8th Grade

• Data showing a steady change in the color of trees in this habitat between 1965 and 1985.

• Data showing that eventually there were no more dark-bodied moths after 1985.

• Data showing that in the years after 1985 the trend reversed leading to more dark moths.

• Data showing that, in 1965, the two forms migrated from different habitats.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-4

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A physical disruption to an ecosystem occurred when a highway was built through a forest. Which of the following would provide evidence that the addition of a highway to this forest affected populations?

• The amount of water runoff from higher elevations has increased after the highway was built.

• The trees that were not cut down during the construction of the highway have continued to grow.

• There are fewer species of nesting birds living in the forest after the highway was built.

• A greater area of the forest floor is now exposed to the sunlight after the highway was built.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-4

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The trout is a fish that lays its eggs in cold fresh water but spends some of its life in the ocean. Trout eat smaller fish. The graph provided shows the population of trout in the state of Wisconsin between the years 1999 and 2014. Which change to the ecosystem had the largest effect on the the population of trout in Wisconsin?

• A hard freeze of many of the lakes in Wisconsin in the winter of 2006

• The slow rise in lake temperatures in Wisconsin between 1999 and 2014

• The rise in population of smaller fish in Wisconsin lakes between 2010 and 2011

• A shift in ocean currents that occurred in 2000 and again in 2001

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NGSS.MS-LS2-4

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Which of the following would indicate the greatest problem with the health of an ecosystem?

• There has recently been a change in the ecosystem’s weather.

• The average temperature in the ecosystem has increased slightly over many years.

• The population of top predators increases and decreases in a regular pattern.

• The ecosystem includes only a few kinds of plants and animals.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-5

The chart below lists data on four different projects designed to restore a wetlands habitat destroyed by human activity and a recent hurricane. The project that will be chosen will have to be low in cost, benefit the greatest number of species, and be popular with the local citizens whose taxes will sponsor it. Based on the data and the criteria given, which project will be chosen?

• Project 1

• Project 2

• Project 3

• Project 4

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NGSS.MS-LS2-5

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Human activity can destroy coral reefs. Because so many organisms depend on the coral, this can have a negative effect on the ecosystem in shallow ocean waters. Which of the following solutions will most likely offer the best way for humans to repair the damage and improve the health of this ecosystem?

• Introduce non-native species into the shallow ocean that don’t depend on coral

• Design nets to catch the kinds of fish that use coral reefs as a food source

• Submerge large structures on which new coral reefs can form and grow

• Use submarines to gather data on the amount of coral reefs lost each year

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NGSS.MS-LS2-4

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A data table comparing several natural resources, their source, and their use is provided. Based on the information, which of the following would most likely be directly affected by deforestation?

• The price of certain kinds of jewelry

• The availability of some medications

• The cost of a gallon of gas

• The way some sodas are made

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NGSS.MS-LS2-4

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Changes to an ecosystem’s biodiversity can have a direct effect on humans because humans –

• inhabit all areas of the Earth’s ecosystems.

• use minerals from the ground to make things.

• rely mostly on solar power for energy.

• depend on the Earth’s natural resources.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-1

This pie chart provides data on the ways the corn grown in the United States is used. Each year, the United States produces about 33 million tons of corn. Assuming corn production remains constant, which of the following claims is supported by the information given here?

• Increased production of ethanol would reduce the amount of corn available for feeding humans and animals.

• Unless new ways to grow corn are developed, the United States will no longer be able to export corn.

• Less corn is needed to feed the animals humans eat than is needed to make food and drink for human use.

• All the ethanol used in the United States is made from corn that is imported from other countries.