Ecology
Multiple Choice
Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
____1.Grass is eaten by a prairie dog. The prairie dog is eaten by a coyote. This is an example of
a.an abiotic element. b.an omnivore. c.a herbivore. d.a food chain.
____2.A bird eats a worm. Who is the predator?
a.the worm b.the bird c.both the bird and the worm d.neither the bird nor the worm
____3.What do several different populations living together make?
a.a biosphere b.an organism c.a community d.an ecosystem
____4.Which is an example of an abiotic element changing an area?
a.introducing a new type of grass b.water flooding the area c.two species of birds competing d.algae growing on crabgrass
____5.Grass that gains energy from the sun is an example of a
a.consumer. b.parasite. c.decomposer. d.producer.
____6.In a food web arrows point in just one direction because they show
a.which animal is bigger. b.which animals are related. c.how energy goes to the animal that is eating. d.how energy goes to the animal that is eaten.
____7.Two members of the same species fight over who gets a certain food. Members of different species try to take over a certain nesting area. These are both examples of
a.community. b.competition. c.mutualism. d.commensalism.
____8.If scientists are studying the egrets, herons, marsh crabs, and cordgrass, but not the water or rocks in a salt marsh, what level of organization would they be studying?
a.individual organism b.population c.community d.ecosystem
____9.Coyotes prey on prairie dogs. In order for the prairie dog population to survive, how many prairie dogs are needed compared to coyotes?
a.fewer prairie dogs than coyotes b.many more prairie dogs than coyotes c.about the same number of prairie dogs as coyotes d.there is no relationship between the number of prairie dogs and coyotes
____10.When there is a lot of pollution, rain can be acidic, harming plants and animals. What is this an example of?
a.competition between a population and a community b.a mutualistic type of symbiosis c.an abiotic factor affecting an ecosystem d.an individual affecting a community
____11.What effect does biodiversity have on a community?
a.It makes destruction by insects impossible. b.It makes primary succession more likely. c.It enables species to survive in a desert. d.It enables the community to withstand changes.
____12.The speed of water is an important abiotic factor in a freshwater ecosystem because
a.a tributary has different plants than a river. b.faster water has a higher salt content. c.animals must adapt so they are not washed away. d.animals cannot live in fast-moving water.
____13.What word describes the mammals, fish, birds, and plants that live in an environment?
a.abiotic b.the population c.the biosphere d.biotic
____14.A community is several species of animals interacting, while a population is
a.members of one species in an area. b.the biotic and abiotic elements of an area. c.the nonliving elements of a habitat. d.a single organism.
____15.The five levels of organization in the environment, from first to fifth level are
a.organism, population, biosphere, ecosystem, community. b.organism, population, biotic elements, abiotic elements, community. c.organism, population, community, ecosystem, biosphere. d.organism, population, biosphere, abiotic elements, ecology.
____16.Which of the following is abiotic?
a.a gar b.an alligator c.grass d.water
____17.Organisms that can make their own food from sunlight are called
a.decomposers. b.consumers. c.producers. d.carnivores.
____18.Grass is eaten by a prairie dog. The prairie dog is eaten by a coyote. This is an example of
a.an abiotic element. b.an omnivore. c.a herbivore. d.a food chain.
____19.One food web arrow goes from a prairie dog to a coyote, showing that
a.the coyote is bigger. b.the coyote eats the prairie dog. c.the prairie dog eats the coyote. d.the prairie dog is a producer.
____20.Without wolves, YellowstonePark had
a.too many elk. b.too much grass. c.too many rabbits. d.too many cows.
____21.The largest population an environment can support is its
a.carrying capacity. b.limiting factor. c.population. d.symbiosis.
____22.One type of competition involves individuals competing for resources. The other involves competition between different
a.organisms. b.populations. c.environments. d.relationships.
