Ecology of animals MCQs

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

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