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WorksheetsEcology
Total questions: 47
Worksheet time: 24mins
Abiotic factors that contribute to the great number of biotic factors in tropical rain forests include:
Variable temperatures and lack of parasites
Ample water and warm temperatures
Bacteria-rich soils and high humidity
Cloud cover and food availability
The graph above shows the change in the hare and lynx populations over 80 years. Based on the data, what conclusions can you draw about the ecosystem?
It is unstable because the population size never stays the same.
It is unstable because the lynx population shows exponential growth.
It is stable because the lynx population is always greater than the hare population.
It is stable because the lynx and hare populations change in response to one another.
Based on the graph, which of the following is a possible explanation for the data?
There are an equal number of predators as there are prey.
The number of predators are unaffected by the number of prey.
As the prey population increases, the predator population increases.
There is no relationship between the number of predators and prey.
In the fall, tussock moths lay eggs on Douglas fir trees. In the spring, tussock moth larvae eat the needles of the Douglas fir trees. Which change to the forest ecosystem would most likely have an immediate impact on the growth of the tussock moth population?
Decrease in competition
Reduction in disease
Fewer predators
Loss of habitat
How would you classify the following limiting factors-- drought and rainfall?
Density independent
Density dependent
Exponential
Logistic
What kind of population growth is constantly rising under optimal conditions?
Logistic
Abiotic
Exponential
Quantitative
A small farming community in Texas covers 14 square kilometers. There are 420 individuals who live within the town limits. What is the population density?
0.03 individuals per square kilometer
10.24 individuals per square kilometer
30 individuals per square kilometer
53 individuals per square kilometer
Which statement accurately describes the factors that affect the population of mice at the intervals represented on the graph?
During interval A, the mice have more than enough food and shelter.
During interval B, many predators keep the mice population low.
During interval C, freezing temperatures kill off most of the mice.
During interval E, the mice have reached the carrying capacity of the meadow.
Which limiting factors are density-independent factors?
Competition and unusual weather
Predation and competition
Parasitism and natural disasters
Natural disasters and unusual weather
What process removes carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere?
Combustion of fossil fuels by automobiles
Release of compounds from dead organisms to enrich the soil
Cellular respiration
Photosynthesis
As industry continues to grow and new construction takes place, what will happen to the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere over time?
Increase
Decrease
Remain the same
Fluctuate constantly
If human civilization had never started burning fossil fuels, would there still be a greenhouse effect?
Yes, the greenhouse effect is caused by naturally occurring processes.
Yes, the greenhouse effect is caused by plants giving off oxygen.
No, the greenhouse effect is caused by humans burning fossil fuels.
No, the greenhouse effect is caused by humans depleting ozone.
Using the table, which planet is the most affected by greenhouse gases?
Venus
Earth
Mars
None of the above are affected by greenhouse gases
Without a greenhouse effect, it would have been more difficult for life to have become established on Earth. Which of the following is a reasonable explanation why?
Warmer global temperatures would have made Earth too warm for life.
Earth's water would be frozen, making it impossible for organisms to survive.
With no carbon dioxide, plants would have used oxygen needed by animals.
The extra ultraviolet radiation reaching Earth would have melted the crust.
Based on the data in the table, which of these ecosystems would be least stable in the event of a disruption and why?
Ecosystem A because it has less biodiversity.
Ecosystem A because fewer animals would be affected.
Ecosystem B because it has more biodiversity.
Ecosystem B because more animals would be affected.
When snowy owls are in northern areas, they feed on lemmings (small rodents). When lemmings are not available, the owls will seek out mice or rabbits as their food source. Which of the following organisms in this food web would most immediately be affected by the introduction of snowy owls?
Trees
Elk
Snakes
Hawks
Which of the following environmental conditions may cause snowy owls to leave their usual habitat?
Preference for warmer climates
Deforestation
Increased precipitation
Natural selection
Which level of the food web contains the least total available energy?
Level A
Level B
Level C
All contain the same amount of energy
Using the diagram, what would be an appropriate label for the stage shown in picture 3?
Pioneer species colonize the barren area.
Lichens and moss cause thin soil to develop and support plants.
Vegetation that has survived the disturbance begins to grow.
A climax community has been reached after hundreds of years of growth.
A forest area is being harvested for specific types of plants, causing a reduction of resources for organisms. The organism most likely to become extinct as a result of this activity is--
one with a specialized diet
one with a high rate of reproduction
one that feeds from a variety of sources
one that has a great amount of genetic variation
Which human activity would preserve nonrenewable resources?
Deforestation
Removing carnivores from a forest
Recycling aluminum
Heating homes with fossil fuel
Anna says that we should ride bikes and take the bus instead of driving cars. Bob says that we should create laws to stop companies from polluting the rivers. Whose solution would have the most immediate impact on climate change and why?
Anna's because cars produce carbon dioxide which is a greenhouse gas.
Anna's because cars produce methane which pollutes the air.
Bob's because water pollution can kill trees impacting the carbon cycle.
Bob's because water pollution can cause holes in the ozone layer.
