Deck 5: How Ecosystems Work

Question 1

What is landscape ecology?

A)the study of human-designed communities.
B)the study of the influences of pollution on natural ecosystems.
C)a science exclusively concerned with terrestrial ecosystems.
D)the study of the connections among various ecosystems.

Answer 1

the study of the connections among various ecosystems.

Question 2

What type of chemical energy is stored in a plant?

A)kinetic
B)nuclear
C)solar
D)potential

Answer 2

potential

Question 3

What layer of our planet that is made of rock and soil?

A)hydrosphere
B)ecosphere
C)biosphere
D)lithosphere

Answer 3

lithosphere

Question 4

Living space, temperature, sunlight, soil, wind, and precipitation make up the biotic components of the environment.

Question 5

Which of the following is an abiotic factor of the environment?

A)living spaces
B)disease organisms
C)fungus
D)producers

Question 6

Which of the following does the photograph BEST illustrate?

A)community
B)biosphere
C)landscape
D)population

Question 7

Which of the following is an example of a biotic component of an ecosystem?

A)the climate
B)a community
C)water
D)synthetic pesticides

Question 8

The layers of the biosphere are the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and ___________.

Question 9

Which term encompasses the other four?

A)community
B)population
C)species
D)ecosystem

Question 10

What is stated by the First Law of Thermodynamics?

A)energy can be created or destroyed by physical processes.
B)entropy always increases.
C)energy cannot be created or destroyed.
D)the organization of the universe is steadily increasing.

Question 11

Usable energy has high entropy, whereas disorganized energy has low entropy.

Question 12

A community and its physical environment is known as a(n)___________.

Question 13

Plants do both photosynthesis and cellular respiration.

Question 14

According to the laws of thermodynamics which of the following can be recycled?

A)both matter and energy.
B)matter, but not energy.
C)neither matter nor energy.
D)energy, but not matter.

Question 15

Which of the following series is organized in successive steps according to the levels of organization used by ecologists?

A)population -> ecosystem -> community
B)species -> community -> biosphere
C)species -> ecosystem -> population
D)population -> community -> ecosystem

Question 16

Which of the following is NOT a component of the hydrosphere?

A)sea ice
B)tropical rainstorms
C)soil
D)hail

Question 17

What is a species?

A)Organisms that live together.
B)Organisms that live in the same area at the same time.
C)A group of similar organisms whose members freely interbreed with one another and produce fertile offspring.
D)All of the organisms that live together in an area including the physical environment that they live in.

Question 18

What is entropy?

A)the amount of energy in a system.
B)the amount of work done.
C)the efficiency of a system.
D)the disorder in a system.

Question 19

Which of the following BEST describes an ecosystem?

A)populations + community.
B)all species, population, and community interactions for organisms in a given area.
C)the abiotic components of the environment.
D)all of the biological interactions, plus interactions with the abiotic environment, in a given area.

Question 20

The study of the interactions among organisms and between organisms and their abiotic environment that live and interact together within an area at the same time is:

A)ecosystem
B)ecology
C)landscape ecology
D)biosphere

Question 21

Organic matter that includes animal carcasses, leaf litter, and feces is known as ___________.

Question 22

Herbivores are:

A)primary consumers
B)secondary consumers
C)decomposers
D)scavengers

Question 23

The moose shown here eating grass would MOST LIKELY be a member of what trophic level?

A)First
B)Second
C)Third
D)Fourth

Question 24

How would an ecologist classify the organism shown below?

A)decomposer
B)primary consumer
C)producer
D)secondary consumer

Question 25

This figure BEST illustrates:

A)how energy is recycled in an ecosystem.
B)how our atmosphere maintains its temperature.
C)the importance of decomposers in an ecosystem.
D)the one-way flow of energy in an ecosystem.

Question 26

Organisms are assigned trophic levels based on the number of energy transfer steps from the source of energy to that level.

Question 27

Which of the following statements about biogeochemical cycles is true?

A)They only include processes conducted by or within living organisms.
B)They pertain only to the abiotic environment.
C)They describe the movement of water and other materials through an ecosystem.
D)They only pertain to exchanges and interactions that occur within the atmosphere.

Question 28

Which of the following statements about energy is TRUE?

A)It flows in only one direction through an ecosystem.
B)It can be used over and over again.
C)Energy recycles continuously through an ecosystem.
D)It tends to be concentrated by living organisms.

Question 29

What is each level or "link" in a food chain or a food web called?

A)a trophic level.
B)a consumer.
C)an energy flow unit.
D)a producer.

Question 30

Photosynthesis is:

A)A physical law, which states that when energy is converted from one form to another, some of it is degraded into heat, a less usable form that disperses into the environment.
B)The biological process that captures light energy and transforms it into the chemical energy of organic molecules, which are manufactured from carbon dioxide and water.
C)The measure of the amount of usable energy available to do work in the universe.
D)The process that involves potential energy being converted to kinetic energy.

