Ecology Quiz

What is the study of how living things interact with each other and their environment called?

• Biology

• Ecology

• Zoology

• Geology

Which term describes a group of similar organisms that can reproduce successfully?

• Community

• Population

• Species

• Ecosystem

What defines a community in ecological terms?

• A single species living in an area

• Non-living factors in an area

• All different populations that live together in an area

• A group of interacting ecosystems

What is an ecosystem composed of?

• Only living organisms

• Only non-living factors

• Both living and non-living factors

• Only abiotic factors

Which term is used to describe organisms that make their own food through photosynthesis?

• Consumer

• Decomposer

• Producer

• Carnivore

What is a food chain?

• A system of only plant-based food sources

• A series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten

• A group of animals living together

• A type of ecosystem

What does a food web represent?

• A single pathway of feeding relationships

• A system of interlocking and interdependent food chains

• A graphical representation of water sources

• The lifecycle of a single species

What is depicted by an energy pyramid in an ecosystem?

• The number of organisms at each feeding level

• The amount of water available at each trophic level

• The amount of energy that moves from one feeding level to another

• The geographical distribution of food sources

What does the term "carrying capacity" refer to in an ecological context?

• The maximum size of a population that an environment can sustain indefinitely

• The rate at which a population increases in size

• The minimum number of species required for ecological balance

• The amount of water an ecosystem can store

What is biomagnification?

• The process by which the concentration of toxins increases in the tissues of organisms at successively higher levels in a food chain

• The reduction of toxic substances in an organism's body over time

• The increase in size of an organism due to nutrient availability

• The natural decomposition of organic materials in the environment