Kari Free
Ecosystem Unit Objectives
9th Grade
10-12 Day Unit
Upon completing this unit, the student will be able to:
1. Define ecosystem. (Knowledge)
2. Differentiate between abiotic and biotic factors. (Comprehension)
3. Discuss the accumulation of biomass in a food web using DDT and mercury in fish as
examples. (Knowledge)
4. Provide an example of native species, introduced species, invasive species, and keystone
species. (Comprehension)
5. Interpret food chains and predict how they will be affected with various changes to its
structure. (Application)
6. Determine how populations change when their habitats are destroyed (deforestation, wild
fires, wetland destruction, overfishing, pollution, and desertification). (Application)
7. Identify the various ecosystems located in Illinois. (Knowledge)
8. Define carrying capacity, explain its limiting factors, and analyze its graphs. (Knowledge and
Analysis)
9. Describe how energy transfer occurs between trophic levels. (Comprehension)
10. Demonstrate an understanding of the water, nitrogen, and carbon cycle. (Synthesis)
11. Explain what each of the following is and its place in the food chain: consumer, producer,
and decomposer. (Knowledge)
12. Define biome and describe the different types of biomes on planet Earth. (Knowledge)
13. Compare and contrast autotrophic and heterotrophic organisms. (Analysis)
Kari Free
Ecosystem Unit Test – Freshman Biology – ANSWER KEY
Name:_____________________
Date:___________________
Period:___________
You will have 50 minutes to complete this exam. Please clearly indicate the correct answer.
The short answer responses must be legible.
Objectives are in BLUE. Correct answers are in RED.
Multiple Choice. For each of the following questions, circle ONE correct answer. Be sure to
read the question and each answer choice carefully. (3 points per answer for 45 total points)
(11 & 13) 1. An organism that is unable to produce its own food is:
a. heterotroph b. producer c. consumer d. autotroph e. a and c
(2) 2. Soil, air currents, rocks, temperature, and altitude are examples of ____________.
a. limiting factors b. biotic factors c. abiotic factors d. ecosystems
(4 & 7) 3. The Little Bluestem is a(n) _____________ species in Illinois.
a. invasive b. keystone c. native d. limiting
(3) 4. Pregnant women should not eat certain fish due to _____________.
a. accumulation of mercury b. lack of nutrients due to loss of energy during transfer
excess of nitrogen d. none of the above
c. an
(5 & 6) 5. If there was a widespread forest fire, and all of the trees and plant life were destroyed,
which would be affected?
a. producers b. primary consumers c. decomposers d. all of the above e. a and b
(11 & 13) 6. Fungi and bacteria are _______________.
a. producers b. decomposers c. autotrophic d. heterotrophic
e. b and d
(10) 7. Where is the largest reservoir of carbon found?
a. freshwater lakes b. the atmosphere c. sediments such as fossil fuels
f. a and c
d. oceans
(7) 8. In central Illinois, ____________ is the main ecosystem while in the southern part of the
state, _____________ is the major ecosystem.
a. prairie; forest b. lakes; wetlands c. prairie; lakes d. prairie; wetlands
Kari Free
Use the following graph to answer questions 9-10.
(8) 9. What does this graph represent?
a. amount of rainfall b. carrying capacity c. ecosystem maintenance
(8) 10. What factors determine the shape of this graph?
a. amount of resources b. temperature c. size of population
organism eats e. all of the above f. all but one of the above
d. none of the above
d. amount of resources each
(12) 11. Which biome has the least amount of rainfall?
a. Desert b. Tundra c. Savanna d. a and b
Use the following diagram to answer questions 12-14.
C
A
B
D
(10) 12. What is the process shown by letter A?
a. evaporation b. precipitation c. freshwater storage
d. condensation
Kari Free
(10) 13. Acid rain would have an impact on which letter?
a. A b. B c. C d. D e. all of the above
(9 & 11) 14. Producers obtain their energy from ___________.
a. eating autotrophic organisms b. raw materials c. the sun
d. consumers
e. b and c
(1) 15. Ecosystems are _______________.
a. all the same size b. small c. large d. a wide variety of sizes
Matching. Write the letter corresponding to the best phrase for each of the numbered terms.
