ch15 17

ch15-17
Student: _______________________________________________________________________________________
1. Which of the following organisms are dependent on mutualisms for their persistence?
A. reef-building corals
B. bioluminescent fishes
C. bumblebees and hummingbirds
D. horses, elephants, and camels
E. All of the choices are correct.
2. Mycorrhizal fungi (directly) help their plant partners acquire
A. sugars.
B. sunlight.
C. seed dispersal.
D. soil nutrients.
E. pollination.
3. Mycorrhizal fungi acquire _________ from their plant partners.
A. sugars
B. soil nutrients
C. proteins and lipids
D. growth hormones
E. protection from consumers
4. Soil fertilization should favor mycorrhizal fungi that are
A. less aggressive at obtaining sugars from their plant hosts.

B. more aggressive at obtaining sugars from their plant hosts.
C. more efficient at extracting inorganic nutrients from soils.
D. more efficient at extracting sugars from soils.
E. more efficient at extracting inorganic nutrients from plant root exudates.
5. In experiments with the prairie grass Andropogon, root:shoot ratios proved to be
A. higher in plants grown in poor soils.

B. lower in plants grown in poor soils.
C. equal in plants grown in poor and rich soils.
D. higher in plants grown with mycorrhizae.
E. equal in plants grown with and without mycorrhizae.
6. Ants on the aspen sunflower, Helianthella quinquenervis, obtain sugars and amino acids by
A. collecting nectar from the sunflower's flowers.

B. collecting nectar from extrafloral nectaries.
C. tending aphids that extract plant sap.
D. extracting plant sap directly by piercing the sunflower stem.
7. Ant-acacia trees provide several services to their mutualistic ant partners. These include
A. enlarged thorns to host ant colonies.

B. nectar from foliar nectaries.
C. nectar from floral nectaries.
D. All of the choices are correct.
E. Both enlarged thorns to host ant colonies and nectar from foliar nectaries.
8. The major benefit obtained by aspen sunflower, Helianthella quinquenervis, from its ant mutualists is
A. reduced losses of seeds to seed predators.

B. reduced loss of leaf tissue to herbivorous insects.
C. more efficient extraction of soil nutrients.
D. more rapid growth early in the growing season.
E. improved attraction of pollinators.
9. Which aspects of the biology of zooxanthellae are controlled by their coral hosts?
A. their cell wall chemistry

B. their population growth rate when free-living
C. the release of photosynthetic products from their cells
D. the rate at which they absorb sugars from their hosts
E. their mortality rate
10. The major benefit obtained by zooxanthellae algal cells from their coral host is
A. protection from herbivores.

B. sugars.
C. phosphorus from coral wastes.
D. nitrogen from coral wastes.
E. temperature regulation.
11. Crabs and shrimp associated with corals protect their hosts from
A. being dislodged from the substrate by currents.

B. predation by sea-stars.
C. predation by fishes.
D. attack by parasitic nematodes.
E. infection by pathogenic bacteria.
12. A calculated range of values that we estimate contains the true mean of a population with a known degree of certainty is called a
A. standard error.
B. standard deviation.
C. median.
D. Students t-value.
E. confidence interval.
13. The "unsuccessful mutualists" in Kathleen Keeler's cost-benefit model of mutualism are those that
A. give benefits to their partner, but fail to receive benefits in return.

B. receive benefits from their partner, but fail to provide benefits in return.
C. neither give benefits to their partner, nor receive them in return.
D. fail to locate individuals of their mutualistic partner effectively.
E. locate mutualistic partners, but fail to overcome their defenses against colonization.
14. In Kathleen Keeler's cost-benefit model of mutualism, the condition for persistence of mutualists is pw + qw > w . The parameters
mw mu nm
p and q represent the
A. cost and benefit of the mutualism.

B. fitness of successful and unsuccessful mutualists.
C. frequency of "mutualist" and "nonmutualist" alleles in the population.
D. proportion of successful and unsuccessful mutualists in the population.
E. amount of herbivore protection provided by ant and non-ant defenses.
15. The interaction between honeyguide birds and the Boran people of Kenya
A. is an obligate mutualism.
B. is a facultative mutualism.
C. is exploitative, with humans benefiting but honeyguides exploited.
D. represents the only way a honeyguide can gain access to a beehive.
E. depends only on humans following birds, not on active communication by the birds.
16. An interaction between individuals of different species that benefit both partners is called
A. commensalism.
B. predation.
C. exploitation.
D. mutualism.
E. ammensalism.
17. Raine, Willmer, and Stone demonstrated that protection and pollination mutualism do not come into conflict on the swollen thorn acacia,
Acacia hindsii, because
A. there is spatial separation of inflorescences and resources used by guarding ants.

B. A. hindsii inflorescences lack nectar.
C. A. hindsii inflorescences contain a chemical ant repellent.
E. Both A and B are correct.
18. Nutrient poor soils should favor mycorrhizal fungi that are
A. less aggressive at obtaining sugars from their plant host.

B. more aggressive at obtaining sugars from their plant host.
C. more efficient at extracting inorganic nutrients from soil.
D. more efficient at extracting sugars from soil.
19. Which of the following is not a benefit provided by mutualistic crab and shrimp to the Pocillopora coral?
A. protection from predators

B. promotion of the health and integrity of coral tissue
C. source of lipids
D. both protection from predators and source of lipids
E. both promotion of the health and integrity of coral tissue and source of lipids
20. The enlarged thorns of swollen thorn acacias provide ants with
A. a source of sugar.
B. a source of protein.
C. a source of fats.
D. living space.
E. a habitat for their prey species.
21. _____________ mutualism describes a relationship where species are so dependent on their mutualistic relationship they cannot live in its
absence.
A. Obligate
B. Critical
C. Facultative
D. Dispensable
E. Essential
22. Which of the following statements is true regarding the control of coral over zooxanthellae?
A. Coral induces zooxanthellae to release organic compounds.

