Biology Test Biology Ecology and Evolution 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which ecological concept describes the role and position a species occupies in its environment, including its habitat and interactions?
- Ecological niche (Correct answer)
- Trophic level
- Biome
- Carrying capacity
Correct answer: Ecological niche
An ecological niche encompasses all the biotic and abiotic conditions a species needs to survive and reproduce, including its functional role.
Question 2: What type of symbiosis occurs when one organism benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed?
- Parasitism
- Mutualism
- Commensalism (Correct answer)
- Competition
Correct answer: Commensalism
Commensalism is a symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits and the other is unaffected, such as barnacles on whale skin.
Question 3: In the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium model, which condition would cause allele frequencies to change over time?
- Random mating
- Large population size
- Natural selection (Correct answer)
- No migration
Correct answer: Natural selection
Natural selection causes differential reproductive success based on phenotype, which shifts allele frequencies and violates Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.
Question 4: What is the term for the evolutionary process by which two species influence each other's evolution over time?
- Convergent evolution
- Coevolution (Correct answer)
- Adaptive radiation
- Divergent evolution
Correct answer: Coevolution
Coevolution occurs when two or more species reciprocally affect each other's evolution, such as flowers and their pollinators.
Question 5: Which level of the energy pyramid contains the greatest amount of stored energy?
- Tertiary consumers
- Secondary consumers
- Primary consumers
- Primary producers (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Primary producers
Primary producers (plants) occupy the base of the energy pyramid and contain the most stored energy because energy is lost at each trophic level.
Question 6: What term describes species that arrive early in ecological succession and modify the environment for later species?
- Climax species
- Keystone species
- Pioneer species (Correct answer)
- Indicator species
Correct answer: Pioneer species
Pioneer species colonize barren or disturbed habitats first, altering soil and microclimate to allow subsequent species to establish.
Question 7: Which mechanism of evolution involves the random change in allele frequency in small populations due to chance events?
- Gene flow
- Natural selection
- Genetic drift (Correct answer)
- Mutation
Correct answer: Genetic drift
Genetic drift is the random fluctuation of allele frequencies in small populations, often having a large effect independent of fitness.
Biology Test Biology Ecology and Evolution 2
Which ecological concept describes the role and position a species occupies in its environment, including its habitat and interactions?