AP Environmental Science : Niches
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Environmental Science
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Example Questions
Example Question #21 : Ecosystems And Biology
Some plant species require their seeds to be "activated" by high temperatures, and only sprout after a forest fire. Given this, where in the succession must these species be placed?
Declining community
Secondary succession
Pioneer species
Primary succession
Climax community
Primary succession
A plant that starts to sprout directly after a disturbance such as a forest fire is a primary successor. These plants are called pioneer species, but their location in the succession is in the primary spot (one example of such a species is the Yosemite Sequoia.)
Example Question #11 : Niches
A group of species that share common food sources avoid competition by living in different locations. Of which of the following is this an example?
Natural Selection
Speciation
Island Biogeography
Niche Partitioning
Habitat Fragmentation
Niche Partitioning
The competitive exclusion principle states that two species cannot occupy the same niche without one of them driving the other extinct. Thus, species either occupy a slightly different niche, or occupy a different physical location from one another, an evolutionary strategy known as niche partitioning.
Example Question #12 : Niches
Two similar birds live in the same tree, but consume differently sized insects. What is this an example of?
Resource partitioning
Speciation
Competitive exclusion
Natural selection
Niche partitioning
Resource partitioning
Because two species cannot exist within the same niche, if they are to occupy the same geographic space, they must use different resources, or one of them will be driven to extinction. This practice is known as resource partitioning.
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