Animal of Ecology MCQs
What is ecology?
A) The study of animal behavior
B) The study of animals in captivity
C) The study of interactions among organisms and their environment
D) The study of animal anatomy
Which of the following is NOT a level of ecological organization?
A) Population
B) Community
C) Organism
D) Cells
What is a population in ecological terms?
A) A group of different species living together
B) A group of individuals of the same species living in the same area
C) A group of individuals of different species living in the same area
D) A group of individuals with similar traits
What is an ecosystem?
A) A group of interacting populations in the same area
B) A group of individuals of different species living in the same area
C) A community of organisms living together and interacting with the environment
D) A group of different habitats in the same region
What is a niche?
A) The physical space an organism occupies
B) The specific role or function of an organism within its environment
C) The relationship between two different species
D) The total number of organisms in a given area
Which of the following is an abiotic factor?
A) Predators
B) Temperature
C) Plants
D) Prey
What is the term for an organism that makes its own food through photosynthesis?
A) Autotroph
B) Heterotroph
C) Omnivore
D) Decomposer
Which of the following best describes a herbivore?
A) An organism that eats only plants
B) An organism that eats only meat
C) An organism that eats both plants and meat
D) An organism that eats dead organic matter
What is the primary source of energy for most ecosystems?
A) Sunlight
B) Water
C) Soil nutrients
D) Atmospheric gases
What is the term for the total mass of living organisms in a given area?
A) Biomass
B) Abundance
C) Population density
D) Productivity
What is the process by which carbon is cycled between living organisms and the environment?
A) Nitrogen fixation
B) Photosynthesis
C) Cellular respiration
D) Carbon cycling
Which of the following is an example of a decomposer?
A) Rabbit
B) Mushroom
C) Deer
D) Hawk
What is the relationship between two organisms in which one benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed?
A) Mutualism
B) Commensalism
C) Parasitism
D) Predation
Which of the following best describes a keystone species?
A) A species that plays a critical role in maintaining the structure of an ecosystem
B) A species that is highly abundant in an ecosystem
C) A species that feeds on other species
D) A species that is sensitive to environmental changes
What is the term for the maximum population size of a species that the environment can sustain indefinitely?
A) Carrying capacity
B) Population density
C) Limiting factor
D) Reproductive rate
Which of the following factors does NOT contribute to population growth?
A) Birth rate
B) Death rate
C) Immigration
D) Emigration
What is the term for the movement of individuals into a population?
A) Birth
B) Death
C) Immigration
D) Emigration
Which of the following is NOT a density-dependent factor regulating population size?
A) Competition for resources
B) Predation
C) Disease
D) Weather events
What is the term for the variety of different species in a particular habitat or ecosystem?
A) Abundance
B) Diversity
C) Biomass
D) Population density
What is the primary cause of the loss of biodiversity?
A) Climate change
B) Habitat destruction
C) Pollution
D) Overhunting
Which of the following is NOT a type of symbiotic relationship?
A) Predation
B) Mutualism
C) Parasitism
D) Commensalism
What is the term for the process by which organisms become better suited to their environment over time?
A) Adaptation
B) Mutation
C) Speciation
D) Natural selection
Which of the following best describes an omnivore?
A) An organism that eats only plants
B) An organism that eats only meat
C) An organism that eats both plants and meat
D) An organism that eats dead organic matter
Which of the following is NOT a factor that affects the distribution of organisms in an ecosystem?
A) Temperature
B) Soil type
C) Altitude
D) Population size
What is the term for the process by which nutrients are transferred from one trophic level to another in an ecosystem?
A) Decomposition
B) Biomagnification
C) Trophic cascade
D) Energy flow
Which of the following is an example of a secondary consumer in a food chain?
A) Rabbit
B) Grass
C) Hawk
D) Deer
What is the term for the process by which two species evolve in response to changes in each other over time?
A) Coevolution
B) Convergent evolution
C) Adaptive radiation
D) Speciation
What is the term for the gradual change in species composition of a given area over time?
A) Succession
B) Adaptation
C) Evolution
D) Speciation
Which of the following is NOT a type of limiting factor that affects population growth?
A) Competition
B) Predation
C) Birth rate
D) Immigration
Which of the following is an example of a pioneer species in primary succession?
A) Grass
B) Trees
C) Moss
D) Deer
What is the term for the physical location where an organism lives and interacts with its environment?
A) Habitat
B) Niche
C) Ecosystem
D) Trophic level
Which of the following is NOT a method used to estimate population size?
A) Quadrat sampling
B) Mark and recapture
C) Transect sampling
D) Genetic analysis
What is the term for the maximum rate at which a population could increase under ideal conditions?
A) Carrying capacity
B) Exponential growth rate
C) Logistic growth rate
D) Reproductive potential
Which of the following is an example of a density-independent factor affecting population growth?
A) Competition for resources
B) Disease outbreaks
C) Predation
D) Parasitism
What is the term for the process by which a community of organisms gradually replaces another community over time?
A) Succession
B) Adaptation
C) Evolution
D) Immigration
Which of the following is an example of a terrestrial ecosystem?
A) Coral reef
B) Tundra
C) Estuary
D) Open ocean
What is the term for the variety of different ecosystems within a larger region?
A) Biodiversity
B) Habitat fragmentation
C) Ecological succession
D) Biome
What is the primary source of energy for most ecosystems?
A) Water
B) Sunlight
C) Soil nutrients
D) Wind
Which of the following statements about trophic levels is true?
A) Producers are always found at the top of the food chain.
B) Secondary consumers eat primary consumers.
C) Tertiary consumers are herbivores.
D) Decomposers are always found at the base of the food chain.
Which of the following is an example of a detritivore?
A) Earthworm
B) Lion
C) Hawk
D) Grasshopper
What is the term for the process by which organisms extract energy from food?
A) Photosynthesis
B) Decomposition
C) Cellular respiration
D) Fermentation
Which of the following is NOT a greenhouse gas?
A) Carbon dioxide
B) Oxygen
C) Methane
D) Nitrous oxide
Which of the following statements about ecological pyramids is true?
A) Pyramid of energy is always inverted.
B) Pyramid of biomass represents the number of organisms at each trophic level.
C) Pyramid of numbers is always upright.
D) Pyramid of biomass always has more energy at higher trophic levels.
Which of the following is an example of a biotic factor in an ecosystem?
A) Soil pH
B) Temperature
C) Predator-prey interactions
D) Rainfall
What is the term for the total amount of living tissue within a given trophic level?
A) Biomass
B) Biodiversity
C) Abundance
D) Productivity
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a climax community?
A) High species diversity
B) Stable population sizes
C) Rapid growth rates
D) Efficient use of resources
What is the term for the process by which nutrients are returned to the soil from dead and decaying organic matter?
A) Photosynthesis
B) Decomposition
C) Respiration
D) Transpiration
Which of the following is an example of a pioneer species in primary succession?
A) Grass
B) Trees
C) Moss
D) Deer
What is the term for the process by which water changes from a liquid to a gas?
A) Evaporation
B) Condensation
C) Precipitation
D) Transpiration
Which of the following is NOT a type of aquatic ecosystem?
A) Lake
B) Desert
C) Estuary
D) Coral reef