Each choice is used only used once. Questions 16-25 are all cognitive questions. (3 points per
answer for 30 total points)
(12)__H__16. Biome
A. The Princess Tree is an example of this in Illinois.
(5 & 11)__E__17. Consumer
B. Part of this cycle involves the decomposition of
plant and animal matter.
(4 & 7)__A__18. Invasive species
C. Largest number of a particular species that can survive
for long periods in a specific environment.
(13)__J__19. Autotrophy
D. The grizzly bear is an example of this in North
America.
(10)__F__20. Nitrogen
E. There are three trophic levels of these.
(2)__G__21. Biotic factors
F. This accounts for 78% of the air.
(3)__I__22. Accumulation of Biomass G. The living components of an ecosystem.
(8)__C__23. Carrying capacity
H. The largest ecosystems in which the Earth’s surface can
be divided.
(4)__D__24. Keystone species
I. The use of DDT in the 1950s and 1960s is an example of
this.
(10)__B__25. Carbon
J. The ability to produce food from inorganic compounds.
Short answer. Answer each question to the best of your ability – no more than 6 sentences.
You may use a picture to help answer your question, if you feel it is necessary. Do not forget
that your responses must be legible! (5 points per answer for 25 total points)
(1) 1. Define ecosystem.
An ecosystem includes all living organisms (biotic factors) in a specific area as well as its
physical environment (abiotic factors) functioning together as a unit.
Kari Free
(12) 2. Compare and contrast two terrestrial biomes.
Tundra – temperatures average below freezing, less than 5 inches of precipitation yearly,
small birds and mammals, very high altitudes on northern hemisphere
Boreal forest or tiaga – 15 to 20 inches of precipitation, very humid, lynx, various
weasel-family, mammalian herbivores, and insect-eating birds, span across Russia and North
America
Deciduous forest – 20 to 60 inches of precipitation, subtropical temperatures, known for
beautiful fall colors, found in Eastern North America, Easter Europe/West Russia, and Eastern
China, abundant deer and other mammalian herbivores, omnivores, and very few carnivores.
Coniferous forest – evergreen trees and various shrubs, spread out throughout, -40 to 20
celsius, 300 to 900 millimeters of rain per year, located in Canada, Europe, United States, and
Asia
Desert – Less than 10 inches of precipitation per year, extreme temperatures, vast array of
plants and animals that are wonderfully adapted for the dry, extreme environments, western
United States, central Australia, central Africa
Grasslands – Savannas, Tropical, and Temperate. Temperate: 10 to 20 inches of
precipitation a lot of it in the form on snow, located in the middle of North America and
scattered across various other continents, ground squirrels, prairie dogs, herbivores. Savannas:
Africa, vast plains with elephants, lions, tigers, and other large predators.
Tropical rainforests – the world’s most complex biome, precipitation exceeds 100 inches
yearly, average monthly temperature is over 64 degrees Fahrenheit, high variety of animal and
plant life, Central America, northern South America, central Africa, and Indo-Malaysian area
Use the following diagrams to answer the questions 3-5.
Salmon
Herring
Copepods
Phytoplankton
(5 & 6) 3. What do the herring represent in this food chain? What would you predict would
happen to the populations of the other three organisms if the number of herring dropped
drastically due to overfishing? And, WHY would these changes occur?
The herring represents a secondary consumer. The number of copepods would rise
Kari Free
drastically which would cause the number of phytoplankton to decrease. The salmon would die
off assuming herring is their only prey.
(4 & 5) 4. How would the food chain be affected if a bear, acting as a keystone species, was
introduced that primarily feeds on salmon? Why do you predict these changes?
It would deplete the number of salmon which would cause the number of herring to
increase, which would decrease the number of copepods, and increase the number of
phytoplankton.
(5 & 9) 5. Discuss the energy transfer that occurs between the trophic levels.
The phytoplankton use the sun’s energy and raw materials found in the water, such as
nitrogen and carbon, to produce its own food. The primary consumers,the copepods, eat the
producers and obtain almost 100% of the producers energy. The copepods use that energy to
live, so the secondary consumers only obtain about 25% of the energy when they eat the
copepods. The secondary consumers, the herring, use a lot of the energy they obtained, so the
top consumer, the salmon, receives very little of the remaining energy. Basically, energy is lost
at each trophic level.
