Ecological Interactions Review

Wolves prey heavily on beavers in a temperate forest ecosystem. The diet of beavers consists of the leaves, branches, and bark from trees, as well as many types of aquatic vegetation (plants in the water). In this relationship, what is the role of the wolves? (It may be helpful to identify the roles of each organism in this question before selecting your answer.)

• producer

• decomposer

• primary consumer

• secondary consumer

Imperial shrimp attach themselves to sea cucumbers for transportation. The interaction saves energy and improves food availability for the shrimp. The sea cucumber is not affected by the interaction. What type of interaction exists between the shrimp and the sea cucumber?

• commensalism

• competition

• mutualism

• parasitism

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-2

Which of the following interactions is an example of parasitism?

• Alligators prey and feed on birds living in the Everglades.

• Bees gather nectar from flowers and at the same time pollinate them.

• Isopods attach under the scales of fish and feed on the blood of the fish.

• Barnacles live on the skin or shell of marine animals without affecting the host.

Which of these pairs of organisms provides the best example of mutualism?

• The brown pelican and the herring fish are both part of a beach ecosystem. The pelican eats the herring fish.

• The tapeworm gains shelter and nutrition from the intestines of a dog. The dog is harmed because it cannot absorb as many nutrients.

• The remora fish attaches to the body of a shark, gaining shelter, transportation, and leftover bits of food. The shark is neither harmed nor aided by the remora fish.

• The desert yucca plant can reproduce because it is pollinated by the yucca moth. The yucca moth depends on the yucca plant to provide shelter and food for its larvae.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-2

A food web shows how energy moves from one organism to another in an ecosystem. Students in a life science class created a diagram demonstrating a food web. Based on this food web, which of these organisms receives its energy from a primary consumer?

• caterpillar

• dandelion

• frog

• grasshopper

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-6

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

The image shows a food web in a Florida ecosystem, with arrows pointing to the consumer. A new organism moves into the ecosystem. Its major food source is the pine borer. Which animals in the food web will form a competitive relationship with the new organism?

• fox and hawk

• kinglet and fox

• salamander and kinglet

• squirrel and salamander

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

Lichens in a forest ecosystem are actually fungi and algae living together. The fungi benefit from food produced by the algae. The algae benefit from nutrients and water absorbed by the fungi.

Which of the following relationships is most similar to the interaction of the fungi and algae?

• mutualism between bees and flowers

• parasitism between mosquitoes and humans

• commensalism between birds and trees

• competition between algae and aquatic plants

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-2

As you move up the energy pyramid, only a small amount of energy is transferred from one level to the next. Approximately how much energy gets transferred from one level to the level above it?

• 5%

• 10%

• 15%

• 20%

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Which answer choice is correctly listed in order of smallest to largest?

• ecosystem, population, organism, community

• population, organism, community, ecosystem

• organism, population, community, ecosystem

• ecosystem, community, population, organism

Compare and contrast the three types of symbiosis.

• They are alike in that they all describe close relationships between two organisms. They are different because they each describe a different type of animal.

• They are alike in that they all describe close relationships between two organisms. They are different because they each describe a different combination of benefit and benefit/harm/neither for the organisms involved.

• The are alike in that all symbiotic relationships benefit both organisms. They are different because they can apply to many different pairs of organisms.

• They are alike in that all symbiotic relationships benefit only one of the two organisms involved. They are different in which organism in the relationships is benefited.