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Ecology Key Question/Topics 2025

Total questions: 34

Worksheet time: 16mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What is DDT?

a)

A step in the writing process

b)

A chemical that helps insects

c)

A colorless/odorless chemical pesticide

d)

A parasite that causes malaria

2.

Carson published her fourth book on nature, "Silent Spring" in ______. This controversial text led to the U.S. ban on DDT in ______.

a)

1939; 1962

b)

1962; 1972

c)

1993; 2007

d)

1972; 1962

3.

What are some consequences of DDT use? (Check all that apply)

a)

DDT builds up in ecosystems effecting plant and animal life

b)

DDT causes birds to lay fragile eggs that break

c)

DDT causes malaria

d)

DDT could cause cancer

e)

High exposure to DDT could cause infertility and/or birth defects

4.

Which claim is BEST SUPPORTED by the following reasoning?


Reasoning: DDT has already proven to harm humans in the same ways it has harmed some animal populations, and if not monitored could potentially lead to extinction.

a)

DDT should not be used to combat infectious diseases, because...

b)

DDT is one of the greatest chemical threats to life on earth, because...

c)

Despite the risks DDT must be considered as the most effective weapon against malaria, because...

5.

What organisms end up with the highest levels of mercury?

a)
b)
c)
d)
6.

Which organism in the food web shown to the right would

contain the lowest concentration of chemical pollutants?

a)

producers

b)

primary consumers

c)

secondary consumers

d)

tertiary consumers

7.

The phenomenon by which toxins concentrate in the organisms at higher trophic levels within an ecosystem is known as...

a)

Biotoxicity

b)

Biomagnification

c)

Eutrophication

d)

Predation

8.

Consider the following food chain:

Algae > Mayfly > Minnow > Trout

In a polluted ecosystem, which organism would likely have the HIGHEST level of toxic chemicals in its body?

a)

Algae

b)

Mayfly

c)

Minnow

d)

Trout

9.

What is a common cause of lead poisoning?

a)

Ingesting paint used in older homes

b)

Drinking water from areas having basic soils

c)

Frequent use of lead pencils

d)

Eating foods with lots of calcium and phosphorus

10.

Which problem is most associated with children having high lead levels?

a)

abnormally fast growth rates

b)

high blood sugar levels

c)

difficulty paying attention in school

d)

increased thirst and urination

11.

Which group of individuals are most at risk for lead poisoning?

a)

People living in rural communities

b)

People living in urban communities

c)

People living in houses with plastic water pipes

d)

People living in housing built before 1978

12.

Which statement best describes the effects of lead poisoning?

a)

They are not as serious as they were thought to be ten years ago.

b)

These effects can be completely reversed with proper medical care.

c)

Lead poisoning is a problem for toddlers, not older children or adults.

d)

The effects of lead poisoning are often permanent.

13.

Lead ions are the same charge and atomic radius of which of the following?

a)

ATP

b)

Magnesium

c)

Carbon

d)

Calcium

14.

Mercury Ions are the same size as which of the following in the body?

a)

ATP

b)

GTP

c)

Calcium

d)

Magnesium

15.
Passed in 1980 to set aside money for cleanup of hazardous waste sites
a)
Superfund Act
b)
No Child Left Behind
c)
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
d)
Energy Conservation Act
16.

What is happening at LaSalle park in the summer of 2022?

a)

Removal of contaminated ground water

b)

Removal of lead contaminated soil

c)

Monitoring of ground water using new wells dug for testing

d)

Removal of waste from unlined Uniroyal Landfill

17.

Which is the 2nd most common use of corn in Indiana?

a)

Food for livestock

b)

Ethanol production

c)

High Fructose Corn Syrup

d)

Popcorn

18.

Which is the 1st most common use of corn in Indiana?

a)

Food for livestock

b)

Ethanol production

c)

High Fructose Corn Syrup

d)

Popcorn

19.

Why is BPA not a great chemical to have in plastics?

a)

It can leach into food or water and mimic hormones in the body.

b)

It can leach into food and water and mimic calcium to cause bone damage

c)

It can leach into food and water and cause neuron damage

d)

It can trap in heat and cause the greenhouse effect.

20.

Click on the renewable resources...

a)

Solar power

b)

Natural Gas

c)

Wind Power

d)

Nuclear Power

21.

Superfund sites are...

a)

Environmentally pristine areas that have always been protected, like National Parks.

b)

Typical urban spaces with moderate pollution levels

c)

Areas where pollutants are above allowable limits and efforts for containment exist

d)

Areas that are at risk of contamination and have a history of being more clean

22.

Why is rat poison banned in California?

a)

Californians love rats

b)

the poison concentrates up the food chain and kills owls, bobcats, and hawks

c)

the poison leaks into groundwater causing superfund sites based on skin irritation

d)

people were overdosing on rat poison at parties

23.

Populations are of _______, Communities are of _______, and Ecosystems consist of ______________

a)

one species in an area, all species in an area, living and non-living factors in an area.

b)

all species in an area, one species in an area, living and non-living factors in an area.

c)

two species in an area, three species in an area, living factors in an area.

d)

All these terms are interchangeable.

24.

_____ fertilizer is made via the Haber process by converting air into a more useful form

a)

Nitrogen

b)

Potassium

c)

Carbon

d)

Phosphorus

25.

_____ fertilizer is mined in open pits from areas like Aurora, NC.

a)

Nitrogen

b)

Potassium

c)

Carbon

d)

Phosphorus

26.

Farmer A has crops and fertilizes 10 ft. from the river. Farmer B has crops and fertilizes 100 ft. from the river. Which farmer is has a lower impact on algal blooms and dead zones?

a)

Farmer A

b)

Farmer B

27.

Which of the following sources of phosphorous could be controlled?

a)

Leaching from the soil

b)

Weathering of rocks

c)

Run off from farmland

28.

Which of the mussel species was outcompeting the other?

a)

Zebra

b)

Quagga

29.

Which of the two mussels is a Quagga?

a)

A

b)

B.

30.

What is primary reason we use lampricide to kill lamprey?

a)

They threaten swimmers by sucking their blood

b)

They prey on popular fish populations

c)

They spread disease between fish

d)

They reduce the available oxygen for fish to use.

31.

Coral reefs are an example of...

a)

ecosystem

b)

community

c)

population

d)

all of the above

32.

Lead ions have a radius of 110 pm. What is the approximate radius of calcium ions?

a)

110

b)

200

c)

160

d)

80

33.

What happened at Galen Myers Dump from 1970-1983?

a)

The Galen Myers Dump was a landfill for a rubber company from 1970 to 1983.

b)

It was contaminated with materials from metal barrels 1970 to 1983.

c)
The Galen Myers Dump was used for community events from 1970 to 1983.
d)

The Galen Myers Dump was the site of lead pollution from a city landfill from 1970 to 1983.

34.

What has been at the Love Canal in New York since 1980?

a)
Love Canal has been a Superfund site.
b)
Love Canal has been a wildlife refuge.
c)
Love Canal has been a historical landmark.
d)
Love Canal has been a residential area.