Study Guide - Ecology
1. The consumers in a food chain in a pond are the
a. fish c. cattails
b. lilies d. algae
2. Food is made in the community by
a. all consumers b. decomposers c. primary consumers d. producers
3. There are fewer organisms at the top of an energy pyramid because
a. they have less space
b. less energy is available to them c. they are small organisms
d. more energy is available to them
4. In an ecosystem, living things are affected by nonliving things such as
a. soil and sunlight c. decomposers b. consumers d. producers
5. A chemical that causes weak shells in bird eggs is
a. PCB c. mercury
b. DDT d. fertilizer
6. A biodegradable substance is one that
a. causes pollution b. breaks down
c. stays in ecosystems d. moves through food chains
7. In the water cycle, water is in the form of a ______ after it evaporates.
a. gas c. liquid and solid b. solid d. liquid
8. _______ is needed in photosynthesis
a. nitrogen c. carbon dioxide b. oxygen d. soil
9. The special role of each organism in a food pyramid is its
a. ecology c. level
b. system d. niche
10. The organisms that return minerals and other substances in dead organisms to the water or soil are
a. producers
b. second order consumers c. decomposers
d. top consumers
11. All the plants and animals in a pond form a
a. niche c. community
b. link d. population
12. The dying organisms in a lake that receives too much untreated sewage and fertilizer is an example of
a. eutrophication
b. biological magnification c. acid rain
d. a stable environment
13. The complex relationships among food chains in an ecosystem can be shown in a
a. pyramid of energy b. pyramid of biomass c. pyramid of numbers d. food web
14. Which of the following ecological factors is abiotic?
a. plants c. microorganisms b. sunlight d. predators
15. Which of the following best describes sustainable development?
a. conserving resources without considering
the resource needs of the human population
b. meeting human resource needs without
causing long-term harm to the environment
c. using natural resources without
considering how it affects the environment
d. increasing the amount of global
16. In a particular ecosystem, a wolf population is a limiting factor for the moose population that it preys on. If the wolf population decreased, what would likely happen to the carrying capacity of the environment for moose?
a. It would increase
b. It would decrease slightly c. It would stay the same
d. It would decrease significantly
17. Which of the following best describes the effects of ozone depletion?
a. increasing amounts of UV radiation
reaching Earth’s surface
b. decreasing amounts of UV radiation
reaching Earth’s surface
c. increasing amounts of CO2 in Earth’s
atmosphere
d. decreasing amounts of CO2 in Earth’s
atmosphere
18. Which of the following is an example of one of the goals of sustainable
development?
a. increasing soil erosion b. increasing desertification c. preserving biodiversity d. preserving deforestation
Use the following information to answer questions 20 and 21.
Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorphia) were introduced into the U. S. from Eastern Europe and Asia when ships from the areas emptied their ballast tanks. They were first spotted in the Great Lakes in the mid-1980s. Zebra mussels have few natural enemies here and reproduce very rapidly. They have already colonized the entire Great Lakes region and have spread to rivers in more than ten states. Zebra mussels threaten the ecology of many aquatic communities in the U. S. In some habitats, they have displaced certain species of mollusks, almost making them extinct. Zebra mussels have also depleted the food of many fish.
19. What type of interaction is occurring between the zebra mussel population and the fish species mentioned in the passage?
a. communication c. predation b. parasitism d. competition
20. Which term best describes the zebra mussel population in the U. S.?
a. A native species b. An invasive species c. A climax community d. A dominant community
21. Which of the following categories includes all animals?
a. autotrophs c. heterotrophs b. autosomes d. predators
22. A relationship of two organisms in which one partner benefits and the other neither benefits nor is harmed is
a. mutualism c. predation b. parasitism d. commensalism 23. An abiotic factor affecting the behavior and survival of such organisms as birds and plants is the
a. population of rabbits b. number of herbivores
c. presence of harmful bacteria d. length of daylight
24. In a particular ecosystem, a wolf population is a limiting factor for the moose population that it preys on. If the wolf population decreased, what would likely happen to the moose population? a. It would increase
b. It would decrease slightly. c. It would decrease significantly. d. It would stay the same.
25. Which of the following statements
correctly represents a negative impact of fossil fuel usage?
a. The burning of fossil fuels disrupts the water cycle by adding hydrogen to the atmosphere.
b. The drilling for fossil fuels disrupts the carbon cycle by adding hydrogen to the atmosphere.
c. The burning of fossil fuels releases carbon, and thus carbon-based greenhouse gases, to the atmosphere in excess volume.
d. The use of fossil fuels is decreasing worldwide.
26. Consider the following food web
Which food chain is part of the food web? a. plants spiders owls
b. spiders mice toads
c. spiders predacious insects toads d. squirrels owls foxes
27. As population reaches its carrying capacity, there is an increase in competition for
a. water c. food
b. shelter d. all of the above 28.
How much energy is available to the organisms in level “C”?
a. All of the energy in level “A” b. All of the energy in level “B” c. 10 % of the energy in level “B” d. 90 % of the energy in level “B” 29. Businesses that follow principles of sustainable development
a. only think about money. b. think only about the present. c. don’t care about a healthy planet d. think about present and future needs.
30. In which trophic level would the
bioaccumulation of DDT be most apparent? a. tertiary consumers
b. secondary consumers c. primary consumers d. producers
31. During what years has (will) the human population show large amounts of growth? a. 1750-1850 c. 2000-2050 b. 1850-1950 d. 2050 – 2100
1. Which of the following can be an effect of deforestation?
a. damage to local soils
b. accelerated removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere c. regeneration of old-growth
forests
d. accelerated addition of oxygen to the atmosphere
Matching:
Use A-E in this section to answer 33 – 36. A. herbivore
B. water cycle C. carbon cycle D. extinction .
33. A 1st order consumer is always a ______.
34. Respiration ← → Photosynthesis
35. When a plant or animal species dies out. 36. Evaporation, condensation, precipitation
Use A – E in this section to answer 37 – 41. A. food chain
B. limiting factor C. community
D. 2nd order consumer
E. mutualism
37. Anything that controls the size of a population
38. Relationship in which both organisms benefit
39. Pathway of energy and materials through a community
40. Animal that eats other animals
41. All the living things in an area that depend upon each other
Use A – C in this section to answer 42 – 44. A. carrying capacity
B. biological magnification C. abiotic factor
42. When a chemical increases as it moves through a food web.
43. Water
44. The number of individuals of a species that an environment can support.
