Download NAME AP EXAM ECOLOGY Competitive exclusion is most likely to

NAME __________________________
AP EXAM ECOLOGY
1. Competitive exclusion is most likely to occur between two
(A) closely related species occupying different niches
(B) closely related species occupying the same niche
(C) related species occupying different habitats
(D) unrelated species occupying different niches
(E) populations of the same species
1986 AP Exam
2. If the larvae of a particular species of mosquito are to survive to the adult stage, the eggs must be laid in
the trapped pool of water of the northern pitcher plant. The mosquito larvae provide no apparent benefit
or harm to the pitcher plant. This type of interaction is an example of
(A) commensalism
(B) predation
(C) parasitism
(D) mutualism
(E) competition
1986 AP Exam
3. In the food pyramid above, which of the following organisms are herbivores?
(A) Humans
(B) Fish
(C) Minnows
(D) Copepods
(E) Algae
4. Species that utilize the same source of nutrition within a food web can best be described as
(A) providing double links in a food chain
(B) being homeothermic relative to energy flow
(C) occupying the same trophic level
(D) being secondary consumers within a complex food web
(E) being autotrophs, heterotrophs, or omnivores
5. A species of malaria-carrying mosquito lives in a forest in which two species of monkeys, A and B, coexist.
Species A is immune to malaria but species B is not. The malaria-carrying mosquito is the chief food for a
particular kind of bird in the forest. If all of these birds are eliminated suddenly by hunters, which of the
following would be the immediate observable consequence?
(A) Increased mortality in monkey species A
(B) Increased mortality in monkey species B
(C) Increased mortality in the malaria-carrying mosquitoes
(D) Emergence of malaria-resistant strains in monkey species B
(E) Emergence of malaria-sensitive strains in monkey species A
1986 AP
Exam
6. Monogamy is usually more common among birds and mammals whose young are
(A) born helpless and in need of much parental care
(B) precocial and able to care for themselves
(C) hatched from among thousands of eggs
(D) nourished on milk
(E) carried by the female from conception to birth
1986 AP
Exam
7. In traveling from a forest ecosystem to a grassland, one notes that the trees gradually give way to prairie
grasses. The critical factor governing this shift is usually the
(A) length of the growing season
(B) annual mean temperature
(C) availability of carbon dioxide
(D) availability of water
(E) availability of oxygen
1986 AP Exam
8. In which organism in the food chain above would the biological magnification of DDT concentration be most
obvious?
(A) Grass
(B) Cricket
(C) Prairie chicken
(D) Coyote
(E) Vulture
1986 AP Exam
9. In a population at equilibrium, thousands of eggs and hundreds of tadpoles are produced by a single pair of
frogs. About how many offspring will live to maturity and reproduce?
(A) 0
(B) 2
(C) 10-20
(D) 100
(E) More than 100
1986 AP
Exam
10. A study of the metabolic rate in a terrestrial community shows that the energy released by respiration
exceeds the energy captured in photosynthesis. Which of the following situations is occurring?
(A) Community biomass is decreasing.
(B) Community biomass is increasing.
(C) A climax community has been reached.
(D) The first law of thermodynamics is not in effect.
(E) The second law of thermodynamics is not in effect.
1986 AP Exam
11. Which of the following led most directly to a decrease in the amount of ultraviolet radiation reaching the
Earth's surface?
(A) Fermentation
(B) Heterotrophs
(C) Anaerobic respiration
(D) Photosynthesis
(E) A reducing atmosphere
1986 AP Exam
1.
S. L. Miller's classic experiment demonstrated that a discharge of sparks through a mixture of gases could
result in the formation of a large variety of organic compounds. All of the following gases were used in this
experiment EXCEPT
(A) hydrogen
(B) methane
(C) ammonia
(D) oxygen
(E) water vapor
1990 AP Exam
12. Eutrophication in lakes is frequently the direct result of
(A) nutrient enrichment
(B) industrial poisons
(C) a diminished supply of nitrates
(D) an increase in predators
(E) decreased light penetration
1986 AP Exam
13. The red underbelly of a male stickleback, which induces the aggressive behavior of another male during the
breeding season, is called
(A) a conditioned reflex
(B) a fixed action pattern
(C) an instinct
(D) a reinforcer
(E) a releaser
1986 AP Exam
2. Competition for food would probably be most severe between two
(A) closely related species in different niches
(B) closely related species in similar niches
(C) unrelated species in different communities
(D) unrelated species in the same community occupying different niches
(E) ecological equivalents in different niches
1990 AP Exam
3. All of the following are density-dependent factors that limit animal populations EXCEPT
(A) weather
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
predation
birthrate
food competition
mortality
1990 AP Exam
4. Which of the following is most often associated with the elaborate courtship rituals conducted by many
birds?
