Name __________________________________ Date:____________________ Period:________
Ecology Standards Review Practice Quiz
1.
Many individuals of the same species living together in a defined area form a/an
a.
community.
b.
genus.
c.
population.
d.
ecosystem.
e.
variety.
2.
Biological communities change because
a.
each community modifies the environment and adapts for a later community.
b.
the soil is depleted and food gives out.
c.
old species move out and new species move in.
d.
old species evolve into new species.
e.
new species move in, displacing old species.
3.
When two different species overlap in the same biological niche, they are
a.
unaffected by one another.
b.
dependent on one another.
c.
in co-operation with one another.
d.
in competition with one another.
e.
dependent on different food supplies.
4.
Consider the following list of factors:
I
dispersal
II
rainfall
III
mineral deposits
IV
competition
V
temperature.
Which of the factors listed above are most significant in determining the fact that belts of
vegetation at successively higher altitudes often correspond to those at successively higher
latitudes?
a.
I and III
b.
III and V
c.
II and IV
d.
II and V
e.
I and V
5.
Which of the following is characteristic of parasitism?
a.
One organism kills and consumes another.
b.
Two organisms live together and neither is harmed.
c.
Two organisms feed side by side from the same food.
d.
Two organisms nourish each other; both benefit.
e.
One organism lives in or on another and benefits and the other is harmed.
6.
Which of the following terms best describes the inter- relationship between nitrogen-fixing bacteria
and the clover in whose roots they live?
a.
mutualism
b.
commensalism
c.
predation
d.
parasitism
e.
amensalism
7.
The progressive series of changes that eventually produce a climax community on what was once
a bare rocky island is an example of
a.
primary succession.
b.
speciation.
c.
secondary succession.
d.
evolution.
e.
eutrophication.
8.
Some water, a small amount of soil, a few green aquatic plants and a fish were placed in a large
bottle. The bottle was sealed to prevent the exchange of gases and other materials between its
contents and the outside. The bottle was placed in a window to receive light during the daytime.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Is carbon dioxide produced by the plants?
Yes, but it is produced only at night when the plants can no longer carry on photosynthesis.
Yes, it is produced all the time as a result of cellular respiration.
No, it is a waste product of animals only.
No, plants take in only the waste products exhaled by animals.
No, plants only produce oxygen.
9.
During the growth of a tomato plant from a seed, it increases considerably in biomass. Which of
the following materials, obtained from the environment, are necessary for the growth and increase
in biomass?
a.
carbon dioxide and water
b.
carbon dioxide, oxygen, and nitrogen
c.
water, nitrate, and methane
d.
water, carbon dioxide, and mineral salts
e.
mineral salts, carbon dioxide, and oxygen
10 .
Nitrogen gas returns to the atmosphere by the action of
a.
nitrogen fixing bacteria.
b.
denitrifying bacteria.
c.
nitrifying bacteria.
d.
nitrate fertilizers.
e.
ammonia.
11 .
A molecule of nitrogen which you have just breathed in may have been part of a plant that lived
thousands of years ago, or part of a dinosaur that lived millions of years ago. This illustrates the
principle that
a.
dead organisms may be fossilized.
b.
molecules of cytoplasm may be replaced by inorganic salts.
c.
nitrogen does not combine readily with other elements.
d.
decay bacteria cycle elements.
e.
nitrogen forms part of the proteins of plants and animals.
12 .
The sequence of energy flow through a food chain is
a.
primary consumers- producers- higher order consumers.
b.
producers- higher order consumers- primary consumers.
c.
higher order consumers- primary consumers- producers.
d.
primary consumers- higher order consumers- producers.
e.
producers- primary consumers- higher order consumers.
13 .
In a terrestrial ecosystem, the trophic level that would contain the largest biomass would be the
a.
producers.
d.
highest order consumers.
b.
primary consumers.
e.
decomposers.
c.
secondary consumers.
14 .
