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Ecology - Part 2

Total questions: 45

Worksheet time: 1hrs 8mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What term do we use to describe a fully developed ecosystem that does not need changing?

a)

Pioneer Species

b)

Climax Species

c)

Endangered Species

d)

Climax Community

e)

Pioneer Community

2.

Organize these options into the right categories

Categorize the following

No soil

Has soil

Begins with weeds / grass

Begins with lichen and moss

Takes a very long time to change and develop

Occurs after a major disturbance like a volcanic eruption

Slow process of soil formation

Can start on bare rock or sand

Develops faster

Can occur after a fire or flood

Can start on abandoned farmland

May involve the regrowth of existing vegetation

Primary Succession
Secondary Succession
3.

Which of the following are examples of pioneer species? (select all that apply)

a)

Maple Tree

b)

Grass

c)

Lichens

d)

Moss

e)

Shrubs

4.

Which type of succession occurs after a natural disaster wipes out most of the vegetation in a habitat? (Soil is present)

a)

Primary Succession

b)

Secondary Succession

5.

Match the following pictures:

a)
1.

Primary succession

b)
2.

Pioneer species

c)
3.

Abiotic factor

d)
4.

Secondary succession

e)
5.

Climax community

6.

What are the first organisms to colonize an area and begin the process of ecological succession?

a)

Foundational organisms

b)

Introductory organisms

c)

Primary organisms

d)

Pioneer species

e)

Secondary species

7.

What is the main difference between primary and secondary ecological succession?

a)

Primary begins WITHOUT soil; Secondary begins WITH soil

b)

Primary is the first state and secondary is the second stage

c)

Primary builds plant community; secondary builds animal community.

d)

Primary begins WITH soil; Secondary begins WITHOUT soil

8.

What are examples of an area that is likely to undergo primary succession?

a)

Glaciers melt and leave exposed rock

b)

Plants die from drought and decompose

c)

Land is bulldozed and soil remains

d)

A wildfire sweeps through a forest

e)

Volcano spewing lava into the area

9.
What is ecological succession?
a)
A slow change in an environment
b)
A change that takes days in an environment
c)

Growing a vegetable garden

d)

Changes in abiotic factors

10.
What are examples of pioneer species in a primary succession?
a)
Bushes and Shrubs
b)
Oak trees
c)
Mossess and Lichens 
d)
A rose Bush
11.

After a volcanic eruption, volcanic rock is present (but no soil). Which of the following states the most likely order of succession that would be seen?

a)

Lichens → Shrubs → Grasses → Trees

b)

Lichens → tree → shrubs→Grasses

c)

Grasses → Lichens → Shrubs → Trees

d)

Lichens → Grasses → Shrubs → Trees

12.
What is the order of succession shown in this figure?
a)
A, B, C, D
b)
B, A, D, C
c)
C, D, A, B
d)
D, A, B, C
13.

What is an example of a pioneer species for secondary succession?

a)

Lichen and moss

b)

Weeds

c)

Shrubs

d)

Trees

e)

Rock

14.

Definition: All of the organisms of one species living in the same area.

a)

Individual

b)

Population

c)

Community

d)

Ecosystem

e)

Biomes

15.

Definition: Groups of different organisms interacting and living in the same area.

a)

Individual

b)

Population

c)

Community

d)

Ecosystem

e)

Biomes

16.

Definition: A community living in an area with biotic and abiotic factors.

a)

Individual

b)

Population

c)

Community

d)

Ecosystem

e)

Biomes

17.

Definition: Similar ecosystems found around the world.

a)

Individual

b)

Population

c)

Community

d)

Ecosystem

e)

Biomes

18.

What term describes "leveling off of the population after the maximum number the environment can support has been reached".

a)

Exponential growth

b)

Carrying capacity

c)

Biotic potential

d)

Ecosystem

e)

Limiting factors

19.

Which of the following would likely be a limiting factor to a population?

a)

Abundance of food

b)

Living near a water source

c)

Presence of a natural predator

d)

Multiple sources for shelter

20.

When rabbits were introduced to Australia, they began to breed exponentially. However, over time their population has begun to decrease due to a limiting factor.


What is most likely the limiting factor in this situation?

a)

Abundant space to breed and live

b)

No available predator in the area

c)

Rabbits choosing not to mate to conserve space

d)

Lack of available food

21.

Habitat availability increases for a population. How would the carrying capacity of the prey change?

a)

The carrying capacity would increase as more resources become available.

b)

Carrying capacity occurs independent of factors in the environment.

c)

The carrying capacity would decrease as more resources became available.

d)

The carrying capacity is set in an environment and cannot change.

22.

Which statement best describes the predator-prey relationship displayed on this graph?

a)

There is no relationship between the predator and prey.

b)

When the prey population increases, the predator population decreases.

c)

When the prey population increases, the predator population increases.

d)

when the predator population increases, the prey population increases.

23.

What is carrying capacity?

a)

A condition that occurs when two or more organisms compete for the same resources within an ecological community

b)

A relationship in which two organisms are mutually dependent on each other for survivial

c)

All the biotic and abiotic factors and the interactions among them in a given area

d)

The maximum number of organisms an ecosystem can support

24.

