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WorksheetsUnit 1: Ecology and Basic Introduction
Total questions: 144
Worksheet time: 4hrs 11mins
In a pond ecosystem, fish release ammonia as an excretory product, which is highly toxic. Ammonia can make water unfit for the survival of the fish and other aquatic organisms. However, in nature, the level of ammonia in ponds is generally maintained at low levels.
What helps in maintaining the level of ammonia?
Ammonia is converted to elemental nitrogen by bacteria present in the root nodules of water plants.
Ammonia is converted by bacteria into nitrogen compounds that can be consumed by plants.
The salts in pond water react with ammonia, causing it to settle on the bottom of the pond.
The leaves of water plants absorb ammonia, removing the toxic substance from the pond water.
The diagram shows the cycling of nitrogen through an ecosystem. If the number of denitrifying bacterial decreased, what direct effect would this have on the ecosystem?
More nitrogen would be available for leguminous plants.
Less nitrate ions would be available for assimilation in plants.
Less nitrogen would be available for fixation by nitrogen-fixing soil bacteria.
More ammonium ions would be available for nitrification by nitrifying bacteria.
The table lists the roles of different organisms in an aquatic food chain.
Align each organism into its appropriate box in the pyramid to represent the information in the table.
1 - aquatic plant
2 - large mouth bass
3 - blue gill
4 - caddisfly larvae
1 - caddisfly larvae
2 - large mouth bass
3 - blue gill
4 - aquatic plant
1 - aquatic plant
2 - caddisfly larvae
3 - bluegill
4 - large mouth bass
1 - large mouth bass
2 - bluegill
3 - aquatic plant
4 - caddisfly larvae
What is the importance of plants in the carbon cycle?
They convert atmospheric carbon into usable carbon compounds.
They convert water vapor into liquid water which is released into the soil.
They decay organic matter in compost heaps and sewage.
They convert nitrogen into nitrogen gas which is released into the atmosphere.
Carbon is an element that is found in all living organism, so the cycling of carbon through these organisms is essential to sustaining all life. Which process is one way that a living organism is involved in the movement of carbon around the Earth?
combustion
decomposition
denitrification
transpiration
Which of the following correctly lists the flow of matter in the food web above?
plants, animals, nematodes, arthropods
animals, nematodes, arthropods, plants
plants, nematodes, arthropods, animals
nematodes, plants, arthropods, animals
Tell if the item is an abiotic factor or biotic.....
TREE
Abiotic
Biotic
Tell if the item is an abiotic factor or biotic.....
Water
Abiotic
Biotic
Algae, grasses and trees are all __________.
decomposers
consumers
producers
pyramids
Which of the following members of the food chain is a tertiary consumer?
tree
insect
bird
fox
What is the definition of an ecosystem?
A group of animals of the same species living in the same place.
All the plants and animals living in the same place.
All organisms living in the same place and the abiotic factors that affect them.
In the mid 1900's, the wolves of Yellowstone were deeply affected by humans and their population significantly decreased-- making them endangered, and eventually removing them completely from the Yellowstone ecosystem. The removal of wolves, the top predator, caused what to happen to the biodiversity within Yellowstone?
A trophic cascade affected the entire food web in Yellowstone, causing some organisms to experience decreases, and others to grow rapidly.
Biodiversity increased when the wolves disappeared and more species were able to flourish without the wolves.
A trophic cascade irreversibly ruined the ecosystem in Yellowstone--destroying biodiversity forever.
The biodiversity of the park was not affected when the wolves were removed.
The trophic cascade in Yellowstone had many causes and affects. Which answer below most accurately shows the changes in the ecosystem due to the reintroduction of wolves?
wolves reintroduced-> deer population increased -> tree and vegetation cover decreased
wolves reintroduced-> beaver population decreased -> tree and vegetation cover increased
wolves reintroduced-> deer population decreased -> tree and vegetation cover increased -> beaver population increased
wolves reintroduced-> deer population decreased -> beaver population decreased -> songbird population increased
Why do fish swim in schools?
for fun
to conserve energy
to learn
for protection
Why do geese fly behind each other in a "V" formation?
to save energy
to show off
to find food
to protect their young
A is an (a) organisms that can make its own food using the energy from the sun, while other organisms that feed off of other organisms for energy are (b)
90% of the energy that gets lost as you move up a food pyramid or chain gets lost as
pollution to the environment
heat to the environment
energy for decomposers
gets recycled
High biodiversity is a sign of a healthy ecosystem.
True
False
The living parts of an ecosystem
Biotic factors
Abiotic factors
Mother Earth
Flowers
An organism that gets energy from eating other organisms is a ______________.
producer
consumer
decomposer
prey
A tree is an example of a ....
composer
decomposer
producer
omnivore
Invasive species can...
