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Environment: The Science Behind the Stories, 3e (Withgott)
Chapter 6 Species Interactions and Community Ecology
6.1 Graph and Figure Interpretation Questions
Use Figure 6.1 to answer the following questions.
1) What does the diagram illustrate?
A) Biomes at the highest altitudes roughly parallel biomes at the equator.
B) Biomes at the highest altitudes roughly parallel biomes at the poles.
C) Rules regarding climate and biomes do not apply to mountainous regions.
D) Increasing altitudes demonstrate the stages of succession.
E) Mountain ranges demonstrate all of Earth's biomes.
Answer: B
Diff: 1
Objective: 6.7 Biomes
1
2) The lowest altitude in this figure most closely resembles ________.
A) desert
B) prairie
C) temperate rainforest
D) temperate deciduous forest
E) chaparral
Answer: A
Diff: 1
Objective: 6.7 Biomes
3) Organisms most likely to be found at the bottom (left) of this figure would be ________.
A) loosestrife
B) frogs and fish
C) giraffes
D) bison
E) snakes
Answer: E
Diff: 1
Objective: 6.7 Biomes
2
6.2 Matching Questions
Match the following.
1) Describes biome in the
eastern United States, north
central Europe, and eastern
China; characterized by
stable precipitation and
seasonal temperature
variation
Diff: 2
Objective: 6.7 Biomes
2) Describes the region west of
the Mississippi River;
characterized by limited
precipitation, thick organic
soils and extreme
temperature variation in
winter and summer
Diff: 2
Objective: 6.7 Biomes
A) chaparral
B)
C)
D)
E)
F)
tropical dry forest
temperate rainforest
desert
temperate grassland
boreal forest
G) temperate deciduous forest
H) savanna
I) tropical rainforest
3) Describes the Pacific
Northwest of the United
States and Nagasaki, Japan;
characterized by heavy
rainfall and relatively stable
temperatures
Diff: 2
Objective: 6.7 Biomes
4) Describes the terrestrial
biome bordering the
Mediterranean Sea;
characterized by wet winters
and warm dry summers
Diff: 2
Objective: 6.7 Biomes
5) Describes an equatorial zone
with moderate precipitation
that fluctuates seasonally;
characterized by warm
temperatures year round
Diff: 2
Objective: 6.7 Biomes
3
6) Describes Cairo, Egypt, and
northwest Mexico;
characterized by sparse
rainfall and much variation
in temperature
Diff: 2
Objective: 6.7 Biomes
1) G
2) E
3) C
4) A
5) B
6) D
6.3 Short Answer Questions
1) Define the term invasive species and give two examples from your textbook.
Answer: Invasive species are capable of attaining unnatural dominance within ecological
communities and are typically (but not always) non-native. Many are introduced by
humans, in some cases intentionally. In many more cases, they are introduced
unintentionally. In their new environment, invasive species have little or no restraint
on their population growth. Examples include zebra mussels, sea lampreys, chestnut
blight fungus, and Dutch elm disease.
Diff: 2
Objective: 6.5 Invasive species
2) Give an example of how an invasive species can cause ecological or economic harm.
Answer: Lacking predators, parasites, and/or competitors in their new environment, invasive
species can proliferate and dominate a community. Impacts of invasive species have
become more extensive in recent years because of the increased mobility of humans
and globalization. An example of an invasive species is the zebra mussel. As adults,
zebra mussels can attach to boats and ships (they were carried to the Great Lakes on
ships). In their new environment, they did not encounter the predators, competitors,
and parasites that limited their population growth in Asia and Europe. Their
population grew, and they spread to other areas.They clog up water intake pipes at
factories, power plants, and municipal water supplies and wastewater treatment
facilities. They damage boat engines, degrade docks, foul fishing gear, and sink buoys.
It is estimated that they cost the U.S. economy hundreds of millions of dollars a year.
Diff: 2
Objective: 6.5 Invasive species
3) Briefly explain the National Invasive Species Act.
Answer: This is a law that was passed in the United States in 1996 to prevent the spread of
invasive species. It directs the Coast Guard to ensure that ships dump fresh water
ballast at sea and exchange it with salt water before entering the Great Lakes.
