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Practice Ecology Test
A) are independent and do not interact witheach other or with the physical environment.
B) do not interact with other living organisms,but do interact with the physicalenvironment
C) interact with each other, but do not interactwith the physical environment
D) interact with other living organisms andinteract with the physical environment
1. A fundamental concept of ecology is that livingorganisms
2. Base your answer to the following question on the diagram below and on your knowledge ofbiology. The diagram represents a food web in anecosystem.
A) biotic factors and decomposersB) abiotic factors and decomposersC) autotrophs, onlyD) heterotrophs, only
Missing from the diagram of this ecosystem arethe
Practice Ecology Test
A) B)
C) D)
3. The chart below shows three ecological terms used to describe levels of organization onEarth.
Which diagram best represents the relationship of these ecological terms?
A) the classification of plants and animalsB) the interactions of living organisms and
their environmentC) technology and its effects on societyD) weather and its effects on food production
in the ocean
4. The science of ecology is best defined as thestudy of
A) an increase in the stability of the oceansB) an increase in the salt content of the oceansC) a decrease in the stability of the oceansD) a decrease in the oxygen available in the
oceans
5. Due to overfishing, the number of fish in theocean could drastically decrease. This will cause
A) a habitatB) autotrophic nutritionC) an ecological nicheD) competition
6. An earthworm lives and reproduces in the soil. Itaerates the soil and adds organic material to it.The earthworm is a source of food for otherorganisms. All of these statements togetherbest describe
Practice Ecology Test
A) The water temperature would rapidlydecrease.
B) The process of respiration in the snail woulddecrease.
C) The rate of reproduction of the fish wouldbe affected.
D) The organisms would probably survivebecause materials would cycle.
7. Which statement most accurately predicts whatwould happen in the aquarium shown below if itwere tightly covered and maintained in naturallight for one month?
A) materials being cycledB) consumers without producersC) decomposersD) a constant source of energy
8. A stable ecosystem would not contain
A) converted to energyB) changed into fossil fuels such as oil and coalC) permanently removed from the environmentD) cycled between organisms and the
environment
9. For a natural ecosystem to be self-sustaining,many essential chemical elements must be
A) Nutrients from decayed organisms arerecycled in a forest ecosystem.
B) All the frog species in a South Americanrain forest become extinct.
C) A mutation spreads through a species ofbacterium, making them unable todecompose wastes.
D) Mice are released into a field ecosystem asfood for a declining predator population
10. Which statement best describes an ecosystemmaintaining a state of approximate equilibrium?
A) stopped reproducingB) reached carrying capacityC) mutated into a different speciesD) run out of food and migrated to a different
pond
11. A scientist was studying a population of fish in apond over a period of 10 years. He observedthat the population increased each year for 3years, and then remained nearly constant forthe rest of the study. The best explanation forthis observation is that the population had
A) temperature B) sunlightC) water D) soil nutrients
12. A limiting factor unique to a field planted withcorn year after year is most likely
A) hurricanes, packs of wolves, andtemperature
B) blizzards, heat waves, and swarms ofgrasshoppers
C) droughts, floods, and heat wavesD) species of fish, number of decomposers,
and supply of algae
13. Abiotic factors that could affect the stabilityof an ecosystem could include
Practice Ecology Test
A) number of autotrophsB) temperature variationC) salt contentD) pH of water
14. One biotic factor that affects consumers in anocean ecosystem is
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.
A) population B) communityC) biome D) biosphere
16. All the red foxes inhabiting a given forestconstitute a
A) drastic modifications to the environmentB) interrelationships and interdependencies
among organismsC) limited biodiversityD) gradual changes in the climate
17. In order for an ecosystem to remain stablethere must be
18. Base your answer to the following question onAn aquarium ecosystem is shown below.
A) plants and gravelB) fish, water, and snailsC) fish, plants, and snailsD) water and gravel
A community in this aquarium consists of the
Practice Ecology Test
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.
19. A moss-covered log is overturned by a hungrybear looking for insects to eat. The beardisturbs an ant colony, and some chipmunksleave the hollow log to search for another homein the forest. Which relationship do theseorganisms have with each other?