All of the members of a particular species that live in the same area are called a(n)--
biome
community
ecosystem
population
Different species can share the same habitat, but competition among them is increased if they--
reproduce at different times
eat less
decrease their populations
consume the same resources (food)
Which is a biotic factor that affects the size of a population in a specific ecosystem?
Average temperature of the ecosystem
Type of soil in the ecosystem
Number and kinds of predators in the ecosystem
Concentration of oxygen in the ecosystem
The diagram represents an oceanic food chain. Which level of the food chain would contain the least amount of energy?
Algae
Zooplankton
Small fishes
Shark
Which organism in the food chain above would be considered a photosynthetic organism?
Algae
Zooplankton
Small fishes
Shark
An ecosystem has a stable population of white tailed deer. What is the most likely outcome if a new species of deer that competed for the same resources were introduced?
The white-tailed deer population would not be affected.
The white-tailed deer population would increase.
The grass population would decrease.
The deer population would decrease.
What would happen if the population of the bird species shown in the picture were to suddenly decrease?
The grass population would decrease.
The fish population would increase.
The fish would occupy the birds' living space.
The grass and fish would compete for resources.
Based on the graph, which of the following is a possible explanation for the data?
There are an equal number of predators as there are prey.
The number of predators are unaffected by the number of prey.
As the prey population increases, the predator population increases.
There is no relationship between the number of predators and prey.
If a population grows larger than the carrying capacity of the environment--
the death rate may rise.
the birth rate may rise.
the population will grow faster.
the carrying capacity will change.
Examine the two graphs. Which choice best describes a population that has grown rapidly, but now food supplies are becoming scarce?
Graph 1
Graph 2
Graph 1 and 2
Neither Graph 1 or 2
What is an example of a density-dependent factor that could severely limit the growth of a particular cave?
A flood that fills the cave with water
A collapse of the cave
A parasite infestation within the bat population
A wildfire destroying the area
Which of the following density-dependent factors may be the cause of the mouse population reaching its carrying capacity?
The meadow is plowed by a farmer.
A flood causes the mice to lose their shelter.
A family of foxes sets up a den at the edge of the meadow.
A forest fire wipes out the wheat grain that grows in the meadow.
In this cycle, which processes are represented by labels A and B?
A: Elimination, B: Respiration
A: Transpiration, B: Elimination
A: Photosynthesis, B: Transpiration
A: Respiration, B: Photosynthesis
Carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere after burning wood and fossil fuels by the process of _____, while the process of _____ releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as decomposers break down dead organisms.
combustion; respiration
combustion; decomposition
photosynthesis; respiration
photosynthesis; decomposition
The data in the graph below help ecologists identify which environmental problem?
desertification
global warming
invasive species
habitat fragmentation
What is a valid quantitative conclusion that can be drawn from the graph?
China has been decreasing their carbon emissions since 2000.
In 1970, China produced the most carbon emission at around 1,200 million tons.
In 1960, the U.S. produced the most carbon emissions at around 750 million tons.
In 1980, India and Japan produced the same amount of carbon at around 250 million tons.
Around 2009, India and Russia produced the same amount of carbon at around 480 million tons. If worldwide deforestation is not regulated, what would be the most result?
Acid rain could increase the pH of rivers and lakes to dangerous levels for aquatic life.
CO2 levels in the atmosphere could increase and contribute to global warming problems.
Plants and animals could become better adapted to living in desert conditions.
Future generations of humans could have an excess of wood and paper products.
Which word would fit best into the chart above?
ozone layer
greenhouse effect
soil erosion
waste decomposition
Which of the following conditions would trigger more plant growth on Earth, a higher rate of photosynthesis, and more carbon dioxide being absorbed by plants?
higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere leading to a decreased greenhouse effect
lower levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere leading to a decreased greenhouse effect
lower levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere leading to an increased greenhouse effect
higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere leading to an increased greenhouse effect
Based on the graph, which ecosystem is likely to be the most stable?
a
b
c
d
What benefits does society get from an increased level of biodiversity?
Ecosystem stability
Disease resistant plants that can increase crop production
Materials to produce medicines and other chemicals
All of the above
What is one difference between primary and secondary succession?
Primary succession is slow, and secondary succession is rapid.
Secondary succession begins on soil, and primary succession begins on newly exposed surfaces.
Primary succession modifies the environment and secondary succession does not.
Secondary succession begins with lichens, and primary succession begins with trees.
This diagram shows the stages of primary succession in a deciduous forest. Which of the organisms in the ecosystem would be considered the pioneer species?
Trees and shrubs
Weeds
Grasses
Lichens and mosses
If the world's population growth occurs as projected by the graph, all of the following are likely except--
spread of disease
food/water shortages
pollution of the environment
increase of agricultural space for crop growth
The graph shows the change in eggshell thickness of two types of birds over 50 years. During that time, DDT, an insecticide, was used to kill mosquitoes and stop the spread of malaria. Decreasing eggshell thickness has been shown to decrease hatching rate. What can be inferred based on the graph?
Population size of these bird species decreased in the years DDT was used.
DDT caused a permanent decline in the size of these bird populations.
DDT had a much greater impact on bird Species B than on bird Species A.
Birds in Species A and Species B produced fewer eggs in the years DDT was used.
