Chapter 28:
Ecosystems
Practice Test
1.
Which of these is NOT a reason that water is crucial for organisms?
a.
It is a major component of cytoplasm and the fluid that bathes cells.
b.
It is a needed reactant for photosynthesis.
c.
It is the source of energy for almost all ecosystems.
d.
It is the substance in which metabolic reactions take place.
Hint
2.
What is a feeding step in the passage of energy and materials through an ecosystem?
a.
biotic factor
b.
abiotic factor
c.
trophic level
d.
niche
Hint
3.
What describes how an organism fits into its ecosystem?
a.
its job
b.
its niche
c.
its nest
d.
its trophic level
Hint
4.
What is the total amount of dried weight of organic matter in an ecosystem?
a.
its pyramid of energy
b.
its niche
c.
its trophic level
d.
its biomass
Hint
5.
What is the process in which minerals are dissolved out of rock and soil by water?
a.
topsoil formation
b.
leaching
c.
decomposition
d.
acid precipitation
Hint
6.
What is a relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is neither harmed nor helped?
a.
commensalism
b.
mutualism
c.
predation
d.
parasitism
Hint
7.
What is a relationship in which one organism benefits but the other is harmed in some way?
a.
commensalism
b.
mutualism
c.
parasitism
d.
predation
Hint
8.
The interaction of a community with its environment forms a(n) ____________ .
a.
population
b.
niche
c.
pyramid
d.
ecosystem
Hint
9.
Soil includes the decayed remains of organisms, or ________ .
a.
clay
b.
sand
c.
humus
d.
compost
Hint
10.
What is a graphic representation of the transfer of energy in a food chain?
a.
water cycle
b.
pyramid of numbers
c.
pyramid of energy
d.
pyramid of biomass
Hint