Diff: 3
Objective: 6.5 Invasive species
4) Briefly explain ecological restoration of the Great Plains.
Answer: In the 19th century, the western tallgrass prairie of the United States was almost
entirely converted to agricultural land. To restore the prairie habitat, native prairie
plants were planted, and invaders and competing species were weeded out.
Controlled fire was introduced to mimic the prairie fires that historically maintained
the community. This program has been a documented success in Illinois.
Diff: 3
Objective: 6.6 Ecological restoration
4
5) Briefly describe the factors that determine characteristics of aquatic biomes.
Answer: Factors that shape aquatic biomes are water temperature, salinity, dissolved nutrients,
wave action, currents, pH, depth, and type of substrate (e.g., sandy muddy or rocky
bottom)
Diff: 2
Objective: 6.7 Biomes
6) Briefly describe what is meant by a pioneer species.
Answer: Pioneer species are among the first to colonize a new substrate after a severe
disturbance that creates the conditions for primary succession. Pioneer species usually
have airborne dispersal mechanisms such as windblown seeds or spores. Pioneer
species such as lichens begin the process of soil formation, paving the way for other
vegetation and eventually animals to establish.
Diff: 2
Objective: 6.4 Succession
7) Removal of a ________ from an ecological community has particularly strong or far-reaching
impact on food webs.
Answer: keystone species
Diff: 2
Objective: 6.3 Keystone species
8) ________, such as soil insects and millipedes, are consumers of nonliving organic matter.
Answer: Detritivores
Diff: 2
Objective: 6.2 Feeding relationships and energy flow
9) When multiple organisms seek the same limited resource, their relationship is said to be one
of ________.
Answer: competition
Diff: 2
Objective: 6.1 Species interactions
6.4 Multiple-Choice Questions
1) Zebra mussels ________.
A) are native to Canada
B) were introduced into the United States in the early 1900s
C) are presently restricted to the Great Lakes and Hudson River, but they are expected to
spread rapidly in the near future
D) are clogging up water intake pipes at factories, power plants, and wastewater
treatment facilities
E) excrete waste that facilitates algae blooms and subsequent eutrophication of lakes
Answer: D
Diff: 1
Objective: 6.5 Invasive species
5
2) Individuals of a single species fighting over access to a limiting resource is one example of
________.
A) resource partitioning
B) competitive exclusion
C) symbiosis
D) interspecific competition
E) intraspecific competition
Answer: E
Diff: 2
Objective: 6.1 Species interactions
3) Zooplankton populations in Lake Erie and the Hudson River have declined by up to 70%
since the arrival of zebra mussels because ________.
A) zebra mussels prey on zooplankton
B) zebra mussels carry a parasite that kills zooplankton
C) zebra mussels feed on cyanobacteria, which zooplankton need as a food source
D) zebra mussels block sunlight penetration into lakes and thus prevent zooplankton from
photosynthesizing
E) waste from zebra mussels promotes bacterial growth that kills zooplankton
Answer: A
Diff: 3
Objective: 6.1 Species interactions
4) By definition, parasites ________ their host.
A) kill
B) are much smaller than
C) feed on and harm
D) cannot live independently of
E) never kill
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Objective: 6.1 Species interactions
5) Orchids require tree limbs for support but do not harm the trees. This demonstrates
________.
A) facilitation
B) commensalism
C) amensalism
D) mutualism
E) allelopathy
Answer: B
Diff: 3
Objective: 6.1 Species interactions
6) ________ capture solar energy and use photosynthesis to produce sugars.
A) Producers
B) Primary consumers
C) Secondary consumers
D) Detritivores
E) Heterotrophs
Answer: A
Diff: 1
Objective: 6.2 Feeding relationships and energy flow
6
7) Grazing animals such as deer are ________.
A) producers
B) primary consumers
C) secondary consumers
D) detritivores
E) decomposers
Answer: B
Diff: 1
Objective: 6.2 Feeding relationships and energy flow
8) Zooplankton-eating fish are ________.
A) producers
B) primary consumers
C) secondary consumers
D) detritivores
E) herbivores
Answer: C
Diff: 3
Objective: 6.2 Feeding relationships and energy flow
9) Which of the following is true about top predators?