(A) Species recognition
(B) Migration
(C) Feeding responses
(D) Altruism
(E) Kin selection
1990 AP Exam
5. Which of the following is true about secondary consumers in an ecosystem?
(A) They eat only plants.
(B) They are eaten by primary consumers.
(C) They are smaller and weaker than are primary consumers.
(D) They are fewer in number than are primary consumers.
(E) They contain the greatest total biomass in the system.
1.
1990 AP Exam
Which of the following best explains why there are seldom more than five trophic levels in a food chain?
(A) Most carnivores function at more than one trophic level.
(B) Trophic levels above this number contain too many individuals.
(C) Top carnivores are too few in number to prey effectively.
(D) The ecosystem contains too much biomass.
(E) Energy is lost from each trophic level.
1994 AP Exam
An overlap in the niches of two species will most frequently result in
(A) interspecific cooperation
(B) a hybridization of species
(C) a mutualistic symbiotic relationship
(D) an increase in the biomass
(E) interspecific competition
1994 AP Exam
2. Ducklings and goslings begin to follow and congregate around whatever moving animate or inanimate
object is presented to them within a few hours after hatching. This type of behavior is called
(A) unlearned
(B) trial and error
(C) habituation
(D) imprinting
(E) insight
1994 AP Exam
3. Which of the following is an important characteristic of the tropical rain forest biome?
(A) High light levels on the forest floor
(B) The dominance of a small number of tree species
(C) More widely fluctuating temperatures than in most other biomes
(D) Distinct rainy and dry seasons
(E) Rapid recycling of nutrients
1994 AP Exam
4. Warning coloration is most effective against vertebrate predators that are
(A) color-blind
(B) able to learn through trial and error
(C) highly dependent on olfactory sensation
(D) camouflaged
(E) nocturnal hunters
1994 AP Exam
5. A response of an organism to seasonal change is
(A) phototropism
(B) photoperiodism
(C) circadian rhythm
(D) photolysis
(E) the biological clock
1994 AP Exam
6. All of the following statements about the pyramid of biomass are correct EXCEPT:
(A) Biomass is the total dry mass of the organisms present.
(B) The base of the pyramid generally represents primary consumers.
(C) The amount of biomass at a particular level of the pyramid depends on the amount of energy
available.
(D) Certain toxins tend to become concentrated at upper levels of the pyramid.
(E) Biomass pyramids tend to vary for different ecosystems.
1994 AP Exam
7. Which of the following is characteristic of a fast-moving stream ecosystem?
(A) High levels of dissolved oxygen
(B) High salinity
(C) Large numbers of anaerobes
(D) Eutrophication
(E) Thermal stratification
1.
All of the following are true about Earth's ozone layer EXCEPT:
(A) It shields Earth from most ultraviolet radiation.
(B) It is composed of O3.
(C) Its thickness has remained constant over time.
(D) CFC (chlorofluorocarbon) molecules can destroy ozone molecules.
(E) It is predicted that a reduction of this layer will result in an increase in human skin cancer.
1994 AP Exam
1999 AP Exam
2. Which of the following types of behavior describes the way that mice find their way through mazes?
(A) Habituation
(B) Imprinting
(C) Reasoning
(D) Instinct
(E) Trial and error
1999 AP Exam
3.
4.
Members of which of the following are the major primary producers in the marine ecosystem?
(A) Yeasts
(B) Sponges
(C) Sporozoans
(D) Fishes
(E) Diatoms
1999 AP Exam
A large stand of aspen trees may be a group of genetically identical individuals produced by vegetative reproduction. Such a
collection of individuals is called a
(A)
family
(B)
hybrid
(C)
clone
(D)
genus
(E)
community
1999 AP Exam
1. Which of the following levels of organization includes all of the others?
(A) Population
(B) Ecosystem
(C) Community
(D) Organism
(E) Habitat
2002 AP Exam
2. All of the following statements concerning characteristics of predator-prey relationships are correct EXCEPT:
(A) A rise in the population of prey is often followed by a rise in the population of predators.
