Question 1

_______ are primary consumers.
A)Ferns
B)Phytoplankton
C)Lions and tigers
D)Cows and sheep
E)Chemosynthesizers

Accepted Answer

Cows and sheep are primary consumers because they feed on plants, which are producers in the food chain.

Question 2

Which of the following is not a primary producer?
A)a cyanobacterium
B)a diatom
C)a lichen
D)a chemosynthesizer
E)a caterpillar

Accepted Answer

A caterpillar is a consumer, not a primary producer, as it feeds on plants rather than producing its own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.

Question 3

In the undisturbed Hubbard Brook forest, scientists detected:
A)considerable loss of nutrients by leaching.
B)considerable addition of nutrients from dissolving bedrock.
C)considerable inefficiency in conserving minerals.
D)a slight annual gain of nitrogen and potassium.
E)a slight annual gain of calcium.

Accepted Answer

In the undisturbed Hubbard Brook forest, scientists observed a slight annual gain of nitrogen and potassium due to the natural processes of nutrient cycling and retention in the ecosystem.

Question 4

The existence of more grass plants than herbivores in a grassland ecosystem is illustrated by a(n):
A)pyramid of energy.
B)pyramid of biomass.
C)pyramid of numbers.
D)pyramid of body size.
E)inverted pyramid of biomass.

Accepted Answer

A pyramid of numbers illustrates the number of organisms at each trophic level, showing that there are typically more producers (like grass plants) than herbivores in an ecosystem.

Question 5

Which of the following statements about parasites is FALSE?
A)They live on or in another organism.
B)They are always one trophic level above their hosts.
C)An example is a virus.
D)An example is a pathogenic bacterium.
E)They can be autotrophs or heterotrophs.

Accepted Answer

Parasites are heterotrophs because they rely on their host for nutrients and cannot produce their own food like autotrophs do.

Question 6

In general, ______ percent of the incident light is incorporated into plant biomass.
A)less than 1
B)5 to 8
C)10 to 20
D)25 to 30
E)35 to 40

Accepted Answer

Plants typically incorporate less than 1% of the incident light into biomass due to inefficiencies in photosynthesis and energy conversion processes.

Question 7

In general, approximately _____ percent of the energy in one trophic level can be assimilated into the next.
A)1
B)10
C)20
D)50
E)80

Accepted Answer

Approximately 10% of the energy in one trophic level can be assimilated into the next.

Question 8

After all plants in a selected portion of the Hubbard Brook forest were killed, scientists detected a(n):
A)decrease in net calcium loss.
B)decrease in net potassium loss.
C)increase in net nitrogen loss.
D)increase in the amount of nitrate in the soil.
E)increase in the amount of potassium in the soil.

Accepted Answer

When plants are killed, they no longer uptake nitrogen, leading to an increase in net nitrogen loss from the soil.

Question 9

The biosphere consists of all the Earth's:
A)populations.
B)communities.
C)species.
D)autotrophs and heterotrophs.
E)ecosystems.

Accepted Answer

The biosphere includes all ecosystems on Earth, which encompass all living organisms and their interactions with the environment.

Question 10

Which of the following is not an autotroph?
A)a chemosynthesizer
B)a mushroom
C)an oak tree
D)a green alga
E)a moss

Accepted Answer

A mushroom is a fungus and fungi are heterotrophs, meaning they must obtain their organic compounds from other organisms.

Question 11

_______ would be found at the base of a pyramid of energy.
A)Oak trees
B)Elephants
C)Mushrooms
D)Birds
E)Fish

Accepted Answer

Oak trees, as producers, are at the base of a pyramid of energy, providing energy to all other levels.

Question 12

A fungus is both a(n) ______ and a ______.
A)heterotroph; primary producer
B)autotroph; primary consumer
C)heterotroph; secondary consumer
D)heterotroph; decomposer
E)autotroph; decomposer

Accepted Answer

Fungi are heterotrophs because they obtain their nutrients by absorbing organic matter, and they are decomposers because they break down dead organic material.

