Unit 1 Ecology Test Gifted Form: A CLASS SET - PLEASE DO NOT WRITE ON THIS TEST! 1. The picture below shows an energy pyramid. 3. Lightning from a thunderstorm strikes a tree that falls to the forest floor and dies. During the next few years the dead tree undergoes many changes. What organisms are most likely responsible for the biological and chemical changes to the tree? A. consumers B. decomposers C. predators D. producers What will most likely happen to the foxes and the wolves if the rabbits are removed? 4. The graph below shows the population of mice living in a certain area over a fifteen-year period. A. The foxes will eat more wolves. B. The foxes will eat fewer wolves. C. There will be more foxes and wolves. D. There will be fewer foxes and wolves. 2. Decomposers are important in the food chain because they 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 A. produce their own food using light from the Sun. B. stop the flow of energy from one organism to another. C. break down dead organisms and recycle nutrients into the soil. D. are microscopic and other organisms cannot consume them. 5. If a paleontologist finds fossils of many different species existing in the same area at approximately the same time, the paleontologist can conclude that the ecosystem in this area had a high degree of A. climatic variation. B. episodic speciation. C. biological diversity. D. geographic isolation. page 1
6. Which model correctly shows energy flow in a food chain? A. B. 8. 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. C. D. 9. The diagram shows part of an aquatic food web for a stable lake ecosystem in Connecticut. What is the source of energy for the algae? 7. How do nitrogen-fixing bacteria help cycle nitrogen through ecosystems? A. They release nitrogen into the atmosphere when they replicate their DNA. B. They convert sunlight into chemical energy which is then stored in the nitrogen. C. They convert ammonia from animal feces and urine into forms that plants can use. D. They capture nitrogen from the atmosphere and convert it into forms that plants can use. A. waves B. sunlight C. bacteria D. rotifers, water fleas and tadpoles 10. Salt concentration, water temperature, plankton, and the whale shark might all be used in a description of an ocean A. climate. B. food web. C. ecosystem. D. population. Form: A page 2 Unit 1 Ecology Test Gifted
11. Cellular respiration, decomposition, combustion, and photosynthesis are processes that drive which of the following cycles in ecosystems? A. the carbon cycle B. the nitrogen cycle C. the phosphorus cycle D. the water cycle 12. 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. 13. Use the diagram below to answer the following question. 14. How can humans best help an endangered species avoid extinction? A. They can feed the animals. B. They can put the animals in a zoo. C. They can protect the animal s habitat. D. They can take the animal to new habitats. 15. After a volcanic eruption has covered an area with lava, which of the following is the most likely order of succession in the repopulation of the area? A. lichens grasses shrubs trees B. mosses grasses lichens trees C. grasses trees mosses lichens D. shrubs grasses trees lichens 16. What do scientists mean when they refer to a population? A. all the organisms in an ecosystem B. all the species that share similar anatomical features C. all the animals that acquire resources through similar methods D. all the interbreeding members of a certain species in an ecosystem The diagram shows a lake ecosystem divided into three life zones. Why is more diversity of life found in zone 1? A. This zone receives the most sunlight. B. The other two zones donmt have dissolved oxygen. C. It receives longer periods of sunlight daily. 17. In a large forest with many animals, there are only a small number of bears. Which of these most likely limits the population of bears in the forest? A. supply of food B. type of tree C. predation by carnivores D. amount of suitable shelter D. It is always warmer than the other two zones. Form: A page 3 Unit 1 Ecology Test Gifted
18. The diagram below shows an energy pyramid. 20. A marine food web is shown below. Approximately how much energy is available to the secondary consumers in this energy pyramid? A. 10 kcal/m 2 /year B. 100 kcal/m 2 /year C. 1,000 kcal/m 2 /year D. 5,000 kcal/m 2 /year Which chart correctly shows three of the organisms according to their roles in cycling matter in the marine food web? 19. The picture below shows an ocean bay food chain. A. B. Sea otters move into the ocean bay. They eat all the sea urchins. This change will cause the C. A. kelp to have less food. B. crabs to have more food. D. C. sea ducks to have less food. D. arctic foxes to have more food. Form: A page 4 Unit 1 Ecology Test Gifted
