AP Environmental Science : Species Relationships and Diversity
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Example Question #41 : Ecosystem Development And Relationships
Which of the following terms describes the array of living organisms, their assemblages, their evolutionary and natural histories, as well as their interactions with each other?
Biomagnification
Fragmentation
Disturbance
Biodiversity
Bioaccumulation
Biodiversity
The correct answer choice is biodiversity. Biodiversity is the area within biology focused on understanding biological diversity. The terms "disturbance" and "fragmentation" are natural processes that can have impacts on species, but they do not describe species. The terms "biomagnification" and "bioaccumulation" describe how nutrients and contaminants accumulate over time.
Example Question #42 : Ecosystem Development And Relationships
Land managers are responsible for conserving biodiversity within areas of natural habitat. By monitoring specific species in the habitat, land managers can tell whether or not they have a healthy ecosystem. Which do we call species that gives us information about the health of an ecosystem?
Invasive species
Keystone species
None of these
Indigenous species
Indicator species
Indicator species
The correct response is indicator species. If the indicator species is healthy, then it tells or indicates that the ecosystem as a whole is healthy. Indigenous species are native to a certain location, while invasive species are those that are not native to a location and their introduction usually causes harm to the existing ecosystem. A keystone species is one that plays a critical role in the overall health of an ecosystem.
Example Question #43 : Ecosystem Development And Relationships
Which form of signaling is very important in marine ecosystems both in intraspecies and interspecies communication and is used by many reef fishes in conjunction with other senses to recognize places and receive warnings.
Behavioral
Mechanical
Audatory
Olfactory
Olfactory
Olfaction in fish and other marine life is very important. Smells are carried on currents and can be used to identify and find prey, recognize familiar territory, attract mates, and warn predators and/or competitors of defense mechanisms.
Example Question #44 : Ecosystem Development And Relationships
Of the following biomes, which contains the highest biodiversity?
Tropical Rainforest
Desert
Tundra
Temperate Grassland
Temperate Deciduous Forest
Tropical Rainforest
Somewhere between 40% and 75% of all species are indigenous to rainforests, meaning that they are found nowhere else on earth. They contain half of the extant animal and plant species currently on earth, with a large majority of all flowering plants found there. Many of the world's natural medicines have been found in tropical rainforests, and with thousands of undiscovered species still lurking within them, it is likely that there are many more medicines waiting to be discovered.
Example Question #45 : Ecosystem Development And Relationships
Some species of barnacles live attached to the skin of whales. This allows them to travel vast distances through the ocean without ever actually moving, guaranteeing them a constantly changing supply of food. While this is tremendously beneficial for the barnacles, it doesn't really have any effect on the whales, which are large enough that the barnacles aren't even a minor annoyance.
What kind of symbiosis does this describe?
Commensalism
Endosymbiosis
Parasatism
Mutualism
Predation
Commensalism
In relationships based upon commensalism, one of the species benefits greatly, while the other is neither harmed nor helped. This is different from mutualism, where both species are benefited, and parasitism, where one species is benefited and the other is hindered. "Endosymbiosis" is the theory used to describe how mitochondria developed, and "predation" describes a situation where one organism feeds on another.
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