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Ecosystems and Communities Chapter Test A
Multiple Choice
Write the letter that best answers the question or completes the statement on the line provided.
_____ 1. How does an area’s weather differ from the area’s climate?
a. Weather involves temperature and preciapitation and climate involves only temperature.
b. An area’s weather depends on where it is located on Earth and the area’s climate does not.
c. An area’s weather does not change very much and an area’s climate changes many times.
d. Weather is the area’s day-to-day conditions and climate is the area’s average conditions.
_____ 2. The tendency for warm air to rise and cool air to sink results in
a. global wind patterns. c. the seasons.
b. ocean upwelling. d. regional precipitation.
_____ 3. An organism’s niche is
a. the range of physical and biological conditions in which an organism lives and the way it obtains what it needs to survive and reproduce.
b. all the physical and biological factors in the organism’s environment.
c. the range of temperatures that the organism needs to survive.
d. a full description of the place an organism lives.
_____ 4. No two species can occupy the same niche in the same habitat at the same time
a. because of the interactions that shape the ecosystem.
b. unless the species require different abiotic factors.
c. because of the competitive exclusion principle.
d. unless the species require different biotic factors.
_____ 5. What would likely happen if the population of the bird species shown in the ecosystem in Figure 4–1 were to suddenly decrease?
a. The fish population would decrease.
b. The fish population would increase.
c. The fish population would remain the same.
d. Fish would leave the ecosystem.
_____ 6. A wolf pack hunts, kills, and feeds on a moose. In this interaction, the wolves are
a. hosts. c. mutualists.
b. prey. d. predators.
_____ 7. A symbiotic relationship in which one organism is harmed and another benefits is
a. mutualism. c. commensalism.
b. parasitism. d. predation.
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_____ 8. What is one difference between primary and secondary succession?
a. Primary succession is rapid and secondary succession is slow.
b. Secondary succession begins on soil and primary succession begins on newly exposed surfaces.
c. Primary succession modifies the environment and secondary succession does not.
d. Secondary succession begins with lichens and primary succession begins with trees.
_____ 9. A tropical rain forest may not return to its original climax community after which of the following disturbances?
a. burning of a forest fire c. volcanic eruption
b. clearing and farming d. flooding after a hurricane
_____ 10. Which two biomes have the least precipitation?
a. tropical rain forest and temperate grassland
b. tropical savanna and tropical dry forest
c. tundra and desert
d. boreal forest and temperate woodland and shrubland
_____ 11. Which landforms are not classified into a major biome?
a. prairies
b. mountain ranges
c. coastlines
d. islands
_____ 12. Are you likely to find zooplankton in the aphotic, benthic zone of an ocean?
a. Yes. Zooplankton are chemosynthetic autotrophs.
b. Yes. Zooplankton can photosynthesize in the dark.
c. No. Zooplankton feed on phytoplankton and phytoplankton cannot photo-synthesize in the dark.
d. No. Zooplankton cannot chemosynthesize in the dark without the presence of oxygen in the water.
_____ 13. Which is one way a freshwater wetland differs from a lake or pond?
a. Water flows in a lake or pond but never flows in a wetland.
b. Wetlands are nesting areas for birds, but lakes and ponds are not.
c. Water does not always cover a wetland as it does a lake or pond.
d. Wetlands are salty, but lakes and ponds are fresh.
_____ 14. Estuaries are commercially important because
a. fish species that people buy and sell live in estuaries.
b. tall buildings can be built in estuaries.
c. lumber trees grow in estuaries.
d. fossil fuels are found in estuaries.
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_____ 15. The photic zone
a. extends to the bottom of the open ocean.
b. extends to a depth of about 200 meters.
c. is deep, cold, and permanently dark.
d. is where chemosynthetic bacteria are the producers.
Completion
Complete each statement on the line provided.
16. Over time, some plants growing in an area are crowded out by other plants. The new plants use up water and nutrients needed by the previous plants. The disappearance of the first plants is due to .
17. Predator is to prey as herbivore is to .
18. Some orchids grow high on trees so that they can get enough light for photosynthesis. The trees are unaffected by the presence of the orchids. The relationship between the orchids and the trees is an example of .
19. Regrowth of grasses, ferns, wildflowers, and saplings after a forest fire is an example of succession.
20. A freshwater ecosystem that can purify water by filtering pollutants and help to prevent flooding by absorbing large amounts of water is a .
Short Answer
In complete sentences, write the answers to the questions on the lines provided.
21. How are microclimates related to climates?
22. The concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere can and does change. Would conditions on Earth be worse if the concentration of these gases increased or if it decreased? Use Figure 4–2 to explain your answer.
23. How do predators affect the populations of their prey?
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24. Deserts vary greatly depending on elevation and latitude. What characteristic do all deserts share?
25. Lake and pond water circulates. What does this circulation do for the lake or pond?
Using Science Skills
Use the table and diagram below to answer the following questions on the lines provided.
Some Organisms of a Marine Ecosystem
Intertidal Zone / Coastal Ocean Zone / Open Ocean ZonePhotic Zone / Aphotic Zone
Algae
Sea anemone
Barnacles
Birds:
Gulls
Herons
Plovers
Terns
Clams
Crustaceans
Sand dollars
Mussels
Sea urchins
Seaweed
Snails / Coral
Dolphins
Jellyfish
Kelp
Lobsters
Otters
Plankton
Sailfish
Sea stars
Sea urchins
Seals
Sharks
Small fish
Snails
Whales / Sea birds
Dolphins
Herring
Jellyfish
Marlin
Penguins
Plankton
Salmon
Sea snakes
Sea turtles
Sharks
Shrimp
Swordfish
Tuna
Whales / Angler fish
Deep-sea octopus
Hatchet fish
Krill
Lantern fish
Sea cucumbers
Sponges
Squids
Deep-Sea Vent
Chemosynthetic bacteria
Clams
Crabs and other crustaceans
Tube worms
Figure 4–3
26. Infer Are sea cucumbers photosynthetic? Use Figure 4–3 to explain your answer.
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27. Interpret Visuals Use Figure 4–3 to identify three organisms that spend part of their lives underwater and part of their lives exposed to the air. Explain your answer.
28. Interpret Visuals Using Figure 4–3, describe the type and quantity of energy available in the open ocean at depths of 6000 meters and 100 meters.
29. Draw Conclusions Some of the organisms in Figure 4–3 are listed in more than one column. Ignoring clams and crustaceans, what zones have some organisms in common with other zones? What important factor do the zones that you listed have in common?
30. Compare and Contrast Contrast the abiotic factors at high tide with those at low tide for the organisms in the intertidal zone in Figure 4–3.
Essay
Write the answer to each question on the lines provided.
31. Explain how ocean currents originate and affect Earth’s climates.
32. Describe the stages of primary succession in land environments, including the roles played by grasses, lichens, trees, mosses, and shrubs.
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Deer and Wolf Populations
on an Arizona Plateau, 1910–1935
33. Figure 4–4 shows a decrease in the deer population after 1925. Give one possible reason for this population decline. Explain your reasoning.
34. The general characteristics of temperate grasslands found in the United States, Central Asia, and Argentina are similar. Identify some characteristics of temperate grasslands, and explain why these regions share characteristics in spite of the distance between the locations. Mention climate, climate zones, biomes, and biotic and abiotic factors in your answer.
35. Why does a river ecosystem often support little plant life at its source? Describe how the ecosystem changes to support organisms as it flows.
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