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Worksheets

Ecology Parts 3&4_old curriculum

Total questions: 69

Worksheet time: 53mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which factor promotes competition between organisms in an ecosystem?

a)

cycling of minerals

b)

limited resources

c)

decomposition of organic matter

d)

presence of saprophytes

2.

Two closely related species of birds live in the same tree. Species A feeds on ants and termites, while Species B feeds on caterpillars. The two species coexist successfully because

a)

each occupies a different niche

b)

they interbreed

c)

they use different methods of reproduction

d)

birds compete for food

3.
No two species can occupy the same niche
a)
Competitive Exclusion Principle 
b)
Limiting Exclusion Theory
c)
Competitive Limiting Principle
d)
Limiting Competitive Theory 
4.
As the population of prey decreases, the population of the predator which eats it will...
a)
Increase
b)
Decrease
c)
Remain Constant
5.

When an animal consumes plant matter the relationship is

a)

Herbivory

b)

Predation

c)

Prey

d)

Hunting

6.

Interspecific relationships

a)

Those among the same species

b)

Those among different species

7.

A sea cucumber is an animal that lives in the ocean. An imperial shrimp will ride on the back of the sea cucumber as a way of easy travel through the ocean. The sea cucumber is not helped or harmed. Which type of relationship do these animals have?

a)

Commensalism

b)

Parasitism

c)

Predation

d)

Mutualism

8.

Ostriches and gazelles are two animals that live in Africa. They graze for food near each other because they help each other spot predators. The gazelle has excellent eyesight, but poor hearing, and the ostrich has excellent hearing, but poor eyesight. These two animals will alert one another when danger is near. Which term best describes this relationship?

a)

Predation

b)

Commensalism

c)

Mutualism

d)

Parasitism

9.

A person eats undercooked meat from an animal infected with tapeworms. The tapeworm then lives in the person’s intestines and absorbs important nutrients that the person needs. This tapeworm causes harm to the person. Which type of relationship is described?

a)

Predation

b)

Commensalism

c)

Parasitism

d)

Mutualism

10.

Barnacles are sea creatures that create a home by attaching themselves to whales. The whales are unaffected by the barnacles. Which term best describes this symbiotic relationship?

a)

Commensalism

b)

Parasitism

c)

Predation

d)

Mutualism

11.

A cuckoo and a warbler are both birds. A cuckoo will find the nest of warbler instead of building her own, and she harms the warbler by knocking a warbler egg out of nest and laying her own. When the warbler mother returns, she isn’t aware of the switch. The warbler will then raise the baby cuckoo bird instead of her own baby. Which term best describes this relationship?

a)

Predation

b)

Parasitism

c)

Commensalism

d)

Mutualism

12.

In which relationship do organisms kill and eat other organisms to obtain energy and nutrients?

a)

Predation

b)

Commensalism

c)

Mutualism

d)

Parasitism

13.

Both cheetahs and lions hunt for gazelle on the African Savannah. The type of relationship between the lion and cheetah is...

a)

Parasitism

b)

Commensalism

c)

Competition

d)

Mutualism

14.
The crocodile and bird have a _______________ relationship.  The crocodile benefits by having its teeth cleaned.  The bird benefits by gaining food and protection.  Both animals benefit from this relationship.
a)
parasitism
b)
predator and prey
c)
mutualism
d)
commensalism
15.

What are some examples of cryptic coloration to avoid detection?

a)

STICK INSECTS

b)

LEAF INSECTS

c)

SNOWSHOE HARES

d)

ALL OF THE ABOVE

16.
A flea lives on a dog. It bites the dog to get nutrients. What kind of relationship is this?
a)
Mutualism
b)
Predation
c)
Parasitism
d)
Interspecific competition
17.
A bee lands on a flower. The bee gets food from the nectar. The flower gets pollinated. What kind of relationship is this?
a)
Interspecific competition
b)
Intraspecific competition
c)
Mutualism
d)
Commensalism
18.
A clownfish hides from predators in the stinging cells of a sea anemone.  The anemone does not hurt the clownfish.  The clownfish does not eat the anemone or help the anemone.
a)
Mutualism
b)
Commensalism
c)
Parasitism
d)
Predation
19.
E.coli  bacteria live in our intestines.  They help humans digest food and they get a place to live.
a)
Mutualism
b)
Commensalism
c)
Parasitism
d)
Predation
20.

Some butterflies have spots on their wings that look like snake eyes. This is called

a)

warning coloration

b)

Instinct

c)

Learned Behavior

d)

mimicry

e)

cryptic coloration

21.

