BLArch Bachelor of Landscape Architecture Bachelor of Landscape Architecture Environmental Science Ecology 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which process best describes how soil organic matter improves soil structure?
- Increasing soil bulk density and compaction
- Binding soil particles into aggregates that improve aeration and water retention (Correct answer)
- Raising soil pH to neutral levels
- Inhibiting microbial decomposition activity
Correct answer: Binding soil particles into aggregates that improve aeration and water retention
Soil organic matter acts as a binding agent, creating stable aggregates that improve porosity, aeration, water-holding capacity, and overall soil tilth.
Question 2: The 'metapopulation' concept in conservation biology describes:
- A single large population in a continuous habitat
- A network of spatially separated subpopulations connected by migration (Correct answer)
- The total global population of a species
- A population that has reached carrying capacity
Correct answer: A network of spatially separated subpopulations connected by migration
A metapopulation consists of distinct local subpopulations linked by dispersal, with local extinctions offset by recolonization from other patches.
Question 3: Which US federal legislation most directly governs the protection of wetlands in landscape planning?
- National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
- Endangered Species Act (ESA)
- Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (Correct answer)
- Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
Correct answer: Section 404 of the Clean Water Act
Section 404 of the Clean Water Act requires permits for discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the US, including wetlands.
Question 4: In ecological terms, 'biomass' refers to:
- The number of individual organisms in an area
- The total mass of living organic matter in an ecosystem (Correct answer)
- The rate of energy transfer between trophic levels
- The diversity of species in a community
Correct answer: The total mass of living organic matter in an ecosystem
Biomass is the total mass of living organisms in a given area or volume, typically expressed in grams of dry weight per unit area.
Question 5: What distinguishes a climax community from earlier successional stages?
- It has the fewest species of any successional stage
- It is a stable, self-replacing community in equilibrium with its environment (Correct answer)
- It is dominated entirely by annual plant species
- It requires periodic disturbance to persist
Correct answer: It is a stable, self-replacing community in equilibrium with its environment
A climax community represents the stable endpoint of ecological succession, where species composition remains relatively constant over time without major disturbance.
Question 6: Which type of environmental impact assessment tool maps the overlay of multiple landscape constraints?
- Life cycle assessment
- McHarg's suitability analysis (Correct answer)
- LEED scorecard
- Rapid ecological assessment
Correct answer: McHarg's suitability analysis
Ian McHarg's suitability analysis overlays transparent maps of ecological, geological, and social constraints to identify land best suited for specific uses.
Question 7: What is the primary ecological function of decomposers in nutrient cycling?
- Converting inorganic nutrients into organic compounds
- Breaking down dead organic matter and releasing nutrients back to the soil (Correct answer)
- Transferring energy from producers to primary consumers
- Fixing atmospheric gases into bioavailable forms
Correct answer: Breaking down dead organic matter and releasing nutrients back to the soil
Decomposers like fungi and bacteria break down dead organic matter, mineralizing nutrients and returning them to the soil for uptake by plants.
BLArch Bachelor of Landscape Architecture Bachelor of Landscape Architecture Environmental Science Ecology 5
Which process best describes how soil organic matter improves soil structure?