Interaction Within the Ecosystem Test Review

1. What characteristics does an organism need to have to be considered living?

2. Which do not belong to the plant family?

a. Flowers and trees
b. Grasses and mosses
c. Trees and shrubs
d. Algae and fungi

3. What are the needs of all organisms?

a. Air, water, food, shelter, ability to interact
b. Air, water, shelter, ability to interact
c. Air, water, food, ability to interact
d. Air, water, food, shelter

4. What is an ecozone?

5. What is an ecosystem?

6. What is a community?

7. What is a biome?

8. Explain the difference between abiotic and biotic factors. Give three examples of
each in an ecosystem.

9. Water covers __________ percent of the earth’s surface.

10. A ______________ species are the first to live and colonize an ecosystem.

11. _______________ caused by wind, rain, ocean currents and sunlight will
eventually break down rock.

12. An ecological community will reach a stable state, where it no longer changes its
composition. This is known as a ______________________.

13. Which of these are examples of micro-organisms?

a. Fungi, bacteria, viruses, protozoans
b. Fungi, bacteria, protozoans
c. Fungi, viruses, protozoans
d. Bacteria, viruses, protozoans
14. Which are examples of primary consumers?
a. deer, wolves, grasshoppers, crows
b. deer, wolves, grasshoppers, cattle
c. deer, grasshoppers, rabbits, zebra
d. deer, grasshoppers, rabbits, rats

15. Which are examples of secondary consumsers?

a. humans, wolves, deer, lions
b. humans, wolves, lions, fox
c. humans, wolves, lions, cattle
d. wolves, lions, rabbit, zebra

16. List the three living elements in an ecosystem.

17. List the four non-living elements in an ecosystem.

18. What is the role of producers in the food chain?

a. to produce oxygen, to provide food for others
b. to produce oxygen and carbon dioxide
c. to produce oxygen and consume others
d. to provide food for others, to provide habitats

19. What is a community?

a. area where only plants live
b. area where plants and animals live
c. area where only animals live
d. area where plants and producers live

20. Consumers are organisms:

a. that uses sunlight to make food
b. that eats only plants
c. that feeds on others above them in the food chain
d. that feeds on others below them in the food chain

21. Describe the term organism.

22. Describe population.

23. List two beneficial uses for fungi.

24. Explain the importance of plants as camouflage.

25. Which of these animals are considered omnivores?
a. humans, grizzly bear
b. humans, deer
c. humans, wolves
d. deer, grizzly bear

26. Scavengers are organisms that:

a. a. break down the remains of dead plants
b. b. eat dead or decaying plants and animals
c. c. break down the remains of dead animals
d. d. eat plants and animals

27. Describe the term producer.

28. Describe the term consumer.

29. Describe the terms: herbivore, omnivore and carnivore.

30. Explain the brown food web. Why is this needed to sustain an ecosystem?

31. What is the difference between the brown and green food web?

32. Why are plants essential to ecosystems?

33. Explain the role of algae in water bodies and why it is important.

34. Define a decomposer. What are its roles?

35. List two beneficial uses for bacteria.

36. Explain how a food web operates. Use words like energy transfer, the sun,
producers, primary and secondary consumers, detritus etc.

37. Draw a food web (remember the arrows point from the sun to the organism, not
the other way around).

38. List a food chain in your food web.

39. Select 2 of the following parts of the food chain and explain their role: apex
consumers, secondary consumers, primary consumers, producers, decomposers,
scavengers and detritus

40. What is matter?

41. What is the water cycle? Explain the 4 key parts.

42. Describe three of the following matter cycles and why they are important:
nitrogen cycle, carbon cycle, water cycle, or phosphorus cycle.

43. What is nitrogen fixation and denitrification?

44. Explain eutrophication.

45. Why is it important to be able to cycle limited elements in an ecosystem?

46. Explain the difference between primary and secondary succession.

47. List 5 limiting factors of an ecosystem. Why are they important to know?

48. Explain how human impact has negatively impacted ecosystems. Suggest a
positive solution to this problem.

49. Explain 2 negative impacts and 2 positive impacts humans have had on the
environment.

50. What is sustainability in relation to ecosystems? What can we do to maintain

balance in ecosystems?

51. Explain the impact of climate change on ecosystems.

52. What is an invasive species? How does this change ecosystems?

53. Explain three reasons why organisms in an ecosystem may be endangered. Give
some solutions to help these species.

54. What is carrying capacity? Why is this important to all species?

55. Using your scientific knowledge, how can humans maintain sustainable
ecosystems and become carbon neutral by 2050? How will we be able to support our
growth beyond carrying capacity?