Ecology exam

Question 1

Sketch a food chain with 4 lines

Answer 1

🌱 Grass → 🐛 Grasshopper → 🐸 Frog → 🐍 Snake

Question 2

1. Name your Producer
2. Name your Second-order Consumer
3. Name the organism on the fourth trophic level

Answer 2

1. Grass
2. Frog
3. Snake

Question 3

In a pyramid of energy, why do the boxes get smaller as you go up?

Answer 3

The boxes get smaller because energy decreases as it moves up the pyramid.

Question 4

What is the difference between a herbivore and carnivore?

Answer 4

A herbivore eats only plants, while a carnivore eats only meat.

Question 5

What is an omnivore?

Answer 5

An omnivore eats both plants and animals.

Question 6

Decomposers are either scavengers or detritivores. Which of these two groups do earthworms belong to?

Answer 6

Earthworms are detritivores.

Question 7

Why are decomposers important?

Answer 7

Decomposers are important because they break down dead plants and animals and return nutrients to the soil.

Question 8

When water falls down to earth (Precipitation), where does it go?

P…. A…. S.R.O….

Answer 8

When water falls to Earth, it can go into Percolation, Absorption, or Surface Runoff (S.R.O).

Question 9

What is the storage of water deep in the ground called?

Answer 9

The storage of water deep in the ground is called Groundwater.

Question 10

What is the main way carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere?

Answer 10

The main way carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere is through photosynthesis.

Question 11

Name 3 ways carbon dioxide is put back into the atmosphere.

Answer 11

Carbon dioxide is put back into the atmosphere by:

1. Burning fossil fuels
2. Respiration
3. Volcanic eruptions.

Question 12

Name the 3 fossil fuels.

Answer 12

The three fossil fuels are:

1. Coal
2. Oil
3. Natural gas.

Question 13

What do nitrogen-fixing bacteria do?

Answer 13

Nitrogen-fixing bacteria change nitrogen gas from the air into a form plants can use.

Question 14

1. How do plants get their nitrogen?
2. How do animals get their energy?

Answer 14

1. Plants get their nitrogen from the soil.
2. Animals get their energy by eating plants or other animals.

Question 15

Why is a second kind of bacteria (Denitrifying) needed?

Answer 15

Denitrifying bacteria are needed to return extra nitrogen in the soil back to the air.

Question 16

What do pesticides control?

1. Herbicide
2. Insecticide
3. Fungicide

Answer 16

1. Herbicide: Controls unwanted plants (weeds)
2. Insecticide: Controls insects
3. Fungicide: Controls fungi (like mold or mildew)

Question 17

What is the difference between a broad-spectrum and a narrow-spectrum insecticide?

Answer 17

A broad-spectrum insecticide kills many types of insects, while a narrow-spectrum insecticide targets only specific ones.

Question 18

Which one is better to use and why?

Answer 18

Narrow-spectrum is better because it harms fewer helpful insects and is more targeted.

Question 19

What does bioaccumulation mean?

Answer 19

Bioaccumulation means harmful chemicals build up in the bodies of animals over time.

Question 20

Instead of using a pesticide, what other ways can you try to control pests?

Answer 20

Four other ways to control pests are:

1. traps
2. crop rotation
3. introducing natural predators
4. hand-picking pests.

Question 21

What is the term for mixing pest control methods?

Answer 21

The term for mixing these ways is Integrated Pest Management.

Question 22

What is the danger of a non-native species being brought into an ecosystem?

Answer 22

A non-native species can harm the ecosystem by outcompeting native species, spreading disease, or disrupting food chains.

Question 23

Why do non-native species thrive in their new ecosystem?

Answer 23

Non-native species thrive because they often have no natural predators in the new ecosystem.

Question 24

List 3 ways humans are destroying habitats.

Answer 24

1. Deforestation
2. Pollution
3. Urban development.

Question 25

What is a fragmented habitat?

Answer 25

A fragmented habitat is a large habitat broken into smaller, isolated parts.

Question 26

What is the difference between predation and parasitism?

Answer 26

Predation is when one animal kills and eats another, while parasitism is when one organism lives on or in another and harms it without killing it.

Question 27

What is mutualism? Give an example.

Answer 27

Mutualism is when two species help each other. An example is bees pollinating flowers while getting nectar.

Question 28

What does COSEWIC do?

Answer 28

COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada) is a group that studies and reports which animals and plants in Canada are at risk of disappearing.

Question 29

Name the categories on Canada’s Species-At-Risk list.

Answer 29

Extinct, Extirpated, Endangered, Threatened, and Special Concern.

Question 30

What is the difference between an open ecosystem and a closed ecosystem?

Answer 30

An open ecosystem exchanges energy and matter with its surroundings, while a closed ecosystem does not exchange matter, only energy.

Question 31

Which one lasts for a long time and why?

Answer 31

An open ecosystem could last longer than a closed one due to its ability to adapt and evolve through interactions with its environment.

Question 32

What did Christine Sharma do in PROJECT CHIRP?

Answer 32

Christine Sharma started PROJECT CHIRP to protect and study endangered songbirds and their habitats.

Question 33

Who is Jane Goodall?

Answer 33

Jane Goodall is known for her work and studying chimpanzees in the wild.

Question 34

What was the main idea of Jane Goodall's article 'The Power of One'?

Answer 34

The main idea of her article 'The Power of One' is that one person can make a big difference in helping the environment.

Question 35

What does 'Ecological Footprint' refer to?

Answer 35

Ecological Footprint refers to the amount of natural resources a person or population uses.

Question 36

How does our footprint compare with the footprint in developing nations?

Answer 36

Our footprint is much bigger than in developing nations because we use more resources and energy.

Question 37

Why is our footprint so big?

Answer 37

Canada’s footprint is big because of high energy use and large amounts of waste.

Question 38

How can each person lower their ecological footprint? Give 8 distinct ways.

Answer 38

1. Use public transportation, bike, or walk instead of driving. 2. Reduce, reuse, and recycle to cut down on waste. 3. Eat less meat and more plant-based foods. 4. Save energy by turning off lights and using energy-efficient appliances. 5. Use less water by fixing leaks and taking shorter showers. 6. Buy local and seasonal products to reduce transportation emissions. 7. Avoid single-use plastics and choose reusable items. 8. Support and plant trees to help absorb carbon dioxide.