MIDLANDS STATE UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

APPLIED BIOSCIENCES AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT
PRINCIPLES OF ECOLOGY
CODE: HABB 103

SESSIONAL EXAMINATIONS

NOVEMBER 2015

DURATION: 3 HOURS
EXAMINER: Mr J. Bare

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Answer all questions in SECTION A, on the

answer sheet provided, and any THREE questions
from SECTION B.
2. Each question carries 20 marks. Where a question
contains subdivisions, the mark value,* each
subdivision is given in brackets. Illustrate your
answer, where possible, with large clearly labelled
diagrams.

1•=11M1111=6„

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 SECTION A (40 marks)
Answer all the multiple choice questions in section A

1. During Ernst I laeckel's time the word economy referred to

A organisms linked together in conflict as well as in mutual aid.
B the carefull management of resources to avoid waste.
C a family household and its daily operations and maintenance.
I) none of the above.

Who defined ecology as the scientific study of the interactions that determine the abundance
and distribution of organisms?
A Eugene Odum
B 11.G. Andrewartha
C Charles J. Krebs
I) Charles Elton

3. Which of the following is the formula for the continuous-time logistic model?
A N t-,1 = RoNt
B N, = RoNt,
C dN/dt = rNI_(K-N)/K I
D none of the above

4. Logistic growth occurs when there is

A a great environmental resistance.
B no environmental resistance.
C no biotic potential.
I) a fixed carrying capacity.

In a small population, there is a greater chance of

A gene flow.
B genetic drift.
C natural selection.
D mutation.

6. In ecology the term emergence refers to

A the appearance of an organism from under the surface of water or soil.
B the occurring of characters at higher levels of organization which could not have been
predicted from a knowledge of the lower level components.
C an unexpected, especially dangerous happening or situation.
D being in the process of emerging or developing.
7. Which of the following is not an assumption of the exponential growth model?
A continuous reproduction (e.g. no seasonality)
B all organisms are identical (e.g. no age structure)
C the feedback mechanism is instanteneous
D the environment is constant in time and space (e.g. resources are unlimited)

8. In ecology a population is a
A set of humans in a given area.
B group of individuals of the same species inhabiting the same area at the same time.
C group of interbreeding individuals of the same species, which is isolated from other
groups.
D collection of items being studied, the set of individuals, objects or measurements about
which information is sought.

Who proposed that eukaryotic cells evolved by intracellular symbioses between/among

prokaryotes?
A Charles J. Krebs
B Charles Elton
C Evelyn G. Hutchinson
D Lynn Margulis

10. Why is population a density dependent limiting factor for disease?

A The less crowded the area is, the easier it is for disease to spread.
B The more crowded the area is, the easier it is for disease to spread.
C Both of the above.
I) The more the diseases, the smaller the population.

11. Wildlife is continuously decreasing. What is the main reason for this?
A felling of trees
B predation
C destruction of natural habitats
D hunting

12. Which of the following is ordered correctly from the largest to the smallest?
A organism, population, community, ecosystem, biome
B ecosystem, biome, community, population, organism
C biome, ecosystem, community, population, organism
D individual, population, ecosystem, community, biome

13. Huffaker and Kenett(1956)'s work with two species of mites, the Cyclamen mite Tarsonemus
pallidus and Typhlodramus oceidenialis, found in association with strawberry plants
illustrates
A the competitive exclusion principle.
B coexistence.
C the regulation of prey populations by predation.
D niche differentiation.
 1 4. Biotic potential is counteracted by
A competition with other organisms.
B mutualisms.
C limitation of food supply.
D non of the above.

15. In the Lotka-Volterra model of competition,

KZ > K1! a12 and K1 > 1(2/ a21
mean
A that interspecific effects are more important than intraspecific effects.
B that intraspecific effects are more important than interspecific effects.
C that intraspecific effects are equal to interspecific effects.
D none of the above.

16. Species that occur in different geographic regions that are separated by special geographical
barriers are
A allopatric.
B sympatric.
C siblings.
D none of the above.

17. Which one of the following statements is true?

A Symbiosis is when neither population affects each other.
B Symbiosis is when the interaction is useful to both populations.
C Commensalism is when interacting population are not affecting each other.
D Commensalism is when the interaction is useful to both populations.

• 18. A clumped dispersion results from

A the uneven distribution of environmental factors.
B the attraction of individuals to each other.
C the failure of offspring to disperse far from the parents.
D All of the above.

