Bio CFA 2

Which of the following best describes the role of decomposers in an ecosystem?

• They convert solar energy into chemical energy.

• They break down dead organisms, returning nutrients to the soil.

• They compete with producers for sunlight.

• They are the top predators in a food web.

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A population of rabbits in a meadow increases rapidly for several years, then levels off. Which factor most likely caused the population growth to slow down?

• Increased birth rate

• Unlimited food supply

• Limited resources such as food and space

• Decreased predation

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Which statement best explains why energy decreases at each trophic level in a food chain?

• Energy is created at each level.

• Energy is lost as heat due to metabolic processes.

• Energy is recycled completely by decomposers.

• Energy increases as it moves up the food chain.

Which human activity is most likely to decrease biodiversity in a forest ecosystem?

• Planting native trees

• Introducing invasive species

• Practicing selective logging

• Establishing protected areas

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Given a food web with grass, grasshoppers, frogs, snakes, and hawks, predict what would most likely happen if the frog population drastically decreased.

• The grasshopper population would decrease.

• The snake population would increase.

• The grass population would decrease.

• The grasshopper population would increase.

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A scientist observes that a lake’s fish population is declining. Using evidence, which hypothesis best explains how increased fertilizer runoff from nearby farms could be causing this decline?

• Fertilizer runoff increases water temperature, making it unsuitable for fish.

• Fertilizer runoff causes algal blooms, which reduce oxygen levels and harm fish.

• Fertilizer runoff attracts more predators to the lake.

• Fertilizer runoff directly poisons the fish.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-1

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Analyze the impact of removing a keystone species, such as sea otters, from a kelp forest ecosystem.

• The kelp population would increase due to less predation.

• The sea urchin population would decrease, leading to more kelp.

• The kelp population would decrease due to unchecked sea urchin grazing.

• There would be no significant change in the ecosystem.

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A city plans to build a new highway through a wetland. Evaluate which conservation strategy would best minimize the impact on local biodiversity.

• Relocating all animal species to a different wetland

• Constructing wildlife corridors to connect fragmented habitats

• Draining the wetland before construction

• Planting non-native trees along the highway

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NGSS.MS-LS2-4

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A population of deer exceeds the carrying capacity of its environment. Predict the most likely outcome for the population over time.

• The population will continue to grow indefinitely.

• The population will crash due to resource depletion.

• The population will remain stable at the higher level.

• The population will migrate to a new area and increase.

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12.A

The ocean sunfish is a large, flat fish that spends most of its time in deep water feeding mainly on jellyfish. Sunfish often have many species of copepods, small crustaceans that bury their heads into the soft tissue of the sunfish. Sunfish will swim to the surface of the water and lie sideways allowing seabirds to eat the copepods from their skin. Match the organism to the correct description of how each organism is related to the sunfish.

• Mutualism

• Copepods

• Predation

• Seabirds

• Parasitism

• Jellyfish

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