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TROPHIC CASCADES

Total questions: 48

Worksheet time: 48mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which is the keystone species for the jungle ecosystem?

a)
b)
c)
d)
2.

According to the graph, what is causing the deer population to decrease

a)

They got sick

b)

The wolf population is decreasing

c)

The wolf population increased

d)

They ran out of food

3.

Examine the graph below of two animal populations. Which animal must be the prey species?

a)

A

b)

B

4.

Predator population lags behind prey population because......

a)

Increase in predators leads to decrease in prey

b)

Increase in predators leads to increase in prey

c)

Increase in predators leads to decrease in producers

d)

Increase in producers leads to increase in prey

5.

in 1995 Wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park. Which answer below most accurately describes a possible trophic cascade the could result from the reintroduction of wolves?

a)

wolves reintroduced-> deer population increased -> tree and vegetation cover decreased

b)

wolves reintroduced-> beaver population decreased -> tree and vegetation cover increased

c)

wolves reintroduced-> deer population decreased -> tree and vegetation cover increased -> beaver population increased

d)

wolves reintroduced-> deer population decreased -> beaver population decreased -> songbird population increased

6.
Which animal is the apex predator?
a)
hawk
b)
lizard
c)
snake
d)
grass
7.
Which animal is not the apex predator but, a predator to a mouse?
a)
hawk
b)
rabbit
c)
snake
d)
grass
8.

In an energy pyramid, how much of the energy in each level gets passed to the next level above it?

a)

80%

b)

90%

c)

10%

d)

20%

9.
Which of the following is a herbivore?
a)
cricket
b)
frog
c)
hawk
d)
shrew
10.

An organism that obtains energy by eating other organisms.

a)

Consumer

b)

Producer

c)

Decomposer

d)

Detritivore

11.
Use the diagram to answer the question.
The trout is a source of food for the human and the eagle. When there are more than one organism vying for the same source we call this____?
a)
Population
b)
Resources
c)
Community
d)
Competition
12.
Bacteria, fungi, and earthworms are examples of: 
a)
scavengers
b)
predators
c)
prey
d)
decomposers
13.
Which organism recieves the least amount of energy from the producer?
a)
Owl
b)
Grasshopper
c)
Lilypad
d)
Mouse
14.

Which of the animals in this food web is an omnivore? (choose 2)

a)

Raven

b)

Snowshoe Hare

c)

Bison

d)

Grizzly Bear

15.

If producers in this food web have 2,000kCal of energy, how much of that would end up going to the herring (secondary consumers)?

a)

200 kCal

b)

20 kCal

c)

2 kCal

d)

0.2KCal

16.
All of the living and nonliving things in an area that interact with each other are called a/an ______.
a)
community
b)
habitat
c)
population
d)
ecosystem
17.

Animals that only eat producers (also known as herbivores)

a)

Producers

b)

Primary Consumers

c)

Secondary Consumers

d)

Tertiary Consumers

18.
How many herbivores are in this web?
a)
1
b)
2
c)
3
d)
4
19.

What is this called?

a)

Food Web

b)

Food Chain

c)

Trophic Level

20.
A feeding relationship where one organism hunts and one is hunted.
a)
Commensalism
b)
Decomposistion
c)
Mutualism
d)
Predator-Prey
21.
An animal that hunts and consumes other organisms is known as a:
a)
Prey
b)
Decomposer
c)
Predator
d)
Commensalist
22.
An organism that helps to recycle nutrients within an ecosystem by eating dead or decaying organisms is a:
a)
Predator
b)
Autotroph
c)
Producer
d)
Decomposer
23.
This is known as a relationship in which one organism benefits, while the other is unaffected.
a)
Parasitism
b)
Mutualism
c)
Immigration
d)
Commensalism
24.
A clownfish uses a sea anenome as a safe place to live. While living there, the clownfish lures in food for the anenome. This is an example of what type of relationship?
a)
Predator-Prey
b)
Commensalism
c)
Mutualism
d)
Parasitism
25.
A mosquito feeds off of the blood of different organisms. This usually causes discomfort to the organism and sometimes disease and death. This is an example of:
a)
Parasitism
b)
Decomposition
c)
Commensalism
d)
Mutualism
26.

Which of the following is not a biotic factor in an ecosystem?

a)

wind

b)

algae

c)

dead skunk

d)

oak tree

27.

In this ecosystem model, what is missing?

a)

plants

b)

the top predator

c)

abiotic factors

d)

consumers

28.

What is a keystone species?

a)

A species that helps to hold an ecosystem together

b)

A species that lives in or around rocks

c)

Keys and stones have nothing to do with ecology

d)

A keystone isn't a living thing, it's just a stone

29.
The term biodiversity means:
a)
a wide variety of plants and animals in an ecosystem
b)
only a few types of plants and animals in an ecosystem
c)
an ecosystem composed mostly of plants
d)
an ecosystem composed mostly of animals
30.
Based on the graph shown, what is the effect of removing a keystone species from an ecosystem?
a)
biodiversity goes up
b)
biodiversity goes down
c)
biodiversity stays about the same
d)
not enough information to tell
31.
A species that maintain biodiversity by keeping prey populations controlled are called...
a)
Introduced Species
b)
Apex Predators
c)
Invasive Species
d)
Keystone Species
32.
Starfish are probably the most important predator in the shallow ecosystem because they eat basically anything that they can come across. Their feeding activities control the whole ecosystem. This is an example of the starfish ___.
a)
habitat
b)
biotic factors
c)
tolerance level
d)
niche
33.

