Ecosystem Stability

Dead zones are low-oxygen areas that develop on the seafloor. Scientists hypothesize that phytoplankton blooms cause these dead zones. Phytoplankton blooms occur when excess nutrients are introduced by pollution from fertilizers, sewage plants, and the burning of fossil fuels. Which of the following would most likely cause an increase in these contributors to dead zones?

• Rainfall patterns that increase freshwater runoff from terrestrial ecosystems

• Replacing coal-fired power plants with windmills

• Farming practices that reduce nitrate and phosphate applications

• Constructing efficient water-recovery and treatment plants

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Which of the following would be the most likely effect, if there were a sudden increase in the cricket population?

• There would be a decrease in the small bird population.
• There would be a decrease in the grass/flowers population.
• There would be a decrease in the mice population.
• There would be an increase in the grass/flowers population.

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Which best explains why many kinds of plants and animals can live together in an ecosystem?

• The plants and animals are all part of a food chain and depend on each other to live.
• Plants and animals are interdependent of one another.
• One species may overpopulate, killing all plant life.
• Over population of a species results in a biodiversity.

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What would most likely happen if an ecosystem no longer received sunlight?

• The number of herbivores would increase
• The number of plants would increase
• all organisms would adapt
• All living organisms would eventually die

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Examples of how humans negatively affect local ecosystems are

• Building dams, deforestation (cutting down trees), adding point sources to nearby streams to allow for run-off, building roads and structures, and salting roads.
• Creating laws to prohibit fishing from local streams.
• Planting trees and other plants to attract native species.
• Removing non-native species from the environment.

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What does biodiversity mean?

• Only one species in an area.
• The different amount of species in an area
• All abiotic life
• Nitrogen fixation

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In this tundra food web, if grasses were removed what would happen to the sustainability of the ecosystem?

• There would be an overpopulation of arctic hares and lemmings.
• Polar bears would move to a new ecosystem
• The ecosystem would collapse because it lost its main producer
• Wildflowers would die out from the ecosystem

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Globally, the leading cause of biodiversity loss is 

• invasive species
• poaching and overharvesting
• pollution
• habitat change and loss 

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What is an advantage of a biodiverse ecosystem?

• Can withstand changes in resources

• Can recover more quickly from a natural disaster

• Can withstand the immigration of a new predator

• all of the above

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Biodiversity leads to

• Increased Stability

• Decreased Stability

• Increased Exctintions

• Increased Endangered Species

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