1. In which biome would you expect to find the highest species diversity?
a) Tundra
b) Desert
c) Tropical rainforest
d) Temperate grassland
Answer: c) Tropical rainforest
2. Which of the following is an example of a mutualistic relationship?
a) Lion preying on a zebra
b) Bee pollinating a flower
c) Tapeworm living in the intestines of a mammal
d) Parasitic fungus infecting a plant
Answer: b) Bee pollinating a flower
3. What is the term used to describe the maximum population size of a species that its environment can sustain indefinitely?
a) Carrying capacity
b) Population threshold
c) Limiting factor
d) Density-independent factor
Answer: a) Carrying capacity
4. Which of the following is NOT a major greenhouse gas contributing to climate change?
a) Carbon dioxide (CO2)
b) Methane (CH4)
c) Nitrous oxide (N2O)
d) Oxygen (O2)
Answer: d) Oxygen (O2)
5. Which of the following is an example of an abiotic factor?
a) Predator-prey relationship
b) Temperature
c) Competition for food
d) Mutualism
Answer: b) Temperature
6. Which term describes the process by which a population changes genetically over time in response to natural selection pressures?
a) Adaptation
b) Genetic drift
c) Migration
d) Evolution
Answer: d) Evolution
7. Which of the following statements about keystone species is correct?
a) They have a minimal impact on their ecosystem.
b) They are usually the most abundant species in an ecosystem.
c) Their removal from the ecosystem would have little effect on other species.
d) They play a disproportionate role in maintaining the structure and function of their ecosystem.
Answer: d) They play a disproportionate role in maintaining the structure and function of their ecosystem.
8. Which biome is characterized by low temperatures, permafrost, and a short growing season?
a) Temperate deciduous forest
b) Taiga (boreal forest)
c) Tropical rainforest
d) Temperate grassland
Answer: b) Taiga (boreal forest)
9. What term describes the range of environmental conditions under which an organism can survive and reproduce?
a) Habitat
b) Ecosystem
c) Niche
d) Tolerance range
Answer: d) Tolerance range
10. Which of the following is NOT an example of a pioneer species?
a) Mosses
b) Lichens
c) Grasses
d) Shrubs
Answer: d) Shrubs
11. What is the primary source of phosphorus for terrestrial ecosystems?
a) Atmospheric deposition
b) Weathering of rocks
c) Decomposition of organic matter
d) Runoff from agricultural fertilizers
Answer: b) Weathering of rocks
12. Which of the following terms refers to the movement of individuals into a population?
a) Emigration
b) Immigration
c) Natality
d) Mortality
Answer: b) Immigration
13. Which of the following is an example of a biotic factor?
a) Temperature
b) Precipitation
c) Availability of food
d) Soil pH
Answer: c) Availability of food
14. In which type of symbiotic relationship do both species benefit?
a) Parasitism
b) Commensalism
c) Predation
d) Mutualism
Answer: d) Mutualism
15. What term describes the variety of different species within an ecosystem?
a) Biodiversity
b) Ecosystem stability
c) Population density
d) Community structure
Answer: a) Biodiversity
16. Which of the following is an example of a density-dependent limiting factor?
a) Severe drought
b) Hurricane
c) Disease outbreak
d) Volcanic eruption
Answer: c) Disease outbreak
17. Which of the following is NOT a terrestrial biome?
a) Tundra
b) Coral reef
c) Grassland
d) Desert
Answer: b) Coral reef
18. What term describes the series of predictable changes that occur in a community over time?
a) Ecological succession
b) Climax community
c) Population dynamics
d) Habitat fragmentation
Answer: a) Ecological succession
19. What is the primary source of energy for chemosynthetic ecosystems?
a) Sunlight
b) Organic matter
c) Hydrothermal vents
d) Soil nutrients
Answer: c) Hydrothermal vents
20. Which of the following is a density-independent factor that can influence population size?
a) Competition for resources
b) Predation
c) Disease
d) Habitat destruction
Answer: d) Habitat destruction
21. What term describes the role a species plays in its ecosystem, including its interactions with other organisms and its physical environment?
