Ecology Lesson

A farmer wants to expand the family farm, but doesn't want to negatively affect the local red tail hawk population. The farmer knows the following about the red tail hawk. 1. They nest in the nearby forest in the tall parts of the trees. 2. They eat fish, rats, mice, rabbits, lizards and birds. 3. They hunt in open fields, plains, lakes and rivers. What choice below would have the largest negative impact on the red tail hawk population?

• Cut down the forest to plant a wheat field.

• Change the flow a nearby river to open up a field to plant corn

• Plant an apple orchard on part of an open field.

• Build a barn to park the tractor

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Gopher tortoises create their homes by digging holes in wee drained sandy soils throughout the southeast region of the U.S. The florida pine snakes will sometimes share the hole with the tortoises to shelter from weather or fire. Which of the following example demonstrates the same type of relationship?

• Moths lay eggs in the seedpods of the yucca plant, the larvae hatch and feed on some but not all of the seeds and the moth acts as a pollinator for the plant.

• The goby fish and blind shrimp live in a tunnel in the sand created by the shrimp and when a predator is near the goby fish will touch the shrimp to warn it.

• Tapeworms live in the digestive system and eat partially digested food which eventually deprives the host of food and nourishment

• A Pseudoscorpion is a tiny scorpion with no stinger that moves from place to place by hitching a ride on much larger insects

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Mealy bugs are small insects that live on various types of plants and feed on their sap. When there is a large population of mealy bugs occupying a plant, they may remove too much sap causing the plant to change color or wilt. Ladybugs eat mealy bugs and are often used in greenhouses to control the population. Which type of relationship exists between the mealybugs’ ladybugs and plants?

• The relationship between the ladybugs and mealybugs are an example of competition.

• The ladybugs and mealybugs are an example of predation while the mealybugs and plants are an example of parasitism.

• The ladybugs and plants are an example of mutualism while the mealybugs and plants are an example of parasitism.

• The mealybugs and plants are an example of commensalism while the ladybugs and plants are an example of predation.

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A tree is a ....

• composer

• decomposer

• producer

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What is a herbivore?

• an animal that gets energy from eating other animals

• an organism that gets energy from eating only plants

• an animal that gets energy by eating both plants and other animals

• an animal that eats only herbs

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All food chains begin with a ____________.

• primary consumer

• secondary consumer

• producers

• scavengers

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symbiotic relationship in which one organisms benefits and the other organism is not affected

• invasive (non-native) species

• mutualism 

• nitrogen fixation

• commensalism

Aphids are small insects that live on various types of plants and feed on their sap. When there is a large population of aphids occupying a plant, they may remove too much sap causing the plant to change color or wilt. Ladybugs eat aphids and are often used in greenhouses to control the aphid population. Which type of relationship exists between the aphids ladybugs and plants?

• The relationship between the ladybugs and aphids are an example of competition.

•  The aphids and plants are an example of commensalism while the ladybugs and plants

• The ladybugs and aphids are an example of predation while the aphid and plants are an example of parasitism.

•  The ladybugs and plants are an example of mutualism while the aphid and plants are an example of parasitism. 

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A tick and a dog have this type of relationship.

• mutualism

• commensalism

• neutralism

• parasitism

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a relationship that occurs when two or more organims of the same species need the same resource at the same time

• competition

• symbiosis

• predation