Ecology Exam Questions
Diagram or describe the scientific process of compiling and testing information?
How is science different from folk-lore and legend?
Why are theoretical models and concepts important to the scientific process, even though they may not exactly match reality?
Define reductionist and holistic approaches to ecology and limitations of each.
Reductionist Holistic
What is the purpose of statistics in science?
How is environmental activism different from science
What is the difference between systems ecology a study of the distribuion and abundance species?
Breifly describe the difference between a reductionist’s view of ecology and a holistic view of ecology.
What is meant by synergystic effects?
Why is the scale of study important in ecology?
What are emergent characters? Provide an example.
List and define four types of potential energy.
What is kinetic energy?
How does heat manifest itself?
What do Brownian motion and crickets chirping rate have to do with kineitc energy?
How does kinetic energy affect the rate of chemical reactions?
What is entropy?
What are the laws of thermodynamics and why are they important in physiological ecology?
1St
2nd
Importance:
How is loss of potential energy in living things measured?
What is the "heat of combustion" and how is it measured?
What did the French guys with a calorimeter determine about the energetics of living things?
Do bacteria p[roduce heat? How do you know?
Do fish produce heat? How do you know?
Is electric potential energy important to living things? why or why not?
Fill in the boxes for Energy Flow in heterotrophic organisms:
What is a Standard Metabolic Rate and how does it vary.
SMR = Varies with:
How does the "cost of a free existence" affect energy budgets?
How does being a homeotherm vs a poikilotherm affect energy budgets?
What is meant by "productive energy"? What form of energy is it and where does it go?
Define: autotroph, chemoautotroph, photoautotroph, auxotroph, lithotroph, heterotroph, osmotroph, phagotroph
What are the two major types of photosynthetic capture of CO2 used by plants?
How are C3 and C4 plants different?
What is stable carbon isotope analysis and how does it use differences in C3 and C4 plants?
What limits size in osmotrophs?
How do osmotrophs get energy?
What is the effect of food quality (complexity) on growth efficiency?
Why might phagotrophs be considered modified osmotrophs?
How does the environment affect phenotype?
Why do homeotherms have limits to surface to volume ratios?
Why are bears and squirrels not condsidered to be true hibernators?
What happens to the water content of air as it changes in temperature?
Define absolute and relative humidity.
How does a change in temperature make it rain or dew fall?
How does evaporative power affect plant function?
How does water availability affect CO2 availability in plants?
Describe the importance of tolerated abiotic factors (as opposed to optima) for the distribution of organisms.
Can poikilotherms regulate body temperature? If no, why not? If so, how?
Why can poikilotherms exist at smaller body sizes than homeotherms.
How does water availability affect CO2 availability in plants.
Describe two xerophytic adaptations of plants.
How do Juncus roemarianus and Spartina alterniflora deal with excess salt?
Define oxic, hypoxic and anoxic.
Decribe the gradient formed in the transition from aerobic to anaerobic conditions?
Which wavelength of light penetrates the farthest in water.
What is PAR?
How are circadian rythyms defined?
Describe the tidal cycle from spring to neap tides.
How do grunion take advantage of spring and neap tides?
What is the dfifference between a sand, a loam and a clay?
Describe the importance of tolerated abiotic factors (as opposed to optima) for the distribution of organisms.
What is Liebig’s law of the minimum?
Diagram and label a "typical" soil verticle profile.
What is cation exchange capacity and why is it important for soil fertility?
Define field capacity, capillary water, and hygroscopic water? What effect does the clay content of soil have on water retention?
How are saturated soils and sediments different from soils/sediments where gravitational water drains away?
Is Liebig’s law of the minimum related to "top down" or "bottom up" control of population size? Why?
Are the following animal tissues isotonic, hypertonic, or hypotonic relative to their environment?
Freshwater fish
Jellyfish
Marine Birds
Marine Iguanas
What is % base saturation and why is it important for soil fertility?
What is the difference between physiological longevity and average natural longevity (ex).
Describe the features of three models of age affects on death rates?
What would a survivroship curve with an age independant mortality rate look like?
What type of survivorship curve is observed for many natural populations? What reproductive habits affect the shape of survivorship curves?
Describe the concept of "r".
What is the difference between "µ" and "r"?
How could you estimate "r" by determining "µ"?
How could you determine "µ" from population counts over time?
Describe three life history adaptations that affect "r".
In the equation: rN=dN/dt, what is "r", what is "N" and how do they determine population growth rate?
In the equation: rN (K-N) = dN what is "K" and how does "(K-N)" affect the model.
