Name

Class

Date

Assessment

Chapter Test A
Ecosystems
In the space provided, write the letter of the term or phrase that best completes
each statement or best answers each question.

______ 1. Caribou, musk oxen, snowy owls, and snowshoe hares are common
animals in the
a. desert.
b. tropical rain forest.
c. tundra.
d. taiga.
______ 2. What biome once covered large portions of the interior of North
America, supporting huge herds of bison?
a. temperate grasslands
b. chaparral
c. temperate deciduous forests
d. taiga
______ 3. The neritic zone in the oceans
a. occurs between high and low tides.
b. extends over the continental shelf.
c. extends beyond the continental shelf.
d. occurs along the ocean bottom.
______ 4. Estuaries are characterized by
a. chemosynthetic bacteria.
b. sphagnum mosses.
c. large variations in salinity.
d. coral reefs.
______ 5. Which terrestrial biome is characterized by tall grasses and
scattered trees?
a. taiga
b. desert
c. savanna
d. chaparral
______ 6. About one-half of the worlds species are found in
a. tropical dry forests.
b. tropical rain forests.
c. estuaries.
d. temperate forests.

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161

Chapter Test

Name

Class

Date

Ecosystems, Chapter Test A continued

______ 7. The most productive zone in the oceans is the
a. neritic zone.
b. intertidal zone.
c. pelagic zone.
d. benthic zone.
______ 8. Marshes, swamps, and bogs are types of
a. freshwater wetlands.
b. eutrophic lakes.
c. oligotrophic lakes.
d. rivers.
______ 9. Streams in mountainous areas have rocky bottoms, clear water, and
a. low oxygen levels.
b. steep gradients.
c. low gradients.
d. no gradients.
______10. Temperate deciduous forests are characterized by
a. trees that lose their leaves in the fall.
b. warmer winters and longer summers than taiga.
c. mammals such as bears, white-tailed deer, foxes, raccoons, and
squirrels.
d. All of the above
______11. Deserts commonly receive
a. less than 25 cm of rainfall per year.
b. between 25 and 100 cm of rainfall per year.
c. more than 100 cm of rainfall per year.
d. more than 25 cm of rainfall per year.
______12. Which of the following is NOT an example of a freshwater ecosystem?
a. oligotrophic lake
b. estuary
c. river
d. All of the above

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162

Chapter Test

Name

Class

Date

Ecosystems, Chapter Test A continued

In the space provided, write the letter of the description that best matches the
term or phrase.

______13. tundra

a. boreal forest

______14. benthic zone

b. low rainfall with cactus and succulent

plants

______15. taiga

c. freshwater lake rich in organic matter

______16. pelagic zone

d. northernmost biome

______ 17. deciduous trees

e. freshwater lake with little organic

matter

______18. eutrophic lake

f. ocean bottom
g. open ocean

______19. coniferous trees

h. trees that lose their leave each year

______20. oligotrophic lake

i. trees that bear seeds in cones

______21. desert

j. zone in ocean where photosynthesis

occurs

______22. photic zone

Complete each statement by writing the correct term or phrase in the space provided.

23. The tundras layer of soil in which the water is always ice is called the

.
24. An aquatic ecosystem where organisms must be adapted to withstand

dehydration and crashing waves is known as the

.
25.

are distinguished by the presence of particular

plants and animals.

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Modern Biology

163

Chapter Test

TEACHER RESOURCE PAGE

Community Ecology
Chapter Test A (General)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.

a
a
d
b
a
d
b
c
c
b
b
d
h

14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.

e
f
a
i
b
c
d
j
g
interspecific competition
parasitism
disturbance

Community Ecology
Chapter Test B (Advanced)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
24.

c
13. a
f
14. d
e
15. c
d
16. b
g
17. c
h
18. d
b
19. a
a
20. d
i
21. b
j
22. b
d
23. b
c
Thorns, tough leaves, and toxins, such
as strychnine and nicotine, protect
plants from herbivorous predators by
providing structures or chemicals that
discourage the herbivores from eating
the plants.
25. These two species are competitors.
Chthamalus stellatus grows best in
areas exposed to prolonged dry
periods. Under these conditions,
Chthamalus outcompetes Semibalanus
balanoides. Semibalanus usually
grows best underwater. Under these
conditions, it outcompetes
Chthamalus.
26. commensalism; mutualism
27. Humans are reducing the size of natural habitats. This reduction causes a
decrease in the number of species
(species richness) that can be supported in these habitats. This is the
species-area effect.

28. Following retreat of the last glaciers,

only barren rock and till remained.

Freezing and thawing gradually broke
the rock into smaller pieces. Lichens
eventually colonized the barren rock
and released minerals from the rock,
forming a thin layer of soil that
enabled small grasslike plants and
shrubs to grow.
29. Species richness is the number of
species in the community, while species
evenness is the relative abundance of
each species.
30. (a) plots with both ants and rodents
(b) The seed density did not change
significantly. (c) The seed density
greatly increased (almost tripled).

Ecosystems
Chapter Test A (General)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
23.
24.
25.

12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.

b
d
f
a
g
h
c
i
e
b
j

Ecosystems
Chapter Test B (Advanced)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
22.

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Modern Biology

c
a
b
c
c
b
a
a
b
d
a
permafrost
intertidal zone
Biomes

422

e
12. d
g
13. b
h
14. a
b
15. d
f
16. c
d
17. b
c
18. d
a
19. d
j
20. b
i
21. a
c
The different terrestrial biomes are
distinguished by the characteristic
plants and animals that occur, but
most are identified by their dominant
plant life.
Answer Key