Question 31

What important process are producers involved with in the ecosystem?

A)predation
B)pollination
C)nutrient cycling
D)photosynthesis

Question 32

What important role do decomposers play in the ecosystem?

A)predation
B)pollination
C)nutrient cycling
D)photosynthesis

Question 33

Some research suggest that ______ may weaken the global hydrological cycle by causing clouds to form that release less precipitation.

Question 34

Light is the energy source for which process?

A)respiration
B)glycolysis
C)transpiration
D)none of these choices

Question 35

The study of energy and its transformations is called:

A)biogeochemical cycles
B)kinetic energy
C)potential energy
D)thermodynamics

Question 36

How would an ecologist classify both the animals shown below?

A)decomposers
B)primary consumers
C)producers
D)carnivores

Question 37

A secondary consumer would eat:

A)tertiary consumers
B)fungi
C)grass
D)herbivores

Question 38

Approximately what percentage of the atmosphere is CO₂?

A)0.001%
B)0.04%
C)10%
D)30%

Question 39

Gross primary productivity is the energy that is available as food for an ecosystem's consumers.

Question 40

Which statement BEST portrays the American robin in the food web below?

A)Consumers that eat herbivores and can be considered primary consumers
B)Secondary consumers that eat primary consumers and can be considered herbivores
C)Both primary and secondary consumers and can be considered omnivores
D)Tertiary consumers and are also called heterotrophs

Question 41

The nitrogen cycle is one of the most important and complex of the biogeochemical cycles. Why is nitrogen important?

A)It's an Ozone depleting gas.
B)It's an essential part of biological molecules such as proteins and nucleic acids (DNA)
C)It's the most toxic element to living organisms
D)Nitrogen dilutes the oxygen in the atmosphere causing respiratory problems

Question 42

Which of the following accurately represents a sequential portion of the nitrogen cycle?

A)N₂ in the atmosphere -- ammonification -- nitrification -- plants
B)N₂ in the atmosphere - nitrification --plants
C)dead organic material -- ammonification -- nitrification -- plants
D)plant proteins -- animal proteins -- nitrification -- N₂ in the atmosphere

Question 43

Which of the following processes plays an important role in the phosphorus cycle?

A)erosion
B)nitrogen fixation
C)combustion
D)cellular respiration

Question 44

Which of the following is not a source of carbon for the carbon cycle?

A)shells of marine organisms
B)oil
C)detritus
D)fertilizer

Question 45

How can humans interfere with the phosphorus cycle?

A)by burning natural gas.
B)by mining for fertilizers.
C)emissions from automobile exhaust.
D)increasing global warming.

Question 46

Which of the following is not an example of a fossil fuel?

A)wood
B)oil
C)natural gas
D)coal

Question 47

Which of the following accurately represents a carbon source and the process that releases carbon from that source?

A)fossil fuels, respiration
B)animals, photosynthesis
C)plants, cellular respiration
D)bicarbonate, combustion

Question 48

What do we call an area of land that runoff drains into?

A)watershed
B)estuary
C)groundwater
D)niche

Question 49

What is an organism's realized niche?

A)all the places an organism can survive
B)lifestyle an organism pursues and the resources it actually uses
C)the ecosystem where an animal lives and all the foods available to it
D)idealized ecological niche of an organism

Question 50

Why have some plants evolved mutualistic relationships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria?

A)The bacteria transform nitrogen into forms useful forms for the plants; the plants provide water and a place for the bacteria to live.
B)The bacteria protect the plant from harmful effects of nitrogen compounds such as ammonia; the plants provide carbohydrates for the bacteria.
C)The bacteria utilize nitrogen to produce energy for the plants; the plants provide the source of the nitrogen for the bacteria.
D)The bacteria provide natural immunities to the plants; the plants shelter the bacteria from predators.

Question 51

What is the process that reduces nitrate (NO₃^-)to gaseous nitrogen (N₂)called?

A)nitrification.
B)ammonification.
C)assimilation.
D)denitrification.

Question 52

Nitrogen gas accounts for what percentage of the atmosphere?

A)0.03%
B)1%
C)approximately 50%
D)78%

Question 53

What is the step in the nitrogen cycle in which gaseous nitrogen is converted into ammonia?

A)ossification
B)ammonification
C)assimilation
D)nitrogen fixation

Question 54

In the carbon cycle, carbon can be found in:

A)limestone, animals, and plants.
B)oil, bicarbonate, and sugar.
C)carbon dioxide and coal.
D)all of these choices

Question 55

The __________ is the area of land where runoff drains.

Question 56

The red patch on each of the trees shows where each type of warbler normally eats. This is an example of:

A)commensalism
B)competitive exclusion
C)geographic isolation
D)resource partitioning

Question 57

What is nitrogen fixation?

