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WorksheetsEcosystems Quiz
Total questions: 86
Worksheet time: 1hrs 3mins
Tropical rain forests cover about 2% of the Earth's land surface, and
contain about 2% of the Earth's total biodiversity
contain less than 10% of the Earth's total biodiversity
contain no more than one-fourth of the Earth's total biodiversity
contain up to one-half of the Earth's total biodiversity
scientists currently do not know how much of the Earth's total biodiversity is contained in tropical rainforests, although they suspect it is very high
The tropical rain forests
maybe be severely degraded or disappear within your lifetime.
are destroyed by humans cutting down trees and growing crops.
are destroyed by grazing cattle and human settlements.
degradation is increasing
are damaged by humans cutting down trees, growing crops and grazing cattle, by building settlements, and degradation is increasing and they may be severely damaged or disappear within your lifetime,
Which of the following choices best describes how an ecologist would typically study an ecosystem? The ecologist would study
only a single animal or plant
an animal or plant, plus other organisms with which it interacts
an animal or plant, the organisms it interacts with, and its water supply
an animal or plant, plus all the biotic and abiotic aspects of the ecosystem in which it lives
the water supply and other non-living aspects of an ecosystem
The innermost layer of the atmosphere is the
Troposphere
Stratosphere
Hydrosphere
Geosphere
Lithosphere
Which of the following is not a greenhouse gas?
nitrogen (N2)
carbon dioxide (CO2)
water vapor (H2O)
methane (CH4)
two of the listed choices are not greenhouse gases
All physical forms of water (solid, liquid, and gas) make up the
Atmosphere
Geosphere
Biosphere
Troposphere
Hydrosphere
Fossil fuels and minerals are found in the
Atmosphere
Geosphere
Biosphere
Hydrosphere
Troposphere
Submarines explore the
Atmosphere
Geosphere
Biosphere
Hydrosphere
Troposphere
Geologists find rock and soil samples in the
Atmosphere
Geosphere
Biosphere
Hydrosphere
Troposphere
Ozone, a gaseous O3 molecule that filters out harmful UV radiation, is found in the
Troposphere
Geosphere
Hydrosphere
Stratosphere
Biosphere
The crust, core, and mantle are all areas located within the
Stratosphere
Biosphere
Geosphere
Hydrosphere
Atmosphere
Which of the following statements is most accurate?
Energy cycles, nutrients flow.
Nutrients cycle, energy flows.
Nutrients flow, energy flows.
Nutrients cycle, energy cycles.
Nutrients flow and cycle.
As energy flows in ecosystems, it can be said to
cycle, as in a round trip
flow from high-quality to low-quality energy in a one-way fashion
either flow one way or cycle, depending on the type of energy involved
flow in a two-directional fashion
energy does not flow or cycle
You have decided on a career as
You have decided on a career as an ecologist. Your work could possibly be which of the following assignments?
exploring the earth's crust to locate mineral resources
negotiating air quality agreements among different countries
studying interactions of wolves and their prey species in Yellowstone National Park
studying depletion of large aquifers in the midwestern United States
exploring possible wind corridors in the intermountain west for placement of wind farms
Ecologists study interactions within and among which five levels of organization?
cell, organism, atom, ecosystem, and molecule
atom, molecule, cell, organism, and population
molecule, cell, atom, community, and biosphere
organism, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere
atom, organism, cell, biosphere, and population
Which one of the following contains all of the others?
Atom
Community
Cell
Population
Molecule
Ecology is the study of how:
Atoms make up the environment.
Humans affect the environment.
Organisms interact with each other and their nonliving environment.
Energy runs the environment.
Evolution affects nature.
A group of individuals of the same species living in a particular place is a(n)
Species
Population
Community
Organism
Biome
A community of different species interacting with one another and the physical and chemical factors of their nonliving environment is called a(n)
Species
Ecosystem
Population
Lithosphere
Community
Pronghorn antelope is the only North American antelope. It lives in the high desert of the Great Basin in the western U.S. Which of the following items are possible abiotic factors that an antelope has to content with?
the density of the local population of coyotes
extreme maximum and minimum temperatures in the desert
competition with wild horses for sparse vegetation for forage
lack of available water
lack of available water and extreme maximum and minimum temperatures in the desert
Bacteria and fungi are typically categorized as which of the following ecosystem components?
Autotrophs
Producers
primary consumers
tertiary consumers
Decomposers
Of the total energy that falls on their leaves, what percent do producers on average convert to chemical energy through the process of photosynthesis?
0%
1%
10%
25%
50%
Which of the following best represents the process of photosynthesis?
Carbon dioxide + Glucose + Solar energy Water + Oxygen
Carbon dioxide + Water + Solar energy Glucose + Oxygen
Oxygen + Glucose + Solar energy Carbon dioxide + Water
Oxygen + Glucose Solar energy + Carbon dioxide + Water
Carbon dioxide + Water Solar energy + Glucose + Oxygen
A grizzly bear eating blueberries is best categorized as which of the following?
