29 Questions
What do ecological equivalents refer to?
Unrelated organisms that occupy similar niches but live in different geographical regions
What is the definition of a species?
A group of individual organisms that interbreed and produce fertile, viable offspring
What is a characteristic of generalist species?
They can live in many different places and eat a variety of foods
What is a characteristic of specialist species?
They can only live in one type of habitat
What do generalist species and specialist species have in common?
They both have a high level of DNA alignment
What is a result of specialist species having narrow niches?
They are prone to becoming endangered
What is the main outcome of most mutations?
No effect on the organism's survival
What is the term for the actual physical location where organisms making up a species live?
Habitat
What is the source of Earth's biodiversity, according to the text?
Mutations
Who is credited with the idea that an organism's niche is its 'profession'?
Eugene Odum
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
What can cause mutations to occur, according to the text?
Exposure to mutagens
What is the term for the resources or habitat a species actually uses?
Realized Niche
What is the result of mutations occurring in different lines of descent?
Divergent evolution
What is the primary driver of microevolution, according to the text?
Mutation, genetic drift, gene flow, and gene selection
What is included in the description of an organism's ecological niche?
The food it eats, place in the food web, how it gets food, and range of temperatures needed for survival
Who is credited with the concept of niche as an n-dimensional hypervolume?
G.Evelyn Hutchinson
What is the primary mechanism of evolution that occurs due to chance events?
Genetic drift
What is the term for the process by which some individuals in a population have genetically based traits that enable them to better survive and reproduce?
Natural selection
What is the result of a natural disaster that sharply reduces the size of a population?
Bottleneck effect
What is the term for a heritable trait that enables organisms to better survive and reproduce in a given environment?
Adaptive trait
What is the necessary condition for evolution by natural selection to occur, where a trait must be able to be passed from one generation to the next?
Heritable trait
What is the term for the factor in a population's environment that causes natural selection to occur?
Selective pressure
What is the main outcome of adaptation?
To survive and reproduce
What is the difference between adaptation and acclimatization?
Adaptation involves a change in the gene pool, acclimatization does not
What is an example of a physiological adaptation?
Antibiotic-resistance
What is the term for the ability of an organism to adjust to environmental circumstances?
Behavior
What is an example of a behavioral adaptation?
Play dead
What is the process by which new species arise from existing ones?
Speciation
Test your understanding of the concepts of habitat, ecological niche, and ecological equivalents in general ecology. This quiz covers the definitions and characteristics of habitat, niche concept, and how they relate to the environment and biota.
Make Your Own Quizzes and Flashcards
Convert your notes into interactive study material.
Get started for free
