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Questions and Answers
What defines the trophic level of an organism in a food web?
What defines the trophic level of an organism in a food web?
Which of the following best describes autotrophs?
Which of the following best describes autotrophs?
How are heterotrophs classified in terms of ecological roles?
How are heterotrophs classified in terms of ecological roles?
Which of the following organisms would be classified as primary consumers?
Which of the following organisms would be classified as primary consumers?
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Which statement about saprophagous organisms is true?
Which statement about saprophagous organisms is true?
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What is the primary reason for the shape of a trophic pyramid?
What is the primary reason for the shape of a trophic pyramid?
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Which pyramid type is described as misleading and can be inverted?
Which pyramid type is described as misleading and can be inverted?
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In eusocial insects, which characteristic is NOT typically observed?
In eusocial insects, which characteristic is NOT typically observed?
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Which of the following characteristics distinguishes insect societies from swarms?
Which of the following characteristics distinguishes insect societies from swarms?
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What aspect of insect behavior is emphasized in swarming?
What aspect of insect behavior is emphasized in swarming?
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What distinguishes subsocial insects from eusocial insects?
What distinguishes subsocial insects from eusocial insects?
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Which pyramid type compares the mass of biological material at each trophic level?
Which pyramid type compares the mass of biological material at each trophic level?
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What term describes a situation where a single parasitoid species attacks the same host multiple times?
What term describes a situation where a single parasitoid species attacks the same host multiple times?
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In ecological pyramids, which is typically NOT considered a parameter represented at various trophic levels?
In ecological pyramids, which is typically NOT considered a parameter represented at various trophic levels?
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Which type of parasitoidism involves a parasite that has a host that is another parasite?
Which type of parasitoidism involves a parasite that has a host that is another parasite?
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Which of the following statements is true regarding food webs?
Which of the following statements is true regarding food webs?
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What does a pyramid of biomass represent in an ecological context?
What does a pyramid of biomass represent in an ecological context?
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Which trophic level is typically found at the base of an ecological pyramid?
Which trophic level is typically found at the base of an ecological pyramid?
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What term is used for the phenomenon where multiple species parasitize the same host?
What term is used for the phenomenon where multiple species parasitize the same host?
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What characteristic distinguishes a food chain from a food web?
What characteristic distinguishes a food chain from a food web?
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Which type of ecological pyramid is considered more difficult to prepare but yields more accurate data?
Which type of ecological pyramid is considered more difficult to prepare but yields more accurate data?
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Which of the following best describes the ecological role of the apex predator in a food chain?
Which of the following best describes the ecological role of the apex predator in a food chain?
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Study Notes
Entomology (Hexapoda)
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Subclass I: Apterygota
- Primitive insects
- Wingless
- Ametabola (No metamorphosis)
- Eggs → Young → Adult
- Subclass II: Pterygota
- Not primitive
- Wingless or winged
- Incomplete or Complete Metamorphosis
- Eggs → Nymph → Adult
- Eggs → Larva → Pupa → Adult
- Physical Characteristics:
- Exoskeleton
- 3 pairs of legs
- 1 pair of antennae
- Body divided into three regions (Head-Thorax-Abdomen)
- More than 1 million recorded species
Evolution of Flight and Feeding
- Insects experimented with membranous wings and modifications of mouthparts.
- Presence of membranous wings is a common characteristic of late Carboniferous fossil insects.
- Paranotal Lobe Theory:
- Changes in thoracic segments for expansion and consolidation of sclerites which formed the sockets.
- Enabled insects to raise themselves and move more quickly.
- Paranotal lobes served as stabilizers.
- Geared towards gliding planes.
- Useful as means of localized mobility and wider spread by wind.
- Enhances mate location and selection.
Posture of the Head and Modifications of Mouthparts
- Hypognathous: Mouthparts directed downward, suitable for feeding.
- Prognathous: Forward direction of mouthparts, better suited for tunneling or pursuit.
- Opithognathous: Feeding on plant juices by penetration and sucking.
Biodiversity
- Variety of habitats, living communities, and ecological processes in an ecosystem.
- Diversity of genetic characteristics within a species.
- Variety of species in a given area.
- Ecosystems depend on individual organisms' combined contributions.
