Multiple Choice

Questions 1-3 refer to the lettered points on the curves plotted on the graph below. The curves show two
possible patterns of change in population size over time for a certain species of small mammal in an
ecosystem.

1. Population growing exponentially.

2. Population decreasing at greatest rate.
3. Population growing at a decreasing rate.
(2008 Practice #15) Which of the following can be estimated from the sample for the invertebrates in the
pond?
a. The species richness
b. The ponds productivity
c. The uniformity of species distribution in the pond
d. The degree of disturbance
e. The stability of the ecosystem

(2008 Practice #16) If the pond is resampled a year later, which of the following would best indicate that
the pond had been adversely affected by the adjacent development?
a. An uncommon species has become more numerous
b. An increase in low-tolerance species has occurred
c. A decrease in high tolerance species has occurred.
d. Phylogenic diversity has increased
e. The biodiversity of the pond has decreased
(2008 Practice #20) Which of the following regions of the ocean is LEAST likely to contain photosynthetic
organisms?
a. Intertidal zone
b. Zone of coastal upwelling
c. Pelagic zone
d. Euphotic zone
e. Abyssal zone
(2008 Practice #26) All of the following are commonly used to deal with the side effects of eutrophication
in lakes except
a. Applying herbicides to kill nuisance plants
b. Dredging out lakes to deepen them
c. Pumping oxygen into the lowest layers of water

d. Introducing insects that eat certain nuisance plants

e. Adding nitrates
(2008 Practice #35) Which of the following elements is most likely to limit primary production in freshwater
lakes?
a. Oxygen
b. Calcium
c. Phosphorus
d. Carbon
e. Iron

(2008 Practice #63) Defining characteristics of a wetland involve which of the following?
I.
II.
III.

(2008
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

Hydrology
Soil type
Species composition
a. I only
b. II only
c. I and II only
d. II and III only
e. I, II, and III

Practice #70) Which of the following is the best example of a keystone species?
Sea otter
Sea urchin
Spotted Owl
Snail darter
Condor

(2008 Practice #75) Which of the following is generally true of K-strategist species as compared to rstrategist species?
a. They reach sexual maturity earlier
b. They have more young
c. They are more likely to be invasive species
d. They have longer life spans
e. Their population cycles are more rapid
(2008 Practice #80) In Meditteranean climate regions like portions of California, a wetter than normal
winter often leads to greater severity of fires the following summer. This seeming paradox occurs because
increased rain leads to
a. Greater accumulation of Chaparral biomass
b. Higher pollination rates of annual flowers
c. Greater recreational use of parklands
d. Greater erosion and damage of access roads
e. Decreased summer rainfall
(2008
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

Practice #81) The largest area of old-growth forest in the United States is located in
Alaska
Montana
California
North Carolina
Michigan

(2008 Practice #82) Which of the following is the zone of a pond or lake in which rooted, emergent plants
such as cattails and rushes are located?
a. Benthic
b. Limnetic
c. Littoral
d. Profundal
e. Riparian
(2008 Practice #90) A field is abandoned, and an invasive plant that can live in nutrient poor soil moves
into the field. If the land is later cleared of this invasive species and it is discovered that the soil has an
abundance of nitrogen compounds, what conclusion can best be made?
a. The plants used up all of the phosphorus and potassium and left the nitrogen behind.
b. Primary succession always produces an abundance of nitrogen
c. Bacteria in soil and in root nodules converted free nitrogen into nitrogen compounds
d. The plants were able to produce nitrogen in their leaves
e. More rock was weathered and broken down to release nitrogen compounds
The two processes that determine the worlds biodiversity are_______________.
a. Allopatric and sympatric speciation
b. Mutation and cleavage
c. Endemism and climate change
d. Extinction and speciation
e. Breeding and ecotourism
A population is a ________.
a. group of individuals of interacting species that live in one area
b. group of individuals of interacting species that interact in multiple ecosystems
c. group of individuals of a single species that live in one area
d. subset of bacteria that grow on a petri dish
e. group of cells that have similar function
The functional role of a species in its community is its ________.
a. Habitat
b. place in the food chain
c. selection
d. niche
e. evolution
Unregulated populations tend to increase by ________.
a. linear growth
b. exponential growth
c. pyramidal growth
d. emigration
e. immigration
The carrying capacity is the ________.
a. maximum population size that a given environment can sustain
b. greatest number of different niches possible in a given area
c. potential growth in the number of species in a given area
d. limitation on numbers of species in a community
e. average number of offspring carried to term by a species
Groups of organisms with low biotic potential, such as gray whales, that produce at most one offspring
every other year, are said to be ________.