A) change their nesting behaviorsB) not affect one anotherC) interbreed to form a new speciesD) compete with one another
20. When two different bird species temporarilyoccupy the same niche, they would most likely
A) reproduce at different times of the yearB) are the same sizeC) occupy different ecological nichesD) are active at night
21. Two species of animals with a similarappearance live in the same habitat but do not compete for food. This is because they mostlikely
A)
B)
C)
D)
22. Which graph best shows the relationshipbetween the amount of biodiversity and thenumber of different populations in anecosystem?
Practice Ecology Test
A) a loss of biodiversityB) an increase in ecological successionC) a lack of differentiationD) an increased carrying capacity
23. Researchers have reported that the number ofdifferent species of fish found in certain areasof the ocean has been greatly reduced over thepast 50 years. This situation is an example of
A) a decrease in biodiversityB) an increase in the amount of energy
recycledC) a decrease in erosionD) an increase in the amount of
photosynthesis
24. Cutting down a rain forest and plantingagricultural crops, such as coffee plants, wouldmost likely result in
Base your answers to questions 25 and 26 onthe map below, which shows the general locationof some major biomes of Earth, and on yourknowledge of biology. A different biome isrepresented by each of the following symbols:
A) B) C) D)
25. Permanently frozen subsoil is characteristic ofwhich biome?
A) B) C) D)
26. Which symbol indicates an area with coniferoustrees; long, severe winters; and black bears?
Practice Ecology Test
Base your answers to questions 27 and 28 onthe biomes below. For each statement inquestions select the biome, chosen from the listbelow, that is best described by thatstatement.
Biomes(1) Tundra(2) Desert(3) Tropical forest(4) Taiga(5) Temperate deciduous forest
A) 1 B) 2 C) 3 D) 4 E) 5
27. Plants that grow here, such as mesquite andsaguaro cactus, develop extensive root systemsfor absorbing water and have water storagecells in their stems and roots.
A) 1 B) 2 C) 3 D) 4 E) 5
28. A coniferous forest growing just below thetree line and mountains is densely populated byclimax communities of spruce and fir trees.
A) marineB) grasslandC) tropical rain forestD) temperate deciduous forest
29. Which type of biome occupies the largest areaof Earth?
30. Base your answer to the following question onthe diagram below of a biome and on yourknowledge of biology.
A) Large quantities of salt are dissolved atthis depth
B) Oxygen does not dissolve in the water atthis depth
C) Water temperature varies greatly at thisdepth
D) Sunlight cannot penetrate to this depth
Why are most of the organisms that live inregion A heterotrophs?
A) mountains B) oceansC) deserts D) tundras
31. In which areas does the greatest amount ofphotosynthesis occur?
A) a decrease in the amount of organicmaterial present
B) decreased levels of carbon dioxide in thearea
C) the lack of abiotic factors in the areaD) the process of ecological succession
32. A new island formed by volcanic action mayeventually become populated with bioticcommunities as a result of
Practice Ecology Test
A) stable ecosystem that can last for manyyears
B) loss of heterotrophs that cannot berecovered
C) long-term rise in environmentaltemperatures
D) forest consisting of only producers anddecomposers
33. Changes in an ecosystem over a long period oftime are shown in the diagram below.
These changes will most likely lead to a
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.
34. Which statement concerning the climax stageof an ecological succession is correct?
Practice Ecology Test
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.
35. An ecological process is represented below.
Which statement describes an event in this process?
A) circulation and coordinationB) respiration and coordinationC) respiration and photosynthesisD) photosynthesis and circulation
36. Which two processes are responsible forkeeping the percentage of atmospheric oxygenat relatively constant levels?
Practice Ecology Test
37. Base your answer to the following question onProcesses involved in the water cycle arerepresented by letters in the diagram below.
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
In which group are these processes correctlyidentified?
