Practice Ecology Test
1. A fundamental concept of ecology is that living
organisms
A) are independent and do not interact with
each other or with the physical environment.
B) do not interact with other living organisms,
but do interact with the physical
environment
C) interact with each other, but do not interact
with the physical environment
D) interact with other living organisms and
interact with the physical environment
2. Base your answer to the following question on
the diagram below and on your knowledge of
biology. The diagram represents a food web in an
ecosystem.
Missing from the diagram of this ecosystem are
the
A) biotic factors and decomposers
B) abiotic factors and decomposers
C) autotrophs, only
D) heterotrophs, only
Practice Ecology Test
3. The chart below shows three ecological terms used to describe levels of organization on
Earth.
Which diagram best represents the relationship of these ecological terms?
A)
B)
C)
D)
4. The science of ecology is best defined as the
study of
A) the classification of plants and animals
B) the interactions of living organisms and
their environment
6. An earthworm lives and reproduces in the soil. It
aerates the soil and adds organic material to it.
The earthworm is a source of food for other
organisms. All of these statements together
best describe
C) technology and its effects on society
A) a habitat
D) weather and its effects on food production
in the ocean
C) an ecological niche
5. Due to overfishing, the number of fish in the
ocean could drastically decrease. This will cause
A) an increase in the stability of the oceans
B) an increase in the salt content of the oceans
C) a decrease in the stability of the oceans
D) a decrease in the oxygen available in the
oceans
B) autotrophic nutrition
D) competition
Practice Ecology Test
7. Which statement most accurately predicts what
would happen in the aquarium shown below if it
were tightly covered and maintained in natural
light for one month?
10. Which statement best describes an ecosystem
maintaining a state of approximate equilibrium?
A) Nutrients from decayed organisms are
recycled in a forest ecosystem.
B) All the frog species in a South American
rain forest become extinct.
C) A mutation spreads through a species of
bacterium, making them unable to
decompose wastes.
D) Mice are released into a field ecosystem as
food for a declining predator population
A) The water temperature would rapidly
decrease.
B) The process of respiration in the snail would
decrease.
11. A scientist was studying a population of fish in a
pond over a period of 10 years. He observed
that the population increased each year for 3
years, and then remained nearly constant for
the rest of the study. The best explanation for
this observation is that the population had
C) The rate of reproduction of the fish would
be affected.
A) stopped reproducing
D) The organisms would probably survive
because materials would cycle.
C) mutated into a different species
8. A stable ecosystem would not contain
A) materials being cycled
B) consumers without producers
C) decomposers
D) a constant source of energy
9. For a natural ecosystem to be self-sustaining,
many essential chemical elements must be
A) converted to energy
B) changed into fossil fuels such as oil and coal
C) permanently removed from the environment
D) cycled between organisms and the
environment
B) reached carrying capacity
D) run out of food and migrated to a different
pond
12. A limiting factor unique to a field planted with
corn year after year is most likely
A) temperature
B) sunlight
C) water
D) soil nutrients
13. Abiotic factors that could affect the stability
of an ecosystem could include
A) hurricanes, packs of wolves, and
temperature
B) blizzards, heat waves, and swarms of
grasshoppers
C) droughts, floods, and heat waves
D) species of fish, number of decomposers,
and supply of algae
Practice Ecology Test
14. One biotic factor that affects consumers in an
ocean ecosystem is
A) number of autotrophs
B) temperature variation
C) salt content
D) pH of water
15. Which statement regarding the ecosystem shown in the diagram below is correct?
A) The community within this ecosystem consists of seven guppies and one catfish.
B) The energy source for this ecosystem is the gas from the air stone.
C) A population within this ecosystem is the three snails.
D) Cycling of materials is not necessary in this self-sustaining ecosystem.
16. All the red foxes inhabiting a given forest
constitute a
A) population
B) community
C) biome
D) biosphere
18. Base your answer to the following question on
An aquarium ecosystem is shown below.
17. In order for an ecosystem to remain stable
there must be
A) drastic modifications to the environment
B) interrelationships and interdependencies
among organisms
A community in this aquarium consists of the
C) limited biodiversity
A) plants and gravel
D) gradual changes in the climate
B) fish, water, and snails
C) fish, plants, and snails
D) water and gravel
Practice Ecology Test
19. A moss-covered log is overturned by a hungry
bear looking for insects to eat. The bear
disturbs an ant colony, and some chipmunks
leave the hollow log to search for another home
in the forest. Which relationship do these
organisms have with each other?
22. Which graph best shows the relationship
between the amount of biodiversity and the
number of different populations in an
ecosystem?
A)
A) They are all of the same species.
B) They all require the same type of food.
C) They are part of a community.
D) They are abiotic factors in a forest.