____23.Young wasps are eating the tomato hornworm that is their host. What is this an example of?
a.commensalism b.mutualism c.parasitism d.competition
____24.A bird eats a worm. Who is the predator?
a.the worm b.the bird c.both the bird and the worm d.neither the bird nor the worm
____25.Rocks, temperature, and water are what part of the environment?
a.biotic b.abiotic c.population d.living
____26.What do several different populations living together make?
a.a biosphere b.an organism c.a community d.an ecosystem
____27.Which is an example of an abiotic element changing an area?
a.introducing a new type of grass b.water flooding the area c.two species of birds competing d.algae growing on crabgrass
____28.Grass that gains energy from the sun is an example of a
a.consumer. b.parasite. c.decomposer. d.producer.
____29.A diagram with arrows showing energy flow from grass, to a rabbit, to a fox is
a.an energy pyramid. b.a food web. c.a food chain. d.a population chart.
____30.In a food web, arrows point in just one direction because they show
a.which animal is bigger. b.which animals are related. c.how energy goes to the animal that is eating. d.how energy goes to the animal that is eaten.
____31.After one species disappears, the other species in the ecosystem
a.benefit. b.are thrown out of balance. c.die. d.are unaffected.
____32.Limiting factors determine an area’s carrying capacity because
a.the number of animals is limited. b.ecosystems are small. c.animals need resources to survive. d.the number of animals is unlimited.
____33.Two members of the same species fight over who gets a certain food. Members of different species try to take over a certain nesting area. These are both examples of
a.community. b.competition. c.mutualism. d.commensalism.
____34.An environmental study reporting on the way temperature, water quality, and minerals affect the animals in a salt marsh would be considering which level of organization?
a.individual organism b.population c.community d.ecosystem
____35.The plants a ladybug lives on, the aphids the ladybug eats, and the birds that would eat the ladybug are all
a.biotic elements of an ecosystem. b.predators. c.producers. d.abiotic elements of an ecosystem.
____36.Herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores are all
a.decomposers. b.producers. c.predators. d.consumers.
____37.Animals that eat a variety of meats, fruits, and vegetables are
a.producers. b.carnivores. c.omnivores. d.herbivores.
____38.A scientist studying the way egrets, herons, and crabs interact, who is not interested in abiotic factors such as the rocks, water, and temperature, is studying what level of environmental organization?
a.population b.ecosystem c.community d.biosphere
____39.Rocks, temperature, and water are what kind of things?
a.biotic b.abiotic c.population d.living
____40.What level of organization comes after population?
a.biosphere b.organism c.community d.ecosystem
____41.What word describes a community of organisms and their environment?
a.individuals b.ecosystem c.population d.community
____42.What living things make food from sunlight?
a.consumers b.parasites c.decomposers d.producers
____43.What happened to other living things when the wolves no longer lived in Yellowstone?
a.They were better off. b.They were out of balance. c.They died. d.They were not changed.
____44.When is food a limiting factor?
a.when a population is large b.when there’s too much food c.when a population is small d.when there’s too much water
____45.What is an animal that catches and eats another animal called?
a.prey b.predator c.producer d.herbivore
____46.In which relationship do living things help each other?
a.parasitism b.mutualism c.organism d.predator
____47.Coyotes prey on prairie dogs. In order for the prairie dog population to survive, how many prairie dogs are needed compared to coyotes?
a.fewer prairie dogs than coyotes b.many more prairie dogs than coyotes c.about the same number of prairie dogs as coyotes d.There is no relationship between the number of prairie dogs and coyotes.
____48.What kind of elk do wolves kill?
a.the strong and healthy b.the smart and quick c.the old, injured, and diseased d.the energetic and fast
____49.When there is a lot of pollution, rain can be acidic, harming plants and animals. What is this an example of?
a.competition between a population and a community b.a mutualistic type of symbiosis c.an abiotic factor affecting an ecosystem d.an individual affecting a community
____50.It has been a very harsh winter. The ground is covered in snow, and the trees are covered in ice. Many deer die because they cannot find food. This is an example of
a.producers providing food. b.a limiting factor controlling a population. c.a biosphere in trouble. d.predators harvesting the weak and the sick.
