Deck 31: Communities and Ecosystems

Question 1

Which of the following is an example of predation?

A) daddy-long-legs, a type of arachnid that eat dead and decaying matter
B) marine filter-feeders that have long tentacles to filter food particles from the water
C) a starfish which is able to evert its stomach to break open and eat clams
D) a giraffe pulling leaves off tall trees with its long tongue
E) a tick that attaches to a deer and sucks its blood

Answer 1

C
Explanation: Starfish are predators that kill and eat other animals.

Question 2

An ecosystem

A) includes only the plants within a particular area.
B) includes all the living organisms within a specific area, but not the abiotic factors.
C) includes both living and abiotic factors within a particular region.
D) always includes equal numbers of plant and animal species.
E) only refers to biotic factors in a region.

Answer 2

C
Explanation: Ecosystems include both biotic and abiotic factors in a particular region

Question 3

Which of the following is an example of the competitive exclusion principle?

A) two different species occupying the same ecological niche
B) two species competing for food and territory
C) competition of mates between two different species
D) two species sharing the same habitat
E) one species outcompeting another species in a particular niche

Answer 3

E
Explanation: The competitive exclusion principle states that two species cannot occupy the same niche.

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT an example of an animal's niche?

A) a small bird living in the dense shrubs at the base of a tree
B) two male lizards fighting over access to a female
C) a grasshopper feeding on leaves
D) an oystercatcher eating bivalves
E) lions and hyenas fighting over access to a zebra carcass

Question 5

Which of the following is an example of species richness?

A) vultures feeding on the remains of a carcass
B) herd of 60 elk, 6 bald eagles and 90 white pine trees
C) prairie chickens at a lake competing for access to mates
D) diving beetles, blue gill, lilies, water mites, crayfish
E) 100 kg of vegetation, 10 kg of grasshoppers, 1 kg of spiders

Question 6

Which of the following is an example of primary succession?

A) new growth in a forest after a forest fire
B) regrowth and recolonization on Mt. St. Helens in areas covered with rock and lava
C) a wheat field that is not is allowed to grow wild
D) regrowth of vegetation in an area covered by a mud slide after flooding
E) colonization of an isolated island by a population of long-horned beetles

Question 7

Which of the following would be considered an example of competition?

A) Some species of crabs decorate their shells with sea anemones and other corals. These "decorations" help camouflage the crab and the movement of the crab from one area to the next exposes the corals and anemones to different sources of food.
B) Some spiders do not build webs, but live in the web of another species. When a prey item is caught in the web, the non-web building spider will sneak in and steal the prey.
C) A praying mantis hunting and eating a fly is an example.
D) The longest tapeworm removed from a human was approximately 11 meters long. Tapeworms do not have a digestive system, but obtains all of their nutrients from the host.
E) Pseudoscorpions are small, harmless arachnids. To move from one place to another, they will sometimes latch onto the legs of flies and thus be carried long distances that they would not readily be able to traverse.

Question 8

Which of the following is an example of an ecosystem?

A) zebras and the lions that prey on them
B) a coral reef together with all the fishes and invertebrates living in and around it
C) flowering plants and all the insects and birds that pollinate them
D) male prairie chickens competing for access to mates
E) rabbits eating carrots

Question 9

Which of the following is a community?

A) a group of walrus on a beach
B) hummingbirds at a feeder
C) trout and the lake they inhabit
D) squirrels and the oak trees they live in
E) a herd of elephants in the Namib desert

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT true about species diversity?

A) It includes species richness.
B) It includes species diversity.
C) It is influenced by the relative abundance of species.
D) It is influenced by the distribution of the different species.
E) It is not impacted by species richness.

Question 11

Which of the following correctly lists the progression of species present during primary or secondary succession?

A) fungi, nonvascular plants, gymnosperms, animals
B) nonvascular plants, angiosperm, gymnosperms, fungi
C) animals, fungi, nonvascular plants, angiosperms
D) angiosperms, nonvascular plants, animals, gymnosperms
E) gymnosperms, angiosperms, fungi, nonvascular plants

Question 12

Which of the following would be considered a mutualistic relationship?

A) Some species of crabs decorate their shells with sea anemones and other corals. These "decorations" help camouflage the crab and the movement of the crab from one area to the next exposes the corals and anemones to different sources of food.
B) Some spiders do not build webs, but live in the web of another species. When a prey item is caught in the web, the non-web building spider will sneak in and steal the prey.
C) A praying mantis hunting and eating a fly.
D) The longest tapeworm removed from a human was approximately 11 meters long. Tapeworms do not have a digestive system, but obtains all of their nutrients from the host.
E) Pseudoscorpions are small, harmless arachnids. To move from one place to another, they will sometimes latch onto the legs of flies and thus be carried long distances that they would not readily be able to traverse.

Question 13

Which of the following would be considered a commensalistic relationship?