Increase biodiversity
Decrease biodiversity
help biodiversity
A rock is considered ________ .
Living
Nonliving
Dormant
Dead
Living things are made up of units called
DNA
Cells
Homeostasis
Seeds
Habitats provide organisms with the (a) they need to live, such as food, shelter, breeding sites, and mates.
What is the main difference between an ecosystem and a habitat?
An ecosystem is a community of living organisms and their physical environment, while a habitat is the natural environment in which a specific organism lives.
An ecosystem refers to only the living components in an area, whereas a habitat includes both living and non-living components.
There is no difference; both terms can be used interchangeably.
A habitat is a larger area that can contain multiple ecosystems.
Which piece of information is used along with population size to calculate population density?
area
weight
age
location
Describe how emigration and immigration affect the size of a population.
Emigration decreases and immigration increases the population size
Emigration increases and immigration decreases the population size
Both emigration and immigration increase the population size
Both emigration and immigration decrease the population size
ALL energy flow for an ecosystem begins with ...
Plants
The Moon
Sun
Algae
A diagram that shows the transfer of energy in an ecosystem by using several food chains.
Food Chain
Food Web
Ecosystem
Environment
A diagram that shows the transfer of energy from one organism to another (who is eaten by what
Ecosystem
Food Chain
Environment
Food Web
A bee receives nectar from a flower and carries the pollen to other flowers:
Predation
Mutualism
Parasitism
Commenalism
What would be a good example of a primary consumer?
Carnivore
Decomposer
Detrivore
Herbivore
Which organisms would be at the top or last trophic level?
Plant
Omnivore
Carnivore
Herbivore
Barnacles do not affect whales as they grow, but receive the benefit of a food source. This is
Parasitism
Commenalism
Mutualism
neutralism
A lion that eats a zebra that eats grass is a
Producer
Primary Consumer
Secondary Consumer
Tertiary consumer
Which of these is an example of an ABIOTIC factor in an evironment
Plants
Animals
Trees
Temperature
Which is an example of a BIOTIC factor in an environment?
Temperature
Air Pressure
Plants
Precipitation
A J curve shows....
unlimited growth
a population at carrying capacity
a dying population
extention
A J curve is called ...
logistic growth
cataclysmic growth
exponential growth
negative growth
A S- curve shows a population that has reached...
unlimited growth
carrying capacity
exponential growth only
extinction
Food, water, and shelter are examples of...
domestic insites
thneads
limiting factors
A population will grow until...
until extinction
it reaches baseline
it reaches carrying capacity
it reaches a W curve
Why do energy pyramids have no more that 3 or 4 trophic levels?
energy is lost due to metabolism
too much energy is gained
the organisms loose interest
Balance
What phrase can you use to remember the metrics system?
Dear King Henry Loved Chocolate Milk
Beloved King Henry Died By Chocolate
King Henry Died By Drinking Chocolate Milk
Queen Elizabeth Loved Chocolate Milk And Sleep
The base unit of metric length.
Meter
Liter
Gram
The base unit of metric volume.
Meter
Liter
Gram
What is the basic unit of length in the metric system?
gram
meter
Liter
cm3
What is the basic unit of mass in the metric system?
gram
meter
Liter
cm3
What is the measurement on the triple-beam balance shown?
335g
35g
3.5g
305g
190 km = ___m
190
190,000
19
19,000
What is the independent variable on this graph?
Year
Number of Visitors
Visitors to a Park
none of these
What is the dependent variable on this graph?
Year
Number of Visitors
none of these
The metric (SI) base units for length and time are
meter and second
mile and day
The unit cm3 measures
length
mass
volume
time
The smallest unit of matter that retains the properties of that matter is
an atom
a mixture
Which statement best describes an element?
any combination of two or more atoms of different types
a pure substance made up of only one kind of atom
a substance containing only carbon atoms
How many centimeters are in a meter?
1000
10
100
1
What is mass?
how much space something takes up
the amount of matter (stuff) in an object
a synonym for weight
What is difference between a substance and a mixture?
A pure substance is sometimes heterogenous.
A mixture is made of more than one substance
How close my measurements are to one another is a measure of?
Accuracy
Precision
In the metric system, what is the base unit for mass?
Meter
Gram
Liter
Scientists report measurements using which system of measurement?
Metric system (meters, grams, liters)
Customary units (feet, pounds, gallons)
Bias toward proving ourselves right
Bias from how data was measured
Bias that misrepresents a group because data was left out
The amount of space that something takes up is _____________________.
its mass
its volume
its length
Which prefix is the smallest?
hecto
centi
kilo
milli
What happens to a decimal place in the number when you are converting from a smaller metric unit to a larger unit?
