Question 1

Which level of ecological organization includes all the living and nonliving components in a specific area, such as the one shown in the first image?

Accepted Answer

Ecosystem

Question 2

In the energy pyramid shown, which group has the greatest biomass and why?

Accepted Answer

Producers, because they convert solar energy into chemical energy and support all other levels

Question 3

In the ocean food web diagram, what would most likely happen if the population of phytoplankton drastically decreased?

Accepted Answer

The populations of krill, shrimp, and small fishes would decrease

Question 4

Which of the following best describes the relationship between the clownfish and the sea anemone in the symbiosis image?

Accepted Answer

Mutualism, because both the clownfish and the sea anemone benefit

Question 5

Which population growth curve best represents a population that grows rapidly and then stabilizes due to limited resources?

Accepted Answer

The curve that shows a slow increase, then a rapid rise, and finally levels off (logistic growth)

Question 6

Which process in the water cycle is responsible for water moving from plants to the atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

Transpiration

Question 7

In the carbon cycle, which human activity directly increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

Burning fossil fuels

Question 8

Which step in the nitrogen cycle is performed by bacteria living in the roots of plants such as beans?

Accepted Answer

Nitrogen fixation

Question 9

After a forest fire, which type of ecological succession occurs as new plants begin to grow?

Accepted Answer

Secondary succession

Question 10

What is the main cause of the rapid increase in human population shown in the historical population growth graph?

Accepted Answer

Advances in agriculture, medicine, and sanitation

Question 11

Which process is illustrated by the increasing concentration of DDT as it moves up the food chain in the biomagnification diagram?

Accepted Answer

Biomagnification

Question 12

What is a likely consequence of deforestation, as shown in the cartoon image?

Accepted Answer

Loss of habitat and species extinction

Question 13

Which property of water is responsible for the formation of surface tension, as shown in the hydrogen bonding images?

Accepted Answer

Cohesion

Question 14

A solution with a pH of 3 is considered:

Accepted Answer

Acidic

Question 15

Which macromolecule is correctly matched with its monomer and function?

Accepted Answer

Carbohydrate – Monosaccharide – Quick energy source

Question 16

How do enzymes speed up chemical reactions, as shown in the activation energy graph?

Accepted Answer

By lowering the activation energy required

Ecology and Biochemistry: Foundations of Life and the Environment

Study Guide - Practice Questions