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APES Unit 1 Ecosystems

Total questions: 104

Worksheet time: 4hrs 2mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which of the following is not a primary producer in an ecosystem?

a)

Algae

b)

Grass

c)

Lion

d)

Tree

2.

Which biome is characterized by low temperatures and little precipitation?

a)

Rainforest

b)

Desert

c)

Grassland

d)

Tundra

3.

What is the process by which carbon is cycled between the atmosphere, land, and ocean?

a)

Water cycle

b)

Oxygen cycle

c)

Carbon cycle

d)

Nitrogen cycle

4.

Which of the following is a measure of the amount of organic matter produced by an ecosystem's autotrophs?

a)

Primary productivity

b)

Quaternary productivity

c)

Tertiary productivity

d)

Secondary productivity

5.

In a food chain, which trophic level contains the primary consumers?

a)

Fourth trophic level

b)

Tenth trophic level

c)

Primary trophic level

d)

Second trophic level

6.

Which of the following is a decomposer in a food web?

a)

Bacteria and fungi

b)

Lions and tigers

c)

Trees and plants

d)

Birds and fish

7.

Which biome is characterized by hot temperatures and little precipitation?

a)

Rainforest biome

b)

Tundra biome

c)

Desert biome

d)

Temperate forest biome

8.

What is the process by which nitrogen is converted into a form that plants can use?

a)

Hydrogen fixation

b)

Oxygen fixation

c)

Carbon fixation

d)

Nitrogen fixation

9.

In a food web, which organisms are at the highest trophic level?

a)

Primary producers

b)

Decomposers

c)

Herbivores

d)

Top predators or apex predators

10.

Which of the following is a primary producer in an aquatic ecosystem?

a)

Whale

b)

Shrimp

c)

Algae

d)

Fish

11.

Which biome is characterized by moderate temperatures and moderate precipitation?

a)

Tundra

b)

Temperate deciduous forest

c)

Desert

d)

Tropical rainforest

12.

What is the process by which phosphorus is cycled through the environment?

a)

Weathering, leaching, uptake, decomposition, and runoff

b)

Photosynthesis, respiration, evaporation, condensation

c)

Erosion, sedimentation, condensation, precipitation

d)

Fossilization, combustion, condensation, precipitation

13.

Which of the following is a primary consumer in a terrestrial ecosystem?

a)

Grass

b)

Wolf

c)

Rabbit

d)

Tree

14.

Which biome is characterized by high temperatures and high precipitation?

a)

Tundra

b)

Desert

c)

Temperate deciduous forest

d)

Tropical rainforest

15.

What is the process by which water is cycled between the atmosphere, land, and ocean?

a)

Water cycle

b)

Carbon cycle

c)

Nitrogen cycle

d)

Oxygen cycle

16.

An experiment is designed to determine if wheat grows better when it is planted alone or with clover. The design calls for 3 pans of each treatment. Pans A, B, and C contain only wheat. Pans D, E, and F contain clover and wheat planted in alternating rows. Each pan contains a total of

100 seeds. All treatments contain the same type of soil, are planted in the same size pan, are exposed to the same amount of sunlight, and are maintained at the same temperature throughout the course of the experiment.


The treatments planted with only wheat are the

a)

sample size.

b)

control.

c)

environmental variable.

d)

null hypothesis.

e)

replication.

17.

The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

a)

is increasing in part due to fossil fuel use.

b)

has not significantly changed in the past 200 years.

c)

is increasing in part due to deforestation.

d)

has been decreasing since the 1800’s.

e)

can not be reliably measured

18.

The study of environmental science primarily considers

a)

interactions among human systems and those found in Earth

b)

the effect of human systems

c)

abiotic factors that influence the state of our environment

d)

factors that affect global climate change

19.

An ecosystem is a location on Earth that includes

a)

only biotic components

b)

only abiotic components

c)

interacting biotic and abiotic components

d)

positive and negative feedback loops

20.

Which of the following is a qualitative observation?

a)

15 inches

b)

a liquid

c)

a green solution

d)

6 feet 1 inches

21.

Place the ecology levels of organization in proper order (smallest to largest)

a)

organism > population > community > ecosystem > biosphere

b)

community > organism > ecosystem > biosphere > population

c)

organism > community > biosphere > population > ecosystem

d)

population > biosphere > ecosystem > community > organism

22.