Producer
primary consumer
tertiary consumer
Detritivores
Decomposer
Which ecosystem component plays a key role in the recycling of nutrients in the biosphere?
Producers
primary consumers
Herbivores
tertiary consumers
Decomposers
Phytoplankton in the ocean
provide much of the planet's oxygen
provide much of the planet's carbon dioxide
remove much of the planet's carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
remove much of the planet's oxygen
provide much of the planet's oxygen and remove much of the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
What do giraffes and caterpillars have in common?
They are both autotrophs.
They are both herbivores
They are both secondary consumers and herbivores.
They are both detritivores
Giraffes and caterpillars do not have anything in common.
An entomologist is a biologist that has special training in the study of insects. Which of the following groups of detritivores would an entomologist possibly study?
Fungi
Bacteria
Vultures
carpenter ants
Giraffes
Photosynthesis
converts glucose into energy and water
requires the combustion of carbon
produces carbon dioxide and oxygen gas
yields glucose and oxygen gas as products
yields glucose and carbon dioxide as products
The conversion of solar energy into chemical energy occurs in
Photosynthesis
food chains
Chemosynthesis
heterotrophic organisms
food webs
Organisms that feed on both plants and animals are called
detritus feeders
Omnivores
Carnivores
herbivores
decomposers
Which of the following groups can be called autotrophs?
ants, termites and butterflies
wolves, coyotes and foxes
rabbits, moles and robins
daisies, roses and grass
mushrooms and fungi
The organisms that are classified as primary consumers are the
Detritivores
Omnivores
Carnivores
Decomposers
Herbivores
Organisms that break down bodies of dead plants and animals into nutrients that are released into the soil or water are called
Detritivores
detritus feeders
Decomposers
Scavengers
Omnivores
Earthworms, some insects, and vultures are all examples of
primary producers
detritus feeders
Decomposers
Scavengers
secondary consumers
Aerobic respiration requires
glucose and carbon dioxide
glucose and oxygen
oxygen and water
carbon dioxide and water
carbon dioxide and oxygen
The coyotes would be classified as
Producers
primary consumers
secondary consumers
Decomposers
tertiary consumers
The coyotes typically forage on mice and squirrels. However, as members of the canine family, Canidae, they are known to be able to eat berries and parts of plants as well as small animals. Thus, they would be classified as
Herbivores
Carnivores
Omnivores
Detritivores
Producers
If the biomass of flowers that support the butterflies was known to contain 100,000 units of energy, and certain bird species were eating the butterflies that foraged on the flowers, what amount of energy, on average, could be expected to be transferred to the birds?
50,000
10,000
1,000
100
10
A sequence of organisms, each of which serves as a source of nutrients or energy for the next, is called a(n)
food web
food chain
Ecosystem
Community
food chain and food web (they are interchangeable)
Which of the following would be considered a tertiary consumer?
Spider
Deer
Hawk
Butterfly
Rabbit
Complex arrangements of feeding patterns in ecosystems are best described as
food webs
food chains
trophic levels
pyramids of energy
trophic chains
If the producers in an ecosystem capture 40,000 units of energy, assuming average efficiency of energy transfer, how many units of this energy can likely be successfully converted into secondary consumer biomass?
40,000
4,000
400
40
4
With regards to productivity of an ecosystem, which of the following statements is accurate?
GPP is greater than NPP because of the metabolic process of photosynthesis.
GPP is greater than NPP because of the metabolic process of respiration.
NPP is greater than GPP because of the metabolic process of photosynthesis.
NPP is greater than GPP because of the metabolic process of respiration.
There is no significant difference between GPP and NPP.
The aquatic ecosystems with the highest average net primary productivity are
Estuaries
Lakes
Rivers
Oceans
artic ice shelf
Net primary productivity
is the rate at which producers manufacture chemical energy through photosynthesis
is the rate at which producers use chemical energy through respiration
is the rate of photosynthesis plus the rate of respiration
is the rate at which producers use photosynthesis to produce and store chemical energy
is the rate at which producers use photosynthesis to produce and store chemical energy minus the rate at which they use this energy through aerobic respiration
Which of the following ecosystems has the highest net primary productivity?
agricultural land
open ocean
temperate forest
swamps and marshes
lakes and streams
The portion of the planet that is responsible for the vast majority of the Earth's annual biomass production is/are
swamps and marshes
temperate forests
Estuaries
lakes and streams
open oceans
Over land, about what percent of the water vapor in the atmosphere comes from water that has transpired from the surface of plants?
40-50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Nitrogen makes up approximately ____% of the volume of the atmosphere.
25
42
57
78
85
Which of the following biogeochemical cycles does not include the atmosphere as a temporary reservoir?
