WorksheetsChapter 5 Test: How Ecosystems Work
Total questions: 27
Worksheet time: 14mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
Which of the following statements is NOT correct?
a)
Plants and other producers get their energy directly from the sun.
b)
Animals get their energy from the sun indirectly.
c)
Bacteria that live deep in the ocean get their energy from hydrogen sulfide in hot water.
d)
Consumers get their energy directly from the sun.
2.
Which kind of organism obtains energy only from producers?
a)
decomposers
b)
herbivores
c)
omnivores
d)
carnivores
3.
If an insect eats a plant and a bird eats the insect, about how much energy from the plant is stored in the insect for the bird to use?
a)
90%
b)
50%
c)
10%
d)
1%
4.
Which gas makes up 78% of our atmosphere but can be used by plants only when transformed by bacteria first?
a)
nitrogen
b)
oxygen
c)
hydrogen
d)
carbon dioxide
5.
Which of the following plants is likely to be a pioneer species?
a)
lichen
b)
grass
c)
shrub
d)
oak tree
6.
What kind of natural disaster helps some forest communities by allowing some trees to release their seeds, clearing away deadwood, and encouraging new growth?
a)
fire
b)
flood
c)
windstorm
d)
drought
7.
Where would an ecologist be LEAST likely to go to study primary succession?
a)
a new island formed by a volcanic eruption
b)
a gravel-filled valley that had been covered by a glacier until recently
c)
a locked, abandoned asphalt parking lot in New York City
d)
the Amazon Rain Forest
8.
Which statement describes how humans are affecting the balance of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere?
a)
Fewer agricultural crops are planted, reducing the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere
b)
burning fossil fuels in great quantities has increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
c)
overgrazing of grasslands has reduced the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
d)
Severe drought in large areas of the world has decreased the amount of carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere.
9.
Which of the following is NOT a true statement about cellular respiration?
a)
it is essentially photosynthesis in reverse
b)
oxygen is one of the primary reactants
c)
it produces energy for organisms to use
d)
sugar molecules are its primary products
10.
Plants play a crucial role in the carbon cycle because they
a)
do not release carbon dioxide during cellular respiration
b)
allow carbon to enter an ecosystem through photosynthesis
c)
have special bacteria that live in their root system
d)
are chemically converted into fossil fuels when burned
11.
The bacteria that live within the roots of a soybean plant are a critical part of the nitrogen cycle because they
a)
provide the plant with sugars needed for growth
b)
transform nitrates into nitrogen gas for release
c)
change atmospheric nitrogen into a usable form for other organisms
d)
release nitrogen by decomposing dead plants
12.
Which of the following is NOT a likely component of soil formed during primary succession?
a)
cast-off parts of shrubs and trees
b)
decayed lichens and bacteria
c)
dust particles from air
d)
broken bits of stone and rock
13.
What term is used to refer to the many feeding relationships that are possible in an ecosystem?
a)
food web
b)
food chain
c)
energy pyramid
d)
energy transfer
14.
Which of the following is responsible for making nitrogen in the atmosphere usable by living organisms?
a)
absorption of nitrogen in rain
b)
conversion of nitrogen into carbohydrates by photosynthesis
c)
nitrogen-fixing bacteria
d)
decomposing bacteria
15.
What type of vegetation would you expect to find on an abandoned farm that has remained undisturbed for 150 years?
a)
short grasses
b)
shrubs
c)
young pine trees
d)
tall, mature oak trees
16.
What type of succession occurs after a natural process such as a flood?
a)
primary succession
b)
secondary succession
c)
old-field succession
d)
climax community
17.
A process in which energy from the sun is used to make sugar molecules is called
a)
cellular respiration
b)
photosynthesis
c)
nitrogen fixation
d)
carbon cycle
18.
A process within the cell of an organism that uses glucose and oxygen to produce carbon dioxide, water, and energy is called
a)
photosynthesis
b)
carbon cycle
c)
phosphorus cycle
d)
cellular respiration
19.
On new islands formed by volcanic activity, you will most likely find ________ succession.
a)
primary
b)
secondary
c)
tertiary
d)
quaternary
20.
The first organisms to colonize any newly available area are known as
a)
producers
b)
primary consumers
c)
pioneer species
d)
secondary species
21.
Succession that occurs on abandoned farmland is called ________ succession.
a)
primary
b)
secondary
c)
tertiary
d)
old field
22.
When energy is passed from one trophic level to the next, only about _____ % of the energy is passed to the next level.
a)
5
b)
10
c)
20
d)
50
23.
A student noticed that lichens were growing on the surface of a rocky cliff. Describe how lichens contribute to primary succession.
a)
lichens contribute to the formation of soil by breaking apart rocks and dying and decomposing in soil
b)
lichen provide food for animals that move into the area
c)
lichen grow in the soil provided by other species and then provide nutrients for the soil
d)
lichens attract other organisms to the area such as caribou and other grazers
24.
In the energy pyramid below, which organism has the least amount of energy available?
a)
Producers
b)
Herbivores
c)
Carnivores
d)
Top Predator
25.
What role do decomposers play in an ecosystem?
a)
They produce their own food through photosynthesis
b)
They consume living plants and animals
c)
They break down dead material and recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem
d)
They regulate the population of other species
26.
Which of the following best describes energy flow in an ecosystem?
a)
Energy flows in a linear path from producers to consumers
b)
Energy is recycled within an ecosystem, similar to matter
c)
Energy flows in a circular path, returning to the sun
d)
Energy flows in one direction, from the sun to producers and then to various levels of consumers
27.
The diagram below represents four trophic levels in an ecosystem. Which explanation best explains how energy passes through the trophic levels?
a)
Energy flows through all the trophic levels and then back to the producers.
b)
Most of the energy from the plants is transferred to the mice, grasshoppers, and rabbits because plants don't have to search for their food.
c)
About ten percent of the energy at one trophic level is passed to the next trophic level.
d)
Birds have the most energy because energy from all the other trophic levels flows to the birds.
100 %
