Ecology Quiz: Population Dynamics and Interactions

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Questions and Answers

What term describes the maximum population size that an environment can sustain indefinitely?

Carrying capacity (correct)

Biotic potential

K-selection

r-selection

Which statement accurately describes r-selected species?

They thrive in stable environments.

They invest heavily in parental care.

They produce many offspring with low survival rates. (correct)

They typically have long gestation periods.

What does the variable 'K' represent in population dynamics?

The intrinsic growth rate of a population

The time it takes for a population to double

Population density

Carrying capacity of an environment (correct)

Which of the following is NOT a typical characteristic of K-selected species?

Rapid population growth Signup and view all the answers

Which type of growth curve is typically characterized by rapid increases followed by a plateau?

Logistic growth curve Signup and view all the answers

What ecological concept describes the scenario where two species compete for the same resources and one outcompetes the other?

Competitive exclusion principle Signup and view all the answers

Which survivorship curve is characterized by high mortality at young ages, with a few survivors living to old age?

Type III survivorship curve Signup and view all the answers

In terms of interaction types, which of the following best describes mutualism?

Both species benefit from the interaction. Signup and view all the answers

What is defined as an endotherm?

An organism that can produce its own body heat through metabolic processes. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes negative feedback in biological systems?

A mechanism that counteracts deviations from a set point. Signup and view all the answers

What occurs in a trophic cascade?

Changes at the primary producer level affect multiple consumer levels. Signup and view all the answers

How do ticks survive the winter?

By entering a dormant state until warmer weather. Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of feedforward information?

The body preparing for a muscle contraction in anticipation of movement. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a primary consumer in an ecosystem?

Herbivores that consume primary producers. Signup and view all the answers

When invasive species are introduced, what is a likely outcome?

Increased competition leading to declines in native species. Signup and view all the answers

What best describes homeostasis?

The maintenance of stable internal conditions despite external changes. Signup and view all the answers

What would likely happen to the energy flow in an ecosystem if a predator, such as a wolf, is removed?

Energy would increase among the herbivores. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following describes a key adaptation plants have for regulating water levels?

The development of deep root systems. Signup and view all the answers

What defines cellular respiration in comparison to general respiration?

Cellular respiration is specifically a metabolic process to convert nutrients into energy. Signup and view all the answers

Which reaction occurs in the thylakoid membranes of chloroplasts?

Light-dependent reactions. Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of sunlight in photosynthesis?

It provides energy required to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose. Signup and view all the answers

What are the major biotic contributors to atmospheric CO2?

Decaying organisms and respiration from living organisms. Signup and view all the answers

What would most likely happen to photosynthesis if a plant is never exposed to sunlight?

Photosynthesis would eventually stop altogether. Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of how one plant can communicate with another?

By emitting volatile organic compounds as warning signals. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of plant hormones?

To regulate growth and responses to stimuli Signup and view all the answers

Which component is responsible for recognizing and binding hormones in target cells?

Hormone receptor Signup and view all the answers

How do action potentials propagate in only one direction down an axon?

Because of the refractory period preventing backward movement Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of the nodes of Ranvier in myelinated axons?

To enable saltatory conduction by allowing action potentials to jump Signup and view all the answers

What defines an action potential in neurons?

A rapid change in membrane potential that transmits a signal Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the sodium-potassium pump in neurons?

It maintains the resting potential by creating ion gradients Signup and view all the answers

What is saltatory conduction?

The jumping of action potentials between the nodes of Ranvier in myelinated axons Signup and view all the answers

Which phase of an action potential is characterized by the reopening of potassium channels?

Repolarization Signup and view all the answers

What are the consequences if neurotransmitters are not rapidly cleared from the synaptic cleft?

Increased neurotransmitter concentration leading to prolonged synaptic transmission Signup and view all the answers

How is it possible for a single neurotransmitter to have both excitatory and inhibitory effects?

It binds to different types of receptors with opposing functions Signup and view all the answers

What happens to membrane potential when a neuron is exposed to an inhibitory neurotransmitter?

Membrane potential becomes more negative, leading to hyperpolarization Signup and view all the answers

Which sequence correctly describes the three steps of sensory perception in animals?

