Ecological Relationships Quiz

A hawk’s population rises, and rodent numbers decrease steadily.

• Predator-prey

• Interspecific competition

• Mutualism

• Commensalism

Epiphytes live on tall rainforest trees without affecting their health.

• Commensalism

• Parasitism

• Mutualism

• Resource partitioning

A tapeworm absorbs nutrients in a fox’s intestine, weakening the fox.

• Parasitism

• Predation

• Commensalism

• Herbivory

Wolves and bears both hunt elk in the same forest ecosystem.

• Interspecific competition

• Intraspecific competition

• Mutualism

• Trophic cascade

Male penguins compete for limited nesting space during breeding.

• Intraspecific competition

• Mutualism

• Predation

• Commensalism

Fungi assist plants in nutrient uptake; plants provide sugars in return.

• Mutualism

• Competition

• Commensalism

• Amensalism

A smaller fish eats parasites off a larger fish’s gills. Both benefit.

• Mutualism

• Parasitism

• Commensalism

• Neutralism

Cattle egrets eat insects disturbed by grazing cattle, which are unaffected.

• Commensalism

• Parasitism

• Mutualism

• Exploitation

A cuckoo lays its egg in a warbler’s nest. The warbler raises it at a cost.

• Parasitism

• Brood sharing

• Commensalism

• Kin selection

A lion hunts and eats an antelope. Scavengers later eat leftovers.

• Predation

• Scavenging

• Parasitism

• Intraspecific competition