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WorksheetsCarrying Capacity and Succession
Total questions: 97
Worksheet time: 2hrs 3mins
Abandoned railroad tracks are overgrown with weeds. Ten years later there are small aspen trees growing in the middle of the tracks. This change is an example of:
Primary succession
Biological evolution
Secondary succession
Heterotrophic nutrition
After land is cleared for farming, what type of succession might occur?
Primary
secondary
tertiary
Which of the following is the correct aquatic succession stages?
Full ecosystem>trees>shrubs>fish and aquatic animals>plants> water only
Water only>small plants and animals>sediment builds> pond fills with soil
fire>grass>shrubs>trees
bare rock>lichens>grasses>shrubs>trees
If you visited a forest in 2015 and there was only small plants there when revisited in 2019, what likely happened?
passing of a glacier
preservation of a habitat
occurrence of a forest fire
development of a parking lot
Which experiences the least change over time?
Pioneer Species
Primary Succession
Aquatic Succession
Climax Community
What is a common characteristic among pioneer species?
roots that break apart rocks
long thick roots
exposed surface roots
soak up water quickly
Which of the following best describes primary succession?
Volcano wipes out ecosystem that gradually grows back from ash covered soil
Volcano creates a new island of rock that must break down to form an ecosystem
Forest fire burns down forest that must bounce back over time
Tornado destroys a crop that must slowly grow back over time.
What term best relates to equilibrium?
pioneer species
primary succession
secondary succession
climax community
If farmers use a controlled burn to prevent forest fires, what would most likely be the first plants to return?
trees
shrubs
mosses
grasses
Breaking News! A new island has formed off of Hawaii! What must occur for it to become an ecosystem?
Secondary Succession
Aquatic succession
Primary Succession
Ferns must grow
Which would most likely result in primary succession?
old forest growing
undisturbed prairie
pollution kills mountain lake species
a Newly formed volcanic island
Which progression best explains secondary succession?
lichens>grass>shrubs>small trees> big trees
mosses>creates soil>grasses>small trees> big trees
Volcano destroys ecosystem>grasses>shrubs>small trees>big trees
Volcano forms new island> lichens>grasses>shrubs>small trees>big trees
Which best describes eutriphication?
pond slowly filling with sediment over time; becoming a forest
growth of an ecosystem following a disturbance
forest burning down
humans causing succession
Which would result in primary succession?
volcano destroying habitat leaving only soil and ash
Tornado destroying a crop leaving very little soil
Glacier retreating exposing bare rock
limiting factors
If you visited a forest in 2015 and there was only small plants there when revisited in 2019, what likely happened?
passing of a glacier
preservation of a habitat
occurrence of a forest fire
development of a parking lot
Which of the following is the correct aquatic succession stages?
Full ecosystem>trees>shrubs>fish and aquatic animals>plants> water only
Water only>small plants and animals>sediment builds> pond fills with soil
fire>grass>shrubs>trees
bare rock>lichens>grasses>shrubs>trees
Both primary and secondary succession start with...
modify an area to allow more complex organisms to appear
lichens and moss
never reach climax community
start from a volcano always
How do pioneer species compare in primary and secondary succession?
primary starts with grass and weeds, secondary starts with mosses
primary starts with forest fire, secondary starts with volcano
primary starts with a volcano, secondary starts with a forest fire
Lichens and moss in primary, and grasses/ ferns in secondary
An example of typical pioneer species, that is one that appears in the earliest stages of ecological succession is:
Oak Trees
Spiders
Weeds
Small Conifer Trees
Primary succession occurs in areas with:
very little soil
lots of soil
no soil
soil that has been disturbed
What best describes the term succession?
rapid changes that create an ecosystem overnight
gradual changes over time to fully create or restore and ecosystem
forest with the tallest trees
the rate species produce offspring
Why do grasses appear before shrubs in ecological succession?
loosen the dirt for new trees to take roots?
provide food for animals returning to the area
require plenty of sunlight to make their own food
can grow even in areas with shallow soil
Both primary and secondary succession start with...
modify an area to allow more complex organisms to appear
lichens and moss
never reach climax community
start from a volcano always
How do pioneer species compare in primary and secondary succession?
primary starts with grass and weeds, secondary starts with mosses
primary starts with forest fire, secondary starts with volcano
primary starts with a volcano, secondary starts with a forest fire
Lichens and moss in primary, and grasses/ ferns in secondary
Primary succession occurs in areas with:
very little soil
lots of soil
no soil
soil that has been disturbed
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?
Lichens → Shrubs → Grasses → Trees
Lichens → tree → shrubs→Grasses
Grasses → Lichens → Shrubs → Trees
Lichens → Grasses → Shrubs → Trees
The first species to populate an area during succession.
Keystone species
Pioneer species
Foundation species
Invasive species
an area that was previously occupied by living things is disturbed, then re-colonized following the disturbance.
Pioneer species
Ecological succession
Climax community
Secondary succession
The largest number of individuals that an environment can support long term is...
carrying capacity
emigration
immigration
population density
What happens if a population grows past its carrying capacity?
The population keeps growing
The population starts to die off
The entire species will go extinct
The carrying capacity just increases
This may cause a population to increase
increase of food supply
removal of predators
removal of disease
all of these
Something that regulates the size of a population is called...
a limiting measure
a limiting factor
carrying capacity
biodiversity
What are factors that affect carrying capacity?
Biotic only
Biotic and abiotic
Depends on the ecosystem
Abiotic only
What is the carrying capacity of the graph?
1000
8000
800
600
What is the carrying capacity of the graph?
around 500
more than 800
less than 300
around 700
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
stopped reproducing
reached carrying capacity
mutated into a different species
run out of food and all died
Factors that limit the growth of a population are called?