B. Coral controls the rate of zooxanthellae population growth.
C. Coral controls the population density of zooxanthellae.
D. Coral promote unbalanced growth in zooxanthellae.
E. All of the choices are true.
23. Which of the following results, from research conducted by Nancy Johnson on big blue stem grass, suggested that mycorrhizal plants had
greater access to nutrients?
A. root:shoot ratios were significantly lower in plants with mycorrhizae

B. root:shoot ratios were significantly higher in plants with mycorrhizae
C. root:shoot ratios were equal in plants with and without mycorrhizae
D. root:shoot ratios were highest in treatments without nitrogen supplements
E. root:shoot ratios were lowest in the treatment with nitrogen supplements
24.
What is the 95% confidence interval for the Gila River sample of loach minnows given: mm, s = 6.2 mm, n = 50, and critical
value of t = 2.01.
A. 56.2 mm + 1.77 mm
B. 56.2 mm ± 1.77 mm
C. 56.2 mm - 2.26 mm
D. 56.2 mm ± 0.25 mm
E. 56.2 mm + 0.25 mm
25. The presence of ant mutualists on bullshorn acacia reduces herbivore attack and increases acacia growth rate, but has little effect on acacia
mortality rate
True False
26. A cost-benefit model predicts that aspen sunflowers (Helianthella quinquenervis) in shady habitats should be less likely to attract ants
than those living in sunny habitats.
True False
27. A mutualistic relationship in which either species can survive without its partner is called a ______________ mutualism.
________________________________________
28. The two most common types of mycorrhizal fungi are ___________ and ____________.
________________________________________
29. Modified leaflet tips of bullshorn acacia that provide a food source for ants are called ___________.
________________________________________
30. The photosynthetic zooxanthellae associated with reef-building corals are members of the Phylum ___________.
________________________________________
31. In most ecological communities, we find
A. more rare species than moderately common or very common ones.

B. more very common species than moderately common or rare ones.
C. no rare species—apparently "rare" species are artifacts of incomplete sampling.
D. roughly equal proportions of rare, moderately common, and very common species.
E. more moderately common species than rare or very common ones.
32. A simple tree community consists of 4 maples, 3 oaks, and 1 alder. The species richness of this community is
A. 0.42.
B. 0.97.
C. 1.5.
D. 3.
E. not possible to calculate from the data given.
33. A simple tree community consists of 4 maples, 3 oaks, and 1 alder. The Shannon-Wiener diversity of this community is
A. 0.42.
B. 0.97.
C. 1.5.
D. 3.
34. Odegaard's study estimating the number of tropical forest beetles illustrates that sampling from multiple sites
A. is not affected by the sampling effort devoted to estimation.

B. usually require only limited effort by ecologists.
C. can usually be made more easily by sampling only a single indicator taxon.
D. is intensively all that is necessary to calculate species diversity.
E. must, to be useful, be based on standardized sampling techniques.
35. Robert MacArthur's study of forest warblers suggested that
A. fewer warbler species can survive in more complex habitats.

B. warbler species diversity increases with habitat complexity.
C. warbler species diversity decreases with habitat complexity.
D. most warblers have rather similar foraging niches.
E. None of the choices are correct.
36. In Michael Huston's studies of Costa Rican forest diversity, the highest tree diversity was found on soils with
A. very high fertility.

B. moderate fertility.
C. very low fertility.
D. either high or low, but not moderate, fertility.
E. There was no relationship between diversity and soil fertility.
37. In the Amazon forest, slight changes in soil properties tend to be correlated with
A. similarly slight differences in plant communities.

B. no detectable differences in plant communities.
C. dramatic differences in plant communities.
D. dramatic differences in plant communities only if the soil property in question is moisture.
E. dramatic differences in plant communities only if the soil property in question is bedrock type.
38. Niches of single-celled algae, such as diatoms, seem most often to be distinguished by their requirements for
A. different combinations of inorganic nutrients.

B. different light environments.
C. different water-flow environments.
D. different water temperatures.
E. Most single-celled algae have indistinguishable niches.
39. In soil and water fertilization experiments, increasing fertilization tends to reduce the number of limiting resources for plant growth until a
single resource limits growth of all species. This "ultimate" limiting resource tends to be
A. carbon.
B. oxygen.
C. phosphorus.
D. nitrogen.
E. light.
40. Joseph Connell's "intermediate disturbance hypothesis" proposes that
A. species diversity is highest at intermediate frequencies of disturbance.

B. species diversity is lowest at intermediate frequencies of disturbance.
C. population growth rates are highest at intermediate frequencies of disturbance.
D. competitive exclusion is fastest at intermediate levels of disturbance.
41. Winter storms can affect diversity on intertidal boulders because
A. cold water temperatures kill algae and invertebrates.

B. some invertebrates are more vulnerable than others to being dislodged by currents.
C. dessication of exposed invertebrates by unusually high winds is an important source of mortality.
D. strong storm waves overturn boulders and thereby accelerate competitive exclusion.
E. strong storm waves overturn boulders and thereby remove competitive dominants.
42. Disturbances can alter a community's stable environmental conditions, also called its
A. frequency.
B. intensity.
C. heterogeneity.
D. equilibrium.
E. niche space.
43. Prairie dog disturbances maximize plant diversity
A. by burrowing and grazing.

B. by creating patches open for dispersal.
C. by allowing good competitors and good colonizers to coexist in the grassland.
D. at intermediate levels.
44. European chalk grasslands
A. were a common habitat type before being largely destroyed by human disturbance.
B. have only become common since human disturbance intensified about 10,000 years ago.
C. grow on thick, fertile soils associated with deeply buried chalk deposits.
D. are a very low diversity habitat.
E. are often destroyed by farmers planting crops.
45. Dominance of chalk grasslands by the grass Brachypodium is increased by
A. protection of grasslands in undisturbed nature reserves.

