Name: _______________________________________ New Test Grade:

_______________________________

Category 5- Environmental Systems

1. The amount of energy the producers in this energy pyramid provide the primary
consumers is 54,000 joules. From this amount, 540 joules are provided to the
tertiary consumers.
Based on this model, how much of the energy was provided to
secondary consumers?

A. 53,460 J
B. 5,400 J
C. 540 J
D. 54 J

E.

2. Food webs such as the one shown were first used in 1927 by the animal ecologist Charles
Elton. The food web below represents the feeding relationships among organisms in an
Alaskan ecosystem.

F.

G. An environmental change that removed which of these organisms from the

ecosystem would cause the most instability in the ecosystem?

A. Auklets C. Salmon
B. Foxes D. Zooplankton

E.
F.
3. During ecological succession, how does the growth of young hardwoods affect the
organisms living in an ecosystem?
A. Grasses and low shrubs are unable to obtain the amount of light they need to
survive, so there are small numbers of them.
B. The trees provide shelter and food for a variety of mammals, insects, and birds.
C. In autumn, falling leaves provide a source of energy for decomposers such as fungi.
D. All of the above
4. The photograph shows monarch butterflies landing on plants
where there are thousands of other monarch butterflies. These
butterflies feed on milkweed plants as they travel south for the
winter, covering distances of 5,000 km or more each year.
However, the population of these butterflies has been steadily
declining over the last 20 years.
G.
H.
I. What is the most likely reason the population of these butterflies has been
declining?
A. The number of bird species evolving to prey on butterflies has increased.
B. The butterflies are evolving to tolerate cold weather in the northern United States
and southern Canada.
C. The increase in yearly temperatures has warmed the northern habitats.
D. The number of milkweed plants along the butterflies migratory route has
decreased.

J.

5. Health professionals sometimes recommend nutritional supplements that contain a variety

of species of bacteria to promote good digestive health. The product label for one of these
supplements is shown.

K.
L. Why does this type of bacteria-filled supplement benefit human health instead of
causing illness?
A. Stomach acids and digestive enzymes kill the bacteria in this type of supplement,
protecting the person against future infections by live organisms.
B. The human digestive system contains billions of beneficial bacteria that enhance
digestion and nutrient absorption, synthesize vitamins, and help limit the growth of
harmful bacteria.
C. These species of bacteria remove all the other species of microorganisms living in
the human digestive system and ensure that no microorganisms survive to
contaminate the body.
D. These bacteria are able to deactivate viruses that may inhabit the human digestive
system and are used to protect against further viral infections.

M.

6. Which of the following is most likely to cause the greatest disruption to an ecosystem?
A. Emptying an aquarium containing non-native species into a local waterway
 B. Cutting down a small cedar tree to make holiday decorations
C. Cleaning the windshield of a car with an alcohol-based glass cleaner
D. Mowing the lawn in a city park
N.
7. Some relationships between different organisms are shown in the table.

O.
P. Which table correctly identifies each type of interaction described?
Q.

a.
c.

b. d.

e.

f.
8. Which statement best describes the differences in species diversity between an ecosystem
beginning the process of primary succession and one beginning the process of secondary
succession?
A. Species diversity is much greater in the ecosystem undergoing primary succession
because that ecosystem is experiencing a longer period with a lack of competition
for space.
B. No differences in species diversity exist because both ecosystems initially lack living
organisms.
C. Species diversity is much greater in the ecosystem undergoing primary succession
because the lack of soil provides a greater area for organisms to claim niches.
D. Species diversity is greater in the ecosystem undergoing secondary succession
because the soil already contains seeds and spores of various species.
g.
 9. As ecosystems move through the stages of succession, the populations of organisms in
them change. Which of the following describes the stage of succession likely to have the
most species diversity?
h.
A. A newly formed volcanic island
B. An agricultural field that has not been plowed for one year
C. A temperate forest that has never been cleared by logging
D. A field that is regularly mowed
10. Part of a hydrothermal vent food web is represented in the diagram.

i.

j. Which organisms are both secondary and tertiary consumers in this food web?