A) Some species of crabs decorate their shells with sea anemones and other corals. These "decorations" help camouflage the crab and the movement of the crab from one area to the next exposes the corals and anemones to different sources of food.
B) Some spiders do not build webs, but live in the web of another species. When a prey item is caught in the web, the non-web building spider will sneak in and steal the prey.
C) A praying mantis hunting and eating a fly.
D) The longest tapeworm removed from a human was approximately 11 meters long. Tapeworms do not have a digestive system, but obtains all of their nutrients from the host.
E) Pseudoscorpions are small, harmless arachnids. To move from one place to another, they will sometimes latch onto the legs of flies and thus be carried long distances that they would not readily be able to traverse.

Question 14

Ecological succession is

A) a change in communities caused by human activities.
B) a stable community that forms after a change.
C) an orderly process of change in the community of organisms.
D) what happens to a cultivated field every year that crops are planted.
E) competition between opportunistic and equilibrium species.

Question 15

All of the following are true about both primary and secondary succession EXCEPT

A) both lead to a stable climax community.
B) both include a progression of changes in the community over time.
C) both occur in regions where soil is already present.
D) for both communities, fungi and vascular seedless plants are typically the first species to colonize the area.
E) both are colonized first by opportunistic species.

Question 16

The physical space that an organism occupies in its environment is its ______________.

A) habitat
B) niche
C) biotic factor
D) role
E) abiotic factor

Question 17

Which of the following would be considered a parasitic relationship?

A) Some species of crabs decorate their shells with sea anemones and other corals. These "decorations" help camouflage the crab and the movement of the crab from one area to the next exposes the corals and anemones to different sources of food.
B) Some spiders do not build webs, but live in the web of another species. When a prey item is caught in the web, the non-web building spider will sneak in and steal the prey.
C) A praying mantis hunting and eating a fly.
D) The longest tapeworm removed from a human was approximately 11 meters long. Tapeworms do not have a digestive system, but obtains all of their nutrients from the host which can cause problems for the host especially if (s)he is undernourished.
E) Pseudoscorpions are small, harmless arachnids. To move from one place to another, they will sometimes latch onto the legs of flies and thus be carried long distances that they would not readily be able to traverse.

Question 18

A community is

A) populations of multiple species interacting with one another in a specific area.
B) populations of organisms and the abiotic factors in their environment.
C) competition for food between individuals in a population.
D) all the biotic and abiotic factors in an environment.
E) multiple organisms of the same species living in a specific area.

Question 19

The first pioneer species to appear in an area undergoing secondary succession is

A) an equilibrium species.
B) long-lived.
C) able to produce numerous offspring.
D) a secondary consumer.
E) slow to reach sexual maturity.

Question 20

Which of the following communities is the LEAST diverse?

A) 15 lions, 100 zebras, 80 giraffes
B) 50 squirrels, 75 oak trees, 60 maple trees
C) 4 crab spiders, 76 goldenrod, 60 echinacea
D) 40 bass, 60 minnow, 55 blue gill
E) 5 elm trees, 7 beech trees, 6 birch trees

Question 21

An organism that obtains its food from the process of photosynthesis is a(n) __________.

A) autotroph
B) consumer
C) heterotroph
D) decomposer
E) omnivore

Question 22

Figure:
Based on the figure shown here, which organism is NOT a primary consumer?

A) rabbit
B) deer
C) mice
D) chipmunk
E) fisher

Question 23

Figure:
Based on the figure shown here, which of the following is both a primary and secondary consumer?

A) skunk
B) mice
C) rabbit
D) deer
E) snake

Question 24

Figure:
Based on the figure shown here, which of the following is a secondary consumer?

A) skunk
B) owl
C) rabbit
D) insects
E) deer

Question 25

In an aquatic ecosystem, the aquatic plants are eaten by small invertebrates that in turn are eaten by crayfish, the crayfish are eaten by fish, and the fish are eaten by ducks. In this system, the greatest amount of biomass would be found in the _____________.

A) aquatic plants
B) small invertebrates
C) crayfish
D) fish
E) ducks

Question 26

Figure:
Which of the following boxes indicates the process of nitrification?

A) Box A
B) Box B
C) Box C
D) Box D
E) Box E

Question 27

A keystone species is

A) the largest species in a community.
B) the most numerous species in a community.
C) the least numerous species in a community.
D) a species on which many other species depend.
E) the species that occupies most of the niches within a particular environment.

Question 28

Figure:
Which of the following boxes indicates the process of denitrification?

A) Box A
B) Box B
C) Box C
D) Box D
E) Box E

Question 29

Which of the following is an example of a sedimentary cycle?

A) the phosphorus cycle
B) the nitrogen cycle
C) the carbon cycle
D) the atmospheric cycle
E) eutrophic cycle

Question 30

Martin is studying blue gill fish which are insectivores. How would you classify this fish?

A) autotrophic consumer
B) autotrophic producer
C) heterotrophic decomposer
D) detritivore
E) heterotrophic consumer

Question 31

All of the following are true about ecosystems EXCEPT

A) chemicals are constantly recycled and reused.
B) chemicals are converted from one form to another.
C) energy is constantly recycled.
D) energy is required continuously because some energy is lost.
E) the ultimate source of energy is the sun.