- Loss of any species could disrupt an ecosystem's function.
- High biodiversity ecosystems are more resistant to environmental change.
Keystone Species
- disproportionately large effect on its natural environment relative to its abundance.
- Critical role in maintaining the structure and numbers of various other species.
- Ecosystems may shift dramatically if a keystone species is removed.
Indicator Species
- Species whose function, population, or status reveals the environment's status.
- Often used to monitor changes in an ecosystem.
- Can indicate problems within an ecosystem.
- Quantify environmental quality. Assess pollution level and intensity and extent of exposure.
Types of Biodiversity
- Genetic diversity
- Ecosystem or Ecological diversity
- Biomes (Desert, Aquatic, Forests, Open lands, etc.)
- Distinct climate
- Certain species, especially vegetation
- Functional diversity (Energy flow, matters recycling)
- Species Diversity
Ecological Diversity
- Variety of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in an area or on earth.
Genetic Diversity
- Variety of genetic material within a species or a population.
Species Diversity
- Number and abundance of species present in different communities.
- Species richness = number of species
- Evenness = proportion of species
- Calculation of evenness: p = n/N
- Several indices for measuring species diversity such as Shannon's diversity index (H), Simpson diversity index (1 − D) Margalef's, & Menhinick indices
Indices of Similarity
- Jaccard's index (CJ) and Sorenson's index (CS) for comparing communities based on species compositions.
Index of Relative Rarity (IRR)
- Method of determining how common or rare a species is based on species richness and weights.
Sp-Effects and Level Covariates
- Categories of species with their local abundance, extent of geographical area and habitat specificity.
Conservation of Biodiversity
- Management of human use of the biosphere for sustainable benefits to the present and future generations.
- In-situ Conservation
- Protecting organisms in their natural habitats
- Includes National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Biosphere reserves etc.
- Protectorates • Over 287,000 protectorates globally.
- Ex-situ Conservation
- Protecting organisms outside their natural habitats. Included Botanical gardens, zoos and seed banks, etc
- In-situ Conservation
- Feeding Habits ("Habits") and Trophic Levels
- Autotrophs
- Heterotrophs
- Classifying Organisms by interaction methods
- Producers
- Consumers • Herbivores: Organisms that feed on plants, usually have adapted mouthparts for chewing or grinding • Carnivores: Organisms that feed on animals. • Predators: Hunt, kill and feed on prey • Omnivores: Survive on both plant and animal material • Parasites: Live on or in a host organism, getting nourishment at their expense. • Parasatoids: Develop on or in a host organism and eventually kills it.
Food Chain
- Interlocking linear feeding links among organisms, starting from producers (e.g., green plants).
- Measure of energy flow and index of ecological structure from the lowest to highest trophic levels.
Food Web
- Complex mesh of relationships between organisms, reflecting what eats what in an ecological community.
Ecological Pyramids
- Graphic representation of ecological parameters (number, biomass or energy) across trophic levels of a food chain (producers at base, carnivores at top)
- Pyramid of Numbers
- Pyramid of Biomass
- Pyramid of Energy
Insect Sociobiology
- Study of social behavior in insects.
- Includes insect societies and swarms, comparing and contrasting the social structures among them.
- Degrees of Sociality
- Solitary
- Subsocial
- Communal
- Quasisocial
- Semisocial
- Eusocial
- Size of Insect Societies (number of workers, queens etc in different insect communities)
Reproduction/Modes of Reproduction
- Details of reproduction process starting from mate location
- Courtship behaviour
- Copulation with male/female genital apparatus
- Ejaculation
- Insemination
- Fertilization
- Embryogenesis
- Oviposition
- Eclosion
- Viviparity
- Young are nourished within the body of the female
- Ovoviviparity
- Eggs are retained within the body of the female till they hatch, and then the young individuals are released.
- Paedogenesis
- Reproduction of the juveniles or the young
- Parthenogenesis
- Off spring is produced from the mother without needing to fertilize from a male
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Description
Explore the fascinating world of Hexapoda, the class of insects characterized by their unique physical traits and evolutionary adaptations. This quiz covers both the subclasses of insects and their evolutionary developments in flight and feeding. Test your knowledge of insect diversity and adaptations!
