Environmental Science A - Intro to Ecology (3)

Which of the following represents change to an ecosystem brought about by abiotic factors?

a. the decrease in plant populations due to a decrease in the available water supply

Too much logging in the Oyamel fir forests could lead to the eastern monarch butterfly going extinct because _______.

a. the entire population of the species spends winter in Oyamel

In order to look for their prey, owls _______.

a. turn their head

Kelp plants have been known to grow up to _______.

c. 10 inches per day

Organisms use different types of adaptations to aid in their survival. One type of butterfly mimics a dead leaf to evade predators. What type of adaptation is this?

c. Structural

What discovery led Darwin to develop his theories on adaptation?

c. The birds Darwin found in the Galapagos were different types of finches, not separate types of birds.

An ecosystem has experienced a recent decrease in its plant populations. Which of the following is a possible reason for the decline?

c. a decrease in the available water

Which of the following scenarios represents change to an ecosystem brought about by biotic factors?

c. a landslide caused by cattle overgrazing

The biosphere is best described as the regions of Earth that support _______.

c. all life

The biggest threats to Christmas Island crabs during their annual migration are _______.

c. automobiles

Savanna is considered a transitional biome because it is intermediate between two _______.

c. biomes

Energy flow in an ecosystem is best represented by _______.

c. food webs

What are the main components needed to insure ecosystem stability?

c. food, water, shelter and biodiversity

For the following organisms, choose the correct order of increasing trophic level.

c. grass, deer, wolf and fungi

Which of the following human activities most likely resulted in the growth of the North American deer population?

c. hunting wolves

The brown tree snake is used as an example of a(n) _______.

c. invasive species

A healthy, balanced ecosystem has _______.

c. more producers than consumers

In general the warmest biomes in the world are found _______.

c. near the equator

Which of the following is most likely to be a limiting factor for growth on the floor of a tropical rainforest?

c. sunlight

Which of the following is not an example of an abiotic factor?

a. plants

Organisms that have a physical trait that makes it easier for them to access food supplies are unlikely to pass on that trait to their offspring.

False

Producers are always the largest level in trophic pyramids.

False

The defining characteristic of deserts is their high daytime temperatures.

False

The elimination of a predator has no negative impacts on that predator's prey species.

False

Biomes are unique and do not appear more than once on Earth.

False

It is advantageous for a predator to prey exclusively on a single prey species.

False

Organisms do not adapt as a result of competition for resources.

False

Rabbits are best described as _______.Rabbits are best described as _______.

a. producers

Tundra is known for its _______.

a. sparse precipitation and extreme cold temperatures

Which biome is prominent in North America?

a. taiga

Which of the following is the biggest threat to the Monarch butterflies' annual migration?

a. illegal logging

A quaternary consumer species would be expected to have a smaller population than a secondary consumer species.

True

Compared to the time he spent in other parts of South America, Darwin spent little time collecting specimens in the Galapagos.

True

Less than 0.1% of the energy in a food chain generally makes it from the sun to quaternary consumers.

True

Pioneer species survive by living on rocks and minerals.

True

Similarities between seemingly unrelated organisms can be explained by Darwin's theory that organisms come from common ancestors.

True

The community is the lowest level of the biosphere's organizational hierarchy to include members of different species.

True

The prey of one species might also be the predator of another species.

True

Transitions between biomes do not have to be sharp and sudden, which means that different biomes can share characteristics.

True

While trees are not the largest level in the pyramid of numbers, they are still the base for both the pyramids of biomass and pyramids of energy.

True

Greater temperature fluctuations occur _______.

a. in terrestrial ecosystems

Deer run in zigzag patterns when being chased by predators. What type of adaptation is this?

a. Behavioral

Which of the following is not a part of Darwin's theory of evolution?

a. Changes in organisms occur immediately.

Which of the following is the best explanation for why finches on one of the islands in the Galapagos have large beaks while finches on another island have small beaks?

a. Over time, the finches on the island adapted as a result of competition for resources.

What types of organisms will be affected by a decreased supply of water in an ecosystem?

a. Producers, consumers, and decomposers will be affected.

Which class of organisms gather their energy directly from the sun?

a. autotrophs

The main producers in aquatic environments are _______.

a. phytoplankton

A recent study has shown an increase in the number of predators in an ecosystem. Which of the following is a possible cause for the growth?

b. An increase in the population of prey it feeds on

Which is not an advantage of using the Pyramid of Energy?

b. Assigning the decomposers and detritivores to a particular trophic level.

