B.F. Bachelor of Forestry Bachelor of Forestry Forest Ecosystem 3

Question 1

Which ecological concept describes the maximum population size that a forest ecosystem can sustainably support?

Accepted Answer

Carrying capacity

Answer

Niche breadth

Answer

Ecological footprint

Answer

Resilience threshold

Question 2

A forest manager notices that soil respiration rates spike sharply after a summer rainstorm following drought. This phenomenon is called:

Accepted Answer

The Birch effect

Answer

Frost heaving

Answer

Petrichor release

Answer

Priming effect

Question 3

In which forest zone does photosynthesis typically exceed respiration on an annual basis, making it a net carbon sink?

Accepted Answer

Young aggrading second-growth forest

Answer

Subalpine krummholz zone

Answer

Mature old-growth temperate forest

Answer

Early post-fire pioneer stage

Question 4

What role do woodpeckers play in forest ecosystem function beyond foraging for insects?

Accepted Answer

They create cavity habitat used by secondary nesters

Answer

They disperse mycorrhizal spores

Answer

They accelerate nutrient cycling in soil

Answer

They reduce bark beetle outbreaks through direct predation alone

Question 5

Which term describes the functional role of a species within its ecosystem, including its resource use and interactions?

Accepted Answer

Niche

Answer

Guild

Answer

Biome

Answer

Ecotone

Question 6

Allelopathy in forest ecosystems refers to:

Accepted Answer

Chemical inhibition of neighboring plants by a species

Answer

Mutualistic nutrient exchange between tree roots

Answer

The vertical stratification of vegetation layers

Answer

Symbiotic nitrogen fixation by root bacteria

Question 7

In forest ecology, the term 'snag' refers to:

Accepted Answer

A standing dead or dying tree

Answer

A dense shrub thicket impeding regeneration

Answer

A seed caught in a rock crevice

Answer

A low-lying area prone to flooding