Ecology Student Edition. A. Sparrows breathe air. B. Sparrows drink water. C. Sparrows use the sun for food. D. Sparrows use plants for shelter.

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1 Name: Date: 1. Which of the following does not give an example of how sparrows use resources in their environment to survive? A. Sparrows breathe air. B. Sparrows drink water. C. Sparrows use the sun for food. D. Sparrows use plants for shelter. 2. In a desert environment, cactus wrens often build their nests in cholla cacti to avoid predators. This behavior does not hurt the cacti. Which type of relationship do cactus wrens and cholla cacti demonstrate? A. competitive B. commensalism C. mutualism D. parasitism 3. Which of the following is an example of organisms becoming dormant? A. birds flying south in the winter B. plants flowering in the summer C. trees losing their leaves in the fall D. earthworms living underground all year 4. The graph below shows the population of mice living in a certain area over a fifteen-year period. Which numeral on the graph points to a time when the birth rate exceeded the death rate of the mice? A. I B. II C. III D. IV page 1

2 5. The graph below shows a population of pigeons living in a neighborhood over a ten-year period. Which of the following statements could account for the change in population seen between years 7 and 8? A. The birth rate of the pigeons increased. B. The emigration rate of the pigeons decreased. C. The death rate of the pigeons exceeded the birth rate. D. The neighborhood reached its carrying capacity for the pigeon population. 6. The highest concentration of life exists in the top 200 meters of ocean water. The most important factor that influences this concentration of life is the A. amount of gases at the surface. B. amount of nutrients in the water. C. large number of predators at lower depths. D. amount of sunlight. 7. In the longstanding war between coyotes and sheep ranchers in New Mexico, studies show that coyotes kill sheep and the percentage of sheep lost from herds in areas where coyotes have been exterminated is about the same as the percentage lost in areas where coyotes are still present. What is the most likely explanation for the similarity in the percentage of sheep lost in both areas? A. Coyotes were protecting sheep. B. The sheep died from overcrowding. C. Another predator was killing sheep. D. Coyotes were preying on sick or weak sheep. page 2

3 8. The yucca moth of the Arizona desert lays its eggs inside the flower of the yucca plant. When the eggs hatch, the moth larvae eat some of the plant seeds. When the moth flies away from the plant, it takes pollen from the yucca flower with it. How does the yucca moth help the yucca plant? A. lays eggs B. eats seeds C. hatches larvae D. spreads pollen 9. Some plants grow only in specific places in the world. Some cacti, for example, grow only in deserts. Which of the following is most important in determining where a plant can grow and survive? A. animals B. climate C. tides D. wind 10. The growth rate of a local population is dependent on the birth rate minus the death rate and. A. the ratio of males to females in the population B. the lifespan of females beyond the reproductive age C. the amount of genetic variation that exists in the population D. the immigration and emigration of individuals to and from the population. 11. When trees develop leaves in the spring, changes occur on the forest floor. Why does the development of leaves cause changes on the forest floor? A. Rainfall increases. B. Sunlight is reduced. C. Wind speed increases. D. Animal migration is stopped. 12. Which of the following climates has cold winters and hot summers? A. polar B. subtropical C. temperate D. tropical page 3

4 13. The diagram below represents the distribution of trees in an area of a forest. When squirrels move into the area, they gather acorns from the one oak tree in this area and hide them in the ground over a wide area. Which of the following best represents this same area of the forest 20 years later? A. B. C. D. page 4

5 14. Each year, humpback whales migrate from the coast of Antarctica to the north coast of Australia. The map below shows the whales migration route. Which of the following are the whales most likely responding to when they begin to migrate? A. the force of gravity B. a shift in ocean waves C. a change in water temperature D. the approach of stormy weather 15. The marsh willow herb is a plant native to the northeastern United States. It grows best in damp habitats. Which of the following environmental changes would most likely cause a decrease in the marsh willow herb population in an area? A. a rainstorm lasting several weeks B. a drought lasting twelve months C. unusually low temperatures during the month of July D. unusually high temperatures during the month of January 16. Many bacteria are decomposer organisms. Which of the following statements best describes how these bacteria help make soil more fertile? A. The bacteria break down water into food. B. The bacteria change sunlight into minerals. C. The bacteria combine with sand to form rocks. D. The bacteria break down plant and animal matter. page 5

6 17. Corals are small marine organisms that live in groups and make hard outer skeletons to protect their bodies. Over time, these outer skeletons can build up to make large coral reefs. Which of the following statements best describes one way the formation of a coral reef changes the ocean ecosystem? A. It makes the ocean water saltier. B. It removes sand from the ocean floor. C. It causes ocean waves to become stronger. D. It creates a habitat for some ocean animals. 18. Two geese mate and raise their goslings (baby geese) each year. The table below shows the number of goslings that survive each year over a five-year period. Year Number of Goslings That Survive Which of the following statements best explains why a different number of goslings survives each year? A. The goslings develop different adaptations each year. B. Different environmental conditions affect the goslings each year. C. Some goslings inherit more traits from one parent than from the other. D. The environmental conditions affect the parent geese more than the goslings. 19. Fossilized coral reefs, fish, and other warm water marine creatures have been found in mountainous regions of New England. Which of the following best explains how this could have occurred? A. The climate and geology of this area have changed over time. B. These creatures were better adapted to cold climates at one time. C. The process of fossilization greatly changed the original material. D. Scavengers carried the remains of these creatures to higher regions. page 6

7 20. The praying mantis is a predatory insect that often eats moths. The graph below shows the relative numbers of two species of moths over 12 weeks after the introduction of the predatory praying mantis. What characteristic of this ecosystem is best indicated from this graph? A. Species B was preferred as food over species species A. B. Species B may replace species A in this environment. C. Species B will reproduce more rapidly than species A. D. Species B was more abundant at the beginning of this time period than species A. 21. The complete removal of decomposers from an ecosystem will have the greatest effect on which of the following? A. the spread of disease B. the availability of water C. the recycling of nutrients D. the distribution of organisms 22. A hurricane sweeps across a small Caribbean island, killing 50 percent of the herbivore species on the island. Which of the following is the most immediate result? A. a reduction in biodiversity B. an acceleration of the carbon cycle C. an increase in predator populations D. a decline in decomposer populations page 7

8 23. Populations of Caribbean coral have decreased significantly over the past 30 years due to disease. Which of the following is most likely a major factor leading to the increased amount of disease in the coral? A. Symbiotic algae are living in the coral cells. B. Several different species of fish live on the coral reefs. C. Levels of spawning have decreased and lowered reproductive rates. D. Water temperatures have increased and favored the growth of microorganisms. 24. Which of the following would most likely happen if grasses and shrubs were removed from a rural Massachusetts ecosystem? A. There would be an increase in consumers in the ecosystem. B. There would be an increase of photosynthesis in the ecosystem. C. There would be a decrease in food energy produced by the ecosystem. D. There would be a decrease of carbon dioxide available to the ecosystem. 25. Black terns are a species of bird living in marshes, ponds, and marshy lakes. They feed on insects, fish, and crustaceans. They usually make their nests on loose, floating vegetation. Which of the following environmental changes would most likely decrease the size of the black tern population? A. A competing bird population decreases in size. B. Fish species have a more successful breeding season than usual. C. A new plant species invades the environment and creates a dense cover of vegetation. D. Insect larvae experience lower than average rates of predation and survive to adulthood. page 8