High School Biology
Ecology Test
A. / all of the living things in a place
B. / a place where only plants live
C. / all of the non living things in a place
D. / a place where only people live
ID: 63527 -- Correct: A -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
2. / Atlantic striped bass and larval tapeworms that belong to the order Trypanorhyncha are in a parasite-host relationship because larval tapeworms
A. / feed on the stomach tissue of Atlantic striped bass.
B. / remove food particles from the skin of Atlantic striped bass.
C. / eat predators of Atlantic striped bass.
D. / are consumed as food by Atlantic striped bass.
ID: 63539 -- Correct: A -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
3. /
A. / before the year 1988
B. / before the year 1994
C. / after the year 1997
D. / after the year 2003
ID: 63879 -- Correct: C -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
4. /
A. / A community of living organisms are interacting with other living organisms.
B. / A population of living organisms are interacting with nonliving organisms.
C. / A community of nonliving organisms are interacting with other nonliving organisms.
D. / A population of nonliving organisms are interacting in a living environment.
ID: 63901 -- Correct: A -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
5. /
A. / living organisms inside another living organism.
B. / living organisms inside a nonliving organism.
C. / nonliving organisms inside a living organism.
D. / nonliving organisms inside another nonliving organism.
ID: 63902 -- Correct: A -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
6. / Longleaf pondweed and wood ducks are in a producer-consumer relationship because longleaf pondweed
A. / traps and consumes wood ducks.
B. / provides leaves and stems that are eaten by wood ducks.
C. / finds shelter by clinging to wood ducks.
D. / releases its seeds inside the stomachs of wood ducks.
ID: 63986 -- Correct: B -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
7. / Raccoons and eastern painted turtles are in a predator-prey relationship because raccoons
A. / are eaten by eastern painted turtles.
B. / hunt and eat eastern painted turtles.
C. / are poisonous to eastern painted turtles.
D. / hunt for food with eastern painted turtles.
ID: 63987 -- Correct: B -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
8. / The crabs in this ecosystem depend on
A. / minerals in rocks on the ocean shore.
B. / insects that live on the ocean floor.
C. / organisms that live at shallow depths.
D. / fresh water from the surface of the ocean.
ID: 63988 -- Correct: C -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
9. / Seagulls and limpets are in a predator-prey relationship because seagulls
A. / lay their eggs inside limpets.
B. / gather and eat limpets.
C. / use sunlight to produce food for limpets.
D. / are hunted and eaten by limpets.
ID: 63989 -- Correct: B -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
10. / Which of the following represents the lowest level of organization in this forest environment?
A. / the single deer standing near the flowing river
B. / the river supplying the organisms with water
C. / the squirrels eating the nuts and acorns from the trees
D. / the group of bushes providing shade for small insects
ID: 64007 -- Correct: A -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
11. / Which of the following is the highest level of organization in this forest environment?
A. / all of the organisms living and interacting in the environment
B. / the hawk flying in the sky over the forest
C. / the group of shrubs occupying a part of the environment
D. / all of the pine trees living closely together in the forest
ID: 64008 -- Correct: A -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
12. /
A. / W → X → Z → Y
B. / Y → W → Z → X
C. / Z → W → Y → X
D. / X → Z → W → Y
ID: 64009 -- Correct: D -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
13. /
A. / Animals that do not fly always have more predators.
B. / The more predators a species has, the fewer offspring it will produce.
C. / Animals that fly always have fewer predators.
D. / The more predators a species has, the more offspring it will produce.
ID: 64023 -- Correct: D -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
14. / How does the decaying of a fallen redwood tree contribute to the health of a forest?
A. / It repels earthworms and insects.
B. / It provides nutrients to other organisms.
C. / It shelters young plants from the sunlight.
D. / It allows depleted soil to be washed away.
ID: 64025 -- Correct: B -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
15. / The aquarium water and air pumped into the aquarium provide what component of an ecosystem?
A. / biotic
B. / abiotic
C. / energy
D. / decomposer
ID: 64120 -- Correct: B -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
16. / The light on the top of the aquarium provides what component of an ecosystem?
