Multiple-choice test

14 Ecology
Click on the correct answer to each question.

1 Which ecological term is defined as ‘the particular location and type

of environment occupied by an organism’?

A ecosystem

B habitat

C niche

D population

2 What is meant by an ecosystem?

A all the biotic and abiotic components of a given environment

B all the populations of organisms in a given environment

C all the chemical and physical factors acting in a given

environment

D the community of organisms in a given environment

3 Which step in a marine food chain involves transfer of energy from

trophic level 2 to trophic level 3?

A phytoplankton carry out photosynthesis

B zooplankton feed on phytoplankton

C small fish feed on zooplankton

D large fish feed on smaller fish

4 Which step in a marine food chain involves the smallest transfer

of energy?

A phytoplankton carry out photosynthesis

B zooplankton feed on phytoplankton

C small fish feed on zooplankton

D large fish feed on smaller fish

© Cambridge University Press 2013 Multiple-choice test: Chapter 14 11

 5 Which statement explains why herbivores obtain and store in their
bodies less than 10% of the net primary productivity of the plants
available for them to eat?

A Not all parts of a plant are available to be eaten.

B Not all parts of a plant can be digested.

C Some plant material is tough or distasteful and is not eaten.

D Some plant material is eaten by other herbivores.

6 Which bacterial reaction in the nitrogen cycle decreases soil fertility?

A oxidation of NH4+ to NO2− by Nitrosomonas

B oxidation of NO2− to NO3− by Nitrobacter

C conversion of N2 to NH4+ by bacteria using nitrogenase

D conversion of NO3− to N2 by bacteria in water-logged soil

7 Rhizobium bacteria form colonies in nodules on the roots of some plants.

What is the role of these bacteria in the nitrogen cycle?

A to produce ammonium ions from nitrogen gas

B to produce ammonium ions from urea

C to produce nitrate ions from nitrite ions

D to produce nitrogen gas from nitrate ions

22 Multiple-choice test: Chapter 14 © Cambridge University Press 2013

 8 The percentage of energy consumed by an organism that is actually
absorbed by the organism varies for different foods.

The table shows the percentage absorption of different foods by

small birds.

Food Percentage absorption / %

insect caterpillars 85
nectar 95
plant leaves 60
seeds 70

What explains the differences in percentage absorption?

A A bird in trophic level 3 uses more energy to digest its food

than any of the birds in trophic level 2.

B More energy is used to digest caterpillars than to digest seeds.

C Nectar requires little energy to digest.

D Seeds contain more cellulose than do plant leaves.

9 The energy trapped by grassland plants is 10 000 kJ m−2  year−1.

2000 kJ m−2  year−1 is used by the plants in respiration.

The energy passed along a food chain based on this grassland is shown,
in kJ m−2  year−1.

grassland → herbivore → carnivore 1 → carnivore 2

800 160 32

What percentage of the energy available to the herbivore passes to

carnivore 2?

A 0.32%

B 0.40%

C 3.2%

D 4.0%

© Cambridge University Press 2013 Multiple-choice test: Chapter 14 33

 10 Plots of white clover plants were inoculated with three different strains
of Rhizobium bacteria, P, Q and R, and the mass of harvested clover
compared with that from plots that were not inoculated and plots that
were treated with nitrate fertiliser. The results are shown in the table.

Treatment Mass of harvested clover / tonne

none (control) 2.1
nitrate fertiliser 1.1
Rhizobium strain P 1.9
Rhizobium strain Q 2.4
Rhizobium strain R 2.6

What may be concluded from these results?

1 Adding nitrate fertiliser increases the growth of white clover.

2 Inoculating unfertilised plots of white clover with Rhizobium
increases growth of the clover.
3 Different strains of Rhizobium differ in their ability to fix nitrogen.

A 1, 2 and 3

B 1 and 2 only

C 2 and 3 only

D 3 only

44 Multiple-choice test: Chapter 14 © Cambridge University Press 2013