Basic Ecology Comprehension
Ms. Morris
Name:________________________________
AM / PM (Circle one)
KEY
Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question. Each
question is worth 2 points!
1. Which of these represents a parasitic relationship?
a. Whale/plankton
c. Spanish moss/trees
b. Tick/dog
d. Shark/fish
2. What type of relationship between two organisms results in benefits to both organisms?
a. Parasitism
c. Equalism
b. Mutualism
d. Commensalism
3. A relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is neither aided nor harmed is
____.
a. Parasitism
c. Mutualism
b. Synergism
d. Commensalism
4. Mutualism is one type of ____.
a. Pedator-prey relationship
b. Ecosystem
c. Symbiosis
d. Niche
5. Spanish moss growing on tree branches is an example of ____.
a. Parasitism
c. Mutualism
b. Commensalism
d. Tropism
6. A relationship in which one organism benefits at the expense of another is ____.
a. Parasitism
c. Mutualism
b. Symbiosis
d. Commensalism
7. Ants living on acacia trees is an example of ____.
a. Parasitism
c. Commensalism
b. Mutualism
d. Equalism
8. Examine the diagram below. The diagram shows the living and non-living factors that interact
in a particular geographic area. The term that best describes these interactions is ____.
a. Biome
b. Environment
c. Ecosystem
d. Population
9. Examine the pyramid below. A food pyramid is a way of showing how energy in an
ecosystem flows from one organism to another. Based on this pyramid, which organism has the
MOST energy available to it?
a. Grass
b. Grasshopper
c. Starling
d. Owl
10. Producers obtain energy primarily from ____.
a. Nutrients in the soil
c. Water
b. The sun
d. Decomposing organisms
11. Which of these statements is TRUE about the food web shown below?
a. Grizzly bears have the highest biomass.
b. Grasses have the lowest biomass.
c. Deer have a higher biomass than do grizzly bears.
d. Seeds have a lower biomass than do chipmunks.
12. The diagram below shows a food web. Which organism would most likely be located at
position X in the role of a producer?
a. Bird
b. Mushroom
c. Snake
d. Grass
13. Examine the food web below. Which of the following organisms could NOT be identified as
a secondary consumer?
a. Bird
b. Grasshopper
c. Lizard
d. Snake
14. The bacteria of decay could be classified as ____.
a. Producers
c. Secondary consumers
b. Primary consumers
d. Decomposers
15. Examine the diagram below. The food web shows how many secondary (second-order)
consumers?
a. None
b. One
c. Two
d. Three
16. The gypsy moth was brought to the United States in 1869 in an attempt to start a silkworm
industry. Escaping soon after, the gypsy moth has become a major tree pest in the forests of
northeastern United States and southeastern Canada.
What is the MOST significant conclusion that can be drawn from the events reported?
a. Imported species can disrupt a balanced ecosystem.
b. Gypsy moths produce silk.
c. Imported species have difficulty adapting to a new environment.
d. Gypsy moths are herbivores.
17. Alligators in wetland regions normally feed on animals such as shorebirds. Shorebirds
usually feed on small fish and frogs. Recently, scientists released a large number of alligators
into a wetland region. Scientists expected that as a result of this increase in the alligator
population, the population of small fish and frogs would ____.
a. Remain about the same
c. Become extinct
b. Rapidly decrease
d. Notably increase
18. A major threat to ecosystems is the activity brought about by ____.
a. Plants
c. Algae
b. Humans
d. Recycled nutrients
19. Extinction or loss of one species each day on Earth is attributed to ____.
a. Humans
c. Acid rain
b. Wild animals
d. The greenhouse effect
20. Habitat destruction actually means ____.
a. Too much land is being set aside for endangered animal use
b. The place where an animal lives is being conserved
c. Humans are destroying or taking over the land once used by animals
d. Destruction of animals is occurring
21. Examine the food web below. Which of the following is a correct food chain for the food
web shown?
a. Herbs, insects, voles, weasels
b. Herbs, moths, small birds, owls
c. Oak trees, moths, beetles, owls
d. Oak trees, insects, voles, weasels
22. Which of the following is not a producer?
a. Herbs
c. Moth
b. Oak tree
d. Bush
23. What do we mean by the word biomass?
a. The number of organisms at a particular trophic level.
b. The mass of one organism at a particular trophic level.
c. The biological mass of all the organisms at a particular trophic level.
d. The mass of water available to a community.
25. What is the correct definition of a community?
a. All of the organisms living in a particular area.
b. The total number of a particular type of organism in an area.
c. The immediate area in which an organism lives.
d. An immunity to environmental factors.
25. The following diagram shows a food web for a lake. Which of the following is a predator of
Gnat larva?
a. Duck
b. Trout
c. Perch
d. Crayfish
Adapted from: www.hawkinsschools.net & www.learningat.ke7.org.uk