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About This Drill
AP Biology — Unit 8 — Community Ecology & Disruptions — Drill 37 is a practice drill. It contains 5 original questions created by Brian Stewart, a Barron's test prep author with over 20 years of tutoring experience.
Practice analyzing community composition data and ecological succession in this AP Biology drill on Unit 8 community ecology. Interpret species cover changes following a disturbance, evaluate claims about invasive species dynamics, and apply the intermediate disturbance hypothesis.
Passage
Ecologists studying a temperate deciduous forest document plant community composition before and after a severe ice storm that damaged the forest canopy. They record percent cover for dominant species at three time points: pre-storm, one year post-storm, and five years post-storm.
| Species | Guild | Pre-Storm Cover (%) | Year 1 Post-Storm (%) | Year 5 Post-Storm (%) |
|---|
| Red oak (Quercus rubra) | Canopy tree | 38 | 12 | 29 |
| Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) | Canopy tree | 27 | 8 | 24 |
| Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) | Understory shrub | 11 | 9 | 13 |
| Blackberry (Rubus allegheniensis) | Pioneer shrub | 4 | 31 | 6 |
| Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) | Invasive forb | 2 | 18 | 4 |
| Trout lily (Erythronium americanum) | Forest floor forb | 8 | 3 | 9 |
Questions in This Drill
- Based on the table, which species most clearly exhibits pioneer characteristics following the disturbance?
- Garlic mustard increased from 2% to 18% cover in Year 1, then declined to 4% by Year 5. A researcher argues this pattern demonstrates that invasive species can exploit disturbance windows but are suppressed by recovering native communities. Which additional data would most strengthen this argument?
- The recovery of red oak and sugar maple cover between Year 1 and Year 5 represents which ecological process?
- A conservation biologist argues that the five-year post-storm community is not yet fully recovered because species composition still differs from pre-storm values. A second biologist argues the community is functionally recovered because canopy dominants have reestablished. Which reasoning best evaluates this disagreement?
- Which hypothesis about the role of disturbance in maintaining community diversity is most supported by the data in the table?