NEW
Font size
WorksheetsEcology EOC Practice
Total questions: 45
Worksheet time: 27mins
A bird watcher records the movement of migrating birds. In which part of the scientific process is the bird-watcher participating?
controlling variables
experimenting
observing
hypothesizing
The burning of fossil fuels has the greatest impact on which cycle?
carbon
water
oxygen
nitrogen
Which best represents an interaction between biotic and abiotic factors?
A bird eats parasites from the back of a rhinoceros.
A tapeworm lives in the intestinal tract of a human.
Heavy rains wash away the topsoil in a newly plowed field.
Acid rain lowers the pH of a pond, causing the fish population to
decrease.
Which factor is dependent on the density of a population?
flooding
competition
acid rain precipitation
seasonal weather patterns
Which atmospheric pollutant depletes the ozone layer and accelerate global warming?
acid rain
volcanic ash
sulfur dioxide
chlorofluorocarbons
Humans have a direct impact on the recycling of carbon in the environment. What two human-driven processes have the greatest impact on the recycling of carbon?
human breathing and farming
farming and the burning of fossil fuels
cutting down of forests and human breathing
the burning of fossil fuels and cutting down of forests
During the late 1800s in North Carolina, settlers set up shad fishing outposts. Shad are in the herring family and swim from the ocean upstream to spawn. The fisheries were set up at the mouths of rivers to catch incoming fish. How did this practice affect the local shad population?
The shad population decreased because adult fish were being caught before they could reproduce.
The shad population increased because of higher environmental
pressures.
The shad population decreased because the shark population
increased.
The shad population increased because of plant growth.
Which best shows the difference between obtaining energy from renewable and non-renewable resources?
Pumping water from an aquifer compared to using a water treatment
plant.
Using petroleum for energy compared to harvesting corn for ethanol
fuel.
Mining coal for energy compared to offshore drilling for oil.
Using solar energy compared to hydro-electric energy.
Which is a biotic limiting factor that would influence the growth of a deer population?
a forest fire
high temperatures
amount of plant growth
amount of monthly rainfall
Which best describes how nitrogen cycles through an ecosystem?
Animals exhale CO2 and H2O.
Fungi fix nitrates for use in plants.
Bacteria fix nitrogen for use in plants.
Plants take in CO2 for photosynthesis.
Which is an example of conservation of natural resources?
recycling
strip mining
using bottled water
clear-cutting of forests
The diagram below represents a terrestrial-marine food chain.
A new disease was discovered that harmed only the small fish population. Which would be an immediate impact on the food chain pictured above?
the seagull population would increase
the seagull population would decrease
the plankton population would increase
the plankton population would decrease
The food web shows the transfer of energy within a forested ecosystem.
If the population of frogs is decreased by disease, what would be the impact on the ecosystem?
The owl population will increase.
The snake population will increase.
The plant population will decrease.
The grasshopper population will decrease.
Two species live together. Species A provides food for species B and species B provides a strong support system for Species A habitat. Which term best describes the relationship between these two organisms?
predation
mutualism
parasitism
autotrophism
Which best describes how carbon can be removed from the atmosphere during the carbon cycle?
Animals use carbon dioxide in the process of respiration.
Plants use carbon dioxide in the process of photosynthesis.
Bacteria use carbon dioxide to break down plant and animal remains.
Plants and animals use carbon dioxide in the process of lactic acid
fermentation.
Ten fish are doing well in a 10-gallon fish tank. When five similar fish are added to the tank, some of the fish begin to die. Which best explains this loss of fish?
The fish are not getting enough food.
The fish do not have enough space to swim.
The number of fish has exceeded the carrying capacity of the tank.
The new fish begin to feed on the older fish, causing a decrease in
population.
Which one of the following descriptions is describing A?
Population recovers and stabilizes
Carrying Capacity
Population runs out of resources and declines
Population overshoots carrying capacity
Exponential Growth
Which one of the following descriptions is describing B?
Population recovers and stabilizes
Carrying Capacity
Population runs out of resources and declines
Population overshoots carrying capacity
Exponential Growth
Which one of the following descriptions is describing E?
Population recovers and stabilizes
Carrying Capacity
Population runs out of resources and declines
Population overshoots carrying capacity
Exponential Growth
Which one of the following descriptions is describing C?
Population recovers and stabilizes
Carrying Capacity
Population runs out of resources and declines
Population overshoots carrying capacity
Exponential Growth
Coyotes are opportunistic predators that are found throughout most of North America. They typically feed on small mammals, insects, and fruits and vegetables. They are known for their dietary adaptability. The best description of their role in the food web would be:
An herbivore
A carnivore
An omnivore
A primary producer
Mullet are local estuarine fish that move in schools and feed on plankton and plant matter. Natural predators of the mullet include spotted sea trout, sharks, pelicans and dolphins. The graph above shows how the number of mullet in an area has changed over time.