A carrot plant is exposed to carbon dioxide containing radioactive carbon for 24 hours. After this
exposure, the carrot roots are found to have accumulated radioactivity. These carrots are then fed
to a rabbit. One week later, the rabbit's tissue is tested for radioactivity and is found to have a
higher than normal background count. Which biogeochemical cycle is apparent from this study?
a.
oxygen
d.
carbon
b.
mineral
e.
nitrogen
c.
water
15 . The rate of growth of a natural population
a.
always reaches the carrying capacity of the ecosystem.
b.
is limited by the carrying capacity of the ecosystem.
c.
when graphed, always has a positive slope.
d.
is calculated by subtracting death rate from birth rate.
e.
exceeds the death rate and rate of emigration.
16 .
In the past decade, which of the following has NOT been a major cause of the increase in the
world's population?
a.
longer life span
b.
higher infant mortality
c.
increase in birth rate
d.
improved sanitation
e.
modern preventative medicine
17. In the nitrogen cycle, the transformation of gaseous nitrogen into nitrogen-containing compounds is
performed primarily by
A. fungi
B. bacteria
C. green plants
D. herbivores
E. carnivores
18. Which point on the curve in the diagram above best represents
the carrying capacity of the environment for the population shown.
A. A
C. C
E. E
B. B
D. D
19. Which of the following organisms is most likely to be located at
the apex of the pyramid of biomass?
A. grass
B. grasshopper
C. snake
D. mouse
E. hawk
20. All of the following statements about the diagram are
correct EXCEPT:
A. The grasshopper is an herbivore.
B. Only two trophic levels are depicted.
C. The mouse and grasshopper are at the same trophic level.
D. The grass is a producer.
E. All of the organisms except grass are consumers, regardless of position.
21. The organic and inorganic materials in all the organisms in the diagram will eventually return to the
environment by the action of ______________
A. decomposers
B. producers
C. primary consumers
D. secondary consumers
E. top carnivores
22. Which best explains why there are seldom more than five trophic levels in a food chain?
A. Most carnivores function at more than one trophic level.
B. Trophic levels above this number contain too many individuals.
C. Top carnivores are too few in number to prey effectively.
D. The ecosystem contains too much biomass.
E. Energy is lost from each trophic level.
The graph shows changes in a population of wild sheep
that were introduced to the island of Tasmania in the
early 1800s.
20. The type of population growth represented by that
portion of the graph line enclosed in the bracket is most
accurately termed
A. stable
B. exponential
C. density-dependent
D. arithmetic
21. Two barnacles, Balanus and Chthamalus, can both survive on the lower rocks just above the lowtide line on the Scottish coast, but only Balanus actually does so, with Chthamalus adopting a higher
zone. Which of the following best accounts for this niche separation?
A) competitive exclusion
B) predation of Chthamalus by Balanus
C) primary succession
D) mutualism
22) Which of the following statements about succession is correct?
A) Secondary succession occurs where no soil exists.
B) Primary succession occurs in areas where soil remains after a disturbance.
C) Secondary succession can occur where a disturbance has left soil intact.
D) Through successional dynamics, most communities will eventually become more stable through time.
23. What is the fundamental difference between matter and energy?
A) Matter is cycled through ecosystems; energy is not.
B) Energy is cycled through ecosystems; matter is not.
C) Energy can be converted into matter; matter cannot be converted into energy.
D) Matter can be converted into energy; energy cannot be converted into matter.
E) Matter is used in ecosystems; energy is not
24. If the flow of energy in an arctic ecosystem goes through a simple food chain from seaweeds to fish
to seals to polar bears, then which of the following is true?
A) Polar bears can provide more food for people than seals can.
B) The total energy content of the seaweeds is lower than that of the seals.
C) Polar bear meat probably contains the highest concentrations of fat-soluble toxins.
D) Seals are more numerous than fish.
E) The carnivores can provide more food for people than the herbivores can.