Ecology Exam Biology 1010 Fall 2012 Key

Multiple choice questions

1. C
2. A
3. A
4. C
5. B
6. D
7. C
8. B
9. D
10. C
11. C
12. C
13. D
14. B
15. C
16. A
17. D
18. C
Essay questions
1. Why is the equator the most productive region, or the region on Earth with the greatest biodiversity when
compared to all other areas? (4 points)
The equator is the location where the rays of the sun hit the surface of the Earth in an identical and maximal way
so that the energy input is constant and the temperature shows little fluctuation yearly. Thus light intensity,
heat and precipitation are maximal. These conditions are optimal for growth of primary producers. The area
can support both a greater number of species and greater numbers of individual species because of its stability
and productivity.
2. Competition is a major factor influencing the composition of a community. Four different types of
competition have been defined. Describe two of these four types of competition and provide an example for
each to illustrate the type of competition. (6 points)
a. Interference (aggressive refers to the same type) or exclusion competition: direct interaction between
species as in fighting over limited resources. Examples include Paramecium grown together (by Gauss),
lions and hyena over animal carcass, ostrich egg with predatory birds fighting over it, wooly and capuchin
monkeys.
b. Exploitative or resource competition (same): exploitation of resources more efficiently than other species.
Examples include large trees in a canopy that gather more of the light than species of plants closer to the
ground. Also the Kakas and wasps or white eyes and spiders. Anolis lizards which use space and food,
birds (Warblers) in a conifer tree, birds at different heights on a mountain, amphibian species that develop
at different times.
c. Apparent competition: Competition where populations of different species are impacted by the same
predator. Examples could include several within the lynx:snowshoe hare food web with one example
being the lynx as the predator eating hares, squirrels and other rodents. Any food chain will illustrate this
type of phenomenon.
d. Scramble competition: Where several species share (also intra-species) resources with detrimental impact
on all. Example would be the planthopper insects that exist in flight and flightless forms.
3. Explain why it is unusual to have more than 3-4 levels of consumers in an ecosystem? (4 points)

In any ecosystem the primary producers begin the capture of energy needed by all members of the ecosystem.
Primary producers use photosynthesis with the sun providing a constant source of energy. However, capture
of sunlight is very inefficient with ~1% being captured by the primary producers. Thus the primary producers
utilize some of the captured energy for their own growth and maintenance and the first level or primary
consumer when it eats the primary producer recovers only 10% of the energy captured by the primary
producer. As we continue up the consumer level again only 10% of the available energy is captured by the
next level consumer. After 3 levels of consumers there is little energy remaining for capture. To go to higher
consumption levels a species would have to eat many more members of the level below them (possibly being
an omnivore would help: NOTE: not needed for answer) to obtain enough energy to grow and reproduce. As
energy is used at each level it is also lost as heat making the amount of energy restrictive for further consumer
levels.