Questions from Ecology

Q: Early work on exploitation focused a great deal of attention on predator

Early work on exploitation focused a great deal of attention on predator-prey relations. However, parasites and pathogens represent a substantial part of the discussions in chapter 14. Is this represe...

Q: Researchers have suggested that predators could actually increase the population density of

Researchers have suggested that predators could actually increase the population density of a prey species heavily infected by a pathogenic parasite (Hudson, Dobson, and Newborn 1992). Explain how pre...

Q: Review the distribution of water among the major reservoirs of the hydrologic

Review the distribution of water among the major reservoirs of the hydrologic cycle. What are the major sources of freshwater? Explain why according to some projections availability of freshwater may...

Q: Explain the roles of food and predators in producing cycles of abundance

Explain the roles of food and predators in producing cycles of abundance in populations of snowshoe hare. Populations of many of the predators that feed on snowshoe hares also cycle substantially. Exp...

Q: What contributions have laboratory and mathematical models made to our understanding of

What contributions have laboratory and mathematical models made to our understanding of predator-prey population cycles? What are the shortcomings of these modeling approaches? What are their advantag...

Q: One of the conclusions that seems justified in light of several decades

One of the conclusions that seems justified in light of several decades of studies of interspecific competition is that competition is a common and strong force operating in nature, but not always a...

Q: List and briefly describe mutualistic relationships that seem to contribute to the

List and briefly describe mutualistic relationships that seem to contribute to the ecological integrity of the biosphere.

Q: What contributions do mycorrhizal fungi make to their plant partners? What

What contributions do mycorrhizal fungi make to their plant partners? What do plants contribute in return for the services of mycorrhizal fungi? How did Hardie (1985) demonstrate that mycorrhizae impr...

Q: Outline the experiments of Johnson (1993), which she designed to

Outline the experiments of Johnson (1993), which she designed to test the possibility that artificial fertilizers may select for less mutualistic mycorrhizal fungi. What evidence does Johnson present...

Q: Explain how mycorrhizal fungi may have evolved from ancestors that were originally

Explain how mycorrhizal fungi may have evolved from ancestors that were originally parasites of plant roots. Do any of Johnson’s results (1993) indicate that present-day mycorrhizal fungi may act as p...