1.1 Short Answer Questions

1 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Chapter 1 The Nature of Ecology

1.1 Short Answer Questions

1) ________ is activism with a stated aim of protecting the natural environment, particularly from the negative impacts of human activities.

Answer: Environmentalism

Topic: Section 1.1

Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge/Comprehension

2) ________ is the scientific study of the relationship between organisms and their environment.

Answer: Ecology

Topic: Section 1.1

Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge/Comprehension

3) The living, or ________, and nonliving, or ________, components of the environment interact within an ecosystem.

Answer: biotic; abiotic

Topic: Section 1.2

Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge/Comprehension

4) A group of individuals of the same species that occupies a given area is referred to as a(n)

________.

Answer: population

Topic: Section 1.3

Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge/Comprehension

5) All populations of different species living and interacting within an ecosystem are referred to collectively as a(n) ________.

Answer: community

Topic: Section 1.3

Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge/Comprehension

6) At the ________ level, an ecologist might focus on the factors that affect the relative abundance of various populations in the area.

Answer: community

Topic: Section 1.4

Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge/Comprehension

7) All science begins with ________, which is the first step in the process known as the scientific method.

Answer: observation

Topic: Section 1.5

Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge/Comprehension

(Elements of Ecology 9e Thomas Smith, Robert Smith) (Test Bank, For Complete File, Download link at the end of this File) 1 / 4

2 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.8) In a field experiment, an ecologist measures the effects of nitrogen on productivity, plotting data for nitrogen on the x-axis and productivity on the y-axis. In this experiment, the dependent variable is ________.

Answer: productivity

Topic: Section 1.5

Bloom's Taxonomy: Application/Analysis

9) A(n) ________ is an abstract, simplified representation of a real system, allowing us to predict some behavior or response using a set of explicit assumptions.

Answer: model

Topic: Section 1.6

Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge/Comprehension

10) The ________ forms the basic unit in ecology.

Answer: individual

Topic: Section 1.9

Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge/Comprehension

1.2 Multiple-Choice Questions

1) The term "ecology" is defined as the study of the

• environment.
• relationships between organisms.
• relationships between organisms and their environment.
• impact of humans on the environment.

Answer: C

Topic: Section 1.1

Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge/Comprehension

2) Which of the following is a cornerstone of the science of ecology?

• Environmentalism
• Darwin's theory of natural selection
• Economics
• Populations

Answer: B

Topic: Section 1.1

Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge/Comprehension

3) Moisture and concentration of oxygen

• are parts of an organism's environment.
• have no effect on the physiology of an organism.
• are biological conditions that impact an organism's survival.
• do not vary in the environment.

Answer: A

Topic: Section 1.2

Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge/Comprehension

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3 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.4) The interaction of a biotic community and its abiotic environment is referred to as a(n)

• biosphere.
• ecosystem.
• population.
• biome.

Answer: B

Topic: Section 1.2

Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge/Comprehension

5) Which of the following is considered an abiotic component of the ecosystem?

• temperature
• microbes
• plants
• animals

Answer: A

Topic: Section 1.2

Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge/Comprehension

6) A biome is

• the thin layer surrounding the Earth that supports all life.
• all the populations of different species living and interacting within an ecosystem.
• a broad-scale region dominated by similar types of ecosystems.
• an area of land or water composed of a patchwork of communities and ecosystems.

Answer: C

Topic: Section 1.3

Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge/Comprehension

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4 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.7)

Experiments done at Cedar Creek Long Term Ecological Research site are ideal for examining concepts at what level?

• ecosystem
• population
• community
• individual

Answer: A

Topic: Section 1.3

Bloom's Taxonomy: Synthesis/Evaluation

8) All populations of different species living and interacting within an ecosystem are referred to collectively as a(n)

• community.
• biome.
• population.
• ecosystem.

Answer: A

Topic: Section 1.3

Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge/Comprehension

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