Old Exam Questions from BSC 2011 (to help you prepare
for Exam 4).
Please read the following notes (disclaimers).
1. These questions were taken from BSC 2011 final exams
given the past 2 semesters. I have removed questions that were completely
irrelevant to the content of this term. However, the remaining questions
still convey a biased selection of questions compared to what we covered
this term (e.g., there are quite a few questions on mimicry - this was
not a subject we emphasized in lecture, nor was it something Campbell went
in to in great detail). I (Dr. Osenberg) did not teach the course in those
years, so these questions do not necessarily reflect my biases.
2. In studying for Exam 4 these old questions will be
useful, but they are not your only source of insight into the types of
questions I will ask. Please go over in detail the discussion questions
that we distributed each week on the web. Also, review your lecture notes.
Material from the book is fair game, although I intend your book to provide
mostly background (rather than core) material for this part of the course.
As a result, the majority of questions will be drawn from lecture and discussion
material. But please be warned, some questions will come from the
book, drawing on material that we did not explicitly cover in lecture -
the assigned readings are important - I can't cover everything in lecture,
so I expect to obtain a broad background based on your readings in the
textbook.
3. Review Exam 3 to reacquaint yourself with the way I
ask questions. However, please note that Exam 4 will probably be fairly
different from Exam 3. In particular, I expect to have an extensive handout
with figures to accompany the test. These figures will consist of graphical
and mathematical material that will be referenced in specific exam questions.
The best way to study for this material is to review the lecture and discussion
material and talk through these issues with fellow students. Most importantly,
get comfortable working with various mathematical and graphical representations
of biological phenomena, and be able to translate back and forth between
verbal descriptions of the biological process and its mathematical or graphical
analogue.
4. I will not be distributing any other practice exams.
5. All questions start with "QQ"; the correct
answer is given first and is noted with "AA S".
______________________________________________________________
QQ Which is NOT an example of coevolution?
AA S (1) swords of swordtail fishes
(2) character displacement
(3) xooxanthelle and coral
(4) Mullerian mimicry
QQ In Mullerian mimicry,
AA S (1) noxious prey species resemble one another.
(2) a predator mimics its prey.
(3) a harmless prey mimics a noxious model.
(4) a noxious model mimics its predator.
(5) ---
QQ Many introduced species have had deleterious effects
on communities
and ecosystems because
AA S (1) their natural parasites and competitors are absent, so their densities
can be quite high.
(2) the introduced species are long-lived.
(3) predators prefer the introduced species, thus reducing their densities.
(4) introduced species have extremely high per capita effects on the native
species.
(5) the introduced species is a weaker competitor than the native species.
QQ Given four islands at the same latitude, which one
will have the highest
immigration rate
AA S (1) 3,000 square kilometers and 100 km from the mainland.
(2) 1,000 square kilometers and 300 km from the mainland.
(3) 100 square kilometers and 3,000 km from the mainland.
(4) 300 square kilometers and 1,000 km from the mainland.
(5) 3,000 square miles and 1,000 km from the mainland.
QQ Net primary productivity is the
AA S (1) energy stored in the plant tissue in excess of that used in respiration
(2) rate of photosynthesis.
(3) rate of energy flow.
(4) amount of energy stored in the ecosystem.
(5) ---
QQ Of the energy that enters one trophic level, approximately
what
percent becomes available for the next trophic level?
