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Please answer each question in the space provided. Use clear, concise sentences that focus specifically on the question asked. Make sure to answer all parts of the questions. Be specific -- use examples and explain their significance in your answer. Think carefully about what is being asked. You won't get a lot of credit for spewing marginally relevant information. Remember, it's not only what you know that counts...you must also communicate what you know clearly.
You may type your answers directly into the text boxes or draft them in your word processor and cut-n-paste them into the boxes. The latter method allows you to keep a copy of your answers...just in case something unlikely goes wrong with the submission. Regardless of the method you choose, please proofread your answer carefully. Careless errors in spelling, grammar, and typos will erode your point total. When you are done, hit the submit forms button below.
You may consult any written source that you choose (books, your notes, journal articles etc.) but you may not discuss the questions or your answers with any other person. However, I am happy to clarify questions if you aren't sure what is being asked, but I will not review your answer to see if you're on the right track. You are on your honor; please respect the trust we have put in you. If I encounter two exams that seem inappropriately similar, both students will receive a failing grade and the matter will be referred to the Deans. It really is easy to tell when you haven't done your own work, so please don't take the chance.
You must submit the exam by 5:00 pm on Thursday, November 29. All submissions are time-stamped, so don't wait until 4:59; get it done early.
Review your answers for clarity, spelling, and typos, then hit the "submit" button below to turn in your work. Press "reset form" only if you want to blank the form and start over.
1a. (5 points) What is the main goal of sustainable forestry practices?
1b. (10 points) What role do consumers play in the success of sustainable harvesting programs?
2. In the cladogram below, A, B, and C represent synapomorphies in the following clade.
2a. (10 points) Which synapomorphy played the greatest role in diversification in this lineage? Explain.
2b. (10 points) Someone has suggested to you that A, B, and C together constitute a complex adaptation. Describe the additional information you would need to test this hypothesis.
3. (15 points) What role does habitat heterogeneity play in controlling species richness? Explain using an example from the Pleistocene.
4. (20 points) Design an experiment to test the hypothesis that there is a linear relationship between species richness and ecosystem stability. Be specific. The successful answer will contain enough detail to actually perform the experiment.
5. (10 points) In developing the intermediate disturbance hypothesis, Joseph Connell compiled data from both coral reef communities and tropical forest trees. Similarly, in refining the theory of island biogeography, Robert MacArthur combined data on bird distributions with E.O. Wilson's compilation of Pacific ants. Why did these researchers compare such very different organisms?
6a. (10 points) Describe the influence that species-area relationships had on the development of nature reserves.
6b. (10 points) What did MacArthur and Wilson's theory of island biogeography add to our ability to design successful reserves?
Are you finished? Review your answers for clarity, spelling, and typos, then hit the "submit" button below to turn in your work. Press "reset form" only if you want to blank the form and start over.