In this blog you will find the correct answer of the Coursera quiz Ecology: Ecosystem Dynamics and Conservation Coursera Answer mixsaver always try to bring the best blogs and best coupon codes

Week- 1

Module One: What have you learned?

1. What are the characteristics of a savanna biome?

Trees form an open canopy, allowing enough light to reach the ground for grasses and herbaceous (non-woody) plants to cover the ground.
Trees form a closed canopy, so vegetation on the forest floor is sparse.
It is an open landscape with no trees and dominated by grasses.
None of the above

2. When most large herbivores are lost, the effects on the environment can be dramatic and cascading because:

Large herbivores shape ecosystems by creating paths to water sources, and smaller species follow their tracks.
Their hooves break up soil, which allows water to percolate deeper and exposes ground where seeds can germinate.
Their dung adds vital nutrients to the soil, supporting a higher diversity of plant species and more productive growth.
All of the above

3. Organismal ecologists study individual organisms and their adaptations to specific habitats and conditions. For example, in Gorongosa National Park, these scientists study:

the maximum number of waterbuck that can live within the Park’s boundaries
how many zebras need to be introduced to Gorongosa National Park in order to ensure genetic diversity
bats and how they use echolocation to find their prey in the darkness
how the presence of a termite mound changes or affects the community of plants and animals in the nearby area

4. The way a population of organisms is defined may depend on:

genetic criteria
geographic boundaries
behavioral interactions
any of the above, depending on what question the ecologist is asking or what approach they are using

5. There is considerable overlap between concepts, approaches, and principles in the different areas of study in ecology, but one way to organize the field is based on an ecological hierarchy. Please choose the answer below that reflects the hierarchy depicted in the figure.

organism, community, ecosystem, population, biosphere
population, community, landscape, ecosystem, biosphere
organism, population, community, ecosystem, biosphere
organism, population, ecosystem, community, biome

6. The intrinsic value of biodiversity refers to:

its inherent worth regardless of its use or benefit to humans
potential benefits, such as medicines and services that have yet to be discovered
how it shapes who we are, our relationships to each other, and our wider social norms
crucial services like pollination

7. A systems thinker will not:

seek root causes
look for patterns over time
pay attention to the parts and the whole, and ask about relationships to other events
react to individual problems as isolated occurrences

8. When we look through a systems “lens,” we see the world as elements and processes that connect and interact in dynamic ways to form a whole, whether we are looking at ecosystems, economies, or ourselves. The iceberg model (see figure below) is a useful visual tool to probe the structures and mental models that underlie system behavior and create patterns of events. If we want to change a system’s behavior, examining and investing in the root levels can have more lasting effects on how the system works than simply trying to respond around a particular event, or the “tip of the iceberg.” If the “tip of the iceberg” is that African elephants are considered vulnerable to extinction, what is an example of patterns (what trends do we see over time?) that underlie it?

The human economy is independent of finite natural systems.
Global demand for ivory is increasing.
Carved ivory objects are considered a symbol of high social status in some cultures.
The African elephant is the largest land mammal.

9. Dr. Pringle explains that the amount of certain vegetation types, like trees, can be determined by abiotic factors, such as rainfall. What can you conclude from this particular figure (Sankaran and colleagues 2005)?

Credit: Adapted by permission from Macmillan Publishers Ltd: Sankaran, M, et.al., Nature 438 (2005): 846

Drought suppresses tree growth at high annual rainfall.
At 700mm rainfall, woody cover hits the threshold of approximately 80%.
Biotic interactions suppress tree growth at low annual rainfall.
Rainfall hits a threshold at 700mm.

10. Dr. Pringle argues that savanna habitats are shaped by both abiotic and biotic factors. Which one of the following examples is not a biotic factor?