Ecology Quiz: Key Concepts and Principles

<p>It can impact the Earth's life-sustaining processes. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Temperature and precipitation (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The relationships between living organisms and their environment. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Community (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Physical and chemical non-living factors. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Biosphere (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Structure (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Living organisms (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Soil mineral elements (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Oikos (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Clean Air Act (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Chernobyl incident (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Pesticide impact on bird species (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Kyoto Protocol (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>BP oil spill (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Dependence on other organisms and nonliving components (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Eats a wide variety of food sources (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Domain, Phylum, Kingdom, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Speciation (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Short maturation time (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Eats a narrow range of food (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Speciation (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Infectious diseases (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Niche (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Community (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Niche defines the species' role in the ecosystem, whereas habitat is the address. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>A group of interbreeding individuals of the same species in a specific area. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>One will eventually be displaced until only one species remains. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Broad feet to walk on sand. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Population size (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Commensalism (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Dropping their leaves (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Savanna (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Zone of Intolerance (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Interspecific Competition (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>John Muir (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Bitterly cold treeless plains (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Environmental factors are beyond their tolerance range (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Man and Nature (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Population density (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Natality (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Emigration (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Mortality (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Immigration (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Growth slows significantly or stops (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Intraspecific competition (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>It assumes a constant carrying capacity (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Density-independent factors (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Interspecific competition (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Random distribution (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Carrying capacity (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The maximum number of organisms an ecosystem can sustain (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>r = (b - d) / N(0) (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Different pollination mechanisms (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Rapid population increase followed by decline (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>t = 0.69 / r (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Ecological isolation (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>By favoring adaptations over generations (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Natural disasters (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Errors during DNA replication (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Includes carrying capacity (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Geographical isolation (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Formation of new genetic combinations through meiosis and fertilization (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Significant geographical barriers preventing interbreeding (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Less energy is available to higher trophic levels (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>K-selected species are poor colonizers while R-selected species are excellent colonizers. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Speciation occurs when populations of a species become geographically isolated. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Natural selection acts on variations in traits that impact survival and reproduction. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>They become more effective as a population's density increases. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Taxonomy provides a method for identifying relationships among organisms. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>It integrated genetic understanding into the traditional theory of evolution. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Every organism must have metabolism and genetic material to be classified as living. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Long, hot summers and mild, wet winters (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Experiences a brief summer with nearly 24 hours of sunlight (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Intraspecific competition is more intense than interspecific competition (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>No organisms are present at all (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Introduced the concept of a land ethic in his writings (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Savannas experience alternating wet and dry seasons year-round (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Covered with ice and snow except during summer (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The scientific study of how living organisms interact with each other and their environment.

A group of individuals of the same species living in a particular area.

Multiple populations of different species living together in the same place.

A community of organisms interacting with their physical environment.

A major regional community of plants and animals that share common characteristics due to their specific environment.

The thin layer around Earth where life exists, including all living things and their physical environment.

All the surrounding conditions, physical, chemical, and biotic, that influence living organisms.

The non-living components of an environment, such as temperature, light, water, and soil.

All living organisms within an environment, including plants, animals, and microorganisms.

The different levels of organization in living systems, ranging from molecules to the whole biosphere.

The functional role of a species in its habitat, including its interactions with resources and other species.

When two species co-exist without directly benefiting or harming each other.

A characteristic that helps an organism survive in its specific environment.

The proportion of males and females within a population.

The distribution of different age groups within a population.

The field of biology that classifies organisms by organizing them based on similar characteristics.

A species comprises many populations. Often different populations of a species remain isolated due to some geographic barrier. Isolation occurs when a physical barrier develops between two populations of a species. The most common way a population undergoes species isolation is by geographic isolation.

A change in an organisms environment that causes a response.

The process by which new species are formed and evolution is the mechanism by which speciation is brought about.

A group of organisms that can breed with each other, pass down DNA, and have a variety of traits.

