WFC 151 2008

SECOND MIDTERM

FALL

Name____________________________________________________ You have obtained a representative sample of the age structure of animals dying in a population of the yew tern, a bird that nests in yew trees. Ages range from the very young (age class 1) to the very old (age class 4); adults are age classes 2 and 3. What type of survivorship curve does the yew tern exhibit? Explain. (3 pts).
60 50 % of sample 40 30 20 10 0 1 2 Age class 3 4

Steep slope = high mortality rate Flat adulthood Steep old Type I high juvenile mortality rate with stable adulthood until older (senescence) Type III b/c such high mortality Type II - if all bars were equal Generalist predators may respond functionally and numerically to increasing prey density, but responses may be delayed because of time lags. Explain the causes of these time lags. (6 pts)

Some ecologists argue that Batesian mimicry should be considered as an interspecific interaction in the same category as predation and parasitism. Explain the basis of this argument. (4 pts)

The ham hawk is a predatory bird that feeds exclusively on wild pigs. It hunts by sitting motionless on a concealed perch, waiting for a pig to wander by. Would piglets be more vulnerable than adult pigs to capture by the ham hawk? Explain. (3 pts)

Recent research suggests that the relationship between oxpeckers and ungulates may not be mutualism, as previously thought. If so, then what interspecific interaction might characterize the oxpecker/ungulate relationship? Explain. (2 pts)

Below are the age structures of two populations. Describe what these data tell you about the future size of each population (increasing, decreasing, no change) and why. (5 pts)

Social behavior is a trait found in many vertebrates, but how it evolved is unclear. Briefly describe two hypotheses that explain the evolution of social behavior. (4 pts)

Desert tortoises are rare, and one possible cause is competition with cattle for food. Recently, however, Vern Bostick published a paper claiming cattle and tortoises do not compete because they eat different foodscattle eat grasses and tortoises eat cattle dung. Bostick provided no data in support of this claim. You have been hired as an ecologist to answer the following questions. (8 pts) 1. What is the name of the interspecific interaction between cattle and tortoises that Bostick has described? 2. If, in fact, cattle eat grasses and tortoises eat dung, then is it true that they do not currently compete for food? Explain. Niche partitioning but dont conclude mutualism But they could still be in competition 3. Describe the approach you would use to determine if cattle and tortoises are competing for food. Character displacement analysis See desert tortoises preference by separating the tortoise from cattle and making grass available