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AP®Environmental ScienceCollege BoardExam QuestionsUnit 3: PopulationsGeneralist & Specialist Species

Generalist & Specialist Species (College Board AP® Environmental Science): Exam Questions

7 mins7 questions
11 mark

Which of the following explains why generalist species often have a selective advantage over specialist species when habitats undergo changes?

  • Generalists can adapt to a wide range of environmental conditions, allowing them to survive in altered habitats.

  • Specialists are more efficient at utilizing a variety of resources, giving them a competitive edge in changing environments.

  • Generalists have a narrower range of tolerance, making them more susceptible to environmental changes.

  • Specialists can migrate to new habitats more easily than generalists.

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21 mark

The diet of the giant panda consists almost entirely of the leaves and stems of bamboo plants. They live in forests at high elevations. White tailed deer have adapted to living not only in forests but open prairies and suburban neighborhoods. They eat a variety of plant leaves, seeds and nuts. Which of the following best identifies the two species?

  • Giant panda have Type III survivorship; white tailed deer have type II survivorship.

  • Giant pandas are carnivores; white tailed deer are herbivores.

  • Giant pandas have a broad range of tolerance; white tailed deer have a narrow range of tolerance.

  • Giant pandas are specialist species; white tailed deer are generalist species 

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31 mark

Which of the following best describes a generalist species?

  • A species that thrives in a wide range of environmental conditions and utilizes a variety of resources.

  • A species that is adapted to a specific environment and relies on a narrow range of resources.

  • A species that feeds exclusively on a single type of food.

  • A species that migrates seasonally to different habitats.

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41 mark

Compared to a specialist, a generalist is more likely to:

  • Adapt to changing environmental conditions 

  • Be highly efficient at exploiting a single food source 

  • Have a very narrow range of tolerance for environmental fluctuations 

  • Be vulnerable to rapid environmental changes 

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51 mark

A specialist species is most likely to be at a disadvantage when:

  • They compete with other species that have broad resource requirements.

  • They live in stable environments where there is little competition.

  • They are able to adapt quickly to new environments and resources.

  • Environmental conditions change rapidly, making their specific resource requirements scarce.

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61 mark

Which of the following graphs best illustrates the difference between generalist and specialist species in terms of their ecological niches?

  • A graph showing both species with identical, narrow resource use patterns.

  • A graph showing a generalist species with a broad, overlapping range of resource use and a specialist species with a narrow, distinct range of resource use

  • A graph with a generalist species using a narrow niche and a specialist species using a broad niche.

  • A graph showing two specialist species with completely overlapping resource use patterns.

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71 mark

Racoons are  omnivores that  live in many environments, including forests, mountains, and cities. They eat fruit, nuts, insects, frogs, eggs, and human trash. Based on these characteristics, which of the following best identifies raccoons?

  • Keystone species

  • Endangered species

  • Generalist species

  • Indicator species

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