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WorksheetsEcosystem Stability Practice
Total questions: 26
Worksheet time: 14mins
What is an ecosystem?
A community of living organisms in conjunction with the nonliving components of their environment
A new type of exercise equipment
A type of exotic flower
A type of computer software
What are the different components of an ecosystem?
Various types of weather patterns
The different components of an ecosystem include biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors such as plants, animals, microorganisms, soil, water, air, and sunlight.
Different species of birds and insects
Different types of rocks and minerals
Explain the process of photosynthesis and its importance in an ecosystem.
Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods with the help of chlorophyll. It is important in an ecosystem as it produces oxygen, which is essential for the survival of all living organisms, and it also provides food for the organisms in the ecosystem.
Photosynthesis is not important in an ecosystem as it only benefits plants.
Photosynthesis is the process of converting oxygen into carbon dioxide.
Photosynthesis is a process that occurs only at night and has no impact on the ecosystem.
Ecological balance is the state of (a) between different organisms and their environment.
How can we conserve and protect ecosystems?
By implementing sustainable practices, protecting natural habitats, reducing pollution, and promoting conservation efforts.
By increasing pollution and destroying natural habitats
By cutting down all the trees and clearing the land for development
By ignoring conservation efforts and exploiting natural resources
Which answer is true regarding biodiversity?
As long as there are enough producers, an ecosystem is considered to have a good amount of biodiversity.
The rain forest has an unhealthy ecosystem because its biodiversity is too great.
An ecosystem is healthier when the biodiversity is great.
Biodiversity is positively affected when non-native species are introduced into an environment
Match the following impacts of deforestation on the ecosystem:
Birds will increase
Loss of trees leads to more open space
Squirrels will increase
Reduction in tree cover affects food sources
Insects and birds will decrease
Habitat loss reduces biodiversity
Insects and birds will increase
Increased sunlight promotes growth of certain species
Describe what would happen to the zebra population and the plant population if the cheetah and hyena both left the ecosystem.
The zebra population would decrease with the absence of predators; the plant population would stay the same.
The zebra population would greatly increase, causing the plant population to decrease.
The zebra population would decrease, causing the plant population to increase.
The zebra population would greatly increase, causing the plant population to also increase.
The San Marcos salamander, Eurycea nana, is a light reddish-brown translucent salamander about 2-5 cm in length. E. nana is found only in Spring Lake and a portion of the San Marcos River.
Which human activity would most likely decrease the ability of the salamanders to survive?
Increasing water consumption that decreases the flow of clean water from the springs that feed the river.
Public transportation that reduces the number of automobiles that contribute to pollution runoff into the river.
Tourism that helps fund the education programs related to tiver ecosystem conservation.
The addition of a new food source into the river that limits competition for resources.
In the mid-1980s an aggressive strain of algae known as Caulerpa was accidentally introduced into the Mediterranean Sea when a seaside aquarium cleaned out its tanks. The algae contains a toxin that prevents native herbivores from consuming it. Caulerpa quickly spread over the sea floor, crowding out many species including sponges, corals, sea fans, and lobsters.
Which statement explains the most likely impact Caulerpa has had on the biodiversity of the Mediterranean Sea?
The presence of Caulerpa within an ecosystem is an indicator of the ecosystem's health.
The spread of Caulerpa improved the habitat for many species of sea grasses, and increased the biodiversity.
Caulerpa interbred with native species with the smae adaptations within the ecosystem.
Caulerpa became dominant within the ecosystem and reduced the biodiversity.
Food webs such as the one shown were first used in 1927 by the animal ecologist Charles Elton. The food web below represents the feeding relationships among organisms in an Alaskan ecosystem.
An environmental change that removed (a) from the ecosystem would cause the most instability in the ecosystem.
Pink salmon were nearly eliminated after the oil spill
Pink salmon populations steadily declined in the 10 years following the spill
Pink salmon populations declined and never fully recovered
Pink salmon populations seemed to be minimally affected
What is the cause of too much deforestation?
Increase Co2 in the atmosphere
Too much Nitrogen in the soil
Decrease in Co2 in the atmosphere
Increase in fish in the ocean.
An increase of Co2 causes....
Decrease in Co2 in the atmosphere
High levels of Salt in the ocean
Greenhouse effect, global climate change,loss of biodiversity
Primary ecological succession
Burning of fossil fuels can increase (a)
(a) can cause overhunting of animals.
Too much nitrogen in the soil can cause..
High oxygen concentration in the atmosphere
Ocean sinks
Algae blooms; decreasing oxygen in the water
Carbon soil
Coral bleaching is caused by
Carbon pollution; increased ocean temperatures
Decrease in ocean temperatures
High levels of salt in the ocean
Too little carbon in the ocean
An invasive species is
Any kind of living organism that is not native to an ecosystem and causes harm.
It is a native species to the local area.
It is primary succession; where life starts from bare rock
It is a climax community; a mature forest
Invasive species alter the ecosystem by ______ in number quickly. This leads to ______ food for the native species.
increasing, less
increasing, more
decreasing, less
decreasing, more
Kudzu has overgrown in many parts of Tennessee. What type of relationship does Kudzu have with the native ground plants?
Competition
Predator-Prey
Commensalism
Mutualsim
The field mice population has grown so fast that they eat an average of $4 billion of wheat every year. Their fast growth is caused by...
(Choose 2!)
The mice like to reproduce.
A lack of native species to eat the field mice.
Abundant food supply.
Why do populations of invasive species grow so quickly?
They are prey to many animals.
They are native to the area.
They help keep the ecosystems in balance.
They have no predators.
If a blue catfish is introduced and eats the large fish who eat the smaller fish, the population of the smaller fish will (a) .
The (a) includes all of the aquatic components, rivers, lakes, oceans. Water covers about (b) of the total earth's surface. The Geosphere or (c) is the solid rocky part of the earth. The (d) is the gases surrounding the earth. The (e) is the part of the earth and atmosphere where there are living things.
