Name:_______________________________ Ecology Exam

Date:________________

Directions: There are 10 multiple choice questions, choose the single best answer for each. There are 10 fill-in-the-blank questions, be sure to answer each question with one answer. There are 5 short answer/essay questions, explain your answer thoroughly. Multiple Choice: 1. Nonliving factors in the environment are known as ___________________. A. Abiotic** B. Homeostatic C. Always easily measurable D. The same as dead things 2. The role of a species is its ____________________. A. Community B. Habitat C. Niche** D. Trophic level 3. A symbiotic relationship in which one organism harms the other is ___________. A. Commensalism B. Virus C. Parasitism** D. Mutualism 4. Which of the following has lush plant growth but poor soil? A. Temperate forest B. Grassland C. Tundra D. Tropical rainforest** 5. The basis of most marine food chains is ________________. A. Fish B. Whales C. Humans D. Plankton** 6. Stable community populations result in ______________. A. Country B. Desert C. Climax community** D. Ecosystem 7. Which of the following is a density dependent population factor? A. Drought B. Food** C. Flood D. Wind Speed

8. One of the major stressors of a population is usually ______________. A. Reaching carrying capacity B. When stability is reached C. Overcrowding** D. Caused by size decreases 9. Natural resources that can be replaced or recycled by natural processes are known as __________. A. Nonbiodegradable B. Biodegradable C. Nonrecycleable D. Limited 10. The ozone layer is found in the _____________. A. Thermosphere B. Mesosphere C. Troposphere D. Stratosphere Fill In The Blank: 11. Contamination of any part of the biosphere is called ____________________________. **pollution** 12. Forests, herds of cattle, and wheat fields are types of ____________________________ resources. **renewable** 13. The study of population growth characteristics is _______________________________. **demography** 14. The highest level at which a population can be sustained is its ___________________________. **carrying capacity** 15. The layer of frozen soil in the tundra is the ________________________________. **permafrost** 16. ________________________ succession occurs on fresh lava rock. **primary** 17. A species that first occupies and lives in an area is a __________________________. **pioneer species** 18. The highest level of biological organization is the ___________________________. **biosphere** 19. A close and permament interaction between two organisms is called a ________________________. **symbiosis**

20. The study of interactions between organisms and their environment is known as ___________________________. **ecology** Short answer: 21. What is the difference between a parasitic and a commensal relationship? **Commensal one benefits while other is not affected, while parasitic is where one benefits and the other is harmed 22. The rainforest has more species of organisms living in its biome than any others. Why is this? **The amount of precipitation and warmth make it ideal for so many species 23. How do population dynamics affect us here in La Crosse? Are we affected more or less than someone living in Japan? Antarctica? **Influx of people, small city, birth/death rate. Less than Japan, more than Antarctica 24. We know that dinosaurs and the dodo bird have gone extinct. Have humans caused any extinctions? If so, what can be done to stop it? **Humans cause the vast majority of extinctions now. Open ended answer to second part of question 25. Living in La Crosse, we are fortunate to live next to the Mississippi River. However, our great river has become very polluted throughout the years. Why do you think this is, and what can you do as an individual to help prevent it? **Due to human growth in the area, sewer, drinking water, lumber, etc. Open ended answer to second part of question. Reflection: I feel this exam would be a good example of a unit test on Ecology in a sophomore level Biology class. The unit is made up of multiple chapters, and I derived questions from each chapter. I purposely made different styles of questions, as different students may find MC easier or harder than short answer questions. Also, I included some open ended questions with the short answer, to encourage critical thinking amongst the students. Lastly, I purposely included some questions about our own area, to help students think about ecology and how it affects them personally, instead of simply on a global scale. If I were to change anything, I would probably add more questions to the exam, making it longer, and with some possibly T/F and matching questions, as well as a diagram(s) to label.