Ecology Exam 1 Key to short answer and essay question

Section III Short Answer Questions: Answer any five of the following eight
questions in the space provided. If you answer more than five, I will only grade the
first five and ignore the rest. Each question is worth 12 points.
1) Why do marine fish drink water constantly while freshwater fish never drink
water?

Both are working against concentration gradients (specifically solute gradients)

Marine fish Hypoosmotic, lose water to environment, must replace lost water
Freshwater fish Hyperosmotic, gain water from the environment, no need to
replace lost water
2) Take two plants of the same species and allow one to grow in a moist
environment and the other to grow in a dry environment. At the end of the
growing period, assume that the total weight of tissue in the two plants is
identical. Which plant will have the higher root tissue weight? Why?

Dry environment plant has higher root tissue weight; as deeper, more extended
root system gives greater access to sparse water resources. Extended roots
reduce energy expended in creating shoot tissues.
3) Draw a typical soil profile, indicating the principal layers or horizons. Briefly
describe the characteristics of each layer.

Refer to Fig. 2.8 in Chapter 2.

4) We focused much of our discussion of biomes on their latitudinal distribution.
The reasonably predictable relationships between latitude, temperature and
precipitation provide a link between latitude and biomes. What other geographic
variable might affect the distribution of temperature and precipitation and,
therefore, of biomes? Why?

Two possibilities: Changes in altitude and presence of large bodies of water.

Altitudinal changes result in lowered temperatures and either increased or
decreased precipitation, depending on whether the slope is facing into or away
from the wind. Presence of warm or cool ocean currents can moderate
temperatures, as is the case with the British Isles and the Gulf Current.
5) English and other European languages have terms for four seasons: spring,
summer, autumn, and winter. This vocabulary summarizes much of the annual
climatic variation at midlatitudes in temperate regions. Are these four seasons
useful for summarizing annual climatic changes across the rest of the globe? If
not, pick one biome and describe how many terms would be needed to describe
the seasons and what they might be.

Multiple possibilities. An example would be words to describe seasonality in the

dry tropical forest. Since there is limited variation in temperature, the only
variation is seen in precipitation, giving a wet and dry season or rainy and sunny
season. In contrast, there is little variation in precipitation in the arctic tundra
(see climate diagram for Point Barrow, Alaska), so we might have hot and cold or
growing and non-growing seasons.
6) How and why might temperature tolerance vary among organisms living at
different levels within the rocky intertidal zone?

Contrasting upper intertidal or spray zone organisms with lower intertidal

organisms is the best bet here. Upper intertidals spend long periods exposed to
sunlight with brief periods of immersion so temperature variation is at a maximum
for these organisms, ergo a wide temperature tolerance. Conversely, lower
intertidal organisms spend much of the day immersed in water (a buffer for
temperature fluctuations) and would consequently be expected to have a
narrower temperature tolerance.
7) Butterflies, which are ectothermic and diurnal (active during the day), are found
from the tropical rain forest to the Arctic. They can elevate their body
temperatures by basking in sunlight. They cannot fly until their body
temperature reaches a critical level. How would the percentage of time
butterflies spend basking versus flying change with latitude? Would the amount
of time butterflies spend basking change with daily changes in temperature?
Why?

Since temperature decreases with increasing latitude, we would expect to see

increased basking time in upper latitudes. Similarly, peak temperatures (on most
days, at least) occur in the afternoon, so the time spent basking should decline
as the day progresses.
8) What are the major differences between the climate in the tropical rainforest
and tropical dry forest biomes? How does the tropical dry forest differ from
the tropical savannah?

Tropical dry forest and tropical rain forest differ primarily in the seasonality of
rainfall. There is little, if any seasonality in the rain forest and significant
seasonality in the tropical dry forest. There are only minor differences in the
climates of tropical dry forest and tropical savannah, with the most noticeable
difference being a slightly shorter rainy season in savannas. Fire is important in
savannah.

Section IV Essay Questions: Answer any one of the following three questions.
Following the questions is one blank page for your answers. At the top of each page,

indicate which question you are answering and give me your student identification
number. DO NOT PUT YOUR NAME ON THE ANSWER SHEETS. If you wish to
create an initial outline for your answer prior to writing your essay, you should do it on
the back of the page. The essay question is worth 30 points.
Essay Question #1: It is often argued that aquatic plants and animals in saline (salty)
environments and terrestrial plants and animals in dry environments face similar
environmental challenges. Explain why this might be the case and provide examples of
adaptations in both types of environments that support your explanation.

