Week 30 Ecology CFA

A team of ecologists observed feeding patterns of several populations in the desert. The energy pyramid shown below depicts the feeding patterns the ecologist observed. Which of the following best explains the difference in the amount of available energy in the trophic levels of the desert ecosystem?

• There is less energy available in the producers because their tissues are less dense than those at higher trophic levels.

• There is more energy available in the second trophic level because less energy is needed for hunting compared to the higher trophic levels.

• There is more available energy in the birds of prey because they have greater muscle mass for storing energy than organisms in lower trophic levels have.

• There is less available energy in the fourth trophic level because of the loss of energy through metabolism in each of the lower trophic levels.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Which of the following factors is least likely to affect the variety of organisms that live in a freshwater environment?

• mud depth

• oxygen levels

• water flow rate

• water temperature

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NGSS.MS-LS2-4

NGSS.MS-LS2-5

Energy flows from a lower trophic level to a higher level as organisms are consumed. Approximately how much energy is used for metabolic functions or is released as heat, and therefore is not available to the next trophic level of organisms?

• 90%

• 75%

• 30%

• 10%

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NGSS.MS-LS1-6

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

A diagram of a food web is shown at right. Which organism receives the least amount of energy from the producers?

• Hawk

• Rabbit

• Grasshopper

• Mouse

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NGSS.MS-LS2-2

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Complete burning of plant material returns carbon primarily to the...

• herbivores

• water

• vegetation

• atmosphere

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS2-6

NGSS.HS-LS2-5

In a process called transpiration, plants get rid of excess water through pores in the leaves called stomata. This excess water is then released into the atmosphere as part of the water cycle. Which of the following terms best describes how the released water enters the atmosphere?

• condensation

• precipitation

• evaporation

• capillary action

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

By what process is the carbon in fossil fuels released into the atmosphere?

• Combustion

• Decomposition

• Erosion

• Respiration

The framework of organic molecules essential to all organisms is composed mainly of carbon atoms. Which processes are involved in the cycling of carbon within an environment?

• photosynthesis and cellular respiration

• evaporation and condensation

• transcription and translation

• diffusion and transpiration

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-6

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Which of these organisms would most likely be found at the top of an energy pyramid?

• clams - a primary consumer

• evaporation and condensation

• sharks - a secondary consumer

• kelp - a primary producer

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

The diagram at right shows the cycling of nutrients in an ecosystem. The removal of which of the following groups would cause an immediate decrease in the amount of energy flowing through the system because this group makes up the beginning of all energy transfer in ecosystems.

• Producers

• Consumers

• Decomposers

• Inorganic nutrients

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-6

NGSS.MS-LS2-3