A. Chemosynthetic bacteria and amphipods C. Ratfish and octopuses

B. Zooplankton and mussels D. Galatheid crabs and zoarcid fish

E.

11. A student performed an investigation in which two ivy plants were planted in two
separate containers. One of the containers had earthworms mixed in with the soil, and the
other container had soil and no earthworms. The plants were given the same amount of
water and exposed to the same amount of sunlight. The student observed that after
several weeks of growth, the plant exposed to earthworms appeared to be healthier and
exhibited more growth. To conclude that the relationship between the plant and the
earthworm is an example of mutualism, the student must perform follow-up investigations
that do which of the following?
A. Determine whether the earthworms damage the soil in any way
B. Determine whether the earthworms benefit from being with the plant
C. Determine whether the water given to the plant is unpolluted
D. Determine whether the other plant in the investigation suffers as a result of not
being exposed to earthworms

F.

12.Parrotfish are herbivores that are found in coral reefs. To escape predation, a parrotfish will
graze with a rabbitfish, which has venomous spines at the end of its pelvic fins. The
rabbitfish does not benefit from this relationship. Which type of relationship do the
parrotfish and the rabbitfish have in the coral-reef environment?
G.
 A. Commensal
B. Mutualistic
C. Predatorprey
D. Parasitic
H.
I.
J.
K.
L.
13. The mimosa plant displays thigmotropism by collapsing its leaves in response to touch, as
shown in the pictures below. The plant on the left is undisturbed. The upper stem of the
plant on the right has been touched.

M.
N. What is the most likely benefit of this mechanism for the plant?
O.
P. A Protection from a loss of minerals to the R. C Protection from herbivores by becoming
environment less attractive
Q. B Protection from poor light availability S. D Protection from overwatering
T.
U.
V.
W.
X.
14. The food web shows the flow of energy through a sagebrush-steppe ecosystem.

Y.
Z. Which of these organisms are in a trophic level that receives a larger percentage of the
energy captured by the producers than the percentage received at the bats trophic level?
AA.
AB. A Mountain lions
AC. B Snakes
AD. C Hawks
AE. D Ground squirrels
AF.
AG.
AH.
AI.
15. A student is asked to draw a food web in which the same organism is a primary consumer
as well as a secondary consumer. How should the organism be represented in the food
web?
AJ.
A. The organism must have an arrow pointing from it to a tertiary consumer and another
arrow pointing from it to a decomposer
B. The organism must have an arrow pointing from it to a secondary consumer and another
arrow pointing to it from the top predator.
C. The organism must have an arrow pointing to it from a producer and another arrow
pointing to it from a primary consumer.
D. The organism must have an arrow pointing from it to a primary consumer and another
arrow pointing away from it to a decomposer.
AK.
AL.
16. Bats eat insects that damage crops and mosquitoes that are vectors for disease. One
million bats can eat several tons of insects per night, saving billions of dollars in pesticides
yearly. Agricultural and public health scientists are concerned about the spread of white-
nose syndrome (WNS). WNS is a result of a fungus that can infect cave-dwelling bats.
While bats hibernate during winter months, the fungus covers the bats face and wings.
WNS has a near 100% mortality rate, and 5.7 million bats have died since the discovery of
the fungus in 2006. Many scientists are searching for ways to protect these bats. The
relationship between this fungus and bats can best be defined as
AM.
A. commensal, because the bats provide a surface for the fungus to grow
B. parasitic, because the fungus obtains nutrients and shelter from the bats
C. competitive, because both organisms use caves as shelter during the winter
D. mutualistic, because the relationship involves two distinct species living together
AN.
AO.
AP.
17. How do an increase in the organic matter in soil and an increase in soil depth affect the
population of plants in an area?
AQ.
AR. A Larger plants become the dominant AT. C Nitrogen-fixing bacteria kill young trees.
organisms. AU. D Grasses become diseased
AS. B Mosses replace flowering plants.
AV. .
AW.
AX.
18.A marine ecosystem is represented below.
 AY.
AZ. What is lost to the environment at each of the trophic levels of this ecosystem?
BA. A Nutrients from the soil C Food sources
BB. B Living space for the organisms D Heat
19. The diagram shows the flow of organic molecules through an ecosystem. One process
that occurs in this ecosystem is labeled X, and another process that occurs is labeled Y.

