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Ch. 52 - Community Ecology
Chapter 51, Problem 14

A team of 102 scientists spent a year surveying a small area of the San Lorenzo rain forest in Panama to count the number of species of arthropods living there. After collecting 129,494 specimens—using nets, traps, shovels, tree-climbing harnesses, helium balloons, and other creative gear—it took the team eight years to sort and identify the arthropods.A team of 102 scientists spent a year surveying a small area of the San Lorenzo rain forest in Panama to count the number of species of arthropods living there. After collecting 129,494 specimens—using nets, traps, shovels, tree-climbing harnesses, helium balloons, and other creative gear—it took the team eight years to sort and identify the arthropods. Use the data in the graph to analyze the following statements. Select True or False for each statement, then correct any false statements to make them true. T/F All taxa shown in the graph are insects. T/F All taxa shown in the graph have segmented bodies and limbs. T/F All taxa shown in the graph are terrestrial. T/F If the researchers had sampled for mollusks, they probably would have found almost as many species as they did for arthropods.

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Step 1: Analyze the graph provided. Look at the taxa represented and their characteristics. This will help you answer the first three statements.
Step 2: For the first statement, determine if all taxa shown are insects. Remember, insects are a subset of arthropods, but not all arthropods are insects. If there are non-insect arthropods in the graph, the statement is false.
Step 3: For the second statement, remember that one of the defining characteristics of arthropods is that they have segmented bodies and limbs. If all taxa shown in the graph are arthropods, then this statement is true.
Step 4: For the third statement, consider the habitat of the taxa shown in the graph. If any of the taxa are not terrestrial (land-dwelling), then the statement is false.
Step 5: For the last statement, consider the biodiversity of mollusks compared to arthropods. This requires some knowledge of the relative diversity of these two groups. If mollusks are generally less diverse than arthropods, then the statement is false.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Arthropod Diversity

Arthropods are a diverse group of invertebrates that include insects, arachnids, crustaceans, and myriapods. They are characterized by their segmented bodies, exoskeletons made of chitin, and jointed appendages. Understanding the diversity of arthropods is crucial for analyzing ecological data, as it highlights the variety of species and their roles in ecosystems.
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Taxonomy and Classification

Taxonomy is the science of classifying organisms into hierarchical categories based on shared characteristics. In the context of the question, understanding the classification of arthropods and other taxa is essential for determining whether all taxa in the graph are insects or if they belong to different groups. This knowledge helps in accurately interpreting the data presented.
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Habitat and Ecology

Habitat refers to the natural environment in which a species lives, while ecology studies the interactions between organisms and their environment. The question involves assessing whether all taxa are terrestrial, which requires knowledge of the habitats of different groups. Understanding these concepts is vital for evaluating the ecological implications of the survey findings.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

Lyme disease is caused by infections of the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi (stained blue in inset, among red blood cells) which is transferred to humans via blood-sucking bites from the tick, Ixodes scapularis. Lyme disease can cause flu-like symptoms in the short term and more serious illnesses in the long term, if not treated. Why is Lyme disease on the rise in eastern North America? Deer are hosts of ticks but are not reservoirs of B. burgdorferi—their immune systems detect and kill the bacterium. But a tick with a prior bacterial infection can consume a blood meal from a deer and then bite and infect a human. The fitness effects of a deer on B. burgdorferi can be summarized as: a. + because the deer supplies the bacterium with food. b. − because the deer kills the bacteria in its blood. c. + because the deer feeds and disperses the tick that can then infect a human with the bacterium. d. − or + depending on whether the deer is the tick's last host.

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Textbook Question

The carnivorous plant Nepenthes bicalcarata ('fanged pitcher plant') has a unique relationship with a species of ant—Camponotus schmitzi ('diving ant'). The diving ants are not digested by the pitcher plants, but instead live on the plants and consume nectar. Diving ants also dive into the digestive juices in the pitcher, swim to the bottom, and capture and consume trapped insects, leaving uneaten body parts and ant feces behind. What nutritional impact do the ants have on fanged pitcher plants? Do the pitcher plants derive any nutritional benefit from this relationship? Explain why carnivorous and parasitic plants are most common in nutrient-poor habitats.

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Textbook Question

Lyme disease is caused by infections of the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi (stained blue in inset, among red blood cells) which is transferred to humans via blood-sucking bites from the tick, Ixodes scapularis. Lyme disease can cause flu-like symptoms in the short term and more serious illnesses in the long term, if not treated. Why is Lyme disease on the rise in eastern North America? Researchers have measured a positive correlation between forest fragmentation and incidence of Lyme disease. According to the theory of island biogeography, how do you predict fragmentation will affect species richness?

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Textbook Question

A team of 102 scientists spent a year surveying a small area of the San Lorenzo rain forest in Panama to count the number of species of arthropods living there. After collecting 129,494 specimens—using nets, traps, shovels, tree-climbing harnesses, helium balloons, and other creative gear—it took the team eight years to sort and identify the arthropods. By comparing the number of arthropod species that were common among the 12 plots sampled, the researchers estimated that the total number of arthropods in the whole San Lorenzo forest is 25,000 species. To come up with this estimate, what's one assumption the researchers had to make about the forest?

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Textbook Question

Lyme disease is caused by infections of the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi (stained blue in inset, among red blood cells) which is transferred to humans via blood-sucking bites from the tick, Ixodes scapularis. Lyme disease can cause flu-like symptoms in the short term and more serious illnesses in the long term, if not treated. Why is Lyme disease on the rise in eastern North America? White-footed mice occupy a broad ecological niche—they occur in most communities regardless of habitat quality. Many other species, like the opossum, are absent from low-quality forest fragments. Based on this information and the data in Question 12, propose a hypothesis to explain the observed relationship between increased forest fragmentation and increased incidence of Lyme disease.

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Textbook Question

A team of 102 scientists spent a year surveying a small area of the San Lorenzo rain forest in Panama to count the number of species of arthropods living there. After collecting 129,494 specimens—using nets, traps, shovels, tree-climbing harnesses, helium balloons, and other creative gear—it took the team eight years to sort and identify the arthropods. The researchers observed a strong correlation between the number of arthropod species and the number of plant species in the San Lorenzo forest. Pose an evolutionary hypothesis to explain this correlation.

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