B. early summer mowing for hay.
C. cessation of fertilizer application.
D. grazing by cattle and sheep.
46. A community is defined as
A. a group of organisms that all make their living in a similar way.

B. a group of individuals of a single species inhabiting a defined area.
C. the portion of a defined area that supports life.
D. a group of subpopulations living in separate locations with active exchange of individuals among subpopulations.
E. an association of interacting species inhabiting a defined area.
47. The most serious human-caused threat to endangered species worldwide is
A. pollution.
B. the introduction of invasive species.
C. habitat destruction.
D. the pet trade
E. None of the choices are correct
48. Given two habitats, Habitat 1 and Habitat 2, which habitat would have greater species diversity?
Habitat 1: Species A, 10; Species B, 10; Species C, 10
Habitat 2: Species A, 10; Species B, 10; Species C, 10; Species D, 10; Species E, 10
A. Habitat 1
B. Habitat 2
C. neither; Habitat 1 and Habitat 2 have equal diversity
D. neither; Habitat 1 and Habitat 2 have equal species richness
E. neither; Habitat 1 and Habitat 2 have equal species evenness
49. In Leon Creek there are 5 species of fish. The species and the number of individuals in each species are as follows: 20 catfish, 15 gar, 12
large-mouth bass, 10 perch, and 2 striped bass. Calculate the Shannon-Wiener index value (H') for this fish community.
A. -0.63
B. 0.63
C. 4.20
D. 67.2
50. In the Grass Park Experiment, researchers have fertilized a grassland at the Rothamsted Experimental Station in Great Britain since 1856.
Sampling for species diversity through time shows that rank-abundance curves have gotten __________ over time, indicating _________
species evenness.
A. steeper, increasing
B. steeper, decreasing
C. more shallow, increasing
D. more shallow, decreasing
E. rank-abundance curves have not changed through time
51. Higher species evenness in a community can be measured by a shallower slope on a rank-abundance curve.
True False
52. Concentrations of inorganic nutrients typically don't vary much across the surface of a single lake.
True False
53. In terrestrial soils, local patches with high water availability and local patches with high nitrate availability often show rather little
overlap.
True False
54. A set of species that have similar ways of making their living make up a __________.
________________________________________
55. A relatively discrete ecological event that kills or damages organisms or alters the physical or biological environment is called a
__________.
________________________________________
56. A keystone species is one
A. that makes up a very large proportion of total community biomass.

B. that feeds on a very large fraction of all available prey species.
C. that is fed on by a very large fraction of all predators in its community.
D. whose feeding activities have a disproportionate effect on the structure of its community.
E. that occupies the lowest level (the base) of the food web.
57. Teja Tscharntke's studies of the food web associated with Phragmites reeds revealed that
A. only a single parasitoid species can persist exploiting a single species of herbivore.
B. only a single herbivore species can persist attacking a single species of plant.
C. predation by birds actually protects herbivores, because the birds feed on parasitoid-infested herbivore galls but not uninfested galls.
D. within local food webs, all interactions tend to be of roughly the same strength.
E. recognizing variation in interaction strength can greatly simplify the depiction of a food web.
58. In zooplankton and intertidal communities, as the overall diversity of the food web increases, the proportion of predators in the web
A. tends to decrease.
B. tends to increase.
C. first decreases, then increases again.
D. first increases, then decreases again.
E. stays about the same.
59. In Robert Paine's studies of the Washington intertidal community, which organism proved to be a keystone species?
A. the whelk Thais

B. acorn barnacles
C. chitons
D. the starfish Pisaster
E. limpets
60. In the Washington intertidal community studied by Robert Paine, the most important limiting resource is
A. space.
B. light.
C. plankton.
D. nitrogen.
E. water.
61. In Jane Lubchenko's tidepool system, removal of the herbivorous snail Littorina led to
A. dominance of the tidepools by the unpalatable alga Chondrus.

B. replacement of Chondrus by the more palatable alga Enteromorpha.
C. replacement of Chondrus by other algae better adapted to herbivory.
D. replacement of Enteromorpha by other algae that are better competitors.
E. no marked change in the algal community.
62. Which statement best sums up the relationship between density of the herbivorous snail Littorina and the diversity of algae in its habitat?
A. highest diversity when Littorina are abundant, in all habitats

B. highest diversity when Littorina are rare, in all habitats
C. highest diversity when Littorina densities are intermediate, in all habitats
D. highest diversity in tidepools when Littorina are rare, but in emergent habitats when Littorina densities are intermediate
E. highest diversity in tidepools when Littorina densities are intermediate, but in tidepools when Littorina are rare
63. Keystone species
A. appear to be common in terrestrial systems, but not in aquatic ones.

B. appear to be common in both terrestrial and aquatic systems.
C. appear to be common in aquatic systems, but not in terrestrial ones.
D. by definition, cannot occur in aquatic systems.
E. by definition, cannot occur in terrestrial systems.
64. We can infer a statistically significant difference between two population means when
A. our estimates of the two means are different.

B. the variances of the two means do not overlap.
C. the standard deviations of the two means do not overlap.
D. the 95% confidence intervals for the two means do not overlap.
E. the 95% confidence intervals for the two means are of different widths.
65. A Predator and its prey interact __________, but if the predator affects another species through this interaction, ecologists describe it as a
(n) ___________ interaction.
A. strongly; inefficient.
B. directly; variable.
C. weakly; diffuse.
D. indirectly; keystone.
E. directly; indirect.
66. Cleaner wrasse are mutualists of other coral reef fishes. What benefit do they provide to those other fish?
A. They suppress diseases because they consume carcasses of dead fish.