(B) A rise in the population of predators is followed by a decrease in the population of prey.
(C) Camouflage is an adaptation that protects prey.
(D) The production of large numbers of offspring within very short periods of time ensures the survival of some prey
populations.
(E) The population of predators most often eliminates the population of prey.
2002 AP Exam
3.
Which of the following behaviors involves the LEAST learning?
(A) A lion capturing its prey
(B) A newborn human grasping something placed in its hand
(C) A mouse finding food in the kitchen of a house
(D) A mockingbird singing the song of a different species
(E) A chimpanzee finding its way through a forest
2002 AP Exam
4.
Which of the following types of chemicals released into the air by female gypsy moths and female silk moths attract males of
their respective moth species?
(A) Ecdysones
(B) Pheromones
(C) Auxins
(D) Phytotoxins
(E) Neurotransmitters
2002 AP Exam
5.
Which of the following best describes opportunistic, or r-strategy, organisms?
(A) They reach sexual maturity rapidly.
(B) They reach their adult size slowly.
(C) They attain a large body size.
(D) They live for a long time.
(E) The size of their population remains fairly constant.
2002 AP Exam
Directions: Each group of questions below consists of five lettered headings followed by a list of numbered
phrases or sentences. For each numbered phrase or sentence select the one heading that is most closely related
to it and blacken the corresponding space on the answer sheet. Each heading may be used once, more than once,
or not at all in each group.
Questions 60-61
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
Imprinting
Habituation
Conditioning
Exploratory behavior
Insight learning
14. A porpoise learns to do a somersault above the water whenever a fish is presented to the porpoise by its
trainer.
15. This form of behavior develops during a genetically programmed sensitive period.
Questions 70-73 refer to the graph below that shows the changes in population size over time.
16. A mature, well-established population in favorable conditions
17. The carrying capacity of the environment
18. A population in unfavorable conditions
19. The exponential growth phase of a new population
1986 AP Exam
Questions 91-94
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
Tropical rain forest
Taiga
Arctic tundra
Temperate grassland
Desert
6. Permafrost; temperatures range from approximately –500 C to +250 C; a growing season of 60 days or less
7. Over 10 inches of precipitation per year; long, cold winters and short summers; dominant vegetation is
evergreen trees
8. Lack of water common in summer; seasonal temperature variations; maintained by periodic fires
9. Less than 10 inches of precipitation per year; extremes of hot and cold throughout the year; large daily
temperature variations
1990 AP Exam
Questions 106-108 refer to the food web below.
10. Which of the following organisms is most likely to be located at the apex of the pyramid of biomass?
(A) Grass
(B) Grasshopper
(C) Snake
(D) Mouse
(E) Hawk
11.
All of the following statements about the diagram are correct EXCEPT:
(A) The grasshopper is an herbivore.
(B) Only two trophic levels are depicted.
(C) The mouse and grasshopper are at the same trophic level.
(D) The grass is a producer.
(E) All of the organisms except grass are consumers, regardless of position.
12. The organic and inorganic materials in all the organisms in the diagram will eventually return to the
environment by the action of
(A) decomposers
(B) producers
(C) primary consumers
(D) secondary consumers
(E) top carnivores
1990 AP Exam
Questions 118-120
Milkweed is a common field plant that produces a cardiac glycoside which, like digitalis, stimulates heart
contractions. The synthesis of this compound ensures the survival of this plant species because the glycoside is
toxic to most herbivores with a notable exception-the monarch butterfly.
Female monarchs lay their eggs on milkweed and the resulting larvae (caterpillars) feed on milkweed leaves.
An enzyme produced by the caterpillars allows them to ingest and store the toxin without ill effects. After
pupation, adult monarchs emerge with a conspicuous bright orange and black banding pattern and retain the
toxic glycoside in their systems.
Viceroy butterflies are almost identical to monarchs in possessing the conspicuous banding pattern.
However, viceroys cannot metabolize or store the toxic glycoside.
13. Which of the following is the central concept of the situation described above?
(A) Cryptic coloration
(B) Defensive adaptation
(C) Convergent evolution
(D) Polymorphism
(E) Adaptive radiation
14. The conspicuous banding displayed by monarch butterflies is an example of
(A) polygenic inheritance
(B) polymorphism
(C) divergent evolution
(D) cryptic coloration
(E) warning coloration
15. The
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
banding pattern of viceroy butterflies is an example of
mimicry
homology
polymorphism
mutualism
commensalisms
1990 AP Exam
Questions 72-74
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
Symbiosis
Law of tolerance
Energy pyramid
Ecological succession
Net primary productivity
8. The relationship of a fungus and an alga in a lichen
9. The gain in biomass remaining after respiratory loss in plants
10. Gradual transition over time from one type of biological community to another
1994 AP Exam
Questions 96-98 refer to the following information and graph.