AA S (1) 10
(2) 100
(3) 1
(4) 0.1
(5) 0.01
QQ Nitrogen fixing bacteria are of primary importance
in ecosystems because
AA S (1) they transform atmospheric Nitrogen to Ammonia
(2) they convert Ammonia to Nitrate
(3) they break down dead plant and animal matter
(4) they infect insects and reduce herbivory on plants
(5) they grow well and leave lots of offspring
QQ During primary succession following glacial retreat,
alders
AA S (1) facilitate conifer invasion by increasing soil nitrogen
(2) stabilize the developing soils
(3) increase the standing stock of biomass in the system
(4) inhibit shrub growth and establishment by shading
(5) eat arctic hares
QQ When a keystone predator is removed from an environment
AA S (1) species diversity typically decreases
(2) a greater diversity of prey species can coexist
(3) inferior competitors tend to increase in number
(4) the prey species will experience competitive exclusion
(5) all prey increase in abundance
QQ For two competing species (denoted 1 and 2), the population
growth rate of species 1 in the presence of species 2 is
AA S (1) lower at all population sizes of species 1 than in the absence
of species 2
(2) zero when the population reaches K
(3) dependent on the carrying capacity of species 2
(4) the same as in the absence of species 2
(5) r
QQ Competitive exclusion is likely to occur when
AA S (1) interspecific competition is more intense than intraspecific competition
(2) two species exhibit resource partitioning
(3) interspecific competition is less intense than intraspecific competition
(4) when the inferior competitor has a refuge in the environment
(5) ---
QQ The equilibrium population size of a species in the
absence of competitors or predators is
AA S (1) all of these
(2) the population at which the per capita growth rate = 0
(3) K
(4) The maximum population size the environment can sustain
(5) the population size at which dN/dt=0 (where N refers to the population
size)
QQ In the example of character displacement in Darwin's
finches we see
AA S (1) different beak sizes in sympatry, similar beak sizes in allopatry
(2) no resource overlap in allopatry
(3) overlap in resource use is greatest when both species co-occur
(4) competitive exclusion
(5) ---
QQ Interference competition is more costly than exploitative
competition
AA S (1) because there is an added risk of injury due to contact
(2) because interference competition is stronger
(3) because exploitative competition results in low resource availability
(4) none of these (the above statement is false)
(5) ---
QQ Elephants trample many plants when they move through
an area. This interaction between elephants and plants is an example of
AA S (1) amensalism
(2) predation
(3) competition
(4) mutualism
(5) parasitism
QQ Secondary succession is
AA S (1) common and occurs after almost any type of disturbance
(2) only associated with recession of the glaciers
(3) starts from bare rock
(4) characterized by an invariant sequence of plant species replacements
(5) rare and associated mostly with marine environments
QQ Interactions between species that have NO effect on
one
participant are rare and examples include
AA S (1) commensalism.
(2) mutualism.
(3) predation.
(4) competition.
(5) symbiosis.
QQ Burning fossil fuels affects nutrient cycling most
directly by
AA S (1) increasing the pool of Carbon in the atmosphere.
(2) increasing rain fall.
(3) producing smog.
(4) allowing humans to inhabit more of the earth's surface.
(5) depleting an available pool of carbon.
QQ Terrestrial systems tend to be nitrogen limited because
AA S (1) Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate are highly soluble in water and get
leached from soils.
(2) only a tiny amount of atmospheric N is fixed by soil bacteria.
(3) nitrifying bacteria are rare.
(4) denitrifying bacteria are common.
(5) decomposition results in the production of inaccessible N.
QQ After a shipwreck you are alone on a deserted island
with a pair
of pigs and a large supply of corn. Your best strategy would be to
AA S (1) kill and eat the pigs; then eat the corn.
(2) feed the corn to the pigs and eat their offspring.
(3) feed the corn to the pigs; then eat the pigs.
(4) eat only the pigs.
(5) give up. Pigs are rotten company.
TABLE 1:
| Age (x) in years | lx | bx |
| 0 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 1 | .4 | 1 |
| 2 | .3 | 2 |
| 3 | .2 | 3 |
| 4 | 0 | -- |
QQ Referring to the life table 1, which of the following
is true of
the species it describes?
AA S (1) it is iteroparous
(2) it is semelparous
(3) it has a generation time of 5 years
(4) is will not grow
(5) it survives to a maximum age of 5 years.
QQ Referring to the life table 1, please estimate the
generation time
and dN/Ndt (r) of the population?
AA S (1) 2.1 yrs and 0.2 /yr
(2) 3.2 years and 0.2/yr
(3) 2.1 yrs and -0.1/yr
(4) 3.2 yrs and -.01
(5) 2.1 yrs and 1.6/yr
QQ Which of the following is NOT a difference between
the
exponential and logistic models of population growth?
AA S (1) dN/Ndt is greatest at N=K/2 in the logistic, but always increases
in the exponential.
(2) The expontial assumes unlimited resources; the logistic does not
(3) At a given N, the exponential model predicts a higher per capita growth
rate than the logistic.
(4) The logistic has an equilibrium; the other does not.
(5) In the exponential model, dN/Ndt is constant, but in the logistic dN/Ndt
decrease linearly with N.
QQ Referring to figure 1, K=
AA S (1) 600
(2) 300
(3) 625
(4) 575
(5) 500
QQ Given two coexisting competitors, if ALPHA12
= 2.5, then ALPHA21 must be
AA S (1) < 0.4
(2) < 1
(3) > 2.5
(4) = 0
(5) > 0.2
QQ When the environment of an animal changes, the animal
may
respond in several ways. Which of the following represents a
correct sequence (from most rapid to slowest) of potential animal
responses?
