Environmental Science Stability & Change in Ecosystems SEV2

Without the greenhouse effect, Earth’s atmosphere would be _____ to support life.

• too hot

• too cold

• too wet

• lacking the oxygen

Which of the following plants is likely to be a pioneer species for primary succession?

• lichen

• grass

• shrub

• oak tree

What kind of natural disaster helps some forest communities by allowing some trees to release their seeds, by clearing away deadwood, and by encouraging new growth?

• fire

• flood

• windstorm

• drought

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Where would an ecologist be least likely to go to study primary succession?

• a new island formed by a volcanic eruption

• a gravel-filled valley that had been covered by a glacier until recently

• a locked, abandoned asphalt parking lot in New York City

• the Amazon Rain Forest

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-2

Which statement describes how humans are affecting the balance of carbon in the atmosphere?

• Fewer agricultural crops are planted, reducing the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.

• Burning fossil fuels in great quantities has increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

• Overgrazing of grasslands has reduced the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

• Severe drought in large areas of the world has decreased the amount of carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS2-6

NGSS.HS-ESS3-5

NGSS.HS-ESS3-6

Succession is possible because

• climates change over time.

• it is a rapid and chaotic process that is very difficult to control.

• existing plants reproduce quickly.

• new species make the environment less suitable for previous ones.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Which of the following is an example of secondary succession?

• breaking down of bare rock by fungi and mosses

• pioneer plants begin to grow after glacial melting

• growth of plants after a forest is destroyed by fire

• appearance of weeds in cracks in a concrete surface

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-2

Which of the following is not a likely component of soil formed during primary succession?

• cast-off parts of shrubs and trees

• decayed lichens and bacteria

• dust particles from the air

• broken bits of stone and rock

What type of vegetation would you expect to find on an abandoned farm that has remained undisturbed for 150 years?

• short grasses

• shrubs

• young pine trees

• tall, mature oak trees

What type of succession occurs after a natural process such as an effusive volcanic eruption?

• primary succession

• secondary succession

• old-field succession

• climax community