Biology 1st Quarter Common Assessment

The papaya mealybug is a pest that poses a threat to many tropical plants.  Which fate of the mealybug would result from the inability of the species to reproduce?

• The species would mutate
• The species would increase
• The species would become extinct
• The species would continue to thrive.

Which abiotic factor limits the altitude at which plants can grow?

• the presence of a parasite
• the temperature of the area
• the presence of herbivorous animals
• the concentration of microbes in the soil

Recently there was a large fire that swept across the mountains in southern California.  Even though most of the black-tail deer that lived in the area are thought to have escaped the fire, this year the number of deer living in the area is much lower.  What factor would best explain the smaller population of the deer?

• There are now many more predators in the area
• There is less food for the deer so they moved out
• The deer are  having more offspring which attracts predators
• The deer were killed by hunters as they ran aways from the fire

Largemouth bass are considered to be predators of perch.  A local farmer went out to his pond one day to find many of the largemouth bass had died and were floating along the shoreline.  Somehow a disease that only affects the bass family has gotten into his pond and killed them, but the perch were not affected.  What would most likely happen in this aquatic ecosystem?

• The perch population will increase and then decrease as the food and space decline
• The perch population will continue to grow indefinitely since there are very few living bass that remain to keep them in check
• The bass popullation will continue to go down because the perch are eating most of the available food.
• The remaining bass population will quickly become very large fish since there is plenty of food and oxygen and the perch population will remain steady.

Which of these best describes mutualism?

• a relationship between two species where both species benefit
• a relationship between two species where neither species benefit
• a relationship between two species where one species benefits and the other is not affected
• a relationship between two species where one species benefits and the other species is harmed

The cattle egret (a bird) forages in pastures and fields among livestock such as cattle and horses, feeding on the insects stirred up by the movement of the grazing animals.  The egrets benefit from the arrangement, but the livestock are not affected.  What type of symbiotic is this?

• mutualistic 
• parasitic 
• commensalistic
• predator/prey

One example of a symbiotic relationship is that of the Oxpeckers (a kind of bird) and the rhinoceros or zebra.   Oxpeckers live on rhinos or zebras and eat ticks and other parasites that live on their skin.  The Oxpeckers get food and the beast  get pest control.  Also, when there is danger, the Oxpeckers fly upward and scream a warning. What type of symbiotic relationship is this?

• Mutualistic
• Parasitic
• Commensalistic
• Predator/Prey 

Tapeworms may attach to host humans in their intestines.  They constantly take in nutrients and the host is left tired, hungry, and sick.  What type of symbiotic relationship is this?

• Mutualistic
• Parasitic
• Commensalistic
• Predator/Prey

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-2

I saw to male deer fighting the other day.  They had their antlers tangles and were throwing one another around.  What kind of interaction is this?

• Competition
• Mutualism
• Parasitism
• Commensalism

A population of salamanders that live in a river require clear, fresh water to survive.  A flood causes tons of sediment to be suspended in the river.  Which of these most likely will happen to the salamander population?

• The salamanders will adapt to life on land
• The salamanders will move to another river
• The salamanders will adapt to living in muddy water
• The salamanders will decrease in number because of the water quality