A. / biotic
B. / producers
C. / energy
D. / decomposers
ID: 64121 -- Correct: C -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
17. / Fish in the aquarium provide what component of an ecosystem?
A. / abiotic
B. / consumers
C. / energy
D. / decomposers
ID: 64122 -- Correct: B -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
18. / Plants placed into the aquarium provide what component of an ecosystem?
A. / abiotic
B. / consumers
C. / decomposers
D. / producers
ID: 64123 -- Correct: D -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
19. / Filters are used to physically clean the water of organic debris and also remove some of the toxic substances that can accumulate in any ecosystem. These filters function as what component of an ecosystem?
A. / producers
B. / light
C. / energy
D. / decomposers
ID: 64124 -- Correct: D -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
20. / If there were a power failure, which component of the artificial aquarium ecosystem would be affected first?
A. / abiotic
B. / biotic
C. / decomposers
D. / producers
ID: 64125 -- Correct: A -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
21. / If there were a power failure, which component of the artificial aquarium ecosystem would survive the longest?
A. / consumers
B. / producers
C. / decomposers
D. / all would die at the same rate
ID: 64126 -- Correct: C -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
22. / All of life on Earth exists in
A. / a single ecosystem.
B. / a single biome.
C. / the biosphere.
D. / the hydrosphere.
ID: 64138 -- Correct: C -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
23. / Which would be considered an ecosystem?
A. / a colony of bacteria
B. / biotic factors in a forest
C. / populations of zebras and lions
D. / living and nonliving things in a pond
ID: 64181 -- Correct: D -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
24. / What is the term for a group of organisms of the same species living in a particular area?
A. / biosphere
B. / ecosystem
C. / population
D. / environment
ID: 64269 -- Correct: C -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
25. / What term describes all of the members of a species of mockingbirds that live in the same area of Tampa?
A. / a biome
B. / a population
C. / a community
D. / an ecosystem
ID: 64311 -- Correct: B -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
26. / Which land biome has more species than all the other biomes combined?
A. / tropical rainforest
B. / desert
C. / temperate forest
D. / savannah
ID: 64312 -- Correct: A -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
27. / Which aquatic biome is the most productive?
A. / wetlands
B. / ponds
C. / coral reefs
D. / rivers
ID: 64313 -- Correct: C -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
28. / Which is an example of an ecosystem?
A. / a sample of water from a pond
B. / all the abiotic factors in the pond
C. / the biotic factors in the pond
D. / the biotic and abiotic factors in a pond
ID: 64325 -- Correct: D -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
29. / If many of the producers in an ecosystem die, how will the stability of the ecosystem be affected?
A. / The climate will change, resulting in the ecosystem becoming more stable.
B. / The ecosystem will become more stable as there will be more organisms available as food sources.
C. / The stability of the ecosystem will not be affected by this change.
D. / The ecosystem will become unstable as the bases of many food chains will be gone.
ID: 64363 -- Correct: D -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
30. / Which of the following refers to a community of living organisms and the way they interact with nonliving parts of their environment?
A. / trophic
B. / biome
C. / habitat
D. / ecosystem
ID: 64437 -- Correct: D -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
31. / Which of the following refers to the place where a species lives?
A. / niche
B. / habitat
C. / ecosystem
D. / biome
ID: 64438 -- Correct: B -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
32. / The maximum number of individuals of a species that an area can support is referred to as the
A. / rate of increase.
B. / growth rate.
C. / carrying capacity.
D. / net productivity.
ID: 64439 -- Correct: C -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
33. / Which of the following refers to a population reaching a size that can no longer be supported by available resources in the surrounding environment?
A. / exponential growth
B. / survivorship
C. / environmental resistance
D. / carrying capacity
ID: 64444 -- Correct: D -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
34. / An ecosystem is best described as the interaction of
A. / only one species in a given area.
B. / only the living organisms in a given area.
C. / all of the abiotic factors of a given area.
D. / all of the biotic and abiotic factors of a given area.
ID: 64474 -- Correct: D -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
35. / Which is NOT an abiotic limiting factor?
