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Ecology-- Symbiosis & Carrying Capacity

Total questions: 40

Worksheet time: 1hrs 8mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Barnacles create home sites by attaching themselves to whales. This relationship neither harms nor benefits the whales.

a)

parasitism

b)

commensalism

c)

mutualism

2.

Yucca flowers are pollinated by yucca moths. The moths lay their eggs in the flowers where the larvae hatch and eat some of the developing seeds. Both species benefit.

a)

parasitism

b)

commensalism

c)

mutualism

3.

Mistletoe extracts water and nutrients from a fir tree. The fir tree is harmed.

a)

parasitism

b)

commensalism

c)

mutualism

4.

The stork uses its saw-shaped beak to cut up the dead animals it eats. As a result, the carcass of the dead animal becomes accessible for some bees to feed and lay eggs. This relationship neither harms nor benefits the stork.

a)

parasitism

b)

commensalism

c)

mutualism

5.

Which of the following shows the symbiotic relationship between the rodent and the bird?

a)

Mutualism

b)

Commensalism

c)

Competition

6.

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

a)

Commensalism

b)

Parasitism

c)

Competition

7.

Two male giraffes are fighting over the last green leaf on a dying tree.

a)

Competition

b)

Mutualism

c)

Predation

d)

Commensalism

8.

a relationship that occurs when two or more organisms of the same species need the same resource at the same time

a)

competition

b)

symbiosis

c)

predation

9.

In a parasitic relationship, one organism is ___________ and one organism benefits. 

a)

helped

b)

harmed

c)

unaffected

d)

happy

10.

In a mutual relationship, both organisms are ________________.

a)

injured

b)

not affected

c)

harmed

d)

benefiting

11.

Commensalism is when one organism benefits and the other organism is _____________________. 

a)

not affected

b)

helped

c)

harmed

d)

injured

12.

1. A bee and a flower work together to benefit each other. This is an example of _________________. The bee helps the flower by pollinating it and the flower helps the bee by providing nectar.

a)

commensal relationship

b)

parasitic relationship

c)

mutualistic relationship

13.

A tick is a parasite to a horse. Which statement best describes the relationship between the tick and the horse?

a)

a. The tick helps the horse get food.

b)

a. The tick harms the horse by feeding on its blood.

c)

a. The horse harms the tick by feeding on its blood.

d)

The tick does not affect the horse.

14.

Mrs. Bush's cat has fleas. A flea is a parasite that gets its energy from Dante's blood. How are the flea and the cat affected in this relationship?

a)

Both organisms benefit.

b)

Neither organism is affected.

c)

One organism benefits and the other is not affected.

d)

One organism benefits and the other is harmed.

15.

Which of the following is an example of commensalism?

a)

Two different types of organisms harm each other.

b)

Two different types of organisms neither help nor harm each other.

c)

One type of organism benefits, but the other is neither affected nor helped.

d)

One type of organism benefits, but the other is harmed.

16.

Which interaction benefits both organisms?

a)

A flea living on a dog

b)

A bee pollinating a flower

c)

A tapeworm living inside an animal

d)

A mosquito biting a person

17.

Tapeworms live in the intestines of dogs and absorb nutrients from the food the dog eats. Which best describes the outcome of this relationship?

a)

The dog and the tapeworm both get sick.

b)

The dog gets sick and the tapeworm benefits.

c)

The tapeworm and the dog help each other survive.

d)

The tapeworm helps the dog survive.

18.

A mite lives at the base of the eyelashes of people who use mascara. It feeds on the mascara; it does not seem to harm people. What type of symbiotic relationship is this?

a)

mutualism

b)

commensalism

c)

parasitism

d)

predation

19.

A coyote captures, kills, and eats a rabbit. What type of symbiotic relationship is this?

a)

mutualism

b)

commensalism

c)

parasitism

d)

predation

20.

What do limiting factors do?

a)

Separate biotic factors from abiotic factors.

b)

Determine which is the predator and which is the prey.

c)

Regulate how many organisms live in an ecosystem.

d)

Determine which natural disasters will affect an area.

21.

Organisms need _____ to live and survive.

a)

space and resources

b)

resources

c)

space

d)

space

22.


Which of the following are abiotic limiting factors?

a)

Decomposers in an ecosystem.

b)

Carrying capacities of various species.

c)

Populations of producers in a given habitat.

d)

Water, space, and oxygen.

23.

Which of the following is a biotic limiting factor?

a)

The amount of breathable oxygen available to a population.

b)

The ratio of nitrogen to oxygen in the air supply.

c)

Food available for organisms.

d)

The number of bodies of water in a habitat.

24.

In biology, what is carrying capacity?

a)


How much weight can an organism lift?

b)

The maximum population size that an ecosystem can support.

c)

A complete list of limiting factors.

d)

How much pain can an organism tolerate?

25.


The size of the population of a species in an ecosystem is determined by the ________ factors available to them.

a)

writing and drawing

b)

chemical

c)

biotic and abiotic

d)

blanket and pillow

26.

What do decomposers do?

a)

They feed exclusively on carnivores.

b)

They break down and recycle dead organisms and organic matter.

c)

They prevent living organisms from occupying space in an ecosystem.

d)

They feed exclusively on producers.

27.


What happens to the population of a species after it reaches its carrying capacity?

a)

It increases linearly (in a straight line) over time.

b)

It decreases to zero in a very short period of time.

c)

It increases exponentially (the line is curved) over time.

d)


It remains relatively the same.

28.


What can destroy the amount of resources in an ecosystem?

a)


Natural disasters.

b)

Only hurricanes.

c)


Only tornadoes.

d)

Only tsunamis.

29.

If a natural disaster devastates an ecosystem, what will this do to the carrying capacity of a population of a species within that ecosystem?

a)


Increase it.

b)


It will not affect it, so it will remain the same.

c)


Decrease it.

d)


Always reduce it to zero.

30.

Through which activity can humans change the carrying capacity of a species' population?

a)

Studying the niches (the role an organism plays in a community) of particular species.

b)

Manipulating the resources in their natural environment.

c)

Compiling a list of habitats in an ecosystem.

d)

Convincing it to reduce its carbon footprint.

31.

If the population of a species is greater than its carrying capacity for a long time, what can that do to the resources available in its ecosystem?

a)

Completely deplete them.

b)

Nothing, since there is no causal relationship.

c)

Double the amount that existed.

d)

Triple the amount that existed.

32.

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

a)

Carrying capacity

b)

Limiting factors

33.

On which day did this population reach its carrying capacity?

a)

Day 2

b)

Day 11

c)

Day 23

d)

Day 35

34.

Limiting factors can be biotic or abiotic.

a)

True

b)

False

c)

I'm not sure

35.

What is the carrying capacity of the beetle population?

a)

3

b)

5

c)

7

d)

9

36.

What happens to the rabbit population in year 4?

a)

It begins to decrease

b)

It remains the same

c)

It increases

d)

It reaches carrying capacity

37.

Logistic growth shows an S-shaped curve that indicates a population size limited by carrying capacity.

a)

J

b)

S

c)

C

d)

V

38.

Which point on the graph represents the carrying capacity?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

d)

D

39.

Exponential growth occurs when-

a)

populations have abundant food/space

b)

home to keystone species

c)

there are few invasive species in a habitat

d)

there is little or no competition or predators or limiting factors

40.

What type of growth is demonstrated in the graph?

a)

Exponential

b)

Carrying capacity

c)

Linear

d)

Negative