A) They are likely to be keystone species.
B) They are likely to be herbivores.
C) They are likely to be producers.
D) They include bacteria and fungi.
E) Their removal increases biodiversity.
Answer: A
Diff: 1
Objective: 6.3 Keystone species
10) Secondary succession ________.
A) requires primary succession to precede it
B) occurs after a volcano spreads lava across a landscape
C) occurs after a fire or flood
D) typically begins with lichen colonizing rock
E) is very predictable because it always ends in the formation of a climax community
Answer: C
Diff: 3
Objective: 6.4 Succession
11) ________ argued that communities are temporary associations of individual species that can
reassemble themselves into different combinations.
A) David Strayer
B) Robert Costanza
C) Charles Darwin
D) Frederick Clements
E) Henry Gleason
Answer: E
Diff: 2
Objective: 6.4 Succession
7
12) Which terrestrial biome has the most biodiversity?
A) temperate deciduous forest
B) prairie
C) tropical rainforest
D) temperate rainforest
E) boreal forest
Answer: C
Diff: 1
Objective: 6.7 Biomes
13) Desert and tundra both ________.
A) have lithosols
B) have wide temperature variations throughout the year
C) lack many insects
D) have relatively low precipitation
E) lack shrubs
Answer: D
Diff: 3
Objective: 6.7 Biomes
14) Taiga and tundra both ________.
A) lack trees
B) have low temperatures throughout the year
C) lack many birds
D) have many burrowing rodents
E) are found in the United States
Answer: B
Diff: 3
Objective: 6.7 Biomes
15) The statement, "hiking up a mountain in the southwestern United States is like walking from
Mexico to Canada," is meant to demonstrate that ________ change(s) rapidly as you change
altitude and latitude.
A) biomes
B) oxygen levels
C) carbon dioxide levels
D) levels of industrial air pollutants
E) human population density
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Objective: 6.7 Biomes
16) ________ are typical primary consumers in a temperature deciduous forest.
A) Snakes
B) Deer
C) Shelf fungi
D) Bison
E) Wolves
Answer: B
Diff: 3
Objective: 6.7 Biomes
8
17) A climax community always ________.
A) results after succession proceeds
B) remains in place until a disturbance restarts succession
C) describes terrestrial biomes
D) describes aquatic biomes
E) returns to its original state
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Objective: 6.4 Succession
18) Herbivory is a type of ________.
A) competition
B) mutualism
C) neutralism
D) ecological restoration
E) predation
Answer: E
Diff: 2
Objective: 6.1 Species interactions
19) Benthic organisms in the Great Lakes ________.
A) live near the water's surface
B) are harmed by the presence of zebra mussels
C) benefit from the presence of zebra mussels
D) include phytoplankton
E) include zebra mussels
Answer: C
Diff: 3
Objective: 6.5 Invasive species
20) Microbes in our digestive tract that help us digest food demonstrate a(n) ________
association.
A) allelopathic
B) homeopathic
C) trophic
D) symbiotic
E) benthic
Answer: D
Diff: 1
Objective: 6.1 Species interactions
21) Which of the following are pioneer species?
A) lichens
B) wolves and mountain lions
C) beavers
D) aspen trees
E) zebra mussels
Answer: A
Diff: 1
Objective: 6.4 Succession
9
22) Techniques to eradicate zebra mussels ________.
A) are global and long lived
B) are relatively inexpensive
C) are relatively simple
D) have not yet been attempted
E) include introducing predators and diseases
Answer: E
Diff: 1
Objective: 6.5 Invasive species
23) Efforts at urban restoration ________.
A) have failed in San Francisco
B) mostly have been attempted in developing nations
C) are very inexpensive
D) intend to undo damage done to communities due to urban development
E) are not viable conservation strategies for the future
Answer: D
Diff: 1
Objective: 6.6 Ecological restoration
24) Kelp ________.
A) is eaten by sea otters
B) is eaten by orcas
C) suffers intense herbivory from zebra mussels
D) suffers intense herbivory from sea urchins
E) is inhabited by sea urchins
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Objective: 6.3 Keystone species
25) Environmentally and economically acceptable means of controlling introduced invasive
species include ________.