A. / too much water
B. / too high temperature
C. / insufficient nutrients
D. / population overcrowding
ID: 64592 -- Correct: D -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
36. / What can an ecosystem survive without?
A. / autotrophs
B. / consumers
C. / decomposers
D. / producers
ID: 64593 -- Correct: B -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
37. / Which term refers to the interaction of a biological community with its nonliving environment?
A. / climax
B. / ecosystem
C. / homeostasis
D. / stratification
ID: 64619 -- Correct: B -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
38. / Which of the following refers to where an organism lives and the properties of its surroundings?
A. / environment
B. / biosignature
C. / vicariance
D. / ecosystem
ID: 64620 -- Correct: A -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
39. / Which of the following refers to a place where animals obtain food, water, and shelter that are necessary for their existence?
A. / niche
B. / habitat
C. / ecosystem
D. / community
ID: 64621 -- Correct: A -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
40. / Which of the following characteristics would a mature community exhibit?
A. / mostly small plants
B. / well-adapted organisms
C. / little biodiversity
D. / a lack of stability
ID: 64670 -- Correct: B -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
41. / Organisms that cannot make their own food so they eat other organisms are an example of
A. / dependent organisms.
B. / interdependent organisms.
C. / independent organisms.
D. / intradependent organisms.
ID: 64755 -- Correct: B -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
42. / Identify and explain how an environment's carrying capacity can affect the size of a population.
ID: 64756 -- Correct: -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
43. / Ecosystem stability is characterized by which two properties?
A. / diversity and inertia
B. / resilience and resistance
C. / succession and partitioning
D. / pollution and man-made disturbances
ID: 64757 -- Correct: B -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.a
44. / How is most of Earth's carbon made available?
A. / by carbon being recycled through the decomposition of dead organisms
B. / by carbon atoms being created through photosynthesis
C. / by carbon atoms being transferred from the Sun to Earth through light
D. / by carbon being brought to the surface through weathering
ID: 63531 -- Correct: A -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
45. /
A. / 25% of energy is gained at each increasing trophic level.
B. / 10% of energy is lost at each increasing trophic level.
C. / energy remains the same at each trophic level.
D. / energy increases at each trophic level.
ID: 63548 -- Correct: B -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
46. / A lion feeds on a gazelle. Which of the following statements best describes the energy transfer between the freshly killed gazelle and the lion?
A. / The lion will receive less energy from the gazelle, as much of the energy will be lost as heat to the environment.
B. / The lion will receive more energy from the gazelle because the energy flow is greater at the top of the food chain.
C. / The lion will receive more energy from the gazelle, as it requires energy to begin the process of digestion.
D. / The lion will receive less energy from the gazelle because the organisms are different in size.
ID: 63610 -- Correct: A -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
47. /
A. / the absorption of energy that has been synthesized
B. / the transport of glucose away from the organism
C. / oxygen that is produced by respiration
D. / energy released into the environment as heat
ID: 63611 -- Correct: D -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
48. /
A. / It is lost to the environment as radiation.
B. / It is lost to the environment as heat.
C. / It is returned to the Sun in the form of ultraviolet light.
D. / It is returned to producers in the form of light.
ID: 63870 -- Correct: B -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
49. / Which statement best describes the flow of energy and the movement of chemical compounds in an ecosystem?
A. / Chemical compounds flow in one direction in a food chain, and energy is produced.
B. / Energy flows out of living organisms and is lost, while chemical compounds remain permanently inside organisms.
C. / Energy flows into living organisms and remains there, while chemical compounds are transferred from organism to organism.
