Habitat Niche and Competitive Exclusion Quiz

What is habitat specialization?

• Adaptation to all types of habitats

• Inability to survive in any habitat

• Adaptation to only one specific food source

• Adaptation to a specific type of habitat or environment.

How does habitat specialization contribute to species survival?

• Habitat specialization leads to overpopulation and resource depletion.

• Habitat specialization has no impact on species survival.

• Habitat specialization reduces competition and increases survival chances.

• Habitat specialization increases competition and decreases survival chances.

What is resource partitioning?

• The process by which species divide a niche to avoid competition for resources.

• The process by which species ignore niche boundaries and compete for resources.

• The process by which species combine their niches to increase competition for resources.

• The process by which species share a niche and compete for resources.

Give an example of resource partitioning in a natural ecosystem.

• Lions and hyenas competing for the same prey in the savanna

• Different species of birds building nests in the same tree

• Elephants and rhinos sharing the same watering hole in the African savanna

• Different species of finches on the Galapagos Islands have beaks of different sizes and shapes to feed on different types of seeds, allowing them to coexist in the same habitat.

Explain the competitive exclusion principle.

• Competitive exclusion principle only applies to plants, not animals

• Competitive exclusion only occurs when ecological factors are not constant

• Two species can coexist even if they are competing for the same resources

• Two species competing for the same resources cannot coexist if other ecological factors are constant.

How does the competitive exclusion principle impact species coexistence?

• It promotes the coexistence of multiple species by creating a balance in resource availability.

• It leads to the elimination of one species by another due to competition for the same resources.

• It has no impact on species coexistence.

• It only impacts species that are closely related to each other.

What is a realized niche?

• The potential space and resources a species could use within its habitat.

• The actual space and resources a species uses within its habitat.

• The average space and resources a species uses within its habitat.

• The space and resources a species uses outside its habitat.

How does a realized niche differ from a fundamental niche?

• A realized niche is the actual space that an organism inhabits and the resources it can access, while a fundamental niche is the entire range of environmental conditions that a species can potentially occupy.

• A realized niche is smaller than a fundamental niche

• A realized niche is only based on biotic factors

• A realized niche is the same as a fundamental niche

Define fundamental niche.

• The specific area where a species lives

• The maximum population size that a species can reach

• The total number of individuals in a species

• Full range of environmental conditions and resources that a species can potentially occupy and use

Why is understanding the fundamental niche important in ecology?

• It helps in predicting species distribution and interactions in an ecosystem.

• It is only important for studying extinct species

• It has no relevance in understanding ecosystems

• It only applies to a small number of species