ENVL 2200
Spring 2011
NAME______________________
EXAM 1, PAGE 1
ANSWER ONLY IN THE SPACE PROVIDED!
1. Define any five (5) (value 2 points each)
ecology
biosphere
landscape
interspecific competition
habitat
biogeographic realm
flora and fauna
gradient
vertical structure
community
microcommunity
ecoregion
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
2. (5) ANSWER ONE:
What is a component community? Give an example of one that might be found on campus and
one that’s found in a tropical forest
OR
Explain the difference between direct and indirect gradient analysis of communities
OR
Show, using a graph or diagram, why the tolerance range of a self-sustaining population of a
species is narrower than for individuals of that species
EXAM CONTINUED ON OTHER SIDE
EXAM 1
ECOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES
3. (10) Name 4 of the 5 processes of ecology, and define any three of them
1.______________________________________________________________________
2.______________________________________________________________________
3.______________________________________________________________________
4.________________________
4.a. (5) What is the outcome of laboratory studies where 2 species compete in a homogeneous
environment?
4b. (5) How do changes in environmental conditions, such as temperature or moisture affect the
outcome of experiments?
4c. (3) Does the same species always win, under the same conditions?
YES
NO
4d. (2) does the species that has the highest population when grown alone always win more often
when in competition with the other species, under the same conditions?
YES
NO
5. Give the defining characteristics of any five (5) of these plant formations (value 2 points each)
a. Tundra
b. Woodland (savanna)
c. Scrub (chaparral, etc)
d. Grassland (prairie, steppe, meadow)
e. Desert
f. Forest
6. (5) For the gradient of elevation as found in the Pine Barrens, show with marks on the x-axis
the position of oak-pine forest, pitch pine lowland and hardwood swamp. Show the distribution
of three (3) tree species on your gradient as “bell curves.” Label each curve with the scientific
name of the tree.
Species
abundance
Low
ELEVATION
high
ENVL 2200
Spring 2011
NAME______________________
EXAM 1, PAGE 3
7. (10) Describe, using a specific example, niche or habitat differences which permit two or
more similar species to coexist in nature. Draw a graph of at least one of the niche/habitat
dimensions and show your species’ distribution in relation to it.
8. (5) ANSWER ONE: Describe how one or more species in your family or some other particular
family respond to a) long term predictable change and b) short term unpredictable change. Be
specific.
OR
List five variables that could be axes of the niche hypervolume of one or more members of your
family or another particular family –name of family: __________________________
9. (10) Sketch and label a graph of the individualistic concept of the community OR of the
effect of intraspecific competition on a species niche OR of low alpha, high beta diversity:
EXAM CONTINUED ON OTHER SIDE
EXAM 1
ECOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES
10. (5) ANSWER ONE: List and define four major properties of ecological communities. Give
examples from the NJ Pine Barrens. [NOTE: examples of properties, not types of communities]
OR
Describe a specific example of an adaptive change in a species. How is adaptation
different from acclimation?
11. (5) Write correctly the scientific name of a particular
species.
Name of species
12. (10) Use this space to ask and answer one
challenging discussion question on material covered in the class so far, not included on this
exam. Half the credit is for the question, and half for the answer. Up to 3 point bonus if you use
Darwin or Hutchinson in your question/answer
BONUS (2) What factor could prevent Rhysella from exterminating the alder woodwasp? (It's
the second parasite in the film)
BONUS (3) Name one to more guilds (a group of species in a community that exploit the same
resource in a similar way) that the species of the family in your essay belong to. Family:_______
Guild(s) they belong to: