Question 1

Which of the following best describes the Red Queen Hypothesis as it applies to interspecific competition?

Accepted Answer

Species must constantly adapt and evolve not just for reproductive advantage, but also to survive against ever-evolving opposing species.

Question 2

Which of the following interactions is characterized by one species benefiting while the other is neither helped nor harmed?

Accepted Answer

Commensalism

Question 3

A stick insect that closely resembles a twig is an example of which anti-predator adaptation?

Accepted Answer

Cryptic coloration

Question 4

Which of the following is an example of Batesian mimicry?

Accepted Answer

A non-poisonous king snake resembling a poisonous coral snake

Question 5

Which of the following equations best represents the effect of competition on two species’ population growth rates?

Accepted Answer

$$\frac{dN_1$}{dt} = r_1$ N_1$ \left(1 - \frac{N_1$ + \alpha_{12} N_2$}{K_1$}\right)$$

Question 6

Which of the following is a secondary metabolite used by plants as a chemical defense?

Accepted Answer

Nicotine

Question 7

A bird eats ticks off the back of an antelope, gaining food while the antelope loses parasites. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Mutualism

Question 8

Which of the following best describes the relationship between mistletoe and its host tree?

Accepted Answer

Hemiparasitism

Question 9

Which anti-predator strategy is illustrated by the bombardier beetle ejecting a hot, caustic spray?

Accepted Answer

Chemical defense

Question 10

Which of the following is an example of defensive mutualism?

Accepted Answer

Ants protecting aphids in exchange for honeydew

Question 11

Which process allows herbivores to detoxify plant secondary metabolites by converting them to alcohols?

Accepted Answer

Oxidation

Question 12

Which of the following best describes Müllerian mimicry?

Accepted Answer

Two unpalatable species evolve similar warning coloration

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT a typical plant defense against herbivory?

Accepted Answer

Production of hemoglobin

Question 14

Which of the following is an example of a holoparasite?

Accepted Answer

Rafflesia arnoldii

Question 15

Which of the following best describes the effect of masting as an anti-predator strategy?

Accepted Answer

Synchronous production of many offspring to overwhelm predators

Question 16

Which of the following is a real-world example of commensalism?

Accepted Answer

Barnacles attaching to whales

Question 17

Which of the following best describes the relationship between a predatory wasp and a caterpillar it lays eggs in, eventually killing the caterpillar?

Accepted Answer

Parasitoidism

Question 18

Which of the following is an example of a trophic mutualism?

Accepted Answer

Leaf-cutting ants and the fungus they cultivate

Question 19

Which of the following is a likely outcome if two species occupy the same niche and compete for identical resources?

Accepted Answer

Competitive exclusion

Question 20

Which of the following best describes the relationship between termites and the bacteria in their gut?

Accepted Answer

Obligatory mutualism

Community Ecology: Interspecific Interactions and Adaptations

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