Reception, transduction, perception Signup and view all the answers

What adaptations might provide wolves and moose with stronger senses compared to humans?

Enhanced olfactory bulbs and specialized photoreceptors Signup and view all the answers

Why is hearing considered a result of a mechanical stimulus?

Sound waves cause the tympanic membrane to vibrate Signup and view all the answers

What is likely to happen to a person's sense of smell with a stuffy nose?

Decreased ability to detect and recognize smells Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of burning the tongue on hot food?

Temporary loss of taste sensation in affected areas Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic that defines a living organism?

Inherent growth and reproduction Signup and view all the answers

Which type of symbiosis involves one organism benefiting while the other is neither helped nor harmed?

Commensalism Signup and view all the answers

Which role do viruses typically play in ecological systems?

Agents of genetic variation Signup and view all the answers

How does climate change primarily impact viruses?

By changing their transmission rates Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary factor that distinguishes micro-evolution from macro-evolution?

Scale of genetic changes occurring Signup and view all the answers

What represents reproductive isolation?

Biological barriers preventing interbreeding Signup and view all the answers

Which mechanism is NOT responsible for changing allele frequencies in a population over time?

Clonal reproduction Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary characteristic of structural adaptations?

Physical features that enhance survival Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives (LOs) outline the expected skills students should develop with course concepts.
Exams are based directly on LOs, so students should use LOs as a study guide.
Students should be able to teach each LO to someone else using only their knowledge before exams.

Unit 1: Lyme Disease

Describe Big Ideas in Biology, and apply them to in-class content.
Define terms 'host' and 'vector'.
Identify hosts and vectors in Lyme disease transmission.
Interpret information from graphs and figures related to Lyme disease.
Explain the Lyme disease life cycle and transmission cycle.
Define terms 'organism', 'population', 'community', 'ecosystem', and 'biosphere' and give examples.
Define 'biotic' and 'abiotic' factors.
List the characteristics of living things.
Provide examples of biotic and abiotic factors affecting ecosystems with a focus on the Lyme disease system.
Explain why Lyme disease is a zoonotic disease and define 'zoonotic' or 'zoonoses'.
List abiotic factors that affect ticks and spread of Lyme disease.
Distinguish between 'climate' and 'weather'.
Define 'biome' and give examples of biomes.
Explain the spread of Lyme disease.
Use maps to understand disease spread, and develop hypotheses about it.
Explain how abiotic factors affect organisms, populations, communities and ecosystems related to Lyme disease.
Identify which biome an organism is most likely to inhabit.
Apply concepts of biomes to different systems (e.g., humans, ticks).
Define 'greenhouse effect' and 'global climate change'.
Discuss evidence for global climate change.
Identify patterns in observed data.
Make predictions based on data.
Explain the impacts of climate change.
Summarize effects of the Industrial Revolution on global atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration..
List two greenhouse gases, describe their release into the atmosphere, and their role in the greenhouse effect.