19. Which one of the following statements is NOT true?

A For Batesian mimicry to be effective the mimics must outnumber the models
B In Mullerian mimicry each species acts as both a mimic and a model
C Mimicry often involves aposematically coloured models
D None of the above

20. The farming of fungi by lealcutter ants is an example of

A defensive mutualisms.
B transport mutualisms.
C cleaning mutualisms.
D symbiotic mutualisms.
 21. When both partners are affected negatively the nature of the interaction is
A competition.
B commensalism.
C mutualism.
D proto-cooperation.

22. Which of the following interactions will not promote co-evolution?

A Commensalism
B Mutualism
C Parasitism
I) Interspecific competition

• 23. The effect of interspecific competition on niches is to make them

A larger.
B smaller.
C more triangular.
D disappear.

24. The competitive exclusion principle was first described by Gause for species of
A barnacles.
B small plants called bedstraws.
C birds called the tits.
D protozoa.

5. Lihen represents
A symbiotic association between a fungus and liverworts.
B parasitic association between a fungus and an alga.
C parasitic association between a fungus and roots of plants.
D symbiotic association between a fungus and roots of higher plants.

• 26. Which of the following classical studies are used in ecology to illustrate both interference
competition and the competitive exclusion principle?
(i) Park (1954)'s work with flour beetles Triholium ca.slenium and T conlitsum.
(ii) Lack(1971)'s work with three species of birds; the Blue tit (Parus caeruleus), Marsh tit
(P pahistris) and the Great tit(P major).
(iii) Connell (1961)'s work with two species of barnacles, Balanus balcmoides and
Chthamalus stellatus.
(iv) Tansley (1917)'s experiment with two species of bedstraws Galium pumilwn and Galiwn
hercvnicum.

A All of the above

B (i), (ii) and (iii)
C (i), (ii) and (iv)
D (1), (iii) and (iv)
 27. In the Lotka-Volterra model dN/dtl = 0 when
A along N I , N I is equal to K1
B N 1 is equal to N2
C N1 is equal to K2
K1 is equal to K,

28. Most interacting populations are

A symbiotic.
B parasitic.
C co-evolved.
1) mutualistic.

• 29. In water bodies coexistence occurs because of

A niche differentiation.
13 an unstable environment.
C spatial patchiness.
D mutualism.

30. The realized niche of an organism represents

A the resource it utilizes.
B the portion of resources it utilizes when other organisms are present.
C the range of conditions that it can tolerate.
I) all of the above.

31. Territoriality occurs as a result of

A predation
B symbiotism
C parasitism

• I) competition

32. The association between the impala and baboon is

A symbiosis.
B parasitism.
C commensalism.
I) protocoorparation.

33. What kind of organism provides the basis for an ecosystem's energy?
A heterotroph
B autotroph
C consumer
I) scavenger
34. The relationship between an oxy-pecker and a cow is an example of
A commensalism.
B transport mutualism.
C defensive mutualism.
I) none of the above.

35. Which of the following is an example of parasitism?

A bees gathering nectar from a patch of flowers
B a barnacle living on the underside of a whale
C a brown-headed cowbird laying its egg in a vireo's nest
D a flea feeding on the blood of a dog

36. A pack of hyenas is fighting with a lion bear over a kill. What kind of competition is this?
A Scramble competition
B Contest competition
C Exploitative competition
1) Interference competition

37. Mycorrhizae are a combination of a fungus and the roots of a plant. What kind of relationship
is this?
A Commensalism
B Mutualism
C Parasitism
D Predation

38. The basis for capture-mark-recapture technique is that

A the ratio of the marked animals to the total number of animals in the recaptured sample is
the same as the ratio of the individuals in the first sample to the total number of
individuals in the whole population.
B the ratio of the marked animals to the unmarked animals in the recaptured sample is the
same as the ratio of the individuals in the first sample to the total number of individuals
in the whole population.
C No immigration, emigration, births or deaths between the release and capture times.
D Marks (or tags) are not lost and are always recognizable.

39. Switching preferences are associated with which type of functional response?
A Type I
B Type II
C Type III
D all of the above

40. Competitive exclusion occurs when there is

A niche differentiation.
B spatial patchiness.
C an unstable environment.
D none of the above.
•

SECTION B

1. Write an essay on competition.

2. Compare and contrast density independent and density dependent population growth.

3. (a) Describe the factors that determine the distribution of organisms. [16]
(b) Transplant and removal experiments are important analytical tools in ecology. Discuss.
[9]

Write short notes on the following:

(a) niche differentiation, [6]
(b) Hutchinson's paradox of the plankton, [6]
(c) population dispersion, and [7]
(d) The competitive exclusion principle. [6]

5. Describe the adaptations of predators and prey to predation.

END OF QUESTION PAPER