B. They keep water oxygenated because they consume organic debris before it can rot.
C. They keep fish relatively free of externally-feeding parasites.
D. They maintain fish habitat by keeping corals free of encrusting algae.
E. They reduce fish mortality by repelling large vertebrate predators.
67. Invasive Argentine ants have an important effect on community structure of the South African fynbos because
A. they do not disperse seeds, while native ants do.

B. they disperse seeds more effectively than do native ants.
C. they disperse seeds in different spatial patterns than do native ants.
D. as keystone species, they greatly increase the local diversity of native ants.
E. Argentine ants have invaded many communities, but not the South African fynbos.
68. Human hunters in the Amazon rain forests kill
A. large numbers of almost every mammal and bird species, for food and for skins.
B. large numbers of the smallest mammal and bird species, which are easiest to catch.
C. large numbers primarily of the largest mammal and bird species.
D. large numbers of mammals and birds, but do not greatly affect population densities.
E. only a few mammals and birds, but because humans are keystone species, these few kills greatly reduce population densities.
69. Weaver ants provide effective protection of citrus trees because they
A. remove harmful soft-scale insects (mealybugs).

B. remove all plant-feeding insects.
C. cultivate soft-scale insects, but do not allow them to feed on the trees.
D. cultivate soft-scale insects, but still allow them to be attacked by parasitoids and predators.
70. The use of predaceous weaver ants to control pest insects in citrus orchards was first recorded in
A. California in the 1950s.

B. Florida in the 1920s.
C. Mexico in Mayan times.
D. China in the 17th century.
E. China in the 4th century.
71. Which is the correct order of prey consumption in the Antarctic pelagic food web?
A. Krill→Diatoms→Ross seal→Crabeater seal→Killer Whale

B. Diatoms→Krill→Ross seal→Crabeater seal→Killer Whale
C. Diatoms→Squid→Emperor penguin→Leopard seal→Killer whale
D. Krill→Squid→Weddell seal→Leopard Seal→Killer whale
E. Diatoms→Squid→Krill→Emperor penguin→Leopard seal
72. Kirk Winemiller, who described the feeding relations among freshwater fish in Venezuela and Costa Rica, simplified the food webs from
his study sites by presenting common-fish webs. Common-fish webs
A. exclude rare species.

B. both exclude rare species and include the fish species whose aggregate abundance comprise 95% of the individuals collected.
C. exclude species that do not comprise at least 30% of the community.
D. include the fish species whose aggregate abundance comprise 95% of the individuals collected.
E. exclude species that do not comprise at least 40% of the community.
73. Teja Tscharntke simplified the food web associated with the wetland reed Phragmites australis by dividing the species into the following
major trophic levels?
A. plant, herbivore, piscivore, granivore

B. herbivore, carnivore, detritivore, consumer
C. herbivore, parasite, carnivore, detritivore
D. plant, herbivore, parasite, carnivore
E. plant, detritivore, parasite, herbivore
74. Based on studies by Jane Lubchenko, what influence does the population density of the herbivorous intertidal snail, Littorina littorea, have
on the number of algal species?
A. as snail density increases from low to medium the number of algal species increases
B. as snail density increases from medium to high the number of algal species increases
C. as snail density increases from low to medium the number of algal species decreases
D. as snail density increases from medium to high the number of algal species decreases
E. both as snail density increases from low to medium the number of algal species increases and as snail density increases from medium to
high the number of algal species decreases
75.
Martinsen, Driebe, and Whitham provided evidence for _______________________ with beaver consumption of cottonwoods resulting
in higher densities of herbivorous beetles.
A. indirect keystone predation

B. indirect commensalism
C. apparent competition
D. keystone predation
E. indirect competition
76. It had been thought that Brassica nigra competitively displaced the native grass Nassella pulchra, but Orrock et al. showed that it was
likely apparent competition when
A. B. nigra shaded out N. pulchra.

B. N. pulchra did not germinate near B. nigra.
C. B. nigra sheltered mammal herbivores which consumed N. pulchra.
D. B. nigra had higher survival after fire than N. pulchra.
77. Removal of Pisaster starfish in the Washington intertidal leads to a decline in diversity of other invertebrate species.
True False
78. The presence of cleaner wrasse enhances diversity of fishes on coral reefs.
True False
79. The impact of Argentine ants on species diversity in the South African fynbos is most dramatic following fires
True False
80. Ecologists summarize feeding interactions among species in a community when they compile a _________.
________________________________________
ch15-17 KEY
1. Which of the following organisms are dependent on mutualisms for their persistence?
A. reef-building corals
B. bioluminescent fishes
C. bumblebees and hummingbirds
D. horses, elephants, and camels
Molles - Chapter 15 #1
2. Mycorrhizal fungi (directly) help their plant partners acquire
A. sugars.
B. sunlight.
C. seed dispersal.
D. soil nutrients.
E. pollination.
3. Mycorrhizal fungi acquire _________ from their plant partners.
A. sugars
B. soil nutrients
C. proteins and lipids
D. growth hormones
E. protection from consumers
4. Soil fertilization should favor mycorrhizal fungi that are
A. less aggressive at obtaining sugars from their plant hosts.

B. more aggressive at obtaining sugars from their plant hosts.
C. more efficient at extracting inorganic nutrients from soils.
D. more efficient at extracting sugars from soils.
5. In experiments with the prairie grass Andropogon, root:shoot ratios proved to be
A. higher in plants grown in poor soils.

B. lower in plants grown in poor soils.
C. equal in plants grown in poor and rich soils.
D. higher in plants grown with mycorrhizae.
E. equal in plants grown with and without mycorrhizae.
6. Ants on the aspen sunflower, Helianthella quinquenervis, obtain sugars and amino acids by
A. collecting nectar from the sunflower's flowers.

