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ECOL111 Questions and Correct Answers
Benthic Zone Ans: Ecological region at the lowest level of a body
of water
Benthic-pelagic coupling Ans: Process that connects both zones
through an exchange of energy, mass, or nutrients
Nutrient Dynamics Ans: The change in nutrient availability over
time (involves how nutrients are taken up, retained, transferred
and cycled)
Bioturbation Ans: Reworking of soils and sediments by plants or
animals
Nutrient Pollution Ans: Too many nutrients added to a body of
water
Eutrophication Ans: Increase in nutrients in aquatic system
causing a dense growth in plant life (e.g. algae)
Diatom Blooms Ans: When a single celled photosynthetic organism
is able to exploit both abiotic and biotic factors (after an increase
in nutrients) to become dominant
Recruitment Ans: The process by which new individuals are added
to a population, whether by birth and maturation or by
immigration
What are the 6 bivalve case studies? Ans: New York - Oyster crash
Dutch Wadden Sea - Cockle, mussel, eider duck crash
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Fiordland - Dumping of freshwater, cockle crash, rock lobster
adaption
Blueskin Bay - Harvested cockles
Gulf of California - Bivalve decline, hoover dam
Antarctic Clam Shells - trace metals determine chemical dynamics
of changing sea ice
Ecosystem Services Ans: The process by which natural
environments provide life-supporting resources for humans
What 5 ecosystem services do bivalves supply? Ans: Food, filter
water increasing the quality and decreasing the turbidity, benthic-
pelagic coupling, biodeposition, bioturbation
Fecundity Ans: Individuals' reproductive capacity (usually the
female)
Biotic Variables that Effect Cockles Ans: Competition, Predation,
Allee effect
Intertidal Zone Ans: The area between the highest tide marks and
lowest tide marks (highly variable)
Abiotic Variables that Effect Cockles Ans: Salinity, Light,
Temperature, Food Availability, Disturbance (Tides), Gradients
Relationship between Stressors and Success Ans: Managing stress
uses energy. More stress = less energy for reproduction = less
success
Cockle fecundity increases with... Ans: Size and age
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Cockles reproduce through... Ans: Broadcast-spawning
Anthropocentrism Ans: The belief that humans are the center
most important entity in the universe
Morphological Characteristics Ans: Outwards appearance of an
organism as well as the form and structure of internal parts
Physiological Characteristics Ans: Physical and biochemical
characteristics of an organism that are involved in its biological
functions and processes
Phenological Characteristics Ans: The timing of biological events
Coastal Geomorphology Ans: Area influenced by the coast
Gradient Ans: A change in parameter or group of parameters over
space and time
Response Function Ans: Organism diversity and distribution vary
spatially and temporally across gradients
Gradients on scales (and examples) Ans: Global (elevation),
Regional (substrate type), Regional-local (tidal cycle), Local (water
potential in plants)
Ecosystem Function Ans: What organisms do to move carbon from
place or form to another
Functional Group (and example) Ans: Based on how organisms
carry out their ecosystem functions (herbivorous fish = functional
group has a specific function (how they feed determines what they
influence))
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Functional Traits Ans: Traits of an organism that determines their
performance
The 3 functional trait categories are... Ans: Morphological,
Physiological, Phenological
Examples of Functional Traits in an Organism Ans: Tree:
Morphological (leaf shape, height), Physiological (nutrient uptake),
Phenological (seed mass)
What are the two scales? Ans: Time and Space
Example of meso and microscale Ans: Meso = perching plants on
Kahikatea. Micro = mites on coprosma leaf
Time scales in relation to ecology of organisms (and example) Ans:
Annual = Migration, Seasonal = Rainfall, Daily = Light
Whakapapa Ans: Line of descent
Kaitiakitanga Ans: Guardianship
Mauri Ans: The quality or vitality of a being or even an ecosystem
Estuary Ans: Junction of a river with an ocean defined by its
salinity gradient
Importance of Estuaries Ans: Shelter, food, transport, food, gas
exchange, nutrient recycling
The niche Ans: All parts of a variables range where the organisms
performance is good enough it survives
© 2025 All rights reserved
