Ecology Review Test

Stone Mountain is a popular park in the Metro Atlanta area. A geologist visited the park and snapped a picture from the peak of the mountain and began discussing with their colleague about the type of succession occurring.

Geologist A stated that primary succession was occurring on the granite rock face.

Geologist B stated that secondary succesion was occurring on the granite rock face.

Which argument and reasoning best supports the correct scientist?

• Geologist A is correct; this is because the observation no pre-existing soil and will likely have lichen and moss inhabit the area first.

• Geologist A is correct; this is because the observation shows vegetation growing on pre existing soil.

• Geologist B is correct; this is because the observation shows vegetation growing directly out out of the rock face without any pre existing soil.

• Geologist B is correct; this is because the observation shows vegetation growing on pre existing soil.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Every spring in the southeastern United States, strong thunderstorms are common. Frequently they lead to tornadoes which can have a significant impact on the environment such as uprooting trees. Based on this evidence, which claim would most likely be included in an argument that describes the change that the ecosystem would experience after a tornado moved through?

• Grasses and small shrubs would be the first plants to begin growing from the seeds that are in the soil.

• Pine trees would grow quickly, out-competing all other plants in the area, becoming the dominant plant type.

• Lichen would secrete chemicals onto the rock that they are attached to, breaking it down into smaller pieces.

• Hardwood trees such as oak and maple would begin growing to replace the ones that were uprooted.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Biodiversity

• a stable community that no longer goes through major ecological changes

• variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem

• a dramatic increase in population over a short period of time; J-curve

• largest number of individuals in a population that a given environment can support

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

NGSS.MS-LS2-5

Biomagnification

• the increased concentration of pollutants at each step up a food chain

• environmental factors that limit the growth and size of a population

• limiting factor that affects all populations in similar ways, regardless of population size, such as natural disasters and drought

• an organism that has a large effect on it's ecosystem

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS2-4

Which event would not be a threat to biodiversity in an ecosystem?

• Deforestation

• Biomagnification

• Habitat preservation

• Habitat fragmentation

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-5

In the nitrogen cycle, the transformation of atmospheric nitrogen into nitrogen-containing compounds is performed primarily by which organisms?

• Fungi

• Green plants

• Bacteria

• Herbivores

Which process contributes to the high amount of pollutants found in birds of prey, such as eagles and hawks?

• predation.

• chemical cycling through an ecosystem.

• eutrophication.

• biomagnification

Pioneer Species

• the total mass of organisms in a given area or volume

• the first organism to live in a previously uninhabited area

• an organism that has a large effect on it's ecosystem

• occurs after a disturbance that destroys a community without destroying the soil; soil is present

Energy Pyramid

• each individual step in a food chain or web

• diagram showing the relative amounts of energy/matter at each trophic level

• an organism that makes its own food

• organism that breaks down and obtains energy from dead organic matter

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

10,000 kJ of energy is available from a producer in a food chain. How much energy is obtained by the secondary consumer and what is the remaining energy used for?

• 100 kJ of energy is available to the secondary consumer, the rest of the energy is stored as fat

• 1000 kJ of energy is available to the secondary consumer, the rest of the energy is released as heat

• 1000 kJ of energy is available to the secondary consumer, the rest of the energy is stored as fat

• 100 kJ of energy is available to the secondary consumer, the rest of the energy is released as heat

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3