Biology Multiple Choice Questions on “Ecological Succession – 1”.
1. Which of the following is an important characteristic of all communities?
a) All individuals grow at the same rate
b) Composition and structure constantly changes
c) Composition and structure remains constant
d) Communities are static in nature
Answer: b
Clarification: Constant change in composition and structure due to change in environmental conditions is a characteristic of all communities. A group of populations is known as a community. It is a group of people who share the same place or live within the same area.
2. How is the change in communities?
a) Orderly and sequential
b) Parallel
c) Perpendicular
d) Random
Answer: a
Clarification: The changes in the community are constant, orderly and sequential. These changes are usually parallel with the changes occurring in a physical environment surrounding the community.
3. What do the changes in a community that is in near equilibrium with the environment lead to the formation of?
a) Mixed community
b) Climax community
c) Total community
d) Naive community
Answer: b
Clarification: The changes in the community are constant, orderly and sequential. The changes in a community that is in near equilibrium with the environment lead to the formation of a climax community.
4. What is the predictable and gradual change in the species composition of a given area called?
a) Environmental issues
b) Climax community
c) Pioneer community
d) Ecological succession
Answer: d
Clarification: A series of changes take place in biotic communities during their natural development. The changes in the community are constant, dynamic, orderly and sequential. Ecological succession is the gradual change in the species composition of a given area which can be predicted.
5. What phenomenon occurs during an ecological succession?
a) All species disappear
b) All species survive
c) Some species grow while other species decline
d) Species grow at the same rate
Answer: c
Clarification: Ecological succession is the gradual change in the species composition of a given area which can be predicted. During an ecological succession, some species colonize and grow while other species decline or disappear.
6. What is the successively changing sequence of communities in a given area called?
a) Succession
b) Sere
c) Issue
d) Community
Answer: b
Clarification: The communities in a given area having successively changing sequences are known as a sere. A sere is an intermediate or a halfway stage occurring during ecological succession in an environment progressing towards its climax community.
7. What are the individual transitional communities called?
a) Seral issues
b) Seral succession
c) Seral ecosystem
d) Seral communities
Answer: d
Clarification: The communities in a given area having successively changing sequences are known as a sere. Seral communities are the individual transitional communities of a sere that develop in that area during the succession.
8. What is a seral community alternatively called?
a) Seral succession
b) Seral ecosystem
c) Seral stage
d) Seral issues
Answer: c
Clarification: A seral community is alternatively known as a seral stage. Seral communities are the individual transitional communities of a sere that develop in that area during the succession.
9. How are seral stages when there is an increase in the number of species, change in the diversity of species and an increase in the total biomass?
a) Disordered
b) Random
c) Alternative
d) Successive
Answer: d
Clarification: The successively changing sequence of communities in a given area is known as a sere. The seral stages are successive when there is an increase in the number of species, change in the diversity of species and an increase in the total biomass.
10. How many years has succession occurred so that the present-day communities are observed?
a) 10 years
b) 2 years
c) Millions of years
d) Hundreds of years
Answer: c
Clarification: Ecological succession is the gradual change in the species composition of a given area which can be predicted. The communities we observe today are the result of millions of years of ecological succession.
11. How were the processes of succession and evolution millions of years ago?
a) Perpendicular
b) Parallel
c) Intersecting
d) Random
Answer: b
Clarification: The communities we observe today are the result of millions of years of ecological succession and evolution. The processes of succession and evolution acted parallel millions of years ago.
12. Which factors influence a biotic community?
a) Biotic and chemical factors only
b) Biotic and geographical factors only
c) Biotic, physicochemical and geographical factors
d) Geographical factors only
Answer: c
Clarification: Many factors are responsible for making changes in the biotic community. Various biotic, physicochemical and geographical factors influence a biotic community. These changes may lead to an increase or decrease in the number of species.
13. How many types do an ecological succession has?
a) Three types
b) Two types
c) Four types
d) Five types