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Ecology Review

Total questions: 50

Worksheet time: 31mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Los Angeles, California’s population is growing at an exponential rate. Which of the following would not be affected?

a)

The amount of waste produced.

b)

The quality of air.

c)

The amount of water needed.

d)

The amount of solar energy.

2.

Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere enters the biotic part of the biosphere (earth) through _____________.

a)

burning of the forest

b)

photosynthesis

c)

combustion of fossil fuels

d)

precipitation

3.

A population of foxes relies on rabbits for food. Which of the following could be a realistic explanation of ecological events?

a)

If the number of rabbits increases, the number of foxes will increase in the near future.

b)

If the foxes become ill, the rabbits will also become ill.

c)

If the fox population decreases, then the rabbit population will also decrease.

d)

If the rabbit population decreases, then the fox population will increase in the near future.

4.

A hurricane sweeps across a small Caribbean island killing 50% of the herbivore species/primary consumers (those organisms that feed on producers/autotrophs) on the island. Which of the following is the most immediate result?

a)

a reduction in biodiversity

b)

an acceleration of the carbon cycle

c)

an increase in predator populations

d)

a decline in decomposer population

5.

Which of the choices correctly represents how this energy is transferred from one group of organisms to another in an energy pyramid?

a)

A = decomposers, B = primary consumer, C= producers, and D = predators

b)

A = producers, B = primary consumer, C = plants, and D = carnivores

c)

A = producers, B = primary consumer (herbivore), C = secondary consumer, and D = tertiary consumer

d)

A = plants, B = carnivore, C = herbivore, and D = omnivore

6.

Part of a desert food web is diagrammed below. Which of the following will most likely result if all of the primary consumers are removed from the ecosystem shown below?

a)

Prarie rattlesnakes will become herbivores.

b)

Golden eagle and kit fox populations will decrease.

c)

Sagebrush grasshoppers will consume soil bacteria.

d)

Silk grass and sand sagebrush populations will decrease.

7.

A partial food web for a coastal ecosystem is shown below. In this ecosystem, is more energy available to the Sand shrimp from eating the Mysid shrimp or from the Sand shrimp eating the Algae? Explain your answer. (Hint: Remember the root beer energy pyramid demonstration.)

a)

More energy is available to the sand shrimp eating the mysid shrimp.

b)

More energy is available to the sand shrimp eating the algae.

8.

In a forest that measures 5 miles by 5 miles, a random sample was taken to count the number of silver maple trees in the forest. The number of trees counted in the grid was 8, 4, 6, 10, and 12. The grids where the survey was taken were chosen randomly. Determine how many silver maple trees are in this forest using the random sampling technique. You may want to sketch a 5 by 5 square with these numbers randomly placed in the squares to understand this better.

a)

8

b)

40

c)

200

d)

400

9.

A food web has been constructed to show the flow of energy from one organism to another:


Which is/are the producer(s) in this food web?

a)

snakes

b)

mice

c)

fox

d)

eagle

e)

grass

10.

A food web has been constructed to show the flow of energy from one organism to another:


Which is/are the primary consumer(s) in this food web?

a)

eagles

b)

cougars

c)

snakes, owls, and foxes

d)

rabbits, mice, and deer

e)

grass

11.

A food web has been constructed to show the flow of energy from one organism to another:


Which is/are the secondary consumer(s) in this food web?

a)

owls, snakes, foxes, cougars, and eagles

b)

rabbits, mice and deer

c)

grass

d)

none of these

12.

A food web has been constructed to show the flow of energy from one organism to another:


Which is/are the tertiary consumer(s) in this food web?

a)

grass

b)

deer, rabbits, and mice

c)

cougars, foxes, owls, snakes, and eagles

d)

none of these

13.

How much energy would be transferred to the primary consumer if the producers had 100,000 kcal of energy in them?

a)

10,000 kcal

b)

1000 kcal

c)

100 kcal

d)

10 kcal

14.

How much energy would be transferred to the secondary consumer if the producers had 100,000 kcal of energy in them?

a)

10,000 kcal

b)

1000 kcal

c)

100 kcal

d)

10 kcal

15.

How much energy would be transferred to the tertiary consumer if the producers had 100,000 kcal of energy in them?

a)

10,000 kcal

b)

1000 kcal

c)

100 kcal

d)

10 kcal

16.

Determine which type of symbiotic relationship is shown for the following situation.

A tapeworm that lives inside the intestinal tract of a dog. The tapeworm receives nourishment from the dog while the dog is harmed.

a)

parasitism

b)

commensalism

c)

mutualism

d)

coevolution

17.

Determine which type of symbiotic relationship is shown for the following situation.

Honeybees feeding on a flower’s nectar and spreading the flower pollen to another flower.

a)

parasitism

b)

commensalism

c)

mutualism

d)

coevolution

18.

Determine which type of symbiotic relationship is shown for the following situation.