D. / Energy is transferred from organism to organism in a food chain, and chemical compounds are recycled.
ID: 63871 -- Correct: D -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
50. /
A. / Organisms decay at each level, so less total mass can be supported at increasingly higher levels.
B. / Energy is lost to the environment at each level, so less total mass can be supported at each higher level.
C. / More organisms die at higher levels than at lower levels, resulting in less total mass at higher levels.
D. / When organisms die at higher levels, their remains sink to lower levels, increasing the total mass of lower levels.
ID: 63872 -- Correct: B -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
51. / All of the following molecules may be present in living organisms EXCEPT
A. / hydrochloric acid.
B. / sodium chloride.
C. / hydrogen.
D. / nitrogen.
ID: 63906 -- Correct: B -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
52. /
A. / Energy travels up the food pyramid.
B. / Energy stays in the lowest level in the food pyramid.
C. / Energy stays in the highest level in the food pyramid.
D. / Energy travels down the food pyramid.
ID: 64021 -- Correct: A -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
53. / Within the ecosystem there are producers, consumers, and decomposers. Which are found at the bottom of the energy pyramid?
A. / producers
B. / consumers
C. / decomposers and producers
D. / decomposers and consumers
ID: 64035 -- Correct: A -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
54. / How do nutrients, such as carbon and water, move through an ecosystem?
A. / in biogeochemical cycles
B. / in ecological pyramids
C. / in energy pyramids
D. / in food webs
ID: 64139 -- Correct: A -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
55. / Which biogeochemical cycle does NOT include a major path in which the substance cycles through the atmosphere?
A. / water cycle
B. / carbon cycle
C. / nitrogen cycle
D. / phosphorous cycle
ID: 64140 -- Correct: D -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
56. / Which of the following is NOT true about matter in the biosphere?
A. / Matter is recycled in the biosphere.
B. / The total amount of matter decreases over time.
C. / Biogeochemical cycles transform and reuse molecules.
D. / Water and nutrients pass between organisms and the environment.
ID: 64141 -- Correct: B -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
57. / How are the movements of energy and chemicals through ecosystems different?
A. / Energy flows in one direction and chemicals cycle.
B. / Energy is limited in the biosphere, and chemicals are always available.
C. / Chemicals flow in one direction, and energy cycles.
D. / Energy forms chemical compounds, and chemicals are lost as heat.
ID: 64219 -- Correct: A -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
58. /
A. / 1%
B. / 10%
C. / 100%
D. / 1,000%
ID: 64221 -- Correct: B -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
59. / Which of the following shows the total energy use in an ecosystem?
A. / food web
B. / food chain
C. / energy pyramid
D. / energy map
ID: 64256 -- Correct: C -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
60. / Which describes the dependence of organisms on their environment?
A. / The Sun provides energy for green plants to make food by photosynthesis.
B. / The temperature of the Gulf of Mexico has decreased due to global warming.
C. / The internal structure of the Earth causes the continents to drift.
D. / Ozone levels are increasing due to increased lightning.
ID: 64310 -- Correct: A -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
61. / How do minerals like nitrogen move through the biosphere?
A. / through nutrient cycles
B. / through energy pyramid
C. / through pollution
D. / through biological magnification
ID: 64319 -- Correct: A -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
62. / For any natural ecosystem, which of the following statements applies to the energy pyramid, the biomass pyramid, and the numbers pyramid?
A. / Consumers form the bottom levels, while producers are at the top.
B. / Producers are at the bottom level of all three pyramids.
C. / Producers are at the bottom of the energy and biomass pyramids, only.
D. / Consumers are at the bottom of the energy pyramid, only.
ID: 64364 -- Correct: B -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
63. / Which of the following processes moves carbon from the geosphere to the atmosphere?
A. / combustion
B. / photosynthesis
C. / respiration
D. / precipitation
ID: 64396 -- Correct: A -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
64. / Review this food chain.
Algae → Zooplankton → Small fish → Squid → Shark
How is algae classified in this food chain?
A. / as a consumer
B. / as a decomposer
C. / as a producer
D. / as a heterotroph
ID: 64425 -- Correct: C -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
65. / According to the food web, what are the food sources for a leopard seal?
