Population & Succession Review

Which statement describes a main difference between primary and secondary succession?

• Primary succession starts in barren, rock areas while secondary succession does not.

• Secondary succession reaches a climax community of trees while primary succession ends with pioneer species.

• Secondary succession ends in a climax community while primary succession does not.

• Primary succession is followed immediately by secondary succession.

Carrying Capacity is

• the capacity of what one person can carry per day

• how many animals you have in your daily bag limit at the end of the year

• wildebeest at a watering hole with zebras

• the maximum number of individuals that the environment can support

Under which environmental condition would primary succession occur?

• farm field no longer being used to cultivate crops

• meadow following a controlled burn

• forest after trees fall during a severe storm

• bare rock exposed as glaciers melt

The first organisms that appear in an ecological community

• ecological succession

• primary succession

• secondary succession

• pioneer species

Which of the following is an example of primary succession?

• lichens growing on rocks following a volcanic eruption

• oak trees replacing pine trees in a forest

• non-native species introduced into a climax community

• grasses growing after a forest fire

The nonnative zebra mussel was first found in a lake near Detroit in 1988. By 1989, it had colonized all Great Lakes waterways. Which scenario is most likely true regarding the introduction of this species?

• Native mussel populations are growing rapidly.

• The higher biodiversity leads to healthier lakes.

• They compete with native mussels for food and other resources.

• Native fish naturally eat zebra mussels.

If a population grows larger than the carrying capacity of the environment, the population is likely to

• decrease

• increase

• stay the same

An estuary collects sediments from the ocean and rivers that feed into it. The sediments swirl around and then settle to form a mudflat. Eel grass is then established on the mudflat. The ecosystem changes overtime and ultimately develops into a salt marsh that contains mangrove trees.

​Which of the following is likely NOT involved in this example of ecological succession?

• The roots from plants help stabilize the sediment, keeping it in place

• The soil becomes so fertile that eel grass is replace by other plant species

• The concentration of salt becomes so high that all plant life is destroyed

• The rotting remains of plants add to the fertility of the soil

What level of ecological organization is one species in a specific area called?

• population

• community

• ecosystem

• biosphere

If the number of births in a population is the same as the number of deaths in a population, what will happen to the growth of the population?

• it will increase

• it will stay the same

• it will decrease