Based on the data, one student concludes that a new predator was introduced into the area during this time period. Which of the following is a likely alternate explanation for the change in the mullet population
mullet prey increased in the area
mullet parasites decreased in the area
the temperature of the area increased
the amount of aquatic plants in the area decreased
How does the predator-prey relationship affect a population?
The predators and prey are in competition with each other.
Usually either the predator or the prey will become extinct.
The predator species usually has exponential growth.
The relationship controls the population size of both species.
Data on the immigration and emigration of a fish species would be most helpful in determining which of the following?
biological magnification
interspecies competition
population of the species
predator-prey relationships
Which of the following is a limiting factor in a population of organisms.
reproductive replacement
life spans of the members
fluctuations in atmospheric temperature
availability of food
Which of the following are abiotic factors that shape ecosystems?
worms, plants and temperature
wind, precipitation, and soil type
niches, trees, and bacteria
sunlight, mushrooms, and wind
The number of pythons found throughout Everglades National Park has increased in recent years. These huge snakes are not native to Florida and are believed to have been released into the wild by pet owners. Wildlife biologists have initiated attempts to capture and remove these pythons. Which statement best explains the biologists' reasons for removing these pythons from the Everglades?
The pythons could upset the territorial boundaries of native organisms.
The pythons could adapt to overcome diseases common to native snakes.
The pythons could prey on native organisms and cause native population to decline.
The pythons could begin to interbreed with native snakes and produce a more successful species.
A team of ecologists observed feeding patterns of several populations in the desert. The energy pyramid shown above depicts the feeding patterns the ecologist observed.
Which of the following best explains the difference in the amount of available energy in the trophic levels of the desert ecosystem?
There is less energy available in the producers because their tissues are less dense than those at higher trophic levels.
There is more energy available in the second trophic level because less energy is needed for hunting compared to the higher trophic levels.
There is more available energy in the birds of prey because they have greater muscle mass for storing energy than organisms in lower trophic levels have.
There is less available energy in the fourth trophic level because of the loss of energy through metabolism in each of the lower trophic levels.
A diagram of a food web is shown above.
Which organism receives the least amount of energy from the producers?
hawk
rabbit
grasshopper
mouse
The diagram above shows the flow of carbon in a terrestrial ecosystem.
Which will most likely happen if the decomposers are removed from the carbon cycle?
The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will increase.
The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will decrease.
The amount of carbon dioxide used by producers will increase.
The amount of carbon dioxide needed by consumers will decrease.
New fuels are being produced by converting corn and grasses into compounds containing alcohols that can be broken down for energy in various engines. The purpose of this research is to
reduce the use of nonrenewable resources.
increase the rate of air pollution.
reduce the rate of homeostasis in organisms.
cause a loss of biodiversity in the rain forests.
The presence of wastes, such as plastic bags and motor oil, in lakes and streams miles away from developed areas suggests that
ecosystems are interconnected and human action can alter ecosystem equilibrium.
recycling programs have failed to conserve biotic resources.
natural processes can alter ecosystem stability.
direct harvesting practices have led to irreversible destruction of ecosystems.
DDT and other pesticides used over 50 years ago are still affecting the environment today. Scientists have found these substances in recent glacier runoff. Glacier runoff occurs during the summer, when precipitation that has fallen on glaciers during the winter is released. Ice layers from existing glaciers have been analyzed. The results of this analysis show that the concentrations of DDT and other pesticides were highest about 10 years after the use of these substances was banned.
This information shows that
DDT and other pesticides cause glacier runoff during the summer.
it takes humans over 50 years to analyze a glacier.
precipitation helps to break down pesticides.
the decision of one human generation may have an impact on future generations.
Which behavior is genetically based and NOT linked to past experiences?
innate behavior
habituation
operant conditioning
classical conditioning
The 1918 influenza epidemic killed between 50 million and 100 million people worldwide. THis epidemic happened near the end of World War I. More people died from the influenza epidemic than were killed in the war. Which of the following explains why this virus was so deadly worldwide?
Infected soldiers returning from the war spread the virus when they coughed.
Food was scarce because of the war, so people were undernourished, and their immune systems were weakened.
Medical personnel often became ill as a result of exposure to airborne virus particles.
All of the above
What is the maximum number of organisms an ecosystem can support based on the availability of resources?
symbiosis
competition
carrying capacity
exponential growth
Evaporation, condensation, and precipitation are components of which process?
the nitrogen cycle
the oxygen cycle
the carbon cycle
the water cycle
Which pair of organisms are in a parasitic relationship?
flea and dog
bear and fish
dog and human
human and bear
