Possible Quiz Questions – Ecology
1. True or false (if false, correct): An area needs to be big enough to be considered an
ecosystem.
2. True or false: Producers can prey on consumers.
3. How much energy would a tertiary consumer have if the producer acquires 10000 kJ
of energy from the sun?
4. What is the effect of bioaccumulation in a rabbit?
5. True or false: The top of a trophic level usually has less biomass or numbers.
6. List 5 examples of biotic factors.
7. List 5 examples of abiotic factors.
8. What is a tertiary consumer?
9. What is a quaternary consumer?
10. What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?
11. What is the difference between a food web and a food chain? Draw an example of
each.
12. Why are primary consumers called primary consumers?
13. A lion received 21 kJ of energy in this food chain. How many kJ did the trees have?
Lion  giraffe  trees
14. What kind of consumer was the lion in the food chain in #13?
15. What are 3 ways organisms do to help them save energy?
16. True or false: Bioaccumulation and biological magnification is the same
17. What are the four strategies organisms use to help them save energy?
18. What is the difference between top carnivore and carnivore?
19. What are some health impacts of DDT?
20. What is the most important level on the trophic level?
21. Describe the difference between biotic factors and abiotic factors.
22. Describe the difference between a food chain and a food web.
23. What would happen to the herbivores if all the producers died off?
24. What would happen if all the carnivores died off?
25. What do you personally think is the most important trophic level? Why?
26. What are some jobs that organisms do?
27. What are four strategies that help animals save energy?
28. The only organisms that do not fit into trophic levels or food pyramids are
decomposers, which are also called ____________________.
29. Organisms that can break down dead material and animal wastes to allow for
nutrient cycling in an ecosystem is called ____________________.
30. Name the three main types of food pyramids.
31. What is the difference between bioaccumulation and biological magnification?
32. What is the organism in the highest trophic level of a food chain?
33. True or false: Producers are organisms that rely on other organisms for food.
34. What is a structure that illustrates the total chemical energy being passed along
each trophic level?
35. A _____________ shows that biomass decreases from each trophic level to the one
above.
36. Describe the biological magnification of:
Grain  Cow  Human
37. Define the term “top carnivore”
38. Define the term “carnivore”.
39. Define the term “omnivore”.
40. Create a pyramid of biomass with the following information:
50 000 kg of roots
5000 kg of mouse
500 kg of snake
5 kg of hawk
41. ___________ eat only plants and ___________ eat only animals.
42. Scientists who study ecology are called _______________.
43. List the three main types of food pyramids.
44. List some strategies organisms employ to help them save energy (four).
45. What is the difference between biological magnification and bioaccumulation?
46. Define the term top carnivore.
47. What is another term for herbivore?
48. What is biomass?
49. Trophic levels are the ___________ _______________ in a food chain.
50. What is bioaccumulation?
51. What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?
52. What are producers?
53. Define trophic level.
54. What is a pyramid of biomass?
55. What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?
56. What is a terrestrial herbivore? Give an example.
57. Define ecosystem.
58. What is a pyramid of numbers?
59. What organisms eat dead bodies?
60. Bioaccumulation is the buildup of a __________________ substance ___________
_____________
61. __________ as you move up the food chain, organisms in (higher or lower) trophic
levels accumulate (more or less) toxins. (Circle one).
a) Pyramid of numbers
b) Pyramid of biomass
c) Bioaccumulation
d) Biological magnification
62. Which pyramid has the total dry weight of the organisms in a trophic level?
63. A ____________ is an interconnected relationship of the feeding patterns of
different organisms in a specific area.
64. True or false (correct if false): A vegetarian is an example of an omnivore.
65. ___________ is interconnected network of food chains.
66. What is a food chain?
67. What is an omnivore?
68. Give two examples of each: biotic and abiotic factors.
69. The base of the pyramid will always be larger or smaller (pick one).
70. Definition of biotic and abiotic.
71. What is the difference between food chains and food webs?
72. What are the three main types of food pyramids?
73. What is the term to describe the role of fungi and bacteria?
74. What is the greek work for “oikos”?
75. What is the difference between a food web and a food chain?
76. Describe the words “herbivores”, “carnivores”, and “omnivores”.
77. Define the word “trophic level”.
78. What would happen to a food chain if the population of primary consumers
decreased?
79. What is a benefit of having decomposers on earth?
80. What is bioaccumulation?
81. What is a bat?
82. What is the only mammal that flies?
83. What do bats eat?
84. How long is the biggest bat’s wingspan?
85. What’s the difference between a food chain and a food web?
86. What would happen if there were no more producers?
87. What would disappear if bats went extinct?
88. What would happen if there were no carnivores?
89. What is an example of one insect that bats eat?
90. What is the difference between bioaccumulation and biological magnification?
91. Explain the biological magnification of the following food chain:
Grain  Cow  Human
92. Create a biomass pyramid: 80 000 kg of roots, 8000 kg of mouse, 800 kg of snake,
and 8 kg of hawk
93. Create a pyramid of energy. Grass captures 97 000 kJ of energy from the sun, rabbits
eat grass, snakes eat rabbits, and the hawk preys on both rabbit and snake.
94. Explain the advantages and disadvantages of pesticide use.