Ecology Pre-Test

In all environments, organisms compete with others for resources in the area. Which of the following is a resource that is competed for among organisms?

• Food

• Water

• Shelter

• All of These

A plant that normally lives in the valley at the bottom of a tall mountain is moved and replanted near the top of the mountain. The plant still receives the same amount of sunlight and water at the new location.

Could this change in location harm the plant?

• No; sunlight and water are the only factors

  affecting a plant

• No; any kind of plant can live in any location

  as long as there is water and sunlight.

• Yes; no plant can live after being transplanted.

• Yes; colder temperatures at the higher

  altitude might reduce the plant’s ability to grow.

In an ecosystem, there are many factors

that affect how many organisms can survive there.

Which of the following is one of those factors?

• color of flowering plants

• age of mammal species

• availability of water

• number of times humans have seen the area

Hot weather has reduced the nectar content of milkweed plants that Monarch butterfly larvae depend on to eat. Which of the following is the limiting factor(s) to Monarchs in this example?

• high temperatures

• Monarch butterfly larvae

• high temperatures and nectar amount

  available

• Monarch butterfly larvae and milkweed

  plants

The carrying capacity of an ecosystem describes the maximum number of organisms that can be supported by the water, food, shelter, etc., which is available in that ecosystem.

What will be the most likely result if an ecosystem exceeds (goes over) its carrying capacity?

• The birth rate will increase.

• More food will be grown to meet the

  demand.

• More houses will be built to shelter people.

• The death rate will increase

A certain population of bluebirds eats spiders as a major food source.

Which of the following ecosystem changes would impact this population of bluebirds the most?

• an increase in the oak tree population

• a decrease in the number of daylight hours

• a decrease in the spider and insect

  population

• an increase in the rabbit population

The overall flow of energy through an

ecosystem is from

• decomposers to producers to consumers

• producers to consumers to decomposers.

• consumers to producers to decomposers.

• producers to decomposers to consumers.

Which population of organisms shown on the pyramid has the most available energy?

• grasshoppers

• grass

• hawks

• snakes

Which food chain below correctly represents

information shown in the food web above?

• sunlight→ grass → rabbit → fox

• sunlight → grass → mice → owl

• grasshopper → bird → grain → mice

• sunlight → carrot → bird → fox

An aquatic food web is shown above. Which of the following describes how energy is transferred between the crab and the seal?

• Energy is transferred from the crab to the seal.

• Energy is transferred from the seal to the crab

• Energy is not transferred between the crab and the seal.

• The crab and the seal both transfer energy to

  each other.