A tapeworm lives in the small intestines where it feeds and grows, robbing the human of essential nutrients. This is a _____ type of relationship.

a)

Commensalism

b)

Parasitism

c)

Symbiotic

d)

Mutualism

23.

A positive feedback loop occurs

a)

when a system responds to a change by returning to its original state

b)

when feedback into a system decreases a rate of response

c)

when a system is in a steady state

d)

when feedback into a system increases a rate of response

24.

Which is a biotic factor?

a)

producers

b)

pH

c)

energy

d)

humidity

25.

What law best relates to energy loss within an ecosystem?

a)

First law of thermodynamics

b)

Second law of thermodynamics

c)

Third law of thermodynamics

d)

Law of conservation of matter

26.

Which best describes the concept of net primary production?

a)

total amount of energy available from the Sun

b)

total amount of cellular respiration conducted within an ecosystem

c)

energy captured minus energy lost

d)

total amount of energy available from the producer

27.

In which biome would you expect to find an area with an average temperature of 10oC and 200 cm of precipitation annually?

a)

Temperate seasonal forest

b)

Temperate rainforest

c)

Woodland/shrubland

d)

Tropical seasonal forest

28.

In which biome would you expect to find an area with an average temperature of 4oC and 50 cm of precipitation annually?

a)

Tundra

b)

Boreal forest

c)

Temperate grassland/cold desert

d)

Woodland/shrubland

29.

What factors are used to classify a biome?

a)

average temperature

b)

average precipitation

c)

distinctive plants adapted to area

d)

all of these are correct

30.

Terrestrial biomes are defined by ____ and ____ variables.

a)

temperature; precipitation

b)

temperature; animals

c)

precipitation; plants

d)

animals; plants

31.

The direction of an arrow in a food chain represents

a)

the flow of energy from organism B to A

b)

the movement of organisms

c)

the directionality of the sun

d)

the flow of energy from organism A to B

32.

Which of the following biogeochemical cycles does not have an atmospheric phase?

a)

Hydrolic Cycle

b)

Nitrogen Cycle

c)

Sulfur Cycle

d)

Carbon Cycle

e)

Phosphorous Cycle

33.

Producers rely on _____ to release chemical energy and consumers rely on ____ to release chemical energy.

a)

Cellular Respiration; photosynthesis

b)

Cellular Respiration; cellular respiration

c)

photosynthesis; cellular respiration

d)

photosynthesis; photosynthesis

34.

In the Nitrogen cycle, what is one Natural way that Nitrogen gets into our soil?

a)

Fertilizers

b)

Human Waste through septic tanks

c)

Decomposing animals

d)

Industrial waste

35.

There are less nutrient rich soils in the Rain Forest due to the dense tree canopy and water runoff.

a)

True

b)

False

36.

Diurnal and Nocturnal creatures share their resources through the use of which of the following processes?

a)

Competition

b)

Resource Partitioning

c)

Different trophic levels

d)

Coevolution

37.

Exemplified by bees consuming nectar and carrying pollen from one flower to another

a)

Commensalism

b)

Parasitism

c)

Mutualism

d)

Predation

e)

Competition

38.

Which environment is characterized by the highest diversity of tree species?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

d)

D

e)

E

39.

This biome is considered to have the lowest primary productivity per square area

a)

Open ocean

b)

Wetlands

c)

Coral Reefs

d)

Rivers

40.

The two major processes involved in the carbon cycle are

a)

weathering and erosion

b)

erosion and deposition

c)

evaporation and transpiration

d)

photosynthesis and respiration

e)

fixation and denitrification

41.

The two major processes involved in the nitrogen cycle are

a)

weathering and erosion

b)

erosion and deposition

c)

evaporation and transpiration

d)

photosynthesis and respiration

e)

fixation and denitrification

42.

Select the choice that best fits each statement.

Plant roots absorb ammonium ions and nitrate ions for use in making molecules such as DNA, amino acids, and proteins.

a)

Denitrification

b)

Assimilation

c)

Ammonification

d)

Nitrogen fixation

43.

The process in the hydrologic cycle in which water vapor is released from leaves into the atmosphere is called

a)

Transpiration

b)

Precipitation

c)

Photosynthesis

d)

Condensation

44.

