Ecology Literacy Skills Practice
Multiple Choice
After reading each selection, identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
Soil Characteristics
Good soil is alive with many different types of organisms and is actually a full ecosystem. A very important
organism that makes its home in soil is the earthworm. There can be close to a half ton of earthworms in an acre of
living topsoil. There are many benefits that earthworms provide.
Earthworms naturally till the soil by tunneling, which provides natural tillage and soil aeration. A field that is
naturally tilled by earthworms can absorb up to 10 times as much water as a field without worm tunnels, reducing
runoff and allowing the soil to store more water for dry seasons. The increase in the air content of the soil
encourages the natural nutrient cycling that feeds plants. However, earthworms do not thrive where regular tillage
occurs on a regular basis. When soil is tilled, it causes the soil to be drier, buries the nutrients that the worms
typically feed on, and causes the soil to be more susceptible to freezing. All of these can significantly reduce the
worm population.
Earthworms eat the dead plant material that lies decaying on the surface. Then the nutrient-rich matter is spread
throughout the soil by the waste of the worm. The secretions of earthworms are growth stimulants for plants.
Between the tillage, the excretions, and the secretions, earthworms make the soil much more nutrient rich than the
original soil.
Earthworms are an important part of living soil. They help to produce a soil that is excellent for growing plants.
1.
What does the word “excretions” mean in paragraph 3?
a. natural substance that is given off from the worm’s exterior
b. waste that is produced by digested material
c. plant material that the worm spreads by tunneling
d. decaying material after the worm dies
2.
What makes soil “alive”?
a. Soil is a living organism.
b. The plants growing in the soil.
c. The organisms living in the soil.
d. The animals that burrow in the soil.
3.
Which of the following will not reduce the worm population in the soil?
a. dry soil
b. tilling the soil
c. soil that freezes
d. leaving soil untouched
4.
The word “however” in paragraph 2 is used to
a. introduce an opinion.
b. emphasize a contrast
c. connect a main idea and an example
d. join two ideas that have the same meaning
5.
The information in this selection is organized by
a. a list of advantages
b. a list of disadvantages
c. a comparison of viewpoints
d. most important to least important
6.
The tunneling of earthworms helps with all of the following except
a. soil aeration
b. the nutrient level of the soil
c. making the soil more susceptible to freezing
d. soil moisture
7.
Which of the following ideas link the first and last sentences of this selection?
a. More research on earthworms is necessary.
b. Living soil is excellent for growing plants.
c. Farmers should add earthworms to the soil after each time they till.
d. Earthworms replace the need for fertilization.
8.
What is meant by the word “stimulants” in paragraph 3?
a. The secretions encourage plant growth.
b. The secretions discourage plant growth.
c. The secretions activate photosynthesis.
d. The secretions allow seeds to germinate.
Habitat Loss in the Great Lakes
The Great Lakes hold approximately 20 % of Earth’s freshwater. Due to misuse and environmental hazards over
the years, the natural ecosystems present in these lakes have been affected.
There has been a continual and noticeable reduction in chemicals present in the lakes over the past 30 years. This
is due, in large part, to the efforts of agencies like Environment Canada and the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency. The Great Lakes continue to be a good supply of treatable drinking water. There have been signs of
significant natural reproduction of native species of the lakes, such as lake trout.
Despite the progress that has been made, there are still reasons for concern. There are still concentrations of
contaminants that exist in the waters. There is still the need for sport fish consumption advisories. There has also
been a decrease in the amount of ice that forms on an annual basis on the lakes, leading to increased evaporation
and, consequently, a decrease in water levels. Scientists fear that one of the factors affecting the amount of ice is
climate change. The population growth of non-native species in the lake continues to grow, affecting the food web
of the ecosystem. The natural habitats along the shorelines have been affected by continual development, the
hardening of the shoreline, and the introduction of non-native species.
Though a great amount of progress has been made in the stewardship of the Great Lakes, continued diligence and
improved efforts are necessary if the natural habitats are to be preserved for generations to come.