K dt K
In what ways are the mathematical growth models unrealistic for natural populations?
What is the Net Reproductive Rate (Ro)?
Describe some features of popualtions under equilibrium dynamics.
Describe some features of populations under non-equilibrium dynamics.
How do time scales of K change and TD determine whether a population will be under density independant or density dependant control?
Describe bottom up versus top down control mechanisms.
In the example of the Asseteague-Chinoteague (barrier island) ponies, why was the prenancy rate on one island higher than the other?
Is intercompensation a density dependent or density independent concept? Provide an example.
Describe/diagram haplodiploidy in honeybees. What are the genetic consequences to "workers" for participating in a eusocial population structure.
Describe a meta-population structure.
What is the concept of self-thinning? Is this density dependent or density independent control of population size?
How do the reproductive strategies of quail and owls reflect the dominant controls on their population sizes?
What are the effects of density in the concept of an "Ideal Free Distribution"?
What are the two types of intraspecific competition, and how do they relate to density dependent and density independant dynamics?
Describe how some populations may exhibit all three types of distribution patterns.
Are sand pines distributed in random, clumped or even distributions?
List three factors that may lead to clumped or aggregated distributions.
What predator defense benefits may occur from social interactions?
What are the three criteria used to define eusocial structures?
Describe how mutual vigilance may not only ameliorate the negative effects of density but may increase fitness within a social group.
If the Hardy Weinburg law assumes random processes in the transfer of genes from one generation to the next, of what use is it to studying evolution, where there is directional change in gene frequencies?
Define phenotypic plasticity. Why is it important to the distribution and adaptability of organisms?
In the example with the tobacco bud worm insecticide resistence, how did gene flow (random assortment) from portions of the population not experienceing the selective pressure affect gene fixation (directional change in gene frequency).
Define and describe the difference between neutral, quasi neutral and lethal mutations
Chose either the malaria or tobacco bud worm example and describe how gene flow affects evolution.
If the assumptions for Hardy-Weinburg mathematical model are rarely met for natural populations, of what use is it to ecologists?
Define and describe the difference between stabilizing, disruptive, directional, and variability selection.
Describe the concept of punctuated equilibrium.
What characteristics are typical of "r" life history strategies?
What characteristics are typical of "K" life history strategies?
How does the concept of kin selection help to explain the evolution of social behavior?
What is co-evolution. Provide an example.
What is the basic premise of optimal foraging theory?
What determines optimum prey size?
Describe the elements of predator functional response.
Describe the elements of predator numerical response.
How do the combined responses (functional and numerical) affect prey survival?
What factors result in deviations from optimal foraging?
What is the concept of a search image? How does it affect predation strategy?
What controls predator residence time in food patches?
Describe the possible advantages of "breaking through" a chemical defense.
Describe Batesian mimicry. Provide an example.
What is the competitive exclusion principle?
What is the relationship between resource availability and niche overlap?
What evidence do we have for the evolutionary history of lichens?
What are the potential benefits to the algae and host in algal-heterotroph symbioses?
How does Paramecium transfer toxic ammonia to its algal symbiont?
How does Chlorella control its host?
What are mycorrhizae? Why are they important?
Describe the difference between plants that pollinate by mutualism and those that pollinate by wind.
What is meant by deceit pollination?
Describe the basic elements of the serial endosymbiosis hypothesis. What evidence do we have that this concept may be true?
What is a keystone species? Provide and example.
Describe trophic cascades as a community structural element.
Define the concept of ecological equivalents
Explain the difference between the "Integrated" vs. "Individualistic" views of community structure. Which is right?
How can competition important in defining community structure?
Define "Character Displacement". Describe an example of the outcome of this process.
What are the two elements that comprise species diversity.
How can past history affect diversity of organisms on different land masses?
What is the relationship between area (sample size, time, dollars) and species richness?
What is an ecotone? How does it affect diversity?
Higher productivity always results in higher species diversity: true or false? Why?
What effect do predators have on species diversity?
How does disturbance affect diversity?
What is the concept of "Taxonomic Distinctness"?
How is dispersal of propagules related to distance?
Describe passive and active dispersal. Provide an example of an organism that incorporates both.
What are the predictions of the "Island Biogeography Theory" relative to distance and island size?
What are "Replacement Changes"?
How do fluctuations of the environment affect cyclic dynamics and endpoints of communities? An example?
What are the stages of primary succession?
How do the "Initial Floristic Composition" and "Floristic Relay" models of succession differ?
What are three possible ways that early successional stages affect later stages?
Describe three characteristics of a climax community.
