Name: _______________________

Class Period: ______________

Exam Page 1

Ecology Exam 52 Points

Multiple Choice
Directions: Circle the correct response for each questions. Make sure that your
answer is clearly marked. Some answers may ask for more than one answer.
1) Which of the following is the most precise definition of an ecosystem?
a) An ecosystem is composed of all the living things in a given area.
b) An ecosystem is composed of all the living organisms that share a region
and their physical and chemical environment.
c) An ecosystem is composed of all the abiotic factors and predators in a
given area.
d) An ecosystem is composed of all humans and their physical chemical
environment.
2) Red leaves _______ the red color.
a) Absorb
b) Reflect
3) Which of the following is not a biotic factor:
a) Elm Tree
b) Nests
c) Rocks
d) Plankton
4) Which pigment is known for "red" leaves?
a) Chlorophyll
b) Carotenoids
c) Fucoxanthin
d) Red
5) The observed process of change in the species structure of an ecological
community over time
is known as:
a) Habitat
b) Ecological succession
c) Chromatography
d) Biome movement
6) The maximum population size a particular species that a give ecosystem can
sustain is known as the populations:
a) Community
b) Breaking point
c) Niche
d) Carry capacity

Name: _______________________

Class Period: ______________

Exam Page 2

7) Which of the following is not a key abiotic factor for ecosystem functioning?
a) Light availability
b) Temperature
c) Population Number
d) Water availability
8) The movement of sediment and rock to new places is known as:
a) Migration
b) Erosion
c) Moving
d) Land Migration
9) Which of the following is not considered a biome?
a) Tundra
b) Grassland Prairie
c) Delta
d) Ocean
10) Which of the following organisms is often a pioneer species?
a) Grasses
b) Lichen
c) Otters
d) Spruces
11) Succession will occur until an ecosystem reaches its final stage: ______
a) Secondary succession
b) Primary succession
c) Primary species
d) Climax community
12) Which of the following states the correct order of soil components from largest
to smallest:
a) Sand, rock, clay, silt, humus
b) Rock, sand, silt, clay, humus
c) Silt, clay, humus, rock, sand
d) Humus, clay, silt, sand, rock
13) Which of the following is not a key abiotic factor for ecosystem functioning?
a) Silt
b) Clay
c) Humus
d) Rock

Name: _______________________

Class Period: ______________

Exam Page 3

14) Which of the following is not a key abiotic factor for ecosystem functioning?
a) 5.5-8
b) 8-12
c) 1-7
d) 7
15) Select the following abiotic factors that were tested for in the terrarium lab:
a) Oxygen gas concentration
b) Carbon dioxide concentration
c) UVA radiation
d) UVB radiation
16) _____ is a system in which the forces are balanced.
a) Primary succession
b) Secondary succession
c) Equilibrium
d) Climax community
17) The main pigment in photosynthetic leaves is: ____
a) Carotene
b) Chloroplast
c) Chloroplasm
d) Chlorophyll
18) The visible human spectrum lies between what wavelength range?
a) 390-700
b) 1000-1500
c) 0-390
d) 700-1000
19) The leaves of a plant appear green because chlorophyll:
a) Reflects blue light
b) Absorbs blue light
c) Reflects green light
d) Absorbs green light
20) Where are pigments located in a plant cell?
a) Cytoplasm
b) Mitochondria
c) Chloroplast
d) Chlorophyll

Name: _______________________

Class Period: ______________

Exam Page 4

True and False

Directions: Read the statement completely and determine if the statement is
true or false. In the blank provided, write true for a true statement and
false for a false statement.
21. ___________________________ Chromatography analyzes the composition of pigments
located in a plants mitochondria.
a) True
b) False
22. _____________________________ The tundra biome contains the most species diversity.
a) True
b) False
23. ____________________________ Primary succession occurs when the soil from the
ecosystem has been disturbed.
a) True
b) False
24. ___________________________ Terrariums only focus on biotic factors.
a) True
b) False
25. ____________________________ Plants grow well in acidic soils.
a) True
b) False

Name: _______________________

Class Period: ______________

Exam Page 5

Short Answer
Directions: Answer each of the following questions in a short response. This is
formal writing and should be completed with pen on loose-leaf paper or on
the computer.
26) Will red leaves contain the same amount of chlorophyll as green leaves? Why or
why not?

27) Identify the process of ecological succession starting from primary succession.
Include terminology.

28) What is a biome?

Name: _______________________

Class Period: ______________

Exam Page 6

Matching
Directions: Match the correct letter with the appropriate term. Each letter will
be used once.
29) ______ Tundra
30) ______ Grassland
31) ______ Rainforest
32) ______ Water
33) ______ Taiga
34) ______ Desert
35) ______ Deciduous Forest
.
a) Largest terrestrial biome on the planet
b) Highest species diversity
c) Less than 50 centimeters of rain annually
d) Erratic precipitation leads to droughts and
fires
e) Largest aquatic biome on the planet
f) Located in the eastern United States
g) Coldest biome