Which ecological problem was NOT caused by elk?

a)

Few trees were on river banks

b)

Small mammals couldn't hide from predators due to less grass and shrub cover.

c)

Weather patterns changed and there were more severe storms.

d)

Rivers were muddy, making it harder for fish and amphibians to survive.

34.

What is a tropic cascade?

a)

an ecological process triggered by the removal or addition of a top predator that causes changes throughout the food chain.

b)

an ecological process triggered by the removal or addition of a top predator that causes no changes throughout the food chain.

c)

an ecological process triggered by the removal or addition of a vegetation that causes no changes throughout the food chain.

d)

an ecological process triggered by the removal or addition of a primary consumer that causes changes throughout the food chain.

35.

Two arctic fox are fighting with a polar bear for a sea lion carcass. One fox distracts the bear while the other eats. What type of limiting factor is the polar bear?

a)

Predator-Prey Relationships

b)

Competition

c)

Herbivory Effect

d)

Weather

36.

A group of elephants gets stuck in mud at the edge of the river from a recent mud slide. A lion waits for an elephant to get tired before it attacks. What is the limiting factor to the elephant population?

a)

Predator-Prey Relationships

b)

Natural Disaster

c)

Herbivory Effect

d)

Competition

37.

A duck population is breeding at exponential rates. The snakes that hunted them have been collected by fur collectors. They make boots from python snake skin. What is the limiting factor to the snakes?

a)

Ducks

b)

Predator-Prey

c)

Exponential Growth

d)

Humans

38.

A duck population normally begin migrating south right after the last rain of the late summer season. Suddenly, they’re migrating much earlier. The climate has been changing far too often which is altering the effects of their magnetite. What's the limiting factor?

a)

Predator-Prey Relationships

b)

Weather

c)

Herbivory Effect

d)

Competition

39.

One of the wolf populations leaves the forest. Over time, bushes, trees and moisture begin to leave as well. There is an effect on the producer populations because the herbivores are overgrazing the land. What is the limiting factor to the producer?

a)

Competition

b)

The wolf

c)

Herbivory Effect

d)

Mutualism

40.

One of the wolf populations begins to compete with a new bear population for the same herbivores. Over time, bushes, trees and rivers improve in numbers. There is an effect on the producer populations. What is the limiting factor to the herbivore?

a)

Predator-Prey Relationships

b)

Herbivory Effect

c)

Competition

d)

Wolves and Bears

41.

Small krill sweep the river bottom rocks for debris and muck. Next, the krill is suddenly swooped up by a small fish. The small fish then gets eaten by a salmon. A week after the bear eats the salmon, it begins to have symptoms. Over time the bear weakens from a botfly infection. What is the limiting factor to all the consumers?

a)

Predator-Prey Relationships

b)

Parasites

c)

Disease

d)

Competition

42.

A honey-badger digs the ground tunnels in search for snakes. In one occasion, the badger finds a snake and competes with it. The badger leaves scratches and bite marks on the snake before it escapes. After twenty-four hours the snake dies. What is the limiting factor to the snake?

a)

Predator-Prey Relationships

b)

Competition

c)

Disease

d)

Predation

43.

The wolf population gets reintroduced to the ecosystem. There is enough deer to go around, so they eat comfortably. The wolf population begins to grow out of control with so much food. The different wolf families then begin to compete for the few caves that exist. Not everyone has good shelter so some have to sleep in the forest floors. What is the limiting factor to the wolves?

a)

Overcrowding

b)

Competition

c)

Weather

d)

Shelter

44.

The wolf goes extinct, and the deer population has no predator to worry about. They graze the land. Because there is no more food. Some of the deer begin to bite at each other, while others die of starvation. What is the limiting factor to the deep population?

a)

Competition

b)

Overcrowding

c)

Predator-Prey Relationships

d)

Herbivory Effect

45.

A landslide covers the river’s path. Further downstream, water depletes and fish populations start to go down. In this case the landslide was which kind of limiting factor?

a)

Weather

b)

Natural Disaster

c)

Climate Change

d)

Global Warming

46.

A random cloud forms and fills the rivers with excess water. In one lake biome, the excess rain pulls trees into rivers destroying bird shelters. What is the limiting factor to the biome?

a)

density-dependent limiting factor

b)

Weather

c)

Climate

d)

Natural Disaster

47.

A random cloud forms and fills the rivers with excess water. In one lake biome, the excess rain pulls trees into rivers destroying bird shelters. What is the limiting factor to the biome?

a)

density-dependent limiting factor

b)

Weather

c)

Climate

d)

Natural Disaster

48.

A random cloud forms and fills the rivers with excess water. In one lake biome, the excess rain pulls trees into rivers destroying bird shelters. What is the limiting factor to the biome?

a)

density-dependent limiting factor

b)

Weather

c)

Climate

d)

Natural Disaster