Ecology Test

Question 1

The scientific study of interactions among organisms and their environments.

Answer 1

Ecology

Question 2

The portion of Earth that supports life. From the atmosphere through the oceans.

Answer 2

Biosphere

Question 3

The nonliving parts of an organism’s environment.

Answer 3

Abiotic factors

Question 4

All the living organisms that inhabit an environment.

Answer 4

Biotic factors

Question 5

A group of organisms that are able to produce fertile offspring and that share common genes and therefore resemble each other in appearance.

Answer 5

Species

Question 6

A group of organisms of one species that interbreed and live in the same place at the same time.

Answer 6

Population

Question 7

A collection of several (or all of the) interacting populations that inhabit a common environment.

Answer 7

Community

Question 8

The interactions among populations in a community. Includes all of the biotic factors as well as the community’s physical surroundings, or abiotic factors.

Answer 8

Ecosystem

Question 9

A group of ecosystems with the same climax communities (&/or climates).

Answer 9

Biome

Question 10

Put in order: Organism, Biosphere, population, ecosystem, species, biome, community

Answer 10

Organism, species, population, community, ecosystem, biome, biosphere.

Question 11

The place where an organism lives out its life.

Answer 11

Habitat

Question 12

The role and position a species has in its environment. It includes all biotic and abiotic interactions as an animal meets its needs for survival and reproduction.

Answer 12

Niche - an organism’s way of life.

Question 13

The act of killing and eating another organism.

Answer 13

Predation

Question 14

An organism that kills and eats another organism

Answer 14

Predator

Question 15

An organism that is killed and eaten by a predator

Answer 15

Prey

Question 16

The relationship between species that attempt to use the same limited resource (a dog and cat fighting for the last piece of meat)

Answer 16

Competition

Question 17

A close association between two or more organisms of different species.

Answer 17

Symbiosis

Question 18

A type of symbiotic relationship in which one species (the symbiont) benefits and the other species (the host) is neither harmed nor benefitted.

Answer 18

Commensalism

Question 19

A type of symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits (the parasite) at the expense of the other species (the host).

Answer 19

Parasitism

Question 20

A type of symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit from the relationship.

Answer 20

Mutualism

Question 21

Generally, the larger of the two species in a symbiotic relationship.

Answer 21

Host

Question 22

Generally, the smaller of the two species in a symbiotic relationship.

Answer 22

Symbiont

Question 23

Is an autotroph a producer or a consumer?

Answer 23

Producer

Question 24

Organisms that use energy from the sun or energy stored in chemical compounds to manufacture their own nutrients.

Answer 24

Autotroph

Question 25

Are heterotrophs producers or consumers?

Answer 25

Consumers

Question 26

An organism that cannot make its own food and must feed on other organisms for energy and nutrients.

Answer 26

Heterotroph

Question 27

Organisms that break down and absorb nutrients from dead organisms.

Answer 27

Decomposer

Question 28

The total weight of living matter at each tropic level.

Answer 28

Biomass

Question 29

A sequence in which energy is transferred from one organism to the next as each organism eats another.

Answer 29

Food chain

Question 30

A model that expresses all the possible feeding relationships at each tropic level in a community

Answer 30

Food web

Question 31

Feeding step in the passage of energy and materials through an ecosystem.

Answer 31

Trophic level

Question 32

What percent of energy from one trophic level is transferred to the next?

Answer 32

10%

Question 33

An increase in the size of a population over time.

Answer 33

Population growth

Question 34

As a population gets larger, it grows at a faster rate.

Answer 34

Exponential population growth

Question 35

The number of organisms of one species that an environment can support.

Answer 35

Carrying capacity

Question 36

Any biotic or abiotic factor that restricts the existence, numbers, reproduction of organisms

Answer 36

Limiting factor

Question 37

birth rate - death rate =

Answer 37

Population Growth Rate (PGR)

Question 38

The variety of life in an area; usually measured as the number of species that live there.

Answer 38

Biodiversity

Question 39

The disappearance of a species when the last of its members dies.

Answer 39

Extinction

Question 40

A species' numbers become so low that extinction is possible.

Answer 40

Endangered species

Question 41

When the population of a species is likely to become endangered.

Answer 41

Threatened species

Question 42

The study and implementation of methods to protect biodiversity.

Answer 42

Conservation biology

Question 43

Those parts of the environment that are useful or necessary for living organisms

Answer 43

Natural resources

Question 44

When is an ecosystem in balance?

Answer 44

When no animal is over the carrying capacity

Question 45

This species is very important; their removal can collapse the entire system.

Answer 45

Keystone species