Name: __________________________
ECOLOGY DRILL
Period: _____
1) Corals are marine animals that often live in tropical seas. Many types of corals have
unicellular algae living in their tissues. The algae provide up to 98 percent of the corals' food.
The corals provide protection and inorganic nutrients for the algae.
Algae leave the coral when the water is too warm. What kind of factor is temperature on this
relationship?
a. biotic
b. abiotic
c. species
d. ecosystem
2) In the fall, the leaves of many plants change color. Which of the following abiotic factors is
primarily responsible for causing this change?
a. increased pH
b. increased water c. decreased acidity d. decreased light
3) An ecosystem contains organisms interacting with each other and their physical environment.
Which of these is the best indicator of a healthy ecosystem?
a. There are few decomposers.
b. There are many different species.
c. There are few herbivores.
d. There is a large population of only one species
4) An ecologist described that there were lemurs, frogs, snakes, and fish in an ecosystem. What
level of organization is he referring to?
5) Which of the following would be capable of having offspring- Panthera leo and Panthera leo
OR Panthera leo and Panthera tigris? Why?
6) What 3 factors might cause the carrying capacity of a population to change?
7) What shape population growth curve would you expect to see in a small town made up
mainly of senior citizens? Compare this growth curve to that of a small town made up of
newly married couples in their twenties. Explain.
8) If you lowered the carrying capacity, what would that do to the population size?
Name: __________________________
ECOLOGY DRILL
Period: _____
1) All living things need nitrogen. The nitrogen gas in Earth’s atmosphere must be changed into
ammonia before most living things can use it. Which of these organisms can change nitrogen
gas into ammonia?
a. bacteria
b. mold
c. moss
d. yeast
2) Use the information below to answer the following item.
The water quality of the Chesapeake Bay is measured by the Chesapeake Bay Water Quality
Monitoring Program. Scientists measure the salinity, temperature, pH, and oxygen levels to
help determine the health of the Bay. Healthy water also contains appropriate amounts of
nutrients. Monitoring water quality helps communities make decisions about the Bay.
Which of these would likely be the most immediate result if oxygen levels in the Bay
decreased by 90%?
a. decrease in fish populations
c. increase in producer populations
b. decrease in salinity levels
d. increase in water temperature
3) Anna conducted an experiment using green algae. She put equal amounts of water into two
identical containers and maintained the water level throughout the experiment. Next she
added equal amounts of green algae to both containers. Container 1 received full sunlight
while Container 2 was placed in the dark.
After two weeks, what will Anna most likely find in Containers 1 and 2?
a.
b.
c.
d.
no algae in either container
abundant algae in both containers
no algae in Container 1 and abundant algae in Container 2
abundant algae in Container 1 and no algae in Container 2
4) Use the information below to answer the following item.
Scientists determined that excess fertilizer from farms entered a shallow lake. The fertilizer
caused an increase in aquatic plants in the lake and then a decrease in oxygen in the water. Next,
organic debris collected on the bottom of the lake. Over several years, the lake gradually filled in
with organic sediment. As the fertilizer levels increased, the population of consumers in the lake
declined. Which change most likely caused this decline?
a. increase in light intensity
b. increase in temperature
c. decrease in available oxygen
d. decrease in carbon dioxide
5) How are bacteria important to the nitrogen cycle?
6) Explain why fungi and other decomposers play a vital role in biogeochemical cycles.
Name: __________________________
ECOLOGY DRILL
Period: _____
7) Based on the information in the data table and the diagram where is the nitrogen cycle being
most impacted by human sources of nitrogen?
Global Sources of Available (Fixed) Nitrogen)
HUMAN SOURCES
ANNUAL RELEASE OF NITROGEN
Fertilizer
80
Legumes and other plants
40
Fossil fuels
20
Biomass burning
40
Wetland draining
10
Land clearing
20
Total from human sources
210
NATURAL SOURCES
Soil bacteria, algae, lightning, etc
a. growth of producers
b. levels of atmospheric nitrogen
140
c. action of decomposers
d. nitrogen fixation by bacteria
Name: __________________________
ECOLOGY DRILL
Period: _____
8) What would be the first consequence on Earth if the carbon cycle were disrupted by removal
of all heterotrophs?
A. increase in atmospheric carbon
C. increased soil carbon
B decrease in atmospheric carbon
D. decreased soil carbon
9) What would be the first consequence on Earth if the nitrogen cycle were disrupted by
removal of soil bacteria?
A. Consumers would starve
C. Producers would die
B Global temperatures would rise
D. Atmospheric nitrogen levels would increase
Name: __________________________
ECOLOGY DRILL
Period: _____
10) Levels of CO2 in Earth’s atmosphere are kept relatively constant primarily by
A. respiration and photosynthesis
C. decomposition
B. ingestion of plants by animals
D. eutrophication
11) Complete the chart about the carbon cycle.
