Basic Ecology Terms

Multiple Choice

What type of organism makes its own food?

• consumer

• carnivore

• producer

Multiple Choice

From where do producers get their energy?

• the ground

• the sun

Multiple Choice

Plants and animals are often referred to as?

• Organism

• Things

Multiple Choice

Which terms best describe autotrophs?

• Plants; producers
• Animals; producers
• Plants; consumers
• Animals; consumers

Multiple Choice

From where do autotrophs obtain their energy?

• The sun
• Other organisms

Multiple Choice

What is another name to describe an autotroph?

• Consumer
• Producer

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is a consumer?

• flower
• mushroom
• human
• grass

Multiple Choice

Deer and rabbit can both be found in forest ecosystems.  How are these two animals similar?

• They are both producers
• They are both consumers
• They are both decomposers

Multiple Choice

Detritivores have mouth parts.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

An organism that eats small bits of broken-down matter from organisms that were once alive is called a ___________________.

• Detritivore

• Decomposer

• Omnivore

• Scavenger

Multiple Choice

Which type of organism is responsible for recycling the remains of a dead plant or animal to the soil?

• Producer
• Consumer
• Decomposer

Multiple Choice

Which groups describes only decomposers?

• spiders, fungi, grass
• ladybug, deer, duck
• worm, trees, sunflower
• fungi, bacteria, and worms

Multiple Choice

Where do all life forms get their energy?

• Earth's Core
• Water
• Plants
• The Sun

Multiple Choice

Recently, a family of bobcats moved into an area with a large rabbit population. What changes may occur in the ecosystem?

• The rabbit population may increase
• The rabbit population may decrease
• The rabbit population may increase first, then decrease
• The rabbit population will remain the same

Multiple Choice

Where does the energy start in this food chain?

• Plant
• Sun
• Deer
• Wolf

Multiple Choice

All food chains begin with a...

• grass

• producer

• consumer

• decomposer

Multiple Choice

Use the diagram answer the question.
What is a fitting description for this diagram?

• A Food Chain
• An Ecosystem
• A Food Web
• Biotic and Abiotic Factors

Multiple Choice

Use the diagram to answer the question.
The Mayfly is a food source for which 3 organisms?

• Frog, Dragon Fly and snake
• Frog, trout and dragon fly
• Frog, salamander and trout
• Frog and phytoplankton

Multiple Choice

In this Food Web Pyramid what is the proper name for the organisms above the producer level at the bottom.

• herbivores
• consumers
• carnivores 
• omnivores

Multiple Choice

Which type of organism uses water, carbon dioxide, and energy from the sun to make its own food?

• Producer

• Consumer

• Decomposer

Multiple Choice

Study of interactions between organisms and their environment 

• niche
• community 
• ecology
• ecosystem

Multiple Choice

Non-living factor that affects an ecosystem

• biotic factor
• abiotic factor
• food chain 
• biome

Multiple Choice

Organisms that obtains its energy from abiotic sources, such as sunlight or inorganic chemicals

• Autotroph
• Heterotroph
• Omnivore
• Carnivore

Multiple Choice

Mice might grow in population and destroy the community by eating all of the berry bushes if

• wolves and snakes were removed from the food web

• another predator migrated in to the community

• the snake population grew

• none of these

Multiple Choice

These organisms are often not shown in a food chain, but are important for recycling nutrients

• producers

• decomposers

• primary consumers

• carnivores