Ecosystems: Explore the Interconnectedness of Living Things

Question 1

What is the defining characteristic of all ecosystems?

Accepted Answer

Energy and materials flow between organisms and their environment

Answer

Organisms are independent of each other

Answer

Only one type of organism is present

Answer

Nutrients are not recycled

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT a component of an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Gravity

Answer

Living organisms

Answer

Non-living factors

Answer

Energy flow

Question 3

In a food chain, which organism consumes other organisms but is not eaten itself?

Accepted Answer

Lion

Answer

Grass

Answer

Zebra

Answer

Bacteria

Question 4

What is the role of decomposers in an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

To break down dead organisms and recycle nutrients

Answer

To produce oxygen

Answer

To consume primary consumers

Answer

To fix nitrogen

Question 5

What is the primary energy source for most ecosystems on Earth?

Accepted Answer

Sunlight

Answer

Fossil fuels

Answer

Heat from the Earth's core

Answer

Electrical energy

Question 6

What is the term for the process by which nutrients are returned to the environment?

Accepted Answer

Nutrient cycling

Answer

Respiration

Answer

Decomposition

Answer

Photosynthesis

Question 7

What is the name for the scientific study of ecosystems?

Accepted Answer

Ecology

Answer

Biology

Answer

Chemistry

Answer

Physics

Question 8

What is a key indicator of a healthy ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

High biodiversity

Answer

Absence of predators

Answer

Dominance of a single species

Answer

Low nutrient availability

Question 9

Which factor is NOT a component of an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Changes over time

Answer

Living organisms (biotic)

Answer

Non-living factors (abiotic)

Answer

Interactions between organisms

Question 10

What is the process by which plants use sunlight to make food?

Accepted Answer

Photosynthesis

Answer

Respiration

Answer

Fermentation

Answer

Decomposition

Question 11

In a food chain, which organism comes first?

Accepted Answer

Producer

Answer

Consumer

Answer

Herbivore

Answer

Predator

Question 12

Which factor is a biotic (living) component of an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Plants

Answer

Temperature

Answer

Sunlight

Answer

Water

Question 13

What best describes a food web?

Accepted Answer

A complex network of feeding relationships

Answer

A linear sequence of organisms

Answer

A diagram of energy flow

Answer

A list of all organisms in an ecosystem

Question 14

What is the most crucial factor determining where organisms live?

Accepted Answer

Availability of resources

Answer

Temperature

Answer

Presence of predators

Answer

Amount of sunlight

Question 15

How are nutrients returned to the soil?

Accepted Answer

Decomposition

Answer

Photosynthesis

Answer

Respiration

Answer

Transpiration

Question 16

What is the main function of producers in a food chain?

Accepted Answer

Produce food through photosynthesis

Answer

Consume other organisms

Answer

Decompose organic matter

Answer

Transfer energy between trophic levels

Question 17

What is the term for the complex network of feeding relationships within an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Food web

Answer

Food chain

Answer

Trophic pyramid

Answer

Energy flow

Question 18

Which of the following is a natural carbon sink?

Accepted Answer

Oceans

Answer

Coal mines

Answer

Power plants

Answer

Cars

Question 19

Which of the following resources can be replenished naturally?

Accepted Answer

Trees

Answer

Oil

Answer

Coal

Answer

Natural gas

Question 20

Which of the following relationships describes a beneficial interaction between two organisms?

Accepted Answer

Mutualism

Answer

Predator-prey

Answer

Parasitism

Answer

Competition

Question 21

Which of the following is an abiotic factor that influences ecosystems?

Accepted Answer

Sunlight

Answer

Competition

Answer

Predation

Answer

Disease

Question 22

What is the main reason for the current decline in global biodiversity?

Accepted Answer

Habitat loss

Answer

Climate change

Answer

Overexploitation

Answer

Pollution

Question 23

Which of these is not a typical characteristic of an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Complete isolation from the surroundings

Answer

Interdependence of organisms

Answer

Energy flow

Answer

Nutrient cycling

Question 24

In a food chain, which organism is the primary consumer?

Accepted Answer

Herbivore

Answer

Producer

Answer

Carnivore

Answer

Decomposer

Question 25

What is the process by which plants use sunlight to create energy called?

Accepted Answer

Photosynthesis

Answer

Respiration

Answer

Decomposition

Answer

Transpiration

Question 26

Which of the following is an example of two species living together in a mutually beneficial relationship?

Accepted Answer

Mutualism

Answer

Predation

Answer

Competition

Answer

Parasitism

Question 27

Identify the statement that does NOT describe a food chain.

Accepted Answer

Organisms have multiple food sources.

Answer

Depicts the feeding relationships among organisms.

Answer

Energy flows from one organism to another.

Answer

Arrows indicate the direction of energy transfer.

Question 28

In a food web, which level is always occupied by the producer organism?

Accepted Answer

First

Answer

Second

Answer

Third

Answer

Top

Question 29

Which process transforms atmospheric nitrogen into a usable form for plants?