BC.
BD.
BE. Which two processes are identified by the labels X and Y?
A. X: Respiration G. X: Fermentation
B. Y: Predation H. Y: Nitrogen fixation
C. I.
D. X: Adaptation J. X: Decomposition
E. Y: Decomposition K. Y: Respiration
F.
L.
M.
N.
O.
20.In any environment or ecosystem, organisms can have several different types of
relationships. Three types of relationships are described below.
 P.
Q.
R.
S. Which of these correctly describes the relationships between the organisms?
A. X: mutualism Y: parasitism Z: commensalism
B. X: commensalism Y: mutualism Z: parasitism
C. X: parasitism Y: commensalism Z: mutualism
D. X: commensalism Y: parasitism Z: mutualism
T.

U.

21. Brazil nuts (Bertholletia excelsa) are tall canopy trees

that make up a large portion of the Amazon rain forest.
They produce large grapefruit-sized seedpods. The agouti,
a ground-dwelling rodent, has teeth strong enough to
open the tough seedpods. While the agouti eats some of
the trees seeds, it also buries caches in various spots on
the rain forest floor. Why is the agouti important to the
rain forest ecosystem?
V.
A. It eats and disperses the trees seeds.
B. It eats the trees excess seeds and prevents other animals from doing so.
C. It cleans the rain forest floor of debris, allowing for easier motility.
D. It prevents the trees seeds from rotting on the rain forest floor.
W.

22.A student sets up a compost bin outdoors. Inside the bin microorganisms convert the
students vegetable and paper scraps into rich fertilizer. Which of the following best
describes the role that these microorganisms play in natural habitats?
A. The microorganisms help balance the numbers of producers and consumers.
B. The microorganisms help keep nutrients cycling through the ecosystem.
C. The microorganisms turn solar energy into sugars.
D. The microorganisms function as autotrophs.

X.

23. A terrestrial food web is shown below.

 Y.
Z.
AA. Which of the following lists only organisms that are secondary consumers in this
food web?
A. Mice, rabbits, herbivorous insects, and squirrels
B. Predaceous insects, toads, spiders, and foxes
C. Spiders, foxes, owls, hawks, and snakes
D. Insectivorous birds, seed-eating birds, owls, and hawks
AB.

AC.

24. Surtsey is an island located south of Iceland. The island was formed by a volcanic
eruption and first appeared in 1963. The table below contains descriptions of changes in
the population and diversity of species on Surtsey.
AD.

AE.
AF.
AG. Which of these lists the descriptions in the correct order of ecological succession on
Surtsey?
AH. C. IV, III, I, II
A. I, II, IV, III D. II, IV, I, III
B. III, I, II, IV
AI.
AJ.
25.The overgrowth of algae poses a major problem for coral reefs. Intensive fishing is one
factor that contributes to algae overgrowth because it does which of the following?
AK.
AL.A Allows more sunlight to be available AM. B Inhibits the spread of
to algae pathogens in algae colonies
AN. C Reduces the number of AO. D Increases the competition
organisms that feed on algae between different algae species
AP.

26. Which of the following are missing from the food web shown?

A. Producers 29.
B. Decomposers
C. Omnivores 30.
D. Predators
31.
27.
32.
28.

33.The Texas blind salamander (Eurycea rathbuni) lives in the Edwards Aquifer region around
San Marcos. Along with other
species the salamander lives in total
darkness in the underground
crevices and caves of the aquifer
region. The table lists some of the
organisms that live in this
environment and their food sources.
In an energy pyramid for these
aquifer cave dwellers, which of the following would be placed at the bottom?

34.

35.A Snails C Protozoa

36.B Blind shrimp D Texas blind salamanders

37.