Ch26 Plant Ecology Test Questions & Answers

Plants and Society, 8e (Levetin)

Chapter 26 Plant Ecology

1) The term ecology literally means the study of the ________.

A) house

B) planet

C) biosphere

D) ecosystem

E) biome

2) Which of the following statements is not correct?

A) An ecosystem is the functional unit of the environment.

B) An ecosystem includes interactions between organisms and all the components of their environment.

C) Biomes are large terrestrial regions recognizable by their characteristic vegetation and climate.

D) Renewable resources are futuristic and will never be able to sustain a burgeoning human population.

E) The best approach to environmentalism is to manage renewable resources with minimal environmental disruption.

3) Firs trees, spotted owls, rodents, slugs, and various fungal species living in a Pacific Northwest forest constitute a(n) ________.

A) ecosystem

B) community

C) population

D) biosphere

E) combination of all of these

4) Acacia tortillis is the dominant tree of the Serengeti. Collectively the Serengeti A. tortillis represent a(n) ________.

A) ecosystem

B) community

C) population

D) biosphere

E) combination of all the above

5) Grasses, herbs, herbivores, carnivores, deep organic soils, rapid nitrogen cycling. Found in a typical grassland, collectively these represent a(n) ________.

A) ecosystem

B) community

C) population

D) biosphere

E) combination of all of these

6) Tuber gibbosum is a mycorrhizal, truffle-producing fungus that is food for rodents in Pacific Northwest forests. What is T. gibbosum's niche?

A) the Pacific Northwest forest

B) being a fungus

C) the combination of the fungus, the tree it is symbiotic with, and the rodent

D) providing food for trees via its mycorrhizal function

E) providing food

7) Sharks and dolphins live in similar habitats and have similar morphologies. This represents an example of

A) competitive exclusion

B) ecological equivalence

C) resource partitioning

D) biological magnification

E) occupying a specialized niche

8) Which of the following statements is not correct?

A) Under natural conditions, no two species may occupy the same niche indefinitely.

B) Competitive exclusion has been amply demonstrated through experimentation.

C) The water hyacinth is a major problem in southern waterways, where it crowds out native species.

D) Dandelions, coyotes, and humans are examples of specialists.

E) Crucial to the functioning of an ecosystem is the relationship of organisms in a food chain.

9) Two closely related plant species live in the same community. One has a shallow fibrous root system whereas the other has a deep tap root system. This represents an example of which of the following?

A) competitive exclusion

B) ecological equivalence

C) resource partitioning

D) occupying a generalized niche

E) biological magnification

10) Turner decided to not mow his lawn for one year and see what happened. After one year, he had a yard full of dandelions. This represents an example of which of the following.

A) invasive species and competitive exclusion

B) ecological equivalence

C) resource partitioning

D) biological magnification

E) occupying a specialized niche

11) Starlings are called the rats of the bird world. They live in a wide variety of environments throughout North America. This represents an example of which of the following?

A) competitive exclusion

B) ecological equivalence

C) resource partitioning

D) occupying a generalized niche

E) occupying a specialized niche

12) Flying squirrels eat mushrooms that decompose the remains of fir trees - the dominant plants in the forest. Spotted owls eat the flying squirrels. In turn, crows eat the eggs of spotted owls. The flying squirrels are which of the following?

A) primary producers

B) primary consumers

C) secondary consumers

D) tertiary consumers

E) none of these

13) Flying squirrels eat mushrooms that decompose the remains of fir trees - the dominant plants in the forest. Spotted owls eat the flying squirrels. In turn, crows eat the eggs of spotted owls. The crows are which of the following?

A) primary producers.

B) primary consumers.

C) secondary consumers.

D) tertiary consumers.

E) none of these.

14) Which of the following is not a correct association?

A) Producers :: organisms capable of producing complex organic compounds

B) Autotrophs :: producer organisms capable of producing their own food for consumption

C) Decomposers :: saprobes

D) Ecosystem :: in effect transfers energy from a lower level to a higher level

E) Biomass :: organic material contained in dead organisms

15) Flying squirrels eat mushrooms that decompose the remains of fir trees - the dominant plants in the forest. Spotted owls eat the flying squirrels. In turn, crows eat the eggs of spotted owls. The fir trees are which of the following?

A) primary producers

B) primary consumers

C) secondary consumers

D) tertiary consumers

E) None of the above is correct.

16) Flying squirrels eat mushrooms that decompose the remains of fir trees - the dominant plants in the forest. Spotted owls eat the flying squirrels. In turn, crows eat the eggs of spotted owls. The mushrooms are which of the following?

A) primary producers.

B) primary consumers.

C) secondary consumers.

D) tertiary consumers.

E) None of the above is correct.

17) In the energy dynamics of an ecosystem, the energy is captured by consumers in the which of the following processes?

A) cellular respiration

B) photosynthesis

C) protein synthesis

D) DNA replication

E) anaerobic respiration

18) When a horse eats an apple about 10% of the energy from the apple is available to do cellular work. This is a representation of which of the following?