____51.Bears eat fruits such as berries and animals such as fish. They hibernate in the winter. They give birth to live young. Which of these terms applies to bears?
a.They are decomposers. b.They are at the bottom of the energy pyramid. c.They have a mutualistic relationship with berries. d.They are consumers.
____52.Suppose there were a bird that always sat on a horse's back and ate the insects that would bite the horse. What would this be an example of?
a.mutualism b.parasitism c.competition d.commensalism
____53.When a parasitic worm invades an animal, who is the host?
a.the producer b.the animal c.the decomposer d.the worm
____54.As loggers take more trees out of a forest, there are fewer places for a certain type of bird to build a nest. What is this an example of?
a.a predator attacking prey b.the forest's carrying capacity becoming smaller c.a food web becoming smaller d.a symbiotic relationship
Use the image below to answer the following questions.
____55.The arrows on the food web show that
a.prairie dogs eat grass. b.deer eat prairie dogs. c.squirrels eat grass. d.squirrels eat coyotes.
____56.Three organisms on the food web have arrows pointing away from them and no arrows pointing toward them. They are
a.omnivores. b.herbivores. c.decomposers. d.producers.
____57.Three organisms on the food web have arrows pointing toward them but no arrows pointing away from them. This is because
a.they make their own food. b.they give energy to others. c.nothing shown eats them. d.they need no energy.
____58.What does the arrow between the grasshopper and the coyote represent?
a.energy flowing from producers to consumers b.energy flowing from consumers to producers c.energy flowing from the coyote to the grasshopper d.energy flowing from the grasshopper to the coyote
Completion
Complete each sentence or statement.
Use the terms from the following list to complete the sentences below.
coniferous forest / tropical rain forestsavanna
59.It is winter. You are in a place with tall trees full of leaves. It is 0°C. You are likely in a ______.
60.You are in a place with many trees that receives 300 cm of rainfall per year. You are likely in a ______.
Use the terms from the following list to complete the sentences below.
intertidal / coral reefSargasso Sea
61.Most organisms in the ______ecosystem could not live in cold water.
Use the terms from the following list to complete the sentences below.
community / preybiosphere / ecology
predator / symbiosis
coevolution / commensalism
62.Populations of organisms that live in and interact in a particular area form a(n) ______.
63.The study of interactions between living things and their environment is ______.
64.A spider that feeds on live insects is an example of a(n) ______.
65.The part of Earth where life exists is the ______.
66.When the close interaction between two organisms results in long-term changes in both organisms, ______has taken place.
Use the terms from the following list to complete the sentences below.
population / bioticabiotic / community
67.A river carrying nutrients is a(n) ______factor that helps the ecosystem.
68.Plants, animals, and all living things are ______factors.
69.Two or more individuals of the same kind living together are a(n) ______.
70.All the populations of living things in the same place are a(n) ______.
Matching
Match each item with the correct statement.
a. / temperate grassland / c. / alpine tundrab. / coniferous forest / d. / tropical rain forest
____71.nearly 1,400 species of birds live here
____72.has trees with cones
____73.main plants are grasses
____74.found on mountain tops
Match each item with the correct statement.
a. / nonpoint-source pollution / e. / renewable resourceb. / conservation / f. / pollution
c. / overpopulation / g. / point-source pollution
d. / nonrenewable resource
____75.the preservation and wise use of natural resources
____76.an unwanted change in the environment that is caused by harmful substances
____77.pollution that comes from only one source
____78.a natural resource that can be replaced at the same rate at which it is consumed
____79.a natural resource that forms at a rate slower than it is consumed
____80.too many organisms in an area for the resources available
Match each item with the correct statement below.
a. / herbivore / d. / food webb. / food chain / e. / omnivore
c. / carnivore / f. / energy pyramid
____81.an organism that eats only animals
____82.a triangular diagram that shows an ecosystem’s loss of energy
____83.an organism that eats both plants and animals
____84.an organism that eats only plants
____85.a diagram that shows how energy in food flows from one organism to another
____86.a diagram that shows the feeding relationships between organisms in an ecosystem
Short Answer
87.Certain ants take a sweet liquid called honeydew from tiny insects called aphids. In exchange for the honeydew, the ants protect the aphids from predators. What kind of relationship is this? Explain your answer.