A. / phytoplankton, fish, penguins, and other birds
B. / krill, fish, penguins, and other birds
C. / phytoplankton, fish, krill, penguins
D. / toothed whales, krill, penguins, and other birds
ID: 64460 -- Correct: B -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
66. / According to the food web, which food chain is correct?
A. / phytoplankton → krill → penguins → elephant seal
B. / phytoplankton → carnivorous zooplankton → seals → toothed whales
C. / phytoplankton → other herbivorous zooplankton → penguin → leopard seal
D. / phytoplankton → other herbivorous zooplankton → krill → toothed whales
ID: 64461 -- Correct: C -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
67. / How do animals play a fundamental role in the carbon cycle?
A. / by decreasing the amount of dissolved carbon dioxide
B. / by increasing the amount of dissolved carbon dioxide as a result of respiration
C. / by increasing the amount of dissolved carbon dioxide as a result of photosynthesis
D. / by decreasing the amount of plant biomass
ID: 64462 -- Correct: B -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
68. / How much energy from the rabbit trophic level is transferred to the fox trophic level?
A. / 1%
B. / 10%
C. / 25%
D. / 50%
ID: 64470 -- Correct: B -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
69. / Which roles describe the rabbits in the food chain?
A. / producers and omnivores
B. / producers and herbivores
C. / primary consumers and herbivores
D. / primary consumers and omnivores
ID: 64471 -- Correct: C -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
70. / What happens to the energy available to organisms as it passes up the food chain from producers to consumers?
A. / increases
B. / decreases
C. / stays the same
D. / increases, then decreases
ID: 64475 -- Correct: B -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
71. / Which of the following best describes how the Sun provides energy for all living things?
A. / by driving the photosynthetic process
B. / by heating the air and passing along thermal energy
C. / by increasing the formation of nitrates in the soil
D. / by decreasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the air
ID: 64476 -- Correct: A -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
72. /
A. / algae
B. / bass
C. / small shrimp
D. / osprey
ID: 64477 -- Correct: D -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
73. / Nitrogen fixation is accomplished by which organism?
A. / bacteria
B. / algae
C. / protozoa
D. / mold
ID: 64479 -- Correct: A -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
74. / Which of the following is the phenomenon of living organisms acquiring increased levels of a substance when moving from a lower trophic level to a higher trophic level?
A. / bioaccumulation
B. / biomagnification
C. / persistence
D. / resistance
ID: 64483 -- Correct: B -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
75. / What happens to organisms or populations if the flow of energy through them ceases?
A. / They thrive and expand.
B. / They stop functioning and begin to disintegrate.
C. / They remain at carrying capacity.
D. / They increase their reproduction rate.
ID: 64505 -- Correct: B -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
76. / Which of the following refers to the decayed remains of plant and animals?
A. / mineral material
B. / organic material
C. / gaseous material
D. / silicate material
ID: 64530 -- Correct: B -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
77. / Which type of material comes from inorganic sources?
A. / mineral material
B. / organic material
C. / biotic material
D. / cellular material
ID: 64531 -- Correct: A -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
78. / Which of the following nutrients are supplied by the air?
A. / carbon, hydrogen, oxygen
B. / nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium
C. / calcium, magnesium, sulfur
D. / boron, copper, chlorine
ID: 64532 -- Correct: A -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
79. / What is the typical percentage of loss of energy in transfers from one trophic level to the next?
A. / 1%
B. / 5%
C. / 60%
D. / 90%
ID: 64594 -- Correct: D -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
80. / The complex feeding patterns of all of the organisms in an ecosystem can best be displayed with a
A. / energy pyramid.
B. / food chain.
C. / trophic level.
D. / food web.
ID: 64604 -- Correct: D -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
81. / What biological process increases the concentration of DDT in predators?
A. / eutrophication
B. / biological magnification
C. / transpiration
D. / biological nitrification
ID: 64637 -- Correct: B -– Alignment: GPS04 4.B.4.b
82. / Sloan is constructing a model of the carbon cycle. She found pictures of fungi to use in her model. For which processes in the carbon cycle can the pictures of the fungi be used?