48. Ecology

Which of the following areas of study focuses on the exchange of energy, organisms, and materials between ecosystems? a. organismal ecology b. landscape ecology c. ecosystem ecology d. community ecology

Name the five main levels of study in ecology from smallest to largest.

Which lake zone would be absent in a very shallow lake? a. benthic zone b. aphotic zone c. pelagic zone d. littoral zone

Where do rain shadows exist? a. the part of a mountain that receives prevailing winds and heavy rain b. the region beyond a mountain range that receives dry air c. the region along the equator where precipitation is abundant d. the region near 30°N and 30°S latitude that receives dry air

Which of the following is characteristic of most terrestrial biomes? a. a distribution predicted almost entirely by rock and soil patterns b. clear boundaries between adjacent biomes c. vegetation demonstrating vertical layering d. cold winter months

What is the main type of vegetation in a tropical wet forest? a. shrubs and bunchgrasses b. herbs, grasses, and vines c. broad-leaved deciduous trees d. broad-leaved evergreen trees

The oceans affect the biosphere by (A)absorbing a substantial amount of the biosphere's oxygen. (B)regulating the pH of freshwater biomes and terrestrial groundwater. (C)decreasing winter temperatures of coastal terrestrial biomes. (D)removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

What is one expected consequence of global climate change? a. Average rainfall will increase. b. Average rainfall will decrease. c. Variability in rainfall will increase. d. We cannot make predictions about future rainfall.

Which statement about dispersal is true? (A)Dispersal is not a component of the life cycles of most plants and animals. (B)Dispersal occurs only on an evolutionary time scale. (C)Colonization of devastated areas after floods or volcanic eruptions depends on dispersal. (D)The ability to disperse does not affect the geographic distribution of a species.

Which of these statements about aquatic biomes is true? Select True or False for each statement. T/F The ocean is so vast that it is not influenced by human impacts. T/F Water depth, water flow, salinity, and nutrient availability are important abiotic factors in aquatic biomes. T/F Once nutrients sink to the bottom of lakes, they are no longer available to organisms.

When climbing a mountain, we can observe transitions in biological communities that are analogous to the changes a. in biomes at different latitudes. b. in different depths in the ocean. c. in a community through different seasons. d. in an ecosystem as it evolves over time.

Explain how the open ocean is similar to the desert, and how it is not.

Suppose that the number of bird species is determined mainly by the number of vertical strata found in the environment. If so, in which of the following biomes would you find the greatest number of bird species? a. tropical rain forest b. savanna c. desert d. temperate broadleaf forest

Temperate forest in China and temperate forest in North America are part of the same biome but are distinct ecosystems. Explain.

Compare the distribution of the natural terrestrial biomes of eastern North America with the distribution of anthropogenic biomes.

Like Earth, Mars has seasons—its Northern Hemisphere experiences winter when its Southern Hemisphere experiences summer. Which statement is the best explanation for seasonality on Mars? a. Mars is tilted on its axis. b. Mars has an elliptical orbit that brings it closer to the Sun in summer than in winter. c. Mars has a circular orbit and maintains a constant distance from the Sun. d. The Southern Hemisphere of Mars consistently receives direct solar radiation.

Scientists predict that global climate change will cause a greater increase in average temperature at higher latitudes than in the tropics. This seems like good news since most of the world's biodiversity occurs in the tropics. However, recent data suggest that a smaller temperature change in the tropics will cause a larger physiological response in organisms there than the larger temperature change will in organisms in temperate areas. Based on what you have learned about thermal niches in this chapter, propose a hypothesis to explain this result.

The red lionfish, Pterois volitans, has beautiful red stripes, streaming fins, and a fearless disposition, and it is deadly. Native to the Pacific Ocean, the red lionfish was first discovered on coral reefs in the Bahamas in 1985. The species has spread to over 3 million square kilometers of the western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Lionfish have a voracious appetite for native fish, are armed with venomous spines, and have no natural predators in their new range. Why are species like the lionfish considered 'invasive'? a. They are found in areas where they are not native. b. They were accidentally introduced by humans. c. They spread aggressively and displace native species. d. They are predators of other fish.

The red lionfish, Pterois volitans, has beautiful red stripes, streaming fins, and a fearless disposition, and it is deadly. Native to the Pacific Ocean, the red lionfish was first discovered on coral reefs in the Bahamas in 1985. The species has spread to over 3 million square kilometers of the western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Lionfish have a voracious appetite for native fish, are armed with venomous spines, and have no natural predators in their new range. Lionfish are usually found in full-salinity seawater (35 parts per thousand). However, lab studies show that lionfish can tolerate salinities as low as 4 parts per thousand for several days, suggesting that the low-salinity water of estuaries (such as at the mouth of the Amazon River) may not be a barrier to lionfish dispersal along the coasts. Sketch a niche model predicting lionfish abundance as a function of salinity.

The red lionfish, Pterois volitans, has beautiful red stripes, streaming fins, and a fearless disposition, and it is deadly. Native to the Pacific Ocean, the red lionfish was first discovered on coral reefs in the Bahamas in 1985. The species has spread to over 3 million square kilometers of the western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Lionfish have a voracious appetite for native fish, are armed with venomous spines, and have no natural predators in their new range. DNA studies suggest that the lionfish invasion began with just a few females released off the coast of Florida, probably from a fish tank. Based on your knowledge of ocean currents, predict the direction in which the lionfish dispersed most quickly.

The red lionfish, Pterois volitans, has beautiful red stripes, streaming fins, and a fearless disposition, and it is deadly. Native to the Pacific Ocean, the red lionfish was first discovered on coral reefs in the Bahamas in 1985. The species has spread to over 3 million square kilometers of the western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Lionfish have a voracious appetite for native fish, are armed with venomous spines, and have no natural predators in their new range. List the five main levels of ecological study, and write a question about the ecology of lionfish that you could research at each level.

The red lionfish, Pterois volitans, has beautiful red stripes, streaming fins, and a fearless disposition, and it is deadly. Native to the Pacific Ocean, the red lionfish was first discovered on coral reefs in the Bahamas in 1985. The species has spread to over 3 million square kilometers of the western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Lionfish have a voracious appetite for native fish, are armed with venomous spines, and have no natural predators in their new range. Biologists are scrambling to study the reproductive biology of lionfish to inform management decisions. For example, Alexander Fogg and colleagues studied lionfish females in the northern Gulf of Mexico and estimated that an average female could produce 2,332,490 eggs per year. What time of year is reproductive rate the highest? To answer this question, the researchers collected an average of 200 lionfish each month and measured ovary size relative to body size, an indicator of reproductive capacity. Describe the take-home message of the graph. How do the error bars affect your confidence in this message?

Which of the following scenarios best corresponds with the term “niche”?

Which of the following is NOT a biotic factor?

Which of the following is generally considered true of an ecosystem?