Module 6 Ecosystems and Living Things Review

In a certain swamp ecosystem, herons and snapping turtles feed on the same species of minnow. This will most likely result in —

• an increase in the minnow population.

• the development of a new type of predator.

• competition between the heron and the turtle.

• extinction of the snapping turtle.

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Which two organisms are most likely to compete for water, minerals, and sunlight?

• Pronghorn antelope and Bachmann's sparrow

• Green lynx spider and honey bee

• Texas walnut and cutleaf daisy

• Bald eagle and cutleaf daisy

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As global warming melts polar ice, fewer seals can be found in the Arctic. As a result, polar bears will most likely —

• increase in number as competition with the seals for food

• increases maintain a constant population by finding other sources of food

• decrease in number as their food source disappears

• migrate to tropical regions to follow the seals

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The Prairies Region and the Cross Timbers are located in north-central Texas. The graph below shows information about eating habits of white-tailed deer in these regions. A Cross Timbers rancher is concerned about competition between the ranch animals and the deer. Based on the graph, which ranch animals compete for the most food with white-tailed deer?

• Cattle that eat grass and feed

• Goats that eat weeds and shrubs

• Turkeys that eat seeds and fruit

• Hogs that eat fruit, seeds, and feed

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Lions and cheetahs prey on wildebeests that graze in the grasslands of the African savanna. What likely effect would increased rainfall over several rainy seasons have on the populations of wildebeests, lions, and cheetahs?

• All three populations would increase.

• The wildebeest population would decrease, and the lion and cheetah populations would increase.

• The wildebeest population would increase, and the lion and cheetah populations would decrease.

• All three populations would decrease.

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Industries have built many oil and gas platforms off the Texas coast. Coral reefs have formed underwater on many of the platforms. The formation of coral reefs on the platforms is —

• harmful because it increases competition between coral reefs.

• harmful because it decreases the likelihood that coral reefs will form in flat, muddy areas.

• helpful because it offsets the number of coral reefs lost to pollution.

• helpful because it prevents coral reefs from forming in flat, muddy areas.

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The Chihuahuan Desert of the United States and Mexico may be the most biologically diverse desert in the world. Extensive grazing has caused the flora and soil of this ecosystem to become more unstable. How has biodiversity affected the sustainability of this ecosystem?

• Biodiversity has prevented this ecosystem from being sustainable.

• Biodiversity has not changed this ecosystem's level of sustainability.

• Biodiversity has put this ecosystem at risk of being less sustainable in the future.

• Biodiversity has helped this ecosystem remain sustainable.

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Primary succession occurs when pioneer species move into an area that has no plants. Which organisms are common pioneer species?

• Conifer trees and tall grasses with roots that loosen the soil

• Grasses and weeds that arrive as seeds carried by the wind and then germinate in rich soil

• Mosses and lichens that can grow on rocky surfaces

• Vines and shrubs that help prevent the erosion of shallow soil

Percy slips on some slime growing on top of some rocks in a brook. He mistakenly calls the slime a plant because the slime is green. Like plants, the slime is made of eukaryotic cells. However, the slime belongs in the fungi kingdom. How does the slime differ from plants?

• The slime does not have nuclei in its cells, whereas plants have nuclei in their cells.

• The slime obtains its nutrients through absorption, whereas plants are autotrophs.

• The slime reproduces only sexually, whereas plants can reproduce sexually and asexually.

• The slime reproduces only asexually, whereas plants can reproduce sexually

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Some areas of an ocean are known as dead zones. These zones form when excess organic material decomposes. This increased decomposition uses up the oxygen from the water. Which human activity is most affected by the increasing number of dead zones in the ocean?

• Offshore oil drilling, because water in dead zones is toxic

• Commercial fishing, because fish cannot survive without oxygen

• Commercial shipping, because dead zones change the course of ocean currents

• Sand mining, because oxygen is not available to form the sands on ocean beaches

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