Ecological Succession

Biomass is the amount of living material present in an environment. Biodiversity refers to the variety of living things that are present in an ecosystem. Which of the following would you expect to occur over time as ecological succession moves forward?

• increases in both biomass and biodiversity

• decreases in both biomass and biodiversity

Which of the following animal niches will be filled first as an ecosystem begins the stages of ecological succession?

• carnivore

• scavenger

• herbivore

New ground begins as barren rock. This rock is covered in lichens and mosses, and eventually soil forms. Which two processes are most responsible for forming this soil at the beginning of ecological succession?

• Subduction and Deformation

• Weathering and Decomposition

The diagram shows how one community of organisms replaces another until which of the following is reached?

• Climax community

• marine biome

Lava from a volcano cools and becomes new, barren land. If this land is completely barren, then it would contain –

• only abiotic factors

• neither abiotic or biotic factors

The diversity of animals increases alongside plants because larger plant communities provide

• more chemical energy in the food chain

• more sunlight to warm the ecosystem

What ecological factors changes throughout the process of succession and allows for the formation of a forest community?

• defense from attack by parasites

• the depth of the soil

A student counts 14 dogs in his neighborhood. When he reports this information to his classmates at school he will be telling them about the dog -

• population

• biome

Which of the sequences below is listed from the least complex to the most complex?

• organism → population → community → ecosystem

• population → organism → ecosystem → community

The temperature, amount of rainfall and mineral composition of the soil are all factors that can be used to describe -

• a community

• an ecosystem