Disruptions to communities Knowledge-Based Download PDF

Questions

1. 1.

   Which factor most commonly explains why the introduction of an invasive non-native species causes severe disruptions to the structure of a native biological community?

   • A) The non-native species rapidly interbreeds with native species to produce infertile hybrid populations.
   • B) The non-native species immediately increases the carrying capacity of the local habitat for all native herbivores.
   • C) The non-native species induces primary ecological succession by accelerating the weathering of parent bedrock.
   • D) The non-native species often lacks co-evolved predators and pathogens in the new habitat, allowing it to outcompete native species.
2. 2.

   How does the removal of a keystone species typically disrupt the structure and biodiversity of an ecological community?

   • A) It increases overall species diversity by permitting multiple pioneer species to colonize the vacated niche simultaneously.
   • B) It triggers a substantial decline in species diversity as competitively dominant species monopolize limiting resources.
   • C) It permanently halts primary productivity by completely arresting the cycling of essential mineral nutrients.
   • D) It stabilizes the community by allowing all remaining prey species to reach an equilibrium at their carrying capacities.
3. 3.

   Which ecological characteristic describes the ability of a biological community to return to its pre-disturbance composition and functional state after experiencing an environmental disruption?

   • A) Ecological resistance
   • B) Ecological facilitation
   • C) Ecological niche differentiation
   • D) Ecological resilience
4. 4.

   According to the intermediate disturbance hypothesis, how do moderate levels of environmental disruption influence species diversity within an ecological community?

   • A) Species diversity is minimized because high mortality prevents pioneer organisms from establishing viable populations.
   • B) Competitive exclusion accelerates rapidly, enabling a single dominant species to monopolize all community resources.
   • C) Species diversity is maximized because both colonizing species and competitive species can coexist within the habitat.
   • D) Trophic structures permanently collapse due to the unpredictable and recurring elimination of primary producers.
5. 5.

   Which type of ecological succession occurs following an environmental disturbance that clears an existing biological community but leaves the underlying soil intact?

   • A) Primary succession
   • B) Secondary succession
   • C) Pioneer speciation
   • D) Climax retrogradation