1
ECOL111 Otago Uni Questions with Answers (100%
Correct Answers)
Examples of gradients that might influence an organism (7 examples
listed) Answer: Temperature, elevation, oxygen availability, depth,
currents, salinity, light
Fundamental vs realised niche Answer: Fundamental is the potential
niche an organsim could fill based on their adaptations and abiotic
factors. Realised niche is the actual niche it fills (may be larger or
smaller) as a result of biotic factors (competition, human assistance,
predation, facilitation)
How do niche diagrams work? Answer: Gradients represent the axis,
and each organism has a zone within the axis values. Zones may
overlap, and can have multiple dimensions
What is TEK (traditional ecological knowledge)? Answer: Ecology
based on traditional indigenous values (eg whakapapa and
kaitiakitanga)
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,2
What is facilitation? Answer: Where one species helps another species
survive in its niche, potentially making the realised niche larger than
the fundamental niche
How does species coexistance in drylands work? (example) Answer:
Nurse plants, a dense and shaded bush. Provides a more fertilised area
around the base of the plant which small lichens like to live.
Biotic factors of edge-effect phenomena in rainforest fragmentation
Answer: Less diversity of birds
Less diversity of insects
Less diversity of mammals
Higher tree mortality
Abiotic factors of edge-effect phenomena in rainforest fragmentation
Answer: Lower humidity
Less soil moisture
Different temperature ranges
Selection pressures in alpine environments Answer: Decreasing land
area, decreasing temperature, increasing UV, decreasing pressure
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,3
What is an open population (examples)? Answer: A population with
migration, the source isn't known. Many marine populations (like
limpets)
What might affect recruitment in an open population? Answer: Space,
currents, predation, birth rate
What can abundance and distribution data be used for? Answer: Stock
estimates, sustainable harvest, mortality, calculating maximum
sustained yield, assessing the spread of pests, managing wild
populations of protected animals, tag recapture programmes,
understanding natural populations
Issues around collecting quantity data? Answer: Stock estimates may
be missing individuals or sub populations, populations may be too
large to completely quantify, many factors may play into the impact of
one population on others, tag recapture assumes there is no increase or
decrease in the population,
Compare the age / fertility changes in fish, songbirds, and people
Answer: Fish positive linear (increasing size = more offspring),
songbirds increase significantly then flatten out (learning period, then
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 4
constant number of offspring), humans fertile after puberty, decreases
again at menopause
r/c = m/n ????? Answer: m = number of species tagged in first capture,
c = number in second capture, r = number tagged from m in c, n = total
population
Example of a source - sink population and why the population might
be vulnerable Answer: Antarctic Cod, overfishing took the spawning
source population and the population dropped to almost 0 after a long
period of successful fishing
Why is an ecological corridor useful? What do they allow for in
populations, and what do they prevent? Answer: Connect
subpopulations of a species by providing access between two habitats.
Allows for migration, which increases genetic diversity in both
populations, and decreases the chance of one or multiple sub
populations going extinct. Reduce habitat fragmentation and prevent
population isolation.
What are the two main mechanisms of interspecific competition, and
how do they work? Answer: Interference is when one species is
actively trying to prevent another species from accessing resources,
© 2025 All rights reserved
ECOL111 Otago Uni Questions with Answers (100%
Correct Answers)
Examples of gradients that might influence an organism (7 examples
listed) Answer: Temperature, elevation, oxygen availability, depth,
currents, salinity, light
Fundamental vs realised niche Answer: Fundamental is the potential
niche an organsim could fill based on their adaptations and abiotic
factors. Realised niche is the actual niche it fills (may be larger or
smaller) as a result of biotic factors (competition, human assistance,
predation, facilitation)
How do niche diagrams work? Answer: Gradients represent the axis,
and each organism has a zone within the axis values. Zones may
overlap, and can have multiple dimensions
What is TEK (traditional ecological knowledge)? Answer: Ecology
based on traditional indigenous values (eg whakapapa and
kaitiakitanga)
© 2025 All rights reserved
,2
What is facilitation? Answer: Where one species helps another species
survive in its niche, potentially making the realised niche larger than
the fundamental niche
How does species coexistance in drylands work? (example) Answer:
Nurse plants, a dense and shaded bush. Provides a more fertilised area
around the base of the plant which small lichens like to live.
Biotic factors of edge-effect phenomena in rainforest fragmentation
Answer: Less diversity of birds
Less diversity of insects
Less diversity of mammals
Higher tree mortality
Abiotic factors of edge-effect phenomena in rainforest fragmentation
Answer: Lower humidity
Less soil moisture
Different temperature ranges
Selection pressures in alpine environments Answer: Decreasing land
area, decreasing temperature, increasing UV, decreasing pressure
© 2025 All rights reserved
,3
What is an open population (examples)? Answer: A population with
migration, the source isn't known. Many marine populations (like
limpets)
What might affect recruitment in an open population? Answer: Space,
currents, predation, birth rate
What can abundance and distribution data be used for? Answer: Stock
estimates, sustainable harvest, mortality, calculating maximum
sustained yield, assessing the spread of pests, managing wild
populations of protected animals, tag recapture programmes,
understanding natural populations
Issues around collecting quantity data? Answer: Stock estimates may
be missing individuals or sub populations, populations may be too
large to completely quantify, many factors may play into the impact of
one population on others, tag recapture assumes there is no increase or
decrease in the population,
Compare the age / fertility changes in fish, songbirds, and people
Answer: Fish positive linear (increasing size = more offspring),
songbirds increase significantly then flatten out (learning period, then
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 4
constant number of offspring), humans fertile after puberty, decreases
again at menopause
r/c = m/n ????? Answer: m = number of species tagged in first capture,
c = number in second capture, r = number tagged from m in c, n = total
population
Example of a source - sink population and why the population might
be vulnerable Answer: Antarctic Cod, overfishing took the spawning
source population and the population dropped to almost 0 after a long
period of successful fishing
Why is an ecological corridor useful? What do they allow for in
populations, and what do they prevent? Answer: Connect
subpopulations of a species by providing access between two habitats.
Allows for migration, which increases genetic diversity in both
populations, and decreases the chance of one or multiple sub
populations going extinct. Reduce habitat fragmentation and prevent
population isolation.
What are the two main mechanisms of interspecific competition, and
how do they work? Answer: Interference is when one species is
actively trying to prevent another species from accessing resources,
© 2025 All rights reserved
