.
Parasitism is similar to predation in that one organism, the parasite, takes nutrients from
another organism in order to survive. The difference is that with predation the prey
usually is killed and consumed relatively quickly while it is in a parasite's best interest to
keep their hosts alive as long as possible. This way they can continue to benefit from it.
Herbivory is when an organism feeds on the tissues of plants. Like parasitism, the
herbivorous organism does not usually kill the plants it consumes outright, but it can
affect its growth and ability to reproduce.
Give examples of symbiotic and non-symbiotic mutualism. Describe at least one way in
which a mutualism affects your daily life. - Correct Answers -Non-symbiotic: a cleaner
fish and the organisms they come across to "clean"
Symbiotic: bacteria living in our guts which aid in digestion (also an example of one way
mutualism affects my daily life)
Compare and contrast trophic levels, food chains, and food webs. How are these
concepts related, and how do they differ? - Correct Answers -Trophic levels are the
ranks of food hierarchies. Food chains are a simple way to map the cyclical transition of
feeding from plant to herbivore to predator to bigger predator to detritivores to
decomposition and then back to plant again.
A food web is more complex than a food chain because it is not linear, more complex,
and more realistic.
The trophic levels help to classify the members of the food chains and webs into
community hierarchies. They show us how much food and energy are available to each
trophic level and then how much will be passed on (10% rule).
AND ANSWERS
Tundra Biome - Correct Answers -extremely cold and dry biome; known for its
permafrost, mosses, lichens, caribou, and snowy owl
Boreal Forest Biome - Correct Answers -most of the trees in this biome are coniferous
trees; sometimes this biome is called the taiga; winters are very cold; strong seasonal
variation
Desert - Correct Answers -An extremely dry area with little water and few plants;
sunlight heats during day, sand cools at night
Temperate Grassland - Correct Answers -biome characterized by deep, nutrient-rich
soil that supports many grass species; seasonal temp variation; farmland, ranching
Chaparral Biome - Correct Answers -mostly evergreen shrubs; influenced by marine
weather; dependent on fire; mild wet winters and warm dry summers
Temperate Deciduous Forest Biome - Correct Answers -stable precipitation with temps
that vary with the seasons; fewer tree species than rainforest (oaks, beeches, maples)
Temperate Rainforest Biome - Correct Answers -lots of precipitation; moist mossy;
fertile soil susceptible to erosion; coniferous trees (cedars, spruces, hemlocks)
Savanna Biome - Correct Answers -tropical grasslands with clusters of acacia trees;
distinct rainy seasons; widely spread water holes
Tropical Dry Forest Biome - Correct Answers -significant seasonal variation in
precipitation with relatively stable warm temps; deciduous plants; erosion prone
What is restoration ecology? Why is it an important scientific pursuit in today's world? -
Correct Answers -Restoration ecology is the study of life pre-industrialization and aims
to restore functionality to ecological communities typically as a result of human
disturbance.
This is very important in today's world because humans are populating and expanding
at an invasive rate. We have to correct the subsequent damage we have caused to the
environments we are developing for human purposes.
, What factors most strongly influence the type of biome that forms in a particular place
on land? What factors determine the type of aquatic system that may form in a given
location? - Correct Answers -Temp and precipitation are typically what determine the
type of biome that will form.
Water temp, depth, salinity, dissolved nutrients, and others help to determine the type of
aquatic system that will form in a given location.
Tropical Rain Forest Biome - Correct Answers -farmed for biodiversity; constant warm
temps; lots of rain year round; dark damp; lush vegetations; more species than any
other biomes; poor acidic soil low in organic matter
Explain how competition leads to a realized niche. How does competition promote
resource partitioning? - Correct Answers -When competitors create restrictions for other
organisms, then that is when the fundamental niche becomes a realized niche.
Competition leads to resource partitioning because competing species need to find
ways to divide up the available resources, and so they specialize in different ways.
Compare and contrast the three main types of exploitative species interactions
(predation, parasitism, and herbivory,) explaining how they differ? - Correct Answers -
Predation is when one organism hunts, kills, and eats another organism--prey--in order
to survive. Predation helps shape a community's composition.
Parasitism is similar to predation in that one organism, the parasite, takes nutrients from
another organism in order to survive. The difference is that with predation the prey
usually is killed and consumed relatively quickly while it is in a parasite's best interest to
keep their hosts alive as long as possible. This way they can continue to benefit from it.
Herbivory is when an organism feeds on the tissues of plants. Like parasitism, the
herbivorous organism does not usually kill the plants it consumes outright, but it can
affect its growth and ability to reproduce.
Give examples of symbiotic and non-symbiotic mutualism. Describe at least one way in
which a mutualism affects your daily life. - Correct Answers -Non-symbiotic: a cleaner
fish and the organisms they come across to "clean"
Symbiotic: bacteria living in our guts which aid in digestion (also an example of one way
mutualism affects my daily life)
Compare and contrast trophic levels, food chains, and food webs. How are these
concepts related, and how do they differ? - Correct Answers -Trophic levels are the
ranks of food hierarchies. Food chains are a simple way to map the cyclical transition of
feeding from plant to herbivore to predator to bigger predator to detritivores to
decomposition and then back to plant again.
A food web is more complex than a food chain because it is not linear, more complex,
and more realistic.
The trophic levels help to classify the members of the food chains and webs into
community hierarchies. They show us how much food and energy are available to each
trophic level and then how much will be passed on (10% rule).