Sponges produce structures called gemmules, which are hard outer coatings protecting a reproductive bud during times of drought. What type of adaptation is this?

b. Ecological

What is the lowest level of organization to include both biotic and abiotic factors?

b. Ecosystem

A portion of grass in a prairie ecosystem was destroyed by wildfire. What will most likely happen to the population of bison that feed on the grass?

b. The number of bison will decrease.

Organisms use different types of adaptations to aid in their survival.Some mushrooms are poisonous to organisms that eat them. What type of adaptation is this an example of?

b. a biochemical adaptation

Organisms use different types of adaptations to aid in their survival.Which of the following is an adaptation that would not help a lion to catch its prey?

b. hyoid bone adapted for roaring

Which of the following is a physiological adaptation?

b. hyoid bone adapted for roaring

If predators A and B prey upon the same species and predator A is eliminated, the population of predator B will likely __________.

b. increase

Which of the following is not true about taiga?

b. is characterized by mild winters

Which of the following is an example of a behavioral adaptation?

b. migration

What types of organisms would you expect to see in an area that recently experienced a volcanic eruption?

b. mosses and algae

Environments are covered with manmade structures like roads, buildings, and sewers. Green spaces such as parks, backyards, and undeveloped lots are scattered in among the developed areas instead of all connected together. Plants and animals have to deal with exposure to toxins from vehicles and loss of habitat and food sources. These are all ways that _______.

b. nonhuman life in an urban ecosystem differs from that in an undeveloped forest ecosystem

Quaternary consumers are not _______.

b. prey

In a trophic pyramid, which of the following populations would be found in the trophic level directly above the producers?

b. rabbits

Which of the following would be considered a limited resource in the lower depths of the ocean?

b. sunlight

Identify the biotic factor of an ecosystem from the following:

b. trees

The ecosystem is the lowest level of the biosphere hierarchy to include _______.

b. weather patterns and soil conditions

In what year was On the Origin of Species published?

d. 1859

What is the purpose of mimicry?

d. All of the above

A recent study has shown an increase in the number of predators in an ecosystem. Which of the following is not a possible cause for the growth?

d. An increase in the number of predators that feed on it

Which of the following is not true about Darwin's book On the Origin of Species?

d. It was based on his findings in South Africa.

Which of the following factors might be affected by a wildfire?

d. all of the above

What are the two main categories of ecosystems?

d. aquatic and terrestrial

All animals are _______.

d. consumers

Arrange the events of succession after a volcano erupted in their proper order.

d. improved water habitats for human recreation b. pioneer species, soil formation, plant growth

Which ecosystem contains 32% of the world's producers?

d. marine ecosystem

Which of the following has the most biomass?

d. producers

Scientists use specific levels of organization in order to analyze the biosphere. The Everglades are a large area of subtropical wetlands found in Florida. A variety of plants and animals can be found in the Everglades, including Florida panthers, cypress trees, herons, and alligators.

d. biome

Which best describes the trophic level of an organism?

d. its position in a food chain

Organisms produce their own energy or provide energy for other organisms in a food chain. Many different organisms can be found in the Amazon rainforest in South America. Organisms in this biome include a variety of trees, plants, insects, fish, birds, reptiles, and mammals. The jaguar and anaconda are among the largest predators found in the Amazon.

d. tertiary consumer

biotic

living components of an ecosystem Trees, grasses, and animals are all biotic components of an ecosystem.

endemic

native to or confined to a particular area Lemurs are members of a group of primates endemic to the island of Madagascar.

abiotic

non-living components of an ecosystem Air, soil, and water are all abiotic components of an ecosystem.

detritivore

organisms that eat dead or decaying organic matter Examples of detritivores are vultures and worms.

primary succession

refers to the initial organisms that inhabit an environment where no soil exists Primary successions occur after disturbances that have been intense enough to completely kill off any living organisms in an area.

climate

the average weather in a given area over an extended period of time Insects and fish are two different species.

food web

the interactions of several food chains within a community The food web depicts the more complex feeding relationships between all the organisms within a community.

trophic level

the levels in ecosystems through which energy flows The trophic level an organism is placed into is dependent on their source of energy.

secondary succession

the regrowth and habitation in an environment that has soil but has been disturbed by natural phenomenon or human activity Secondary succession occurs in an ecosystem that contains soil, but does not contain plants or animals.

biomass

the total amount of biological matter within a given trophic level Ecology students must know how to determine the amount of biomass within each trophic level of a biomass pyramid.