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WorksheetsSSC Science Competition Review
Total questions: 162
Worksheet time: 2hrs 45mins
All biotic and abiotic (living and nonliving) things in an area is called an ______________.
ecosystem
community
population
biome
Which biome would be best suited for plants and animals that can store water?
rainforest
desert
tundra
ocean
A cactus has spines that help protect it from predators. This would be an example of a _________________ adaptation.
structural
behavioral
Climbers of a tree in the rainforest would be an example of a _________________ adaptation.
structural
behavioral
The ______________ biome has short summers and long winters; it is covered in evergreen trees.
deciduous forest
grasslands
taiga
rainforest
97% of the Earth's water is located in....
ground water
the ocean
lakes, rivers, and streams
glaciers
An island off the coast of Africa contains a larger percentage of specialist species than generalist species. Which of the following describes the most immediate effect if an invasive generalist species is introduced to the island?
As predation increases, the population size of the invasive generalist species will decrease.
As competition for resources increases, the population size of the island’s specialist species will decrease.
As resources are partitioned, the population sizes of both the generalist species and the specialist species will increase.
As niches overlap, the invasive generalist species will be outcompeted by the island’s specialist species.
An island off the coast of Africa contains a larger percentage of specialist species than generalist species. Which of the following describes the most immediate effect if an invasive generalist species is introduced to the island?
As predation increases, the population size of the invasive generalist species will decrease.
As competition for resources increases, the population size of the island’s specialist species will decrease.
As resources are partitioned, the population sizes of both the generalist species and the specialist species will increase.
As niches overlap, the invasive generalist species will be outcompeted by the island’s specialist species.
Biodiversity is measured using two criteria. They are...
Species evenness and habitat area
Species richness and ecological relationships
Species richness and evenness
Species evenness and NPP produced
Which of the following would have the highest species richness?
An ecosystem with 30 species with varying numbers of each population.
An ecosystem with 15 species with 2 populations dominating in size.
An ecosystem with 25 species with roughly the same amount of individuals in each population.
An ecosystem with 5 highly specialized species with equal amount of individuals in each population.
According to the map, which of the following islands would be negatively impacted the most by an invasive species?
1
2
3
4
The first species that reappear after a major disruption to an ecosystem are known as...
Primary consumers
Reintroduced species
Endangered Species
Pioneer species
Primary succession would occur in all the following areas except..
bare rock
after a volcanic eruption
sandy dunes
an open field
What area would be considered the climax community?
Annual herb stage
forest
scrub stage
lichen moss stage
Which of the following pairs would be considered a regulating service of biodiversity?
Food and fresh water
Pollination and biological control
Tourism and the arts
Habitats and genetic diversity
Which of the following would be an anthropogenic effect on the cultural services of biodiversity?
Switching to a vegan diet
The dumping of toxic chemicals in our fresh water ways
Increased snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef
Removal of a forest to build new town homes
Invasive species are successful because
they enter an ecosystem much like the one they come from.
they are the first organisms to appear after a disturbance
they have no predators and reduced competition
they require less energy and can fit in lower trophic levels.
The result of a bottleneck event is...
reduced genetic diversity
increased genetic diversity
speciation
increased gene flow
Which of the following might be a pioneer species after a fire has destroyed a forest?
native grasses
primary consumers
secondary consumers
larger trees
Which one of the following factors is not a major cause of loss of biodiversity?
habitat fragmentation
Agriculture
Invasive species
Pollution
What is one way we can reduce human impact on the release of invasive species?
Increase travel
Increase shipping and purchase of goods from other countries
build more residential and commercial areas
return unwanted pets to proper locations and organizations
Which of these is an aquatic indicator species?
Shrimp
Coral
Plankton
Sea Anemone
This community has
low species richness
high species evenness
an unequal distribution of species
no biodiversity
Which law regulates the trade in endangered species between countries?
