Ecology Unit 1 Slides Vocab

Multiple Choice

Which of the following best describes the field of ecology?

• The study of how living things interact with each other and their surroundings.

• The study of the human body and its organs.

• The study of chemical reactions in a laboratory.

• The study of planets and stars.

Open Ended

Why is it important to study how living things interact with each other and their surroundings?

Multiple Choice

Which of the following best describes an ecosystem?

• A group of the same kind of organisms living in an area

• Different groups of living things living in one place

• Living and non-living things in an area that work together

• All parts of Earth where life exists

Multiple Choice

How does a habitat differ from an ecosystem?

• A habitat includes only living things, while an ecosystem includes both living and non-living things.

• A habitat is the natural home for a specific organism, while an ecosystem includes all living and non-living things in an area.

• A habitat is larger than an ecosystem.

• A habitat and an ecosystem are the same.

Open Ended

Explain the difference between a population and a community.

Open Ended

Arrange the following ecological levels from smallest to largest: population, community, ecosystem, biome, biosphere.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following are included in the biosphere?

• Only land areas

• Only water areas

• All parts of Earth where life exists

• Only forests

Multiple Choice

Which of the following best describes the niche of an organism?

• The special role or job of a living thing in its environment.

• The place where an organism lives.

• The amount of food an organism eats.

• The number of offspring an organism has.

Multiple Choice

What is a producer in an ecosystem?

• A living thing that makes its own food.

• A living thing that eats other animals.

• A living thing that breaks down dead material.

• A living thing that lives in water.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is a consumer?

• A living thing that eats plants or other animals for food.

• A living thing that makes its own food.

• A living thing that breaks down dead plants and animals.

• A living thing that produces oxygen.

Multiple Choice

What is the main role of a decomposer in an ecosystem?

• To break down dead plants and animals.

• To produce food through photosynthesis.

• To eat other animals for food.

• To compete for sunlight.

Open Ended

Explain how energy moves through a food chain, using examples of producers, consumers, and decomposers.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following best describes a trophic level in an ecosystem?

• A level or step in a food chain or food web

• A type of animal in a habitat

• A measure of plant growth

• A type of ecosystem

Multiple Choice

How does an energy pyramid illustrate the flow of energy in a food chain?

• It shows how energy moves and decreases at each trophic level

• It shows the number of animals in each habitat

• It displays the types of plants in an ecosystem

• It shows the migration patterns of animals

Multiple Select

Which of the following are examples of limiting factors in an ecosystem?

• Availability of water

• Amount of sunlight

• Number of predators

• Type of soil

Open Ended

Explain the relationship between carrying capacity and limiting factors in an ecosystem.

Open Ended

Describe how predation can affect the population size of both predator and prey species in an ecosystem.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following best describes the relationship in mutualism?

• Both living things help each other.

• One living thing benefits and the other is harmed.

• One living thing benefits and the other is not affected.

• Both living things are harmed.

Multiple Select

Which of the following statements about symbiosis are correct?

• It is a close relationship between two living things.

• It always benefits both organisms.

• It can involve harm to one organism.

• It includes mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism.

Open Ended

Compare and contrast commensalism and parasitism. How does the effect on the second organism differ between these two types of relationships?

Multiple Choice

Succession refers to natural changes in plants and animals over time. Which of the following is NOT an example of succession?

• A forest regrowing after a fire

• A pond gradually filling in to become a meadow

• A bird building a nest in a tree

• Grasses growing in an abandoned field

Open Ended

Explain how biodiversity can affect the stability of an ecosystem.

Open Ended

After learning about ecology, what is one question you still have or something you would like to know more about?

Open Ended

What is one way that living things interact with their surroundings in an ecosystem?