Ecology Quizzes: Test Your Knowledge of Ecosystems and Interactions

Question 1

Which of the following is not a fundamental component of an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Population density

Answer

Living organisms (biotic factors)

Answer

Non-living factors (abiotic factors)

Answer

Energy flow

Question 2

In a food web, which organism is typically at the top of the trophic pyramid?

Accepted Answer

Apex predator

Answer

Primary producer

Answer

Primary consumer

Answer

Decomposer

Question 3

Which major threat is considered a leading cause of the reduction of biodiversity worldwide?

Accepted Answer

Habitat loss and degradation

Answer

Climate change

Answer

Pollution

Answer

Overexploitation

Question 4

Which of the following describes the process where organisms colonize a new, barren environment?

Accepted Answer

Primary ecological succession

Answer

Secondary ecological succession

Answer

Climax succession

Answer

Hydrosere succession

Question 5

Which method is used to estimate the size of a wildlife population?

Accepted Answer

Mark-recapture surveys

Answer

Transect sampling

Answer

Quadrat sampling

Answer

Population projection models

Question 6

Which major biome is found in the eastern United States?

Accepted Answer

Temperate forest

Answer

Tropical rainforest

Answer

Tundra

Answer

Desert

Question 7

Which of the following factors does NOT directly affect the size of a population?

Accepted Answer

Annual precipitation

Answer

Immigration

Answer

Emigration

Answer

Birth rate

Question 8

Which of the following is NOT a major environmental issue facing our planet?

Accepted Answer

Asteroid impacts

Answer

Pollution

Answer

Deforestation

Answer

Climate change

Question 9

Which characteristic is NOT a sign of a healthy ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Presence of invasive species

Answer

High biodiversity

Answer

Efficient nutrient cycling

Question 10

Which of the following is an organism that produces its own food?

Accepted Answer

Grass

Answer

Mouse

Answer

Hawk

Answer

Fungus

Question 11

What is the term for a group of the same species living in the same area?

Accepted Answer

Population

Answer

Biome

Answer

Community

Answer

Ecosystem

Question 12

What is the primary reason for the Endangered Species Act?

Accepted Answer

To protect species at risk of extinction

Answer

To regulate the use of farming pesticides

Answer

To preserve land for natural habitats

Answer

To encourage economic development

Question 13

What is the term for a zone where two distinct ecosystems meet?

Accepted Answer

Ecotone

Answer

Biosphere

Answer

Habitat

Answer

Niche

Question 14

Which of the following relationships describes living organisms that benefit each other?

Accepted Answer

Mutualism

Answer

Predator-prey

Answer

Parasitism

Answer

Commensalism

Question 15

Define an ecosystem.

Accepted Answer

A community of organisms and their physical environment

Answer

The study of interactions between living organisms

Answer

The flow of energy and matter through living systems

Answer

The changes in population size over time

Question 16

The carrying capacity of an ecosystem is primarily determined by:

Accepted Answer

Resource availability

Answer

Predator-prey interactions

Answer

Disease prevalence

Answer

Temperature range

Question 17

The maximum population growth rate is known as:

Accepted Answer

Biotic potential

Answer

Environmental carrying capacity

Answer

Actual growth rate

Answer

Population growth rate

Question 18

Which gas is a greenhouse gas?

Accepted Answer

Carbon dioxide

Answer

Oxygen

Answer

Nitrogen

Answer

Hydrogen

Question 19

Decomposers play a vital role in ecosystems: they

Accepted Answer

Break down dead organisms

Answer

Produce oxygen

Answer

Consume primary producers

Answer

Synthesize new organic matter

Question 20

Which of the following is not considered a major biome on Earth?

Accepted Answer

Urban area

Answer

Tropical rainforest

Answer

Tundra

Answer

Desert

Question 21

What term refers to the interconnected network of organisms within an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Community

Answer

Biosphere

Answer

Food chain

Answer

Succession

Question 22

What is the primary function of decomposers in an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Breaking down organic matter

Answer

Producing food

Answer

Consuming organisms

Answer

Regulating temperature

Question 23

What is the name of the process through which organisms adapt to their environment over generations?

Accepted Answer

Natural selection

Answer

Mutation

Answer

Genetic drift

Answer

Symbiosis

Question 24

Which trophic level receives energy directly from the sun?

Accepted Answer

Producers

Answer

Consumers

Answer

Decomposers

Answer

Omnivores

Question 25

What is the term for the area where two different ecosystems converge?

Accepted Answer

Ecotone

Answer

Biome

Answer

Habitat

Answer

Niche

Question 26

What is the term for the scientific discipline that studies the interactions between organisms and their environment?

Accepted Answer

Ecology

Answer

Zoology

Answer

Botany

Answer

Physiology

Question 27

Which of the following is **not** considered a fundamental component of an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Physical laws governing the universe

Answer

Living organisms

Answer

Non-living environmental factors

Answer

Interactions between organisms and the environment

Question 28

A food web is a graphical representation that illustrates:

Accepted Answer

The feeding relationships between organisms

Answer

The movement of energy through an ecosystem

Answer

The distribution of species within a habitat

Answer

The impact of humans on the environment

Question 29

Air pollution is primarily caused by:

Accepted Answer

Release of harmful substances into the atmosphere

Answer

Contamination of water bodies

Answer

Degradation of soil quality

Answer

Excessive noise levels

Question 30

Natural selection is a process that leads to:

Accepted Answer

Adaptation of organisms to their environment over time

Answer

Random changes in genetic material

Answer

Gradual shift in allele frequencies within a population

Answer

Formation of new species

Question 31

Decomposers in an ecosystem primarily serve the role of:

Accepted Answer

Breaking down dead organisms and recycling nutrients

Answer

Producing food for other organisms

Answer

Regulating population size

Answer

Providing shelter and habitat for other organisms

Question 32

Which of the following is **not** a recognized type of symbiotic relationship?

