Ecology Biotic interaction Unit Test
Name: ________________________________________
Part I. Vocabulary Match
a. Interspecific
competition
e. Commensalism
b. Niche
a. Symbiosis
d. Parasitism
e. Consumer
c. Intraspecific
competition
b. Competitive
exclusion
a. Commensalism
d. Adaptation
c. Mutualism
b. Habitat
Directions
 Words are used only once (one time)
 Write the correct word next to its definition
 Fill in the correct letter for each question on your scantron
1) b_______________________ role (job) of an organism in an ecosystem
2) d_______________________a change in structure or behavior, happening over
many generations, which helps a species survive.
3) E or a_______________________a symbiotic relationship that helps one of the
organisms but does not help or harm (hurt) the other organism
4) a________________________when members of two different species compete
(fight for) for the same resources
5) b_______________________the extinction (all are gone) of a population due to
(because of) competition with another species that also wants the same
resources
6) d_______________________a relationship in which one organism feeds on the
tissues (flesh, body) or body fluids (blood) of a another organism
7) a________________________a relationship in which two species live closely
together, it’s a type of adaptation. There are three major types (kinds) of
this
8) c________________________when members of the same species compete (fight
for) for the same resources
9) _c_______________________a symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit
(are helped)
Section II. Multiple Choice
Directions
 Choose the best answer for each question.
 Fill in the correct letter for each question on your scantron
10. What is the biological definition of a species?
a. a group of organisms which can interbreed and produce fertile offspring
b. a group of organisms which can reproduce
c. a group of organisms with similar physical appearances
d. a group of organisms which has evolved from the same ancestor
Label the following as INTRAspecific (A) or INTERspecific (B)
11. b_____Competition between a squirrel and a chipmunk for acorns.
12. a_____Competition between two male birds of paradise for mates.
13. b_____Competition between the marsh wren and the red-winged blackbird for
habitat
14.b _____The parasitism of lice on bats.
15. b_____Species A outcompeting species B and driving species B to extinction.
16. a_____Naked mole rats living together
17. _b____Plant species compete for light after a tree falls in the rainforest.
18. Competition is
a. beneficial (Good) to both organisms involved
b. only between DIFFERENT species
c. detrimental (bad) to both organisms involved
d. always linked to extinction of a species
19. As population density (# of individuals per unit area) increases in a species,
intraspecific competition will
a. increase (go up)
b. decrease (go down)
c. remain constant (stay the same)
d. disappear (go away completely)
20. Altruism is
a. When one organism harms another
b. When one organism helps others even when it might be harmful to them.
c. When an insect pollinates a plant
d. Another name for parasitism
Classify the following as examples of mutualism (A), commensalism(B), or
parasitism (C)
21. _c____tapeworms living in a cat’s gut
22. b_____a vine growing in a tree that does NOT hurt the tree
23. a_____a bird living in a crocodile’s mouth and cleaning its teeth
24. c_____ mistletoe (a vine) living in a tree and killing the tree it lives in
25. Who proposed the theory of evolution through natural selection?
a. Leewenhoek
b. Darwin
c. MacArthur
d. Gause
e. Wallace
26. The theory of evolution states that
a. between two similar species, only one survives
b. birds have beak shapes that determine their food source
c. their can only be one top predator in an ecosystem
d. groups of organisms change over long periods of time, and all organisms
have common ancestry
27. The mechanism of natural selection states that
a. there is variation between individuals of a population, and some are better
adapted to survive in their environment and reproduce
b. groups of organisms change over long periods of time
c. males in a species are always more colorful due to competition for mates
d. if two species occupy the same niche one will outcompete the other
28. Which of the following is the best example of the results of natural selection?
a. Finches on the Galapagos islands have developed many different sizes and
shapes of beaks to access different food sources
b. species A drives Species B to extinction
c. Organisms within the same species can live together and divide their jobs
or roles to help the group
d. Two organisms have a relationship, and one organism harms the other.
29. The following graphs illustrate
a. competitive exclusion
b. natural selection
c. evolution
d. carrying capacity
e. niche partitioning
30. Choose the correct example of a physical adaptation.
a. the structure of a plant causes a bee to be covered in pollen as it collects
nectar.
b. birds develop complex mating dances to attract females in their species.
c. naked mole rats carry out specific jobs
d. walking sticks walk slowly to avoid detection by predators
31. Choose the correct example of mimicry
a. The structure of a plant causes a bee to be covered in pollen as it collects
nectar.
b. Birds develop complex mating dances to attract females in their species.
c. A viceroy looks very similar to the poisonous monarch butterfly.
d. Finches have evolved many different types of beaks to access different
food sources.
32. Which of the following is an example of an environmental pressure?
a. A lake that is running out of water
b. a fight between two members of the same species
c. breeding between two members of the same species
d. The air pressure in the atmosphere
33. What can you infer from the fact that all life on Earth is related, if you go back far
enough?
a. Many different species existed at the beginning of time
b. animals mutate and evolve at an extremely rapid (fast) rate
c. very few species have gone extinct over time
d. all life on Earth evolved from just a few simple lifeforms.
34. Which of the following is most likely an example of a favorable mutation?
a. a mutation that gives a rabbit a third ear
b. a mutation that changes the color of a rabbit’s fur to bright orange
c. a mutation that changes the color of the rabbit’s eyes
d. a mutation that makes a rabbit able to run faster
35. In the phrase “survival of the fittest,” to what does the term “fittest” refer?
a. the best-adapted organisms
b. the fastest organisms
c. the smartest organisms
d. the organisms best able to survive & reproduce in their environment
36. What is a common ancestor?
a. an animal that is related to many other species
b. an animal from which two or more species evolved
c. an animal which has a lot of offspring
d. an animal that’s good at escaping from predators
37. Remoras are fish that swim alongside sharks, eating scraps that the sharks leave
behind. This is an example of
a. mutualism
b. parasitism
c. commensalism
d. amensalism
38. Clownfish live inside sea anemones. They eat creatures that harm anemones,
while anemones protect clownfish from predators. This is an example of:
a. mutualism
b. parasitism
c. commensalism
d. amensalism
39. Which of the following is the best example of instinctive behavior?
a. a young child learning how to read
b. a kitten learning to use the litter box
c. a duckling swimming after its mother
d. a puppy cuddling with its human owner
40. What can you infer about animals whose fur turns white during the winter?
a. they prey on animals who can’t see the color white
b. they live in environments with lots of trees
c. they are hunted by predators who can’t see the color white
d. they live in environments that are very snowy during the winter
41. Which animal uses camouflage in order to hide from prey?
a. a tiger
b. a zebra
c. a moth
d. a kangaroo rat
42. An organism’s ACTUAL niche is its
a. realized niche
b. fundamental niche
43. What is the purpose of hydrofracking?
a. extract oil
b. extract natural gas
c. extract coal
d. extract ground water
Free response
44. What is altruism?
45. What is it about the fracking process that can cause health problems in humans?
46. Is there anything that could be done to improve the hydrofracking process? Be
specific as possible please.
47. Give an example of an organism which uses MIMICRY to increase its changes of
survival. Describe how this mechanism increases its changes of survival.
48. Choose a structural adaptation, and describe in detail how this adaptation increases
the organism’s chances of surviving and reproducing.
49. Choose a behavioral adaptation, and describe in detail how this adaptation
increases the organism’s chances of surviving and reproducing.
50. What can allow two species which occupy the same niche to coexist?
Bonus:
1. What do we mean by “Ghost of competition past?”
2. If you are a senior, what are your plans for next year? If you are a junior, what do you have
planned for the summer?