a) Niche
b) Habitat
c) Territory
d) Population
Answer: a) Niche
22. Which of the following best describes an ecosystem?
a) A group of individuals of the same species living in the same area
b) A community of organisms interacting with each other and their environment
c) The physical environment in which organisms live
d) A single species living in a specific habitat
Answer: b) A community of organisms interacting with each other and their environment
23. Which of the following is an example of a decomposer in an ecosystem?
a) Rabbit
b) Hawk
c) Fungus
d) Grasshopper
Answer: c) Fungus
24. What term describes the variety of different habitats, communities, and ecological processes in the biosphere?
a) Biodiversity
b) Habitat fragmentation
c) Ecological footprint
d) Biome diversity
Answer: a) Biodiversity
25. Which of the following best defines an ecosystem?
a) All the living organisms in a given area interacting with each other
b) The physical and biological components of an environment and their interactions
c) The study of the interactions between different species in a community
d) The population dynamics of a single species in a habitat
Answer: b) The physical and biological components of an environment and their interactions
26. Which of the following is NOT a major nutrient cycle in ecosystems?
a) Nitrogen cycle
b) Carbon cycle
c) Oxygen cycle
d) Water cycle
Answer: c) Oxygen cycle
27. Which of the following is a density-dependent factor that can regulate population size?
a) Earthquake
b) Food availability
c) Flood
d) Forest fire
Answer: b) Food availability
28. What term describes the process by which one species evolves to resemble another species for mutual benefit?
a) Mimicry
b) Competition
c) Symbiosis
d) Coevolution
Answer: a) Mimicry
29. Which of the following is an example of an invasive species?
a) A native plant species adapted to its environment
b) A non-native plant species that outcompetes native plants for resources
c) A species that is in danger of extinction
d) A species that has a mutualistic relationship with another species
Answer: b) A non-native plant species that outcompetes native plants for resources
30. Which of the following factors contributes to the stratification of aquatic ecosystems?
a) Temperature
b) Light availability
c) Nutrient availability
d) All of the above
Answer: d) All of the above
31. What is the term for the total mass of living organisms in a given area or ecosystem?
a) Biodiversity
b) Biomass
c) Trophic level
d) Carrying capacity
Answer: b) Biomass
32. Which of the following statements about primary succession is true?
a) It occurs in areas that have previously supported life.
b) It is faster than secondary succession.
c) Lichens and mosses are common pioneer species in primary succession.
d) It typically begins on bare rock or sand.
Answer: c) Lichens and mosses are common pioneer species in primary succession.
33. What term describes the total number of different species in a given area?
a) Abundance
b) Richness
c) Diversity
d) Stability
Answer: b) Richness
34. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a climax community?
a) High species diversity
b) Stable population sizes
c) Rapid changes in species composition
d) Efficient nutrient cycling
Answer: c) Rapid changes in species composition
35. What is the term for the long-term average of weather patterns in a particular area?
a) Climate
b) Microclimate
c) Weather
d) Biome
Answer: a) Climate
36. Which of the following is an example of a density-independent factor that can affect population size?
a) Competition for mates
b) Availability of nesting sites
c) Forest fire
d) Predation pressure
Answer: c) Forest fire
37. What term describes the process by which nutrients are returned to the soil from decomposing organic matter?
a) Photosynthesis
b) Respiration
c) Decomposition
d) Nutrient cycling
Answer: c) Decomposition
38. Which of the following statements about ecological pyramids is true?
a) The biomass pyramid is always pyramid-shaped.
b) The energy pyramid shows the number of individuals at each trophic level.
c) The biomass pyramid represents the total energy available at each trophic level.
d) The pyramid of numbers is inverted in a typical ecosystem.
Answer: a) The biomass pyramid is always pyramid-shaped.
39. Which of the following biomes is characterized by low temperatures, little precipitation, and permafrost?
a) Tundra
b) Taiga
c) Tropical rainforest
d) Desert
Answer: a) Tundra
40. Which of the following is a characteristic of r-selected species?
a) Long lifespan
b) Late reproductive age
c) Large body size
d) High reproductive rate
Answer: d) High reproductive rate
41. What term describes the range of conditions in which an organism can survive and reproduce?
a) Habitat
b) Niche
c) Limiting factor
d) Tolerance range
Answer: d) Tolerance range
42. What is the primary source of energy for most ecosystems?
a) Wind
b) Sunlight
c) Geothermal energy
d) Biomass
Answer: b) Sunlight
43. Which of the following is NOT a method of carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere?
a) Photosynthesis by plants
b) Absorption by oceans
c) Decomposition of organic matter
d) Emission by fossil fuel combustion
Answer: d) Emission by fossil fuel combustion
44. What is the term for the role of a species in its community, including its interactions with other organisms and its physical environment?
a) Trophic level
b) Habitat
c) Niche
d) Ecosystem
Answer: c) Niche