B. collecting nectar from extrafloral nectaries.
C. tending aphids that extract plant sap.
D. extracting plant sap directly by piercing the sunflower stem.
7. Ant-acacia trees provide several services to their mutualistic ant partners. These include
A. enlarged thorns to host ant colonies.

B. nectar from foliar nectaries.
C. nectar from floral nectaries.
E. Both enlarged thorns to host ant colonies and nectar from foliar nectaries.
8. The major benefit obtained by aspen sunflower, Helianthella quinquenervis, from its ant mutualists is
A. reduced losses of seeds to seed predators.

B. reduced loss of leaf tissue to herbivorous insects.
C. more efficient extraction of soil nutrients.
D. more rapid growth early in the growing season.
E. improved attraction of pollinators.
9. Which aspects of the biology of zooxanthellae are controlled by their coral hosts?
A. their cell wall chemistry

B. their population growth rate when free-living
C. the release of photosynthetic products from their cells
D. the rate at which they absorb sugars from their hosts
E. their mortality rate
10. The major benefit obtained by zooxanthellae algal cells from their coral host is
A. protection from herbivores.

B. sugars.
C. phosphorus from coral wastes.
D. nitrogen from coral wastes.
E. temperature regulation.
11. Crabs and shrimp associated with corals protect their hosts from
A. being dislodged from the substrate by currents.

B. predation by sea-stars.
C. predation by fishes.
D. attack by parasitic nematodes.
E. infection by pathogenic bacteria.
12. A calculated range of values that we estimate contains the true mean of a population with a known degree of certainty is called a
A. standard error.
B. standard deviation.
C. median.
D. Students t-value.
E. confidence interval.
13. The "unsuccessful mutualists" in Kathleen Keeler's cost-benefit model of mutualism are those that
A. give benefits to their partner, but fail to receive benefits in return.

B. receive benefits from their partner, but fail to provide benefits in return.
C. neither give benefits to their partner, nor receive them in return.
D. fail to locate individuals of their mutualistic partner effectively.
E. locate mutualistic partners, but fail to overcome their defenses against colonization.
14. In Kathleen Keeler's cost-benefit model of mutualism, the condition for persistence of mutualists is pw + qw > w . The parameters
mw mu nm
p and q represent the
A. cost and benefit of the mutualism.

B. fitness of successful and unsuccessful mutualists.
C. frequency of "mutualist" and "nonmutualist" alleles in the population.
D. proportion of successful and unsuccessful mutualists in the population.
E. amount of herbivore protection provided by ant and non-ant defenses.
15. The interaction between honeyguide birds and the Boran people of Kenya
A. is an obligate mutualism.
B. is a facultative mutualism.
C. is exploitative, with humans benefiting but honeyguides exploited.
D. represents the only way a honeyguide can gain access to a beehive.
E. depends only on humans following birds, not on active communication by the birds.
16. An interaction between individuals of different species that benefit both partners is called
A. commensalism.
B. predation.
C. exploitation.
D. mutualism.
E. ammensalism.
17. Raine, Willmer, and Stone demonstrated that protection and pollination mutualism do not come into conflict on the swollen thorn acacia,
Acacia hindsii, because
A. there is spatial separation of inflorescences and resources used by guarding ants.

B. A. hindsii inflorescences lack nectar.
C. A. hindsii inflorescences contain a chemical ant repellent.
E. Both A and B are correct.
18. Nutrient poor soils should favor mycorrhizal fungi that are
A. less aggressive at obtaining sugars from their plant host.
B. more aggressive at obtaining sugars from their plant host.
C. more efficient at extracting inorganic nutrients from soil.
D. more efficient at extracting sugars from soil.
19. Which of the following is not a benefit provided by mutualistic crab and shrimp to the Pocillopora coral?
A. protection from predators

B. promotion of the health and integrity of coral tissue
C. source of lipids
D. both protection from predators and source of lipids
E. both promotion of the health and integrity of coral tissue and source of lipids
20. The enlarged thorns of swollen thorn acacias provide ants with
A. a source of sugar.
B. a source of protein.
C. a source of fats.
D. living space.
E. a habitat for their prey species.
21. _____________ mutualism describes a relationship where species are so dependent on their mutualistic relationship they cannot live in its
absence.
A. Obligate
B. Critical
C. Facultative
D. Dispensable
E. Essential
22. Which of the following statements is true regarding the control of coral over zooxanthellae?
A. Coral induces zooxanthellae to release organic compounds.

B. Coral controls the rate of zooxanthellae population growth.
C. Coral controls the population density of zooxanthellae.
D. Coral promote unbalanced growth in zooxanthellae.
E. All of the choices are true.
23. Which of the following results, from research conducted by Nancy Johnson on big blue stem grass, suggested that mycorrhizal plants had
greater access to nutrients?
A. root:shoot ratios were significantly lower in plants with mycorrhizae

B. root:shoot ratios were significantly higher in plants with mycorrhizae
C. root:shoot ratios were equal in plants with and without mycorrhizae
D. root:shoot ratios were highest in treatments without nitrogen supplements
E. root:shoot ratios were lowest in the treatment with nitrogen supplements
24.
What is the 95% confidence interval for the Gila River sample of loach minnows given: mm, s = 6.2 mm, n = 50, and critical
value of t = 2.01.
A. 56.2 mm + 1.77 mm
B. 56.2 mm ± 1.77 mm
C. 56.2 mm - 2.26 mm
D. 56.2 mm ± 0.25 mm
E. 56.2 mm + 0.25 mm
25. The presence of ant mutualists on bullshorn acacia reduces herbivore attack and increases acacia growth rate, but has little effect on acacia
mortality rate
FALSE
26. A cost-benefit model predicts that aspen sunflowers (Helianthella quinquenervis) in shady habitats should be less likely to attract ants
than those living in sunny habitats.
TRUE
27. A mutualistic relationship in which either species can survive without its partner is called a ______________ mutualism.
facultative
28. The two most common types of mycorrhizal fungi are ___________ and ____________.
arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi; ectomycorrhizae
29. Modified leaflet tips of bullshorn acacia that provide a food source for ants are called ___________.
Beltian bodies
30. The photosynthetic zooxanthellae associated with reef-building corals are members of the Phylum ___________.
Dinoflagellata
31. In most ecological communities, we find
A. more rare species than moderately common or very common ones.

