1. ________________ include all of the organisms that are meat eaters.

2. An animal which feeds on animals which have been already killed is called a(n) ________________.

3. All plant eating organisms are known as _______________.

4. Organisms that consume both plants and animals are collectively called _______________.

5. _______________ is the study of the interactions of living things with each other and their environment.

6. A(n) _______________ includes all of the organisms of the same species that inhabit a given location.

7. A carnivore which kills its own food is called a(n) _______________.

8. All of the interacting organisms of different species in a given location comprise a(n) _______________.

9. _______________ factors are those living factors in the environment, such as disease and predation.

10. An organism such as a mushroom on a rotting log, which ingests decaying organic material is called a(n) _______________.

11. The entire region of the world where living things are found is called the _______________.

Choose the response which best completes each of the following statements or answers each of the following questions. (5 pts. @)

1. In order to be self-sustaining, an ecosystem must contain (1.) large numbers of organisms (2.) a warm, moist environment (3.) a constant source of energy (4.) organisms which occupy the same niche

2. All the red-winged blackbirds living in a marsh are (1.) a community (2.) a succession (3.) an ecosystem (4.) a population

3. The symbiotic relationship between a human and the fungus that causes athlete's foot is an example of (1.) predation (2.) commensalism (3.) parasitism (4.) saprophytism

4. Nodules containing nitrogen-fixing bacteria are found on the roots of members of the legume family. The relationship between these bacteria and the legume is known as (1.) mutualism (2.) commensalism (3.) parasitism (4.) saprophytism

5. Barnacles often attach themselves to whales and receive free transportation to parts of the ocean. The whales are not affected by this activity. This is an example of (1.) mutualism (2.) saprophytism (3.) commensalism (4.) parasitism

6. In the marshlands of the northeastern United States, the purple loosestrife plant has replaced many native plants. The success of the purple loosestrife is most likely due to its ability to (1.) control secondary consumers (2.) conserve natural resources (3.) transfer energy from soil minerals (4.) compete for abiotic factors

7.  Which diagram at the right  best represents an ecosystem?  (1.) 1  (2.) 2  (3.) 3  (4.) 4

8.   In a natural community, all the living things that directly or indirectly affect the environment are known as  (1.) pioneer organisms  (2.) secondary consumers  (3.) climatic limitations  (4.) biotic factors

9.    A fungus is an example of  (1.) a herbivore  (2.) an omnivore  (3.) a scavenger  (4.) a saprophyte

10.  Which organisms would most likely have a predator-prey relationship?  (1.) tapeworm and dog  (2.) barnacle and whale  (3.) hawk and mouse  (4.) rabbit and grass

11.    Which group can best be described as a population?  (1.) all the honeybees in an orchard  (2.) all the plants and animals in a forest  (3.) the life in Earth's atmosphere  (4.) the living and nonliving factors in a meadow

12.    Which factor promotes competition between organisms in an ecosystem? (1.) cycling of materials  (2.) limited resources  (3.) presence of saprophytes  (4.) decomposition of organic matter

13.  An owl cannot entirely digest the animals it preys upon. Therefore, each day it expels from its mouth a pellet composed of fur, bones, and sometimes cartilage. By examining owl pellets, ecologists would be able to determine  (1.) saprophytes that affect owls  (2.) organisms that feed on owls  (3.) autotrophs that owls prefer  (4.) consumers that owls prefer

14.  All the interacting populations in a given area represent an ecological unit known as a  (1.) population  (2.) biome  (3.) biosphere  (4.) community

15.  Which is an abiotic factor that functions as a limiting factor for the autotrophs in the ecosystem shown at the right?  (1.) grasshopper  (2.) fish  (3.) light  (4.) hawk

16.  When animals excrete nitrogenous wastes into the soil, certain soil bacteria convert these wastes into nitrates, which are absorbed by plants. These soil bacteria function as  (1.) producers  (2.) secondary consumers  (3.) carnivores  (4.) decomposers

17.    Which title would be most appropriate for a textbook on general ecology?  (1.) The Interactions Between Organisms and Their Environment  (2.) The Cell and its Organelles  (3.) The Hereditary Mechanism of Drosophila  (4.) The Physical and Chemical Properties of Water

18.    The following chart lists four groups of factors relating to an ecosystem.
Which group contains only abiotic factors?