20. When two different bird species temporarily
occupy the same niche, they would most likely
A) change their nesting behaviors
B) not affect one another
B)
C) interbreed to form a new species
D) compete with one another
21. Two species of animals with a similar
appearance live in the same habitat but do not
compete for food. This is because they most
likely
A) reproduce at different times of the year
B) are the same size
C)
C) occupy different ecological niches
D) are active at night
D)
Practice Ecology Test
23. Researchers have reported that the number of
different species of fish found in certain areas
of the ocean has been greatly reduced over the
past 50 years. This situation is an example of
A) a loss of biodiversity
Base your answers to questions 25 and 26 on
the map below, which shows the general location
of some major biomes of Earth, and on your
knowledge of biology. A different biome is
represented by each of the following symbols:
B) an increase in ecological succession
C) a lack of differentiation
D) an increased carrying capacity
24. Cutting down a rain forest and planting
agricultural crops, such as coffee plants, would
most likely result in
A) a decrease in biodiversity
B) an increase in the amount of energy
recycled
C) a decrease in erosion
D) an increase in the amount of
photosynthesis
25. Permanently frozen subsoil is characteristic of
which biome?
A)
B)
C)
D)
26. Which symbol indicates an area with coniferous
trees; long, severe winters; and black bears?
A)
B)
C)
D)
Practice Ecology Test
Base your answers to questions 27 and 28 on
30. Base your answer to the following question on
the biomes below. For each statement in
the diagram below of a biome and on your
questions select the biome, chosen from the list
knowledge of biology.
below, that is best described by that
statement.
Biomes
(1) Tundra
(2) Desert
(3) Tropical forest
(4) Taiga
(5) Temperate deciduous forest
27. Plants that grow here, such as mesquite and
saguaro cactus, develop extensive root systems
for absorbing water and have water storage
cells in their stems and roots.
A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4
E) 5
28. A coniferous forest growing just below the
tree line and mountains is densely populated by
climax communities of spruce and fir trees.
A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4
E) 5
Why are most of the organisms that live in
region A heterotrophs?
A) Large quantities of salt are dissolved at
this depth
B) Oxygen does not dissolve in the water at
this depth
C) Water temperature varies greatly at this
depth
D) Sunlight cannot penetrate to this depth
29. Which type of biome occupies the largest area
of Earth?
A) marine
B) grassland
C) tropical rain forest
D) temperate deciduous forest
31. In which areas does the greatest amount of
photosynthesis occur?
A) mountains
B) oceans
C) deserts
D) tundras
32. A new island formed by volcanic action may
eventually become populated with biotic
communities as a result of
A) a decrease in the amount of organic
material present
B) decreased levels of carbon dioxide in the
area
C) the lack of abiotic factors in the area
D) the process of ecological succession
Practice Ecology Test
33. Changes in an ecosystem over a long period of
time are shown in the diagram below.
These changes will most likely lead to a
A) stable ecosystem that can last for many
years
B) loss of heterotrophs that cannot be
recovered
C) long-term rise in environmental
temperatures
D) forest consisting of only producers and
decomposers
34. Which statement concerning the climax stage
of an ecological succession is correct?
A) It changes rapidly.
B) It persists until the environment
changes.
C) It is the first community to inhabit an
area.
D) It consists entirely of plants.
Practice Ecology Test
35. An ecological process is represented below.
Which statement describes an event in this process?
A) Community B modifies the environment, making it suitable for community C .
B) Community D modifies the environment, making it suitable for community C.
C) Community E will develop into community A, if the environment remains stable.
D) Community A organisms will develop directly into community D organisms.
36. Which two processes are responsible for
keeping the percentage of atmospheric oxygen
at relatively constant levels?
A) circulation and coordination
B) respiration and coordination
C) respiration and photosynthesis
D) photosynthesis and circulation
Practice Ecology Test
37. Base your answer to the following question on
Processes involved in the water cycle are
represented by letters in the diagram below.
39. Many families now use compost to make the soil
in their gardens more fertile. They collect
vegetable scraps and yard trimmings, place
them in a compost pile or special container, and
let them decompose. The organisms primarily
responsible for decomposing the vegetable
scraps and yard trimmings are
A) plant parasites
B) autotrophs
C) bacteria and fungi
D) scavengers and viruses
40. Decomposers are necessary in an ecosystem
because they
In which group are these processes correctly
identified?
A) A-deamination; B-transpiration; C
-condensation; D evaporation
B) A -transpiration; B -evaporation; C
-condensation; D -precipitation
C) A-condensation; B-precipitation; C
-transpiration; D evaporation
D) A-transpiration; B-deamination; C
-condensation; D-precipitation
38. Which term refers to the ecological niche of
many bacteria and fungi in an ecosystem?