Processes That Cause Carbon to Move into
the Atmosphere
Processes That Cause Carbon to Move out of the
Atmosphere
Process
Process
Description
Respiration
Photosynthesis
the release of CO2 and
other gases into the
atmosphere from the
burning of fossil fuels
Description
Name: __________________________
ECOLOGY DRILL
Period: _____
1) A protozoan lives inside a rat and takes its nourishment from the rat’s body. Because the
protozoan damages the rat’s brain, the rat loses its fear of cats. A cat attacks an infected rat;
the protozoan enters the cat’s body and completes its life cycle.
Which of these describes the relationship between the protozoan and the rat?
a. commensalism
b. parasite–host
c. mutualism
d. predator–prey
2) Use the diagram below to answer the following questions. Match the organism with its
trophic level. A trophic level may be used more than once.
Organism
i. algae
Trophic Level
ii. grasshopper
A. primary producer
iii. marsh grass
B. first-level consumer
iv. marsh hawk
C. second-level consumer
v. plankton-eating fish
vi. ribbed mussel
D. third-level consumer
vii. shrew
viii. zooplankton
3) What trophic level has the most significant impact on the organisms in an ecosystem? Explain.
Name: __________________________
ECOLOGY DRILL
Period: _____
4) The diagram below shows a woodland food web. The arrows in the diagram illustrate
A.
B.
C.
D.
The direction the organisms move as they feed and ingest energy
The direction photosynthesis takes as it moves through the chain
The direction energy flows through the food web
The arrows in this web are incorrect, they should be pointing the opposite direction
5) The bacteria in an ecosystem like the one above are important because
a. all living organisms feed on bacteria or other microorganisms
b. all organisms require nutrients and minerals made available by bacteria or other
organisms
c. they control levels of plankton and algae in the Earth’s oceans
d. plankton and algae must ingest bacteria in order to perform photosynthesis
6) The diagram shows an African food web. An example of two organisms which may compete
with one another from the diagram is
Name: __________________________
ECOLOGY DRILL
A. The fungi and the grasses
C. The giraffes and the vultures
Period: _____
B. The acacia trees and the bacteria
D. The cheetahs and the lions
7) A new species is introduced into an area. This can have harmful effects on species already
inhabiting the area. The harmful effects are most likely a result of
A. succession
C. competition
B. mutualism
D. commensalism
8) The desert climate is caused by geographic conditions such as location, high atmospheric
pressure, and proximity of mountain ranges. Average desert rainfall amounts are usually less
than 50 cm per year. Soil in deserts is coarse, sandy, and rocky. Desert plants and animals
have specialized characteristics that help them survive in the harsh environment. An example
is the Saguaro cactus. The Saguaro has a shallow root system with a main taproot and other
roots that radiate out and collect surface water. The trunk of the Saguaro has the ability to
expand while storing water. The sweet-nectar flowers of the Saguaro attract white-winged
doves, bats, and other animals. These animals feed on the nectar. They are necessary for
cross-pollination. Cross-pollination occurs when the pollen of a flower is carried to a flower on
another plant. The illustration below shows the Saguaro cactus.
Name: __________________________
ECOLOGY DRILL
Period: _____
Which of these best describes the ecological relationship between white-winged doves and the
Saguaro cactus?
A. mutualism
C. parasite–host
B. competition
D. predator–prey
9) Aphids are insects that feed on fluids from the stems of plants. After the aphids ingest the
plant fluids, they excrete a liquid called honeydew.
Some species of ants protect aphids from predators. The ants benefit by feeding on the honeydew
produced by the aphids. Which of these terms best describes the relationship between the aphids
and the ants?
(Maryland released item)
A. mutualism
C. predator–prey
B. parasite–host
D. commensalism
10) Some crabs pick up an animal that looks like a feathery flower and attach it to their shell. This
animal, known as an anemone, helps camouflage the crab. The anemone feeds on bits of
food the crab drops as it eats. This relationship can best be described as
A. mutualism
C. predator–prey
B. parasite–host
D. commensalism
Name: __________________________
ECOLOGY DRILL
Period: _____
1) A student is studying the relationship between a leafy plant and a species of beetle. He divided 20
plants into two groups. He planted each group in a separate planter box. He then released 50 beetles
into one of the planter boxes. The beetles fed on the leaves and left a white substance around the
plant, changing the pH of the soil. He recorded the average height of the plants at the end of three
months. His data are shown below.
a) How did the substance probably affect the growth of the plants in Group 1?
b) Describe how changes in pH may affect the metabolic rates of cells.
c) Describe how other environmental factors could affect growth in plants
2)