Converting doesn't require a placement of a decimal point.
The decimal place moves to the left.
The decimal place moves to the right.
The decimal place doesn't move at all.
Using your senses to gather information about the world around you is known as...
inferring
observing
measuring
researching
The system of measurement based on powers of ten (also called SI system)
Metric System
Customary System
Binary System
Rider System
Which of the following is NOT a Metric unit of measurement?
meters
grams
miles
liters
What unit of measurement is used to measure temperature in the Metric System.
degrees Celsius
milliliters
degrees Fahrenheit
grams
What unit would you use to measure the distance between here and California?
mm
cm
m
km
Which would be the best Metric unit for measuring your mass.
pounds
grams
kilograms
tons
It is the series of steps in science that help you solve problems and answer question.
Inferring
Observing
Scientific Method
Hypothesizing
The proposed answer to a scientific problem.
Inference
Hypothesis
Observation
Prediction
What is a statement that summarizes a pattern found in nature?
scientific law
a fact
a scientific theory
a hypothesis
Which value is equivalent to 5 x 106
5000
50,000
5,000,000
50,000,000
The variable that you change in an experiment is called the
controlled variable
independent variable
dependent variable
constant variable
The variable that changes in response to the manipulated (independent) variable is the
controlled variable
dependent variable
independent variable
constant variable
How do scientists communicate the results of investigations?
By publishing articles in scientific journals
by giving talks at scientific conferences
by exchanging e-mails
all of the above
What is a peer review?
a process in which only close friends of a scientist review the scientist's work
a process in which scientists examine other scientists' work
a process in which scientists copy other scientists' work
a process in which scientists keep their work secret
The one factor that a scientist controls during an experiment. This goes on the x-axis.
Independent Variable
Dependent Variable
The variable that is measured. It goes on the y-axis.
Independent Variable
Dependent Variable
An experiment is performed on plants to see how different liquids affect plant growth. Each plant in the experiment is given a different liquid; water, apple juice, or milk. Each plant has the same amount of soil, sunlight, and listens to the same music. In this investigation, the independent variable is _____________.
the type of plant
the amount of sunlight
the type of music
the type of liquid
Which of the following is a term used to describe all the chemical reactions that take place in a living thing?
A plant growing towards a light source is an example of which of the following?
attracting a mate
destroying infectious germs
responding to a stimuli
obtaining moisture from the air
Infants will often smile when they hear a parent’s voice. In this situation, the parent’s voice is considered
stimulus
response
adaptation
resource
Identify all of the following that are living.
Volcano
Tree
Sun
Fungus
Identify all of the following that are nonliving.
Rock
Oxygen
Bacteria
Battery
Which of the following is an example of homeostasis?
adapting to your environment
maintaining an appropriate respiration rate
the sum of all of your chemical reactions
being composed of more than one cell
Which characteristic of living things is represented in the picture?
Share similar chemicals
Grows and develops
Responds to stimuli
Evolves (as a population)
Which characteristic of living things is represented in the picture?
Respond to stimuli
Grow and develop
Evolution
Made of cells
Which of the following is not an ecosystem?
vacant lot
oak forest
coral reef
utility pole
The energy in most ecosystems comes from...
green plants
the sun
wind
all of the above
The organisms most likely to belong to the same species are
people at a football game.
bacteria inside a person's body.
birds in a forest.
organisms in a pond.
Which of the following statements about an organism's habitat is not true?
Most organisms can survive if they are taken away from their habitat.
An organism's habitat is the place where it lives.
A habitat has specific characteristics that an organism needs in order to live there.
A habitat contains biotic and abiotic factors.
The community of a pond is made up of all the
abiotic factors in water.
resources organisms need.
habitats in and around the water.
populations of fish, insects, and other living things.
Organisms can adapt
to their physical surroundings.
to other organisms.
both (a) and (b)
Neither (a) nor (b)
Some organisms are more likely to survive because they
have certain physical traits.
lack certain physical traits.
engage in certain behaviors.
all of the above.
If an insect can no longer be killed by a particular insecticide, it has developed a(n)
(a)
Pine trees and other conifers are classified as (a) because they are woody plants, the seed of which are not enclosed in fruits.
The living and once living parts of an ecosystem, including all the plants and animals, are (a) factors in the ecosystem.
The nonliving parts of an ecosystem, such as rocks, light, air, and temperature, are (a) factors in the ecosystem.
The place where an organism lives and that has the resources the organism needs is its (a) .