B. more very common species than moderately common or rare ones.
C. no rare species—apparently "rare" species are artifacts of incomplete sampling.
D. roughly equal proportions of rare, moderately common, and very common species.
E. more moderately common species than rare or very common ones.
32. A simple tree community consists of 4 maples, 3 oaks, and 1 alder. The species richness of this community is
A. 0.42.
B. 0.97.
C. 1.5.
D. 3.
33. A simple tree community consists of 4 maples, 3 oaks, and 1 alder. The Shannon-Wiener diversity of this community is
A. 0.42.
B. 0.97.
C. 1.5.
D. 3.
34. Odegaard's study estimating the number of tropical forest beetles illustrates that sampling from multiple sites
A. is not affected by the sampling effort devoted to estimation.

B. usually require only limited effort by ecologists.
C. can usually be made more easily by sampling only a single indicator taxon.
D. is intensively all that is necessary to calculate species diversity.
E. must, to be useful, be based on standardized sampling techniques.
35. Robert MacArthur's study of forest warblers suggested that
A. fewer warbler species can survive in more complex habitats.

B. warbler species diversity increases with habitat complexity.
C. warbler species diversity decreases with habitat complexity.
D. most warblers have rather similar foraging niches.
36. In Michael Huston's studies of Costa Rican forest diversity, the highest tree diversity was found on soils with
A. very high fertility.

B. moderate fertility.
C. very low fertility.
D. either high or low, but not moderate, fertility.
E. There was no relationship between diversity and soil fertility.
37. In the Amazon forest, slight changes in soil properties tend to be correlated with
A. similarly slight differences in plant communities.

B. no detectable differences in plant communities.
C. dramatic differences in plant communities.
D. dramatic differences in plant communities only if the soil property in question is moisture.
E. dramatic differences in plant communities only if the soil property in question is bedrock type.
38. Niches of single-celled algae, such as diatoms, seem most often to be distinguished by their requirements for
A. different combinations of inorganic nutrients.

B. different light environments.
C. different water-flow environments.
D. different water temperatures.
E. Most single-celled algae have indistinguishable niches.
39. In soil and water fertilization experiments, increasing fertilization tends to reduce the number of limiting resources for plant growth until a
single resource limits growth of all species. This "ultimate" limiting resource tends to be
A. carbon.
B. oxygen.
C. phosphorus.
D. nitrogen.
E. light.
40. Joseph Connell's "intermediate disturbance hypothesis" proposes that
A. species diversity is highest at intermediate frequencies of disturbance.

B. species diversity is lowest at intermediate frequencies of disturbance.
C. population growth rates are highest at intermediate frequencies of disturbance.
D. competitive exclusion is fastest at intermediate levels of disturbance.
41. Winter storms can affect diversity on intertidal boulders because
A. cold water temperatures kill algae and invertebrates.

B. some invertebrates are more vulnerable than others to being dislodged by currents.
C. dessication of exposed invertebrates by unusually high winds is an important source of mortality.
D. strong storm waves overturn boulders and thereby accelerate competitive exclusion.
E. strong storm waves overturn boulders and thereby remove competitive dominants.
42. Disturbances can alter a community's stable environmental conditions, also called its
A. frequency.
B. intensity.
C. heterogeneity.
D. equilibrium.
E. niche space.
43. Prairie dog disturbances maximize plant diversity
A. by burrowing and grazing.

B. by creating patches open for dispersal.
C. by allowing good competitors and good colonizers to coexist in the grassland.
D. at intermediate levels.
44. European chalk grasslands
A. were a common habitat type before being largely destroyed by human disturbance.
B. have only become common since human disturbance intensified about 10,000 years ago.
C. grow on thick, fertile soils associated with deeply buried chalk deposits.
D. are a very low diversity habitat.
E. are often destroyed by farmers planting crops.
45. Dominance of chalk grasslands by the grass Brachypodium is increased by
A. protection of grasslands in undisturbed nature reserves.

B. early summer mowing for hay.
C. cessation of fertilizer application.
D. grazing by cattle and sheep.
46. A community is defined as
A. a group of organisms that all make their living in a similar way.

B. a group of individuals of a single species inhabiting a defined area.
C. the portion of a defined area that supports life.
D. a group of subpopulations living in separate locations with active exchange of individuals among subpopulations.
E. an association of interacting species inhabiting a defined area.
47. The most serious human-caused threat to endangered species worldwide is
A. pollution.
B. the introduction of invasive species.
C. habitat destruction.
D. the pet trade
E. None of the choices are correct
48. Given two habitats, Habitat 1 and Habitat 2, which habitat would have greater species diversity?
Habitat 1: Species A, 10; Species B, 10; Species C, 10
Habitat 2: Species A, 10; Species B, 10; Species C, 10; Species D, 10; Species E, 10
A. Habitat 1
B. Habitat 2
C. neither; Habitat 1 and Habitat 2 have equal diversity
D. neither; Habitat 1 and Habitat 2 have equal species richness
E. neither; Habitat 1 and Habitat 2 have equal species evenness
49. In Leon Creek there are 5 species of fish. The species and the number of individuals in each species are as follows: 20 catfish, 15 gar, 12
large-mouth bass, 10 perch, and 2 striped bass. Calculate the Shannon-Wiener index value (H') for this fish community.
A. -0.63
B. 0.63
C. 4.20
D. 67.2
50. In the Grass Park Experiment, researchers have fertilized a grassland at the Rothamsted Experimental Station in Great Britain since 1856.
Sampling for species diversity through time shows that rank-abundance curves have gotten __________ over time, indicating _________
species evenness.
A. steeper, increasing
B. steeper, decreasing
C. more shallow, increasing
D. more shallow, decreasing
E. rank-abundance curves have not changed through time
51. Higher species evenness in a community can be measured by a shallower slope on a rank-abundance curve.
TRUE
52. Concentrations of inorganic nutrients typically don't vary much across the surface of a single lake.
FALSE
53. In terrestrial soils, local patches with high water availability and local patches with high nitrate availability often show rather little
overlap.
TRUE
54. A set of species that have similar ways of making their living make up a __________.
guild
55. A relatively discrete ecological event that kills or damages organisms or alters the physical or biological environment is called a
__________.
disturbance
56. A keystone species is one
A. that makes up a very large proportion of total community biomass.

