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WorksheetsEcology Pre test
Total questions: 15
Worksheet time: 8mins
1. 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:
Herbivore
Carnivore
Primary producer
omnivore
A pond ecosystem is shown in the diagram below. Which statement describes an interaction that helps maintain the dynamic equilibrium of this ecosystem?
The frogs make energy available to this ecosystem through the process of photosynthesis.
The algae directly provide food for both the rotifers and the catfish.
The green-backed heron provides energy for the mosquito larvae.
The catfish population helps control the populations of water boatman and waterfleas.
A team of ecologists observed feeding patterns of several populations in the desert. The energy pyramid shown below 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.
When an environment has reached its carrying capacity for a certain population, which of the following is true?
Growth and immigration rate is equal to death and emigration rate.
Growth and immigration rate is greater than death and emigration rate.
. Growth and immigration rate is less than death and emigration rate.
Growth rate is exponential.
The common brushtail possum is a marsupial native to Australia. This possum was introduced to New Zealand where it had no natural predators and had an abundant food supply. Which of these likely occurred a few years after the introduction of this possum to New Zealand?
The possums became extinct.
The possums developed shorter life spans.
The possum population grew to a larger size.
The possum population evolved into a different species.
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 below 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
One way that humans could have a positive impact on local environments is to:
generate waste products as a result of technological advances
use resources that are renewable
. increase planting large areas of one crop
increase the use of pesticides
Some people see the benefit of wind energy as a clean alternative to fossil fuels for energy production. Others believe it is dangerous for migratory birds. These opinions best illustrate that decisions about alternate energy sources:
will usually favor older methods of energy production over newer methods
must be made by weighing the risks and costs against the benefits
must be made by taking into account the present needs of the citizens without looking toward the future
should be the responsibility of each individual
A builder is proposing a new housing development in an area of western Massachusetts. Construction of the housing development will destroy the wetland habitat in the area. Which of the following would be the most likely consequence of the wetland’s destruction?
The wetland plant species would disperse to adjacent meadow habitats.
The populations of wetland animals would be unable to survive in that area
The wetland animal species would survive by interbreeding with non-wetland species.
The populations of wetland plants would evolve to disperse seeds by wind rather than water.
Leaves fall from deciduous trees in autumn. The carbon in these leaves is returned to the atmosphere through which of the following processes?
Decomposition
Photosynthesis
Condensation
Transpiration
The diagram below shows part of the carbon cycle. If many trees are removed from a forest by logging, what is the most immediate effect on the carbon cycle in that forest?
increase in the rates of decomposition
. increase in the rates of atmospheric carbon dioxide
decreased combustion of fossil fuel
increase production of organic compounds
A graph of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration over time is shown below. Scientists are investigating the cause of the large increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration since about 1800. Which of the following provides the best explanation for the increase?
eruptions of large volcanoes
use of fossil fuels by humans
natural fluctuations of climate
photosynthesis by photoplankton
Changes in an ecosystem over a long period of time are shown in the diagram below. These changes will most likely lead to a:
stable ecosystem that can last for many years
loss of heterotrophs that cannot be recovered
long-term rise in environmental temperatures
forest consisting of only producers and decomposers
You have been studying population growth of a species of Paramecium, a single celled organism for 18 days. Your data is shown in the graph below. Food was occasionally added to the test tube in which the paramecia were grown. According to the diagram, what is the carrying capacity of the test-tube environment as long as food is added?
about 10 paramecia
about 50 paramecia
about 65 paramecia
about 100 paramecia
A food chain is illustrated below:
The squiggly arrows (not straight arrows) most likely indicate
Energy released from metabolism into the environment as heat
Oxygen released from metabolism produced by cellular respiration.
The absorption of energy from the environment that has been created.
The transport of glucose away from the organism through photosynthesis.