A) the First Law of Thermodynamics

B) the Second Law of Thermodynamics

C) the Law of Mass and Energy Conservation

D) both the First and the Second Law of Thermodynamics

E) All three of the above laws together are the cause.

19) The biomass of tertiary consumers is terrestrial ecosystem is typically less than that of which of the following?

A) primary producers

B) primary consumers

C) secondary consumers

D) decomposers

E) All of the above are correct.

20) More humans could be fed if they ate more ________.

A) primary producers

B) primary consumers

C) secondary consumers

D) tertiary consumers

E) None of the above is correct.

21) In a particular freshwater ecosystem, fish ingested plankton that had 5 ppm (parts per million) mercury in their bodies. The fish then had 200 ppm of mercury in their bodies. Bird then ate the fish resulting in their bodies having 1600 ppm mercury. This represents an example of which of the following?

A) competitive exclusion

B) ecological equivalence

C) resource partitioning

D) biological magnification

E) occupying a specialized niche

22) Who was the author who alerted the public to the importance of biological magnification?

A) Charles Darwin

B) Louis Pasteur

C) Rachel Carson

D) Rosalind Franklin

E) Claudia Johnson

23) Which of the following is a carbon sink?

A) primary producers

B) primary consumers

C) secondary consumers

D) decomposers

E) All of the above are correct.

24) Tropical rain forests are carbon ________ and thus are contributing to a(n) ________ in global warming.

A) sources; increase

B) sinks; reduction

C) sinks; increase

D) sources; reduction

E) magnifiers; oxidation

25) Hypothetically, as global warming continues, photosynthesis will ________ and respiration will ________.

A) increase; decrease

B) increase; increase

C) decrease; decrease

D) decrease; increase

E) Nothing will happen; there is no evidence of global warming.

26) Global carbon dioxide levels have increased by ________ percent in the last 100 years.

A) 10

B) 15

C) 20

D) 25

E) 30

27) What is the name of the successor to the Kyoto Protocol that establishes a trust fund with contributions of 10 billion dollars per year to compensate poorer nations for local climate changes caused by the greenhouse gas emissions of wealthier nations?

A) Treaty of Kent

B) Copenhagen Accord

C) Greenhouse pact

D) Global Environmental Initiative

E) None of the above is correct.

28) All of the following will result from global warming except one. Choose the exception.

A) Climates will become drier.

B) Pest and pathogen populations will increase.

C) Oceans will become more alkaline.

D) Coastal areas will be inundated.

E) Phenologies will be disrupted.

29) Which of the following is correct about the United States and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions?

A) The U.S. was one of the first signers of the Kyoto Protocol.

B) The U.S. met its target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 7% in 2012.

C) The U.S. Senate in 2003 approved a bill to curb emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases.

D) The U.S. leads the world in its commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to slow global warming.

E) None of these statements is correct.

30) The retreat of a large glacier scoured the earth removing all vegetation and soil. The first plants to recolonize the devastated area were mosses. The type of succession represented in this scenario is ________ and moss is considered a ________ species.

A) primary; pioneer

B) primary; secondary

C) secondary; pioneer

D) secondary; primary

E) primary; successional

31) Which of the following countries is not a signer of the Kyoto Protocol?

A) Japan

B) China

C) The United States

D) Germany

E) England

32) The soils of this biome are nutrient and organic matter poor and subject to wind erosion. This biome is which of the following?

A) tundra

B) chaparral

C) grassland

D) desert

E) tropical rain forest

33) This biome includes short-lived annuals, plants with reduced leaves and photosynthetic stems, and plants with long tap roots. This biome would be classified as which of the following?

A) tundra

B) chaparral

C) grassland

D) desert

E) tropical rain forest

34) This biome includes evergreen plants with sclerophyllous leaves. Allelopathy is common and plants in this biome are adapted to frequent fires. This biome would be classified as which of the following?

A) tundra

B) chaparral

C) grassland

D) desert

E) tropical rain forest

35) The savanna is a type of ________.

A) tundra

B) chaparral

C) grassland

D) desert

E) tropical rain forest

36) Which of the following also produces a natural rubber latex similar to that of the rubber tree in the Amazon?

A) Parthenium argentatum

B) Quercus rubra

C) Pinus pseudostrobus

D) Juglans nigra

E) Simmondsia chinensis

37) A biome characterized by permafrost is which of the following?

A) tundra

B) chaparral

C) boreal forest

D) desert

E) tropical rain forest

38) In this biome, conifers dominate, soils have low fertility and are acidic. Caribou live in this biome part of the year. This biome is ________.

A) tundra

B) chaparral

C) taiga

D) desert

E) tropical rain forest

39) The greatest species diversity is found in this biome.

A) deciduous forest

B) tropical rain forest

C) grasslands

D) taiga

E) montane rain forest

40) A xerophyte may have which of the following adaptations?

A) succulent stems

B) aerial roots

C) germinate during the dry summer season

D) a xerophyte may have all of these adaptations

E) None of the above is correct.

