Wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

Ecosystem Stability

Total questions: 30

Worksheet time: 24mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which is a way humans can help increase biodiversity within an ecosystem?

a)

establish a protection plan to reduce hunting

b)

allow unlimited fishing and hunting

2.
If there is 1000 Kcal available in the producers in trophic level 1, how much energy is available in the herbivores in trophic level 2?
a)
10 Kcal
b)
1 Kcal
c)
100 Kcal
d)
1000 Kcal
3.

How much energy is available to be passed on to the next level in a food web?

a)

100%

b)

10%

c)

50%

d)

75%

4.
In the energy pyramid here, which organisms have the most energy available?
a)
Producers
b)
Carnivores
c)
Herbivores
d)
Top Predator
5.

If only 10% of the energy in the pyramid is available as you move from one trophic level to the next, what happens to the other 90%?

a)

Passed on to decomposers

b)

Metabolized and "lost" as heat energy and waste

c)

Assembled into tissues of producers permanently

d)

False statement - 100% of the energy is available

6.

The removal of which organism will have the greatest effect on the ecosystem?

a)

green plant

b)

rabbit

c)

kite

d)

owl

7.

Which ecosystem would have the most biodiversity?

a)

an area where a volcano erupted

b)

cutting grass in a meadow

c)

a forest that has never been cut down

d)

an area that experienced a natural disaster

8.

There are 1,567 calories available at the producer level of this pyramid, and there are only 15.67 calories available at the secondary consumer level. Which of the following choices BEST explains why there is less energy available at the secondary consumer level?

a)

There are less organisms at the secondary consumer level.

b)

Secondary consumers can't do photosynthesis.

c)

The secondary consumers are more likely to go extinct.

d)

90% of energy is lost as it is transferred to the next trophic level.

9.
If there is 1000 Kcal available in the producers in trophic level 1, how much energy is available in the herbivores in trophic level 2?
a)
10 Kcal
b)
1 Kcal
c)
100 Kcal
d)
1000 Kcal
10.
What percentage of energy is passed on to each trophic level?
a)
10%
b)
50%
c)
90%
d)
100%
11.

What is the 10% rule in energy transfer between trophic levels?

a)

The 10% rule applies only to plants and not to animals in the food chain.

b)

The 10% rule states that 50% of energy is transferred between trophic levels.

c)

The 10% rule indicates that energy is lost completely at each trophic level.

d)

The 10% rule states that approximately 10% of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next.

12.
Examples of how humans negatively affect local ecosystems are
a)
Building dams, deforestation (cutting down trees), adding point sources to nearby streams to allow for run-off, building roads and structures, and salting roads.
b)
Creating laws to prohibit fishing from local streams.
c)
Planting trees and other plants to attract native species.
d)
Removing non-native species from the environment.
13.

A species that is not native to an area is called:

a)

Native Species

b)

Natural Species

c)

Nonnative Species

d)

Symbiotic Species

14.

What is competition?

a)

an interaction between two species where both benefit

b)

an interaction that occurs when two species compete for the same resource

c)

when one animal eats another

d)

a soccer game

15.
Which organism do the owl and the weasel compete for in the food web?
a)
Hawk
b)
Spider
c)
Grasshopper
d)
Shrew
16.

What effect can overfishing have on an aquatic ecosystem?

a)

overfishing makes the ecosystem more stable by increasing competition for limited resources

b)

overfishing decreases the stability of the ecosystem by reducing the number of fish & disrupting food chains

c)

overfishing has no effect on ecosystem's stability because it only affects one species

d)

overfishing increases ecosystem stability by allowing prey populations to overproduce

17.

The San Marcos salamander is found only in Spring Lake and a portion of the San Marcos River. What human activity would most likely decrease the ability of the salamanders to survive?

a)

increasing water consumption that decreases the flow of clean water from the springs that feed the river

b)

public transportation that reduces the number of automobiles that contribute to pollution

c)

tourism that helps fund educational programs related to river ecosystems

d)

the addition of a new food source into the river that limits competition

18.

A farmer is trying to get rid of pest insects on his farm. He finds a bird predator of the pest insects and releases the bird onto his farm. How would releasing the bird onto the farm have a negative effect on the ecosystem?

a)

the birds will increase biodiversity of native plants

b)

the birds will pollinate native species of plants

c)

the birds will consume beneficial insects as well as the pest

d)

the birds will mate with native birds and create a variation in the population

19.

When environmental changes occur (such as climate change), an ecosystem with __________ has a greater chance of survival.

a)

genetic diversity

b)

no plants

c)

few bacteria

d)

no diversity

20.

Using the graph, which explains the relationship trend between the predator and the prey?

a)

as predators increase prey remain at the same level

b)

as prey increases the predators increase and when prey decreases predators decrease

c)

predators and prey remain at a constant level at all times

d)

there is no relationship between predators and prey

21.

Excessive amounts of algae in aquatic ecosystems can block sunlight, consume needed oxygen, and reduce food sources for organisms. How does excessive amounts of algae in aquatic ecosystems affect the biodiversity of organisms?

a)

biodiversity will increase because there are more organisms available to consume the algae

b)

biodiversity decreases because the organisms that depend on sunlight & oxygen die off

c)

biodiversity doesn't change because the algae has no effect on the other organisms

22.
This is known as a relationship in which one organism benefits, while the other is unaffected.
a)
Parasitism
b)
Mutualism
c)
Immigration
d)
Commensalism
23.
The organism that is hunted and eaten in a particular feeding relationship is known as:
a)
Predator
b)
Decomposer
c)
Prey
d)
Autotroph
24.
This is known as a relationship in which both organisms involved benefit. 
a)
Predator-Prey
b)
Commensalism
c)
Mutualism
d)
Decomposition
25.

Remoras are fish that generally latch on to sharks and eat leftovers of food from the shark. This is an example of which type of ecological relationship?

a)

Mutualism

b)

Commensalism

c)

Parasitism

d)

Competition

26.

Plover birds typically eat parasites trapped inside of crocodiles' mouths. The plover receives a meal, while the crocodile is rid of parasites. What type of ecological relationships does this scenario represent?

a)

Mutualism

b)

Predator/Prey

c)

Competition

d)

Commensalism

27.

Lions typical fight to death for territory, mates, and food sources. Lions are most likely fighting due to:

a)

Commensalism

b)

Mutualism

c)

Competition

d)

Parasitism

28.

Cordyceps are a type of a fungi that hijack insects muscular and nervous systems, eventually leading to the death of the insect. What type of relationship is this?

a)

Commensalism

b)

Predator/Prey

c)

Parasitism

d)

Competition

29.

What is the difference between the biotic and abiotic factors?

a)

Biotic factors are living things and abiotic factors are nonliving things.

b)

Biotic factors are nonliving things and abiotic factors are living things.

30.

Pesticides and herbicides eventually show up in higher-level consumers (i.e. as you go up the food chain) due to

a)

biomagnification

b)

climate change

c)

habitat destruction

d)

bioaccumulation