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

r-selected
K-selected
density-independent organisms
cannot be determined from information given
high in biotic potential because of their size, like the grey whale

In a population of field mice, an example of an adaptive trait that could help with reproduction and/or
survival would be ________.
a. being brightly colored so other mice could see you
b. needing to eat more food than other mice your size
c. spending more time running around on the ground looking for better seeds
d. having a bit more fur to withstand cold weather
e. having shorter legs to be lower to the ground
A Type
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

I survivorship curve, with higher death rates at older ages, is typical of ________.
redwood trees
large open-water ocean fish, such as tuna
dandelions
large mammals such as gorillas
large reptiles such as alligators

A coyote, which can alter its food intake to match seasonal abundance of plants, fruits, or small animals, is
considered to be ________.
a. a generalist, able to be flexible
b. a specialist, able to specialize on whatever is available at the time
c. an endemic, able to be flexible
d. density independent and resource neutral
e. an organism with a Type II survivorship curve
Use the following lettered choices to answer the following four questions.
A. chaparral
B. tropical dry forest
C. temperate rainforest
D. desert
E. temperate grassland
F. boreal forest
G. temperate deciduous forest
H. savanna
I. tropical rainforest
Describes biome in the eastern United States, north central Europe, and eastern China; characterized by
stable precipitation and seasonal temperature variation.
Describes the terrestrial biome bordering the Mediterranean Sea and Southern California; characterized by
wet winters and warm dry summers.
Describes Cairo, Egypt, and northwest Mexico; characterized by sparse rainfall and much variation in
temperature
________ capture solar energy and use photosynthesis to produce sugars
a. Producers
b. Primary consumers
c. Secondary consumers
d. Detritivores

e. Heterotrophs
Grazing animals such as deer are ________.
a. Producers
b. Primary consumers
c. Secondary consumers
d. Detritivores
e. Heterotrophs
Which
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

of the following is true about top predators?

They are likely to be keystone species.
They are likely to be herbivores.
They are likely to be producers.
They include bacteria and fungi.
Their removal increases biodiversity.

Which
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

of the following is a pioneer species during primary succession?

Gray wolf
Lichen
Oak tree
Yellow-legged frog
Deer

Overall, it appears that biomes with more available freshwater ________.

a. tend to have less productivity than those without much freshwater
b. tend to have about the same productivity as those without much freshwater
c. tend to have more productivity than those without much freshwater
d. don't differentiate between freshwater as rainfall and freshwater as ice in glaciers
e. None of the above
Cattle on an open range, in some areas, may compact fragile soils while grazing. This can damage plant
roots, leading to fewer, smaller plants, which may in turn cause cattle to graze more and work harder to
obtain food. This is an example of a ________.
a. positive feedback loop

b. negative feedback loop

The eutrophication that has taken place in the Gulf of Mexico and other locations appears to be due to
________.
a. global warming from human use of fossil fuels
b. pesticide use along the waterways
c. heavy metals dumped in the sewage
d. weather alone, because it is only obvious in the summer
e. excess nutrients from fertilizers
The biosphere consists of the ________.
a. water, saltwater, and freshwater in surface bodies and the atmosphere
b. solid earth beneath our feet
c. sum of all the planet's living organisms and the abiotic portions of the environment
d. air surrounding our planet
e. abiotic portions of the environment
Plants
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

conduct photosynthesis, making glucose and other carbohydrates. To do this they need ________.
water from the soil
water from the humid atmosphere and carbon dioxide from the soil
water from the soil and carbon dioxide from the soil
carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
water from the soil and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

Nitrogen fixation is a process that makes nitrogen available to plants by ________.