The data presented in the figure below are measurements of the rate of oxygen consumption at differing body
masses in a species of fish. Each point represents measurements from a different fish. Measurements were
taken at different temperatures. (○ = 10°C, ● = 15°C, □ = 20°C, ■ = 25°C.)
11. The fact that each line on the graph rises from left to right means that
(A) higher temperatures produce higher rates of metabolism
(B) there were more large fish in the samples taken at high temperatures
(C) larger fish consume more oxygen than smaller fish at all four temperatures
(D) when measurements are taken for larger fish late in the day, observed values are higher
(E) larger fish prefer to live at higher temperatures than do smaller fish
12. The best explanation for the fact that not all points lie on any given line is that
(A) the thermometer was incorrectly calibrated
(B) the scale used to weigh the fish registered 0.001 kg too little
(C) the fish grew during the course of the experiment
(D) errors were made in plotting the data
(E) organisms within populations show variability
13. Which of the following is NOT a likely explanation for the observed results?
(A) Rates of fermentation are higher at 25°C than at 10°C.
(B) Enzymes are affected by temperature.
(C) Larger fish have higher respiratory oxygen needs than do smaller fish.
(D) Electron transport occurs more rapidly at higher temperatures than at lower temperatures.
(E) Rate of oxygen consumption increases with temperature in this species of fish over this temperature
range.
1994 AP Exam
Questions 78-81
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
Deciduous forest
Tropical rain forest
Desert
Tundra
Taiga
5.
Long, cold, moist winters and short summers are typical of this biome dominated by gymnosperms.
6.
A prolonged, relatively mild period with ample precipitation alternates with a cold period when plants become dormant.
7.
This
biome has
the
greatest
diversity
of species.
8.
This biome
is
dominated
by dwarf
shrubs,
grasses,
and sedges
that can
tolerate
long dark
winters.
1999
AP Exam
9.
The most accurate conclusion to be drawn solely from the graphs is that
(A) adult fish of this species are found more frequently in water at 22°C than are juveniles
(B) fish of this species are found most frequently in water at 20°C
(C) the optimum water temperature for fish of this species is 25°C
(D) the oxygen content of cool water is higher than that of warm water
(E) the oxygen content of warm water is higher than that of cool water
10. Which of the following statements about the results is true?
(A) They are invalid, because the data show too much variation.
(B) They are invalid, because part of the experiment was not done in the laboratory.
(C) They are inconclusive, because too few fish were used.
(D) They are inaccurate, because tanks with temperature gradients were used.
(E) They are improperly graphed, because the dependent variable is on the horizontal (x) axis.
11.
The purpose of the study is most likely to
(A) determine the water temperature at which fish of this species spawn
(B) determine the role of fish of this species in the ecosystem
(C) show that juveniles occur in smaller numbers than do adults of this species
(D) demonstrate the effects of adult fish of this species on water temperature
(E) study the relationship between water temperature and habitat selection in fish of this species
Questions 107-110 refer to the information and table below.
The following information was gathered from a study to determine the relationship between structure and function in the digestive
tracts of several animals.
Mode of
Nutrition
Body Length Intestinal
Length
Intestinal
Features
Components
of Digestive
Percentage of
Ingested Nutrients
Tract Present
Remaining in Feces
Extensive
Mouth, pharynx,
30% of ingested
branching
intestine
nutrients remaining
Villi and
Mouth, esophagus,
15% of ingested
folds in wall
stomach, intestine,
nutrients remaining
accessory organs, anus
1 Carnivore
0.01 m
0.01 m
2 Carnivore
0.10 m
0.13m
3 Omnivore
1.83 m
5.62 m
Villi and
folds in wall
4 Herbivore
2.59 m
7.92 m
Villi and
Mouth, esophagus,
11% of ingested
stomach, intestine,
nutrients remaining
accessory organs, anus
Mouth, esophagus,
4% of ingested
folds in wall
5 Herbivore
1.98 m
21.33 m
stomach, intestine,
nutrients remaining
accessory organs, anus
Villi and
Mouth, esophagus,
10% of ingested
folds in wall
stomach, intestine,
nutrients remaining
accessory organs, anus
12.