A) decomposer B) herbivoreC) producer D) scavenger
38. Which term refers to the ecological niche ofmany bacteria and fungi in an ecosystem?
A) plant parasitesB) autotrophsC) bacteria and fungiD) scavengers and viruses
39. Many families now use compost to make the soilin their gardens more fertile. They collectvegetable scraps and yard trimmings, placethem in a compost pile or special container, andlet them decompose. The organisms primarilyresponsible for decomposing the vegetablescraps and yard trimmings are
A) produce food for plants by the process ofphotosynthesis
B) provide energy for plants by the processof decay
C) can rapidly reproduce and evolveD) make inorganic materials available to plants
40. Decomposers are necessary in an ecosystembecause they
A) parasites and predatorsB) parasites and scavengersC) decomposers and predatorsD) decomposers and consumers
41. Which organisms directly help to reduceoverpopulation in a deer herd?
A) parasite–hostB) consumer–producerC) scavenger–producerD) predator–prey
42. During its annual migration, the red knot, amedium-size shorebird, flies the entire lengthof North and South America. During onecritical stop to feed on the eggs of horseshoecrabs, the birds nearly double their body mass.The relationship between the red knot and thehorseshoe crab is that of
Practice Ecology Test
A) predator B) scavengerC) parasite D) host
43. Deer ticks are responsible for spreading Lymedisease. This organism, which feeds on theblood of warm-blooded organisms like mice,deer, and humans, is best described as a
A) predator/preyB) producer/consumerC) parasite/hostD) decomposer/autotroph
44. The relationship that exists when athlete’sfoot fungus grows on a human is an example of
A) commensalism B) mutualismC) parasitism D) saprophytism
45. A symbiotic relationship exists between twoorganisms of different species. If only oneorganism benefits from the relationship andthe other is not harmed, the relationship isknown as
A) predation B) mutualismC) parasitism D) commensalism
46. Microorganisms living in the intestines oftermites break down cellulose, providing foodfor both the termites and the microorganisms.This nutritional relationship is known as
Base your answers to questions 47 and 48 onthe information below and on your knowledge ofbiology.
Lichens are composed of two organisms, afungus that cannot make its own food andalgae that contain chlorophyll. Lichens maylive on the bark of trees or even on barerock. They secrete acids that tend to breakup the rock they live on, helping to producesoil. As soil accumulates from the brokenrock and dead lichens, other organisms, suchas plants, may begin to grow.
A) biological evolutionB) ecological successionC) maintenance of cellular communicationD) differentiation in complex organisms
47. The ability of lichens to alter theirenvironment, enabling other organisms to growand take their places in that environment, isone step in what process?
A) decomposer B) parasiteC) herbivore D) producer
48. What is the role of the algae component of alichen in an ecosystem?
Practice Ecology Test
A) birds B) wormsC) mammals D) algae
49. The diagram below represents an energypyramid.
Which organisms would most likely be found atlevel A?
A) a decomposer that most likely feeds onnectar (a sugary liquid) from flowers
B) a heterotroph that may eat insects and ismore closely related to a robin than to anearthworm
C) a scavenger that feeds on animals andreproduces asexually
D) an autotroph that probes tree bark forinsects and is pathogenic
50. The diagram below represents a woodpeckerfinch.
This bird may best be described as
51. Base your answer to the following question onThe diagram below represents a food web.
A) toads and snakesB) deer and miceC) wolves and raccoonsD) grasshoppers and toads
Two of the herbivores represented in this foodweb are
A) an increase in the number of carnivorespecies
B) a decrease in new predators migrating intothe ecosystem
C) a decrease in the size of decomposersD) an increase in the number of herbivores
52. The removal of nearly all the predators from anecosystem would most likely result in?
Practice Ecology Test
A) There would be more snakes than pocketgophers.
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.
53. The diagram below represents a food web.
Which statement regarding organisms in thisfood web is correct?
A) size B) temperatureC) pH D) location
54. In lakes that are exposed to acid rain, fishpopulations are declining. This is primarily dueto changes in which lake condition?
A) sharks are not important for the stabilityof this ecosystem
B) reducing the shark population increasesthe quantity of scallops that can beharvested
C) humans can upset ecosystem stability byremoving species
D) humans improve ecosystem diversity byremoving predators
55. Scientists have been concerned about thereduction of shark populations due tooverfishing off the east coast of the UnitedStates. Sharks feed on rays, which feed onscallops. Scallops feed on microscopic algae,which they filter from seawater. Withoutsharks, the rays consume and eliminate scallopbeds, harming the scallop fishing industry. Thissituation demonstrates that
Practice Ecology Test
56. Base your answer to the following question on the food chain and information below. The food chain involves organisms in YellowstoneNational Park.
