ecological succession

Which stage of the ecosystem has the greatest long-term stability?

• A

• B

• C

• D

If the hardwood forest was burned in a forest fire, leaving bare soil, which group of plants would most likely be the first to grow back?

• Hardwood forest

• Pine forest

• Grasses

• Shrubs

Which statement correctly describes a stage in this process?

• The grass stage is the most stable stage and exists for thousands of years.

• The shrub stage modifies the ecosystem, making it more suitable for the pine forest.

• The pine forest stage has no biodiversity and the least competition.

• The hardwood forest stage will be replaced by a pine forest

Which graph best shows the relationship between the amount of biodiversity and the number of different populations in an ecosystem?

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4

Which organisms would most likely be harmed the most by the changes that occurred between these stages?

• trees

• fish

• raccoons

• rabbits

What is the correct sequence of these stages?

• B → A → D → C

• C → B → A → D

• A → D → C → B

• D → A → C → B

Which statement describes an event in this process?

• Community B modifies the environment, making it suitable for community C.

• Community D modifies the environment, making it suitable for community C.

• Community E will develop into community A, if the environment remains stable.

• Community A organisms will develop directly into community D organisms.

A forest fire burned all the trees on the land in 1955. Assuming no human interference, climate changes, or natural disasters, the plant species you would expect to see on this land in 2010 would most likely be

• grasses

• shrubs and briars

• birch and cherry trees

• beech and maple trees

Abandoned farmland that once grew corn is now covered with bushes and small trees. These observed changes resulted directly from

• evolutionary change

• loss of biodiversity

• ecological succession

• selective breeding

When a natural disaster destroys a stable ecosystem, the area is temporarily less stable than before. This is most likely due to

• an increase in the number of species

• an increase in the number of food chains

• a decrease in biodiversity

• a decrease in the rate of mutation