ISB 202: Ecology and Biodiversity – Midterm Assessment
Prey upon other insects that humans considered pests
Decompose dead plants and animals
Aerate and loosen the soil - answers✔✔What are some things that insects do to benefit
Humans?
12-18 % - answers✔✔What percent of Earth's biodiversity have scientists discovered?
How does the abundance of plants affect the abundance of herbivores? - answers✔✔What
would be an example of an ecological question?
all the vegetation (e.g., trees, shrubs, grasses, flowers) on the MSU campus - answers✔✔What
is NOT an example of a population (as defined by ecologists)?
the amount of nitrogen in the soil - answers✔✔What would NOT be considered part of the
community (as defined by ecologists) in Baker Woodlot?
Your intestine
Lake Michigan
Tall grass prairie
The canals of venice - answers✔✔An example of an ecosystem is (choose all that apply)
Gravity
the [re-]cycling of matter
,one-way flow of high-quality energy - answers✔✔Life on Earth is sustained by three factors;
they are:
The sun - answers✔✔Life on Earth depends on energy. What is the main source of energy on
which life on Earth depends?
Earth would be too cold to support life as we know it. - answers✔✔Without the Earth's natural
greenhouse effect;
-protects living organisms from harmful infrared radiation
-absorbs the majority of incoming solar UV radiation. - answers✔✔The ozone layer of the
Earth's atmosphere
-Variability that is inherent among the individuals
-variability due to sampling (i.e., due to taking a subsample of the entire population of ISB
students)
-variability due to making errors in the measurements - answers✔✔A researcher wants to
measure the average amount of sleep (per night) that students in ISB classes have. She conducts
her study, calculates the average, and then presents that value on a graph along with an error
bar. Error bars provide a sense of the variability in the data. What are possible sources of
variability in the data?
130 - answers✔✔A researcher wants to measure the average amount of sleep (per night) that
students in her particular ISB class have. She conducts her study, calculates the average, and
then presents that value on a graph along with an error bar. Error bars provide a sense of the
variability in the data. Which sample size (i.e., number of students) below would likely result in
the smallest error bars?
30 males - answers✔✔A researcher wants to measure the average amount of sleep (per night)
that students in her particular ISB class have. She conducts her study, calculates the average,
and then presents that value on a graph along with an error bar. Error bars provide a sense of
, the variability in the data. Which sample size (i.e., number of students) below would likely result
in the largest error bars?
Seconds - answers✔✔A researcher wants to measure the average amount of sleep (per night)
that students in her particular ISB class have. She conducts her study, calculates the average,
and then presents that value on a graph along with an error bar. Asking students to provide data
on amount of sleep using which units below have the greatest precision?
Scale A: 1 ± 1 lb - answers✔✔When scientists report uncertainty in their measurement, they are
reporting the range of values within which the true value likely falls. Let's say you'd like to buy
some bananas at the grocery store to make banana bread. You need 1.25 pounds of bananas.
There are several scales at the grocery store. Which scale has the greatest uncertainty?
quantifying the degree of error and variability present in the data. - answers✔✔When scientists
report uncertainty in their data, they are:
True - answers✔✔Knowing the level of uncertainty in a metric (e.g., the weather forecast) helps
us better understand the level of confidence in that metric and can help us better make
decisions (even if the outcome that was predicted does not occur).
Has the study been peer-reviewed and published? - answers✔✔Recently the news reported the
research finding that increased salt may lead to eczema (characterized by itchy hands, scalps,
knees and elbows). All of the following questions ask for information to help judge the reliability
of the research behind the findings, but which indicates whether experts have assessed the
quality of the science?
Accepted
Reject
Reject without review
Prey upon other insects that humans considered pests
Decompose dead plants and animals
Aerate and loosen the soil - answers✔✔What are some things that insects do to benefit
Humans?
12-18 % - answers✔✔What percent of Earth's biodiversity have scientists discovered?
How does the abundance of plants affect the abundance of herbivores? - answers✔✔What
would be an example of an ecological question?
all the vegetation (e.g., trees, shrubs, grasses, flowers) on the MSU campus - answers✔✔What
is NOT an example of a population (as defined by ecologists)?
the amount of nitrogen in the soil - answers✔✔What would NOT be considered part of the
community (as defined by ecologists) in Baker Woodlot?
Your intestine
Lake Michigan
Tall grass prairie
The canals of venice - answers✔✔An example of an ecosystem is (choose all that apply)
Gravity
the [re-]cycling of matter
,one-way flow of high-quality energy - answers✔✔Life on Earth is sustained by three factors;
they are:
The sun - answers✔✔Life on Earth depends on energy. What is the main source of energy on
which life on Earth depends?
Earth would be too cold to support life as we know it. - answers✔✔Without the Earth's natural
greenhouse effect;
-protects living organisms from harmful infrared radiation
-absorbs the majority of incoming solar UV radiation. - answers✔✔The ozone layer of the
Earth's atmosphere
-Variability that is inherent among the individuals
-variability due to sampling (i.e., due to taking a subsample of the entire population of ISB
students)
-variability due to making errors in the measurements - answers✔✔A researcher wants to
measure the average amount of sleep (per night) that students in ISB classes have. She conducts
her study, calculates the average, and then presents that value on a graph along with an error
bar. Error bars provide a sense of the variability in the data. What are possible sources of
variability in the data?
130 - answers✔✔A researcher wants to measure the average amount of sleep (per night) that
students in her particular ISB class have. She conducts her study, calculates the average, and
then presents that value on a graph along with an error bar. Error bars provide a sense of the
variability in the data. Which sample size (i.e., number of students) below would likely result in
the smallest error bars?
30 males - answers✔✔A researcher wants to measure the average amount of sleep (per night)
that students in her particular ISB class have. She conducts her study, calculates the average,
and then presents that value on a graph along with an error bar. Error bars provide a sense of
, the variability in the data. Which sample size (i.e., number of students) below would likely result
in the largest error bars?
Seconds - answers✔✔A researcher wants to measure the average amount of sleep (per night)
that students in her particular ISB class have. She conducts her study, calculates the average,
and then presents that value on a graph along with an error bar. Asking students to provide data
on amount of sleep using which units below have the greatest precision?
Scale A: 1 ± 1 lb - answers✔✔When scientists report uncertainty in their measurement, they are
reporting the range of values within which the true value likely falls. Let's say you'd like to buy
some bananas at the grocery store to make banana bread. You need 1.25 pounds of bananas.
There are several scales at the grocery store. Which scale has the greatest uncertainty?
quantifying the degree of error and variability present in the data. - answers✔✔When scientists
report uncertainty in their data, they are:
True - answers✔✔Knowing the level of uncertainty in a metric (e.g., the weather forecast) helps
us better understand the level of confidence in that metric and can help us better make
decisions (even if the outcome that was predicted does not occur).
Has the study been peer-reviewed and published? - answers✔✔Recently the news reported the
research finding that increased salt may lead to eczema (characterized by itchy hands, scalps,
knees and elbows). All of the following questions ask for information to help judge the reliability
of the research behind the findings, but which indicates whether experts have assessed the
quality of the science?
Accepted
Reject
Reject without review