Grasses Elk Wolves
Wolves in the park were killed or driven off by humans in the 1920s and 1930s. Inthe winter of 1995, humans released 17 wolves from Canada into the park. A year later,14 more wolves were released.
A) a reduction in predator populationsB) a decrease in the number of grassesC) an increase in the number of dead elkD) an increase in water supplies
After the wolves were released, the populations of some scavengers increased. This wasmost likely due to
A) using natural predators to reduce insectnumbers
B) adding chemical fertilizers to all the cropsin the area
C) planting the same crop for 1 year on all thefields in the area
D) planting the same crop in the same fieldeach year for 10 years
57. Which farming practice causes the least harmto the environment?
A) increase the mutation rate in plantsB) cause pesticides to become more toxic to
insectsC) reduce biodiversity in various ecosystemsD) decrease the space and resources available
to other organisms
58. Environmentalists are hoping to protectendangered organisms by calling for areduction in the use of pesticides, because lossof these organisms would A) DDT and other pesticides cause glacier
runoff during the summerB) it takes humans over 50 years to analyze a
glacierC) precipitation helps to break down
pesticidesD) the decision of one human generation may
have an impact on future generations
59. DDT and other pesticides used over 50 yearsago are still affecting the environment today.Scientists have found these substances inrecent glacier runoff. Glacier runoff occursduring the summer, when precipitation that hasfallen on glaciers during the winter is released.Ice layers from existing glaciers have beenanalyzed. The results of this analysis show thatthe concentrations of DDT and otherpesticides were highest about 10 years afterthe use of these substances was banned.
This information shows that
Practice Ecology Test
A) increased warming of local ecosystemsB) increased exposure to ultraviolet lightC) reduction in the pH of acid precipitationD) reduction in the frequency of floods and
droughts
60. Damage to the ozone shield over the UnitedStates is likely to cause
A) recycle more nutrientsB) reduce biodiversityC) reduce global warmingD) increase the growth rates of forests
61. In New York State, cars are inspected to besure they are not releasing excessive amountsof several gases into the atmosphere. This isdone in an effort to
A)
B)
C)
D)
62. Which graph best illustrates the change in thehuman population over the past 2000 years?
A) 1 B) 2 C) 3 D) 4
63. In which row in the chart below is a humanaction correctly paired with its environmentalimpact?
Practice Ecology Test
A) produce finite resourcesB) reduce dependency on fuels that cause air
pollutionC) absorb the noise of passing boatsD) maintain the salt concentration in the
ocean
64. Windmills that generate electricity are beingbuilt in coastal areas. The main benefit ofthese windmills is that they
A) reduce the use of finite resourcesB) increase the rate of air pollutionC) reduce the rate of homeostasis in
organismsD) cause a loss of biodiversity in the rain
forests
65. New fuels are being produced by convertingcorn and grasses into compounds containingalcohols that can be broken down for energy invarious engines. The purpose of this researchis to
A) There will be a reduction in thebiodiversity of areas that are convertedto grow corn.
B) The corn will produce more carbon dioxidethan it uses, contributing to globalwarming.
C) Insect biodiversity in the area willincrease.
D) Growing more corn will increase thenutrient content of the soil.
66. Ethanol-fueled vehicles have increased inpopularity as people try to be moreenvironmentally responsible. Ethanol can bemade from corn. Some farmers are clearingforests and planting large expanses of corn tomeet the rising demand. Which statementdescribes a likely result of this increased cornproduction?
A) removing one species of plant for medicineB) harvesting nuts from some treesC) cutting down all the trees for lumberD) powering all homes with wind energy
67. Which action will result in the greatest decrease in rain forest stability?
A) habitat destructionB) maintenance of food chainsC) competition within a speciesD) a stable population size
68. A serious threat to biodiversity is
A) atmospheric carbon dioxideB) atmospheric ozoneC) wildlife populationsD) renewable resources
69. Deforestation will most directly result in animmediate increase in
A) filling in wetlands with construction wasteB) planting cover crops on slopes along
highwaysC) opening more forests to unregulated
huntingD) increasing the expansion of urban areas
70. Which practice will help conserve soilresources?