A)the conversion of gaseous nitrogen into an organism friendly form (ammonia (NH₃).
B)preplanned setting of atmospheric levels of nitrogen at 78%
C)stabilizing elemental nitrogen into a gaseous two-atom molecule (N₂)
D)the reduction of nitrate (NO₃^-)to gaseous nitrogen.

Question 58

How is carbon transferred from living organisms to the atmosphere?

A)photosynthesis
B)decomposition
C)cellular respiration
D)burning fossil fuels

Question 59

Which of the following processes is not involved in the hydrologic cycle?

A)transpiration
B)precipitation
C)evaporation
D)combustion

Question 60

How does the phosphorus cycle DIFFER from the carbon cycle?

A)There is little or no human impact on the phosphorus cycle.
B)Phosphorus is not a critical component of living organisms.
C)The hydrosphere plays a role in the phosphorus cycle.
D)The atmosphere does not contribute to the phosphorus cycle.

Question 61

All of the following are example of resource partitioning EXCEPT:

A)owls hunt by night while hawks hunt by day
B)fruit eating bats and birds in tropical rainforests specialize in the types of fruit they eat
C)one species of lizard limits itself to crowns of trees while the other lives on the trunks of the trees
D)nitrogen fixing bacteria live inside nodules on the roots of legumes

Question 62

Which of the following is an example of co-evolution?

A)plants and carnivores
B)fig trees and insect-eating birds
C)sea urchins and orcas
D)flowering plants and their pollinators

Question 63

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A)Predation only favors the predator with the evolution of more efficient ways to catch prey.
B)Predation only favors the prey with the evolution of more efficient ways to escape predators.
C)Predation exerts a selective force on the prey, favoring characteristics that reduce the probability of capture.
D)Predation exerts a selective force on the predator, favoring characteristics that reduce the probability of prey capture.

Question 64

Being that grey wolves are a keystone species in North America, after their reintroduction into the Yellowstone ecosystem, which of the following events occurred?

A)The number of predators in the ecosystem was increased.
B)The number of prey in the ecosystem was reduced.
C)The plant composition became more varied and lush.
D)All of the above occurred.

Question 65

What is predation?

A)Two or more individuals attempting to use an essential common resource.
B)One organism consuming another organism, which may be a plant or animal.
C)Organisms living together.
D)A coevolved relationship where one organism benefits and the other is adversely affected.

Question 66

What is coevolution?

A)The interdependent evolution of two interacting species.
B)The interdependent evolution of similar organisms whose members freely interbreed in the wild.
C)The evolution of a single species producing more offspring than will survive.
D)Species that lack a nuclear membrane and other internal cell membranes.

Question 67

Competition that occurs among individuals within a population is known as _____________

Question 68

Which of the following characterizes a symbiotic relationship?

A)a coevolved relationship where both species benefit
B)a coevolved relationship where one species benefits and the other is not affected
C)a coevolved relationship where one species benefits and the other is adversely affected
D)all of these choices

Question 69

Why are epiphytes considered commensal?

A)They feed on the tree they are living on.
B)The tree is not harmed by the epiphytes.
C)The tree benefits from the epiphytes that live on it.
D)Both the tree and the epiphytes feed on each other.

Question 70

A louse is which of the following?

A)a parasite
B)a predator
C)a consumer
D)a & c

Question 71

Which of the following describes intraspecific competition?

A)one organism, the predator, attempts to consume another, the prey.
B)two species in different habitats have similar niches.
C)two or more individuals of the same species attempt to use an essential common resource.
D)two or more species have an ecological relationship.

Question 72

Which of the following is NOT an adaptation that would improve the efficiency of prey capture for a predator?

A)ambush
B)warning coloration
C)camouflage
D)pursuit speed

Question 73

Which of the following is an adaptation of flowers resulting from the coevolution of plants and pollinators?

A)mycorrhizae
B)nectar
C)epiphytes
D)nitrogen fixing bacteria

Question 74

In order for a parasite to be successful, it must

A)live outside its host's body
B)live inside its host's body
C)do no harm to the host organism
D)keep its host alive

Question 75

A realized niche is the totality of an organism's adaptations, its use of resource, and the lifestyle to which it is fitted.

Question 76

Keystone species:

A)are only found in aquatic habitats.
B)are always found at the top of the food chain.
C)are vital to the soil balance of an entire ecosystem.
D)are usually not the most abundant species in the ecosystem.

Question 77

What is an organism's role, or lifestyle, within the structure of an ecosystem called?

A)habitat.
B)trophic level.
C)symbiotic relationship.
D)ecological niche.

Question 78

Which of the following is an example of interspecific competition?

A)Two gray squirrels collecting nuts from the same tree.
B)Mites and nematodes all feeding on the same decomposing plant.
C)A group of cliff swallows feeding on a swarm of mosquitoes.
D)A honeybee feeding on several species of flowers.

Question 79

What important process might be severely impacted by colony collapse disorder?

A)nutrient cycling
B)pollination
C)symbiosis
D)predation

Question 80

Interspecific competition is competition that occurs between individuals of different species.