Name:_____________________________________________ Date:_________ Block:________
Ecology Test Review
1. Why is the carbon cycle important? Carbon is required to make all living things..
2. How does carbon get out of the air? Plants take in Carbon Dioxide through the process of
Photosynthesis.
3. How does carbon go into the air? Through respiration as animals breathe out
carbon
dioxide or though the burning of fossil fuels.
4. What is the role of plants in the carbon cycle? Because producers are
the
foundation of nearly all food webs carbon is in everything
5. What is the role of animals in the carbon cycle? Through
respiration, animals add carbon dioxide into the air.
CO2 is a greenhouse gas that keeps us warm. When
the carbon from animals decompose they turn into
fossil fuels like oil and coal that we use every day
6. How do humans impact the carbon cycle? As humans
we impact the carbon cycle by adding CO2 to the air through respiration or put it into the air by
burning fossil fuels.
7. 2. Why is the nitrogen cycle important? It is a major component of DNA (Nitrogen Bases) and is
critical in making the proteins that provide instructions to the rest of the body. Additionally the
more nitrogen that is in the soil the better plants will grow.
8. How does nitrogen get out of the air? Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria and Lightning
9. How does nitrogen go into the air? As organisms die and decompose, nitrogen is released into the
air (Denitrification)
10. What is the role of bacteria in the nitrogen cycle? Nitrogen fixing bacteria that are located on
the roots of legumes convert the unusable Nitrogen that is in the air into a form that can be used
by organisms (Ammonia)
11. What is the role of animals in the nitrogen cycle? Animals can add nitrogen to the soil through
their waste. Additionally they put nitrogen back into the air when they die and decompose.
12. How do humans impact the nitrogen cycle? Humans can add nitrogen into the soil when they add
fertilizers to help their plants grow. Too much nitrogen in the soil can lead to problems like Algal
Bloom and Eutrophication.
13. 3. Why is the water cycle important? Because all living things are made up of water (anywhere
from 60-90%)
14. How does water get out of the air? Condensation or Precipitation
15. How does water go into the air? Evaporation and Transpiration
16. What is the role of plants in the water cycle? Water from the plants is evaporated into the air
through the process of transpiration.
17. Circle the following
Interaction
Mutualism
Commensalism
Parasitism
Helps Organism 1?
YES/NO/NO EFFECT
YES/NO/NO EFFECT
YES/NO/NO EFFECT
Helps Organism 2?
YES/NO/NO EFFECT
YES/NO/NO EFFECT
YES/NO/NO EFFECT
18. Define the following terms:
 Predation-_Occurs when organisms hunt other organisms. This ultimately results in the death of
the prey.
 Competition: occurs when two or more organisms need a limited resource (food, water, shelter).
It can occur within a species or between organisms that are differing species.
 Cooperation : organisms working together
 Mutualism – A symbiotic relationship in which both organisms benefit.
 Commensalism- A symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits while the other is not
benefited or harmed.
 Parasitism – A symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is harmed.
19. Give an example of the following terms:
 Predation – the zebra is hunted by the lion
 Competition- two fish living in the same tank with compete for food.
 Cooperation - Chimpanzees will pick fleas off each other, or any animal that hunts in packs.
 Mutualism - A tickbird rides on the back of a rhinoceros consuming tiny insects. Tiny insects on
the rhinoceros’ back bite it and make it itch, and the tickbird eats these insects. This makes the
rhinoceros feel better. Both benefit!
 Commensalism Remora sucker fish have an adhesive disk on the dorsal surface of their heads.
They use this adhesive disk to “hitch a ride” on larger animals, usually sharks or whales, which
tend to be sloppy eaters. When food floats away from their mouth, the remora can unhitch itself
and collect the scraps of food floating by. The shark is unharmed by the fish
 Parasitism - Fleas and mosquitoes feed on blood from other organisms.
20. The niche of an organism is the place in which it lives, and the role that it plays in its environment.
Explain the niche of a honeybee in its environment. Explain what would happen to the environment if the
honeybees all died.
Honey bees live anywhere pollen/nectar can be retrieved from flowers. They live in areas where the
vegetation supports lots of flowers. Honey bees help to link nectar and pollen from the flowers. If all of
the honeybees died than many plants would not become pollinated and would therefore be unable to
reproduce. Since plants are the foundation of all foodchains this would have a grave impact on the
ecosystem as a whole.
21. Identify the cause and effects of Eutrophication (Refer to your notes to help you)