B. that feeds on a very large fraction of all available prey species.
C. that is fed on by a very large fraction of all predators in its community.
D. whose feeding activities have a disproportionate effect on the structure of its community.
E. that occupies the lowest level (the base) of the food web.
57. Teja Tscharntke's studies of the food web associated with Phragmites reeds revealed that
A. only a single parasitoid species can persist exploiting a single species of herbivore.
B. only a single herbivore species can persist attacking a single species of plant.
C. predation by birds actually protects herbivores, because the birds feed on parasitoid-infested herbivore galls but not uninfested galls.
D. within local food webs, all interactions tend to be of roughly the same strength.
E. recognizing variation in interaction strength can greatly simplify the depiction of a food web.
58. In zooplankton and intertidal communities, as the overall diversity of the food web increases, the proportion of predators in the web
A. tends to decrease.
B. tends to increase.
C. first decreases, then increases again.
D. first increases, then decreases again.
E. stays about the same.
59. In Robert Paine's studies of the Washington intertidal community, which organism proved to be a keystone species?
A. the whelk Thais

B. acorn barnacles
C. chitons
D. the starfish Pisaster
E. limpets
60. In the Washington intertidal community studied by Robert Paine, the most important limiting resource is
A. space.
B. light.
C. plankton.
D. nitrogen.
E. water.
61. In Jane Lubchenko's tidepool system, removal of the herbivorous snail Littorina led to
A. dominance of the tidepools by the unpalatable alga Chondrus.

B. replacement of Chondrus by the more palatable alga Enteromorpha.
C. replacement of Chondrus by other algae better adapted to herbivory.
D. replacement of Enteromorpha by other algae that are better competitors.
E. no marked change in the algal community.
62. Which statement best sums up the relationship between density of the herbivorous snail Littorina and the diversity of algae in its habitat?
A. highest diversity when Littorina are abundant, in all habitats

B. highest diversity when Littorina are rare, in all habitats
C. highest diversity when Littorina densities are intermediate, in all habitats
D. highest diversity in tidepools when Littorina are rare, but in emergent habitats when Littorina densities are intermediate
E. highest diversity in tidepools when Littorina densities are intermediate, but in tidepools when Littorina are rare
63. Keystone species
A. appear to be common in terrestrial systems, but not in aquatic ones.

B. appear to be common in both terrestrial and aquatic systems.
C. appear to be common in aquatic systems, but not in terrestrial ones.
D. by definition, cannot occur in aquatic systems.
E. by definition, cannot occur in terrestrial systems.
64. We can infer a statistically significant difference between two population means when
A. our estimates of the two means are different.

B. the variances of the two means do not overlap.
C. the standard deviations of the two means do not overlap.
D. the 95% confidence intervals for the two means do not overlap.
E. the 95% confidence intervals for the two means are of different widths.
65. A Predator and its prey interact __________, but if the predator affects another species through this interaction, ecologists describe it as a
(n) ___________ interaction.
A. strongly; inefficient.
B. directly; variable.
C. weakly; diffuse.
D. indirectly; keystone.
E. directly; indirect.
66. Cleaner wrasse are mutualists of other coral reef fishes. What benefit do they provide to those other fish?
A. They suppress diseases because they consume carcasses of dead fish.

B. They keep water oxygenated because they consume organic debris before it can rot.
C. They keep fish relatively free of externally-feeding parasites.
D. They maintain fish habitat by keeping corals free of encrusting algae.
E. They reduce fish mortality by repelling large vertebrate predators.
67. Invasive Argentine ants have an important effect on community structure of the South African fynbos because
A. they do not disperse seeds, while native ants do.

B. they disperse seeds more effectively than do native ants.
C. they disperse seeds in different spatial patterns than do native ants.
D. as keystone species, they greatly increase the local diversity of native ants.
E. Argentine ants have invaded many communities, but not the South African fynbos.
68. Human hunters in the Amazon rain forests kill
A. large numbers of almost every mammal and bird species, for food and for skins.
B. large numbers of the smallest mammal and bird species, which are easiest to catch.
C. large numbers primarily of the largest mammal and bird species.
D. large numbers of mammals and birds, but do not greatly affect population densities.
E. only a few mammals and birds, but because humans are keystone species, these few kills greatly reduce population densities.
69. Weaver ants provide effective protection of citrus trees because they
A. remove harmful soft-scale insects (mealybugs).

B. remove all plant-feeding insects.
C. cultivate soft-scale insects, but do not allow them to feed on the trees.
D. cultivate soft-scale insects, but still allow them to be attacked by parasitoids and predators.
70. The use of predaceous weaver ants to control pest insects in citrus orchards was first recorded in
A. California in the 1950s.