CITES
Kyoto Protocol
Montreal Protocol
Endangered Species Act
The abiotic conditions under which a species can survive and reproduce is called its
range of tolerance
realized niche
environmental distribution
fundamental niche
The best way to preserve biodiversity is to...
stop using all plastics
protect and maintain habitats
reduce our impact on pollution
lower our need for poultry and beef
What is the difference between primary and secondary succcession?
Primary succession already has soil
Lichen and moss come in for secondary succession
Secondary succession already has soil
Climax community is achieved quickly in primary succession
the breaking of habitats into smaller pieces is called...
habitat division
habitat pollution
habitat corruption
habitat fragmentation
Which of the following processes in the nitrogen cycle is the conversion of soil nitrate to the nitrogen gases N2O and N2 by bacteria.
NITROGEN-FIXATION
DECOMPOSITION
NITRIFICATION
DINITRICATION
Known as eutrophication, excess fertilizer runoff in aquatic ecosystems causes -
too much oxygen in the water
algae to die
algal blooms
What is species richness?
Number of different genes in a species
Number of individuals in a species
Number of different species in a given area
Number of ecosystems in a given area
According to the island biogeography theory, which of the following islands is likely to have higher species diversity?
A larger island far from the mainland
A smaller island closer to the mainland
A larger island closer to the mainland
A smaller island far from the mainland
What are ecosystem services?
Benefits that people obtain from ecosystems
Harmful effects of ecosystems on people
Artificially created benefits for ecosystems
Products obtained from ecosystems
What is ecological succession?
The process of maintaining the same species structure in an ecological community over time.
The process of reducing the number of species in an ecological community.
The process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time.
The process of introducing new species to an ecological community.
What term describes the variety of ecosystems within a given region?
climate change
ecosystem diversity
biodiversity
genetic engineering
What is the process of primary succession?
The process of primary succession involves the decline of plant and animal communities over time
The process of primary succession involves the rapid growth of mature trees and plants on barren land
The process of primary succession involves the introduction of non-native species to an ecosystem
The process of primary succession involves the colonization of barren land by pioneer species, followed by the establishment of more complex plant and animal communities over time.
What is the difference between primary and secondary succession?
Primary succession occurs on bare rock, while secondary succession occurs in areas where a community has previously existed.
Primary succession occurs in areas where a community has previously existed, while secondary succession occurs on bare rock.
Primary succession involves the introduction of non-native species, while secondary succession involves the decline of plant and animal communities.
Primary succession involves the decline of plant and animal communities, while secondary succession involves the introduction of non-native species.
What is the impact of invasive species on biodiversity?
Invasive species increase biodiversity by introducing new species to the ecosystem.
Invasive species have no impact on biodiversity.
Invasive species decrease biodiversity by outcompeting native species for resources and altering habitats.
Invasive species increase biodiversity by creating new habitats.
_______ species are more susceptible to being wiped out by the introduction of invasive species.
Indicator
Amphibious
Generalist
Specialist
This graph depicts the ecological tolerance of the Blackstripe topminnow in regard to the flow rate of the river/stream it lives in. Drag the labels to the approximate spots on the curve that they belong to. There are two duplicated options.
Optimum range
Zone of intolerance
Zone of intolerance
Zone of physiological stress
Zone of physiological stress
Which of the following is an example of a keystone species?
Beavers
Elephants
Kudzu vine
Sea otters
Which of the following statements is true?
Biodiversity decreases with increased sunlight
Biodiversity decreases as you move away from the equator
Biodiversity decreases as you decrease in altitude
Biodiversity increases as you go further down in the oceans
Species that are clearly critical to the functioning of an ecosystem are known as
biodiversity
keystone species
main species
native species
An endemic species is
exotic and found everywhere
exotic and found only in certain regions
native and found only in a limited area
native and found everywhere
When a community is stable with little to no change, what level of ecological succession is taking place?
