Ecological Relationships

The cleaner wrasse, a small marine fish, periodically cleans harmful parasites from the mouth and body of the moray eel. The moray, in turn protects the wrasse from larger predators and provides it with a constant supply of food. This is an example of what type of relationship?

• Mutualism

• Parasitism

• Competition

• Commensalism

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NGSS.MS-LS2-2

In Florida, bluebirds and sparrows inhabit nearly the same ecological niche. In many areas, bluebirds are being replaced by the sparrows as the result of which process?

• Symbiosis

• Mutualism

• Competition

• Equilibrium

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Symbiotic relationships are an important component of life. Which of the following relationships are most similar to the relationship between fleas and a dog?

• Honeybees and a flower

• Shark and a remora fish

• Sea anemones and clownfish

• Athlete’s-foot fungus and a human

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NGSS.MS-LS2-2

Honeybees are important pollinators of flowers. Mites that live in the bodies of bees can attack honeybee colonies. Some birds, amphibians, and insects eat honeybees. Which of the following relationships is NOT included in the description above?

• Parasitism

• Mutualism

• Commensalism

• Predator-prey

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NGSS.MS-LS2-2

Mangrove trees are common to the Florida Everglades. The tree roots serve as a place for freshwater oysters to attach when the tide is high, as shown in the picture below. The oysters are protected from predators when attached to the roots underwater. The oysters do not harm the trees, nor do they provide any benefit to the trees. Which of the following relationships is most similar to the relationship between the mangrove trees and the oysters?

• African ants living in acacia trees feed on leaf-eating insects found on the tree.

• Spider crabs are camouflaged by the green-brown algae growing on their shells.

• A whale is unaffected by the attached remora fish feeding on the whale’s leftover food.

• Bees fly from one flowering plant to another gathering nectar and pollinating the flowers.

Which of the following relationships is most like the predator-prey relationship?

• Symbiosis

• Parasitism

• Mutualism

• Commensalism

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NGSS.MS-LS2-2

The diagram shows some organisms that live in one kind of seaside ecosystem. In this ecosystem, what organisms compete for the same resources?

• Dolphins and sandpipers

• Grasshoppers and crabs

• Sandpipers and seagulls

• Palm trees and sand-dune grasses

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NGSS.MS-LS2-1

The diagram shows some organisms that live in one kind of seaside ecosystem. Which of the following organisms would benefit the most from having patterns and coloration that help them blend in with the sand-dune grasses?

• Crab

• Sandpiper

• Palm trees

• Grasshopper

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The diagram shows some organisms that live in one kind of seaside ecosystem. Which of the following would be a mutualistic relationship between the parrot and the tree?

• The parrot makes holes in the tree to find insects.

• The parrot eats fruit from the tree, including the seeds of the fruit.

• The parrot eats fruit from the tree, and the parrot’s droppings fertilize the soil around the tree.

• The parrot’s droppings fertilize the soil around the tree, but the parrot does not make use of the tree.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-2

The graph shows the population of a group of rabbits in a restricted area studied over a period of 5 years. Which statement might explain why the population levels off as shown in the graph?

• The resources in the area ran out.

• Predators were introduced into the area.

• The rabbits began to fight with one another.

• Competition for resources limits the rabbit population.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4