Latest Questions & Answers

Q: Winemiller (1990) deleted “weak” trophic links from one

Winemiller (1990) deleted “weak” trophic links from one set of food webs that he described for fish communities in Venezuela (see fig. 17.3). What was h...

Q: What is the Hardy-Weinberg principle? What is Hardy-

What is the Hardy-Weinberg principle? What is Hardy- Weinberg equilibrium? What conditions are required for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?

Q: According to the intermediate disturbance hypothesis, both low and high levels

According to the intermediate disturbance hypothesis, both low and high levels of disturbance can reduce species diversity. Explain possible mechanisms producing this relationship. Include trade-offs...

Q: Communities in different areas may be organized in different ways. For

Communities in different areas may be organized in different ways. For instance, C. Ralph (1985) found that in Patagonia in Argentina, as foliage height diversity increases, bird species diversity dec...

Q: Compare the “trophic” niches of warblers and diatoms as described

Compare the “trophic” niches of warblers and diatoms as described by MacArthur (1958) and Tilman (1977). Why is it important that the ecologist be familiar with the niches of study organisms before ex...

Q: What are species richness and species evenness? How does each of

What are species richness and species evenness? How does each of these components of species diversity contribute to the value of the Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H ')? How do species evenness and...

Q: Suppose you are a biologist working for an international conservation organization concerned

Suppose you are a biologist working for an international conservation organization concerned with studying and conserving biological diversity. On one of your assignments you are sent out to explore t...

Q: How does feeding by urchins, which prey on young corals,

How does feeding by urchins, which prey on young corals, improve establishment by young corals? Use a diagram outlining interactions among urchins, corals, and algae to help in the development of your...

Q: What is the difference between a community and a population? What

What is the difference between a community and a population? What are some distinguishing properties of communities? What is a guild? Give examples. What is a plant life-form? Give examples.

Q: Outline how the honeyguide-human mutualism could have evolved from an

Outline how the honeyguide-human mutualism could have evolved from an earlier mutualism between honeyguides and honey badgers. In many parts of Africa today, people have begun to abandon traditional h...