a. Photosynthesis
b. volcanic eruptions
c. parasitic bacteria
d. dissolving in freshwater and in the ocean
e. nitrogen fixing bacteria
Humans have dramatically altered the rate of nitrogen fixation into forms usable by autotrophs ________.
a. due to the burning of fossil fuels to meet our energy needs
b. because of the erosion of farmlands through poor agricultural practices
c. as we produce synthetic fertilizers (Haber-Bosch Process) and apply them to crops, lawns, and
parks
d. by using antibiotics to reduce the numbers of denitrifying bacteria
e. by selectively removing leguminous plants
2005 FRQ #4
The Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) on Alaskas North Slope is frequently in the news because
petroleum geologists estimate that there are billions of barrels of economically recoverable oil beneath the
surface of the frozen tundra. According to a 1998 USGS (United States Geological Survey) estimate, ANWR
could contain up to 10 billion barrels of technically recoverable oil. Oil companies advocate opening the
refuge to oil exploration and the subsequent development of its petroleum reserves. Environmentalists
argue that oil exploration and development will damage the fragile ecosystem and urge Congress to
protect ANWR by designating it a wilderness area.
a. The United States consumes approximately 20 million barrels of oil per day. According to the
USGS estimate, for how many days would technically recoverable oil resources in ANWR supply
the total US demand for oil?
b. Describe two characteristics of the Arctic tundra that make it fragile and explain how these two
characteristics make the tundra particularly susceptible to damage from human impacts.

c. Identify two activities that would be associated with the development of ANWR petroleum
resources and describe a substantial environmental impact of each in ANWR.
d. Identify and describe two major end uses of the 20 million barrels of oil that the US consumes
each day and for each use describe a conservation measure that would substantially reduce US
consumption.
2004 FRQ #1

a. Support Dr. Tates assertion that the leaf litter is critical to the survival of local species of forest
plants. Include in your discussion the roles of leaf litter in a deciduous forest ecosystem.
b. Describe THREE abiotic changes that would be likely to result if the exotic worms consumed all the
leaf litter in a single season.
c. For the changes you just identified in part b, explain how the change could set the stage for a
takeover of Japanese stilt grass or other exotic species.
d. Design a controlled experiment to determine whether the worms, in fact, do change the forest
ecosystem. Identify the environmental factor you will measure, and include the specific hypothesis
you will test and the data you will collect.
2003 FRQ #4
The American Whooping Crane and the California Condor are two of North Americas largest birds.
Although both are rare and endangered, they are protected, and large preserves are available to them.
The two species, however, seem to be responding differently to these conservation efforts.
In 1937, the whooping crane population was reduced to 14 individuals. It has since recovered; currently
more than 200 birds live and breed in the wild. In the preservation of endangered species, the whooping
crane is a success story. On the other hand, the California condor population declined rapidly so that no
birds remained in the wild between 1987 and 1992. Condors were reintroduced into wild after 1992 and
approximately 50 condors currently live in the wild in California and Arizona. However, the recovery
program cannot yet be considered a success.
a. Identify and describe two major causes for the original decline of these species. (You may
describe one cause for each species or two causes for one species).
b. Describe two measures that have been taken to protect these species. (Specify which of these
species benefited from each measure.
c. Describe two important characteristics of an endangered species that would cause it to be slow
to recover.

d. Make one economic or ecological argument for protecting the condor, the whooping crane, or
another endangered species that you identify and make one economic or ecological argument
against protecting it.
2001 FRQ #2

a. In the space provided below, diagram a food web based on the interrelationships of the organisms
identified in the exerpt.
b. Design a controlled experiment that tests the relationship between acorn production and gypsy
moth population. Include the hypothesis that the experiment tests.
c. Briefly describe a strategy that uses integrated pest management for the control of the black
legged tick population.
2000 FRQ #3
Species such as the dusky seaside sparrow, the passenger pigeon, and the wooly mammoth are extinct.
Populations of other species have declined to the point where they are designated as threatened or
endangered.
a. Identify one threatened or endangered species and explain why its population has declined.
b. Describe three characteristics of organisms that would make them particularly vulnerable to
extinction.
c. Present three arguments in favor of the maintenance of biodiversity.
d. Name and describe one US federal law or one international treaty that is intended to prevent the
extinction of species.