CHAPTER 7

ENERGY AND ECOSYSTEM

Paper 1 (Multiple choices)

1. What is the correct match of example to ecological term? A

2. The following are definitions of three ecological terms. d

1 all of the organisms and their environment
2 group of individuals of one species living in an area
3 all of the organisms living in a habitat
What are the correct definitions of a community and a population?

3. What is the ecological definition of the term community? c

A all the food webs in an ecosystem
B all the individuals of one species in an area
C all the organisms in an area
D the living organisms and their non-living environment
4. What name is given to all the organisms of different species living in an area? a
A community B ecosystem C niche D population
5. Two species of animal are found in the same area of forest and grassland. In the spring and b
summer they eat the same plant food. However, in the autumn and winter one eats nuts in the
forest and the other eats roots on the grassland.
Both species are preyed upon by the same predator. Numbers of root-eating animals are
reduced most by this, but they recover faster since they reproduce faster.
What can be concluded about these two species of animals?
1 They are part of the same community.
2 They are at different trophic levels.
3 They occupy different habitats.
4 They have different niches.
A 1 and 2 only B 1 and 4 only C 2, 3 and 4 only D 1, 3 and 4 only
6. A tree carries out photosynthesis and provides organic compounds for other organisms in a c
forest. It takes carbon dioxide from and returns oxygen to the atmosphere. It takes water from the
soil into its roots and its leaves lose water to the atmosphere. Many other organisms live in the
tree.
Which term applies to the description of the tree?
 A ecosystem B habitat C niche D trophic level
7. Grasshoppers eat only the leaves of grass. Grasshoppers are eaten by carnivorous beetles. b
What does this description of grasshoppers give us sufficient information to define?
1 habitat
2 niche
3 trophic level
A 2 only B 3 only C 2 and 3 only D 1, 2 and 3
8. Which statement explains why two species cannot permanently occupy the same ecological c
niche?
A The two species could not interbreed.
B The two species may be part of separate food webs.
C The two species would compete for the same resources.
D The two species would have different nutritional requirements.
9. What limits the number of trophic levels in a food chain? b
A biomass of the autotrophs
B efficiency of energy conversion between levels
C net productivity of the ecosystem
D species diversity in the ecosystem
10. Which box contains only the parts of an ecosystem which are classed as a food web? b
11. The diagram shows an arctic ecosystem. d
How many trophic levels are represented?
A3
B4
C5
D6

12. The diagram shows a food web. c

How many trophic levels are represented in the food web?

A3 B4 C5 D6
13. At which stage of a food chain of tropical grassland is the energy transfer least efficient? a

14. Which stage of energy transfer has the lowest efficiency? a

A sunlight → producer
B producer → primary consumer
C primary consumer → secondary consumer
D secondary consumer → tertiary consumer
15. The diagram shows a tropical ocean food chain with 10 % efficiency of energy transfer between a
 trophic levels.
phytoplankton herbivorous  zooplankton  carnivorous zooplankton small fish tuna
Net primary production of phytoplankton is 1300 g m–3yr–1.
What is the net primary production per year for the carnivorous zooplankton and the tuna?

16. The diagram shows the flow of energy through an ecosystem. Photosynthesis is the gross c
productivity. Producers lose some energy in respiration and the energy left is the net productivity.
This can also be expressed as an equation:
Net Productivity (NP) = Gross Productivity (GP) – Respiration (R)
Some of the net productivity passes to herbivores.

Which calculation gives the proportion of net productivity passing to herbivores?

17. A square metre of grassland receives about 1 047 000 kJ of solar light energy each year. d
The table shows what happens to this energy.

How much energy is used by the grass in photosynthesis?

A 2000 kJ B 19 500 kJ C 21 500 kJ D 23 500 kJ

18. Of the prey consumed by the lion, into which box does the largest amount of energy go? c

19. The diagram represents loss of energy from a food chain to decomposers, transfer of energy to c
the next trophic level and energy loss through respiration. All figures are in kJ m–2y–1.
 What is illustrated by this diagram?
A Carnivores lose more energy than herbivores.
B Energy loss to decomposers is higher than respiratory loss.
C Energy transfer between trophic levels is about 10 %.
D The energy of the final trophic level is not used.
20. The diagram shows part of the nitrogen cycle. c
Which sequence of numbers correctly
shows the roles of different types of
microorganism in the nitrogen cycle?

21. A farmer grows a different crop in a field each year for three years. d
In the fourth year he grows a leguminous crop, such as clover, and then ploughs this into the soil.
The next year he starts the rotation again.
How does the fourth year crop add mineral ions to the soil?
22. Which soil would have the smallest number of denitrifying bacteria? d
A compressed agricultural soil C water-logged clay soil
B poorly drained forest soil D well-aerated garden soil
23. The diagram shows a simplified nitrogen cycle. During which stage does nitrification take place? c

24. Following an environmental disaster of a major volcanic eruption, the atmosphere contains b
greatly increased amounts of dust.
How does this affect the following organisms?

25. Which process does not make nitrogen-containing compounds available to plants? b
A ammonification by decomposers C nitrogen fixation in plant root nodules
B denitrification by denitrifying bacteria D nitrogen fixation by soil bacteria
26. Which agricultural practice will not provide an alternative to the use of ammonium nitrate as a a
fertiliser to increase the productivity of wheat?
A growing wheat and another cereal crop in the same field in alternate years
B growing wheat and beans in the same field in alternate years
C ploughing animal waste such as dung into the soil
D using synthetic urea as a fertiliser
27. The diagram shows some chemical conversions during the nitrogen cycle. b
 Which conversions involve microorganisms?

28. The diagram shows the circulation of nitrogen in nature. d

What is correct?

29. Which stage in the nitrogen cycle is linked to its bacteria? b

30. The diagram represents part of the nitrogen cycle. c

Which process is carried out by nitrifying bacteria?
31. Why does the application of nitrate fertilisers cause an increase in crop production? a
A Green plants manufacture more protein. C The fertiliser adds energy to the ecosystem.
B More nitrogen is fixed in leguminous plants. D The number of denitrifying bacteria decreases.