A) public education, introduction of suitable predators, examination of imported goods
B) application of potent pesticides that kill the introduced species
C) banning of all importation of non-native species with heavy fines for non-compliance
D) removal of all the invasive individuals by collecting, baiting, trapping and, for plants,
prescribed burning
E) killing off pollinators for invasive plants, food sources for invasive animals
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Objective: 6.5 Invasive species
26) Global climate change may produce major shifts in biomes for any given location because
________.
A) biodiversity and daylength will change
B) mean temperature, precipitation and salinity will change
C) many species may become extinct
D) food web dynamics will change
E) soil chemistry, pH of precipitation and the frequency of invasive species will change
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Objective: 6.7 Biomes
10
27) The Everglades Restoration Plan in Florida ________.
A) seeks to exterminate numerous invasive fish species and plants
B) will restore restore natural levels of water flow by undoing numerous damming and
drainage projects
C) will result in serious depletion of drinking water supplies for humans in south Florida
D) will probably destroy much of the commercial fishing in the area
E) is a short-term restoration project with a two-year implementation plan
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Objective: 6.6 Ecological restoration
6.5 True/False Questions
1) Climbing up in elevation causes a much more rapid change in climate than moving the same
distance toward the poles.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Objective: 6.7 Biomes
2) The 30-year, $7.8-billion Everglades restoration project intends to dam up portions of the
Everglades to aid in water control.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Objective: 6.6 Ecological restoration
3) Temperature and oxygen concentrations are the two abiotic factors that exert the greatest
influence on biome determination.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Objective: 6.7 Biomes
4) Keystone species are most often found at lower trophic levels.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1
Objective: 6.3 Keystone species
5) In amensalism, one species benefits, and the other is unaffected
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Objective: 6.1 Species interactions
11
6.6 Essay Questions
1) What ecological traits do successful invasive species possess? How do these traits interact to
make controlling them difficult?
Answer: Invasive species possess high fecundity, large dispersal ability, the tendency toward
general habitat preference, large phenotypic plasticity, and an absence of native biotic
controls such as competitors, predators, and pathogens. Possessing these traits,
elimination can be virtually impossible, even if only a few survive. They are very
adaptable to new environments and spread very rapidly once established.
Diff: 3
Objective: 6.5 Invasive species
2) Why do environmentalists favor the term food web as opposed to food chain?
Answer: Ecological systems are far more complex than simple linear chains. Feeding
relationships and energy flow among interacting organisms usually take many paths
in a community. For instance, Figure 6.12 in the text illustrates how grasses are food
for a variety of animals such as deer, mice, and rabbits. Birds eat a variety of insects,
spiders, and berries. Soil bacteria decompose a variety of dead plants and animals.
Diff: 2
Objective: 6.2 Feeding relationships and energy flow
3) List the three major trophic levels in a food web. What types of organisms are found in each
level? Where are the autotrophs and heterotrophs found? Discuss the significance of each
level for the integral functioning of the food web.
Answer: The three major trophic levels are producer, consumer, and decomposer. Producers
include green plants and chemo- and photosynthetic bacteria. All organisms are
autotrophs in this level. The next level, consumers, includes herbivores as primary
consumers and carnivores as secondary and tertiary consumers. All organisms at this
level are heterotrophs. The final level is the decomposers, which include all
detritivores, bacteria, and fungi. These are all heterotrophs. Producers are important
because they provide the energetic and material basis for consumption of all other
levels. The decomposers' role is to aid in soil production and fertility and they recycle
nutrients to the producers. The consumers are a very significant force in regulating
populations of plants and prey animals. They also are important as pollinators and
dispersers of plant species
Diff: 3
Objective: 6.2 Feeding relationships and energy flow
4) Discuss ways to control invasive species.
Answer: Controlling and eradicating invasive species are difficult and expensive. A wide
variety of techniques has been tried, among them manual removal, introduction of
predators, and application of toxic chemicals, heat, sound, electric current, and
ultraviolet light. Most of these techniques are localized and short-lived solutions that
are not very effective. Prevention of their spread through education and legislation
might prove more effective in the future.
