Name: 
 

CH. 23 Ecosystems and Biomes


Modified True/False
Indicate whether the sentence or statement is true or false.  If false, change the identified word or phrase to make the sentence or statement true.
 

1. 
Organisms that capture the energy of sunlight to make food are called producers. _________________________

 

2. 
In an energy pyramid, the available energy increases at each feeding level compared to the level below. _________________________

 

3. 
Second-level consumers may be either carnivores or omnivores. _________________________

 

4. 
Rain, snow, sleet, and hail are examples of condensation. _________________________

 

5. 
Producers release the gas oxygen as a product of photosynthesis. _________________________

 

6. 
Dandelions are a(n) native species in the United States because they were brought from Europe by the colonists. _________________________

 

7. 
The deciduous forest biome is typically populated by many grasses, along with a few shrubs and trees. _________________________

 

8. 
Oak, maple, and beech trees, which lose their leaves each year, are typically found in a boreal forest. _________________________

 

9. 
Rivers, ponds, and lakes are part of the marine biome. _________________________

 

10. 
The series of changes that occur in an area where no ecosystem previously existed is called primary succession. _________________________

 

Multiple Choice
Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
 

11. 
An organism that can make its own food is called a
a.
consumer.
b.
decomposer.
c.
producer.
d.
scavenger.
 

12. 
Consumers that eat both plants and animals are called
a.
omnivores.
b.
herbivores.
c.
carnivores.
d.
scavengers.
 

13. 
Which of these consumers is an herbivore?
a.
lion
b.
deer
c.
spider
d.
snake
 

14. 
Vultures, which feed on the bodies of dead organisms, are
a.
first-level consumers.
b.
scavengers.
c.
producers.
d.
herbivores.
 

15. 
The first organism in a food chain is always a(n)
a.
consumer.
b.
herbivore.
c.
carnivore.
d.
producer.
 

16. 
If a kestrel eats a mouse that eats grass, the kestrel is a(n)
a.
producer.
b.
second-level consumer.
c.
first-level consumer.
d.
decomposer.
 

17. 
The many overlapping food chains in an ecosystem make up a(n)
a.
food web.
b.
niche.
c.
energy pyramid.
d.
feeding level.
 

18. 
A diagram that shows the amount of energy that moves from one feeding level to another in a food web is called a(n)
a.
food chain.
b.
energy pyramid.
c.
ecosystem.
d.
niche.
 

19. 
In an energy pyramid, which level has the most available energy?
a.
producer level
b.
first-level consumer level
c.
second-level consumer level
d.
third-level consumer level
 

20. 
The step in the water cycle in which water vapor becomes liquid water is
a.
condensation.
b.
nitrogen fixation.
c.
recycling.
d.
precipitation.
 

21. 
In which process do molecules of liquid water absorb energy and change into the gas state?
a.
condensation
b.
precipitation
c.
evaporation
d.
recycling
 

22. 
Which of these is NOT an example of precipitation?
a.
rain
b.
snow
c.
groundwater
d.
hail
 

23. 
In which process do producers use carbon from carbon dioxide to produce other carbon-containing molecules?
a.
the nitrogen cycle
b.
photosynthesis
c.
precipitation
d.
the water cycle
 

24. 
What do producers release as a result of photosynthesis?
a.
hydrogen
b.
nitrogen
c.
oxygen
d.
carbon dioxide
 

25. 
Some bacteria that fix nitrogen live in bumps on the roots of certain plants. These bumps are called
a.
nodules.
b.
starches.
c.
legumes.
d.
droplets.
 

26. 
The study of where organisms live is called
a.
dispersal.
b.
biogeography.
c.
ecology.
d.
climatology.
 

27. 
The very slow movement of the continents is called
a.
continental drift.
b.
biogeography.
c.
dispersal.
d.
distribution.
 

28. 
Which of the following is NOT an example of dispersal?
a.
the wind carrying dandelion seeds to other fields
b.
a dog bringing home sticky plant burs on its fur
c.
an insect being carried down a river on a floating leaf
d.
a squirrel living in a forest on a mountain
 

29. 
Dandelions, horses, and other organisms that were brought by humans from one part of the world to another are examples of
a.
native species.
b.
exotic species.
c.
parasites.
d.
endangered species.
 

30. 
The ocean prevents the Australian kangaroo from dispersing throughout the world. The ocean is an example of which limit to dispersal?
a.
climate
b.
a physical barrier
c.
competition
d.
an exotic species
 

31. 
The typical weather pattern in an area over a long period of time is called
a.
climate.
b.
precipitation.
c.
the water cycle.
d.
weather.
 

32. 
A group of ecosystems with similar climates and organisms is called a(n)
a.
energy pyramid.
b.
climate.
c.
biome.
d.
food web.
 

