Ecology: Community Structure

A researcher is studying a forest and observes a high count of oak trees in one section, a variety of bird species throughout, and a concentration of wildflowers near the river. Which component of community structure relates to the count of oak trees?

In a study of a local park, researchers note that squirrels are found throughout the entire park, while a specific species of butterfly is only found near the butterfly garden. Which component of community structure are the researchers observing regarding the squirrels and butterflies?

An ecologist is comparing two different fields. Field A has 15 different species of plants, while Field B has only 7. Which component of community structure is the ecologist directly comparing?

A conservation group is monitoring the recovery of a forest after a fire. Initially, only a few hardy plant species are present, but over time, new species begin to colonize the area, and the population sizes of existing species change. Which aspect of the community structure is changing as the forest recovers?

A marine biologist is surveying a coral reef. They observe a large population of clownfish, identify numerous different coral species, and map the locations of each species of coral. Which of the following combines abundance, species diversity, and distribution?

Which statistical measure describes the spread of data points around the mean, indicating the variability in a dataset?

In ecological studies, which of the following best illustrates the concept of 'range' when describing temperature variation?

If a scientist is studying the temperature variations in a habitat and records a minimum temperature of 5°C and a maximum temperature of 30°C, what is the range of temperature variation?

Which of the following statements accurately describes the relationship between environmental factors and their variability?

In the context of ecological studies, why is understanding the range and standard deviation of environmental factors important?

A scientist is studying the growth rate of a plant species in a particular region. To understand the variability in growth, they want to calculate a statistical measure that reflects the spread of growth rates around the average. Which statistical measure would be most appropriate for this purpose?

A researcher is investigating factors influencing the population size of butterflies in a meadow. They observe fluctuations in butterfly numbers over the year. Which factor should they start investigating related to the seasonal changes?

Ecologists are comparing the wing length of birds from two different islands. They calculate the average wing length for each island. Which additional statistical measure would best help them determine if the wing lengths are significantly different?

A marine biologist observes that coral reef ecosystems in different locations exhibit variations in biodiversity. Some reefs have a high number of different species. If they are trying to understand the VARIATION, what factor should be considered?

A researcher is studying the effect of temperature on the metabolic rate of lizards. They collect temperature data both inside and outside a lizard enclosure using sensors every hour for a week. What could they calculate using this data?

Which of the following statements best describes the role of standard deviation in analyzing a graph with only one average?

In the context of analyzing graphs, what does a significant difference in standard deviation between two datasets with similar averages suggest?

Based on the provided information about clam capture locations (Lewes and Wilmington, DE), what additional data would be most useful to determine if there are significant spatial variations in clam populations?

Given a graph showing the average number of clams captured ($\pm$ 1 standard deviation) in Lewes and Wilmington, DE, what conclusion can be drawn about clam populations if the standard deviation for Lewes is much larger than for Wilmington, but their averages are similar?

Suppose a researcher wants to conduct a follow-up study to build on the initial clam capture data for Lewes and Wilmington, DE. Which approach would be best to determine when you are most likely to catch the most clams?

Abundance

Species Diversity

Distribution

Components of Community Structure

Population

Standard Deviation

Temporal Variation

Spatial Variation

Average Clams Captured

Graph Interpretation

Variation

Quantity in Variation

Range

Non-Constant Variations

Quantitative Variation

Qualitative Variation

Temporal Factors