Define/describe "Resistance Stability" and "Resilience Stability".
How does diversity affect stability in communities?
Explain the difference between energy and matter flow in ecosystems.
Describe/diagram the concept of the "Microbial Loop".
Why is the "Black Box" approach to ecosystems analysis useful?
Biomass pyramids have been used to describe the trophic structures of communities. How could an inverted pyramid be possible?
What are the implications of the statement: "2 people per square mile can live on trout, but 2000 per square mile must eat rice"?
What is the difference between "Grazer" and "Detritus" food chains?
What is a P/R ratio? What information does this ratio provide for an ecosystem?
What is a P/B ratio? What information does this ratio provide for an ecosystem?
What are: GPP, NPP, and NPP/GPP?
Global GPP is around 0.2%. What are the possible reasons for this figure to be so low?
Rank NPP of forests, grasslands and aquatic systems in terms of % herbivore consumption (actual numbers not required).
How are the following calculated?
Growth Efficiency =
Assimilation Efficiency =
Tissue Growth Efficiency =
What affects assimilation efficiency the most?
Rank Detritivores, Herbivores, and Carnivores in order of increasing assimilation efficiency.
Does assimilation or tissue growth efficiency account for the greatest difference in poikilotherm vs. homeotherm growth efficiency? Why?
Why is it considered that ecological efficiencies for trophic levels (10-20%) are affected more by poikilotherms than homeotherms?
List four ways that energy subsidies are added to our agricultural systems.
How does added fertilizer affect yield of agricultural plants?
What is the relationship between the NPP of our agricultural plants and regional (natural) NPP?
Between 1945 and 1990, our agricultural production of corn has increased dramatically (3.4 million Kcal to 11.1 million Kcal), but the yield per energy expenditure has gone down (3.7 to 2.7). What reasons can you give for this? What implications does this have for future increases in productivity?
True or False (and Why): Plant crops always yield more food energy than is put into them by man.
Would this be a good marketing slogan? (and Why): "Eat more seafood, it’s energetically efficient".
US agriculture is below the break even point (energy expended for food energy yield deficit)? Since energy on earth ultimately must balance (can’t be created nor destroyed), where does the additional energy come from?
Human use of global NPP is estimated at 3.2%. How and why does the concept of "co-opted and missing" production affect that figure.
What are the major stores of carbon on earth?
What two factors affect the turnover of soil POC the most?
Since all of the CO2 we are adding to the atmosphere is not accumulating, where is it thought that is going?
Why are scientists predicting a global increase in temperature (and related effects)?
Diagram the nitrogen cycle.
Which is retained and which is leached from soils: nitrate or ammonium? Why?
What form of nitrogen is required for biosynthesis?
Why is phosphorous limiting in most environments?
What indications do we have that phosphate is recycled very efficiently?
Describe/diagram the features of a ground water system.
Describe the process of "mineralization".
How is nutrient cycling affected by disturbance?
How does seasonal change affect nutrient cycling?
What is meant by marshes and sediments acting as nutrient buffers?
Describe the interaction of anaerobic/aerobic habitats and phosphate for the control of atmospheric oygen concentration.
How does the oxygen concentration of the atmosphere affect sequestering of detrital carbon?
What is Theodore Roosevelt credited for doing in the conservation arena?
What is meant by "using a poster child" for conservation/preservation?
Describe the process of formulating regulations and management plans for our public resouces.
What role does emotion play in conservation/preservation efforts?
What role does science play in conservation/preservation efforts?
What is a land trust or conservation easement? Why are they necessary?
Diagram a catch per unit effort curve. How does technology affect the curve?
What is maximum sustainable yield? How does "r" affect it?
What benefit may there be in keeping harvests well below maximum sustainable yield?
How can breeding stock of harvested populations be protected?
Describe the role of predators in wildlife management practices.
Describe the use of preserves and refuges in wildlife management.
How effective are game stocking programs for increasing wildlife populations?
What is meant by "put and take" management practices?
What two categories (and definitions) were established by the 1973 Endangered species act?
Explain or diagram (with labels) the differences between determinisitic and stochastic causes of extinction.
How does sampling error affect survival of a population?
Define Demographic Stochasticity. Provide an example
What is genetic drift? What affect does sample size have on genetic drfit?
How is the Hardy Weinburg equilibrium equation used to determine genetic drift?
How does biology affect the mathematical predictions of genetic drift?
What is an "Effective Populaiton"?
Why is increased genetic variation (and heterozygosity) associated with long term survival?
What is a genetic bottleneck? How does it affect long term survival of a species?
