RENR Exam 2 – Revision Guide and Practice Questions
Two habitat patches of the same area differ in their shapes. One is circular, the other narrowly
elliptical. Which has the greater ratio of edge to interior? - ANS ✔✔narrowly elliptical patch
Ancient farming practices, wildfires, ecosystem engineers, and modern logging practices all
share a common impact on the landscape. What is it? - ANS ✔✔creation of a landscape mosaic
Earl Werner and colleagues found that turnover (percentage change in species composition per
year) of larval amphibians in wetlands in southeastern Michigan was directly related to which
property of these wetlands? - ANS ✔✔connectivity to other wetlands
How do free-living cyanobacteria obtain the energy necessary to reduce atmospheric nitrogen
gas (N2) to ammonia (NH3)? - ANS ✔✔photosynthesis
Aside from that produced by biological nitrogen fixation, biologically available nitrogen is
abundantly available in various rocks and minerals, which can be mined for fertilizer. - ANS
✔✔false
We saw the relationships of the density of nymphs of the black-legged tick and the percentage
of tick nymphs infected with Borrelia burdorferi (the bacterial agent of Lymedisease) to area of
forest fragments. Both density of tick nymphs and percentage infected were highest in the
smallest forest fragments. What was the principal cause of the relationships observed? - ANS
✔✔increased abundance in small forest patches of white-footed mice
In the study of the effects of patch size on animal movement at the Miami University in Oxford,
Ohio ____. - ANS ✔✔rodents move shorter distance and more frequent in larger habitat
patches.
,What is the matrix of a post oak savanna parkland landscape (~10km2) that consists of grass
areas (35%), wooded areas (50%), crop fields (10%), and water (5%)? - ANS ✔✔wooded areas
What is the matrix of a post oak savanna landscape (`10km2) that consists of grass areas (60%),
wooded areas (30%), crop fields (7%), and water (3%)? - ANS ✔✔grass areas
If atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration were increased, one might expect: - ANS
✔✔the earth to get warmer
If atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration were decreased, one might expect: - ANS
✔✔the earth to get colder
Is biological nitrogen fixation _____ process? - ANS ✔✔an assimilatory
For species with good dispersal capabilities (bird and flying insects), what may suffice to provide
connectivity between patches of suitable habitat, without the need for a continuously
connected corridor? - ANS ✔✔stepping stones
In an open grassland landscape, a wooded stream corridor could function: - ANS ✔✔as a
conduit to forest/woodland animals, as a barrier to open-grassland animals, and as a barrier or
filter to runoff and erosion
Most of the nitrogen on earth is in the: - ANS ✔✔atmosphere
The cycling of elements within an ecosystem is a result of: - ANS ✔✔physical, biological, and
chemical processes
The landscape scale that an animal experiences in the course of its movements is referred to as:
- ANS ✔✔extent
, Images acquired from airplanes and satellites can be used to identify features of the earth's
surface and their location in landscapes. Which wavelengths of reflected radiation make it easy
to identify areas of vegetation, which typically stand out as bright red in the images produced? -
ANS ✔✔visible or near infrared
Habitat fragmentation results in increased patch isolation, smaller patch size, and higher patch
numbers, all of which have uniformly negative effects on species richness. - ANS ✔✔False
______ in the 1960-80s is likely a major cause of the fragmentation of the tigerbush landscape
in Niger. - ANS ✔✔Significant human population growth and associated fuel wood consumption
If we have just clear cut 70% of a forested area with clear cut areas will distributed and
connected with logging roads, what would be the matrix of the landscape? - ANS ✔✔clearcut
area
If patch A and patch B are of the same size but patch A has a GREATER patch shape index value
than patch B, then - ANS ✔✔patch A has more edge habitat than patch B
If patch A and patch B are of the same size but patch A has a SMALLER patch shape index value
than patch B, then _____. - ANS ✔✔patch A has less interior habitat than patch B
The phosphorus cycle is not of particular interest to ecologists because phosphorus is not an
essential element. - ANS ✔✔False
What kinds of organisms are capable of carrying out ammonification? - ANS ✔✔all organisms
Solar energy that reaches the earth's surface may be absorbed and re-radiated by an object.
