Question 1

Which of the following best describes the concept of an ecological niche?

Accepted Answer

The sum of a species' use of the biotic and abiotic resources in its environment.

Question 2

A scientist observes two species of finches on neighboring islands. When together, their beak sizes are more distinct than when each species is alone on an island. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Character displacement

Question 3

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates the principle of competitive exclusion?

Accepted Answer

Two species of paramecia cannot coexist in the same culture dish when competing for the same food resource.

Question 4

Which of the following is an example of Batesian mimicry?

Accepted Answer

A harmless king snake has coloration similar to a venomous coral snake.

Question 5

Which adaptation is most likely to be found in a prey species to avoid predation?

Accepted Answer

Aposematic coloration

Question 6

Which of the following best describes mutualism?

Accepted Answer

Both species benefit from the interaction.

Question 7

A tick feeding on a dog is an example of which type of species interaction?

Accepted Answer

Parasitism

Question 8

Which of the following statements about trophic structure is correct?

Accepted Answer

Trophic structure describes the feeding relationships among organisms in a community.

Question 9

A species that is not abundant but exerts strong control on community structure due to its ecological role is called a:

Accepted Answer

Keystone species

Question 10

Which of the following best explains why community 1 with four equally abundant species has higher diversity than community 2 with one dominant species and three rare species?

Accepted Answer

Community 1 has higher species evenness, contributing to greater overall diversity.

Question 11

Which of the following is a likely consequence of removing a keystone species from an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

The ecosystem may collapse or undergo drastic changes in structure.

Question 12

Which model of community organization suggests that the abundance of primary producers controls the structure of the community?

Accepted Answer

Bottom-up model

Question 13

After a volcanic eruption creates new land, which process describes the sequence of colonization and community development?

Accepted Answer

Primary succession

Question 14

According to the intermediate disturbance hypothesis, which level of disturbance leads to the highest species diversity?

Accepted Answer

Intermediate disturbance

Question 15

Which of the following best describes the species-area curve?

Accepted Answer

A curve showing that larger areas tend to have more species.

Question 16

Which of the following is a real-world example of an ecosystem engineer?

Accepted Answer

A beaver building a dam and creating a pond.

Question 17

Which of the following best explains why higher evapotranspiration rates are correlated with greater species richness?

Accepted Answer

Higher evapotranspiration indicates more energy and water availability, supporting more species.

Question 18

Which of the following is the best example of commensalism?

Accepted Answer

Barnacles attaching to a whale, gaining mobility while the whale is unaffected.

Question 19

Which of the following statements about zoonotic pathogens is correct?

Accepted Answer

They are pathogens transferred from animals to humans, often causing emerging diseases.

Question 20

A forest is destroyed by fire. Over the next 200 years, grasses, shrubs, and then trees recolonize the area. This process is best described as:

Accepted Answer

Secondary succession

Guided Study: Species Interactions and Community Ecology (Chapter 41, AP Biology)

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