21. Which statement best describes how birth and death rates compare in a population at carrying capacity? 24. The picture below shows the water cycle. A. The birth rate is greater than the death rate. B. The birth rate is less than the death rate. C. The birth rate is equal to the death rate. D. The birth rate and the death rate are zero. 22. Which of the following climates has cold winters and hot summers? A. polar B. subtropical C. temperate D. tropical 23. Which of the following is always a result of immigration into a population? A. New individuals are added to the population. B. Some individuals are forced to leave the population. C. The survival rate of the individuals in the population increases. D. The genetic diversity among the individuals in the population decreases. Water on Earth cycles in different forms and in different locations. Which process occurs at the location labeled X on this diagram of the water cycle? A. condensation B. evaporation C. runoff D. transpiration 25. Which of the following human activities reduces biodiversity? A. prohibiting hunting in wildlife preserves B. taking tissue samples from members of endangered species C. planting only native grass species to prevent erosion beside highways D. planting only red pine trees to replace native hardwood forests cut for lumber 26. Where is most of Earth s water located? A. glaciers B. lakes C. oceans D. rivers Form: A page 5 Unit 1 Ecology Test Gifted
27. Which of the following is an example of emigration? 31. Carbon in the atmosphere is most often found as which of the following compounds? A. A small number of hummingbirds leave an island. B. A large number of hummingbirds die in a hurricane. C. A species of hummingbird lays its eggs in the summer months. D. A species of hummingbird adapts to its environment over time. 28. Tropical rain forests have more plant growth than any other type of environment. This may be because rain forests get more rain than other environments. What is another reasonable scientific explanation for rain forests having the most plant growth? A. Temperatures are warm all year long in the rain forests. B. People do not cut down trees in the rain forest. A. stratospheric ozone B. fossil fuel C. carbon monoxide D. carbon dioxide 32. During periods of increased global temperatures, which of the following is most likely to occur? A. a decrease in atmospheric CO 2 B. an increase in atmospheric CO 2 C. a decrease in earthquakes D. an increase in earthquakes 33. Use the diagram below to answer the question. C. The leaves high in the rain forest canopy absorb most of the sunlight. D. Many birds and insects in the rain forest eat plants. 29. Use the table below to answer the following question. Characteristics of the Biome Climate warm temperatures, seasonal rainfall Plants tall grasses, small trees, and shrubs Animals lions, zebras, elephants, giraffes Location East Africa Which biome is described in the table? A. ocean B. desert In this energy pyramid, which organism would most likely be in level 2? A. bird B. fox C. caterpillar D. tree C. tundra D. grassland 30. Which is the best example of a natural cause of population decline in an ecosystem? A. Air pollution B. Strip mining C. Pesticides D. Disease Form: A page 6 Unit 1 Ecology Test Gifted
34. Legumes, such as clover and alfalfa, have nodules on their roots that contain nitrogen-fixing bacteria. These bacteria convert nitrogen gas from the atmosphere into nitrates. 36. Which of the following best accounts for the presence of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in legume root nodules? A. Nitrates are a food source for earthworms. B. Plants can use nitrates, but not nitrogen gas. C. Nitrates are one of the reactants in photosynthesis. D. Nitrogen gas is toxic to most plants, but nitrates are nontoxic. 35. What is the function of autotrophs in the carbon cycle? A. to use oxygen to produce glucose B. to take in excess water C. to use carbon dioxide to produce glucose D. to feed on herbivores The diagram above shows a region near the coast of a large continent. A range of high, snowcapped mountains lies near the ocean. There is a farm between the mountains and the forest. The following question(s) ask(s) you to think about water and the water cycle as the system shows in the diagram. In that system, water exists as a gas. a liquid, and a solid. Describe how water in the lake can become snow on the mountains in the system shown in the diagram. 37. Many farmers use fertilizers on crops. Explain how the use of fertilizers on crops affects the cycling of matter in an ecosystem. In your explanation, be sure to include the impact of nutrient flow in an ecosystem the impact of too many nutrients on an ecosystem Write your answer in the space provided. Form: A page 7 Unit 1 Ecology Test Gifted
38. A prairie ecosystem includes many different organisms, such as grasses, coyotes, trees, mushrooms, snakes, and mice, as shown in the picture below. The energy needed by all the organisms in the ecosystem comes from one primary source. a) Identify the primary source of energy in the prairie ecosystem. b) Identify one producer, one consumer, and one decomposer shown in the picture of the prairie ecosystem. c) Explain how the energy from the primary source you identified in previously moves through the prairie ecosystem. Be sure to include producers, consumers, and decomposers in your answer. Form: A page 8 Unit 1 Ecology Test Gifted