Diff: 2
Objective: 6.5 Invasive species
12
5) Discuss the interrelationship between great whales, orcas, sea lions, sea urchins, and kelp in
the Pacific Ocean.
Answer: At one time, great whales, orcas, sea lions, sea urchins, and kelp lived in a balanced
ecosystem in the Pacific Ocean off the coasts of southern California, north to Alaska.
However, industrial whaling in the 20th century in this area significantly affected the
populations of these organisms. When great whales were overhunted, orcas, which
fed on the whales, had less food. Consequently, the orcas fed on seals, sea lions, and
sea otters instead. Sea otters were also hunted for their fur, and they nearly went
extinct. Because sea otters eat sea urchins, the sea urchin population exploded when
the sea otter population decreased. Sea urchins eat kelp, so kelp beds were destroyed
as the sea urchin population expanded. This was devastating for the ecosystem
because kelp is habitat for many fish and invertebrates. Without kelp, the biodiversity
and stability of the ecosystem was reduced significantly. This story illustrates the
interrelationship of organisms within ecosystems and establishes sea otters as a prime
example of a keystone species.
Diff: 3
Objective: 6.3 Keystone species
6) Discuss the differences between intraspecific and interspecific competition.
Answer: Intraspecific competition is the competition for limited resources by members of the
same species. This is part of the process of natural selection and determines which
individuals are most fit and will survive to produce offspring under a given set of
environmental conditions. Ultimately, this process benefits the species long-term,
since unfit genetic combinations are weeded out of the population. Interspecific
competition takes between different species whose gene pools are closed to one
another. This is the only ecological interaction considered to be (-/-), since all species
involved have smaller populations and less resources than if they were not
competing. The long-term result will be for the competing species to evolve different
strategies for survival and different resource use patterns, provided that one or more
competitors is not extirpated by the stronger species.
Diff: 3
Objective: 6.1 Species interactions
13
6.7 Scenario-Based Questions
Read the following scenario and answer the questions below
Human activities, including fossil fuel combustion, farming, and deforestation, are known to increase the
levels of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxides in our atmosphere. Measurable warming of Earth
due to these greenhouse gases can alter ecosystem dynamics. In addition to the direct climatic effects on
organisms within biomes, warming can lower levels of sea ice and increase precipitation in Arctic areas.
Global warming also can increases sea surface temperatures, which can subsequently melt permafrost in
the tundra and increase the intensity of hurricanes in vulnerable areas. Within communities, climatic
change can shift interdependent species "out-of-sync," potentially causing indirect loss of species.
1) If the climate warms significantly, tundra permafrost may melt. This may next lead to
________ of the community.
A) primary succession
B) secondary succession
C) coevolution
D) climax
E) facilitation
Answer: A
Diff: 3
Objective: 6.4 Succession
2) Which of the following might be first to populate an area after permafrost melts in response
to global climate change?
A) lichens
B) shrubs
C) aspen trees
D) grasses
E) hardwood trees
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Objective: 6.4 Succession
3) Intense hurricanes that may result from global warming can directly lead to ________ within
communities.
A) primary succession
B) secondary succession
C) coevolution
D) climax
E) facilitation
Answer: B
Diff: 3
Objective: 6.4 Succession
14
4) Global warming has been hypothesized to cause many plants to flower earlier. If bees search
for food earlier in response to this, this would represent ________ within the community.
A) primary succession
B) secondary succession
C) coevolution
D) climax
E) extirpation
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Objective: 6.1 Species interactions
5) The relationship between flowering plants and bees is best described as ________.
A) predation
B) parasitism
C) herbivory
D) mutualism
E) competition
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Objective: 6.1 Species interactions
6) Global warming has been hypothesized to cause many plants to flower earlier. If caterpillars
that feed on oak tree flower buds do not adjust to the earlier oak tree bud burst and
subsequently starve, this represents ________.
A) primary succession
B) secondary succession
C) coevolution
D) community climax
E) extirpation
Answer: E
Diff: 2
Objective: 6.1 Species interactions
7) The relationship between flowering plants and caterpillars is best described as ________.
A) amensalism
B) parasitism
C) herbivory
D) mutualism
E) commensalism
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Objective: 6.1 Species interactions
15