Carrying Capacity
Limiting Factors
____________ is a limiting factor to the monarch butterflies because it is their only source of food.
Water
Milkweed
Sunflowers
Sacred Fir Trees
When all the resources needed are available the population number...
Increases
Decreases
Stays the same
Carrying capacity is...
The lowest number of organisms in an ecosystem.
The total number of organisms in an ecosystem.
The maximum number of organisms an ecosystem and its resources can support.
The number of living organisms in an ecosystem.
During which day did this population reach carrying capacity?
Day 2
Day 11
Day 23
Day 35
When resources are not available a population will _____________ in size.
Increase
Decrease
Stay the same
The amount of water available limit the growth of a population?
True
False
Unsure
When you read scientific text it is important to take notes or annotate.
True
False
Unsure
Parasites and diseases will ______________ the size of a population, so the are examples of limiting factors.
Increase
Decrease
Stay the same
Limiting factors can be biotic or abiotic.
True
False
Unsure
Check all the examples of limiting factors that impact Monarch Butterflies.
Time
Humans
Milkweed
Temperature
What causes a population to reach carrying capacity?
Time
Number of organisms
Limiting factors/resources available
What is the carrying capacity of the beetle population?
3
5
7
9
What happens to the rabbit population on year 4?
It begins to decrease
It stays the same
It increases
It reaches carrying capacity
Line graphs are used to plot _____________.
Changes over time.
Comparing two groups or variables.
Comparing increases or decreases in population size.
What is the carrying capacity of the graph?
1000
8000
800
600
This may cause a population to increase
increase of food supply
removal of predators
removal of disease
all of these
If the carrying capacity of a predator decreases, what will happen to the carrying capacity of the prey?
Will Increase
Will Decrease
Will stay the same
The graph to the right shows the interaction of the wolf and moose populations on Isle Pekie. If the moose population continues to increase, the wolves' food supply will increase. What will most likely happen to the wolf population as a result?
It will decrease.
It will increase.
It will remain the same.
In the graph to the right, what is the population of deer at the carrying capacity of the environment?
3
7
70
40
When a population grows past the ecosystem's carrying capacity, what happens to the population?
It continues to grow higher and higher.
The population starts to die off and returns to the carrying capacity.
The population will go extinct due to lack of resources.
The picture to the right represents a sunny, dry desert.
Which factor most likely limits the desert’s carrying
capacity for plant life?
the number of animals that eat plants
the amount of sunlight
the availability of space to grow
the availability of water
A population of salamanders that live in a river require clear, fresh water to survive. New housing developments have caused tons of sediment to muddy the river. Which
of these most likely will happen to the salamander population?
The salamanders go live on land.
The salamanders will move across land to another river.
The salamanders will quickly adapt to living in the muddy water.
The salamanders will decrease in number because of the water quality.
Primary or secondary ecological succession?
Primary or secondary ecological succession?
Primary or secondary ecological succession?
Pioneer species are the first
trees to grow in an area that has been disturbed
trees that replace the original trees after a forest fire
organisms to live in previously uninhabited areas
organisms to live in a forest canopy
A sequence of biotic changes that regenerate or create an ecological community is known as
migration
factors
succession
erosion
Natural disturbances, such as fires or hurricanes, can result in
A.parasitism.
B.competition.
C.commensalism.
D.succession.
How is primary succession different from secondary succession?
Primary succession starts with soil.
Secondary succession start with bare rock.
Primary succession starts with bare rock, with lichens and moss.
Fire is an example of primary succession.
What is the carrying capacity of the graph?
1000
8000
800
600
This may cause a population to increase
increase of food supply
removal of predators
removal of disease
all of these
If the carrying capacity of a predator decreases, what will happen to the carrying capacity of the prey?
Will Increase
Will Decrease
Will stay the same
The graph to the right shows the interaction of the wolf and moose populations on Isle Pekie. If the moose population continues to increase, the wolves' food supply will increase. What will most likely happen to the wolf population as a result?
It will decrease.
It will increase.
It will remain the same.
In the graph to the right, what is the population of deer at the carrying capacity of the environment?
3
7
70
40
When a population grows past the ecosystem's carrying capacity, what happens to the population?
It continues to grow higher and higher.
The population starts to die off and returns to the carrying capacity.
The population will go extinct due to lack of resources.
The picture to the right represents a sunny, dry desert.
Which factor most likely limits the desert’s carrying
capacity for plant life?
the number of animals that eat plants
the amount of sunlight
the availability of space to grow
the availability of water
A population of salamanders that live in a river require clear, fresh water to survive. New housing developments have caused tons of sediment to muddy the river. Which
of these most likely will happen to the salamander population?
The salamanders go live on land.
The salamanders will move across land to another river.
The salamanders will quickly adapt to living in the muddy water.
The salamanders will decrease in number because of the water quality.
Primary or secondary ecological succession?
Primary or secondary ecological succession?
Primary or secondary ecological succession?
Pioneer species are the first
trees to grow in an area that has been disturbed
trees that replace the original trees after a forest fire
organisms to live in previously uninhabited areas
organisms to live in a forest canopy
A sequence of biotic changes that regenerate or create an ecological community is known as
migration
factors
succession
erosion
Natural disturbances, such as fires or hurricanes, can result in
A.parasitism.
B.competition.
C.commensalism.
D.succession.
How is primary succession different from secondary succession?
Primary succession starts with soil.
Secondary succession start with bare rock.
Primary succession starts with bare rock, with lichens and moss.
Fire is an example of primary succession.