A barnacle attaches itself to a whale where it can be transported to different food sources. The whale is unaffected by this relationship.

a)

parasitism

b)

commensalism

c)

mutualism

d)

coevolution

19.

A rocky island appears as oceanic waters recede. Which of the following organisms would probably appear first on the bare rocks?

a)

lichens

b)

weeds

c)

shrubs

d)

pioneer trees

20.

A population that is growing exponentially in the absence of limiting factors can be illustrated by a(n) ________.

a)

S-shaped curve

b)

J-shaped curve

c)

curve that terminates in a plateau phase

d)

tolerance curve

21.

Bacteria and fungi act as ________ within an ecosystem.

a)

producers

b)

primary consumers

c)

secondary consumers

d)

decomposers

22.

Which of the following is an example of secondary succession?

a)

appearance of mosses and weeds on an exposed rock fence

b)

abandoned farm field covered with weeds and shrubs

c)

former pond now supporting growth of shrubs and trees

d)

establishment of plants on a newly-formed island

23.

An organism's "trophic" level refers to ________.

a)

the rate at which it uses energy

b)

where it lives

c)

what it eats

d)

whether it is early or late in ecological succession

24.

The niche of an animal is best defined as?

a)

the number of individuals of the species the environment will support

b)

the same as its habitat

c)

the role an animal has in its environment

d)

the specific place within the habitat where the animal lives

25.

Which of the following are examples of limiting factors that affect population growth?

a)

competition

b)

predation

c)

parasitism and disease

d)

all of these

26.

A population that is growing geometrically (logistically) in the presence of limiting factors can be illustrated by a(n) ________.

a)

S-shaped curve

b)

curve that terminates in a plateau phase

c)

J-shaped curve

d)

tolerance curve

27.

How do invasive species harm an ecosystem?

a)

1.they upset the natural balance by killing everything off

b)

2.they upset the natural balance by competing with other organisms for food

c)

3.they upset the natural balance of the ecosystem by not having a natural predator (something that eats it)

d)

4.both 2 and 3 are true

28.

An invasive species is defined as

a)

a species that lives in a place naturally

b)

a species that is not native to an area

c)

a native species

d)

none of these

29.

Ecology is the study of

a)

the structure and function of the body

b)

the study of how organisms change/adapt over time

c)

the study of organisms and how they interact with one another and the environment in which they live

d)

the study of plants

30.

Ocean acidification is caused by

a)

the burning of fossil fuels which expels greater amount of CO2 into the oceans

b)

dumping acid and other contaminants into the ocean

c)

sea creatures that lost their outer shells

d)

the waste given off by animals that live in the sea

31.

A gradual process of change and replacement in a community is called

a)

ecology

b)

ecological succession

c)

climax community

d)

pioneer species

32.

A relationship in which two different organisms live in close association with each other is called

a)

parasitism

b)

commensalism

c)

mutualism

d)

symbiosis

33.

The hunter

a)

predator

b)

prey

34.

The hunted

a)

predator

b)

prey

35.

The type of pattern of distribution you want to use if you are trying to determine how many organisms are in a large area using random sampling techniques.

a)

clumped

b)

even

c)

random

d)

none of these

36.

The number of individuals of the same species that live in a given unit of area is called the

a)

population density

b)

species density

c)

community density

d)

ecosystem density

37.

The largest population (K) that an environment can support at any given time before population growth no longer increases.

a)

vital capacity

b)

carrying capacity

c)

lung capacity

d)

none of these

38.

The movement of an individual or group into an area

a)

emigration

b)

immigration

39.

The movement of an individual or group out of an area

a)

emigration

b)

immigration

40.

The number of deaths occurring in a period of time.

a)

mortality

b)

natality

41.

The number of births that occur in a period of time in a given area.

a)

mortality

b)

natality

42.

An organism that eats a variety of other organisms (plants and animals).

a)

carnivore

b)

herbivore

c)

omnivore

d)

producer

43.

An organism that eats animals.

a)

carnivore

b)

herbivore

c)

omnivore

d)

producer

44.

An organism that eats only plants.

a)

carnivore

b)

herbivore

c)

omnivore

d)

producer

45.

An environmental factor that is associated with or results from the activities of living organisms.

a)

abiotic factore

b)

biotic factor

46.

An environmental factor that is not associated with the activities of living organisms.

a)

abiotic factor

b)

biotic factor

47.

The place where an organism usually lives.

a)

ecosytem

b)

community

c)

habitat

d)

population

48.

A group of organisms of the same species that live in a specific geographical area and interbreed.

a)

community

b)

ecosystem

c)

habitat

d)

population

49.

A group of various species that live in the same habitat and interact with each other.

a)

community

b)

ecosystem

c)

habitat

d)

population

50.

A community of organisms and their abiotic environment in which they interact.

a)

community

b)

ecosystem

c)

habitat

d)

population