Question 1

Which of the following best describes the concept of biodiversity?

Accepted Answer

The variety of life on Earth, including different genes, species, and ecosystems.

Question 2

Why does low genetic diversity make a population more vulnerable to extinction?

Accepted Answer

It reduces the population's ability to adapt to new diseases or environmental changes.

Question 3

Which of the following is an example of an ecosystem service?

Accepted Answer

A bee pollinating a flower, leading to fruit production.

Question 4

What is the main consequence of introducing invasive species into a new ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

They often outcompete native species for resources, reducing native populations.

Question 5

Which of the following best illustrates the competitive exclusion principle?

Accepted Answer

Two bird species with identical food requirements cannot coexist in the same area.

Question 6

A relationship where both species benefit is called:

Accepted Answer

Mutualism

Question 7

Which of the following is an example of warning coloration?

Accepted Answer

A sea slug with bright colors signaling toxicity.

Question 8

What is the primary role of decomposers in an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

To break down dead material and recycle nutrients.

Question 9

Which of the following best describes a keystone species?

Accepted Answer

A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its ecosystem relative to its abundance.

Question 10

Which of the following is an example of primary succession?

Accepted Answer

Lichens and mosses colonizing bare rock after a volcanic eruption.

Question 11

What is the main difference between a food chain and a food web?

Accepted Answer

A food chain is a linear sequence of who eats whom, while a food web is a network of interconnected food chains.

Question 12

Which of the following is a real-world consequence of excessive nutrient addition to a pond?

Accepted Answer

Algal blooms that block sunlight and reduce oxygen, leading to fish deaths.

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT one of the four main factors for the decline of biodiversity?

Accepted Answer

Natural selection

Question 14

What is the main function of a movement corridor in landscape ecology?

Accepted Answer

To connect habitats and allow safe movement of organisms between them.

Question 15

Which of the following best describes commensalism?

Accepted Answer

One species benefits, the other is unaffected.

Question 16

Which of the following is a correct sequence of trophic levels in a terrestrial food chain?

Accepted Answer

Producers → Primary consumers → Secondary consumers → Tertiary consumers

Question 17

Which of the following is a major theme illustrated by the transfer of energy from plants to herbivores to predators?

Accepted Answer

Pathways that transform energy and matter

Question 18

Which of the following is an example of bioremediation?

Accepted Answer

Using bacteria to break down oil spills in the ocean.

Question 19

Why might a community with high species richness still have low diversity?

Accepted Answer

Because one or two species dominate in abundance, making others rare.

Question 20

Which of the following is a correct statement about the nitrogen cycle?

Accepted Answer

Nitrogen is essential for building proteins and DNA in living organisms.

Communities and Ecosystems: Biodiversity and Species Interactions

Study Guide - Practice Questions