Question 1

According to MacArthur, what is the primary focus of geographic ecology?

Accepted Answer

The search for patterns of plant and animal life that can be put on a map.

Question 2

Which of the following best describes the relationship between island area and species richness?

Accepted Answer

Species richness increases as island area increases.

Question 3

Lomolino et al. found a strong negative relationship between isolation and the number of mammal species living on mountaintops. Which equation best represents this relationship?

Accepted Answer

$$S = S_0$ - kD$$

Question 4

In the equilibrium model of island biogeography, what happens to the rate of immigration as the number of species on an island increases?

Accepted Answer

It decreases.

Question 5

Which factor is most responsible for increased extinction rates on islands according to MacArthur and Wilson?

Accepted Answer

Presence of more species, leading to smaller populations and increased competition.

Question 6

If two islands are equal in area but one is much farther from the mainland, which will likely have higher species richness according to the equilibrium model?

Accepted Answer

The island closer to the mainland.

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT one of the six categories of hypotheses proposed by Brown to explain latitudinal gradients in species richness?

Accepted Answer

Genetic Drift

Question 8

Why do the temperate forests of East Asia have higher species richness than those of Europe and North America, despite similar areas?

Accepted Answer

Most temperate tree taxa originated in Asia and barriers to dispersal limited migration to other regions.

Question 9

Which technology is best suited for analyzing large quantities of geographic data and displaying multiple layers of information?

Accepted Answer

Geographic Information System (GIS)

Question 10

A remote sensing satellite detects high levels of red color in an image of a forested region. What does this most likely indicate?

Accepted Answer

High vegetative biomass.

Question 11

Which equation best describes the species-area relationship observed in lakes considered as habitat islands?

Accepted Answer

$$S = cA^z$$

Question 12

Which of the following is a real-world example of a habitat patch on a continent that functions like an island?

Accepted Answer

A mountain top forest fragment.

Question 13

According to the equilibrium model of island biogeography, what is predicted to occur at the point where the immigration and extinction curves intersect?

Accepted Answer

The equilibrium number of species present on the island.

Question 14

Which of the following best explains why the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa has high species diversity despite its small area?

Accepted Answer

Historical selection for arid-adapted plants and a highly dissected landscape promoted speciation.

Question 15

Which hypothesis suggests that the tropics have more species because they are older and have experienced fewer disturbances?

Accepted Answer

Time Since Perturbation hypothesis

Question 16

A biologist is using GIS to study the distribution of wetlands, land cover, and floodplains in a region. What is the main advantage of GIS in this context?

Accepted Answer

It can store, sort, analyze, and display multiple layers of geographic data.

Question 17

Which of the following would most likely result in a decrease in species richness on an island, according to the equilibrium model?

Accepted Answer

Increasing the island's isolation.

Question 18

Which of the following is a direct application of remote sensing in geographic ecology?

Accepted Answer

Measuring marine primary production from space.

Question 19

If a small island is located near a source of colonists, what does the equilibrium model predict about its immigration and extinction rates compared to a large, distant island?

Accepted Answer

Lower immigration and higher extinction rates.

Question 20

Which of the following best describes the role of environmental heterogeneity in promoting species richness?

Accepted Answer

It increases the number of potential habitat areas and niches.

Geographic Ecology: Patterns of Diversity and Distribution

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