WorksheetsCommunity Ecology II
Total questions: 23
Worksheet time: 3590secs
Which statement about Net Primary Productivity is CORRECT?
It is measured as energy fixed per unit area.
It is the total biomass gained by heterotrophic organisms per unit time.
It is equivalent to the total solar energy fixed by photosynthesis in green plants.
It is the gain in energy or biomass per unit area per unit time after allowing for loss through respiration.
Which of the following best explains the need for a constant influx of sunlight to sustain Earth's biosphere?
energy from sunlight moves through ecosystems but is lost as heat
energy from sunlight warms the Earth, which allows organisms to flourish
energy from sunlight is the primary source of chemical energy
energy from sunlight strikes Earth and is recycled through food webs
Which of the following components is not recycled within an ecosystem?
(a)Which of the following best represents the actions of photoautotrophs?
produce oxygen and use carbon dioxide
produce, and use, both oxygen and carbon dioxide
produce thermal energy to be used by other organisms
convert chemical energy to solar energy
The wavy arrow exiting the left side of the "Primary consumers" box could best be described as which of the following examples of a nutrient transfer?
decomposition of dead matter
feces excreted by the primary consumer
predation of the primary consumer
production consumed by the primary consumer
Which of the following most accurately describes the fate of incoming solar radiation from the sun?
Most of the incoming solar radiation is transmitted through plant leaves or lost as heat.
A tiny fraction of the incoming solar radiation is absorbed by photosynthetic plant pigments.
Most incoming solar radiation strikes and is absorbed by Earth's land surfaces.
Solar radiation is least intense at the tropics.
Which of the following terms encompasses all of the others?
(a)
In the figure, the jagged arrow leaving microorganisms and other detritivores represents which process?
organic compounds broken down by bacteria
energy consumed by bacteria
energy lost from a worm during cellular respiration
CO2 and heat loss from detritus due to solar radiation and precipitation
In the ecosystem figure, which component of the food web has the potential to lose the most energy as heat?
secondary and tertiary consumers
primary consumers
primary producers
microorganisms and other detritivores
Which habitat type in the figure covers the largest area?
(a)
Which terrestrial habitat type in the figure makes available the most net biomass tissue per unit area available for consumers?
(a)
Which land-based ecosystem in the figure makes has the highest productivity per square meter?
(a)Owls eat rats, mice, shrews, and small birds. Assume that, over a period of time, an owl consumes 5,000 J of animal material. The owl loses 2,300 J in feces and owl pellets and uses 2,500 J for cellular respiration. Which of the following best estimates the production efficiency of this owl?
8%
7.4%
2%
40%
Which of the following is a reason that inefficient transfer of energy among trophic levels results in the typically high endangerment status of many top-level predators?
Top-level predators often have small populations that are sparsely distributed.
Predators have relatively large population sizes.
Predators are more disease-prone than animals at lower trophic levels.
Top-level predators are more likely to be stricken with parasites.
Which of the following is a reason that a diet consisting primarily of fruits and vegetables results in a smaller ecological footprint than a diet high in meat content?
Fewer animals are raised for human consumption.
There is an excess of plant biomass in all terrestrial ecosystems.
Vegetarians require less chemical energy than others
Eating meat is an inefficient way of acquiring photosynthetic productivity.
For most terrestrial ecosystems, pyramids composed of species abundances, biomass, and energy are similar in that they have a broad base and a narrow top. The primary reason for this pattern is that ________.
secondary consumers and top carnivores require less energy than producers
at each step, energy is lost from the system
biomagnification of toxic materials limits the secondary consumers and top carnivores
top carnivores and secondary consumers have a more general diet than primary producers
Which of the following is primarily responsible for limiting the number of trophic levels in most ecosystems?
Many primary and higher-order consumers are opportunistic feeders.
Decomposers compete with higher-order consumers for nutrients and energy.
Nutrient cycling rates tend to be limited by decomposition.
Energy transfer between trophic levels is usually less than 20 percent efficient.
If the figure represents a terrestrial food web, the combined biomass of C + D would probably be ________.
greater than the biomass of A
greater than the biomass of B
less than the biomass of A + B
less than the biomass of E
Which of the following statements is correct about ecosystems?
In ecosystems, energy can be recycled, but matter can not.
In ecosystems, food can be recycled, but waste can not.
In ecosystems, matter can be recycled, but energy can not.
In ecosystems, air can be recycled, but water can not.
Which of the following graphs demonstrates the natural order of ecological succession?
Starfish are considered ___ because if the species is negatively affected, it’s going to have a disproportionately great negative effect on the whole ecosystem.
a keystone species
an invasive species
an exotic species
an introduced species