Which of the following can be correctly concluded about the relationship between intestinal length and body size for the
organisms in the table?
(A) Carnivores have greater intestinal length relative to body size than do herbivores.
(B) Herbivores have greater intestinal length relative to body size than do carnivores.
(C) Omnivores have greater intestinal length relative to body size than do either carnivores or herbivores.
(D) The smaller the intestinal length relative to body size, the more nutrients are absorbed.
(E) No relationship exists between intestinal length and mode of nutrition.
13.
Which of the animals is most likely to have, living in specialized areas of its digestive tract, abundant symbiotic bacteria that
break down foods that the animal normally could not digest on its own?
(A) 1
(B) 2
(C) 3
(D) 4
(E) 5
Which animal has a gastrovascular cavity?
(A) 1
(B) 2
(C) 3
(D) 4
(E) 5
14.
15.
Which animal is most efficient in absorbing the food it consumes?
(A) 1
(B) 2
(C) 3
(D) 4
(E) 5
1994 AP Exam
Questions 117-120 The graph below shows changes in a population of wild sheep that were introduced to the island of
Tasmania in the early 1800’s.
16.
The type of population growth represented by that portion of the graph line enclosed in the bracket is most accurately termed
(A) stable
(B) exponential
(C) density-dependent
(D) arithmetic
(E) decelerating
17.
The graph indicates that the sheep population most likely is
(A) growing in excess of its carrying capacity, since fluctuations in population size occurred after1850
(B) headed for extinction because of the population explosion about 1930
(C) regulated by density-independent factors, because there appears to be about a 10-year cycle of sharp declines in size
(D) shifting from a K-selected strategy to an r-selected strategy
(E) stable after 1850 under the effects of density-dependent regulating factors
18.
The dashed line on the graph represents the
(A) maximum population size
(B) average birth rate
(C) biotic potential of the population
(D) carrying capacity of the environment
(E) point of maximum effect for density-independent factors
19.
1999 AP Exam
In the graphs below, the solid line represents the original population. The dotted line on which graph best represents the
sheep population that would have resulted from a sustained increase in the primary productivity of the environment?
1999 AP Exam
Questions 101-105
In an experiment on the effects of deforestation of a portion of a northern temperate deciduous forest, all the trees were removed
from a small mountainside watershed area and herbicides were applied for three years to prevent regrowth. Measurements of the
concentration of calcium (an important nutrient) in runoff water were taken both before and after the deforestation. Monthly
measurements also were made in a similar watershed in another part of the same forest that had been left undisturbed. The findings
are displayed in the graph below.
49.
Which of the following factors affecting the hydrologic cycle would have the LEAST impact on calcium loss from the
disturbed watershed?
(A) Total precipitation
(B) Surface runoff
(C) Evaporation
(D) Transpiration
(E) Porosity of soil
50.
Based on the graph, which of the following best describes why losses of calcium did not occur immediately in the
deforested watershed?
(A) It takes months to leach calcium from the soil.
(B) Other minerals were more soluble and were leached out first.
(C) The deforestation occurred during the winter when runoff was low.
(D) Calcium is hard to detect in small amounts.
(E) Leaves do not appear on deciduous trees until the spring.
51.
To estimate the total amount of calcium lost annually by each of the two watersheds, it would be most useful to measure
which of the following variables?
(A) Average daily temperature in each watershed
(B) Daily precipitation falling on each watershed
(C) Volume of water flowing out of each watershed each day
(D) Concentration of other ions in the soil of each watershed before and after deforestation
(E) Amount of calcium present in the precipitation falling on each watershed
52.
What can be inferred from the data in the graph about the loss of calcium in the deforested watershed?
(A) It occurs in no predictable pattern.
(B) It increases with time.
(C) It is at a peak when temperatures are highest.
(D) It appears to be correlated with the seasons.
(E) It increases after each application of herbicide.
53.
Which of the following is best supported by the data?
(A) Deforestation does not change the amount of water flowing through a watershed.
(B) The time of year during which deforestation occurs has no impact on the negative effects related to it.
(C) The loss of calcium affects several other variables in the forest ecosystem.
(D) Calcium loss can be rated as the most damaging aspect of mountainside deforestation.
(E) The presence or absence of plants greatly affects the loss of calcium from the soil.
2002 AP Exam