A) decomposer
B) herbivore
C) producer
D) scavenger
A) produce food for plants by the process of
photosynthesis
B) provide energy for plants by the process
of decay
C) can rapidly reproduce and evolve
D) make inorganic materials available to
plants
41. Which organisms directly help to reduce
overpopulation in a deer herd?
A) parasites and predators
B) parasites and scavengers
C) decomposers and predators
D) decomposers and consumers
42. During its annual migration, the red knot, a
medium-size shorebird, flies the entire length
of North and South America. During one
critical stop to feed on the eggs of horseshoe
crabs, the birds nearly double their body mass.
The relationship between the red knot and the
horseshoe crab is that of
A) parasite–host
B) consumer–producer
C) scavenger–producer
D) predator–prey
Practice Ecology Test
43. Deer ticks are responsible for spreading Lyme
disease. This organism, which feeds on the
blood of warm-blooded organisms like mice,
deer, and humans, is best described as a
A) predator
B) scavenger
C) parasite
D) host
44. The relationship that exists when athlete’s
foot fungus grows on a human is an example of
A) predator/prey
B) producer/consumer
C) parasite/host
D) decomposer/autotroph
45. A symbiotic relationship exists between two
organisms of different species. If only one
organism benefits from the relationship and
the other is not harmed, the relationship is
known as
A) commensalism
B) mutualism
C) parasitism
D) saprophytism
46. Microorganisms living in the intestines of
termites break down cellulose, providing food
for both the termites and the microorganisms.
This nutritional relationship is known as
A) predation
B) mutualism
C) parasitism
D) commensalism
Base your answers to questions 47 and 48 on
the information below and on your knowledge of
biology.
Lichens are composed of two organisms, a
fungus that cannot make its own food and
algae that contain chlorophyll. Lichens may
live on the bark of trees or even on bare
rock. They secrete acids that tend to break
up the rock they live on, helping to produce
soil. As soil accumulates from the broken
rock and dead lichens, other organisms, such
as plants, may begin to grow.
47. The ability of lichens to alter their
environment, enabling other organisms to grow
and take their places in that environment, is
one step in what process?
A) biological evolution
B) ecological succession
C) maintenance of cellular communication
D) differentiation in complex organisms
48. What is the role of the algae component of a
lichen in an ecosystem?
A) decomposer
B) parasite
C) herbivore
D) producer
Practice Ecology Test
49. The diagram below represents an energy
pyramid.
Which organisms would most likely be found at
level A?
A) birds
B) worms
C) mammals
D) algae
50. The diagram below represents a woodpecker
finch.
51. Base your answer to the following question on
The diagram below represents a food web.
Two of the herbivores represented in this food
web are
A) toads and snakes
B) deer and mice
C) wolves and raccoons
D) grasshoppers and toads
52. The removal of nearly all the predators from an
ecosystem would most likely result in?
A) an increase in the number of carnivore
species
B) a decrease in new predators migrating into
the ecosystem
C) a decrease in the size of decomposers
This bird may best be described as
A) a decomposer that most likely feeds on
nectar (a sugary liquid) from flowers
B) a heterotroph that may eat insects and
is more closely related to a robin than
to an earthworm
C) a scavenger that feeds on animals and
reproduces asexually
D) an autotroph that probes tree bark for
insects and is pathogenic
D) an increase in the number of herbivores
Practice Ecology Test
53. The diagram below represents a food web.
55. Scientists have been concerned about the
reduction of shark populations due to
overfishing off the east coast of the United
States. Sharks feed on rays, which feed on
scallops. Scallops feed on microscopic algae,
which they filter from seawater. Without
sharks, the rays consume and eliminate scallop
beds, harming the scallop fishing industry. This
situation demonstrates that
A) sharks are not important for the stability
of this ecosystem
Which statement regarding organisms in this
food web is correct?
A) There would be more snakes than pocket
gophers.
B) There would be more coyotes than rabbits.
C) There would be more insects than insect
eating birds.
D) There would be more hawks than seed
eating birds.
54. In lakes that are exposed to acid rain, fish
populations are declining. This is primarily due
to changes in which lake condition?
A) size
B) temperature
C) pH
D) location
B) reducing the shark population increases
the quantity of scallops that can be
harvested
C) humans can upset ecosystem stability by
removing species
D) humans improve ecosystem diversity by
removing predators
Practice Ecology Test
56. Base your answer to the following question on
the food chain and information below. The food chain involves organisms in Yellowstone
National Park.
Grasses
Elk
Wolves
Wolves in the park were killed or driven off by humans in the 1920s and 1930s. In
the winter of 1995, humans released 17 wolves from Canada into the park. A year later,
14 more wolves were released.