88.Using the example of the salt marsh, explain why ecologists state that saving a large animal, such as the heron or egret, can also save an ecosystem.
89.How might an omnivore be a link both at the beginning of a food web and near the end?
90.How does the energy in a fish get into the fish? How does the energy stored in the fish get released from the fish?
Other
INTERPRETING GRAPHICS
Use the art below to answer the following questions.
91.The arrows on the food web show that
a. prairie dogs eat grass. / c squirrels eat grass.b. deer eat prairie dogs. / d. squirrels eat coyotes.
92.Three organisms on the food web have arrows pointing away from them and no arrows pointing toward them. They are
a. omnivores. / c. decomposers.b. herbivores. / d. producers.
93.What does the arrow between the grasshopper and the coyote represent?
a.energy flowing from producers to consumers
b.energy flowing from consumers to producers
c.energy flowing from the coyote to the grasshopper
d.energy flowing from the grasshopper to the coyote
INTERPRETING GRAPHICS
Use the figure below to answer the following questions.
94.How many of the continental 48 states lost over 80% of their wetlands during this period?
95.What percentage of wetlands acreage did your state lose between the 1780s and the 1980s?
Ecology
Answer Section
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1.ANS:D
2.ANS:B
3.ANS:C
4.ANS:B
5.ANS:D
6.ANS:C
7.ANS:B
8.ANS:C
9.ANS:B
10.ANS:C
11.ANS:D
12.ANS:C
13.ANS:D
14.ANS:A
15.ANS:C
16.ANS:D
17.ANS:C
18.ANS:D
19.ANS:B
20.ANS:A
21.ANS:A
22.ANS:B
23.ANS:C
24.ANS:B
25.ANS:B
26.ANS:C
27.ANS:B
28.ANS:D
29.ANS:C
30.ANS:C
31.ANS:B
32.ANS:C
33.ANS:B
34.ANS:D
35.ANS:A
36.ANS:D
37.ANS:C
38.ANS:C
39.ANS:B
40.ANS:C
41.ANS:B
42.ANS:D
43.ANS:B
44.ANS:A
45.ANS:B
46.ANS:B
47.ANS:B
48.ANS:C
49.ANS:C
50.ANS:B
51.ANS:D
52.ANS:A
53.ANS:A
54.ANS:B
55.ANS:A
56.ANS:D
57.ANS:C
58.ANS:D
COMPLETION
59.ANS:coniferous forest
60.ANS:tropical rain forest
61.ANS:coral reef
62.ANS:community
63.ANS:ecology
64.ANS:predator
65.ANS:biosphere
66.ANS:coevolution
67.ANS:abiotic
68.ANS:biotic
69.ANS:population
70.ANS:community
MATCHING
71.ANS:D
72.ANS:B
73.ANS:A
74.ANS:C
75.ANS:B
76.ANS:F
77.ANS:G
78.ANS:E
79.ANS:D
80.ANS:C
81.ANS:C
82.ANS:F
83.ANS:E
84.ANS:A
85.ANS:B
86.ANS:D
SHORT ANSWER
87.ANS:
mutualism; The aphids and ants help each other.
88.ANS:
The heron and the egret can survive only if the salt marsh remains intact to provide shelter and food for the organisms that the birds need to eat.
89.ANS:
Sample answer: An omnivore can be at the beginning because it eats plants. It also can be near the end because it eats other consumers or can be eaten by other consumers.
90.ANS:
Sample answer: The fish stores some of the energy it gets from the food it eats. The energy in the fish is released from the fish when the fish is eaten by another organism.
OTHER
91.ANS:A
92.ANS:D
93.ANS:D
94.ANS:
Seven states have lost over 80% of their wetlands.
95.ANS:
Answers will vary, depending on which state the student lives in.