Primary succession
Secondary succession
Tertiary succession
Climax community
One species benefits from its relationship with another species for whom the relationship does no harm nor good. This relationship is best described as
commensalism
parasitism
mutualism
competitive exclusion
Southeast Asian flying foxes are responsible for pollinating durian tree flowers and spreading durian seeds. Durian trees and fruit are critical for the survival of many species and a decline in the flying fox population would be devastating to the local ecology. Flying foxes can be considered
an indicator species
an invasive species
a keystone species
a pioneer species
Which is the best description of the two communities shown?
Community 1 has a higher evenness but lower richness than Community 2.
Community 1 has a higher evenness and equal richness to Community 2.
Community 2 has a higher evenness and higher richness than Community 1.
Community 2 has a higher evenness but lower richness than Community 1.
The aesthetic value of an ecosystem provides
a supporting service.
a regulating service.
an intrinsic value.
a cultural service.
Human waste is often dumped in the ocean. Microbial organisms in marine ecosystems can break down organic waste into less harmful components. This is an example of
a cultural service.
an ecosystem provision.
a regulating service.
an intrinsic value.
The theory of island biogeography suggests that species richness is affected by which of the following factors?
I. island distance from mainland
II. how the island is formed
III. island size
II only
III only
I and III
II and III
The surface of the earth, otherwise known as the ______, is broken into seven major pieces and sits atop a liquid layer called the _______
lithosphere, asthenosphere
astenosphere, mantle
crust, litosphere
asthenosphere, lithosphere
Sea surface temperature changes great than 0.5oC for greater than 5 months across the central tropical Pacific Ocean are known as
the arctic effect
the get stream
a typhoon
El Nino-Southern Oscillation
I. variation in the angle of sunlight that reaches Earth
II. variation in the amount of surface area over which the Sun's rays are distributed
III. variation in the amount of sunlight reflected from clouds
The type of plate boundary where two plates come together is a .....
Convergent Boundary
Divergent Boundary
Transform Boundary
Plate Boundary
A divergent boundary occurs when plates ....
Pull apart
Come together
Slide past each other
subducting
Mountains are created when....
Two continental plates collide
Two oceanic plates pull apart
An Oceanic plate subducts under a Continental Plate
Two continental plates pull apart
The process by which the ocean floor sinks beneath a deep-ocean trench and back into the mantle is known as _______
convection.
continental drift.
subduction.
conduction.
What is the correct order (starting from the surface) of Earth’s layers?
crust, outer core, inner core, mantle
mantle, outer core, inner core, crust
crust, mantle, outer core, inner core
outer core, inner core, crust, mantle
The rate at which water flows through the soil is called soil percolation or ______.
Groundwater
Permeability
Soil Pores
Porosity
The movement of the tectonic plates is caused by
the rotation of the Earth.
convection currents in the Asthenosphere
the gravity of the iron-nickel core.
the Moho discontinuity.
In which layer of the atmosphere does ozone help block UV radiation from striking the Earth?
troposphere
mesosphere
stratosphere
thermosphere
In which layer of the atmosphere do all the pressure, wind, and precipitation changes occur?
Outer space
stratosphere
troposphere
mesosphere
Which of the following would be an environmental impact of high density animal farming?
bad smells
livestock can escape
water pollution due to runoff
improvement of feeding efficiency
Because global fisheries have dramatically seen a reduction in fish numbers, this technique has been used recently to supplement that loss.
monocropping
IPM
contour farming
aquaculture
The systematic removal of rock or other substance for financial gain.
smelting
mining
urban farming
forestry
One of the advantages to using genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is
reduce the need for pesticides
they are not regulated by the government
the concern about safety to consume
they can cause food allergies
When irrigation water evaporates, salts are left behind on the soil surface and can cause plant death or lead to
soil salinization
desertification
waterlogging
monocropping
IPM is likely to use all of the following techniques EXCEPT
intercropping.
habitat creation for pest predators.
planting herbicide-resistant crops.
increased use of traditional pesticides.
Overgrazing of grasslands can lead to reduced range quality. Two of the major effects of overgrazing are
erosion and desertification
eutrophication and increased methane production
higher fire potential and increased productivity
higher primary productivity and ammonification
Which of the following is an example of a solution to the tragedy of the commons?
