Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics - Learning Quizzes

Question 1

In a forest ecosystem, how do sunlight, an abiotic factor, and predators, a biotic factor, work together to affect where red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) live?

Accepted Answer

Sunlight helps trees grow nuts for squirrels to eat, while predators like owls and hawks limit the number of squirrels.

Answer

Sunlight keeps squirrels warm, and predators provide food for squirrels.

Answer

Predators compete with squirrels for food, and sunlight helps squirrels find their prey.

Answer

Sunlight doesn't affect where squirrels live, and predators only affect young squirrels.

Question 2

How does the use of pesticides in farming harm the balance of an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Pesticides harm insects, which are a food source for many animals, disrupting the food chain.

Answer

Pesticides increase plant growth, providing more food for herbivores, which benefits the entire food chain.

Answer

Pesticides kill insects that compete with crops for resources, increasing crop yield.

Answer

Pesticides have no significant impact on ecosystems because they only affect insects, which are not an important part of food chains.

Question 3

A wildfire has damaged our local forest. Which of these factors would most likely help the forest recover?

Accepted Answer

Many different kinds of plants and animals

Answer

No animals that hunt other animals

Answer

Lots of the same type of plant or animal

Question 4

In a forest ecosystem, decomposers play a vital role in keeping the ecosystem healthy. How do decomposers help recycle nutrients, and why is this important?

Accepted Answer

Decomposers break down dead plants and animals, releasing nutrients back into the soil for plants to use.

Answer

Decomposers eat living organisms and move energy up the food chain.

Answer

Decomposers make oxygen through photosynthesis, which all living things need.

Answer

Decomposers control the number of predators in the ecosystem.

Question 5

In a grassland ecosystem, which organism is the primary consumer that eats plants?

Accepted Answer

Grasshopper

Answer

Grass

Answer

Snake

Answer

Hawk

Question 6

How might climate change impact the distribution and survival of species in a specific ecosystem, like a coral reef?

Accepted Answer

Cause warmer ocean temperatures, leading to species moving away and a less diverse ecosystem.

Answer

Increase coral growth and make the ecosystem more diverse.

Answer

Have no significant impact on the ecosystem.

Answer

Increase competition for resources and make the ecosystem more stable.

Question 7

When scientists restore damaged ecosystems, what's the most important thing they should consider?

Accepted Answer

How all the living and nonliving things in the ecosystem interact

Answer

Bringing back only the most common animals and plants

Answer

Removing all non-native species

Answer

Returning the ecosystem to its exact historical state

Question 8

How do symbiotic relationships contribute to the health and stability of ecosystems?

Accepted Answer

Symbiotic relationships help regulate population sizes and promote species diversity, supporting ecosystem balance.

Answer

Symbiosis increases competition for resources, reducing biodiversity in an ecosystem.

Answer

Symbiosis can introduce invasive species that disrupt ecosystem equilibrium.

Answer

Symbiotic relationships have little impact on the overall health and stability of ecosystems.

Question 9

How do conservation biologists use science and work with local communities to solve environmental problems?

Accepted Answer

They use science to make plans and involve local communities to make sure the plans are accepted and supported.

Answer

They only use science to make plans without talking to local people.

Answer

They have local people help collect data but don't include them in making decisions.

Answer

They only focus on protecting animals and plants without considering how people use the environment.

Question 10

How do keystone species impact an ecosystem's stability?

Accepted Answer

They control the population of other species, preventing overpopulation.

Answer

They introduce new species to the ecosystem, increasing biodiversity.

Answer

They recover quickly from natural disasters, restoring the ecosystem.

Answer

They thrive in changing environmental conditions, adapting to new habitats.

Question 11

How can a decrease in genetic diversity impact the stability of an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Make it more vulnerable to environmental changes

Answer

Reduce competition between species

Answer

Have no significant impact on stability

Answer

Increase the number of predators

Question 12

A unique bird species is at risk of extinction because humans are destroying its forest habitat. Which conservation action would be most effective in protecting this bird species?

Accepted Answer

Protect and restore the bird's forest habitat

Answer

Relocate the birds to a different forest

Answer

Start a breeding program to increase the bird population

Question 13

What are the three main components of an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Living organisms, non-living factors, energy

Answer

Water, food, shelter

Answer

Producers, consumers, decomposers

Answer

Animals, plants, fungi

Question 14

A group of lions is called a:

Accepted Answer

Pride

Answer

Herd

Answer

Pack

Answer

School

Question 15

Which of the following is a green plant that can make its own food?