AA S (1) migration, acclimation, morphological change, evolution
(2) acclimation, migration, evolution, morphological change
(3) migration, evolution, acclimation, morphological change
(4) migration, evolution, morphological change, acclimation
(5) acclimation, morphological change, migration, evolution
QQ All of the following statements about terrestrial biomes
are
correct EXCEPT:
AA S (1) Biomes have sharp, well-defined boundaries.
(2) Biomes are major community types.
(3) Within biomes there may be extensive patchiness.
(4) Climographs can be used to show differences between biomes.
(5) Temperature and precipitation explain much of biome diversity.
QQ Which marine zone would have the LOWEST rates of primary
productivity (photosynthesis)?
AA S (1) abyssal
(2) pelagic
(3) coral reef
(4) estuary
(5) intertidal
QQ When moving along altitudinal and latitudinal gradients,
you
generally find the same sequence of biomes. In both cases, there
are equivalent changes along the gradient in all of the following
EXCEPT
AA S (1) day length.
(2) temperature.
(3) humidity.
(4) vegetation.
(5) communities.
QQ The most common kind of dispersion is
AA S (1) clumped.
(2) random.
(3) uniform.
(4) indeterminate.
(5) dispersive.
QQ Often the growth cycle of one population has an effect
on the
cycle of another: e.g., soon after moose populations increase, wolf populations
often increase. This pattern occurs because
AA S (1) wolf birth rates are determined by the number of moose.
(2) moose birth rates are set by the number of wolves.
(3) wolf and moose are competitors.
(4) wolves exhibit logistic growth, but moose don't.
(5) moose and wolves exhibit exponential growth.
QQ Which of the following could cause a realized niche
to differ
from a fundamental niche?
AA S (1) competition from other species.
(2) suitable habitat.
(3) food size and availability.
(4) temperature limitations.
(5) water availability.
QQ In a tide pool, 15 species of invertebrates were reduced
to
eight after one species was removed. The species removed was likely
to be a
AA S (1) keystone predator.
(2) dominant competitor.
(3) a species that does not interact with other species.
(4) a generalized predator.
(5) an inferior competitor.
QQ Batesian mimicry systems depend on all of the following
EXCEPT
AA S (1) the models being cryptically colored.
(2) the models being noxious or disagreeable.
(3) the mimics being less common than their models.
(4) the ability of predators to "learn" to recognize their prey.
(5) the models being easily recognized.
QQ To be certain that two species had coevolved, one would
ideally
have to establish that
AA S (1) each species has evolved in response to the other.
(2) two species are adapted to the same environmental conditions.
(3) each species only occurs in the presence of the other.
(4) extinction of one species leads to the extinction of the other.
(5) the two species originated at about the same time.
QQ An example of Mullerian mimicry is
AA S (1) two noxious frog species that resemble one another.
(2) an insect that resembles a twig.
(3) a butterfly that resembles a leaf.
(4) a nonpoisonous snake that looks like a coral snake.
(5) a snapping turtle that uses its tongue to mimic a worm.
QQ Which of the following is NOT an example of a plant
defense
against herbivory?
AA S (1) cryptic coloration
(2) nicotine
(3) leaf hairs
(4) thorns
(5) microscopic crystals
QQ Which of the following statements is consistent with
the
competitive exclusion principle?
AA S (1) If ALPHA12ALPHA21 > 1, one species will
go extinct.
(2) The density of one competitor positively affects the other.
(3) Two species with similar resource requirements readily coexist.
(4) resource partitioning is not important in driving the outcome of competitive
interactions.
(5) Evolution increases competition between related species.
QQ According to the theory of island biogeography, all
of the
following contribute to greater species diversity on an island
EXCEPT
AA S (1) a relatively recent formation of the island.
(2) a shorter distance to the island from the mainland.
(3) a bigger island.
(4) a lower extinction rate on the island.
(5) higher rates of migration to the island.
QQ All of the following act to increase species diversity
EXCEPT
AA S (1) competitive exclusion.
(2) keystone predators.
(3) patchy environments.
(4) moderate disturbances.
(5) migration of populations.
QQ Which of the following best describes plants that are
found in
late successional stages?
AA S (1) strong competitors
(2) excellent dispersal mechanisms
(3) weedy
(4) annuals
(5) good colonizers