Ecosystems

Which is a difference between the plant life of a rainforest and a deciduous forest?

• The deciduous forest has a warm climate year-round, while the rainforest has hot and cold extreme climates.
• The deciduous forest has the most diverse plant life of all ecosystems, while the rainforest plant life is scarce.
• The deciduous forest remains hot and wet year-round, while the rainforest has a yearly cycle of plant growth due to changes of seasons.
• The deciduous forest has yearly cycles of plant growth due to changes of seasons, while the rainforest remains hot and wet year-round.

Which is most accurate in describing an estuary ecosystem?

• High salt levels keep the water clear of nutrients and proteins.
• Freshwater mixes with saltwater to provide a nutrient-rich environment.
• Animals and plants compete for food due to pollution from surrounding areas.
• Cold water mixes with saltwater to create a cooling effect that encourages growth.

Which would best survive in a freshwater ecosystem that includes populations of frogs, turtles, and salamanders?

• clams
• crabs
• oysters
• snails

Which group includes only decomposers?

• spider, fungi, and grass
• ladybug, spider, and deer
• sunflower, tree, and grass
• fungi, bacteria, and worms

Which best explains how producers make their own food?

• Producers receive energy from rain and use it to produce water for their food.
• Producers receive energy from rain and use it to produce gases for their food.
• Producers receive energy from the sun and use it to produce water for their food.
• Producers receive energy from the sun and produce sugars for their food.

Which best describes the role of a first-level consumer in an ecosystem?

• Consumers eat producers and pass the energy along in an ecosystem.
• Consumers eat scavengers and pass the energy along in an ecosystem.
• Consumers eat decomposers and pass the energy along in an ecosystem.
• Consumers eat other consumers and pass the energy along in an ecosystem.

The average temperatures rise in an area, making a lake get warmer and warmer. This makes it impossible for plankton to survive in the lake. Which is the most likely result?

• The organisms that eat plankton will begin finding different food sources.
• The plankton will quickly adapt and be able to survive in the warmer water.
• The plankton will die, but the other organisms in the ecosystem will be unaffected.
• The food web within the lake will change, and other organisms may begin to die.

What would most likely happen to a native fish population if larger, non-native fish were introduced to a small pond ecosystem?

• The native fish population would decrease.
• The native fish population would increase.
• The native fish population would stay the same.
• The native fish population would become dominant.

When the prey population in an ecosystem increases, which will most likely happen to the predator population?

• The predator population will die out.
• The predator population will decrease.
• The predator population will gradually increase.
• The predator population will move to another ecosystem.

A developer buys land on a wooded mountain to build hotels for people visiting a new winter sports center. How will this most likely affect birds living in the area?

• Birds will become completely dependent on humans for food and water.
• Birds will have more places to build nests as more trees will be planted.
• Population diversity and the number of birds will increase as more food and water resources become available.
• Population diversity and the number of birds will decrease as fewer food and water resources become available.