Which ecological level would be of most interest to an ecologist studying adaptations?
a. ecosystem
b. population
c. individual
d. community
e. biosphere correct answers C
Which of the following is NOT a property used in the study of populations?
a. density
b. change in size
c. composition
d. relative abundance correct answers D
Which level of ecological hierarchy includes the movement of water and air?
a. community
b. population
c. ecosystem
d. biosphere correct answers D
Who gave the word ecology its current broad meaning?
a. the German zoologist Ernst Haeckel
b. the English naturalist Charles Darwin
c. the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus
d. the American ecologist Rachel Carson correct answers A
The boundaries of communities are
a. difficult for species to cross.
b. flexible.
c. clear and distinct.
d. never overlapping. correct answers B
Which is the correct hierarchy of ecological systems, starting at the most general?
a. ecosystem, biosphere, community, population, individual
b. individual, community, population, ecosystem, biosphere
c. individual, population, ecosystem, biosphere, community
d. individual, population, community, ecosystem, biosphere
e. biosphere, community, ecosystem, population, individual correct answers D
The word ecology is derived from the Greek oikos, which means
a. world.
b. ocean.
c. house.
d. origin. correct answers C
,Which of the following systems is composed of assemblages of organisms together with their
physical and chemical environments?
a. organism
b. population
c. community
d. ecosystem
e. biosphere correct answers D
An ecologist who studies populations would most likely be interested in
a. adaptations that help individual organisms live in their environment.
b. births and deaths of individuals belonging to a particular species in a particular place.
c. the number and relative abundances of species living in a particular place.
d. physical and chemical transformations of energy and materials in the soil, atmosphere, and
water.
e. transport of energy and materials at the global scale. correct answers B
The first law of thermodynamics states that
a. life requires energy to be continually added to Earth.
b. matter cannot be created or destroyed.
c. when energy changes form, some energy is lost.
d. energy cannot be created or destroyed, but only change form. correct answers D
In a dynamic steady state
a. there are no inputs or outputs to the system.
b. the second law of thermodynamics does not apply.
c. there is no net change in the system.
d. the system will continue to grow. correct answers C
In evolution by natural selection, which of the following is true?
I. Individuals have varied traits.
II. Some individuals have higher fitness because of their traits.
III. Some traits cannot be passed on to the offspring.
a. I only
b. I and II only
c. I and III only
d. II and III only
e. I, II, and III correct answers B
How can species interactions increase the rate at which species evolve?
a. Interactions reduce the effects of natural selection.
b. Interactions increase the fitness of all individuals
c. Interactions make specialized traits more useful.
d. Interactions reduce the genetic variety in individuals. correct answers C
A phenotype is
, a. the traits an individual can pass on to its offspring.
b. the expression of an individual's traits.
c. an adaptation that increases fitness.
d. a trait caused by interaction with another species. correct answers B
To maintain a dynamic steady state in a community, which two factors must balance?
a. new species and species extinctions
b. immigration and emigration
c. births and deaths
d. food consumed and energy expended correct answers A
At what ecological level does evolution occur?
a. individual
b. population
c. ecosystem
d. community
e. biosphere correct answers B
Eukaryotic organisms are distinguished by their
a. inability to photosynthesize.
b. chloroplasts.
c. mitochondria.
d. single-cell structure. correct answers C
Blue-green algae are
a. protists.
b. bacteria.
c. plants.
d. fungi. correct answers B
Organisms that use photosynthesis or chemosynthesis are
a. autotrophs.
b. consumers.
c. heterotrophs.
d. herbivores. correct answers A
Which interaction is characterized by negative effects for both species?
a. predation
b. herbivory
c. commensalism
d. competition correct answers D
The relationship between a burdock plant and a fox is
a. competition.
b. herbivory.
c. predation.