Question 32

In an aquatic ecosystem, the aquatic plants are eaten by small invertebrates that in turn are eaten by crayfish, the crayfish are eaten by fish, and the fish are eaten by ducks. Based on this, which of the following is incorrectly matched?

A) aquatic plant - producer
B) crayfish - secondary consumer
C) duck - 4^th trophic level
D) fish - tertiary consumer
E) small invertebrates - 2^nd trophic level

Question 33

Among American warblers, several different species often live in the same spruce trees and eat caterpillars. However, each species reproduces at a slightly different time of year and each species also forage at different areas within the tree canopy. These differences in foraging behaviors and reproduction is an example of

A) competitive exclusion.
B) character displacement.
C) resource partitioning.
D) mutualism.
E) competitive inclusion.

Question 34

When too many nutrients are added to of a body of water, this is known as __________.

A) A biogeochemical cycle
B) reservoirs
C) eutrophication
D) global warming
E) nitrogen fixing

Question 35

On average, 90% of biomass is transferred from one trophic level to the next.

Question 36

A decomposer ultimately obtains all its food from

A) sunlight.
B) mushrooms.
C) preying on other living organism.
D) parasitizing living organisms.
E) dead and decaying plant matter.

Question 37

A chemoautotroph obtains its energy from all of the following EXCEPT __________.

A) ammonia
B) oxygen
C) sulfides
D) nitrites

Question 38

Which of the following has the slowest phosphate transfer rate?

A) runoff
B) decomposition of plants and animals
C) mining
D) weathering of rocks
E) fertilizers

Question 39

If there is 2,000 kg of caterpillars, how much of this biomass will be converted into top carnivore tissue?

A) 20,000 kg
B) 2,000 kg
C) 200 kg
D) 20 kg
E) 2 kg

Question 40

Which of the following is an autotroph?

A) rose bush
B) lion
C) decomposer
D) omnivore
E) hyena

Question 41

What process is occurring in Box C?

A) nitrification
B) decomposition
C) denitrification
D) nitrogen-fixing
E) nitrogen incorporation

Question 42

Water is a major limiting factor in which of the following biomes?

A) temperate grasslands
B) tundra
C) savannah
D) tropical rainforest
E) coral reef

Question 43

In aquatic ecosystems primary productivity is most dependent on

A) organic nutrients.
B) species richness and diversity.
C) the type of soil.
D) the rate of photosynthesis.
E) inorganic nutrients.

Question 44

Biomes are defined by

A) types of plants.
B) types of animals.
C) communities.
D) temperature and rainfall.
E) both plants, animals, and inorganic matter.

Question 45

Which of the following terrestrial ecosystems has the highest rate of primary productivity?

A) marsh
B) tropical rainforest
C) temperate rainforest
D) prairies
E) tundras

Question 46

Which two terrestrial biomes are the most similar with regards to rainfall?

A) desert & taiga
B) tundra & desert
C) desert & temperate forest
D) temperate grasslands & desert
E) temperate forests & rainforests

Question 47

When an animal respires, the carbon in the carbon dioxide that it breathes out comes indirectly from

A) the air that the organism breaths in.
B) dead and decaying plant matter.
C) fossil fuels.
D) photosynthesis.
E) carbon fixation.

Question 48

What is the source of carbon for most aquatic organisms?

A) carbon dioxide
B) calcium carbonate
C) biocarbonate ions
D) carbon monoxide
E) fossil fuels

Question 49

The greenhouse effect

A) will lead to decreased sea levels.
B) decreases the amount of carbon dioxide in the air.
C) increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the air.
D) is caused by gases such as carbon dioxide trapping heat in the Earth's atmosphere.
E) is due to gases forming a barrier around the Earth and insulating the Earth from the sun's rays.

Question 50

What is the main reason that the tundra does not have large plants?

A) The seeds of large plants were never dispersed into these regions.
B) The amount of sunlight is not great enough for large plants to survive.
C) The amount of rainfall is not enough for large plants to survive.
D) The other species of plants have out competed them for resources.
E) The permafrost persists, even during the summer.

Question 51

The most inclusive level of biological organization is __________.

A) ecosystems
B) biomes
C) the biosphere
D) communities
E) ecotypes

Question 52

To increase her tomato yield, an organic gardener plants legumes alongside her tomato bushes rather than using fertilizers. Why did she plant legumes?

A) Legumes have root nodules with nitrogen fixing bacteria.
B) Legumes convert ammonium to nitrates.
C) Root nodules on legumes have denitrifying bacteria.
D) Legumes are an immediate source of phosphorus and nitrogen.
E) Root nodules on legumes produce nitrifying bacteria.

Question 53

All of the following are reservoirs EXCEPT ________.

A) oil
B) calcium carbonate
C) coal
D) natural gas
E) bicarbonate

Question 54

The aquatic ecosystem with the least amount of inorganic matter is ___________.

A) estuaries
B) coral reefs
C) open oceans
D) lakes
E) swamps