Ecology Review

• Commensalism

• Mutualism

• Neutralism

• Parasitism

• Reduced nutrients from the land support fewer producers in the sea

• Water trapped behind the dam causes the marine ecosystem to move inland

• The flooding in August through November causes marine life to be destroyed

• The water temperature of the sea has increased

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• Snails

• Blind shrimp

• Protozoa

• Texas blind salamanders

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A student sets up a compost bin outdoors. Inside the bin microorganisms convert the student's vegetable and paper scraps into rich fertilizer. Which of the following best describes the role that these microorganisms play in natural habitats?

• balance the number of producers and consumers

• help keep nutrients cycling through the ecosystem

• turn solar energy into sugars

• function as autotrophs

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• tree-leaf replacement after storm

• repeated habitat destruction

• succession after a fire

• decreased species diversity

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The food webs below model relationships among the organisms in two ecosystems. Which ecosystem would be more likely to survive if a disease killed the grasses?

• The forest ecosystem, because most of the animals can eat other organisms.

• The grassland ecosystem, because several predators compete for food.

• The forest ecosystem, because it has three top predators.

• The grassland ecosystem, because it has many herbivores.

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Both primary and secondary begin with pioneer species that ___*

• change the area and make it safer from predatory organisms

• invade the area so that the new organisms cannot be established

• modify the area and allow larger and more complex organisms to appear

• use up all the existing resources and prevent establishment of non-native organisms.

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Some students take care of a vegetable garden. When it is time to plant in the spring, the students leave part of the garden empty in order to observe ecological succession. Which of these will most likely occur first?*

• Development of topsoil

• Growth of weeds and grasses

• Growth of trees and shrubs

• Development of a stream

Students in a science class visit four local ecosystems. The students observed the species present in each ecosystem and recorded their observations in the table. * Ecosystem 1: Grassy lawn on school property Observation: The grass is mowed often and kept short. Two sparrows foraged for food in the grass. No other animals were observed. Ecosystem 2: Small pond with cattails growing around the edge Observations: Two types of fish were seen in the pond. Tadpoles were swimming in the shallow areas. Large wading birds were seen feeding on tadpoles and crayfish. Ecosystem 3: Agricultural field Observations: Wheat plants are the only plants growing in the field. There were many insects. No predators were observed except for a single circling hawk. Ecosystem 4: Wooded area along a stream Observation: Fish, frogs, crayfish, insect larvae, and turtles were seen in the stream, and wading birds were eating small fish. Raccoon tracks were seen in the mud. Deer were moving through the trees. Many birds were seen feeding in the canopy of the woods. Based on these observations, which ecosystem is likely to be the least sustainable.

• Ecosystem 1, because it has the fewest species

• Ecosystem 2, because it includes both aquatic and terrestrial plants.

• Ecosystem 3, because it has few predators

• Ecosystem 4, because it supports many animals.

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An ecosystem that is not sustainable can break down when a natural disaster occurs. This can lead to organisms in the ecosystem either leaving the area or dying off.

• a greater number of plant species means that there is less barren land

• a greater variety of species present allows more organisms to adapt after changes occur

• the transition area between two ecosystems is narrower

• there are fewer species to be affected by environmental stresses

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