33. 
Which land biome receives less than 25 centimeters of rain per year?
a.
desert
b.
grassland
c.
temperate rain forest
d.
tropical rain forest
 

34. 
Which land biome is extremely cold and dry?
a.
desert
b.
tundra
c.
grassland
d.
mountains
 

35. 
Ponds and rivers are two types of
a.
marine biomes.
b.
rain forest biomes.
c.
freshwater biomes.
d.
estuary biomes.
 

36. 
Which biome is found where the fresh water of a river meets the salt water of the ocean?
a.
estuary
b.
neritic zone
c.
surface zone
d.
rocky intertidal zone
 

37. 
The ocean water is completely dark throughout the
a.
estuary.
b.
intertidal zone.
c.
neritic zone.
d.
deep zone.
 

38. 
The series of changes that occurs after a disturbance in an existing ecosystem is called
a.
primary succession.
b.
secondary succession.
c.
disturbance succession.
d.
pioneer succession.
 

39. 
Plants growing on new island formed by the eruption of an undersea volcano are an example of
a.
primary succession.
b.
secondary succession.
c.
nutrients.
d.
dispersal.
 

40. 
The first species to populate an area where primary succession is taking place are called
a.
secondary species.
b.
primary species.
c.
pioneer species.
d.
succession species.
 

Completion
Complete each sentence or statement.
 

41. 
Bacteria and fungi are known as ____________________ because they break down the remains of organisms.
 

 

42. 
The energy role of a grizzly bear is that of a(n) ____________________ because it cannot make its own food.
 

 

43. 
A diagram called a(n) ____________________ shows how much energy is available at each level of a food web.
 

 

44. 
The least amount of energy is available at the ____________________ level of an energy pyramid.
 

 

45. 
The energy role of the first organism in a food chain is always a(n) ____________________.
 

 

46. 
An organism that eats only plants is a ____________________ consumer.
 

 

47. 
Water vapor turns into droplets of liquid water in the process of ____________________.
 

 

48. 
Water from a lake changes to the gas state in the process of ____________________.
 

 

49. 
Certain bacteria change nitrogen gas into a usable form in a process called ____________________.
 

 

50. 
Producers use carbon from the gas ____________________ to make sugars and starches.
 

 

51. 
The distribution of species has been affected by the slow movement of Earth's continents called ____________________.
 

 

52. 
Small, light organisms such as baby spiders can be dispersed by ____________________.
 

 

53. 
Mountains and deserts that are difficult for organisms to cross are ____________________ barriers to dispersal.
 

 

54. 
Temperature and precipitation determine an area's ____________________, which can limit dispersal of organisms.
 

 

55. 
The ____________________ biome receives less than 25 centimeters of rain a year and may have large temperature shifts every day.
 

 

56. 
The soil that is frozen all year in the tundra is called ____________________.
 

 

57. 
The neritic zone over the continental shelf is part of the ____________________ biome.
 

 

58. 
The part of the open ocean that receives enough light for floating algae to carry out photosynthesis is called the ____________________ zone.
 

 

59. 
____________________ species such as lichens are the first to grow in an area with no soil.
 

 

60. 
The type of succession that occurs in an area where an ecosystem previously existed is called ____________________ succession.
 

 

Short Answer
 
 
ch-_23_ecosystems_a_files/i0650000.jpg
 

61. 
Which organisms shown are producers?
 

62. 
Which organisms shown are consumers?
 

63. 
What would happen to the other organisms if all the plants in this ecosystem died?
 

64. 
Use the organisms pictured in this ecosystem to construct a food chain.
 

65. 
Approximately what percentage of the energy in the plants is passed on to the animals that eat them?
 

66. 
Why are there relatively few third-level consumers like bears in an ecosystem?
 
 
ch-_23_ecosystems_a_files/i0720000.jpg
 

67. 
Which number represents the organisms responsible for converting nitrogen gas into a usable form of nitrogen?
 

68. 
On what part of a plant do the organisms represented by number 8 live?
 

69. 
Which number represents the form of nitrogen that can be used by plants?
 

70. 
Describe three roles bacteria play in the nitrogen cycle.
 

71. 
Explain the role of an animal such as the horse in the nitrogen cycle.
 

72. 
Which number represents a group of organisms that break down the wastes and remains of other organisms?
 

Essay
 

73. 
Construct a food chain that includes you. Identify the producers and types of consumers.
 

74. 
Explain why decomposers are essential to life on Earth.
 

75. 
Describe how oxygen and carbon dioxide cycle in the environment.
 

76. 
Explain why secondary succession usually occurs more rapidly than primary succession.
 

77. 
Compare and contrast the temperatures of the following biomes: tropical rain forest, deciduous forest, boreal forest.
 

78. 
Explain why most marine organisms live near the water surface or near the shore.
 

79. 
Explain how water can be a means of dispersal for plants but can limit the dispersal of animals.
 

80. 
Briefly describe the steps in the water cycle.
 



 
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