Poison dart frogs are brightly colored. What would you call this defense mechanism?

a)

warning coloration

b)

mimic coloration

c)

deceptive coloration

d)

cryptic coloration

22.

This frog is hard for predators to spot. What defensive mechanism does it have?

a)

warnning coloration

b)

Escape mechanism

c)

Defensive armor

d)

Cryptic coloration

23.

What type of camouflage is the octopus exhibiting?

a)

mimicry

b)

cryptic coloration

c)

warning coloration

d)

self-decoration

24.

Animals that are heavily relied upon to prevent collapse of an ecosystem are known as

a)

apex predators

b)

detritivores

c)

producers

d)

keystone species

25.

An organism that gets its energy by feeding on producers in the food chain

a)

Primary Consumer

b)

Tertiary Consumer

c)

Organism

d)

Secondary Consumer

26.

When two or more individuals or population attempt to obtain a single resource

a)

Competitive Exclusion

b)

Environmental Interactions

c)

Ecosystem

d)

Limited Resources

27.

In the woods, there are hawks and robins. They both try to occupy the same niche by competing for worms as the only source of food in that same area at that same time. The hawks outcompete the robins, and the robins are forced to leave that area. This is an example of:

a)

Mutualism

b)

The competitive exclusion principle

c)

Commensalism

d)

Neutralism

28.

What is this picture describing?

a)

It is describing how two organisms cannot occupy the same niche in the same place at the same time through the competitive exclusion principle.

b)

It is illustrating the intercompetitive inclusion principle.

c)

It is describing the amount of time it takes for bacteria to reach exponential growth.

d)

It is illustrating the mutualistic relationship between two organisms when they live in the same niche.

29.

This photo is showing the same ecosystem in 2 scenarios: one with the sea otter and one without the sea otter. In the ecosystem without the sea otter, the ecosystem dynamics are completely changed. What term best describes the sea otter?

a)

Niche

b)

Climax community

c)

Pioneer species

d)

Keystone species

30.

T/F: Biodiversity is a good thing because it provides variety in an ecosystem.

a)

True

b)

False

31.
Which zone is considered the zone of physiological stress?
a)
Zone A
b)
Zone B
c)
Zone C
d)
Zone A & B
32.
Which of the following would correctly label the y-axis in the diagram?
a)
level of limiting factor
b)
number of individuals
c)
niche level
d)
number of tolerances
33.
The resources a population actually uses as a result of competition.
a)
niche
b)
realized niche
c)
fundamental niche
d)
competition
34.
The ecological niches of three bird species are shown in the diagram. What is the advantage of each bird species having a different niche?
a)
As more birds feed higher in the tree, available energy increases.
b)
More abiotic resources are available for each bird.
c)
Predators are less likely to feed on birds in a variety of locations.
d)
There is less competition for food.
35.
Two closely related species of birds live in the same tree.  Species A feeds on ants and termites, while Species B feeds on caterpillars.  The two species coexist successfully because –
a)
each occupies a different niche
b)
they interbreed 
c)
they use different methods of reproduction
d)
birds compete for food
36.
This is known as the set of resources a population is theoretically capable of using in the wild.
a)
niche
b)
realized niche
c)
fundamental niche
d)
competition
37.

Position that an organism occupies based on what it eats

a)

Producer

b)

Trophic level

c)

Heterotroph

d)

Consumer

38.

Eats dead organisms and returns nutrients to soil

a)

Autotroph

b)

Decomposer

c)

Biomass

d)

Carnivore

39.

Which organisms eat only producers?

a)

Secondary Consumers

b)

Apex Predators

c)

Tertiary Consumers

d)

Primary Consumers

40.

Which level is found at the top?

a)

Primary Consumers

b)

Tertiary Consumers

c)

Producers

d)

Secondary Consumers

41.

What does an energy pyramid show?

a)

Energy flow in a community

b)

Longest lifespans

c)

The stronger animal the higher it is on the pyramid

42.

What would happen if the primary consumers died out?

a)

the producers would grow and the secondary and tertiary consumers would die

b)

producers would die out

c)

consumers would grow

43.
In an energy pyramid, energy_______ as you move up the pyramid.
a)
Increases
b)
Decreases
c)
Stays the same
d)
Changes up and down
44.
If these organisms were arranged in a food pyramid, which organism would have the least amount of total energy available?
a)
coyote
b)
insect
c)
lizard
d)
shrub
45.

On average, what amount of percentage does the energy decrease as it goes up the pyramid?

a)

100%

b)

1000%

c)

10%

d)

1%

46.

