Fundamental Concepts in Ecology

An individual living entity that can react to stimuli, reproduce, grow, and maintain homeostasis is known as a(n) ________.

• Ecosystem

• Organism

• Population

• Community

Which of the following is a community of living organisms interacting with their physical environment?

• Population

• Ecosystem

• Organism

• Community

What is an assemblage of different populations that live together in a defined area called?

• Community

• Ecosystem

• Population

• Organism

Organisms that produce their own food through photosynthesis are called ________.

• Consumers

• Decomposers

• Producers

• Predators

Which organisms consume other organisms for energy?

• Producers

• Consumers

• Decomposers

• Predators

A linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another is called a ________.

• Food Web

• Food Chain

• Ecosystem

• Community

In mutualism, both species benefit. Which of the following is an example of mutualism?

• A) Bees and flowering plants

• B) Barnacles on whales

• C) Ticks on mammals

• D) Predators and prey

Fill in the blank: In commensalism, one species benefits while the other is neither helped nor ______.

• Harmed

• Benefited

• Eaten

• Destroyed

Fill in the blank: The nitrogen cycle is the process by which nitrogen is converted between its various ______ forms.

• Solid

• Liquid

• Chemical

• Physical

Which cycle involves the movement of oxygen within and between its three main reservoirs?

• Water Cycle

• Nitrogen Cycle

• Oxygen Cycle

• Carbon Cycle