Unit 2: Wolves, Moose, and Fir Trees of Isle Royale

Describe the five Big Ideas in Biology, and apply them to in-class content.
Define terms 'ecosystem', 'biotic','abiotic', 'trophic level', 'primary producer', 'primary consumer', 'secondary consumer' and 'trophic cascade'.
Summarize the history of wolves, moose, fir trees on Isle Royale, using reading material.
Explain the 'primary productivity' and 'trophic cascade' hypotheses.
Use data to determine which hypothesis is supported by a given system.
Define 'species interactions', 'competition', 'predation', 'symbiosis', 'commensalism', 'mutualism', and 'parasitism'.
Describe the interaction between various players in the Isle Royale ecosystem.
Explain the fate of 90% of energy lost at trophic levels.
Calculate the flow of energy between trophic levels.
Determine the number of organisms that a trophic level can support, using available energy in lower trophic levels.
Predict the impacts of trophic system changes if one level is significantly affected.
Predict impacts of invasive species.
Draw a biomass pyramid for the wolf, moose, fir tree system.
Predict how the energy flow changes if a player is removed or added to the system.
Make predictions about ecosystem disruptions.
Interpret figures related to the ecosystem.
Predict outcomes of disruptions to the ecosystem.
Define 'Adaptation'.
Describe adaptations of plants, consumers, and predators for survival.
Label the organelles in a plant cell.
Describe the function of chloroplasts.
Write the equation for photosynthesis and cellular respiration, using words and chemicals (if applicable).
Label and draw a representation of the chloroplast.
Identify reactions occurring in different chloroplast parts.
Explain the role of sunlight in photosynthesis.
Explain the role of the light-dependent reactions in photosynthesis, and list inputs and outputs for each.
Predict the consequences for photosynthesis if a plant is never exposed to sunlight.
Explain the reasoning behind predictions about the system.
Describe links between phenomena occurring at different scales (e.g., photosynthesis and the Keeling Curve).
Describe adaptations of plants to regulate water levels.
Define 'respiration' and 'cellular respiration'.
Explain the difference between cellular respiration and respiration.
Describe the carbon cycle in terms of biotic contributors to atmospheric CO2 and sinks for CO2 removal.
Describe the oxygen cycle.
Explain the endosymbiotic theory of the evolution of early eukaryotes.
Summarize evidence supporting the theory.
List four broad categories of plant responses to herbivory and provide an example of each.
Discuss plant-to-plant communication.
Explain the role of plant hormones.
Define terminology (e.g., hormone, target cell, hormone receptor, non-target cell) and explain how hormones communicate.
Discuss how humans benefit by understanding plants.
Describe various plant adaptations to avoid or reduce herbivory.
Label neuron parts (dendrite, cell body, axon, myelin sheath, axon terminal, synapse).
Identify pre- and post-synaptic neurons.
Distinguish between central and peripheral nervous systems.
Describe action potential movement along a neuron.
Describe the sodium-potassium pump's role.
Discuss ion channels and their role in neuron membrane structure.
Explain how the different properties of sodium and potassium channels give rise to the stages of an action potential.
Define terms: threshold, resting potential, action potential.
Explain how membrane potential is measured.
Define undershoot/hyperpolarization.
Explain the role of ion channels in depolarizing or hyperpolarizing responses.

Unit 3: Viruses

Apply Big Ideas to viruses.
Define 'virus' and 'host'
Describe physical/physiological connections between hosts and viruses.
Defend a virus's status as a living or nonliving entity.
Discuss characteristics that define a living organism.
Describe ecosystems inhabited by viruses.
Define types of symbiosis (commensalism, mutualism, parasitism).
Discuss the role of viruses in ecosystems.
Discuss impact of climate change on geographic distribution of viruses.
Compare and contrast viral vs. bacterial infections.
Explain 'evolution', 'natural selection', 'adaptation' & 'fitness'.
Define 'artificial selection'.
Compare and contrast natural and artificial selection.
Describe three principles of natural selection and 'micro vs macroevolution'.
Outline misconceptions of evolution.
Define 'gene' and 'allele'.
Define 'gene' and 'allele'. Compare and contrast them.
Identify whether an example shows 'micro or macroevolution'.
Identify adaptations for different environments among a group of organisms.
Describe the relationship between natural selection and adaptation.
List five mechanisms of allele frequency change over time.
Define 'mutation', 'gene flow', 'genetic drift', and 'natural selection'.
Give examples to exemplify mechanisms of allele frequency change.
Define 'variation', 'heritability'.
Discuss whether an adaptation is structural, behavioural, or physiological.
Explain the use of phylogenetic trees.
Compare and contrast prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
Compare and contrast plant and animal cells.
Define 'species' using the biological species concept.
Define 'reproductive isolation'.
List reproductive isolating mechanisms.
Group mechanisms as prezygotic or postzygotic.
Discuss the biological species concept's limitations.
Interpret phylogenetic trees and identify components.
Identify ancestral and derived traits.
Identify whether a group is monophyletic.
Identify acclimation versus adaptation.
Compare and contrast homologous and analogous traits.
Use a phylogenetic tree to determine convergent evolution.
Identify closest relatives using phylogenetic trees.
Define 'Fick's Law' & relate it to gas exchange.
Describe adaptations for maximizing gas exchange.
Discuss the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on lung gas exchange.

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Description

Test your knowledge on key ecological concepts, including population dynamics, species interactions, and growth curves. This quiz covers essential terms and theories related to ecology and how different species adapt and compete within their environments.