Accepted Answer

Competition

Answer

Mutualism

Answer

Commensalism

Answer

Parasitism

Question 33

Which of the following is NOT a defining characteristic of an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

It is a self-contained system that does not exchange matter with its surroundings.

Answer

It consists of living organisms and their physical surroundings.

Answer

It includes all trophic levels, from producers to top predators.

Answer

It is influenced by both living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) factors.

Question 34

The transfer of energy from one organism to another in a food chain is referred to as:

Accepted Answer

Trophic transfer

Answer

Photosynthesis

Answer

Respiration

Answer

Decomposition

Question 35

The process by which organisms adapt to their environment over generations is known as:

Accepted Answer

Natural selection

Answer

Mutation

Answer

Genetic drift

Answer

Selective breeding

Question 36

The layer of gases surrounding the Earth is called the:

Accepted Answer

Atmosphere

Answer

Biosphere

Answer

Hydrosphere

Answer

Lithosphere

Question 37

Which of the following is a renewable resource?

Accepted Answer

Wind energy

Answer

Coal

Answer

Natural gas

Answer

Nuclear energy

Question 38

The process by which plants use sunlight to create their own food is known as:

Accepted Answer

Photosynthesis

Answer

Cellular respiration

Answer

Chemosynthesis

Answer

Fermentation

Question 39

When a keystone species is removed from an ecosystem, what is the most likely result?

Accepted Answer

Cascading effects on dependent species

Answer

Increased biodiversity

Answer

More resources for other species

Answer

Stabilized predator-prey relationships

Question 40

What is a defining characteristic of keystone species?

Accepted Answer

They exert a disproportionate influence on the ecosystem relative to their abundance.

Answer

They are the most numerous species in their ecosystem.

Answer

They are exclusively predatory in nature.

Answer

They are always physically large in size.

Question 41

Which factors influence the growth rate of a population?

Accepted Answer

Birth rate, death rate, immigration, and emigration

Answer

Number of predators only

Answer

Temperature and pH only

Question 42

A symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit is called:

Accepted Answer

Mutualism

Answer

Amensalism

Answer

Parasitism

Answer

Commensalism

Question 43

What is the process by which plants utilize sunlight to generate energy?

Accepted Answer

Photosynthesis

Answer

Decomposition

Answer

Respiration

Answer

Transpiration

Question 44

Which of the following factors is classified as an abiotic component of an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Temperature

Answer

Decomposers

Answer

Producers

Answer

Predators

Question 45

What is the term for a group of organisms of different species occupying the same habitat?

Accepted Answer

Biotic community

Answer

Habitat

Answer

Ecosystem

Answer

Population

Question 46

Which metric is used to measure the variety of species within an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Species richness

Answer

Ecosystem productivity only

Answer

Nutrient cycling rate only

Answer

Population size only

Question 47

Abiotic factors are non-living components of an ecosystem. Which of the following is NOT an abiotic factor?

Accepted Answer

Population density

Answer

Water availability

Answer

Temperature

Answer

Sunlight

Question 48

A food web provides information about the feeding relationships between organisms in an ecosystem. What is the primary purpose of a food web?

Accepted Answer

To illustrate the flow of energy and nutrients through an ecosystem

Answer

To depict the physical distribution of organisms in an ecosystem

Answer

To determine the population size of different species in an ecosystem

Question 49

The carrying capacity of an ecosystem refers to its ability to support a population. How is carrying capacity defined?

Accepted Answer

The maximum population size that can be sustained by the available resources over time

Answer

The average population size of an ecosystem

Answer

The minimum population size that can be supported by the available resources

Question 50

Photosynthesis is a fundamental process in ecosystems. What is the primary product of photosynthesis?

Accepted Answer

Glucose

Answer

Oxygen

Answer

ATP

Answer

Carbon dioxide

Question 51

In an ecosystem, primary producers form the foundation of the food web. Which of the following is a primary producer?

Accepted Answer

Plants

Answer

Deer

Answer

Mushrooms

Answer

Lions

Question 52

Natural selection is a driving force behind the evolution of species. What is the essence of natural selection?

Accepted Answer

Individuals with traits that make them better suited to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing on those traits to their offspring

Answer

Environmental changes randomly alter the traits of individuals

Answer

Organisms consciously adapt to their environment through willpower

Answer

All individuals in a population have an equal chance of survival and reproduction

Question 53

Biodiversity encompasses the variety of life on Earth. What does biodiversity include?

Accepted Answer

The number of different species, the genetic diversity within species, and the variety of ecosystems

Answer

Only the number of different species on Earth

Answer

Only the variety of ecosystems on Earth

Answer

Only the genetic diversity within species