Ecology STAAR Questions

Whitetip reef sharks spend most of the day lying on the ocean floor. While remaining still, these sharks pump water across their gills.

The movement of water across their gills is necessary for —

• staying cool

• accessing food

• obtaining oxygen

• avoiding predators

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The strangler fig is a vine that starts out as a seed in the tree canopy of the rain forest. It drops its roots down from the canopy to the forest floor.

By sprouting in the rain-forest canopy, the strangler fig seedling is exposed to more

• sunlight

• soil

• nutrients

• consumers

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Four students were asked to create a graph representing a typical predator–prey relationship. Which graph shows a situation in which the number of predators in a population depends on the number of prey?

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How does this chemical help black walnut trees compete with plants growing nearby?

• By attracting herbivores to the other plants

• By suppressing the growth of the other plants

• By increasing the photosynthesis rates in the other plants

• By limiting the amount of water available to the other plants

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The graph below shows the range of water conditions preferred by three species of fish in an Ozark stream.

Water with which of these conditions would cause the most competition for resources among all three species of fish?

• Very cold, very clear, and very fast

• Very warm, very clear, and very slow

• Mild temperatures, some suspended particles, flows very fast

• Mild temperatures, some suspended particles, flows at a medium speed

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The Prairies Region and the Cross Timbers are located in north-central Texas. The graph below shows information about eating habits of white-tailed deer in these regions. A Cross Timbers rancher is concerned about competition between the ranch animals and the deer. Based on the graph, which ranch animals compete for the most food with white-tailed deer?

• Cattle that eat grass and feed

• Goats that eat weeds and shrubs

• Turkeys that eat seeds and fruit

• Hogs that eat fruit, seeds, and feed

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Fish in a lake have to compete for space. Different fish have different optimal temperature ranges. The graph below shows the temperature ranges of four fish species. At which temperature range will there be the most competition for space among these fish species?

• 5°C to 10°C

• 10°C to 15°C

• 15°C to 20°C

• 25°C to 30°C

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The Couch’s spadefoot lives in Texas and has the characteristics listed below.

The Couch’s spadefoot is adapted to a certain type of environment. Which of these resources is most likely scarce in this environment?

• Soil

• Sunlight

• Water

• Oxygen

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Animals from two different species utilize the same source of nutrition in one area. It is most accurate to say that the animals…

• will learn to get along

• will compete for food

• will die because there will not be enough food for both of them

• will learn to eat different foods

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A scientist added bacteria and a nutrient medium that could support the growth of the bacteria to a sterilized petri dish. No other materials were added. The graph models growth of the bacteria over time. Which of these most likely explains why the bacterial population stopped growing?

• The bacteria competed for nutrients and died after all the nutrients were consumed.

• The bacteria did not reproduce in the system, and eventually each individual died at the end of its life cycle.

• The bacteria mutated from photosynthetic to carnivorous organisms and consumed one another until all the individuals were dead.

• The bacteria became diseased and were unable to survive in the closed system.

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