Improving literacy among urban populations
Raising tax rates for large corporations
Inventing stronger antibiotics
Passing a law to set limits for fishermen
Externality
The cost or benefit of a good or service that is not included in the purchase price of that good or service
Land that a community shares
The maximum number of plants that one can harvest
Resources managed by the government or an organization
Emphasis on use of pesticides, herbicides, and monoculture
green revolution
agricultural revolution
industrial revolution
subsistence agriculture
Which of the following type of tree harvesting is the most detrimental to the environment?
Strip Cutting
Selective Cutting
Clear Cutting
Partial Harvest
One way a local community might regulate a shared and limited resource and reduce the tragedy of the commons is to ....
eliminate ownership of the resources and make them available to all
divide the resources into parcels and assign them to individuals
offer subsides to users of the resources in the form of tax breaks
reduce the cost of access to the resources
Which of the following environmental effects would most likely result from the clear-cutting of boreal forests by industrial logging operations?
There will be an increase in atmospheric oxygen concentration, which will improve air quality.
There will be an increase in farming on the cleared areas of land, which will reduce incidences of flooding.
There will be an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration, which will contribute to climate change.
There will be a decrease in the temperature of soil and nearby bodies of water, which will increase biodiversity.
Which of the following describes an unintended consequence that results from large-scale agricultural use of water from an aquifer?
The water table level rises too high, leading to excessive flooding.
Much of the water becomes too salty for human consumption because of saltwater intrusion.
Agricultural areas contribute to increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, leading to global climate change.
The rate of water use likely exceeds the rate of recharge, leading to lowering the water table.
Which of the following best describes the advantages and disadvantages of drip irrigation?
This method most efficiently delivers water directly to plant roots compared with other methods, and wastes less water, but it may be too costly for farmers in developing countries to use.
This method is suitable for a range of topographies and is easy to operate, but it requires a high initial investment in machinery.
This method delivers water to the field by pipes and water flows directly over the soil, but there is a large amount of runoff.
This method applies water directly to trenches dug in soil and is cost effective, but water is often lost to evaporation.
Which of the following methods of meat production would provide the most likely explanation for the information represented in the graph above?
Individual transferable quotas
Concentrated animal feeding operations
Free-range grazing
Organic meat production
An insect population in an agricultural field is affected by monthly applications of a pesticide, as shown in the graph below. A likely cause of the overall increase in the insect population over time is...
a decrease in the moisture content of the soil
an increase in soil salinity
the survival of increasing numbers of resistant insects
an increase in the population of insect predators
Compared with people in developing countries, people in industrialized countries are more likely to eat…
Beef
Corn
Rice
Beans
Ore leftovers after valuable minerals have been removed
tailings
smelting piles
extraction heap
gravel
Surface Mining and Control Reclamation Act
mandates that miners give half of what they find to the government
allows miners to place a stake on public land for $5 per acre
mandates reclamation
is meant to bankrupt mining companies
Why mine tailings can be dangerous
can cause miners to trip
can be full of sharp objects
can cause acid leaching into water bodies
are full of conflict minerals
What are considered "the commons"
Common house hold items like knifes, spoons, and forks.
A resource owned by no one and available for use by anyone at little or no charge
A field where college students can sit outside in between classes
Removes single trees or a relatively small number of trees from the larger forest
Tree specialization
Selective cutting
Forest consumption
Selective trees
Which location would be best for solar energy?
Arizona
Oklahoma
Hawaii
Colorado
What is given off as waste in a hydrogen fueled car?
H2
O2
H2O2
H2O
Fuel cells that use a chemical reaction to generate electricity are using
hydrogen gas
methane gas
water
oil
If a tractor trailer truck is 20% efficient, what happened to the other 80%
energy is destroyed
energy is lost as heat
the 80% is still in the gas tank
energy is converted into matter
The following are advantages of which type of energy?
· Cogeneration power plants can have efficiencies up to 60%
· Efficient for cooking, heating, etc.
