Question

Biology - This will count as a constructed response item and it has four parts. You must answer all parts correctly. Please read your answer choices and choose carefully!

Part I - What is an example of facilitation?

A. A nitrogen fixing plant's roots grow in conjunction with the "roots" (mycelium) of soil fungi. The fungi receives sugar in exchange for rare, but vital minerals like calcium and phosphorous

B. A maple tree provides shade on the forest floor preventing establishment of new tree seedlings

C. 6 tomato plants growing in a pot split the available soil nitrogen equally

D. A hibiscus plant has big bright blossoms which require a lot of energy to grow, but attract a lot of bees that also pollinate a nearby shrub with small, inconspicuous, energy-saving flowers

Part 2 - The first humans that set foot on Mars were shocked to be confronted with a brand new organism almost immediately. The astronaut wanted to send back a brief message (because there is limited connectivity, it had to be brief) that conveyed as much information as possible. They simply said "We have a K-selected species!" Ground control could now infer what about the species?

A. They do not have many offspring

B. They likely have Type III survivorship

C. They do not provide much parental care

D. They mature at a young age

E. They have low fitness

F. They live in the ocean

Part 3 - Which piece of information would NOT be included in a disturbance regime?

A. The average length of a heat wave

B. How severe an outbreak of pine bark beetles is and how often it happens

C. The size of the area typically blown down by a thunderstorm (microburst)

D. The species of trees typically blown over in a hurricane

E. How often the river floods

Part 4 - In an old forest, one at the "end" of succession and in dynamic equilibrium, which of the following is NOT true?

A. Vertical complexity

B. Only shade tolerant species

C. Lots of community types

D. Some oaks and hickory trees

E. Horizontal complexity

F. Deep soil layers

Answer 1

Part 1-  hibiscus plant has big bright blossoms which require a lot of energy to grow, but attract a lot of bees that also pollinate a nearby shrub with small, inconspicuous, energy-saving flowers

It is correct because here hibiscus is helping in the growth of other plant, facilitation is basically a plant-plant interaction, where one plant help to grow other.

2. K selected species means they have carrying capacity in the environment, means they have few offspring.

3. The average length of heat wave is not to be included in disturbance regime.

4. Only shade tolerant species

It is not true that in an old forest only shade tolerant species are present, because if the forest is surviving means there are many species which are light dependent like big trees.