Answer multiple guess questions using the scantron. apologize Multiple guess

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1 Exam I. Principles of Ecology. September 29, Name Answer multiple guess questions using the scantron. The exam has 102 points with 10 extra credit points possible. Your final score = # pts/102. I apologize for not asking questions that you knew the answers to! Multiple guess. Fill in the correct bubbles on your scantron. You should also circle your answers here for later reference. [4 points each, 56 pts total] 1. Which of the following represents an example of disruptive selection discussed on our Arboretum field trip? a. Leaves of deciduous versus evergreen trees and the timing of leaf fall. b. Meristem height in grasses as an adaptation to herbivory c. The timing of goldenrod flowering and the timing of potential pollinators d. The running speed of individual predatory shrews. e. the size of hickory acorns. 2. "p" is the frequency of the A1 allele. What is "p" given these data? A1A1 = 20, A1A2 = 30, A2A2 = 100. a b c d e. other: 3. A researcher collected 150 fruit flies from a cactus in Hawaii and analyzed the frequency of genotypes. She tested whether the population adhered to the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and got the following results from a statistical test: X 2 = 29.17, df =2, p = 4.6 x 10-7 (real result from above numbers). The researcher's best conclusion would be which of the following? The population is a. in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium because p <= 0.5. b. not in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium because p > 0.5. c. not in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium because the p <= d. in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium because the p > e. not any of the above. 4. A population of bunnies on Robben Island (where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned) has been growing in recent years. Not surprisingly, there has been a no-kill policy on this island. Scientists interested in estimating the population used the mark-recapture technique. They captured and marked 27 bunnies, released them and then recaptured 80 a week later and found 10 were marked. Unfortunately, you discover that in the week between your captures the bunnies suffered from a disease that randomly killed individuals. What is your estimate of the population and what is your conclusion about your estimate? a. 117 bunnies, but it's an overestimate (there really are fewer bunnies). b. 117 bunnies, but it's an underestimate (there really are more bunnies). c. 216 bunnies, but it's an overestimate (there really are fewer bunnies). d. 216 bunnies, but it's an underestimate (there really are more bunnies). e. none of the above. 5. We discussed the trees in Yellowstone (see photo) and how the streams are affecting their recruitment and growth. Which of the following best explains this effect? a. The elk (herbivores) enjoy the fresh water and the relative security of the area and deposit nitrogen (urine and feces) that fertilizes these plants. b. The elk enjoy the protection offered by the trees and, through browsing, stimulate tree growth. c. The wolves come to drink the water and, therefore, prevent elk from coming into the area to feed. d. The elk avoid this area because they might be chased by wolves and can't run through the water fast enough to avoid getting eaten. e. The streams periodically flow over the banks and provide abundant water and nutrients for vigorous growth.

2 6. A "thermocline" is best defined by which of the following? A zone where the temperature in a lake is a. decreasing rapidly over a small vertical distance. b. increasing rapidly over a small vertical distance. a. decreasing rapidly over a small horizontal distance. a. decreasing rapidly over a small horizontal distance. e. All of the above. 7. Plate tectonics is an important geological process where continents move over the surface of the Earth. This process has led to the evolution of different species due to their long-term separation. The best explanation of why the plates move is which of the following? a. The Coriolis Effect, which causes moving objects to curve to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere. b. The core of Earth is hot and produces convection cells in the mantle. c. Hot spots in the oceans caused by rising magma to force the plates apart. d. All of the above. e. None of the above. 8. The set of two graphs to the right shows two important results. Those two are best described by which of the following? Note the axes are "Number of species" vs. "Area above 2300m (km 2 )". a. Birds migrate annually while "small mammals" do not. b. Evidence which contradicts the species-area relationship while showing that small mammal populations grow faster on these mountain-top "islands" than bird populations. c. Evidence in support of the species-area relationship with a steeper slope for small mammals because they can't easily colonize these mountain-top "islands". d. None of the above. 9. Which of the following answers is not an important factor influencing the type of soil found in an area? a. The geology of the area. b. Climate. c. Topography. d. Plants. e. None of the above (they're all important). 10. We spent some time discussing Beer's Law and how it can be used to describe which of the following? a. The effect of light on the growth of tree seedlings. b. The exponential increase in light intensity with canopy height. c. The negative exponential decline in light intensity as a function of increasing leaf area index. d. The ability of some people to tolerate increasing levels of blood alcohol without passing out. e. None of the above. 11. During the late summer in Geneseo (August) the climate can be relatively hot and dry. What photosynthetic pathway would you expect to be utilized by the most successful grass in my yard? a. C3 b. C4 c. CAM d. All of the above would be equivalent. e. None of the above.

