STAAR Practice Questions – Day 2

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Secondary succession occurs after a major disturbance to an existing ecosystem. Even though the area is altered, it is not completely lifeless. Which organisms would you most likely see return to the ecosystem first?

• small grasses and insects
• tertiary consumers like bears and eagles
• large hardwood trees
• secondary consumers like skunks and foxes

Based on the information on the chart, which organisms are able to produce genetically diverse offspring?

• Bacteria, oak trees, and flatworms
• Salmon, oak trees, and bears
• Salmon and bears only
• Bacteria and flatworms only

Decommissioned oil rigs are sometimes converted to artificial reefs in the Gulf of Mexico. What is the likely impact to the ecosystem by creating artificial reefs around these retired oil rigs?

• The large fish population will increase, but the small fish population will decrease.
• Biodiversity is increased throughout the ecosystem.
• Biodiversity remains the same because organisms do not like man-made structures.
• Invasive species of fish move into the ecosystem because there are no natural predators.