What is ecosystem?

a)

A condition that occurs when two or more organisms compete for the same resources within an ecological community

b)

All the biotic and abiotic factors and the interactions among them in a given area

c)

The maximum number of organisms an ecosystem can support

d)

A relationship in which two organisms are mutually dependent on each other for survival

25.

Definition: A condition that occurs when two or more organisms fight for the same resources within an ecological community.

a)

Parasitism

b)

Commensalism

c)

Competition

d)

Mutualism

e)

Predation

26.

Scenario: Hermit crabs live in shells made and then abandoned by snails.

a)

Parasitism

b)

Commensalism

c)

Competition

d)

Mutualism

e)

Predation

27.

Scenario: Ostriches and gazelles feed next to each other. They both watch for predators and alert each other to danger. Because the visual abilities of the two species are different, they each can identify threats that the other animal would not see as readily.

a)

Parasitism

b)

Commensalism

c)

Competition

d)

Mutualism

e)

Predation

28.

Scenario: The frog uses its long, sticky tongue to catch insects for food.

a)

Parasitism

b)

Commensalism

c)

Competition

d)

Mutualism

e)

Predation

29.

Scenario: Lice attach to human hair and enjoy the warmth given off by the human. They eat tiny amounts of human blood, causing the human to have little red bumps that are quite itchy.

a)

Parasitism

b)

Commensalism

c)

Competition

d)

Mutualism

e)

Predation

30.

Scenario: A female African dog chases away other females creating more space in her territory.

a)

Parasitism

b)

Commensalism

c)

Competition

d)

Mutualism

e)

Predation

31.

Scenario: The Malibu stork uses its saw-like bill to cut up the dead animals it eats. As a result, the dead animal carcass is accessible to some bees for food and egg-laying,

a)

Parasitism

b)

Commensalism

c)

Competition

d)

Mutualism

e)

Predation

32.

Scenario: Otters float and sleep on the forests of kelp in the water. The kelp provides them a place to anchor in the moving water. The otters eat sea urchins, which normally feed on the kelp.

a)

Parasitism

b)

Commensalism

c)

Competition

d)

Mutualism

e)

Predation

33.

Scenario: A whale uses its teeth to filter plankton from the water and eats the plankton for food.

a)

Parasitism

b)

Commensalism

c)

Competition

d)

Mutualism

e)

Predation

34.

Scenario: The downy mildew fungus invades a host plant and feeds off it. This often causes discoloration or stunted growth in the plant.

a)

Parasitism

b)

Commensalism

c)

Competition

d)

Mutualism

e)

Predation

35.

Scenario: Migrating monarch butterflies all attempt to feed in a small flowered meadow.

a)

Parasitism

b)

Commensalism

c)

Competition

d)

Mutualism

e)

Predation

36.

What happens if a population grows past its carrying capacity?

a)

The population keeps growing

b)

The population starts to die off

c)

The entire species will go extinct

d)

The carrying capacity just increases

37.

What is the carrying capacity of the graph?

a)

Around 500

b)

More than 800

c)

Less than 300

d)

Around 700

38.
Which of the following would INCREASE the carrying capacity of an ecosystem?
a)

Increase in predators

b)

Disease

c)

Increase in available food

d)

Drought

e)

Fewer females in a population

39.
If a disease destroying barley plants in a field swept through an ecosystem, what would happen to the barley eating bird population in the the field ?
a)
The bird population would stay the same
b)
The bird population would infinitely increase
c)
The bird population would decrease
40.

A scientist was studying a population of fish in a pond over a period of 10 years. He observed that the population increased each year for 3 years, and then remained nearly constant for the rest of the study. The best explanation for this observation is that the population had __________.

a)

Stopped reproducing

b)

Reached carrying capacity

c)

Mutated into a different species

d)

Run out of food and all died

41.

What are factors that limit the growth of a population are called?

a)

Carrying Capacity

b)

Limiting Factors

c)

Biotic Potential

d)

Exponential Growth

e)

Density - Independent

42.

Reorder the following levels of MACRO organization:

a)

Individual / Organism

b)

Population

c)

Community

d)

Ecosystem

e)

Biomes

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
43.

Organize these options into the right categories

Categorize the following

Predators

Lack of Water

Not enough space

Decrease in food sources

Unavailable shelter

Cell

Tissue

Organ

Organ System

Organism

Individual / Organism

Population

Community

Ecosystem

Biomes

Biosphere

Limiting Factors
Levels of micro-organization
Levels of macro-organization
44.

Match the following:

a)

Both organisms benefit

1.

Mutualism

b)

One organism benefits while the other is unaffected

2.

Commensalism

c)

One organism benefits while the other is harmed

3.

Parasitism

d)

One organism is being hunted and the other is being eaten

4.

Predation

e)

Organisms fighting over the same resources in order to survive

5.

Competition

45.

Reorder the following primary succession:

a)

A glacier passes by and strips the top layers of the earth to expose bare rock.

b)

Lichen and moss begin to grow on the rocks.

c)

The rocks begin to break down and create soil.

d)

Over time, weeds, grasses, and shrubs cover the area.

e)

Larger plants replace the smaller and create a forested area.

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

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