The outgoing wave lengths are _____ the incoming wave lengths. - ANS ✔✔longer than
Two habitat patches of the same area differ in their shapes. One is circular, the other narrowly
elliptical. Which has the greater ratio of edge to interior? - ANS ✔✔narrowly elliptical patch
Ancient farming practices, wildfires, ecosystem engineers, and modern logging practices all
share a common impact on the landscape. What is it? - ANS ✔✔creation of a landscape mosaic
Earl Werner and colleagues found that turnover (percentage change in species composition per
year) of larval amphibians in wetlands in southeastern Michigan was directly related to which
property of these wetlands? - ANS ✔✔connectivity to other wetlands
How do free-living cyanobacteria obtain the energy necessary to reduce atmospheric nitrogen
gas (N2) to ammonia (NH3)? - ANS ✔✔photosynthesis
Aside from that produced by biological nitrogen fixation, biologically available nitrogen is
abundantly available in various rocks and minerals, which can be mined for fertilizer. - ANS
✔✔false
We saw the relationships of the density of nymphs of the black-legged tick and the percentage
of tick nymphs infected with Borrelia burdorferi (the bacterial agent of Lymedisease) to area of
forest fragments. Both density of tick nymphs and percentage infected were highest in the
smallest forest fragments. What was the principal cause of the relationships observed? - ANS
✔✔increased abundance in small forest patches of white-footed mice
In the study of the effects of patch size on animal movement at the Miami University in Oxford,
Ohio ____. - ANS ✔✔rodents move shorter distance and more frequent in larger habitat
patches.
,What is the matrix of a post oak savanna parkland landscape (~10km2) that consists of grass
areas (35%), wooded areas (50%), crop fields (10%), and water (5%)? - ANS ✔✔wooded areas
What is the matrix of a post oak savanna landscape (`10km2) that consists of grass areas (60%),
wooded areas (30%), crop fields (7%), and water (3%)? - ANS ✔✔grass areas
If atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration were increased, one might expect: - ANS
✔✔the earth to get warmer
If atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration were decreased, one might expect: - ANS
✔✔the earth to get colder
Is biological nitrogen fixation _____ process? - ANS ✔✔an assimilatory
For species with good dispersal capabilities (bird and flying insects), what may suffice to provide
connectivity between patches of suitable habitat, without the need for a continuously
connected corridor? - ANS ✔✔stepping stones
In an open grassland landscape, a wooded stream corridor could function: - ANS ✔✔as a
conduit to forest/woodland animals, as a barrier to open-grassland animals, and as a barrier or
filter to runoff and erosion
Most of the nitrogen on earth is in the: - ANS ✔✔atmosphere
The cycling of elements within an ecosystem is a result of: - ANS ✔✔physical, biological, and
chemical processes
The landscape scale that an animal experiences in the course of its movements is referred to as:
- ANS ✔✔extent
, Images acquired from airplanes and satellites can be used to identify features of the earth's
surface and their location in landscapes. Which wavelengths of reflected radiation make it easy
to identify areas of vegetation, which typically stand out as bright red in the images produced? -
ANS ✔✔visible or near infrared
Habitat fragmentation results in increased patch isolation, smaller patch size, and higher patch
numbers, all of which have uniformly negative effects on species richness. - ANS ✔✔False
______ in the 1960-80s is likely a major cause of the fragmentation of the tigerbush landscape
in Niger. - ANS ✔✔Significant human population growth and associated fuel wood consumption
If we have just clear cut 70% of a forested area with clear cut areas will distributed and
connected with logging roads, what would be the matrix of the landscape? - ANS ✔✔clearcut
area
If patch A and patch B are of the same size but patch A has a GREATER patch shape index value
than patch B, then - ANS ✔✔patch A has more edge habitat than patch B
If patch A and patch B are of the same size but patch A has a SMALLER patch shape index value
than patch B, then _____. - ANS ✔✔patch A has less interior habitat than patch B
The phosphorus cycle is not of particular interest to ecologists because phosphorus is not an
essential element. - ANS ✔✔False
What kinds of organisms are capable of carrying out ammonification? - ANS ✔✔all organisms
Solar energy that reaches the earth's surface may be absorbed and re-radiated by an object.
The outgoing wave lengths are _____ the incoming wave lengths. - ANS ✔✔longer than
