Ecology Test
1.
All of the different populations of species interacting in the same area is referred to as:
a. Ecosystem
b. Community
c. Population
d. Biosphere
2. A specific environment that a species lives in is called:
a. Niche
b. Biosphere
c. Habitat
d. Community
3. All the parts of earth that support life is called the:
a. Hydrosphere
b. Atmoshere
c. Lithosphere
d. Biosphere
4. A biologist captured 5 possums. She marked and released them. A week later she went back and caught 4
possums. Only 2 were marked. What is the population estimate?
2nd time caught marked = 1st time caught total
2nd time caught total
population estimate
a. 15
b. 10
c. 20
d. 5
5. A forest can support up to 3 mountain lions. This is its:
a. Biotic potential
b. Range
c. Limited factor
d. Carrying capacity
6. An organism that makes its own food is called:
a. A producer
b. A consumer
c. A scavenger
d. A decomposer
7. An organism that eats only meat is a:
a. Omnivore
b. Herbivore
c. Decomposer
d. Carnivore
8. An organism that eats only plants
a. Herbivore
b. Omnivore
c. Carnivore
d. Decomposer
9. Which of the following represents an accurate food chain?
a. Whales plankton small fish us
b. Grass owl grasshopper
c. Leaf caterpillar bird  cat
d. Lionsharkmarine algae
10. The symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits and one is harmed is called:
a. Parasitism
b. Symbiosis
c. Commensalism
d. Mutualism
11. A symbiotic relationship where one receives a benefit, the other isn’t harmed or benefited:
a. Parasitism
b. Symbiosis
c. Commensalism
d. Mutualism
12. Which of the following is a biotic factor?
a. Grass
b. Sunlight
c. Water
d. Soil
13. Which of the following is an abiotic factor?
a. Temperature
b. Tree
c. Rabbit
d. Mosquito
14. A producer is also known by this name:
a. Heterotroph
b. Rabbit
c. Consumer
d. Autotroph
15. Several food chains combined are referred to as:
a. Energy pyramid
b. Food chain
c. Food web
d. Flow of energy
16. Another name for an organism that makes its own food:
a. Autotroph
b. Heterotroph
c. Consumer
d. Scavenger
17. All the members of a species inhabiting a given location is a:
a. Community
b. Group
c. Population
d. Society
18. Which of the following is an example of a population?
a. The cats and dogs in Alabaster, Alabama
b. The bushes, flowers, and grass in Veterans’ Park
c. The rocks in a rock collection
d. The gray wolves in Yellowstone National Park
19. Which statement describes only biotic factors in a forest ecosystem?
a. A bird and squirrel are living in a tree
b. Birds and clouds are moving in the wind
c. Sunlight, air, and a pond
d. A fish, rocks, and a turtle exist within a stream
20. As you travel up the energy pyramid to higher level consumers, about what percentage of energy is
transferred to the next level?
a. 10%
b. 30%
c. 50%
d. 90%
21. Arrange the following organizational levels in the order from smallest to largest.
a. Population, community, organism, ecosystem
b. Organism, community, population, ecosystem
c. Community, population, ecosystem, organism
d. Organism, population, community, ecosystem
22. Abiotic factors in an environment include all of the
a. Plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria living in a habitat
b. Rocks, water, sunlight, nutrients, climates, and other nonliving characteristics
c. Sand, seaweed, shells, and crabs found in the Gulf of Mexico
d. Organisms, including those currently alive and those that were once living
23. A freshwater lake has a muddy bottom, which is home to different types of algae and other organisms.
Many species of fish feed on the algae. Which of the following is an abiotic factor in this ecosystem?
a. The temperature of the water
b. The color of the algae
c. The number of species of fish
d. The amount of food available to the fish
24. Which pair of terms could apply to the SAME organism?
a. Carnivore and producer
b. Decomposer and consumer
c. Scavenger and herbivore
d. Carnivore and consumer
25. If a hawk eats a mouse that eats grass, the hawk is a
a. Producer
b. Primary consumer
c. Secondary consumer
d. Decomposer
Classify #26-29 as abiotic or biotic factors. A = abiotic and B = biotic.
26.
27.
28.
29.
Bacteria - B
Water - A
Oxygen - A
Fungi - B
Match the type of interspecies interaction with the example.
A. Mutualism
B. Commensalism
C. Parasitism
30. Lichens live within the tissues of a fungus. Through photosynthesis, the lichens provide energy to itself and
the fungus. - A
31. A roundworm attaches to the inside of a puppy’s intestine and feeds on nutrients in the puppy’s blood. - C
32. A clown fish lives inside the tentacles of a sea anemone. The poison tentacles offer protection for the clown
fish. The sea anemone is not affected by the clown fish’s presence. - B
33. A bird picks ticks off of a hippo’s head providing food for itself and protection from disease for the hippo. A
34. A type of bird called the cattle egret moves among herds of cattle eating the insects as they fly up when the
cattle move their legs. The bird gets food and the cattle are unaffected. - B
35. Which of the following is a primary consumer in this ecosystem?
a. Owl
b. Snake
c. Goat
d. Lion
36. What provides the energy for the Jackal?
a. Wild cat
b. Goat
c. Lion
d. Snake
37. Give an example of a secondary consumer from this food web.
a. Wild cat
b. Lion
c. Goat
d. Mouse
38. What population decreased dramatically from 1980 to around 1982?
a. Moose
b. Wolves
39. How many moose were on Isle Royale in 1995?
a. 20
b. 60
c. 900
d. 2,400
40. In what year were there more wolves than moose on Isle Royale?
a. 1970
b. 1980
c. 1988
d. 1995
BONUS: On the back of your GradeCam form,
1.
Give an example of a food chain. Include a producer, an herbivore, a carnivore, and an omnivore
2.
Label producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer, and tertiary consumer in your food chain