Accepted Answer

Grass

Answer

Mushroom

Answer

Lion

Answer

Eagle

Question 16

When two organisms live together to their mutual benefit, it is called:

Accepted Answer

Symbiosis

Answer

Competition

Answer

Parasitism

Answer

Commensalism

Question 17

The variety of living things in an ecosystem is called:

Accepted Answer

Biodiversity

Answer

Biomass

Answer

Productivity

Answer

Population

Question 18

The process by which plants make food from sunlight, water, and air is called:

Accepted Answer

Photosynthesis

Answer

Respiration

Answer

Combustion

Answer

Decomposition

Question 19

In an ecosystem, which of these organisms makes its own food?

Accepted Answer

Grass

Answer

Deer

Answer

Fox

Answer

Mushrooms

Question 20

Why is biodiversity important to an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

It makes the ecosystem more stable and resistant to changes.

Answer

It provides more resources for the organisms living in it.

Answer

It increases competition among species.

Answer

It reduces the chances of disease outbreaks.

Question 21

Which of these examples shows a mutually beneficial relationship between species?

Accepted Answer

A bee pollinating a flower

Answer

A lion hunting a zebra

Answer

A fungus breaking down dead organisms

Answer

A parasite feeding on its host

Question 22

What do we call the group of living things in an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Biotic community

Answer

Biome

Answer

Habitat

Answer

Ecosystem

Question 23

What is the main source of energy for most life on Earth?

Accepted Answer

Sunlight

Answer

Heat from the Earth's core

Answer

Wind

Answer

Chemical energy stored in food

Question 24

What term describes the gradual change of an ecosystem over time?

Accepted Answer

Succession

Answer

Adaptation

Answer

Evolution

Answer

Competition

Question 25

In a food chain, which organism produces its own food using sunlight?

Accepted Answer

Grass

Answer

Rabbit

Answer

Wolf

Answer

Bacteria

Question 26

What is the main source of energy for most ecosystems on Earth?

Accepted Answer

Sunlight

Answer

Water

Answer

Soil

Answer

Air

Question 27

Which type of relationship describes two organisms living together, where both species benefit from the interaction?

Accepted Answer

Mutualism

Answer

Predation

Answer

Competition

Answer

Parasitism

Question 28

What is the term used to describe the variety of living things in an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Biodiversity

Answer

Ecosystem stability

Answer

Carrying capacity

Answer

Population growth

Question 29

What process describes the movement of nutrients through an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Biogeochemical cycle

Answer

Food chain

Answer

Respiration

Answer

Decomposition

Question 30

Which of these species has a disproportionately large impact on its ecosystem, despite its abundance?

Accepted Answer

A species that is a keystone species

Answer

A species that is at the top of the food chain

Answer

A species that is a primary producer

Answer

A species that is a decomposer

Question 31

What is the term for the maximum number of individuals of a species that an ecosystem can support?

Accepted Answer

Carrying capacity

Answer

Population density

Answer

Biodiversity

Answer

Ecosystem services

Question 32

What is the name for a group of organisms that are connected by who eats whom?

Accepted Answer

Food chain

Answer

Food web

Answer

Energy pyramid

Answer

Trophic level

Question 33

Which of the following makes its own food using sunlight?

Accepted Answer

Grass

Answer

Rabbit

Answer

Wolf

Answer

Fungus

Question 34

What happens to the energy that is lost as heat at each step in a food chain?

Accepted Answer

It is lost from the ecosystem

Answer

It is passed on to the next step

Answer

It is stored in the organisms

Answer

It is turned into light energy

Question 35

What is the term for the way energy moves from producers to consumers in an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Food chain

Answer

Photosynthesis

Answer

Respiration

Answer

Decomposition

Question 36

Which of these is not a type of interaction between living things in an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Gravity (the force that pulls objects towards each other)

Answer

Predation (one organism eating another)

Answer

Competition (different organisms trying to use the same resources)

Answer

Symbiosis (two organisms living together and helping each other)

Question 37

What is a food chain?

Accepted Answer

A series of organisms that get energy from eating each other

Answer

A group of organisms that live in the same environment

Answer

A kind of food that animals eat

Answer

A way of studying the variety of living things in an ecosystem

Question 38

Which of these organisms is a producer?

Accepted Answer

Grass

Answer

Rabbit

Answer

Wolf

Answer

Bacteria

Question 39

What is the main source of energy for most ecosystems?

Accepted Answer

The sun

Answer

Wind

Answer

Water

Answer

Heat from the Earth

Question 40

What is a keystone species?

Accepted Answer

A species that has a big impact on its ecosystem, even though it is not very common.

Answer

A species that is at the top of the food chain.

Answer

A species that is vital for the survival of other species.

Answer

A species that is in danger of disappearing.

Question 41

Which organisms in a food web consume plants?

