Question 1

Which of the following best describes the ecological interaction between the snake and the frog in the first image provided?

Accepted Answer

Predation

Question 2

A keystone species is important in a community because:

Accepted Answer

Its impact on the community is disproportionately large relative to its abundance.

Question 3

Which of the following is an example of mutualism?

Accepted Answer

A bee pollinating a flower while collecting nectar

Question 4

Why is energy transfer between trophic levels in an ecosystem inefficient?

Accepted Answer

Only about 10% of the energy is transferred to the next trophic level; the rest is lost as heat, waste, or used for metabolism.

Question 5

Which of the following best explains why invasive species often become problematic in new environments?

Accepted Answer

They lack natural predators or competitors in the new environment.

Question 6

Which of the following is a real-world example of bottom-up control in an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

A decrease in grass due to drought leads to fewer grasshoppers, which then leads to fewer birds and snakes.

Question 7

Which of the following best describes the role of decomposers in an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

They recycle nutrients from dead organic matter back into the ecosystem.

Question 8

Which of the following cycles is considered a local cycle because its abiotic reservoir is in rocks?

Accepted Answer

Phosphorus cycle

Question 9

A population of finches with medium-sized beaks colonizes an island. Over time, some individuals evolve smaller beaks to eat small seeds, while others evolve larger beaks to eat large seeds. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Resource partitioning

Question 10

Which of the following best explains why it is energetically wasteful to eat meat compared to eating plants?

Accepted Answer

Energy is lost at each trophic level, so eating higher on the food chain means less energy is available from the original source.

Question 11

Which of the following is a likely consequence of eutrophication in aquatic ecosystems?

Accepted Answer

Decreased oxygen levels due to microbial activity

Question 12

Which of the following is an example of commensalism?

Accepted Answer

A bird eating insects off a buffalo, benefiting the bird but not affecting the buffalo

Question 13

Which of the following is a behavioral defense against predation?

Accepted Answer

A lizard squirting blood from its eyes to deter predators

Question 14

Which of the following best describes the effect of removing a keystone species from an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Many other species may be lost, leading to a collapse in community structure.

Question 15

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

Accepted Answer

Bacteria play a key role in converting atmospheric nitrogen into forms usable by living organisms.

Question 16

Which of the following best explains why the tundra biome has low species diversity?

Accepted Answer

Low temperature and low precipitation

Question 17

Why is washing your car in your driveway potentially harmful to aquatic ecosystems?

Accepted Answer

Soap and chemicals can run off into storm drains, eventually reaching rivers and lakes, causing nutrient pollution.

Question 18

Which of the following is an example of top-down control in an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

A decrease in wolf population leads to an increase in deer population, which then reduces plant abundance.

Question 19

Which of the following best describes the process of resource partitioning?

Accepted Answer

Two species evolve to use different resources or use resources in different ways to reduce competition.

Question 20

Which of the following is a plausible reason why the average rainfall in Sacramento is much higher than in Reno, despite their proximity?

Accepted Answer

Ocean air loses moisture as it rises over the Sierra Nevada mountains, resulting in a rain shadow effect on the eastern side.

Communities and Ecosystems: Interactions, Health, and Energy Flow

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