A valid theory of evolution was proposed by Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace in 1859. This theory has been extended in the light of progress in genetics and is known as Neo-Darwinism. (1) Organisms tend to produce more offspring that can be supported by the environment. (2) An evolutionary force (natural selection), selects among variations

The survival of species is dependent on other living organisms and nonliving components.

A type of evolution, which is change over time.

The process where nitrate and nitrite ions are converted into nitrous oxide and nitrogen gas, releasing these gases into the atmosphere. This happens when a soil nutrient is reduced.

Humans add sulfur dioxide to the atmosphere through activities like burning fossil fuels, refining petroleum, and extracting metals. This contributes to air pollution and acid rain.

A measure of the variety of life on Earth, including genetic diversity within species, diversity of species in habitats, and diversity of ecosystems.

A hypothesis suggesting that life on Earth actively influences and regulates its own environment, maintaining conditions suitable for life. There are two versions: 'strong' where life controls everything and 'weak' where life influences some processes.

Trees that lose their leaves in the winter, decaying and enriching the soil.

A type of grassland with erratic rainfall and frequent fires, supporting grazing animals.

A tropical and subtropical grassland with warm temperatures year-round and alternating wet and dry seasons.

Coastal areas with mild, wet winters and long, hot, dry summers, featuring dense, spiny shrubs prone to fires.

Grasslands with cold winters and hot, dry summers, ideal for growing crops and grazing cattle.

Treeless plains with bitterly cold temperatures, ice, and snow for most of the year, with a brief summer with almost constant sunlight.

Grasslands covered with ice and snow except for a brief summer period.

Competition for resources between members of the same species.

Competition for resources between members of different species.

The principle that organisms thrive within a specific range of environmental factors, outside which they experience stress or fail to survive.

A model describing how a population grows exponentially at first, then levels off as it reaches carrying capacity due to limited resources.

The maximum population size that an environment can sustainably support.

The rate of change in population size over time.

The maximum potential growth rate of a population under ideal conditions.

The environmental factors that limit population growth, such as food availability, space, and predators.

The number of individuals per unit area at a particular time. Think of it as how crowded a place is for a particular species.

The movement of individuals into a new area, contributing to an increase in population size.

The rate at which new individuals are born and added to a population under given conditions. Higher birth rates mean a population is growing.

The loss of individuals from a population due to death. Higher death rates indicate the population might be shrinking.

The movement of individuals out of a region permanently. This makes the original population smaller.

The change over time in the genetic makeup of a population.

A type of evolution that favors organisms with traits that help them survive and reproduce in a stable environment. These species have a longer lifespan, slower maturity rates, and invest heavily in caring for their young.

The separation of a population into two or more isolated groups, preventing gene flow between them.

Differences in environmental factors, such as temperature, humidity, or pH, that prevent interbreeding between populations.

Barriers to successful interbreeding between members of different populations, preventing gene exchange.

The process of forming new species through the accumulation of genetic differences in isolated populations.

A change in the genetic material of an organism, causing new variations.

The process by which organisms better adapted to their environment survive and reproduce more successfully, passing on their advantageous traits.

The gradual change in the genetic makeup of a population over time, driven by factors like mutation, natural selection, and genetic drift.

A change in the frequency of alleles in a population, often due to random events, such as genetic drift or founder effects.

A pattern of population growth where individuals of a species are spread out, with no significant social interaction. This often occurs in environments with consistent conditions.

A type of population growth where resources are unlimited, leading to a rapid increase in population size. This growth accelerates with time.

A type of population growth limited by available resources. Growth slows down as the population approaches carrying capacity.

The rate at which a population grows or shrinks. It is calculated by subtracting the death rate from the birth rate and dividing by the initial population size.

The time it takes for a population to double in size. It can be calculated using the formula: t = 0.69/r, where r is the growth rate.

Factors that influence population growth rate and mortality regardless of population density. Think about a natural disaster like a forest fire.

A region where the conditions are too extreme for an organism, leading to its absence.