In a given ecosystem, producers convert solar energy into 15,000kcal of chemical energy stored in organic compounds. Which of the following is the most likely amount of energy available to primary consumers?

a)

1.5 Kcal

b)

150 kcal

c)

1,500 kcal

d)

13,500 kcal

45.

Which of the following best describes the net primary productivity of an ecosystem?

a)

Net primary productivity is the amount of energy captured by producers through photosynthesis over time.

b)

Net primary productivity is the amount of energy lost by producers through respiration over time.

c)

Net primary productivity is the amount of energy lost through respiration by producers subtracted from the gross primary productivity of an ecosystem.

46.
Identify the cycle pictured.
a)
The Water cycle
b)
The Carbon cycle
c)
The Nitrogen cycle
d)
The Phosphorus cycle
47.
Identify the cycle pictured.
a)
The Water cycle
b)
The Carbon cycle
c)
The Nitrogen cycle
d)
The Phosphorus cycle.
48.
Where is carbon stored in the environment?
a)
Fossil fuels
b)
Wood of trees
c)
Calcium carbonate (shells and bones)
d)
All of the above
49.
The efficiency of energy transfer from a lower trophic level to the next highest level is roughly
a)
1%
b)
10%
c)
100%
d)
1000%
50.
In the energy pyramid here, how much of the energy in each level gets lost as heat or used by the organism for survival?
a)
80%
b)
90%
c)
10%
d)
20%
51.

What is the effect of deforestation on the carbon cycle?

a)

Increase in the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere

b)

Decrease in the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere

c)

Increase in the amount of photosynthesis

d)

Deforestation has no impact on the carbon cycle

52.

The largest reservoir of nitrogen is the:

a)

Oceans

b)

Rivers

c)

Rock, Lithosphere, & Land

d)

Atmosphere

53.

Nitrogen is added to the atmosphere by:

a)

Denitrification

b)

Fixation

c)

Nitrification

d)

Ammonification

54.

Nitrogen is removed from the atmosphere by:

a)

Denitrification

b)

Fixation

c)

Nitrification

d)

Ammonification

55.

Which of the following best illustrates an abiotic factor affecting a biotic component?

a)

Composting manure is added to agriculture

b)

Phosphorous content in soil affecting plant growth

c)

Plants release oxygen into the atmosphere.

d)

Plants preventing soil erosion

56.

If gross primary productivity in a wetland is 3 kg C/m2/year and respiration is 1.5 kg C/m2/year, what is the net Primary Productivity of the wetland?

a)

1.5 kg C/m2/year

b)

2 kg C/m2/year

c)

3 kg C/m2/year

d)

4.5 kg C/m2/year

57.
How to calculate Net Primary Production:
a)
(GPP)(respiration)=NPP
b)
GPP/respiration=NPP
c)
GPP+respiration=NPP
d)
GPP-respiration=NPP
58.

If gross primary productivity is 5 gC/m2yr, and the producers need 1.5 gC/m2yr for their own respiration, what is the net primary productivity?

a)

3.5 gC/m2yr

b)

6.5 gC/m2yr

c)

-3.5 gC/m2yr

d)

7.5 gC/m2yr

59.
How do animals get nitrogen?
a)
the atmosphere 
b)
eating other organisms
c)
rainwater
d)
lightning 
60.
What role do decomposers play in the phosphorous cycle?
a)
absorb phosphorous 
b)
release phosphorous into atmosphere
c)
return phosphorous into the soil
d)
combustion
61.
These are organisms such as mushrooms and bacteria that break down tissues of dead organisms.
a)
decomposers
b)
producers
c)
autotrophs
d)
algae
62.
The owl receives energy from which organisms?
a)
grasshopper and mouse
b)
mouse and rabbit
c)
rabbit and butterfly
d)
butterfly and frog
63.

Analyze and interpret the graph. What pattern do you see between the hare and lynx

a)

As the prey density increases the number of predators increase

b)

As the prey density decreases the number of predators increase

c)

As the prey density increases the number of predators decrease

d)

Both the prey density and predator density stay the same.

e)

None of the above

64.

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

65.

