WorksheetsEcology Unit
Total questions: 25
Worksheet time: 6hrs 15mins
Which of the following best defines an ecosystem?
a group of species living in a given area
all of the living and nonliving factors in an environment
all of the species living in a given area
the regions on Earth that can support life
Which of the following is an abiotic factor?
wind
mushroom
honey bee
pollen
Which ecological level consists of a group of one species living in a given area?
a biosphere
a community
a population
an ecosystem
Which of the following is an abiotic factor?
temperature
mold
pine tree
wolf
A population of squirrels eats acorns from local oak trees. In some years, oak trees produce much greater numbers of acorns than usual. Which of the following is the most direct effect of an increase of acorns on the squirrel population?
the population size increases
the population expands its territory into new habitats
the population size decreases due to competition
the population has fewer predators
Which of the following factors can be representative of a population near carrying capacity?
an increase in younger population members
an increase in resource competition
an increased ratio of birth rate to death rate
an increase in offspring survival rate
An isolated bird population on a remote island remains at a relatively constant size year after year. Which of the following most likely describes the birthrate and death rate for the population?
Birthrate and death rate are both zero
Birthrate is significantly lower than death rate
Birthrate is significantly greater than death rate
Birthrate and death rate are closer to equal
Which of the following statements correctly describes the full value of a keystone species on its ecological community?
they are superior predators that displace inferior competitors
the are non-native organisms that can damage the ecosystem, so removing them increases biodiversity
they have a disproportionate effect relative to their frequency in the population, so the ecosystem often collapses whey they are removed
they are the largest species in a community and consume more than the others
A volcanic eruption makes a local island completely devoid of life. Over the next few years, some small lichens (very small plants) began to colonize the remaining rock and soil. This is an example of which of the following?
climax community
secondary succession
natural selection
primary succession
A seal and a shark eat the same kind of fish. What ecological interaction describes the relationship between them?
competition
predation
commensalism
mutualism
A tapeworm lives inside the digestive tracts of a sheep and feed on the nutrients of the food the sheep eats. What type of ecological interaction does the tapeworm have with the sheep?
commensalism
herbivory
parasitism
mutualism
What is best represented by the letter K?
average life span of a species
extinction
carrying capacity
biodiversity level of the habitat
A population of deer has access to abundant, but limited resources. As the deer population increases in size, how will its growth rate affect its population density?
population density increases until resource limits are met
population density decreases
population density remains constant
population density grows indefinitely
What would be the most likely effect if several species of carnivores are removed from an ecosystem?
a decrease in community stability
an increase in plant life
a decrease in the number of natural disasters
an increase in species diversity
What is true regarding keystone species?
they are non-native species that displaces native organisms
the decrease biodiversity within an ecosystem
they always have the largest number of organisms in an environment
they promote stability in an ecosystem
A food chain is represented below.
Phytoplankton -->Krill--> Mackerel--> Sea Gull
Which organisms in the food chain is a primary consumer?
sea gull
phytoplankton
krill
mackerel
In which level of the energy pyramid are herbivores found?
A
B
C
D
In this example of a small food web, how many apex predators are there?
1
2
3
4
Which of the following is true of the biogeochemical cycles?
they increase the total amount of matter over time
they can be affected by human activity
they ensure that nutrients are only used once by organisms
they create new atoms to replace lost ones
In which stage of the nitrogen cycle is atmospheric nitrogen converted into biologically usable forms?
nitrogen fixation
cellular respiration
precipitation
carbon fixation
Which of the following is NOT a process that drives the carbon cycle?
ammonification
cellular respiration
decomposition
combustion
What do biogeochemical cycle represent?
how biotic changes destroy unstable ecosystems
how the adaptations of organisms change based on environmental pressures
how certain nutrients move through the environment and are continually used and recycled
how energy moves through trophic levels of an ecosystem
With the development of air flight and mass transit, humans are able to move very rapidly around the world. Which of the following is a possible consequence of increased human travel?
exotic species are introduced to new area where they compete with native species
carbon emissions are reduced when using airplanes
diseases are isolated to certain areas of the globe
fewer habitats are exploited due to improved tourism
Which human activity would have the largest negative effect on biodiversity?
regulating industrial pollution
passing legislation to protect an endangered species
developing wildlife sanctuaries
reproducing at an uncontrolled rate
Which of the following human actions could have a positive impact on local ecosystems?
clearing forests to make way for new farms
using renewable resources
producing waste during technology development
increasing the use of pesticides to protect crops
