Exploring Interspecific Interactions in Ecology

What is an interspecific interaction?

• Interaction within a single species

• Interaction between individuals of different species

• None of the above

• Interaction between a species and its environment

Which example illustrates competition?

• A shark ignoring the fish that cleans its teeth

• A caterpillar eating a leaf

• A lion and a hyena partitioning resources

• A bird eating a fish

What drives the co-evolution of predator and prey?

• The predator's speed

• Mutual adaptations to outcompete each other

• The prey's ability to camouflage

• The need for predators to find food

Which is an example of a mechanical defense?

• The quills of a porcupine

• The speed of a roadrunner

• The coloration of a monarch butterfly

• The smell of a skunk

What is Batesian mimicry?

• When a species blends into its environment

• When a non-poisonous species mimics a poisonous one

• When two poisonous species look alike

• When a species develops a unique color to ward off predators

What does competitive exclusion result in?

• None of the above

• Species co-existing peacefully

• Species developing mutual benefits

• One species outcompeting and eliminating the other

What is the ecological niche?

• A competitive strategy to eliminate other species

• A defense mechanism against predators

• A species' role in its ecosystem, including its habitat and interactions

• A type of symbiotic relationship

What is mutualism?

• A relationship where both species benefit

• A relationship where one species benefits at the expense of the other

• A competitive relationship between two species

• A relationship where one species benefits and the other is unaffected

Which example best illustrates parasitism?

• A fish eating leftovers from a shark's meal

• Different birds eating different parts of a tree

• A bird cleaning a crocodile's teeth

• A tick feeding on a mammal

What is commensalism?

• A relationship where one organism is harmed

• A relationship where both organisms benefit

• A relationship where one organism benefits and the other is unaffected

• A relationship where both organisms are harmed