(1.) group A  (2.) group B  (3.) group C  (4.) group D

19.    The most likely result of a group of squirrels relying on limited resources would be  (1.) competition between the squirrels  (2.) an increase in the number of squirrels  (3.) increased habitats for the squirrels  (4.) a greater diversity of food for the squirrels
 
 
 

20.  The graph at the right shows the changes in two populations of herbivores in a grassy field. A possible reason for these changes is that  (1.) all of the plant populations in this habitat decreased  (2.) population A consumed the members of population B  (3.) population A produced more offspring than population B did  (4.) population B competed more successfully for food than population A did

21.  An ecosystem is represented in the illustration below.

This ecosystem will be self-sustaining if  (1.) the organisms labeled A outnumber the organisms labeled B  (2.) the type of organisms represented by B are eliminated  (3.) the organisms labeled A are equal in number to the organisms labeled B  (4.) materials cycle between the organisms labeled A and the organisms labeled B

22.    A certain plant requires moisture, oxygen, carbon dioxide, light, and minerals in order to survive. This statement shows that a living organism depends on  (1.) abiotic factors  (2.) biotic factors  (3.) carnivore-herbivore relationships  (4.) symbiotic relationships

23.    Although three different bird species all inhabit the same type of tree in an area, competition between the birds rarely occurs. The most likely explanation for this lack of competition is that these birds  (1.) are unable to interbreed  (2.) have a limited supply of food  (3.) share food with each other  (4.) have different ecological niches

24.    An abiotic component of the biosphere is represented by the  (1.) mushrooms in a cave in the Catskill Mountains  (2.) population of deer in a forest at the close of the hunting season  (3.) annual range of temperatures in a lake in New York State  (4.) interactions of insect species in a cornfield

25.  Termites can be found living in dead trees partially buried under soil and stones. Within the tree trunks, the termites feed on the wood fiber, creating passageways having a high humidity. The wood fiber is digested by protozoans living within the digestive tract of the termite. What are the biotic factors in this habitat?  (1.) soil and humidity  (2.) humidity, soil, and stones  (3.) termites and protozoans  (4.) tree trunk, stones, and protozoans

26.  Some crows, vultures, and other birds which feed off dead animals are classified as  (1.) saprophytes  (2.) herbivores  (3.) scavengers 
(4.) producers

27.  The diagram represents the feeding areas during summer and fall of two populations in the same ecosystem. Both populations feed on oak trees. The portion of the diagram labeled X most likely indicates that

(1.) these populations compete for food in the fall, but not in the summer  (2.) the species are separated by a geographic barrier in the fall  (3.) the supply of oxygen is greater in the summer than in the fall  (4.) random mating occurs between these species in the summer

28.  The chart represents the characteristics necessary for the maintenance of a self-sustaining ecosystem. Which is most likely represented by letter X?

(1.) Few Biotic Factors  (2.) Symbiotic Relationships  (3.) Lack of Abiotic Factors  (4.) A Cycling of Materials

29.  If two different bird species in the same habitat require the same type of nesting site, both species will most likely  (1.) compete for the nesting sites  (2.) interbreed and share nesting sites  (3.) use the nests of other bird species  (4.) change their nesting site requirements

30.    A student set up a terrarium containing moist soil, several plants, and snails. The terrarium was placed in a sunny area. Which factor is not essential for the maintenance of the terrarium?  (1.) a cycling of materials between organisms and their environment  (2.) a constant source of energy  (3.) a living system capable of incorporating energy into organic compounds  (4.) the introduction of another heterotroph into the terrarium