Accepted Answer

Primary Consumers

Answer

Decomposers

Answer

Tertiary Consumers

Answer

Producers

Question 42

Restoring damaged ecosystems is a complex process. One of the main challenges scientists face when trying to restore damaged ecosystems is:

Accepted Answer

Lack of understanding of how different organisms interact

Answer

Not enough government funding

Answer

People who live nearby don't want to help

Answer

Scientists don't have the tools they need

Question 43

How do ecological niches contribute to the diversity of species in an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

They reduce competition for resources, allowing different species to coexist.

Answer

They increase the overall population size of all species.

Answer

They prevent the extinction of certain species.

Question 44

Ecosystem services are benefits we get from nature. Which of these is NOT an ecosystem service?

Accepted Answer

Making clothes and electronics

Answer

Plants and wetlands cleaning air and water

Answer

Insects pollinating plants

Answer

Forests and oceans regulating Earth's climate

Question 45

How do keystone species contribute to ecosystem stability? Describe the effects of losing keystone species in an ecosystem.

Accepted Answer

Keystone species play a crucial role in ecosystem balance, and their loss can have significant consequences.

Answer

Keystone species are common and have little impact on other species.

Answer

Keystone species are unaffected by environmental changes and do not influence ecosystem stability.

Question 46

In which type of symbiotic relationship does one organism benefit while the other is not affected?

Accepted Answer

Commensalism

Answer

Mutualism

Answer

Parasitism

Answer

Amensalism

Question 47

What is the main goal of ecological restoration?

Accepted Answer

Return a damaged ecosystem to its original state

Answer

Reduce human interference in certain areas

Answer

Add new species to enhance ecosystem health

Answer

Plant trees to increase shade

Question 48

Which factors determine the distribution of different animals and plants within an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Both abiotic and biotic factors

Answer

Only biotic factors, like competition and predation

Answer

Only abiotic factors, like temperature and sunlight

Answer

Neither abiotic nor biotic factors

Question 49

How do scientific research and modeling help us understand and manage ecosystems?

Accepted Answer

They can help us predict how ecosystems might change in the future.

Answer

They can only be used to study very large ecosystems.

Answer

They can directly alter the way ecosystems work.

Answer

They can only be used to identify the different plants and animals in an ecosystem.

Question 50

Which factors influence the size of a population?

Accepted Answer

Availability of resources (food, water)

Accepted Answer

Presence of predators

Accepted Answer

Existing population size

Answer

Average temperature

Question 51

Which organism in a food chain is responsible for making its own food from sunlight?

Accepted Answer

Grass

Answer

Lion

Answer

Zebra

Answer

Snake

Question 52

What process do plants use to convert sunlight into energy-rich compounds?

Accepted Answer

Photosynthesis

Answer

Respiration

Answer

Decomposition

Answer

Predation

Question 53

Which of the following is an advantage of increased biodiversity in an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Enhanced stability

Answer

Reduced productivity

Answer

Increased competition

Answer

Lower species diversity

Question 54

What type of organism breaks down dead plants and animals, returning nutrients to the ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Decomposer

Answer

Producer

Answer

Consumer

Answer

Symbiont

Question 55

Which type of symbiotic relationship benefits both species involved?

Accepted Answer

Mutualism

Answer

Parasitism

Answer

Commensalism

Answer

Competition

Question 56

What is the primary source of energy for all living things on Earth?

Accepted Answer

Sun

Answer

Wind

Answer

Water

Answer

Soil

Question 57

In a desert ecosystem, which of these organisms makes its own food?

Accepted Answer

Cactus

Answer

Coyote

Answer

Hawk

Answer

Snake

Question 58

What do decomposers do in an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Break down dead things and put their nutrients back into the environment

Answer

Produce oxygen

Answer

Provide food for herbivores

Answer

Control the size of populations

Question 59

What do we call the network of connected food chains in an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Food web

Answer

Ecosystem

Answer

Biotic community

Answer

Population

Question 60

Which of these interactions is NOT found between organisms in an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Erosion

Answer

Competition

Answer

Predation

Answer

Symbiosis

Question 61

In a food chain, which organism is always at the first level?

Accepted Answer

Producer

Answer

Consumer

Answer

Decomposer

Answer

Predator

Question 62

What is the job of decomposers in an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Breaking down dead organisms

Answer

Producing oxygen

Answer

Eating plants

Answer

Hunting other animals

Question 63

Which of these is a sign of a healthy ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Plenty of food

Answer

Low biodiversity

Answer

Many disturbances

Answer

High pollution levels

Question 64

What is the process by which plants use sunlight to make energy called?

Accepted Answer

Photosynthesis

Answer

Respiration

Answer

Burning

Answer

Evaporation