Hydrologic
Nitrogen
Carbon
Phosphorus
Sulfur
Where in a mammal would there be the highest concentrations of phosphorous?
liver and pancreas
muscle tissues
bones and teeth
central nervous system
hair and skin tissues
The hydrologic cycle refers to the movement of
Hydrogen
Oxygen
Nitrogen
Hydrocarbons
Water
Of the following water-cycle processes, the one working against gravity is
Percolation
Infiltration
Runoff
Transpiration
Precipitation
The hydrologic cycle is driven primarily by
solar energy and gravity
solar energy and the moon
solar and mechanical energy
mechanical and chemical energy
chemical energy and the moon
All of the following increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere except
Respiration
Photosynthesis
Combustion
Decomposition
none of these answers
Transfer of carbon among organisms depends primarily on
fuel combustion and decomposition
photosynthesis and cellular respiration
soil bacteria and precipitation
volcanic activity and organic decay
the rock cycle
The most common gas in the atmosphere is
Nitrogen
carbon dioxide
Oxygen
Hydrogen
Methane
Nitrogen is a major component of all of the following except
Proteins
Nitrates
Ammonia
DNA
Groundwater
Nitrogen fixation is accomplished by
Legumes
Bacteria
Algae
Protozoa
round worms
The form of nitrogen most usable to plants is
Ammonia
nitrogen gas
Proteins
Nitrates
Methane
Ammonium ions are converted to nitrite ions and nitrate ions through the process of
Nitrification
nitrogen fixation
Denitrification
Assimilation
Leaching
When organisms die, their nitrogenous organic compounds are converted to simpler inorganic compounds such as ammonia through the process of
Nitrification
Ammonification
Denitrification
Assimilation
Leaching
Converted to simpler inorganic compounds such as ammonia through the process of
Nitrification
Ammonification
Denitrification
Assimilation
Leaching
Electrical storms and lightning fix _________into a form that plants and animals can use.
Phosphorus
Nitrogen
Carbon
Sulfur
Water
Which of the following choices best describes the common phosphorus reservoirs in the ecosystem?
Water
water and organisms
atmosphere and geosphere
rocks and marine sediment
water, organisms, rocks and marine sediment
All of the following are sources of phosphorus except
inorganic fertilizer
runoff of animal wastes from feedlots
Detergents
acid rain
Rocks
The major plant nutrient most likely to be a limiting factor is
Phosphorous
Calcium
Nitrogen
Potassium
Carbon
You have decided to change your diet to a more sustainable way of eating. One of your choices is to eat only grass-fed beef. In addition to having healthier meals that benefit you directly, this choice also benefits the planet because it will help to decrease
mining large quantities of phosphate rock
atmospheric warming
addition of animal wastes from livestock feedlots that interferes with the phosphate cycle in aquatic ecosystems
discharge of municipal sewage
use of animal by-products in pet food
Which of the following is NOT a property of water?
It expands when it freezes.
It contracts when it freezes.
It can store large amounts of heat without changing its own temperature.
It can adhere to a solid surface.
It can exist as a solid, liquid or gas.
Ocean sediments and volcanoes are sources of:
Nitrogen
Oxygen
Sulfur
Phosphorus
both sulfur and nitrogen
Sulfuric acid and sulfates in the atmosphere are a problem when they
are deposited as acid rain
are deposited in the soil and incorporated into plants as nutrients
are deposited in ocean waters and return to deep ocean sediments
are deposited on glaciers in the Arctic
They are never a problem.
All of the following statements describe field research except
It involves going into natural settings to observe the structure of ecosystems.
It is sometimes called "muddy-boots biology".
It has provided very little in the way of knowledge about ecosystems.
Most of what we know about ecosystems has come from such research.
It involves measuring the structure of ecosystems and what happens in them.
Which statement least characterizes laboratory research?
It allows measurement of model ecosystems and populations under controlled conditions.
It is faster than similar field research.
It is less costly than similar field research.
It has been used to develop most of our knowledge about ecosystems.
It has supplemented field research since the 1960's.
Which of the following is NOT something that we can rely on GIS data to reveal?
geographic and ecological spatial data
variation in vegetation in local areas
sulfur content of deep ocean sediments
local air pollution emissions
global variation in vegetation and gross primary productivity
Which phase of the above-described situation could be called computer simulation?
when the scientists gathered woodrat dropping for lab analysis
when the scientists learned from the computer that woodrat nest numbers would impact cactus populations
when the scientists first observed the proximity of woodrat nests and cactus plants
all of these answers
none of these answers
The study described above is best categorized as
field research
laboratory research
computer modeling
a combination of all three types of research
a combination of laboratory and field research, but no computer modeling
Which of the following best describes the scientists' initial observations?
Woodrat nests had no apparent effect on cactus populations.
Cactus plants were less common close to woodrat nests.
Cactus plants were more common close to woodrat nests.
Cactus plants and woodrat nests were mutually exclusive.
The effect of woodrats on cactus plants was different from season to season.
Ecology is the study of connections in the natural world.
Populations make up communities.
Ozone gas, a chemical in the atmosphere that helps filter out harmful UV sunlight, is located in the troposphere.
An ecosystem's nutrient cycle cannot be described.
"Muddy boots biology" is actually a description of typical research by geologists
Increasing levels of carbon dioxide are one of the major contributors to global warming.
Within the 'levels of organization', the molecular level contains the smallest of all forms of matter.
