EXAM 2 BIOLOGY 109 QUESTIONS
WITH COMPLETE ANSWERS
Salmon return to fresh-water streams to spawn, producing thousands of eggs in a
single opportunity before they die. This type of life history event is an example of -
ANSWER-Big-bang reproduction and semelparity
As N approaches K for a certain population, which of the following is predicted by the
logistic equation? - ANSWER-The growth rate will approach zero
Which of the following scenarios is consistent with the concept of K-Selection? -
ANSWER-Great frigatebirgds competing for nesting sites on the Galapagos Islands
Exponential growth of a population is represented by dN/dt = - ANSWER-rN
Which of the following is NOT a density-dependent factor that can impact population
growth? - ANSWER-Climate
Which of the following graphs refer to the equation? dN/dt = 0.5N - ANSWER-J,
exponential growth
The sum total of an organism's interaction with the biotic and abiotic resources of its
environment is called its - ANSWER-ecological niche
Which of the following statements is consistent with the principle of competitive
exclusion? - ANSWER-Even a slight reproductive advantage will eventually lead to
the elimination of the less well adapted of two competing species
Which of the following best describes resource partitioning? - ANSWER-Slight
variations in niche allow similar species to coexist
As you study two closely related predatory insect species, the two-spot and the
three-spot avenger beetles, you notice that each species seeks prey at dawn in
areas without the other species. However, where their ranges overlap the two-spot
avenger beetle hunts at night and the three-spot hunts in the morning. When you
bring them into the laboratory, their offspring behave in the same manner. You have
discovered an example of - ANSWER-Character displacement
Which of the following is an example of Mullerian mimicry? - ANSWER-Two species
of unpalatable butterfly that have the same color pattern
Monarch butterflies are protected from birds and other predators but the cardiac
glycosides they incorporate into their tissues from eating milkweed when they were
in their caterpillar stage of development. The wings of a different species of butterfly,
the Viceroy, look nearly identical to the Monarch so predators that have learned not
to eat the bad-tasting Monarch avoid Viceroys as well. This examples best describes
- ANSWER-Batesian mimicry
, Which of the following abiotic factors has the greatest influence on the metabolic
rates of plants and animals? - ANSWER-Temperature
Suppose the number of insect species is determined by the number of vertical strata
found in the environment. If so, in which of the following biomes might you find the
greatest number of insect species? - ANSWER-Temperate broadleaf forest
You are interested in studying how organisms react to variations in several abiotic
factors and how they coexist under such conditions. The best biome in which to
conduct such a study is - ANSWER-An intertidal zone
Imagine some cosmic catastrophe jolts Earth so that its axis relative to its plane of
orbit was increased to 33.5 degrees. Which of the following events might you predict
to occur? - ANSWER-Summers and winters in the United States would become
warmer and colder, respectively
The main reason the poles are cooler than the equator is - ANSWER-Sunlight strikes
the poles at an oblique angle
Which of the following statements best describes the effect of climate on biome
distribution? - ANSWER-It is not only the average climate that is important in
determining biome distribution, but also the pattern of climatic variation
The energy diagram of an arachnid reveals the following: For every 500 J of insects
consumed, 125 J end up in the feces, 250 J used up during cellular respiration and
125 J is incorporated into new biomass. What is the production efficiency of the
arachnid? - ANSWER-33%
If the animal in the preceding question were a rabbit, you would you expect the
production efficiency to be unchanged, lower or higher? - ANSWER-Lower
Trophic efficiency is - ANSWER-the percentage of production transferred from one
trophic level to the next
Which of the following is primarily responsible for limiting the number of trophic levels
in most ecosystems? - ANSWER-Energy transfer between tropic levels is in almost
all cases less than 20% efficient.
