Unit 8 Test Review

Which takes longer, primary or secondary succession?

• Primary Succession

• Secondary Succession

Answer explanation

Primary succession occurs on previously uninhabited surfaces, like lava flows or bare rock, taking much longer to establish a community. In contrast, secondary succession happens in areas where soil exists, allowing for quicker recovery.

What are the species called that appear first during primary succession?

• Pioneer Species

• New Species

• Alpha Species

• Mature Species

Answer explanation

The species that first colonize barren environments during primary succession are known as Pioneer Species. They are crucial for initiating the ecosystem development process.

How do biodiversity and sustainability work together?

• The higher the biodiversity, the greater the sustainability.

• The lower the biodiversity the greater the sustainability.

• The higher the biodiversity, the less sustainable the ecosystem.

• Biodiversity has nothing to do with sustainability.

Answer explanation

Higher biodiversity enhances ecosystem resilience, productivity, and stability, leading to greater sustainability. Diverse species contribute to various ecological functions, making ecosystems more adaptable to changes.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-5

Which do you think has a higher species diversity biodiversity, a food chain or a food web?

• Food Chain

• Food Web

Answer explanation

A food web consists of multiple interconnected food chains, representing various feeding relationships in an ecosystem. This complexity allows for greater species diversity compared to a food chain, which is linear and simpler.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-5

What is pollination?

• A) The process by which plants reproduce with the help of animals such as bees and butterflies

• B) The process of recycling nutrients in an ecosystem

• C) The process of regulating the Earth's climate

Answer explanation

Pollination is the process by which plants reproduce, often facilitated by animals like bees and butterflies that transfer pollen from one flower to another, enabling fertilization. Thus, the correct answer is A.

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NGSS.MS-LS1-4

What abiotic factor would plants compete for?

• Food

• Sunlight

• Parasites

• predators

Answer explanation

Plants compete for abiotic factors like sunlight, which is essential for photosynthesis. Unlike food, parasites, and predators, which are biotic factors, sunlight is a non-living resource that directly affects plant growth.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

For what are the wildcat and the fox competing?

• Goat

• rabbit

• owl

• hawk

Answer explanation

The wildcat and the fox are competing for the rabbit, as it is a common prey for both animals. The other options, such as goat, owl, and hawk, do not represent typical competition between these two predators.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

The factors that limit the size of a population are:

• Ecos factor

• carrying capacity

• limiting factor

• abiotic number

Answer explanation

Limiting factors are environmental conditions that restrict population growth, such as food availability, predation, and disease. They determine the maximum population size an environment can sustain, making 'limiting factor' the correct choice.

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What might happen to the organisms in the food web below if the number of phytoplankton and vegetation drastically decreased?

• The small fish and wading birds would be affected.

• Only the small fish would be affected.

• The small fish, bivalves, and invertebrates would be affected.

• The entire food web would be affected.

Answer explanation

A drastic decrease in phytoplankton and vegetation would disrupt the base of the food web, affecting all organisms that rely on them for food, including small fish, bivalves, invertebrates, and wading birds. Thus, the entire food web would be affected.

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High biodiversity is ...

• having a lot of the same organism.

• having a few of the same organism.

• only having one of each organism.

• having a lot of variety of different organisms.

Answer explanation

High biodiversity refers to having a lot of variety of different organisms, which enhances ecosystem resilience and stability. The correct choice highlights this diversity, unlike the other options that suggest uniformity.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-5