1.

Ecology is Your Answer: the scientific study of relationships between organisms and their environments. Correct. For more information, see Section 1.1.

2.

_______________ coined the term ecology. Your Answer: Ernst Haeckel Correct. Haeckel coined the term ecology in 1866 (see Section 1.1).

3.

_______________ is the ultimate measure of success for all individual living organisms. Your Answer: The passing on of genes Correct. For more information, see Sections 1.2 and 1.9.

4.

An ecosystem is Your Answer: the combination of biological communities and the physical environment. Correct. For more information, see Section 1.2 and Figure 1.3.

5.

Which of the following is a biotic factor? Your Answer: a predator Correct. For more information, see Section 1.2.

6.

A biologist that studies the spatial processes that link adjacent communities is likely a Your Answer: landscape ecologist. Correct. For more information, see Figure 1.3.

7.

A(n) __________ is a collection of populations that potentially interact. Your Answer: community Correct. For more information, see Figure 1.3.

8.

Ecological models are used to Your Answer: provide predictions about ecological systems under explicit assumptions. Correct. For more information, see Section 1.6.

9.

The basic unit of ecology is Your Answer: the individual. Correct. For more information, see Sections 1.2 and 1.9 and Figure 1.3.

10.

An ecologist designs an experiment to determine how water temperature affects the metabolic rate of pied cormorants (a bird that feeds in marine environments). This is an example of Your Answer: physiological ecology. Correct. For more information, see Sections 1.2, 1.3, and 1.8, as well as Figure 1.3.

11.

Nominal data are Your Answer: any numerical data. Correct Answer: categorical data in which categories are unordered. Incorrect. Numerical data are quantitative data that are measured. Nominal data are quantitative categorical data in which categories are unordered (see Quantifying Ecology 1.1).

12.

A ___________ is the most common method of displaying a single data set.

Your Answer: linear regression Correct Answer: histogram Incorrect. A linear regression is a statistical technique used to determine the relationship between two variables. A histogram is the most common method for displaying data from a single set (see Quantifying Ecology 1.2).

13.

Which of the following statements about the environment is false? Your Answer: Each population of organisms tends to remain relatively isolated from the rest of the populations in the environment. Correct. Populations of many species interact with one another and with the physical environment within ecosystems (see Section 1.2).

14.

A(n) __________ is a collection of organisms of the same species that occupy a given area. Your Answer: population Correct. For more information, see Section 1.3 and Figure 1.3.

15.

Which of the following disciplines is not generally integrated into ecological studies? Your Answer: sociology Correct. Although ecological and sociological studies can be integrated to solve environmental problems, sociology is not generally integrated into ecological studies. The integration of social and ecological studies is environmental science (see Sections 1.1 and 1.8).

16.

A(n) ________ is an educated guess about an observed phenomenon. Your Answer: hypothesis Correct. For more information, see Figure 1.4 and Section 1.5.

17.

The scientific method has four major steps, which are executed in the following order:

Your Answer: observation, hypothesis generation, prediction, and experimentation. Correct. For more information, see Figure 1.4 and Section 1.5.

18.

What are the two types of numerical data? Your Answer: nominal and ordinal Correct Answer: discrete and continuous Incorrect. Nominal and ordinal data are categorical data. The two types of numerical data are discrete and continuous (see Quantifying Ecology 1.1).

19.

An ecologist measures the influence of annual rainfall on the growth rate of Douglas fir. These data should be displayed on a Your Answer: frequency distribution. Correct Answer: scatter plot. Incorrect. A frequency distribution is created to construct a histogram to display data from a single set. A scatter plot is used to display the relationships between two variables (see Quantifying Ecology 1.2).

20.

A(n) _______ is a regional pattern of similar ecosystems. Your Answer: biome Correct. For more information, see Figure 1.3 and Sections 1.3 and 1.4.

21.

Scientific knowledge advances through hypothesis testing. The goal of such testing is to Your Answer: prove that scientific concepts are correct interpretations of natural phenomena. Correct Answer: eliminate incorrect ideas by disproving one or more hypotheses. Incorrect. Science cannot prove anything. The goal of hypothesis testing is to eliminate incorrect ideas (see Section 1.7).

22.

Ecologists often use a scatter plot to investigate the possible relationship between two variables. If the points in a scatter plot show a general pattern of decreasing values of y while values of x increase, then Your Answer: there is an inverse relationship between x and y. Correct. For more information, see Quantifying Ecology 1.2.

23.

An ecologist is typically not able to gather data on all members of a population being studied. The portion of the population actually observed or measured is called the Your Answer: sample. Correct. For more information, see Quantifying Ecology 1.1.

24.

In a simple linear regression model used to predict plant growth from the availability of nitrogen in the soil, which variable should be plotted on the yaxis? Your Answer: plant growth Correct. For more information, see Sections 1.5 and 1.6 and Figure 1.8.

25.

______ are abstract, simplified representations of real systems that scientists use to predict some behavior or response from a set of explicit assumptions. Your Answer: Models Correct. For more information, see Section 1.6.