1 | Page
ECOL111 Otago Uni Questions and Correct
Answers
Examples of gradients that might influence an organism (7
examples listed) Ans: Temperature, elevation, oxygen availability,
depth, currents, salinity, light
Fundamental vs realised niche Ans: 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? Ans: 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)? Ans: Ecology based
on traditional indigenous values (eg whakapapa and kaitiakitanga)
What is facilitation? Ans: 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) Ans:
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 Ans: Less diversity of birds
Less diversity of insects
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, 2 | Page
Less diversity of mammals
Higher tree mortality
Abiotic factors of edge-effect phenomena in rainforest
fragmentation Ans: Lower humidity
Less soil moisture
Different temperature ranges
Selection pressures in alpine environments Ans: Decreasing land
area, decreasing temperature, increasing UV, decreasing pressure
What is an open population (examples)? Ans: A population with
migration, the source isn't known. Many marine populations (like
limpets)
What might affect recruitment in an open population? Ans: Space,
currents, predation, birth rate
What can abundance and distribution data be used for? Ans: 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? Ans: 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,
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 3 | Page
Compare the age / fertility changes in fish, songbirds, and people
Ans: Fish positive linear (increasing size = more offspring),
songbirds increase significantly then flatten out (learning period,
then constant number of offspring), humans fertile after puberty,
decreases again at menopause
r/c = m/n ????? Ans: 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 Ans: 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? Ans: 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? Ans: Interference is when one species is
actively trying to prevent another species from accessing
resources, potentially by impairing or injuring individuals.
Exploitation is passive, by simply existing and using resources one
species is limiting the other species to that resource
Why are prey populations NOT strongly regulated by predator
populations? Ans: Predators often go after weaker individuals,
such as young, sick, and old, which already have a low life
expectancy.
© 2025 All rights reserved
ECOL111 Otago Uni Questions and Correct
Answers
Examples of gradients that might influence an organism (7
examples listed) Ans: Temperature, elevation, oxygen availability,
depth, currents, salinity, light
Fundamental vs realised niche Ans: 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? Ans: 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)? Ans: Ecology based
on traditional indigenous values (eg whakapapa and kaitiakitanga)
What is facilitation? Ans: 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) Ans:
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 Ans: Less diversity of birds
Less diversity of insects
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 2 | Page
Less diversity of mammals
Higher tree mortality
Abiotic factors of edge-effect phenomena in rainforest
fragmentation Ans: Lower humidity
Less soil moisture
Different temperature ranges
Selection pressures in alpine environments Ans: Decreasing land
area, decreasing temperature, increasing UV, decreasing pressure
What is an open population (examples)? Ans: A population with
migration, the source isn't known. Many marine populations (like
limpets)
What might affect recruitment in an open population? Ans: Space,
currents, predation, birth rate
What can abundance and distribution data be used for? Ans: 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? Ans: 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,
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 3 | Page
Compare the age / fertility changes in fish, songbirds, and people
Ans: Fish positive linear (increasing size = more offspring),
songbirds increase significantly then flatten out (learning period,
then constant number of offspring), humans fertile after puberty,
decreases again at menopause
r/c = m/n ????? Ans: 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 Ans: 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? Ans: 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? Ans: Interference is when one species is
actively trying to prevent another species from accessing
resources, potentially by impairing or injuring individuals.
Exploitation is passive, by simply existing and using resources one
species is limiting the other species to that resource
Why are prey populations NOT strongly regulated by predator
populations? Ans: Predators often go after weaker individuals,
such as young, sick, and old, which already have a low life
expectancy.
© 2025 All rights reserved
