AP Environmental The Living World Test

Which of the following best shows the process of evolution?

A population of mosquitoes develops resistance to a pesticide

Exemplified by moss growing on a tree trunk in a forest.

Commensalism

Of the following organisms, which occupies the lowest trophic level?

Deer

Which of the following best explains why there are seldom more than five trophic levels in a food chain?

Energy is lost from each trophic level.

Why do the populations of invasive species grow so quickly?

invasive species have no natural predators.

The efficiency of energy transfer from a lower trophic level to the next highest level is roughly

10%

Why is genetic diversity important?

Allows for species to adapt to and thrive in different environments.

Traveling southward from the Arctic regions of Canada to the tropics of Panama, one passes through several biomes-tundra, coniferous forest, temperate deciduous forest, and tropical rain forest. This pattern of change in vegetation is primarily the result of

An increase in both mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation

Two types of birds subsist on the same type of berries in the same location. One type of bird lays claim to all the berries in that particular area, forcing out the other birds. What is the principle that says the best competitor will always win and exclude the other from the habitat?

Competitive exclusion principle

A species of pine tree is capable of surviving from Northern Canada down to the Grand Canyon, but is only actually found growing in Northern California and Oregon. Which of the following is the realized niche?

Northern California and Oregon

In general, which of the following is the best long-term method of preventing extinctions?

Protecting the habitats of endangered species

A one-hectare pond is sampled in early September. The sample yields 1 small catfish as well as 17 benthic invertebrates that represent 10 species. Which of the following can be estimated from the sample for the invertebrates in the pond?

The species richness

Why do introduced species often become pests?

They displace native species

Which of the following is generally true of K-strategist species as compared to r-strategist species?

They have longer life spans

Most invasive species move out of their native ecosystem by:

all of these are possible

Which of the following illustrates the correct ordering of trophic levels?

autotrophs-herbivores-carnivores-decomposers

In traveling from a forest ecosystem to a grassland, one notes that the trees gradually give way to prairie grasses. The critical factor governing this shift is usually the

availability of water

In the nitrogen cycle, the transformation of gaseous nitrogen into nitrogen-containing compounds is performed primarily by

bacteria

Compared with people in developing countries, people in industrialized countries are more likely to eat

beef

Some toxic compounds are ingested and retained in the tissues. These pollutants pose special risks to humans and other organisms high on the food chain because of which process?

biomagnification

Competitive exclusion is most likely to occur between two

closely related species occupying the same niche

The process by which some bacteria use nitrates for their own respiration and release nitrogen into the atmosphere is

denitrification

A species that maintain biodiversity by keeping prey populations controlled are called...

keystone species

Vegetarianism is often cited as a partial solution to the growing problem of deforestation and other types of habitat destruction as the human population continues to grow. The reason for this is

more people can be fed using less agricultural land because vegetarians eat at a lower trophic level

Exemplified by bees consuming nectar and carrying pollen from one flower to another

mutualism

Growing legumes such as alfalfa or soy beans increases

nitrogen fixation

Eutrophication in lakes is frequently the direct result of

nutrient enrichment

During the carbon cycle, which of the following carbon compounds would be utilized as an energy source by heterotrophs?

organic molecules

In a certain population, disruptive selection is occurring. In this population, which is most likely to survive?

organisms with extreme traits

Exemplified by ticks on a deer.

parasitism

Which biogeochemical cycle does not involve a stage where the chemical enters the atmosphere?

phosphorus cycle

What process removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere?

photosynthesis

starts with bare rock followed by lichen or moss

primary succession

Fragmenting one large park or preserve into many small parks with human habitation in between them is most likely to lead to which of the following?

reduction in species diversity

Which of the following is a keystone species?

sea otter

Which process occurs after a forest fire?

secondary succession

succession that occurs in an area where soil is already present

secondary succession

The number of species in a given area is known as _____________________.

species richness

The ultimate source of energy for terrestrial ecosystems is

the sun

In which organism in the food chain below would the biological magnification of DDT concentration be most obvious? Grass → Cricket → Prairie chicken → Coyote → Vulture

vulture