Which of the following statements is correct about biogeochemical cycling? -
ANSWER-The carbon cycle is a global cycle that reflects the respiration of plants
and animals and the burning of fossil fuels
How is it that the open ocean produces the highest net primary productivity of Earth's
ecosystems, yet net primary productivity per square meter is relatively low? -
ANSWER-Oceans have the greatest total area
Based on the ABC model, what would be the structure of a flower that had normal
expression of genes A and B but lacked expression of gene C? - ANSWER-Sepal-
petal-petal-sepal
WITH COMPLETE ANSWERS
Salmon return to fresh-water streams to spawn, producing thousands of eggs in a
single opportunity before they die. This type of life history event is an example of -
ANSWER-Big-bang reproduction and semelparity
As N approaches K for a certain population, which of the following is predicted by the
logistic equation? - ANSWER-The growth rate will approach zero
Which of the following scenarios is consistent with the concept of K-Selection? -
ANSWER-Great frigatebirgds competing for nesting sites on the Galapagos Islands
Exponential growth of a population is represented by dN/dt = - ANSWER-rN
Which of the following is NOT a density-dependent factor that can impact population
growth? - ANSWER-Climate
Which of the following graphs refer to the equation? dN/dt = 0.5N - ANSWER-J,
exponential growth
The sum total of an organism's interaction with the biotic and abiotic resources of its
environment is called its - ANSWER-ecological niche
Which of the following statements is consistent with the principle of competitive
exclusion? - ANSWER-Even a slight reproductive advantage will eventually lead to
the elimination of the less well adapted of two competing species
Which of the following best describes resource partitioning? - ANSWER-Slight
variations in niche allow similar species to coexist
As you study two closely related predatory insect species, the two-spot and the
three-spot avenger beetles, you notice that each species seeks prey at dawn in
areas without the other species. However, where their ranges overlap the two-spot
avenger beetle hunts at night and the three-spot hunts in the morning. When you
bring them into the laboratory, their offspring behave in the same manner. You have
discovered an example of - ANSWER-Character displacement
Which of the following is an example of Mullerian mimicry? - ANSWER-Two species
of unpalatable butterfly that have the same color pattern
Monarch butterflies are protected from birds and other predators but the cardiac
glycosides they incorporate into their tissues from eating milkweed when they were
in their caterpillar stage of development. The wings of a different species of butterfly,
the Viceroy, look nearly identical to the Monarch so predators that have learned not
to eat the bad-tasting Monarch avoid Viceroys as well. This examples best describes
- ANSWER-Batesian mimicry
, Which of the following abiotic factors has the greatest influence on the metabolic
rates of plants and animals? - ANSWER-Temperature
Suppose the number of insect species is determined by the number of vertical strata
found in the environment. If so, in which of the following biomes might you find the
greatest number of insect species? - ANSWER-Temperate broadleaf forest
You are interested in studying how organisms react to variations in several abiotic
factors and how they coexist under such conditions. The best biome in which to
conduct such a study is - ANSWER-An intertidal zone
Imagine some cosmic catastrophe jolts Earth so that its axis relative to its plane of
orbit was increased to 33.5 degrees. Which of the following events might you predict
to occur? - ANSWER-Summers and winters in the United States would become
warmer and colder, respectively
The main reason the poles are cooler than the equator is - ANSWER-Sunlight strikes
the poles at an oblique angle
Which of the following statements best describes the effect of climate on biome
distribution? - ANSWER-It is not only the average climate that is important in
determining biome distribution, but also the pattern of climatic variation
The energy diagram of an arachnid reveals the following: For every 500 J of insects
consumed, 125 J end up in the feces, 250 J used up during cellular respiration and
125 J is incorporated into new biomass. What is the production efficiency of the
arachnid? - ANSWER-33%
If the animal in the preceding question were a rabbit, you would you expect the
production efficiency to be unchanged, lower or higher? - ANSWER-Lower
Trophic efficiency is - ANSWER-the percentage of production transferred from one
trophic level to the next
Which of the following is primarily responsible for limiting the number of trophic levels
in most ecosystems? - ANSWER-Energy transfer between tropic levels is in almost
all cases less than 20% efficient.
Which of the following statements is correct about biogeochemical cycling? -
ANSWER-The carbon cycle is a global cycle that reflects the respiration of plants
and animals and the burning of fossil fuels
How is it that the open ocean produces the highest net primary productivity of Earth's
ecosystems, yet net primary productivity per square meter is relatively low? -
ANSWER-Oceans have the greatest total area
Based on the ABC model, what would be the structure of a flower that had normal
expression of genes A and B but lacked expression of gene C? - ANSWER-Sepal-
petal-petal-sepal