AP Environmental Science : Ecosystems and Biology
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Example Questions
Example Question #6 : Natural Selection
What two factors determine biological fitness?
Genetic diversity and age of first reproduction
Genetic diversity and population size
Allele frequency and genetic diversity
Survival and reproductive rate
Survival and size
Survival and reproductive rate
The correct response is survival and reproductive rate. These are the two factors that are used to determine the fitness of an individual. There are other variables that can impact survival and reproduction rate, but these are the two foundational factors that impact fitness.
Fitness = Rate of Survival times Rate of Reproduction
Thus, if an individual lives to be 100 years old but has 0 children, then their overall fitness is 0. (Fitness = 100 x 0 = 0)
Example Question #3 : Natural Selection
What is the set of observable characteristics of an individual resulting from the interaction of its genotype with the environment?
Haploid
Genotype
Nomenclature
Phenotype
Phenotype
The phenotype is described as the observable characteristics of an organism. Natural selection is based on survival of the fittest due to differences in phenotype. This is not to be confused with genotype, which is the genetic (DNA sequence) of a trait.
Example Question #4 : Natural Selection
__________ is responsible for the idea of natural selection.
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
Ronald Fisher
Empedocles
Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
The modern theory that is natural selection is from the studies of Charles Darwin. His theory of natural selection was an explanation for the adaptation of species. He further explored his ideas in his book, The Origin of Species.
Example Question #21 : Ecological Change
An organism's fitness, as it applies in natural selection, involves __________.
the efficiency with which they hunt
their ability to chase prey for extended periods of time
the number of mates with whom they reproduce
the number of their offspring that reproduce themselves
the number of their offspring that reproduce themselves
In natural selection, the term fitness means how successful the organism is in reproducing. If an organism has a large amount of offspring, but lives half as long as its similar organisms, it is still more successful because its genes will be apart of more offspring, who will reproduce themselves.
Example Question #22 : Ecological Change
In a particular habitat, Species A competes with Species B for food resources. Which type of competition is this?
Interspecific exploitation competition
Intraspecific exploitation competition
Interspecific interference competition
Intraspecific interference competition
Interspecific exploitation competition
Interspecific competition is that which occurs between two different species. Exploitation competition involves the two groups of organisms competing for a limited resource, which may or may not involve direct contact between the species. Interference competition involves direct contact between organisms.
Example Question #21 : Ecological Change
What is the term for the formation of new species through the course of evolution?
Allele frequency
Bottleneck effect
Speciation
Fecundity selection
Speciation
Speciation is the term for formation of new species throughout the process of evolution. Isolated groups might split off from a species to become an entirely different species. This could be caused from changes in selection pressures, mutations, or genetic drift.
Example Question #91 : Ecosystems And Biology
Which of the following is an example of primary succession?
A succession of larger plants (trees, shrubs, etc.) following the establishment of pioneer species
Plant communities are established in a lifeless environment, usually devoid of soil
A plant community becoming simplified with fewer species and less biomass
A transition from one ecosystem type to another
An ecosystem diversifying, supporting more species and increases in biomass
Plant communities are established in a lifeless environment, usually devoid of soil
Primary succession commonly occurs after a volcanic eruption or a glacier recedes, because these areas have been stripped of organic matter. Primary succession is the process by which pioneer species colonize an area otherwise uninhabitable for plant life and generate nitrogen for other plant communities.
Example Question #1 : Understanding Environmental Impacts
Which of the following provides the most accurate example of primary succession?
Native grass communities forming after a wildfire burned through a meadow/woodland ecosystem
Seedlings establishing themselves in a heavily logged area where the seed-tree cutting method was employed
Lichens re-establish themselves on rocks and shallow soil beds following a tundra fire
Lichen and grass communities establishing themselves on a recently-formed island, resulting from an uplift in the ocean bedrock
Coral reef and aquatic wildlife communities that have re-established themselves in regions of the South Pacific that were evacuated following the nuclear tests conducted by the U.S. military
Lichen and grass communities establishing themselves on a recently-formed island, resulting from an uplift in the ocean bedrock
Primary succession is characterized by plants establishing themselves in areas that were initially devoid of soil (usually bedrock). Grasses establishing themselves on a newly-formed island that is mostly bedrock is the best fit for this definition.
Example Question #92 : Ecosystems And Biology
Which of the following is the most accurate example of secondary succession?
In 1962, a volcanic eruption off the coast of Iceland resulted in a formation of a new island "Surtsey" from ocean bedrock.
Twenty years after the Mount St. Helens eruption, small trees and grasses have begun to regrow near the top of the peak, where the eruption occurred.
Following the Dust Bowl of the 1930's, prairie grasses reestablished themselves in areas had lost most of their fertile soil to wind erosion.
Lichens and small spruce trees have established themselves in regions of Alaska where glaciers once existed but have since receded.
A forest fire burns down crowded understory grasses and shrubs as well as some ponderosa pine stands in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
A forest fire burns down crowded understory grasses and shrubs as well as some ponderosa pine stands in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Primary succession is characterized by a total loss of biomass and soil from the ecosystem or a beginning lack thereof. Land that has been covered by a glacier or under the seabed will be devoid of soil, much like the exposed bedrock seen after the Dust Bowl or the Mount St. Helens eruption. By contrast, a forest fire can typically be characterized as secondary succession because the soil remains intact and the ecosystem can typically recover much quicker because of that fact.
Example Question #4 : Ecological Succession
Which of the following would NOT contribute significantly to primary succession?
The time-consuming process of weathering the bedrock into smaller particles
Wind-carried soil particles and nutrients
Feces from wildlife populations that occupy the region
Pre-existing nitrogen-fixing plant communities
Soil nutrients deposited by a nearby river
Pre-existing nitrogen-fixing plant communities
Primary succession is characterized by pioneer species establishing themselves in areas that are predominantly bedrock and devoid of organic material. The formation of organic material in these areas typically occurs with the accumulation of wind-carried soil erosion, nutrients deposited by flowing bodies of water, and erosion of bedrock. Wildlife populations are also a significant contributor of soil nutrients, with feces being rich in both nitrogen and phosphorus. In contrast, pre-existing nitrogen-fixing plants (or any pre-existing plant communities) are uncommon to nonexistent in an area with no established soil system.
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