Test Bank For Ecology : Concepts and
Applications (9th Edition) By Anna A. Sher and
Manuel C. Molles.
,Section I: Natural History and Evolution
● Chapter 1: Introduction to Ecology: Historical Foundations and
Developing Frontiers
● Chapter 2: Life on Land
● Chapter 3: Life in Water
● Chapter 4: Population Genetics and Natural Selection
Section II: Adaptations to the Environment
● Chapter 5: Temperature Relations
● Chapter 6: Water Relations
● Chapter 7: Energy and Nutrient Relations
● Chapter 8: Social Relations
Section III: Population Ecology
● Chapter 9: Population Distribution and Abundance
● Chapter 10: Population Dynamics
● Chapter 11: Population Growth
● Chapter 12: Life Histories
Section IV: Interactions
● Chapter 13: Species Interactions and Competition
● Chapter 14: Exploitative Interactions: Predation, Herbivory, Parasitism,
and Disease
● Chapter 15: Mutualism
Section V: Communities and Ecosystems
● Chapter 16: Species Abundance and Diversity
● Chapter 17: Species Interactions and Community Structure
● Chapter 18: Primary and Secondary Production
● Chapter 19: Nutrient Cycling and Retention
● Chapter 20: Succession and Stability
Section VI: Large-Scale Ecology
● Chapter 21: Landscape Ecology
● Chapter 22: Geographic Ecology
● Chapter 23: Global Ecology
,Chapter 1: Introduction to Ecology: Historical Foundations and
Developing Frontiers
Question 1
An ecologist is studying a group of interbreeding individuals of the same
species living in a specific mountain range. Which level of ecological
organization does this study primarily address?
A. Individual
B. Population
C. Community
D. Ecosystem
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: A population is defined as a group of interbreeding individuals of
a single species inhabiting a defined area. While physiological or behavioral
ecology focuses on individuals, population ecology centers on the factors
influencing the structure and processes of such specific groups, including their
distribution and abundance.
Question 2
What was the primary conclusion of Robert MacArthur’s observational study of
warblers in North American spruce forests?
A. Warblers of different species cannot coexist in the same forest due to
intense competition.
B. Warbler species coexist by feeding in distinctive zones within the same
tree, thereby reducing competition.
C. Larger warbler species outcompete smaller ones for nesting sites at the top
of the canopy.
D. Warbler populations are primarily regulated by the availability of nesting
materials rather than food.
Correct Answer: B
, Explanation: Robert MacArthur observed that several species of warblers
with similar ecological requirements were able to coexist because they
partitioned the trees into distinct feeding zones. This resource partitioning
allowed them to live in the same environment by minimizing direct
competition.
Question 3
Which research tool allowed Nalini Nadkarni to discover that a significant
portion of nutrients in a rain forest are stored in epiphyte mats rather than the
trees themselves?
A. Stable isotope analysis of soil nitrogen
B. Satellite-based remote sensing of chlorophyll
C. Technical mountain-climbing equipment to access the canopy
D. Computer-based quantitative modeling of nutrient flux
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: Nalini Nadkarni used mountain-climbing equipment to reach the
forest canopy, an area previously largely unseen and unstudied by scientists.
Her research revealed that epiphytes—plants like orchids and ferns growing
on branches—store a substantial fraction of the ecosystem's nutrients.
Question 4
A researcher uses stable isotope analysis to determine the diet of a butterfly
larva without directly observing its feeding behavior. What is the primary
advantage of this "lens" in ecological research?
A. It allows the researcher to manipulate the larva's environment ex situ.
B. It reveals ecological relationships that are otherwise invisible by tracing
chemical signatures.
C. It provides a way to estimate the population density of larvae over a large
landscape.
D. It eliminates the need for a control group in field experiments.
Correct Answer: B
Applications (9th Edition) By Anna A. Sher and
Manuel C. Molles.
,Section I: Natural History and Evolution
● Chapter 1: Introduction to Ecology: Historical Foundations and
Developing Frontiers
● Chapter 2: Life on Land
● Chapter 3: Life in Water
● Chapter 4: Population Genetics and Natural Selection
Section II: Adaptations to the Environment
● Chapter 5: Temperature Relations
● Chapter 6: Water Relations
● Chapter 7: Energy and Nutrient Relations
● Chapter 8: Social Relations
Section III: Population Ecology
● Chapter 9: Population Distribution and Abundance
● Chapter 10: Population Dynamics
● Chapter 11: Population Growth
● Chapter 12: Life Histories
Section IV: Interactions
● Chapter 13: Species Interactions and Competition
● Chapter 14: Exploitative Interactions: Predation, Herbivory, Parasitism,
and Disease
● Chapter 15: Mutualism
Section V: Communities and Ecosystems
● Chapter 16: Species Abundance and Diversity
● Chapter 17: Species Interactions and Community Structure
● Chapter 18: Primary and Secondary Production
● Chapter 19: Nutrient Cycling and Retention
● Chapter 20: Succession and Stability
Section VI: Large-Scale Ecology
● Chapter 21: Landscape Ecology
● Chapter 22: Geographic Ecology
● Chapter 23: Global Ecology
,Chapter 1: Introduction to Ecology: Historical Foundations and
Developing Frontiers
Question 1
An ecologist is studying a group of interbreeding individuals of the same
species living in a specific mountain range. Which level of ecological
organization does this study primarily address?
A. Individual
B. Population
C. Community
D. Ecosystem
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: A population is defined as a group of interbreeding individuals of
a single species inhabiting a defined area. While physiological or behavioral
ecology focuses on individuals, population ecology centers on the factors
influencing the structure and processes of such specific groups, including their
distribution and abundance.
Question 2
What was the primary conclusion of Robert MacArthur’s observational study of
warblers in North American spruce forests?
A. Warblers of different species cannot coexist in the same forest due to
intense competition.
B. Warbler species coexist by feeding in distinctive zones within the same
tree, thereby reducing competition.
C. Larger warbler species outcompete smaller ones for nesting sites at the top
of the canopy.
D. Warbler populations are primarily regulated by the availability of nesting
materials rather than food.
Correct Answer: B
, Explanation: Robert MacArthur observed that several species of warblers
with similar ecological requirements were able to coexist because they
partitioned the trees into distinct feeding zones. This resource partitioning
allowed them to live in the same environment by minimizing direct
competition.
Question 3
Which research tool allowed Nalini Nadkarni to discover that a significant
portion of nutrients in a rain forest are stored in epiphyte mats rather than the
trees themselves?
A. Stable isotope analysis of soil nitrogen
B. Satellite-based remote sensing of chlorophyll
C. Technical mountain-climbing equipment to access the canopy
D. Computer-based quantitative modeling of nutrient flux
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: Nalini Nadkarni used mountain-climbing equipment to reach the
forest canopy, an area previously largely unseen and unstudied by scientists.
Her research revealed that epiphytes—plants like orchids and ferns growing
on branches—store a substantial fraction of the ecosystem's nutrients.
Question 4
A researcher uses stable isotope analysis to determine the diet of a butterfly
larva without directly observing its feeding behavior. What is the primary
advantage of this "lens" in ecological research?
A. It allows the researcher to manipulate the larva's environment ex situ.
B. It reveals ecological relationships that are otherwise invisible by tracing
chemical signatures.
C. It provides a way to estimate the population density of larvae over a large
landscape.
D. It eliminates the need for a control group in field experiments.
Correct Answer: B