Kari Free
Ecosystem Unit Test – Freshman Biology
Name:_____________________
Date:___________________
Period:___________
You will have 50 minutes to complete this exam. Please clearly indicate the correct answer.
The short answer responses must be legible.
Multiple Choice. For each of the following questions, circle ONE correct answer. Be sure to
read the question and each answer choice carefully.
1. An organism that is unable to produce its own food is:
a. heterotroph b. producer c. consumer d. autotroph
e. a and c
2. Soil, air currents, rocks, temperature, and altitude are examples of ____________.
a. limiting factors b. biotic factors c. abiotic factors d. ecosystems
3. The Little Bluestem is a(n) _____________ species in Illinois.
a. invasive b. keystone c. native d. limiting
4. Pregnant women should not eat certain fish due to _____________.
a. accumulation of mercury b. lack of nutrients due to loss of energy during transfer
excess of nitrogen d. none of the above
c. an
5. If there was a widespread forest fire, and all of the trees and plant life were destroyed, which
would be affected?
a. producers b. primary consumers c. decomposers d. all of the above e. a and b
6. Fungi and bacteria are _______________.
a. producers b. decomposers c. autotrophic
d. heterotrophic
e. b and d
7. Where is the largest reservoir of carbon found?
a. freshwater lakes b. the atmosphere c. sediments such as fossil fuels
f. a and c
d. oceans
8. In central Illinois, ____________ is the main ecosystem while in the southern part of the
state, _____________ is the major ecosystem.
a. prairie; forest b. lakes; wetlands c. prairie; lakes d. prairie; wetlands
Kari Free
Use the following graph to answer questions 9-10.
9. What does this graph represent?
a. amount of rainfall b. carrying capacity c. ecosystem maintenance
10. What factors determine the shape of this graph?
a. amount of resources b. temperature c. size of population
organism eats e. all of the above f. all but one of the above
d. none of the above
d. amount of resources each
11. Which biome has the least amount of rainfall?
a. Desert b. Tundra c. Savanna d. a and b
Use the following diagram to answer questions 12-14.
C
A
B
D
12. What is the process shown by letter A?
a. evaporation b. precipitation c. freshwater storage
d. condensation
Kari Free
13. Acid rain would have an impact on which letter?
a. A b. B c. C d. D e. all of the above
14. Producers obtain their energy from ___________.
a. eating autotrophic organisms b. raw materials c. the sun
15. Ecosystems are _______________.
a. all the same size b. small c. large
d. consumers
e. b and c
d. a wide variety of sizes
Matching. Write the letter corresponding to the best phrase for each of the numbered terms.
Each choice is used only used once.
____16. Biome
A. The Princess Tree is an example of this in Illinois.
____17. Consumer
B. Part of this cycle involves the decomposition of
plant and animal matter.
____18. Invasive species
C. Largest number of a particular species that can survive
for long periods in a specific environment.
____19. Autotrophy
D. The grizzly bear is an example of this in North
America.
____20. Nitrogen
E. There are three trophic levels of these.
____21. Biotic factors
F. This accounts for 78% of the air.
____22. Accumulation of Biomass G. The living components of an ecosystem.
____23. Carrying capacity
H. The largest ecosystems in which the Earth’s surface can
be divided.
____24. Keystone species
I. The use of DDT in the 1950s and 1960s is an example of
this.
____25. Carbon
J. The ability to produce food from inorganic compounds.
Kari Free
Short answer. Answer each question to the best of your ability – no more than 6 sentences.
You may use a picture to help answer your question, if you feel it is necessary. Do not forget
that your responses must be legible!
1. Define ecosystem.
2. Compare and contrast two terrestrial biomes.
Kari Free
Use the following diagrams to answer the questions 3-5.
Salmon
Herring
Copepods
Phytoplankton
3. What do the herring represent in this food chain? What would you predict would happen to
the populations of the other three organisms if the number of herring dropped drastically due to
overfishing? And, WHY would these changes occur?
4. How would the food chain be affected if a bear, acting as a keystone species, was introduced
that primarily feeds on salmon? Why do you predict these changes?
5. Discuss the energy transfer that occurs between the trophic levels.