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Principles of Ecology

Total questions: 34

Worksheet time: 8hrs 20mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What type of organism uses sunlight to make food?

a)

Heterotroph

b)

Detritivore

c)

Autotroph

d)

Carnivore

2.

True or False: Omnivores eat plants and animals.

a)

True

b)

False

3.

In which direction does energy flow through an ecosystem?

a)

Opposite directions

b)

One direction

c)

Two directions

d)

All of the above

4.

What is photosynthesis?

a)

A food chain

b)

A process that uses sunlight, water, and nutrients to make glucose

c)

When an animal dies

d)

None of the above

5.

Which type of heterotroph eats plants and animal remains?

a)

Herbivore

b)

Carnivore

c)

Detritivore

d)

All of the above

6.

How much of the atmosphere is made up of nitrogen?

a)

20%

b)

80%

c)

78%

d)

12%

7.

What is Ecology?

a)

The study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment

b)

The study of animals

c)

The study of plants

d)

The study of producers

8.

Which of the following is considered an Apex predator?

a)

Deer

b)

Tree

c)

Wolf

d)

Squirrel

9.

What is an autotroph?

a)

Organism that eats other organisms

b)

Organism that makes its own food

c)

Organism that shops at Safeway

10.

How are plants able to process nitrogen?

a)

Using their roots

b)

Using a special bacteria that "fixes" nitrogen

c)

By asking nicely

11.

Why are animals unable to use nitrogen?

a)

They don't want to.

b)

They don't need it.

c)

They cannot process it.

12.

Chemosynthesis is a process used by ________________ to capture chemical energy without sunlight.

a)

Carnivores

b)

Heterotrophs

c)

Autotrophs

d)

Herbivores

13.

What is a food web?

a)

Food that has webs in it

b)

A pyramid showing how energy moves from one level to the next

c)

A model that shows possible feeding relationships

d)

Autotrophs that capture chemical energy

14.

What type of teeth are typically used for consuming meat?

a)

Incisors

b)

Molars

c)

Premolars

d)

Canines

15.

What is an example of an omnivore?

a)

Human

b)

Cow

c)

Mountain Lion

d)

Deer

16.

What is the main energy source in most ecosystems?

a)

The moon

b)

The sun

c)

Water

d)

Energy

17.

Which of the following is not a type of decomposer?

a)

Phytoplankton

b)

Bacteria

c)

Fungus

d)

Invertebrates

18.

The process of evaporation is...

a)

Turning liquid into water

b)

When rain is not absorbed by the soil

c)

When water is heated and turns into gas form

d)

When water condenses into droplets

19.

True or False: The atmosphere plays a large role in the phosphorous cycle.

a)

True

b)

False

20.

What is an ecological pyramid?

a)

How matter and energy move through ecosystems

b)

Diagram that shows the amount of energy or matter at each trophic level

c)

Series of steps showing which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten

21.

Can all organisms use nitrogen?

a)

Yes

b)

No

22.

What is a carrying capacity?

a)

The minimum population that an environment can support with available resources

b)

The maximum population that an environment can support with available resources

c)

The number of organisms of the same species that live in a particular area at the same time.

23.

What do Ecologists do?

a)

Study eco-friendly ways to help the environment

b)

Investigate crimes

c)

Study the flow of energy through communities

d)

None of the above

24.

Organisms that make their own food are called _______________.

a)

Consumers

b)

Chefs

c)

Composers

d)

Producers

25.

Which is NOT an example of organisms that use Chemosynthesis?

a)

Bacteria found in volcano vents

b)

Bacteria in hot springs

c)

Bacteria in tidal marshes

d)

Bacteria in cheese

26.

Which of the following is not an example of a detritivore?

a)

Shark

b)

Mite

c)

Crab

d)

Worm

27.

In an ecosystem, energy flows from the sun or chemical compounds to autotrophs (producers) to the different __________________.

a)

producers

b)

heterotrophs

c)

autotrophs

d)

autobots

28.

Which of the following organisms is the producer in a marine food chain?

a)

zooplankton

b)

squid

c)

phytoplankton

d)

fish

29.

Which type of organism is at the bottom of an ecological pyramid?

a)

producers

b)

primary consumers

c)

secondary consumers

d)

tertiary consumers

30.

Why are food chains generally limited to 3 or 4 levels?

a)

Because there are not enough consumers.

b)

Because energy is lost at each level.

c)

Because there are not enough producers.

d)

Because there is not enough food.

31.

In a typical ecosystem, are there more producers, consumers, or apex predators?

a)

producers

b)

consumers

c)

apex predators

32.

What is transpiration?

a)

Water droplets falling to the ground

b)

Evaporation of water from plants

c)

When water condenses into clounds

d)

When water cannot be absorbed into the ground

33.

Which of the following is NOT a biological process that moves carbon?

a)

respiration

b)

photosynthesis

c)

decomposition

d)

recycling

34.

Which "sphere" does not play a role in the phosphorous cycle?

a)

biosphere

b)

lithosphere

c)

hydrosphere

d)

atmosphere