3 12. Your book discussed at length these data from tropical rain forest trees. Which of the following is most consistent with the main result from this graph as discussed in your textbook and lecture (see p )? a. RGR is highest under shady conditions. b. Plants adapted to high light conditions are able to exhibit higher RGR when in sun than plants adapted to low light conditions. c. Plants adapted to low light conditions are able to exhibit higher RGR when in sun than plants adapted to high light conditions. d. Shade tolerant species have a higher mortality rate in low light conditions compared to shade intolerant species e. All of the above are consistent results with the graph to the right. 13. In some animal species females can have many mates. They produce the offspring (e.g., eggs) and the males are left to care for them. This form of reproduction is referred to as a. anadromy. b. polyandry. c. polygyny. d. polyandry. e. none of the above. 14. The best null hypothesis for spatial dispersion patterns is one that is a. random b. uniform c. clumped d. over-dispersed. e. under-dispersed. Short answer questions of variable weights. (36 pts total) 1. Your book defines evolution as Change in gene frequency through time resulting from natural selection and producing cumulative changes in characteristics of a population. Provide one fix to this definition that we discussed in class. (5 pts)

4 2. In the graph label what each of the nine open areas represents (1 pt each). Also, provide the correct axis labels (1 pt each). (11 pts total) 3. Provide a graph of the Hadley cells (5 pts). Include enough detail to demonstrate you understand how these work AND their resulting effects on ecological systems (2 pts). (7 pts total) 4. What's the difference between absolute fitness and relative fitness? (5 pts) Provide a convincing, realistic example that demonstrates this important distinction (2 pts). (7 pts total)

5 5. Provide realistic data (not the underlying theory) for the two relationships. (3 pts each, 6 pts total) 10 point questions. Answer ONE OF THREE. (10 pts total) 1. Provide a graph of the response of a plant population (e.g., population growth) as a function of the critical environmental factor soil nitrogen concentration. Label the three "zones" (2 pts ea.) that we discussed. Label the x (1 pt) and y (3 pts) axes appropriately (10 pts)

6 2. Provide a graph below of "geometric growth" on the left and "exponential growth" on the right, each as a function of time (10 years). Assume that r = = 0.5 and N o (initial number) = 100. The x and y scales should be the same for both graphs. Label the axes (4 pts). (10 pts total) 3. Using the left graph below provide a histogram of the expected number of eggs produced by a pair of zebra finches (assume these to be small birds that produce, on average, 8 eggs/nest). In the right set of axes provide a scatterplot of the expected inches of rainfall as a function of elevation up a mountain where orographic uplift occurs. You will be assessed on your labeling of axes (1 pt each) and the relationships you provide (3 pts). This is based on your experience with making graphs from R module #1. (10 pts)

7 Mandatory question. (10 points) What are the four, easily observed characteristics of natural selection? (-4 for first missed, -3 for second, -2 for third and - 1 for also missing the fourth; 10 pts total) (see syllabus) a. b. c. d. Extra Credit (10 pts possible) 1. Based on an early lecture we discussed why the headline to the right is wrong. So, why is it wrong? (2 pts) 2. What kind of "association", define in class, is "The eharmony Compatibility Matching System " (2 pts) 3. Name the dog to the right (2 pts) 4. Where can you find this dog today (name of town/city)? (2 pts) 5. As discussed in lecture from a recent paper in Science what's the main problem with building a road through the Serengeti National Park (Tanzania)? (2 pts)