Biology Ecology, Succession, and Symbiosis Review

Enchanted Rock State Natural Area is located in Central Texas. Enchanted Rock is a dome of granite. The area contain four easily identifiable communities. The table describes characteristics of each type of community in the area.

A student studying primary succession should focus on which of these communities?

• Open oak woodland

• Mesquite grassland

• Floodplain

• Granite rock

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A small town in the piney woods of East Texas has a soccer field composed of native grasses. The soccer field is mowed once a week.

What effect does continual mowing have on the ecology of the field?

• Mowing increases the likelihood of nonnative species displacing native species.

• Mowing increase the number of species found in the field

• Mowing cause different types of communities to form across the field

• Mowing maintains a low species diversity by inhibiting further succession.

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During secondary succession, which of these best describes why decomposing pioneer plants give way to larger, more complex plants species, such as hardwood trees?

• Increased amounts of sunlight are able to reach the ground while the pioneer species are decomposing.

• Increased soil temperatures from decomposing pioneer species help tree seeds germinate more quickly.

• Increased amounts of decomposing pioneer species remove nutrients that tree seedlings need to grow and mature.

• Increased amounts of soil from decomposing pioneer species allow plants with more extensive root systems to become established.

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The diagram below represents an ecological process.

Which statement is most closely related to the process shown in the diagram?

• Succession involves changes in plant species only.

• Ecosystems tend to change with time until a stable system is formed.

• Insect communities do not grow in aquatic habitats.

• Humans have modified the environment with technology and pollution.

The 1988 fires of Yellowstone National Park cleared large areas of vegetation, leaving nothing but soil intact. When life returns to a previously established community such as Yellowstone, this process is –

• primary succession

• biodiversity

• secondary succession

• speciation

Hermit crabs live inside shells produced by other organisms. Sea anemones often attach to the top of a hermit crab's shell. When the crab moves, the shell and anemone are carried along. Most predators of hermit crabs avoid sea anemones. Which symbiotic relationship best describes the hermit crab and sea anemone?

• parasitism

• commensalism

• mutualism

• competition

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Four common relationships between organisms are listed in the box.

Which statements best describe these relationships?

• Relationships 1 and 4 are examples of mutualism.

  Relationship 2 is an example of commensalism.

  Relationship 3 is an example of parasitism

• Relationships 1 and 2 are examples of commensalism. Relationships 3 and 4 are examples of mutualism.

• Relationship 1 is an example of commensalism.

  Relationships 2 and 4 are examples of mutualism.

  Relationship 3 is an example of predation.

• Relationships 1, 2, and 4 are examples of mutualism. Relationship 3 is an example of parasitism.

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Cattle egrets are birds that live near large grazing animals. They feed on insects that are exposed as the grazing animals walk through grass. A scientist theorizes that these species could eventually develop a mutualistic relationship. Which of the following situations, if observed, would support this scientist's theory?

• Cattle are not affected by cattle egrets.

• Cattle are seen feeding on cattle egrets.

• Cattle egrets begin to eat ticks living on cattle.

• Cattle egrets begin to draw nutrients from cattle.

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In North American forests, two species of birds, nuthatches and brown creepers forage on the same trees for insects. Brown creepers feed on insects found near the bottom of the tree trunk, while nuthatches feed on insects in the top part of the tree.

The difference in foraging behavior most likely affects the nuthatches and brown creepers by

• allowing the birds to avoid many types of predators

• reducing competition between the birds for resources

• preventing the birds from interbreeding with each other

• establishing dominance between the birds for nesting sites

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Plants ---> Aphids---> Spiders---> Sparrows

In this food chain, the sparrows are –

• producers

• primary consumers

• secondary consumers

• tertiary consumers