BIOL 1070 Practice Questions

These questions are based on notes from the W14 offering of the course.

1. Which statement about the diversity of the three sites below is true?

Site 1 Site 2 Site 3

Species A 12 0 5
Species B 8 3 0
Species C 7 0 3
Species D 15 45 0
Species E 4 0 5
Species F 3 9 0
Species G 8 0 0

a. Site 1 has the lowest α diversity

b. Site 3 has the highest β diversity
c. Site 2 has the lowest γ diversity
d. Site 3 has the lowest α diversity
e. Site 2 has the highest β diversity

2. You find a leaf on the ground and are struck by the uncontrollable need to know which
type of tree it came from. After identifying the leaf as being from an oak tree, you use a
dichotomous key to determine its origin.

1. Leaves without teeth or lobes 2

2. Leaves evergreen 3
3. Mature plant is a large tree Quercus virginiana
3. Mature plant is a small shrub Quercus minima
2. Leaves not evergreen 4
4. Leaf narrow, 4-6 times as long as broad Quercus phellos
4. Leaf broad, 2-3 times as long as broad Quercus imbricaria
1. Leaves with teeth or lobes 5
5. Lobes or teeth bristle-tipped 6
6. Leaves mostly in 3 lobes Quiercus marilandica
6. Leaves mostly with 7-9 lobes Quercus rubra
5. Lobes or teeth rounded or blunt-pointed, no
bristles 7
7. Leaves with 5-9 deep lobes Quercus alba
7. Leaves with 21-27 shallow lobes Quercus prinus
 If your leaf has 25 shallow blunt lobes, which species is your leaf from?

a. Quercus alba
b. Quercus prinus
c. Quiercus marilandica
d. Quercus minima
e. Quercus rubra

3. While on vacation in New York, you see a species of bird that you do not recognize from
Ontario. Which of the following hypotheses would you reject as a reason for why that
species of bird would be found in New York but not Ontario?
a. The species evolved in New York and has not spread far enough to be found in
Ontario.
b. The species was originally found further South, and has spread North up the coast
as population increases resulted in greater competition for resources.
c. The species originally was found in Ontario, but was pushed out by climate
change or competition for resources.
d. The species was originally found in the Old World, and was originally brought
across accidentally, but has now established a role in the local ecosystem.
e. The species is unused to humans and does not exist in areas such as Toronto
or Guelph where human population density is high.

4. Which is not true about species distribution patterns?

a. Clumped distributions may be indicative of locations rich in food or with good
nesting sites
b. There is significant evidence that a random distribution is the best model to
describe some dispersion patterns
c. Even distributions may be indicative of territorial individuals
d. The apparent distribution for a species may be dependent on scale
e. Clumped distributions may be indicative of social species

5. Which is false about old-growth forests?

a. Old growth forests take considerable amounts of time to establish
b. Old growth forests will have diverse tree structure, with significant numbers of
large old trees as well as young trees
c. Old growth forests do not have crown gaps
d. Old growth forests are high in α diversity
e. Old growth forests represent relatively stable ecosystems
6. When examining the fossil record near your hometown, you find evidence that a small
mammal used to inhabit the area in great numbers before dying out suddenly. Which
explanation would you reject as a reason for this dying out?
a. A natural disaster occurred which destroyed the carefully constructed nests
of a portion of the population
b. A new predator was introduced in the area, which caused the mammals to relocate
or be driven out
c. A significant shift in climate changed conditions such that the mammals were no
longer able to find food
d. A natural disaster caused a mass extinction event
e. A competitor species entered the area, and the mammals were displaced from
their ecological niche

7. A particular plant species is being studied to determine the factors which limit
distribution. The results of the study are below.

Light Competition for water Survival

High Yes 75%
Low No 20%
High No 65%

Which conclusion can be drawn from these results?

a. Access to light is the most important limiting factor on survival rates

b. Access to water is the most important limiting factor on survival rates
c. Having access to too much water is detrimental to survival rates
d. Water and light are equally important for ensuring plant survival
e. No clear conclusion can be drawn from these results, more studies are needed

8. Which event would be least likely to have a significant impact on the population density
of a group?
a. Contaminated food lowers the fertility rate of a population
b. A new predator enters the area, and only preys on elderly individuals
c. A competitor species enters the area and reduces the availability of food
d. A new predator enters the area, and only preys on juvenile individuals
e. A natural disaster places stress on breeding individuals, lowering fecundity.
9. Which approach would have the most success at managing the presence of an invasive
species?
a. Introduction of a competitor species to lower the carrying capacity for the
invasive species
b. Use of chemical control mechanisms such as poisons or herbicides
c. Introduction of a parasite which significantly harms the invasive host but
cannot utilize native species as hosts
d. Targeted removal efforts, where aggressive control methods are used only in
certain areas
e. Allowing nature to take its course and allowing invasive and native species to
compete without human interference

10. Which statement about introduction of a predator to manage an invasive species is false?
a. The predator species may end up causing more difficulty than the invasive species
it is meant to remove, by feeding on other native species as well
b. The introduction of a predator can affect the realized niche of an invasive species
c. A predator species may not be an effective management technique if the predator
is not well-suited to the invaded environment
d. The same end may be served by introducing a parasite or a pathogen, rather than a
predator species
e. All of the above statements are true

11. You are asked to examine a woodlot which contains two different types of insects. In this
woodlot, the first species of insect is found only in pine trees, while the second species is
found in fir and ash trees. In other woodlots, you have previously observed the first
species in both pine and fir trees. Which of the following statements is the most correct?
a. The fundamental niche of the first species includes both pine and ash trees
b. The realized niche of the first species is pine trees
c. Competition from the second species has changed the fundamental niche of the
first species
d. The fundamental niche of the first species is pine and fir trees in other woodlots,
but is only pine trees in this woodlot
e. None of the above statements are correct

12. Which of the following would be classified as a biotic factor?

a. Availability of sunlight
b. Temperature
c. Average rainfall
d. Predator species
e. Soil quality
13. Which is not true about the classification of biomes?
a. Biome location is partially based on temperature
b. A biome is not a single point on a multi-axis graph
c. Biome location is partially based on precipitation
d. Biomes are characterized by a combination of biotic and abiotic factors
e. Biomes may be considered as global-scale ecosystems

14. Which statement about the population growth curve shown below is incorrect?

a. Point E represents the point at which carrying capacity has been reached
b. The area between points B and D is where the majority of population growth
occurs
c. A population at point A represents a small number of individuals which have
recently entered the area
d. The values on the Y-axis may be changed by increasing or decreasing carrying
capacity
e. At point C, the population has not yet begun to encounter limitations to
growth

15. Which is not an important factor in choosing which woodlot to develop?

a. Impact on γ diversity
b. The age of the woodlot
c. The presence or absence of species of interest
d. The relationship of the woodlot ecosystem with other ecosystems
e. The profit to the company which will build on the woodlot