After the wolves were released, the populations of some scavengers increased. This was
most likely due to
A) a reduction in predator populations
B) a decrease in the number of grasses
C) an increase in the number of dead elk
D) an increase in water supplies
57. Which farming practice causes the least harm
to the environment?
A) using natural predators to reduce insect
numbers
B) adding chemical fertilizers to all the crops
in the area
C) planting the same crop for 1 year on all the
fields in the area
D) planting the same crop in the same field
each year for 10 years
58. Environmentalists are hoping to protect
endangered organisms by calling for a
reduction in the use of pesticides, because loss
of these organisms would
A) increase the mutation rate in plants
B) cause pesticides to become more toxic to
insects
C) reduce biodiversity in various ecosystems
D) decrease the space and resources available
to other organisms
59. DDT and other pesticides used over 50 years
ago are still affecting the environment today.
Scientists have found these substances in
recent glacier runoff. Glacier runoff occurs
during the summer, when precipitation that has
fallen on glaciers during the winter is released.
Ice layers from existing glaciers have been
analyzed. The results of this analysis show that
the concentrations of DDT and other
pesticides were highest about 10 years after
the use of these substances was banned.
This information shows that
A) DDT and other pesticides cause glacier
runoff during the summer
B) it takes humans over 50 years to analyze a
glacier
C) precipitation helps to break down
pesticides
D) the decision of one human generation
may have an impact on future
generations
Practice Ecology Test
60. Damage to the ozone shield over the United
States is likely to cause
A) increased warming of local ecosystems
62. Which graph best illustrates the change in the
human population over the past 2000 years?
A)
B) increased exposure to ultraviolet light
C) reduction in the pH of acid precipitation
D) reduction in the frequency of floods and
droughts
61. In New York State, cars are inspected to be
sure they are not releasing excessive amounts
of several gases into the atmosphere. This is
done in an effort to
B)
A) recycle more nutrients
B) reduce biodiversity
C) reduce global warming
D) increase the growth rates of forests
C)
D)
63. In which row in the chart below is a human
action correctly paired with its environmental
impact?
A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4
Practice Ecology Test
64. Windmills that generate electricity are being
built in coastal areas. The main benefit of
these windmills is that they
67. Which action will result in the greatest
decrease in rain forest stability?
A) removing one species of plant for medicine
A) produce finite resources
B) harvesting nuts from some trees
B) reduce dependency on fuels that cause
air pollution
C) cutting down all the trees for lumber
C) absorb the noise of passing boats
D) maintain the salt concentration in the
ocean
65. New fuels are being produced by converting
corn and grasses into compounds containing
alcohols that can be broken down for energy in
various engines. The purpose of this research
is to
A) reduce the use of finite resources
B) increase the rate of air pollution
C) reduce the rate of homeostasis in
organisms
D) cause a loss of biodiversity in the rain
forests
66. Ethanol-fueled vehicles have increased in
popularity as people try to be more
environmentally responsible. Ethanol can be
made from corn. Some farmers are clearing
forests and planting large expanses of corn to
meet the rising demand. Which statement
describes a likely result of this increased corn
production?
A) There will be a reduction in the
biodiversity of areas that are converted
to grow corn.
B) The corn will produce more carbon dioxide
than it uses, contributing to global
warming.
C) Insect biodiversity in the area will
increase.
D) Growing more corn will increase the
nutrient content of the soil.
D) powering all homes with wind energy
68. A serious threat to biodiversity is
A) habitat destruction
B) maintenance of food chains
C) competition within a species
D) a stable population size
69. Deforestation will most directly result in an
immediate increase in
A) atmospheric carbon dioxide
B) atmospheric ozone
C) wildlife populations
D) renewable resources
70. Which practice will help conserve soil
resources?
A) filling in wetlands with construction waste
B) planting cover crops on slopes along
highways
C) opening more forests to unregulated
hunting
D) increasing the expansion of urban areas
Answer Key
Practice Ecology Test Regents
1.
D
32.
D
63.
C
2.
B
33.
A
64.
B
3.
A
34.
B
65.
A
4.
B
35.
A
66.
A
5.
C
36.
C
67.
C
6.
C
37.
B
68.
A
7.
D
38.
A
69.
A
8.
B
39.
C
70.
B
9.
D
40.
D
10.
A
41.
A
11.
B
42.
D
12.
D
43.
C
13.
C
44.
C
14.
A
45.
A
15.
C
46.
B
16.
A
47.
B
17.
B
48.
D
18.
C
49.
D
19.
C
50.
B
20.
D
51.
B
21.
C
52.
D
22.
A
53.
C
23.
A
54.
C
24.
A
55.
C
25.
A
56.
C
26.
B
57.
A
27.
B
58.
C
28.
D
59.
D
29.
A
60.
B
30.
D
61.
C
31.
B
62.
A