2_Competition

What type of competition is within a single species?

• Intraspecific

• Interspecific

What type of competition is between a single species?

• Interspecific

• Intraspecific

Aphids are herbivores that can live in gardens and destroy food as it grows. Which of the following could provide competition to the aphids in a garden ecosystem?

• The introduction of a species to the environment that ate vegetables

• The removal of spiders from environment through pesticide use

• The creation of a new breed of tomato plant with larger fruit

• The addition of a new species to the ecosystem that preys on aphids

Plants have adapted many different ways of spreading their seed. These include the use of fruit carried away by animals and aerodynamic seeds carried by the wind. These adaptions would prevent plants from doing which of the following?

• Becoming parasitic towards members of their own species

• Being forced to prey on their offspring when nutrient levels dropped

• Competing with offspring for available water and sunlight

• Creating mutualistic relationships with pollinating insects

Only a few European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) were released into the Australian wilderness in the 19^th century, but they quickly became a huge ecological problem. The rabbits competed with local herbivores and caused these populations to decline along with much of the plant life. The rabbits were so successful in Australia because they–

• altered their genomes to be more fit

• became predators of other herbivores

• were able to breed with other species

• lacked predators in the environment

Males of the same species often compete in a ritualistic

fashion as shown in the picture of red deer. These deer are most likely competing for the ability to do which of the following?

• Drink water

• Obtain food

• Reproduce

• Find Shelter

Animals of the same species might be forced to begin competing with one another under which of the following circumstances?

• hunting of their prey becomes criminal

• deforestation reduces available habitats

• more edible vegetation is introduced

• predators are removed from the environment

The populations of native species often decline after new species are introduced to an ecosystem by humans. This is because non-native species -

• reduce the use of pesticides by humans

• provide diversity to the ecosystem

• are always preferred by natural selection

• occupy the same niche as native species

When an organism is introduced into a new ecosystem the population grows exponentially. However, the population stops increasing in size when which of the following occurs?

• Offspring avoid parasite infections

• Organisms begin competing for food

• New water sources are discovered

• Their predator population decreases

Two species of paramecium, P. aurelia and P. caudatum, were grown separately and together. These organisms were not observed being parasitic or predatory; however, when grown together with P. aurelia, the P. caudatum population was almost completely gone after 10 days. What would most likely cause this to occur?

• Another species of microorganism must have been present in the growth medium

• The P. aurelia population became a photosynthetic organism that could make its own food

• The P. caudatum population could not compete with the P. aurelia population for resources

• Experimental error caused contamination that only affected the P. caudatum population