Chapter 3

A group of individuals that belong to a single species and that live together in a defined area is termed a(n)

• population

• ecosystem

• community

• biome

Which of the following is NOT true about matter in the biosphere?

• Matter is recycled in the biosphere

• biogeochemical cycles transform and reuse molecules

• the total amount of matter decreases over time

• water and nutrients pass between organisms and the environment

Which is a source of energy for Earth's living things?

• wind energy only

• sunlight only

• wind energy and sunlight

• sunlight and chemical energy

Which is a primary producer?

• algae

• lion

• human

• earthworm

Human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels, move carbon through the carbon cycle. Which other processes also participate in the carbon cycle?

• biological processes only

• geochemical processes only

• chemical processes only

• a combination of biological, geological, and chemical processes

What are the physical, or nonliving, components of an ecosystem called?

• abiotic factors

• temperate conditions

• biotic factors

• antibiotic factors

The diagram represents the amount of biomass and the numbers of organisms in an ecosystem. What can you conclude about the ecosystem from the pyramid of numbers shown?

• there are more first-level consumers than primary producers

• there are more third-level consumers than second-level consumers

• there are more producers than first level-consumers

• there are more second-level consumers than third-level consumers

The diagram represents the amount of biomass and the numbers of organisms in an ecosystem. What can you conclude about primary producers in the ecosystem based on the two pyramids shown?

• The primary producers in the ecosystem are probably very small organisms.

• There are no primary producers in the ecosystem.

• The primary producers in the ecosystem are probably large organisms.

• Decomposers in the ecosystem outnumber the primary producers in the ecosystem.

What ultimately happens to the bulk of matter in any trophic level of a biomass pyramid—that is, the matter that does not get passed to the trophic level above?

• It is destroyed

• It is passed to decomposers to be recycled back into the nonliving parts of the ecosystem

• It is passed to decomposers to be used up and released as heat into the universe

• It is used to create matter and energy for a neighboring ecosystem

The lowest level of environmental complexity that includes living and nonliving factors is the

• biome

• community

• ecosystem

• biosphere