ECOL111 Questions and Correct Answers
Benthic Zone Ans: Ecological region at the lowest level of a body
of water
Benthic-pelagic coupling Ans: Process that connects both zones
through an exchange of energy, mass, or nutrients
Nutrient Dynamics Ans: The change in nutrient availability over
time (involves how nutrients are taken up, retained, transferred
and cycled)
Bioturbation Ans: Reworking of soils and sediments by plants or
animals
Nutrient Pollution Ans: Too many nutrients added to a body of
water
Eutrophication Ans: Increase in nutrients in aquatic system
causing a dense growth in plant life (e.g. algae)
Diatom Blooms Ans: When a single celled photosynthetic organism
is able to exploit both abiotic and biotic factors (after an increase
in nutrients) to become dominant
Recruitment Ans: The process by which new individuals are added
to a population, whether by birth and maturation or by
immigration
What are the 6 bivalve case studies? Ans: New York - Oyster crash
Dutch Wadden Sea - Cockle, mussel, eider duck crash
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 2 | Page
Fiordland - Dumping of freshwater, cockle crash, rock lobster
adaption
Blueskin Bay - Harvested cockles
Gulf of California - Bivalve decline, hoover dam
Antarctic Clam Shells - trace metals determine chemical dynamics
of changing sea ice
Ecosystem Services Ans: The process by which natural
environments provide life-supporting resources for humans
What 5 ecosystem services do bivalves supply? Ans: Food, filter
water increasing the quality and decreasing the turbidity, benthic-
pelagic coupling, biodeposition, bioturbation
Fecundity Ans: Individuals' reproductive capacity (usually the
female)
Biotic Variables that Effect Cockles Ans: Competition, Predation,
Allee effect
Intertidal Zone Ans: The area between the highest tide marks and
lowest tide marks (highly variable)
Abiotic Variables that Effect Cockles Ans: Salinity, Light,
Temperature, Food Availability, Disturbance (Tides), Gradients
Relationship between Stressors and Success Ans: Managing stress
uses energy. More stress = less energy for reproduction = less
success
Cockle fecundity increases with... Ans: Size and age
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 3 | Page
Cockles reproduce through... Ans: Broadcast-spawning
Anthropocentrism Ans: The belief that humans are the center
most important entity in the universe
Morphological Characteristics Ans: Outwards appearance of an
organism as well as the form and structure of internal parts
Physiological Characteristics Ans: Physical and biochemical
characteristics of an organism that are involved in its biological
functions and processes
Phenological Characteristics Ans: The timing of biological events
Coastal Geomorphology Ans: Area influenced by the coast
Gradient Ans: A change in parameter or group of parameters over
space and time
Response Function Ans: Organism diversity and distribution vary
spatially and temporally across gradients
Gradients on scales (and examples) Ans: Global (elevation),
Regional (substrate type), Regional-local (tidal cycle), Local (water
potential in plants)
Ecosystem Function Ans: What organisms do to move carbon from
place or form to another
Functional Group (and example) Ans: Based on how organisms
carry out their ecosystem functions (herbivorous fish = functional
group has a specific function (how they feed determines what they
influence))
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 4 | Page
Functional Traits Ans: Traits of an organism that determines their
performance
The 3 functional trait categories are... Ans: Morphological,
Physiological, Phenological
Examples of Functional Traits in an Organism Ans: Tree:
Morphological (leaf shape, height), Physiological (nutrient uptake),
Phenological (seed mass)
What are the two scales? Ans: Time and Space
Example of meso and microscale Ans: Meso = perching plants on
Kahikatea. Micro = mites on coprosma leaf
Time scales in relation to ecology of organisms (and example) Ans:
Annual = Migration, Seasonal = Rainfall, Daily = Light
Whakapapa Ans: Line of descent
Kaitiakitanga Ans: Guardianship
Mauri Ans: The quality or vitality of a being or even an ecosystem
Estuary Ans: Junction of a river with an ocean defined by its
salinity gradient
Importance of Estuaries Ans: Shelter, food, transport, food, gas
exchange, nutrient recycling
The niche Ans: All parts of a variables range where the organisms
performance is good enough it survives
© 2025 All rights reserved