31.  A student measured some abiotic factors present in an aquarium in a biology laboratory. Which data did the student most likely record?  (1.) the weight and color of each type of scavenger  (2.) the temperature and oxygen content of the water  (3.) the size and number of each species of fish  (4.) the number of each type of green plant and each type of snail

32.  Which organisms would most likely feed on decomposing animal bodies?  (1.) herbivores  (2.) parasites  (3.) scavengers  (4.) saprophytes

33.    An ecosystem is not considered to be self sustaining if  (1.) it lacks a constant supply of energy  (2.) cycling of materials occurs between organisms and their environment  (3.) there is interaction between biotic and abiotic factors  (4.) some of its living systems incorporate energy into organic compounds

34.    The diagram shows organisms in and around a pond. 

Which ecological term refers to all the organisms shown in the diagram?  (1.) heterotroph  (2.) community  (3.) population  (4.) biosphere
 
 

35.  . An aquarium ecosystem is shown in the accompanying diagram.  A community in this aquarium consists of the  (1.) fish, water, and snails  (2.) plants and gravel  (3.) water and gravel  (4.) fish, plants, and snails

36.    All of Earth's water, land, and atmosphere within which life exists is known as  (1.) community  (2.) ecosystem  (3.) population  (4.) biosphere
 
 

37.  The diagram shows a milkweed plant and some of the insects that live on it or visit it. Which term best describes the group of organisms in the diagram?  (1.) population  (2.) community  (3.) ecosystem  (4.) biosphere

38.  Which group represents a population?  (1.) all the vertebrates living in New York State  (2.) all the flowering plants found in New York State  (3.) all the plant and animal species found in New York State  (4.) all the Homo sapiens living in New York State

39.    An example of a population is all the  (1.) field mice living in a barn  (2.) field mice and owls living in a barn  (3.) animals in a barn and their food  (4.) animals in the barn and their surroundings

40.    Which is an example of an ecosystem?  (1.) a population of monarch butterflies  (2.) all the mammals that live in the Atlantic Ocean  (3.) all the abiotic factors found in a field  (4.) the interdependent biotic and abiotic components of a pond
 
 

41.  A pond community is represented in the diagram. Which term includes the interactions between the organisms of this community and the physical factors of their environment?  (1.) population  (2.) ecosystem  (3.) biotic  (4.) competition

42.  A moss-covered log is overturned by a hungry bear looking for insects to eat. The bear disturbs an ant colony, and some chipmunks leave the hollow log to search for another home in the forest. Which relationship do these organisms have with each other?  (1.) They are all of the same species.  (2.) They all require the same type of food.  (3.) They are part of a community.  (4.) They are abiotic factors in a forest.

Free Response Section

List three conditions necessary for a self-sustaining ecosystem.

Now hopefully some correct answers!  Please mail any information concerning suspected errors to jbuckley@ekcsk12.org

Completion Questions

1.      carnivore
2.      scavenger
3.      herbivore
4.      omnivore
5.      ecology
6.      population
7.      predator
8.      community
9.      biotic
10.    saprophyte
11.    biosphere

Multiple Choice Section

1.    3
2.    4
3.    3
4.    1
5.    3
6.    4
7.    4
8.    4
9.    4
10.    3
11.    1
12.    2
13.    4
14.    4
15.    3
16.    4
17.    1
18.    2
19.    1
20.    4
21.    4
22.    1
23.    4
24.    3
25.    3
26.    3
27.    1
28.    4
29.    1
30.    4
31.    2
32.    4
33.    1
34.    2
35.    4
36.    4
37.    2
38.    4
39.    1
40.    4
41.    2
42.    3

Free Response Section

1.    The self-sustaining ecosystem needs a constant input of energy, a means of
       incorporating this energy into living material, and the ability to cycle materials
       within the ecosystem.