B. Florida in the 1920s.
C. Mexico in Mayan times.
D. China in the 17th century.
E. China in the 4th century.
71. Which is the correct order of prey consumption in the Antarctic pelagic food web?
A. Krill→Diatoms→Ross seal→Crabeater seal→Killer Whale

B. Diatoms→Krill→Ross seal→Crabeater seal→Killer Whale
C. Diatoms→Squid→Emperor penguin→Leopard seal→Killer whale
D. Krill→Squid→Weddell seal→Leopard Seal→Killer whale
E. Diatoms→Squid→Krill→Emperor penguin→Leopard seal
72. Kirk Winemiller, who described the feeding relations among freshwater fish in Venezuela and Costa Rica, simplified the food webs from
his study sites by presenting common-fish webs. Common-fish webs
A. exclude rare species.

B. both exclude rare species and include the fish species whose aggregate abundance comprise 95% of the individuals collected.
C. exclude species that do not comprise at least 30% of the community.
D. include the fish species whose aggregate abundance comprise 95% of the individuals collected.
E. exclude species that do not comprise at least 40% of the community.
73. Teja Tscharntke simplified the food web associated with the wetland reed Phragmites australis by dividing the species into the following
major trophic levels?
A. plant, herbivore, piscivore, granivore

B. herbivore, carnivore, detritivore, consumer
C. herbivore, parasite, carnivore, detritivore
D. plant, herbivore, parasite, carnivore
E. plant, detritivore, parasite, herbivore
74. Based on studies by Jane Lubchenko, what influence does the population density of the herbivorous intertidal snail, Littorina littorea, have
on the number of algal species?
A. as snail density increases from low to medium the number of algal species increases
B. as snail density increases from medium to high the number of algal species increases
C. as snail density increases from low to medium the number of algal species decreases
D. as snail density increases from medium to high the number of algal species decreases
E. both as snail density increases from low to medium the number of algal species increases and as snail density increases from medium to
high the number of algal species decreases
75. Martinsen, Driebe, and Whitham provided evidence for _______________________ with beaver consumption of cottonwoods resulting
in higher densities of herbivorous beetles.
A. indirect keystone predation

B. indirect commensalism
C. apparent competition
D. keystone predation
E. indirect competition
76. It had been thought that Brassica nigra competitively displaced the native grass Nassella pulchra, but Orrock et al. showed that it was
likely apparent competition when
A. B. nigra shaded out N. pulchra.

B. N. pulchra did not germinate near B. nigra.
C. B. nigra sheltered mammal herbivores which consumed N. pulchra.
D. B. nigra had higher survival after fire than N. pulchra.
77. Removal of Pisaster starfish in the Washington intertidal leads to a decline in diversity of other invertebrate species.
TRUE
78. The presence of cleaner wrasse enhances diversity of fishes on coral reefs.
TRUE
79. The impact of Argentine ants on species diversity in the South African fynbos is most dramatic following fires
TRUE
80. Ecologists summarize feeding interactions among species in a community when they compile a _________.
food web
ch15-17 Summary
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2. Mycorrhizal fungi (directly) help their plant partners acquire

3. Mycorrhizal fungi acquire _________ from their plant partners.

4. Soil fertilization should favor mycorrhizal fungi that are

A. less aggressive at obtaining sugars from their plant hosts.

5. In experiments with the prairie grass Andropogon, root:shoot ratios proved to be

A. higher in plants grown in poor soils.

A. collecting nectar from the sunflower's flowers.

A. enlarged thorns to host ant colonies.

A. reduced losses of seeds to seed predators.

A. their cell wall chemistry

A. protection from herbivores.

A. being dislodged from the substrate by currents.

A. give benefits to their partner, but fail to receive benefits in return.

A. cost and benefit of the mutualism.

A. there is spatial separation of inflorescences and resources used by guarding ants.

A. less aggressive at obtaining sugars from their plant host.

A. protection from predators

A. Coral induces zooxanthellae to release organic compounds.

A. root:shoot ratios were significantly lower in plants with mycorrhizae

31. In most ecological communities, we find

A. more rare species than moderately common or very common ones.

A. is not affected by the sampling effort devoted to estimation.

35. Robert MacArthur's study of forest warblers suggested that

A. fewer warbler species can survive in more complex habitats.

A. very high fertility.

A. similarly slight differences in plant communities.

A. different combinations of inorganic nutrients.

40. Joseph Connell's "intermediate disturbance hypothesis" proposes that

A. species diversity is highest at intermediate frequencies of disturbance.

41. Winter storms can affect diversity on intertidal boulders because

A. cold water temperatures kill algae and invertebrates.

43. Prairie dog disturbances maximize plant diversity

A. by burrowing and grazing.

44. European chalk grasslands

45. Dominance of chalk grasslands by the grass Brachypodium is increased by

A. protection of grasslands in undisturbed nature reserves.

46. A community is defined as

A. a group of organisms that all make their living in a similar way.

47. The most serious human-caused threat to endangered species worldwide is

56. A keystone species is one

A. that makes up a very large proportion of total community biomass.

A. the whelk Thais

A. dominance of the tidepools by the unpalatable alga Chondrus.

A. highest diversity when Littorina are abundant, in all habitats

63. Keystone species

A. appear to be common in terrestrial systems, but not in aquatic ones.

A. our estimates of the two means are different.

A. They suppress diseases because they consume carcasses of dead fish.

A. they do not disperse seeds, while native ants do.

68. Human hunters in the Amazon rain forests kill

A. remove harmful soft-scale insects (mealybugs).

A. California in the 1950s.

A. Krill→Diatoms→Ross seal→Crabeater seal→Killer Whale

A. exclude rare species.

A. plant, herbivore, piscivore, granivore

A. indirect keystone predation

A. B. nigra shaded out N. pulchra.

2. Mycorrhizal fungi (directly) help their plant partners acquire

3. Mycorrhizal fungi acquire _________ from their plant partners.

4. Soil fertilization should favor mycorrhizal fungi that are

A. less aggressive at obtaining sugars from their plant hosts.