Ecological Succession Quiz Review

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

• the appearance of weeds in cracks in a concrete surface

Which type of species is the first to occupy a bare site?

• primary

• invasive

• successive

• pioneer

Select the three that occur as ecological succession progresses.

• Soils that are rich in nutrients become deeper.

• Biodiversity decreases.

• Larger plants and animals inhabit the area.

• Pioneer species become dominant.

• .

  Sustainability increases.

After a fire in a Georgia oak forest, new growth occurs. Which process allows this to happen?

• succession

• competition

• predation

• symbiosis

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

• a new island formed by a volcanic eruption

• old farmland that is no longer used

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

• the Amazon Rain Forest

Which of the following was most likely the first stage of succession of this forest's development?

• trees

• shrubs

• lichens and mosses

• grasses

Why is biodiversity important to ecosystems?

• Biodiversity allows ecosystems to adapt to a changing environment.

• Biodiversity establishes the separate ecosystems within a biome.

• Biodiversity provides each organism with one specific role to ensure there is no competition.

• Biodiversity has created antibiotic-resistant bacteria and super pests which have prevented the extinction of some species.

Identify the situation that is most likely to lead to ecological succession.

• The fish populations in a large lake remain the same for many years.

• Hunters are allowed to hunt wolves, with no limits, for one season.

• The amount of industrialization increased in an area, resulting in the increased burning of fossil fuels.

• A farmer who has planted corn for many years retires, and the field is left abandoned.

As ecosystems move through the stages of succession, the populations of organisms in them change. Which of the following describes the stage of succession likely to have the most species diversity?

• A newly formed volcanic island

• An agricultural field that has not been plowed for one year

• A temperate forest that has never been cleared by logging

• A field that is regularly mowed