Question 13

_______ is a fuel formed from wetland biomass that accumulates under standing water.
A)Lignite
B)Natural gas
C)Peat
D)Coal
E)Oil

Accepted Answer

Peat is a type of fuel that forms from the accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter in waterlogged conditions, typically in wetlands.

Question 14

Which of the following statements about nutrient cycling is FALSE?
A)An ecosystem has the property of regulating the cycling of nutrients.
B)An ecosystem is self-sustaining in terms of its nutrient supply.
C)Nutrients are continuously cycled between organisms and the environment.
D)In an ideal nutrient cycle, small amounts of nutrients are lost.
E)In a nutrient cycle, the rate of flow differs among nutrients and habitats.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following statements about nutrient...

Question 15

Which of the following statements about an upright pyramid of energy is FALSE?
A)It represents the energy relationships among trophic levels.
B)The total energy of producers is represented at the base of the pyramid.
C)The total energy of consumers is greater than the total energy of producers.
D)The total energy of primary carnivores is greater than the total energy of secondary carnivores.
E)The total energy decreases at successively higher trophic levels.

Accepted Answer

In an upright pyramid of energy, the total energy decreases at each successive trophic level, meaning the total energy of consumers is less than the total energy of producers.

Question 16

A(n)______ includes, by definition, all the organisms in a particular place together with their environment.
A)community
B)ecosystem
C)population
D)species
E)biosphere

Accepted Answer

An ecosystem includes all the organisms in a particular place together with their environment.

Question 17

In an ecosystem, energy flows from:
A)consumers to autotrophs to decomposers.
B)decomposers to consumers to autotrophs.
C)autotrophs to consumers to decomposers.
D)consumers to decomposers to autotrophs.
E)autotrophs to decomposers to consumers.

Accepted Answer

Energy flows from autotrophs (producers) to consumers and then to decomposers in an ecosystem. Autotrophs capture energy from the sun, consumers eat autotrophs, and decomposers break down dead organisms.

Question 18

A secondary consumer occupies the _______ trophic level.
A)first
B)second
C)third
D)fourth
E)fifth

Accepted Answer

Secondary consumers occupy the third trophic level as they feed on primary consumers, which are herbivores that occupy the second trophic level.

Question 19

Competition occurs, by definition, when two individuals living in the same area:
A)belong to the same species.
B)belong to the same population.
C)require the same limiting resource.
D)photosynthesize at the same rates.
E)allocate energy in the same way.

Accepted Answer

Competition occurs when individuals require the same limiting resource, leading to a struggle for that resource.

Question 20

A community consists of all the ______ in a particular area.
A)individuals of a single species
B)plants
C)plants and animals
D)organisms
E)organisms and their environment

Accepted Answer

A community in ecological terms refers to all the different species of organisms living together in a particular area, interacting with each other.

Quiz 31: The Dynamics of Communities and Ecosystems

_______ are primary consumers.

Which of the following is not a primary producer?

In the undisturbed Hubbard Brook forest, scientists detected:

The existence of more grass plants than herbivores in a grassland ecosystem is illustrated by a(n) :

Which of the following statements about parasites is FALSE?

In general, ______ percent of the incident light is incorporated into plant biomass.

In general, approximately _____ percent of the energy in one trophic level can be assimilated into the next.

After all plants in a selected portion of the Hubbard Brook forest were killed, scientists detected a(n) :

The biosphere consists of all the Earth's:

Which of the following is not an autotroph?

_______ would be found at the base of a pyramid of energy.

A fungus is both a(n) and a .

_______ is a fuel formed from wetland biomass that accumulates under standing water.

Which of the following statements about nutrient cycling is FALSE?

Which of the following statements about an upright pyramid of energy is FALSE?

A(n) ______ includes, by definition, all the organisms in a particular place together with their environment.

In an ecosystem, energy flows from:

A secondary consumer occupies the _______ trophic level.

Competition occurs, by definition, when two individuals living in the same area:

A community consists of all the ______ in a particular area.