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3 The Biosphere Chapter Test A

Multiple Choice
Write the letter that best answers the question or completes the statement on the line provided.
_____ 1. The lowest level of environmental complexity that includes living and nonliving factors is
the
a. biome. c. ecosystem.
b. community. d. biosphere.
_____ 2. Which ecological inquiry method is an ecologist using when he or she enters an area
periodically to count the population numbers of a certain species?
a. questioning c. experimenting
b. observing d. modeling
_____ 3. A mathematical formula designed to predict population fluctuations in a community could
be called a(n)
a. biological experiment. c. ecological model.
b. biological system. d. ecological observation.
_____ 4. How do most primary producers make their own food?
a. by using light energy to make carbohydrates
b. by using chemical energy to make carbohydrates
c. by changing water into carbon dioxide
d. by breaking down remains to make carbon dioxide
_____ 5. Compared to land, the open oceans
a. have less zooplankton.
b. contain unlimited nitrogen.
c. are nutrient-poor environments.
d. are rich in silica and iron.
_____ 6. All the interconnected feeding relationships in an ecosystem make up a food
a. interaction. c. network.
b. chain. d. web.
_____ 7. The total amount of living tissue within a given trophic level is called the
a. organic mass. c. energy mass.
b. trophic mass. d. biomass.
_____ 8. What animals eat both producers and consumers?
a. herbivores c. chemotrophs
b. omnivores d. autotrophs
_____ 9. A bird stalks, kills, and then eats an insect. Based on its behavior, which pair of ecological
terms describes the bird?
a. herbivore, decomposer
b. producer, heterotroph
c. carnivore, consumer
d. autotroph, herbivore
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Figure 3–1
_____ 10. What goes in Box 5 of the food web in Figure 3–1?
a. herbivores
b. scavengers
c. carnivores
d. decomposers

Figure 3–2
_____ 11. What is happening to water at D in Figure 3–2?
a. Water is falling to the ground as precipitation.
b. Water is evaporating from the ocean.
c. Water is being taken up by plants through transpiration.
d. Water is seeping into the ground to become groundwater.
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_____ 12. Carbon cycles through the biosphere in all of the following processes EXCEPT
a. photosynthesis.
b. transpiration.
c. burning of fossil fuels.
d. decomposition of plants and animals.
_____ 13. The movements of energy and nutrients through living systems are different because
a. energy flows in one direction, and nutrients recycle.
b. energy is limited in the biosphere, and nutrients are always available.
c. nutrients flow in two directions, and energy recycles.
d. energy forms chemical compounds, and nutrients are lost as heat.
_____ 14. Animals that get energy by eating the carcasses of other animals that have been killed by
predators or have died of natural causes are called
a. scavengers. c. heterotrophs.
b. omnivores. d. detritivores.
_____ 15. Which of the following descriptions about the organization of an ecosystem is correct?
a. Communities make up species, which make up populations.
b. Populations make up species, which make up communities.
c. Species make up communities, which make up populations.
d. Species make up populations, which make up communities.

Modified True/False
Indicate whether the statement is true or false. If false, change the underlined word or phrase to make
the statement true.
_____ 16. Producers release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere during the process of photosynthesis.
_____ 17. Only about 10 percent of the energy in a trophic level is available to organisms at the next
trophic level..
_____ 18. Aquatic ecosystems can receive a large input of a limiting nutrient from the runoff from
heavily fertilized fields.
_____ 19. Seawater, sand on a beach, pebbles in the sand, and broken seashells are all examples of
abiotic factors at a seashore.

Completion
Complete each statement on the line provided.
20. Organisms that break down organic matter and return it to the environment are called
.
21. In a four-level energy pyramid, if the first level contains 5000 calories of energy, the third level
will contain approximately calories.
22. Organisms within an ecosystem are factors in that ecosystem.

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Short Answer
In complete sentences, write the answers to the questions on the lines provided.
23. Explain the ecological significance of interdependence.

24. Compare and contrast photosynthetic producers with chemosynthetic producers.

25. Why might a pyramid of numbers be turned upside down? Explain your answer with an example.

Using Science Skills

Use the diagram below to answer the following questions on the lines provided.

Figure 3–3

26. Apply Concepts Figure 3–3 is an example of which method used to study ecology?

27. Infer Figure 3–3 shows a food web arranged into trophic levels. How many energy-transferring
steps away from the sun is the deer? How do you know?

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28. Infer In what way does the food web in Figure 3–3 show part of an ecosystem? What parts are not
shown?

29. Interpret Visuals In Figure 3–3, how many first-level consumers are there for each producer?

30. Interpret Visuals Which population in Figure 3–3 would be the most directly affected if the
farmer in the area decided not to plant corn? Explain your answer.

Essay
Write the answer to each question on the lines provided.
31. Describe three research methods used by ecologists.

32. Give an example of how the biotic factors in an ecosystem can affect the abiotic factors.

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33. Describe the roles of bacteria in the nitrogen cycle.

34. Why do farmers use fertilizers?

35. Explain the differences among the three types of ecological pyramids.

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