Ecology DQ 2014-2015
Name:________________________________________
1
1. All ecosystems contain at least one population of organisms. Which of the following could be considered a
population?
A. a herd of deer
B. a pile of clamshells C. an apple tree
D. a mockingbird and its nest
Justification---_______________________________________________________________________________
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2. The energy for almost all ecosystems is supplied by the Sun. Which of the following flowcharts best represents how
energy flows through an ecosystem?
A. carnivores --> sunlight --> plants --> herbivores
B. sunlight --> plants --> herbivores --> carnivores
C. plants --> herbivores --> carnivores --> sunlight
D. sunlight --> herbivores --> plants --> carnivores
Justification---_______________________________________________________________________________
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3. A person living near this pond wants to reduce the
mosquito population. The mosquito population included in
this food web could be reduced by —
A planting more duckweed
B catching more minnows
C removing some martin houses
D adding more shelter for frogs
Justification---___________________________________________________________________________________
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4. The primary energy source for most communities is sunlight. Producers use sunlight to make carbohydrates.
Consumers eat producers and use the carbohydrates for energy. What happens to the energy in a consumer's body when
it dies?
A Much of the energy is consumed by decomposers.
B. Much of the energy is absorbed into the atmosphere.
C. The energy disappears from the community.
D. The energy is then taken back up by producers.
Justification---_______________________________________________________________________________
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5. Some types of algae live inside coral. The algae provide the coral with nutrients. The coral provides the algae with
shelter. Which of the following relationships exist between the algae and coral?
A. predator-prey
C. a mutualism relationship
B. a parasite-host relationship
D a competitive relationship
Justification---_______________________________________________________________________________
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6. This food chain can be found in the coastal waters of Virginia.
The population of which organisms in the food chain would be the
first to decline if commercial fishing over-harvested shrimp?
A. Algae
B. Zooplankton
C. Damselfish
D. Barracuda
Justification---___________________________________
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Ecology DQ 2014-2015
Name:________________________________________
2
7. Which of these groups of organisms would most likely have accumulated the largest concentration of a long-lasting
chemical pollutant in their bodies?
A. phytoplankton
B. zooplankton
C. lake trout
D. gulls
Justification---_______________________________________________________________________________
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8. All plants and animals need energy in order to survive. The diagram above shows how energy gets transferred among
living things in a particular ecosystem. If all of the grasshoppers were removed from the region, which type of organism
in this ecosystem would not be able to survive?
A. spiders only
B. frogs, spiders, and wasps
C. frogs only
D. frogs and spiders
Justification---_______________________________________________________________________________
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9. If there were no decomposers, which of the following would most likely happen?
A. Animals would start carrying out photosynthesis.
B. The amount of dead plant and animal matter would decrease.
C. Some plants might die due to a shortage of important nutrients.
D. Plants and animals would remain living for a longer period of time.
Justification---_______________________________________________________________________________
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10. In an ecosystem, each organism has their own niche, or role to play in the community. If the niche of an organism
includes converting sunlight into food for other organisms what type of organism is being described?
A. decomposers
B. producers
C. herbivores
D. omnivores
Justification---_______________________________________________________________________________
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11. Which of the following is most likely to cause increases in a predator population?
A. Fewer prey
B. A reduction in competition
C. More parasites
D. A period of drought
Justification---_______________________________________________________________________________
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12. The table lists four groups of factors found in
a particular ecosystem. Which group consists of
only abiotic factors?
A. Group 1
C. Group 3
B. Group 2
D. Group 4
Justification---____________________________
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