The key point in this essay is the recognition that organisms in arid environments
and saline environments are faced with problems of moisture loss due to
concentration gradient differences between their internal body fluids and the
external environment. In the case of organisms in saline environments, the
higher solute concentration in the external environment pulls water out of their
body. In the case of organisms in an arid environment, the dry air has a lower
relative humidity compared to their body fluids so they are also faced with the
problem of losing water to the environment. Adaptations that work against that
concentration gradient support this concept. Refer to your book and lecture
notes for appropriate examples.
Essay Question #2: Listed below are two sets of observations about organisms in the
real world. For each one of the sets of observations, indicate which level of ecological
organization is being investigated and propose a mechanism (based on the factors
covered in lecture) that could explain why the described pattern appears as it does. In
your answer, be sure to indicate clearly which observation you are discussing.
A. An ecologist studying the diet of a species of minnow in Pennsylvania streams
observed that during June, the stomachs of minnows were consistently full of
aquatic insects. During the winter months, 80% of the minnows sampled had empty
stomachs and those that were not empty had only one or two prey items in them.
Despite this apparent lack of energy input, there was no change in the condition of
the minnows, as indicated by the amount of energy stored in their tissues.
B. An ecologist hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park observed that the
vegetation surrounding the trail he was hiking on seemed to change in a consistent,
predictable manner. On sections of the trail adjacent to a stream in the bottom of
the valley, he observed trees like tulip poplars and hemlocks. When the trail turned
and began to ascend the side of the mountain, the tulip poplars and hemlocks
declined in abundance and were replaced by hickories and oaks. As the trail reached
the top of the mountain, the hickories and oaks declined in abundance and were
replaced by pine trees. The slope he was climbing had a southwestern aspect.

For the first example, the observations are being made at the scale of the
individual organism or population. Potential explanatory mechanisms are
numerous, but given information discussed in lecture one of the most reasonable
would be shifting energetic demands due to seasonal changes in temperature.
During winter months, metabolic activity would decline (reduced enzymatic
activity) so energetic demands would also decline. During the summer, energetic

demands would be higher. Therefore food consumption (as indicated by

stomach fullness levels) should also show predictable changes. Changes in
invertebrate availability are also a possible explanation for the stomach contents,
but this does not fully explain the observations (particularly the lack of change in
fish condition).
For the second example, we are looking at either community, or (less directly)
biome level, or (also less directly) population level questions. The shift in species
composition of the forest would suggest changes in the environmental factors
influencing the distribution and abundance of dominant trees. Going from
streamside to mountaintop could suggest either a moisture or temperature
gradient. Therefore we would expect these species to show different tolerances
for at least one of these environmental variables.
Essay Question #3: The figure below represents a map of a hypothetical continent in
the northern hemisphere of the planet Earth. The lines and numbers to the right of
the lines represent degrees of latitude north of the equator. You should assume that
the continent is surrounded by ocean. The gray triangles represent a mountain range on
the western coast of the continent. The maximum elevation in the mountain range
exceeds 4000 m. The arrows indicate prevailing winds from the west, coming off the
ocean. Given this information, compare and contrast the physical conditions at the
geographic locations indicated by the letters A, B, C, and D. Be sure to include
information about temperature, precipitation, solar radiation and seasonal periodicity as
well as a discussion of the factors that determine the conditions at each of those
locations.

90

Prevailing Wind
Direction

60

C
1000 km

30

The key concept in this question is the recognition of both latitudinal and local
effects on climate.

Site A is at 60 degrees, so it should be relatively moist (rising air masses).

Moisture is further increased by breezes coming off the ocean and the rising air
masses associated with the mountain range. Temperature will be less variable
than we would expect because the ocean has a moderating effect on
temperature.
Although Site B is at the same latitude as Site A, moisture will be significantly
less since most of the moisture coming off the ocean has been stripped out of the
air mass by the intervening mountains. Temperature will be cooler and more
variable since there is no ocean to modify seasonal variations associated with the
changing angle of the suns rays.
Site C will be a hot, dry desert. Both its location at 30 degrees latitude and the
blocking effect of the mountains to the west create extremely arid conditions.
Seasonal variation in temperature and precipitation will not be as great as at Site
B, but average temperatures will be much, much warmer due to the more direct
rays of the sun at the lower latitude.
Site D will be hot and wet. Since it is at the equator, the suns rays will be direct
year-round. Rising air masses will lose their moisture in the form of precipitation.
Since there is little shift in the angle of the suns rays over the course of the year,
there will be little if any seasonality in either temperature or precipitation.