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Worksheets2018 STAAR Biology Reporting Category 5
Total questions: 8
Worksheet time: 4mins
A small town in the piney woods of East Texas has a soccer field composed of native grasses. The soccer field is mowed once a week.
What effect does continual mowing have on the ecology of the field?
Mowing increases the likelihood of nonnative species displacing native species.
Mowing increases the number of species found in the field.
Mowing causes different types of communities to form across the field.
Mowing maintains a low species diversity by inhibiting further succession.
The table lists some organisms found in a swamp ecosystem and their sources of energy.
Grass carp
American alligator
Eastern mud turtle
Great blue heron
Scientists have observed many types of tropical fish moving beyond their traditional ocean ranges into waters that have historically been more temperate. These fish compete for food with native fish, consuming much from the kelp forests and beds of sea grass.
The expansion of the ranges of tropical fish was most likely caused by —
agricultural runoff that contributes to dead zones in the ocean
global droughts that raise the salt concentration of ocean waters
the rising temperatures of ocean waters
acid rain pollution that lowers the pH of ocean waters
Enchanted Rock State Natural Area is located in Central Texas. Enchanted Rock is a dome of granite. The area contains four easily identifiable communities. The table describes characteristics of each type of community in the area.
Open oak woodland
Mesquite grassland
Floodplain
Granite rock
In North American forests, two species of birds, nuthatches and brown creepers, forage on the same trees for insects. Brown creepers feed on insects found near the bottom of the tree trunk, while nuthatches feed on insects in the top part of the tree.
The difference in foraging behavior most likely affects the nuthatches and brown creepers by —
allowing the birds to avoid many types of predators
reducing competition between the birds for resources
preventing the birds from interbreeding with each other
establishing dominance between the birds for nesting sites
A partial meadow food web is shown.
Aphid Bird Rabbit
Ladybug Fox Dragonfly
Frog Butterfly Berries
Mouse Snake Hawk