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

66.
What statement is TRUE about the graph?
a)
The prey is the green line because there needs to be more prey than predators.
b)
The prey is the red line because there needs to be more predators than prey.
c)
The green line is the producers
d)
The red line is the producers
67.
Phosphorous is needed in organisms for the production of
a)
ADP and ATP.
b)
Cellular membranes.
c)
Deoxyribonucleic and ribonucleic acids.
d)
All of the answers are correct
68.

Energy enters a system as sunlight and a producer is able to produce 10 kilograms of tissue. If eaten, the producer would produce about ___ kilograms of a consumer tissue that would provide about ____ kilograms of tissue for a secondary consumer

a)

100; 10

b)

10; 1

c)

100; 1

d)

1; 0.1

69.
In this food web, which two organisms could be harmed if the mouse population were to decrease?
a)
Deer and caterpillar
b)
Wolf and snake
c)
Oak and grass
d)
Hawk and songbird
70.
If the grasshopper were to be removed completely from the food web, what organism would be most effected?
a)
The squirrel
b)
The shrew
c)
The deer
d)
The rabbit
71.
A food pyramid represent the relative amount of energy in trophic levels. Which of the following correctly shows a food pyramid?
a)
A
b)
B
c)
C
d)
D
72.
Jacob is going out to his grandparents fram.  On the farm is a stream that he likes to fish at. When he is fishing he sees many differernt speacies of fish as well as maple and oak trees and dragonflies.  What Jacob is seeing is an example of what level of organization?
a)
organism
b)
population
c)
community
d)
ecosystem
73.
Abby is walking to school with her best friend Jaylyn. They begin talking about everything they see including the ash trees, grass, weeds, ants, and people. They also notice how cold it is, how there are several large puffy clouds out, and how the sun is just starting to come up.  What level of organization are they discussing?
a)
community
b)
ecosystem
c)
biome
d)
biosphere
74.
What does a food web represent?
a)
All connections of energy flow throughout all organisms in a ecosystem.
b)
The specific ways that mutualism is carried out.
c)
A single pathway or energy flow between organisms. 
d)
How carnivores get their food. 
75.
What might happen if you remove a primary consumer from the ecosystem?
a)
There would be more food for secondary consumers.
b)
The number of primary consumers would increase.
c)
The number of plants would increase.
d)
The number of secondary consumers would increase.
76.
What does a food chain represent?
a)
How all living organisms within a habitat are connected.
b)
All of the things that a particular animal eats.
c)
How plants create their own food.
d)
A single path of energy transfer within a habitat.
77.
The ecological niches of three bird species are shown in the diagram. What is the advantage of each bird species having a different niche?
a)
As more birds feed higher in the tree, available energy increases.
b)
More abiotic resources are available for each bird.
c)
Predators are less likely to feed on birds in a variety of locations.
d)
There is less competition for food.
78.

When two species attempt to use the same resource and one outcompetes the other

a)

competitive exclusion

b)

demographic transition

c)

directional selection

d)

resource partitioning

79.

Why are phytoplankton more abundant near the surface of oceans?

a)

to be more accessible to other organisms

b)

sunlight cannot penetrate great depths

c)

they are ba-ba-ba benthic organisms

d)

because they feed on zooplankton that live there

80.

What causes seasonal fluctuations in carbon dioxide levels?

a)

differences in air temperature

b)

differences in water temperature

c)

variations in photosynthetic activity

d)

variations in sea level

81.

What is a primary source of nitrates & phosphates?

a)

burning of coal

b)

changes in environmental temperature

c)

fertilizers and sewage

d)

nitrogen fixation and lightning

82.

Why is the main reason phosphorus is a limiting factor?

a)

it cannot be readily taken up by plants

b)

is cycles too quickly through the biosphere

c)

it is insoluble in water and forms sediments like rock

d)

there is too much of it in nature typically that it is toxic

83.

What is the NPP if the GPP is 5.8 kg C/m2/year and respiration is 2.4 kg C/m2/year?

a)

2.4 kg C/m2/year

b)

3.4 kg C/m2/year

c)

5.8 kg C/m2/year

d)

8.2 kg C/m2/year

84.

Why are decomposers a significant part of ecosystems?

a)

the neutralize acid deposition

b)

they produce more oxygen than they consume

c)

they recycle nutrients

d)

they remove heavy metals from the air

85.