Accepted Answer

Nitrogen fixation

Answer

Nitrification

Answer

Denitrification

Answer

Ammonification

Question 30

The process by which plants harness sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to create their own food is known as:

Accepted Answer

Photosynthesis

Answer

Respiration

Answer

Chemosynthesis

Answer

Transpiration

Question 31

Define the term used to describe a community of organisms and their surrounding environment.

Accepted Answer

Ecosystem

Answer

Habitat

Answer

Population

Answer

Biome

Question 32

Identify the process responsible for breaking down and recycling dead plant and animal matter.

Accepted Answer

Decomposition

Answer

Nitrification

Answer

Denitrification

Answer

Ammonification

Question 33

Which of the following is NOT a recognized type of symbiotic relationship?

Accepted Answer

Competition

Answer

Mutualism

Answer

Commensalism

Answer

Parasitism

Question 34

What term refers to the variety of living organisms found in an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Biodiversity

Answer

Biosphere

Answer

Ecosystem services

Answer

Population density

Question 35

How does international cooperation support efforts to protect biodiversity around the world?

Accepted Answer

Sharing knowledge and expertise globally to set conservation goals.

Accepted Answer

Stopping the illegal trade of wildlife products across borders.

Answer

Creating the same conservation laws in every country.

Answer

Protecting endangered species only within each country's borders.

Question 36

Which method helps scientists estimate the size of a population by marking and recapturing individuals?

Accepted Answer

Mark-release-recapture

Answer

Quadrat sampling

Answer

Transect sampling

Answer

Radio telemetry

Question 37

Nitrogen is essential for phytoplankton growth. What happens to the ecosystem if nitrogen becomes scarce?

Accepted Answer

Primary productivity decreases.

Answer

Primary productivity increases.

Answer

Ecosystem stability improves.

Question 38

Deforestation on a large scale can have severe ecological impacts. Which of the following is a likely consequence of extensive deforestation?

Accepted Answer

Reduced ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

Answer

Increased variety of plant and animal species

Answer

Enhanced water purification and filtration

Answer

Improved soil fertility and health

Question 39

Which of the following is NOT a key feature of an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Absence of nutrient cycling

Answer

Living organisms interacting with each other

Answer

Continuous flow of energy through organisms

Answer

Influence of non-living factors (e.g., climate, soil)

Question 40

In a food chain, which organism typically feeds on the top predator?

Accepted Answer

There are no organisms that feed on the top predator

Answer

Producer

Answer

Primary consumer

Answer

Secondary consumer

Question 41

Which of the following is an example of a decomposer?

Accepted Answer

Mushroom

Answer

Grass

Answer

Lion

Answer

Algae

Question 42

What is the primary source of energy for most ecosystems on Earth?

Accepted Answer

Sunlight

Answer

Wind

Answer

Geothermal heat

Answer

Chemical reactions

Question 43

What is the main difference between a food chain and a food web?

Accepted Answer

Food chains are linear, while food webs are interconnected networks

Answer

Food webs include decomposers, while food chains do not

Answer

Food chains show energy flow only, while food webs show both energy and nutrient flow

Answer

There is no difference between a food chain and a food web

Question 44

What is the primary function of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Converting nitrogen gas into a form that plants can use

Answer

Decomposing organic matter and releasing nitrogen into the soil

Answer

Consuming animal waste and breaking it down

Answer

Producing oxygen through photosynthesis

Question 45

Which type of ecological succession occurs on a newly exposed rock surface?

Accepted Answer

Primary succession

Answer

Secondary succession

Answer

Tertiary succession

Answer

Climax succession

Question 46

Which of the following best describes the role of keystone species in ecosystems?

Accepted Answer

Keystone species have a small population size but a large impact on the ecosystem.

Answer

Keystone species are the most common organisms in the ecosystem.

Answer

Keystone species have no significant impact on other species in the ecosystem.

Question 47

Which of the following describes the transfer of energy through an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Food web

Answer

Habitat diversity

Answer

Ecosystem equilibrium

Answer

Nutrient cycle

Question 48

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a stable ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Rapid population fluctuations

Answer

High species diversity

Answer

Efficient nutrient cycling

Answer

Balanced energy flow

Question 49

What is the process by which nutrients are released from dead organisms and made available to plants?

Accepted Answer

Decomposition

Answer

Respiration

Answer

Photosynthesis

Answer

Transpiration

Question 50

What is the term for the diagrammatic representation of feeding relationships within an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Food web

Answer

Energy pyramid

Answer

Habitat map

Answer

Ecosystem map

Question 51

Which of the following is an example of a producer organism?

Accepted Answer

Plant

Answer

Mushroom

Answer

Snake

Answer

Bacteria

Question 52

What is the primary role of decomposers in an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Break down dead organisms and recycle nutrients.

Answer

Consume other organisms for energy.

Answer

Convert sunlight into energy.

Question 53

Which of the following is a benefit of high biodiversity in an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Increased resistance to environmental changes

Answer

Lower productivity

Answer

Higher rates of disease transmission

Answer

Reduced availability of resources