How can a metapopulation structure aid in maintaining or increasing genetic variation?
What does Island Biogeography Theory have to do with conservation?
What is a Population Viability Analysis?
What is a Minimum Viable Population?
Why should the Minimum Viable Population be much higher than 500 individuals?
What is "Mutational Meltdown"?
What is meant by "Environmental Stochasticity"?
Why is habitat fragmentation a bad thing?
Describe/diagram the difference between area sensitive species and area insensitive species.
What is meant by "Edge Effects"
What differences in approach might you take if you were designing preserve areas for plants vs. animals?
If small patches of habitat are "all edge", or are "sinks", what value are they to conservation efforts?
How are species area curves used in designing nature preserves.
What are the limitations of species area curves in designing nature preserves?
Why are endpoints important as ecological and management concepts?
Why are successional processes important in designing conservation areas?
List three basic categories of pollution and breifly describe each.
Describe point and non-point sources of pollution.
Why are non-point sources of pollution so difficult to control?
Which has a greater impact, point source or non-point source pollution?
Describe the basic stages of sewage treatment.
What would be the effect of dumping effluent after each stage of sewage treatment into a body of water.
What is grey water, and how can it be re-cycled into the environment.
How is sewage sludge formed?
What limits disposal options for sewage sludge?
Why is storm water a problem for sewage treatment plants?
What does the Clean Water Act state about the discharge of sewage effluent?
How can adding nutrients to surface waters be harmful?
How effective are landfills for disposal of solid wastes?
Describe energy flow (where, how much; losses and gains) at the level of organisms and ecosystems.
Describe the metapopulation concept and why it is important for consevation.
Describe genetic processes that may affect suseptibility to extinction.
What is the difference between a pool and a flux; describe some examples.
What are some of the major factors affecting diveristy in various habitats.
Describe r vs K characteristics providing examples and applications of the concept.
Define a P:R ratio. What characteristics of communities affect the P:R ratio?
Why is NPP high for grasslands and aquatic phytoplankton and low for forests?
Describe the "Microbial Loop". Why is it important?
Growth Efficiency =
Assimilation Efficiency =
Tissue Growth Efficiency =
What is the greatest determinant of assimilation efficiency? How does this affect herbivores, carnivores, and detritivores?
What is the largest determinant of tissue growth efficiency?
How does poikilothermy vs. a homeothermy affect global biomass and energy flow?
How does diversity affect energy flow?
What is meant by "energy subsidies" used in agriculture? Provide examples.
How does agricultural NPP compare to native vegetation is terms of NPP.
Define Co-opted and Missing Production as part of human impacts on global NPP.
List four major store of carbon (other than CO2) on earth.
How do we know that atmospheric CO2 is rising? Can we account for all of the CO2 being released by human activity?
Define Nitrogen fixation, nitrification, and denitrification.
Why is phosphate usually limiting in the environment?
What is the current thinking about the control of oxygen concentration in the atmosphere?
What are Land Trusts and Conservation Easements?
Is management of public renewable resources a scientific process? Why or why not?
Define maximum sustainable yield.
How does technology affect catch-per-unit-effort curves?
What is the current thinking about the value of predator control in game management?
What is the difference between a refuge and a preserve?
How are the concepts of "K" and "r" important in wildlife management?
Why is the statistical concept of sampling errors important in extinction processes?
What benefits to long term survival could occur from a metapopulation structure?
How can species area curves be used and abused in designing preserves?
Why have estimates of minimum viable populations recently been increased from 500 to 10,000 individuals?
List three basic categories of pollution and provide and example of each.
What are fecal coliforms and why are high fecal coliform counts considered dangerous.
If metals are naturally occurring, why are they an environmental pollution problem?
Describe products of fossil fuel combustion that cause environmental problems.
What are the effects of acid rain on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems
What are RCRA and TSCA and what do they mandate?
Why has the Superfund program had the level of success that it has?
Why is proflagate pesticide use counter-productive for pest control (not to mention environmentally diasterous)?
What are some of the basic categories of pesticides?
Describe acute and chronic toxicological effects.
Describe the processes of bioaccumulation and depuration.
Why is toxicological testing not an exact science?
Explain the difference between ecology as science and ecological activism.
What is the role of models and statistics in the scientific process?
Would you expect bioaccumulation to be greater through poikilotherms or homeotherms?
How would you predict the rate of evolution (change in gene frequency) to be affected in a population reduced from 500 to 250 individuals by a deterministic event?
If toxic loads increase maintenance energy requirements, what would happen to growth efficiency of individuals and energy flow through ecosystems?