Ecology Test Review
***DUE the day of the test***
***You must write this on your OWN SHEET OF PAPER in order to receive credit.***
1. Describe the flow of energy in a food chain and a food web.
2. Define and give two examples of the following:
a. Decomposer
d. Secondary consumer
b. Producer
e. Tertiary consumer
c. Primary consumer
f. Quaternary consumer
3. Draw a food chain with the following organisms and label each trophic level. Make sure to use arrows
to show energy flow:
a. Phytoplankton
d. Clownfish (small)
b. Shark
e. Tuna (large)
c. Zooplankton
4. Explain symbiosis in your own words.
5. Give a scenario for each of the following relationships:
a. commensalism
c. parasitism
b. mutualism
d. predation
6. Create your own food web that includes 5 trophic levels and label all organisms as producers and
levels of consumers. Put a star by all heterotrophs. Put a circle around all autotrophs.
7. What is the ultimate source of energy for all organisms?
8. Can an organism be a primary and secondary consumer at the same time? If yes, explain why and
give an example.
9. List the 5 types of consumers, define and give an example.
10. Draw a diagram of an energy pyramid showing the transfer of energy and heat loss. Include numbers
to show the percentage of energy transferred.
11. Explain the difference between a biomass pyramid and a pyramid of numbers. Draw examples.
12. List the levels of organization in order, starting with “species”. Give examples of each level.
13. What types of organisms go through photosynthesis? chemosynthesis?
14. What is the difference between photosynthesis and chemosynthesis?
15. Draw a diagram of the carbon cycle including the following terms:
a. Photosynthesis
e. Decaying organisms
b. Cellular respiration (plants and
f. Dead organisms and waste
animals)
products
c. Auto / Factory Emissions
g. Ocean uptake
d. Fossils and fossil fuels
16. Draw a diagram of the nitrogen cycle including the following terms:
a. Ammonification
e. Nitrates
b. Denitrification
f. Nitrites
c. Nitrogen fixation
g. Assimilation
d. Nitrification
h. Decomposer
17. What is the Competitive Exclusion Principle?
18. What is the difference between a niche and a habitat?
19. Explain competition for resources in an ecosystem.
20. What is ecological succession? Name and describe the two types.
21. Explain the difference between abiotic and biotic factors and give examples.