Savvas Test on EcoSystems
Raphael is studying the water cycle and its critical role in ecosystem functions. He is developing a model of the water cycle, and his initial work is shown below.Raphael is thinking about revising the model to represent the role of photosynthesis in the water cycle. Would including photosynthesis in the model be reasonable, and for what reason?
Yes, because water is a reactant, or input, of photosynthesis.
Which statement describes all primary producers?
All take in energy to assemble energy-rich compounds.
Francine is developing a model of the carbon cycle, which involves the movement of carbon among various Earth systems. She begins by drawing the diagram shown below.Her friend Byron evaluates the model, and suggests that she thicken the arrow leading from fossil fuels to the atmosphere. His reasoning is that fossil fuels are being burned at a much faster rate than natural processes are restoring them.If Francine adopts Byron's suggestion, how could her model be used to explain a significant change to Earth's systems?
Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, which means it traps solar energy. The greenhouse effect keeps Earth warm enough for life, but an excess of greenhouse gases raises average temperatures and results in climate change.
Which of the following BEST describes the flow of energy through a food chain?
Energy flows from primary producers to consumers, in one direction only.
Raphael is studying the water cycle and its critical role in ecosystem functions. He is developing a model of the water cycle, and his initial work is shown below.Is it possible for human activities to affect the water cycle? Cite an example to support your answer.
Human Activities c an affect the water cycle by cutting down trees which messes with transpiration and draining oceans and lakes that messes with evaporation.
Laney is asked to research an organism that performs denitrification. Which strategy is the MOST LIKELY to be successful?
Look for soil bacteria that convert nitrates to nitrogen gas.
Juanita is studying the food web of the open ocean. Which step would be most useful for her to follow to identify the primary producers of the food web?
Look for tiny phytoplankton that float on the ocean surface.
Daniel is studying feeding relationships in a neighborhood pond. He observes several organisms that feed on one another, and he organizes them into a food chain model shown below.Daniel's observations and the food chain model provide the strongest evidence for which statement about pond organisms?
Matter cycles and energy flows through pond organisms from primary producers to a series of consumers.
Which statement BEST describes how matter moves within and between ecosystems
Matter cycles through food webs and biogeochemical cycles.
Daniel is studying feeding relationships in a neighborhood pond. He observes several organisms that feed on one another, and he organizes them into the food chain model shown below.Explain the role of photosynthesis in the pond ecosystem. In your explanation, discuss whether or not the organisms that Daniel studied depend on photosynthesis, either directly or indirectly.
Photosyntheisis helps grow the pond algae which helps the algae provide food for the other organisms. So it effects it directly.
Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have been increasing gradually for many years. Scientists cite this increase as one of the main causes of climate change, which is a serious environmental problem for people all over the world. One component of a possible engineering solution to this problem is to use plants, algae, or phytoplankton to increase the global rate of photosynthesis.What scientific reasoning provides evidence that this solution could be effective?
Photosynthesis acts to remove carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere.
A pyramid of biomass is one way to model an ecosystem. How does the amount of biomass generally change from the bottom of the pyramid to the top?
The amount of biomass decreases.
Francine is developing a model of the carbon cycle, which involves the movement of carbon among various Earth systems. She begins by drawing the diagram shown below.Her friend Byron evaluates the model, and suggests that she thicken the arrow leading from fossil fuels to the atmosphere. His reasoning is that fossil fuels are being burned at a much faster rate than natural processes are restoring them.
The model shows that they have opposite effects on carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere
The diagram shows a model of feeding relationships in an ecosystem? What is shown by the arrows that lead to and from the raccoon?
The raccoon is part of one food web and several overlapping food chains.
Daniel is studying feeding relationships in a neighborhood pond. He observes several organisms that feed on one another, and he organizes them into a food chain model.Daniel observes a crayfish nibbling on the remains of a dead sunfish. Construct a new food chain based on this observation by placing the organisms in the correct locations in the diagram. heron added to
algae → snail → sunfish → heron
Thomas constructs a model by completing the following steps.1. Draw a diagram that shows where oxygen is found on Earth, including the atmosphere, bodies of water, land, and living things.2. Draw arrows to show how oxygen moves and changes form from one location to another.3. Label each arrow.Thomas has constructed an example of what type of ecological model?
biogeochemical cycle
Karen is classifying a group of organisms that are either primary producers or consumers. What is the direct source of energy for all of the consumers?
either producers or other consumers
Autotrophs can be classified into two groups according to which of these properties?
energy source, either sunlight or chemicals
How does water transfer when it evaporates from the ocean?
from the hydrosphere to the atmosphere
Rabbits are members of a community in a meadow. The rabbits eat grasses, clover, as well as roots, seeds, and tree bark. What defines the organisms that share the same trophic level as the rabbits?
meadow animals that eat plants and plant products
Which vital element for life participates in the carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles?
oxygen
Year after year, Xavier raises a vegetable garden in the same plot of soil. He observes that the plants grow less abundantly from one year to the next, and they produce fewer vegetables. Which of these processes could help explain Xavier's observations?
the rate at which soil bacteria perform nitrogen fixation
The diagram shows a model of an ecosystem. What does the model represent?
the relative amount of energy available at each trophic level
