28 Questions
What is the primary purpose of an indicator species in an ecosystem?
To provide early warnings of ecosystem damage
What is the term for the process by which a population's genetic makeup changes over time in response to environmental pressures?
Evolution
What is the consequence of losing a keystone species in an ecosystem?
Population crashes and extinctions of other species
What is the term for a species that is introduced to an ecosystem by humans, either intentionally or unintentionally?
Nonnative species
What is the relationship between a keystone species and the other species in its ecosystem?
The other species are dependent on the keystone species for survival
What is the primary source of genetic variation that fuels the process of microevolution?
Mutations in DNA
What is the term for the process by which new species are formed from ancestral species and other species are lost through extinction?
Macroevolution
What determines the physical characteristics that an organism inherits?
Genes
What is the basis of variation in a species?
Different alleles
Why is it extremely unlikely that another person with your precise genetic make-up has ever lived or ever will?
Because of the unique combination of alleles
What is the primary difference between habitat and environment?
Habitat refers to physical location, while environment refers to all surrounding conditions
Who is credited with the concept of ecological niche as an n-dimensional hypervolume?
G.E. Hutchinson
What is the term for the full range of resources or habitat a species could exploit if there were no competition with other species?
Fundamental niche
According to Eugene Odum, what is the analogy between habitat and niche?
Habitat is the address, niche is the profession
What is the term for the resources or habitat a species actually uses?
Realized niche
What is an example of a condition that defines an ecological niche?
Range of temperatures needed for survival
What is a possible outcome when the fundamental niches of different species overlap significantly?
Suffer a sharp population decline
What is the primary difference between interference competition and exploitation competition?
The mechanism of limiting access to the resource
What is the outcome of two species competing for the same resource, according to the Competitive Exclusion Principle?
One species will either migrate, become extinct, or partition the resource
What is an example of interference competition?
A plant releasing chemicals to inhibit the growth of nearby plants
What is a consequence of exploitation competition?
Hampers growth, reproduction, or survival of other species
What is the limitation on partitioning a shared resource, according to the Competitive Exclusion Principle?
The resource can only be partitioned a finite number of times
What is the primary function of camouflage in defense mechanisms?
To blend in with the environment and avoid detection
Which type of symbiosis involves a parasitic relationship where one species benefits and the other is neither harmed nor helped?
Commensalism
What is the term for the defense mechanism where an animal breaks off a part of its body to distract a predator?
Autotomy
Which type of mimicry involves a harmless species evolving to mimic a poisonous species?
Batesian mimicry
What is the term for a species that has a symbiotic relationship with another species, where one species is dependent on the other for survival?
Obligate
Which type of parasite lives on the outer surface of its host?
Ectoparasite
Test your understanding of the fundamental concepts in ecology, including habitat, ecological niche, and ecological equivalents. Learn about the influences of physical and biotic environments on species and their habitats. Explore the concepts of habitat, niche, and ecological equivalents in this ecology quiz.
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