1.
What is the call to action given in the news article?
a. reduction of air pollution
b. reduction of water pollution
c. increased legislation
d. continued diligence and improved efforts in preserving the habitats
2.
What are the sport fish consumption advisories associated with?
a. non-native species
b. contaminants in the water
c. shoreline development
d. reduction in ice
3.
What do the words “in large part” mean in paragraph 2?
a. not at all
b. only partially
c. mostly
d. completely
4.
What does the article say is the primary reason for habitat loss in the Great Lakes?
a. weather
b. natural causes
c. human misuse
d. animal waste
5.
Which of the following demonstrates that progress is being made in restoring the lake’s natural ecosystems?
a. hardening of shorelines
b. increase in non-native species
c. reproduction of lake trout
d. reduction of ice on the lakes
6.
Why might a reduction of annual ice on the lakes be a problem for the natural habitats?
a. warmer waters
b. increased water levels
c. decreased water levels
d. more recreation on the lakes throughout the year
7.
In paragraph 4 of the news article, what does the word “stewardship” mean?
a. economic administration
b. responsible management
c. conservation practices
d. environmental guidance
8.
What is the motivation stated in the article for preserving the natural habitats?
a. continued sporting activities
b. protection of native species
c. need for drinking water
d. enjoyment of future generations
The Flow of Energy
Every organism that lives in an ecosystem requires energy. There is a flow of energy throughout an ecosystem that
can be represented by a food chain or a food web.
Organisms in an ecosystem can be categorized as either producers or consumers depending on how they receive
their needed energy. Producers are capable of producing their own energy through the process of photosynthesis.
This category consists of plants. Consumers depend on producers and/or other consumers for their energy.
Consumers must ingest food to produce their needed energy.
A food chain is a representation of the flow of energy from one organism to the next throughout an ecosystem.
Organisms in a food chain are grouped into feeding levels, called trophic levels. Trophic levels are based on how
many levels animals are removed from the primary producers. So, for example, plants are on the first trophic level,
herbivores are on the second trophic level, and so on. Food chains do not exist in nature. Food chains are part of
more complex sets of relationships that exist among species.
Food webs more accurately depict what happens in nature because they represent multiple interactions within an
ecosystem. Food webs demonstrate how different species in different trophic levels are food sources for multiple
species in higher trophic levels. Food webs are useful in determining what happens when a species is removed from
the flow of energy. A food web can consist of multiple food chains.
1.
Why are food webs useful?
a. They represent the food supply.
b. They can help one analyze the effects of removing a species on the flow of energy in an
ecosystem.
c. They are an exhaustive representation of the energy supply in an ecosystem.
d. They can predict population growth.
2.
What is the primary difference between producers and consumers in a food web?
a. their size
b. what they eat
c. how they receive their energy
d. their location on a food web
3.
What separates organisms into various trophic levels?
a. their location
b. how they receive their energy
c. what they eat
d. if they are plants or animals
4.
All plants are
a. herbivores
b. omnivores
c. carnivores
d. members of the first trophic level
5.
Why does the first trophic level consist only of producers?
a. because they reproduce quickly
b. because they are the simplest organisms
c. because they produce their own energy
d. because they consume the most energy
6.
How does the title of the news article relate to food chains and webs?
a. The flow of energy can be replaced by a food chain or web.
b. The food chain or web is the conduit for the flow of energy.
c. Food chains and webs represent the flow of energy in an ecosystem.
d. It does not relate.
7.
Why must each sustainable ecosystem contain producers?
a. They produce the oxygen for the other organisms.
b. They provide food for all of the other organisms.
c. They produce all of the energy that gets passed on to other organisms.
d. They provide shelter for all of the other organisms.
8.
Why would one organism be placed in the trophic level directly above a second organism?
a. The first organism eats the second organism.
b. The second organism eats the first organism.
c. The second organism is a direct descendant of the first.
d. The first organism replaces the second organism in the ecosystem.