If a tree species in the US survives best in cold temperatures, what would most likely result from global warming?

a)

it would spread further east

b)

it would spread further north

c)

it would spread further south

d)

no change

86.

Which of the following diagrams correctly illustrates the nitrogen cycle?

a)
b)
c)
d)
87.

Nitrogen fixation deals with....

a)

bacteria coverting Nitrates to Ammonia then back to Nitrogen as it moves back into the atmosphere

b)

Plants absorbing Ammonium and Nitrates

c)

Bacteria converting atmospheric Nitrogen into ammonia in the roots of legumes

d)

bacteria converting ammonia to nitrates

88.

During denitrification.....

a)

bacteria found in roots of legumes converts atmospheric nitrogen to ammonium

b)

plants absorb ammonium and nitrates

c)

bacteria convert nitrates to ammonium then back to atmospheric nitrogen

d)

bacteria convert ammonium to nitrates

89.

This is a source of Nitrogen ______________ and the problem is ________________

a)

fertilizers (synthetic and manure)..............it causes algal blooms in bodies of water

b)

smelting, refining and burning coal........................it causes acid rain

c)

rocks.....................causes algal blooms in water sources

d)

volcanoes......................it is a greenhouse gas

90.

Excessive carbon in the atmosphere is a problem because.....

a)

it forms acid rain

b)

it is a greenhouse gas

c)

it causes smog

d)

all of these answers are correct

91.

Oceans play an important role in the carbon cycle because they...

a)

They can store large amounts of C02 as a sink

b)

can release large amounts of CO2

c)

Then can release AND store large amounts of C02 depending on conditions

92.

The source of Phosphorus comes from.......

a)

It is "fixed" by plants from the atmosphere

b)

it is caused by refining and smelting

c)

it is mined from rocks or weathered from rocks

d)

driving cars as it a pollutant formed from engine combustion

93.
Visible light reaches Earth’s surface while infrared light is trapped as heat. Which characteristic of Earth’s atmosphere causes this to happen?
a)
the hole in the ozone
b)
the greenhouse effect
c)
atmospheric pressure
d)
the inversion layer
94.
Which of the following is the best conclusion that can be made from this graph?
a)
atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have been decreasing since 1960
b)
Hawaii has a lot of carbon dioxide
c)
humans have been working hard to decrease carbon dioxide levels
d)
atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have increased steadily since 1960
95.
What is the largest carbon sink in the world?
a)
The Amazon
b)
The Oceans
c)
The Deserts
d)
The Forests
96.

Which of the following gases is NOT a greenhouse gas?

a)

carbon dioxide (CO2)

b)

nitrogen (N2)

c)

water vapor (H20)

d)

methane (CH4)

97.

Which of the following are evidence of climate change?

a)

extreme weather events

b)

increase in the average global temperature

c)

melting of polar ice caps

d)

all of the above

98.
Melting of glaciers and polar ice caps....
a)
will result in cooler temperatures in the Arctic
b)
will result in sea-levels rising
c)
Will have no effect on ecosystems
d)
None of the above
99.

an area's climate changes and it gets LESS rainfall. what can happen?

a)

more hurricanes

b)

more forest fires

c)

floods

d)

more diseases

100.

Warming seas will...

a)

Increase the number of storms

b)

Decrease the number of storms

c)

The number if storms will stay the same

101.
What does this diagram illustrate?
a)
Ozone Layer
b)
The Greenhouse Effect
c)
Ultraviolet Radiation
d)
Layers of the atmosphere
102.

An example of a climate change mitigation strategy is

a)

mandating more fuel efficient vehicles

b)

building structures to protect from rising sea levels

c)

species migration

d)

using drought resistant crops

103.

One possible positive consequence of an increase in CO2 in the atmosphere?

a)

Plants may grow faster and produce more sugars

b)

Pests like pine beetles will die

c)

Forest fires will be extinguished by the lack of oxygen

d)

Corals will grow faster

104.
Why do carbon dioxide levels behave in the manner shown in the graph?
a)
CO2 levels increase in winter because more gasoline is burned.
b)
CO2 levels decrease in the winter because there is less photosynthesis.
c)
CO2 levels increase in summer because there is more decomposition.
d)
CO2 levels decrease in summer because there is more photosynthesis.

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