Question 1

The caterpillar in the illustration displays:

Accepted Answer

The answer of The caterpillar in the illustration displays: 
...

Question 2

What distinguishes predators from parasites?

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The answer of What distinguishes predators from parasites?...

Question 3

What kinds of plant species are likely to be pioneers in secondary succession? Explain why.

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The answer of What kinds of plant species are likely...

Question 4

How may a predator use mimicry to its own advantage?

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The answer of How may a predator use mimicry to...

Question 5

What happens to the soil in an area as succession proceeds?

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The answer of What happens to the soil in an...

Question 6

-The succession shown in the illustration is:

Accepted Answer

Primary succession occurs on newly exposed or created surfaces, such as bare rock, sand, or volcanic ash.

Question 7

-In the illustration above, the shrubby blueberry and juniper are classified as a ________ community.

Accepted Answer

A subclimax community is a stage in ecological succession that occurs before reaching the climax community, often maintained by disturbances. Shrubby blueberry and juniper are typically found in such transitional stages.

Question 8

You suspect that the American alligator is a keystone species in specific habitats in Florida. How could you experimentally prove or disprove this hypothesis?

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The answer of You suspect that the American alligator is...

Question 9

On the slopes of the Washington Cascades, ecologists have studied some closely related vole species for decades. Many of these vole species, when they occur on separate mountains, tend to choose very similar food sizes. However, when these species occur together on the same mountain slope, their food choices tend to differ, with some species selecting small seeds and others feeding exclusively on larger seeds. This behavior may be an example of:

Accepted Answer

This behavior is an example of resource partitioning, where closely related species coexist by dividing up resources, in this case, different seed sizes. This allows for the reduction of competition between the species and increases diversity within the community.

Question 10

Most bacteria can reproduce very quickly, so their population sizes increase rapidly. Describe the evolutionary process that prevents most human disease-causing bacterial parasites from causing the human population to become extinct.

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The answer of Most bacteria can reproduce very quickly, so...

Question 11

How do organisms help to cause the changes that result in their own replacement in succession?

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The answer of How do organisms help to cause the...

Question 12

The seadragon in the illustration displays:

Accepted Answer

The seadragon in the illustration displays camouflage, which allows it to blend in with its surroundings and avoid detection by potential predators or prey.

Question 13

After forest harvest in an old-growth forest of the Oregon Cascades, an ecologist noted that the species that were present after 5 years differed from the species that were present 25 year later, and these differed from the species that were present 75 years later. What are the general characteristics of the species at each stage, and why does the community change over time?

Accepted Answer

The answer of After forest harvest in an old-growth forest...

Question 14

Two species of buttercup are found in a field in North Dakota, and they tend to flower at approximately the same time in early spring. When some ecology students decide to conduct an experiment in community dynamics, they selectively remove one species from the field by hand-picking all emergent plants. When the one species is removed, the other species shows a significant increase in its population size the next season. This study demonstrates:

Accepted Answer

The removal of one species led to an increase in the population size of the other species, suggesting that the two species were competing for resources. This demonstrates interspecific competition, where the two species are competing for similar resources and one species is outcompeting the other. Choices A, B, C, and D do not fit the scenario described.

Question 15

Fire is increasingly used as a management tool in both forest and grassland ecosystems to increase species diversity. How might fire influence the occurrence of a climax community and species diversity?

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Question 16

Kudzu, a leguminous vine native to Japan, is considered an exotic invader in the United States but not in its native habitat. In many parts of the United States, kudzu is rapidly expanding and outcompeting native species. Why might this be so?

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The answer of Kudzu, a leguminous vine native to Japan,...

Question 17

In his 1961 paper, "The Paradox of the Plankton," ecologist G. E. Hutchinson noted that several species of algae coexist, sharing the same few mineral nutrient resources in homogeneous open-water systems. Because there is little chance of resource partitioning and niche differentiation in such a situation, the paradox of their coexistence is an apparent violation of:

Accepted Answer

The paradox of the plankton is an apparent violation of the competitive exclusion principle, which states that two species competing for the same resource cannot coexist indefinitely. However, several species of algae thrive in homogeneous open-water systems, sharing the same few mineral nutrient resources.

Question 18

There are several species of plain-looking, brownish-gray moths that, when they spread their wings, have large bright red or orange eye-shaped circles on their hind wings. What is this adaptation called, and what advantage does it give to the moth?

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The answer of There are several species of plain-looking, brownish-gray...

Question 19

Antelope and kangaroos are both herbivores that feed on grasses and brush. What would you expect to happen if someone set up a game farm and released both species into the same grassy plain?

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The answer of Antelope and kangaroos are both herbivores that...

Question 20

Many plants produce chemicals that are used as medicines. For example, the drug digitalis, which stimulates the human heart, is derived from foxglove, a poisonous plant. What advantage does producing toxic compounds have for the plant?

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The answer of Many plants produce chemicals that are used...

Quiz 27: Community Interactions