Can heterotrophs make their own food?

a)

Yes

b)

No

47.
Why are producers found at the base of the pyramid?
a)
They create all of the energy and therefore have the most energy of all of the trophic levels
b)
There are more plants than animals. 
c)
They begin the flow of energy in an ecosystem.
d)
All of these answers are correct. 
48.
True or False: Organisms will always stay in the same trophic level. 
a)
True-- an organism's trophic level is permanent based on the species it is. 
b)
False-- the trophic level an organism belongs to is based on what it is consuming in the food chain. 
49.
What is the sun's role in the energy pyramid?
a)
to produce chemical energy for the ecosystem.
b)
to provide radiant energy for producers to convert to chemical energy. 
c)
to start the energy flow of the ecosystem. 
d)
to provide mechanical energy for producers to convert to chemical energy. 
50.
The diagram represents a model of a food pyramid.  Which statement best describes what happens in this food pyramid?
a)
More organisms die at higher levels than at lower levels, resulting in less mass at higher levels.
b)
Energy is lost to the environment at each level, so less mass can be supported at each higher level.
c)
When organisms die at higher levels, their remains sink to lower levels, increasing the mass of lower levels.
d)
Organisms decay at each level, and thus less mass can be supported at higher levels
51.

The diagram represents different levels of a marine food pyramid. Between which two levels is the greatest amount of energy transferred

a)

R and Q

b)

S and R

c)

T and S

d)

U and T

52.
The diagram is intended to show relationships in an ecosystem. What do the arrows represent?
a)
The direction of population migration
b)
Differences in dietary habits
c)
Progressively smaller organisms
d)
The direction of the energy flow
53.
If the original amount of energy in an energy pyramid is 10,000 J what amount is left for the apex predators?
a)
10 J
b)
1 J
c)
100 J
d)
1000 J
54.
Which organism in this food chain is a secondary consumer?
a)
Fish
b)
Grass
c)
Grasshopper
d)
Hawk
55.
The rabbit in this food web would be considered a:
a)
Decomposer
b)
Producer
c)
Secondary Consumer
d)
Primary Consumer
56.

In the food web pictured here, flies provide energy for...

a)

Dragonflies, Turtles, & Frogs

b)

Slugs & Fish

c)

Water Weeds & Algae

d)

Snakes, Frogs, & Kingfishers

57.

What limits the length of a food chain in an ecosystem?

a)

The size of the individual organisms

b)

Competition between organisms

c)

The loss of energy between trophic levels

d)

Natural selection

58.

Which category of organisms is correctly described in this table?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

d)

D

59.

The diagram represents a pyramid of energy. What level does the letter X represent?

a)

Light

b)

Primary consumers

c)

Abiotic environment

d)

Producers

60.

What is lost between trophic levels and cannot be recycled?

a)

Heat

b)

Nitrogen

c)

Carbon compounds

d)

Biomass

61.

The measure of an animal's efficiency in converting feed mass into the desired output is called

a)

the food conversion ratio.

b)

the movement restriction calculation.

c)

the mass output solution.

d)

the commercial dairy standard.

62.

The unit for energy in an energy pyramid is

a)

kJ m-1 y

b)

kJ m-2 y-1

c)

kJ-1 m-1 y-2

d)

kJ m-1 y-2

63.

How is energy lost between trophic levels?

a)

excretion.

b)

lost as heat from respiration.

c)

not being ingested.

d)

all of the above.

64.

If the grasshopper were to be removed completely from the food web, what organism would be most affected?

a)

The squirrel

b)

The shrew

c)

The deer

d)

The rabbit

65.
A collection of organisms that belong to different populations but all live in the same area and interact with one another.
a)
Population
b)
Ecosystem
c)
Community
d)
Ecosphere
66.

In an experiment on the transfer of biomass from one trophic level to the next, some ecologists discovered that as much as 93% of biomass was transferred to the next trophic level. What is the likely effect of this discovery on the food chain involving these parasitic wasps?

a)

The energy pyramid will be inverted

b)

The food chain will be more stable.

c)

The food chain will become a food web

d)

The food chain will be longer.

67.

The diagram shows the food web for an aquatic ecosystem in which letters R–Z represent individual species.

Which organism is a tertiary consumer?

a)

T

b)

U

c)

W

d)

Y

68.

A food _______ consists of many overlapping food ________.

a)

web, chains

b)

chain, webs

c)

pyramid, webs

d)

web, pyramids

69.

The diagram represents a pyramid of energy. The level labeled X has 400 kJ/m2/yr2 of energy, and the level above it has 35 kJ/m2/yr2. If when you drew this, you drew level X to be 14 cm long, how long would the 2nd level need to be?

a)

1.22 cm

b)

1.4 cm

c)

2 cm

d)

10 cm

e)

4 cm