· Fewer impurities than coal or oil
Petroleum
Coal
Natural Gas
Nuclear Energy
The following are advantages of which type of energy?
· Energy-dense and abundant—will last up to 200 years
· No refining needed
· Easy, safe to transport
· Economic backbone of many small towns
Petroleum
Coal
Natural Gas
Nuclear Energy
The following are advantages of which type of energy?
· Ideal for mobile combustion engines
· Quick ignition/ turn-off capability
· Cleaner-burning than coal
Petroleum
Coal
Natural Gas
Nuclear Energy
The following are advantages of which type of energy?
· Emits no CO2
· Offers independence from imported oil
· High energy density, ample supply
Petroleum
Coal
Natural Gas
Nuclear Energy
Type of fuel source that causes DEFORESTATION
Solar energy
Nuclear fission
Geothermal
Biomass
Based on the diagram, which processes would provide the energy used to generate electricity at the power plant?
absorption of incoming solar radiation
fusion of atomic nuclei to form heavier atomic nuclei
fission in radioactive fuel
combustion of fossil fuels
Which three sources supply the majority of commercial energy in the world today?
Nuclear, hydropower, and photovoltaics
Wood, dung, and charcoal
Coal, oil, and natural gas
Solar, wind, and biomass
Which of the following is the best example of cogeneration?
Several power plants supply the same city with electrical energy.
A coal-fired power plant captures waste heat and uses it to heat adjacent buildings.
Emissions from power plants are captured and stripped of sulfur for commercial sale.
A trash-to-steam power plant accepts both residential and commercial waste.
What is the cleanest of the three fossil fuels?
Nuclear
Petroleum
Oil
Natural gas
How is energy from fossil fuels produced?
The combustion of fossil fuels heats water to produce steam, which then turns a turbine.
The heat released from burning fossil fuels rises and turns a turbine, which then releases carbon dioxide
The steam released from the combustion of fossil fuels turns a generator, which then powers a turbine.
Steam produced from a turbine ignites the fossil fuels, which then powers the generator.
What is the common fuel for nuclear powerplants?
Hydrocarbons
Uranium
Zinc
Cadmium
This energy source can disrupt migratory birds.
solar energy
hydrogen fuel cell
geothermal energy
wind energy
This energy source requires UV radiation to excite electrons.
solar energy
hydrogen fuel cells
geothermal energy
wind energy
This energy sources are common at divergent boundaries.
solar energy
hydrogen fuel cells
wind energy
geothermal energy
Which of these best describes the use of a photovoltaic cell?
converts photons into electricity
burns biomass for heat
generates passive solar energy
generates electricity from wind power
Cogeneration typically involves which of the following?
Doubling the capacity for a nuclear power plant
Increasing the efficiency of electricity generation in coal fired power plants
Using both renewable and nonrenewable resources to produce electricity
Using a fuel to produce both electricity and heat
Which location would be best for geothermal energy?
Arizona
Oklahoma
Hawaii
Colorado
A home is built with clear glass panels that allow sunlight to pass through. This is an example of
Active solar
Passive solar
Parabolic collector
Photovoltaic Cells
A home is fitted with pumps that pipe water to the roof of the home to be heated by the sun. This is an example of
passive solar
active solar
parabolic collector
photovoltaic cell
What is the half-life of Iodine 131?
32 days
24 days
16 days
8 days
Which of the following energy sources is considered nonrenewable?
petroleum
solar
geothermal
tidal
wind
1 – generator converts mechanical energy into electrical energy
2 – wind turns the wind turbine blade
3 – the gear box transfers mechanical energy to the generator
4 – electricity is transferred to the grid
Calculate the energy used by a coffee maker that has a power rating of 0.900 kW and operated for 17 hours.
15.3 kwh
17.3 kwh
900 kwh
1200 kw
Calculate the cost of operating a heater of 1.75kw for 20 hours at rate of $0.13 per kwh?
$6.75
$4.55
$53.43
$45.53