41) The liquid wax taken from the seeds of this desert plant is similar to the spermaceti oil obtained from the endangered sperm whale. This plant is called ________.

A) jojoba

B) carnauba

C) safflower

D) olive

E) live oak

42) The main source of natural rubber comes from which native plant of the tropical rainforest?

A) Hevea brasiliensis

B) Manilkara zapota

C) Phytelephas macrocarpa

D) Bertholletia excelsa

E) Aesclepias tuberosa

43) What two physical factors are most important in determining the type of biome found in a region?

A) soil type and annual precipitation

B) fire and temperature

C) temperature and precipitation

D) temperature and topography

E) insolation and precipitation

44) The bison in the North American prairie and the wildebeest in the savanna of Africa are examples of which of the following?

A) ecological equivalents

B) abiotic factors

C) producers

D) decomposers

E) primary producers

45) Which ecological pyramid illustrates the observation that it takes many small organisms to support the nutritional needs of one large organism?

A) pyramid of numbers

B) pyramid of biomass

C) pyramid of energy

D) pyramid of calories

E) pyramid schemes

46) Which of the following statements is correct?

A) New scientific reports suggest that many diverse species from biogeographic locations across the world are actually not responding to changes in world climate.

B) The phenology of most species shows that there is no change in the periodic cycles of appearance of organisms.

C) Carbon dioxide is the raw material of photosynthesis, but plant growth has not changed since it has increased in the atmosphere over the past 50 years.

D) Current research suggests that community composition is likely to change in an enhanced carbon dioxide world in which invasives may replace native species.

E) None of the above is correct.

47) The growth of vegetation after a forest fire is an example of which of the following:

A) competitive exclusion

B) secondary succession

C) biological magnification

D) primary succession

E) absolute competition

48) A ________ ________ is a linear sequence indicating the nutritional relationships between organisms in a community.

49) A ________ community is the last successional stage in both primary and secondary succession.

50) ________ ________ are the harvests of natural products from the rain forest that can be collected with minimal environmental damage and for long-term sustainable economic gain.

51) ________ is a process in which rubber is treated with sulfur and heat to stabilize its elastic properties.

52) Global ________ and an increase in carbon dioxide in the air from human activities have all contributed to the greenhouse effect.

53) ________ is the hard endosperm of a rain forest palm that can be carved into figurines, jewelry, or buttons.

54) Studies of primary rain forests in the Amazon showed that tropical rain forests may play a major role in slowing greenhouse warming.

55) Consider a simplified ecosystem: grass->mice->weasels->. According to the pyramid of biomass concept, if you were to determine the collective dry weight of all the organisms at each trophic level, the weasels would have the largest biomass and the grasses would have the smallest.

56) Data collected from a local forest ecosystem quantified the number of organisms from four different trophic levels: 5, 50,000, 150,000, and 1,000,000. The number of herbivores would most likely be 150,000.

57) Carbon returns to the atmospheric reservoir when plants photosynthesize.

58) "Habitat" specifically refers to the physical setting where an organism lives.

59) The progressive development of a forest community on an abandoned pasture is an example of primary succession.

60) The first organisms to occupy a new successional site are called pioneer species.

61) The biosphere is the interplay between a community and the abiotic factors in the environment.

62) The range of disease-carrying organisms will likely be reduced as global climate change increases.

63) The dominant vegetation in the boreal or taiga biome is a forest of conifers.

64) The savanna is a temperate forest biome characterized by trees that annually shed their leaves in autumn.

65) Deciduous trees in a temperate forest lose all their leaves in the fall, thus stopping their primary production activities.

66) A utility company burning coal to produce electricity is an example of the First Law of Thermodynamics.

67) Niche is the broad range of characteristics of an organism that defines how it relates to the rest of its community.

68) The invasion of life onto an island newly created by volcanic activity is an example of primary succession.

69) When a car is driven, only about 10% of the high-quality chemical energy available in the gasoline is converted into mechanical energy to propel the vehicle. The remaining 90% is degraded to low quality heat that is released into the environment. This is an illustration of the Second Law of Thermodynamics.

70) According to the pyramid of energy, it generally takes about 100 kilograms (dry weight) of clover to make 10 kg of rabbit, which in turn will make 1 kg of fox.

71) Photosynthesis is the oxidation of glucose yielding energy and releasing carbon dioxide.

72) Autotrophs cannot synthesize food and must realize their nutritional needs by eating other organisms.

73) True heterotrophs cannot manufacture or produce their own food.

74) Biomes are the climax communities for particular regions of the terrestrial environment.

75) Cacti have modified their leaves into spines and developed water-storing, photosynthetic stems. Characteristics such as these that enhance the survival of an organism in its environment are known as adaptations.

76) Cacti and other succulents often have green stems and trunks where additional photosynthesis can take place.

77) Clear-cutting is the method of tree harvesting that is least disruptive to a forest.

78) In the shelterwood method of tree harvesting, some mature trees are not harvested to regenerate the forest naturally.