Ecosystems: Structure, Function, and Interactions

Question 1

Which of the following is the primary producer in most ecosystems?

Accepted Answer

Plants

Answer

Animals

Answer

Decomposers

Answer

Fungi

Question 2

The process of breaking down organic matter into simpler substances is carried out by:

Accepted Answer

Decomposers

Answer

Producers

Answer

Consumers

Answer

Herbivores

Question 3

The carrying capacity of an ecosystem refers to:

Accepted Answer

The maximum number of individuals that an environment can sustainably support

Answer

The minimum number of individuals required for a population to survive

Answer

The average lifespan of individuals in an ecosystem

Answer

The rate at which individuals enter and leave an ecosystem

Question 4

In an ecosystem, which factor is NOT classified as a biotic component?

Accepted Answer

Sunlight

Answer

Plants

Answer

Animals

Answer

Bacteria

Question 5

Identify the process through which plants utilize sunlight to produce energy:

Accepted Answer

Photosynthesis

Answer

Respiration

Answer

Chemosynthesis

Answer

Glycolysis

Question 6

Which of the following is a potential impact of synthetic fertilizer use on ecosystems?

Accepted Answer

Eutrophication

Answer

Acid rain

Answer

Deforestation

Answer

Climate change

Question 7

The concept of 'carrying capacity' refers to:

Accepted Answer

The maximum population size supported by an ecosystem

Answer

The minimum population size for species survival

Answer

The rate of population growth

Answer

The number of mature individuals in a population

Question 8

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

Accepted Answer

Anthropogenic activities

Answer

Biotic components

Answer

Abiotic components

Answer

Energy flow

Question 9

The process by which plants convert sunlight into energy-rich glucose is called:

Accepted Answer

Photosynthesis

Answer

Respiration

Answer

Decomposition

Answer

Transpiration

Question 10

Which of the following is a primary producer in an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Grass

Answer

Rabbit

Answer

Owl

Answer

Fungus

Question 11

The process by which nutrients are recycled back into the environment is called:

Accepted Answer

Nutrient cycling

Answer

Mineralization

Answer

Nitrification

Answer

Assimilation

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT a greenhouse gas?

Accepted Answer

Nitrogen

Answer

Carbon dioxide

Answer

Methane

Answer

Water vapor

Question 13

The term 'biodiversity' refers to:

Accepted Answer

The variety of life on Earth

Answer

The number of individuals in a population

Answer

The abundance of a particular species

Answer

The stability of an ecosystem

Question 14

Which of the following conservation strategies aims to protect habitats and their associated species?

Accepted Answer

Habitat restoration

Answer

Captive breeding

Answer

Reforestation

Answer

Sustainable agriculture

Question 15

Which of the following best describes an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

A community of organisms interacting with their non-living environment, forming a self-sustaining system.

Answer

A group of organisms of the same species living in the same area.

Answer

An area of land with a specific climate and plant and animal life.

Answer

The non-living components of an environment, such as air, water, and soil.

Question 16

Which of the following interactions between species is considered mutually beneficial?

Accepted Answer

Mutualism

Answer

Competition

Answer

Predation

Answer

Parasitism

Question 17

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

Accepted Answer

Solar radiation

Answer

Wind energy

Answer

Geothermal energy

Answer

Chemical energy

Question 18

Which of the following processes is essential for converting nitrogen gas into a usable form for plants?

Accepted Answer

Nitrogen fixation

Answer

Nitrification

Answer

Denitrification

Answer

Assimilation

Question 19

What is the main function of decomposers in an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

To break down dead organic matter and release nutrients back into the environment

Answer

To produce food for other organisms

Answer

To provide shelter for other organisms

Answer

To regulate the population size of other organisms

Question 20

Which of the following is an example of a keystone species that plays a disproportionately large role in its ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Sea otter in a kelp forest

Answer

Lion in a savanna

Answer

Mosquito in a rainforest

Answer

Dolphin in an ocean

Question 21

What is the key difference between a biosphere and an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

A biosphere is a global ecosystem, while an ecosystem is a local community of organisms.

Answer

An ecosystem is a global ecosystem, while a biosphere is a local community of organisms.

Answer

A biosphere includes only living organisms, while an ecosystem includes both living and non-living components.

Answer

An ecosystem includes only non-living components, while a biosphere includes both living and non-living components.

Question 22

What is the primary role of producers in an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Obtain energy from inorganic sources

Answer

Consume organic matter

Answer

Decompose organic matter

Answer

Regulate the climate

Question 23

Which of the following is an example of a biotic component of an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Plants

Answer

Sunlight

Answer

Temperature

Answer

Rocks

Question 24

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

Accepted Answer

The Sun

Answer

Heat from the Moon

Answer

Gravitational energy

Answer

Wind

Question 25

Which of the following processes removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

Photosynthesis

Answer

Respiration

Answer

Combustion

Answer

Volcanism

Question 26

What is the term for the total amount of living matter in an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Biomass

Answer

Biodiversity

Answer

Productivity

Answer

Trophic level

Question 27

What is the term for a diagram that represents the feeding relationships in an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Food web

Answer

Trophic pyramid

Answer

Flow chart

Answer

Energy cascade

Question 28

Which of the following is a non-living component of an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Water

Answer

Plants

Answer

Animals

Answer

Bacteria

Question 29

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

Accepted Answer

Antarctica (a continent not part of an ecosystem)

Answer

Biotic factors (living organisms)

Answer

Abiotic factors (non-living factors)

Answer

Decomposers (organisms that break down dead matter)

Question 30

What is the process by which energy flows through an ecosystem, passing from one organism to another in a series of feeding relationships?

Accepted Answer

Food chain

Answer

Nutrient cycle

Answer

Ecological succession

Answer

Primary production

Question 31

What is the primary reason for the decrease in available energy at higher trophic levels in an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Inefficiency of energy transfer between trophic levels

Answer

Cellular respiration by organisms

Answer

Metabolic processes within organisms

Answer

Decomposition of organic matter

Question 32

Which of the following processes is essential for recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem, making them available for producers?

Accepted Answer

Decomposition

Answer

Photosynthesis

Answer

Respiration

Answer

Predation

Question 33

What is the term used to describe a collection of all living organisms that inhabit a particular area, interacting with each other and their surroundings?

Accepted Answer

Ecosystem

Answer

Population

Answer

Biome

Answer

Habitat

Question 34

What field of study focuses on the interactions between organisms and their physical and chemical surroundings?

Accepted Answer

Ecology

Answer

Evolution

Answer

Genetics

Answer

Physiology

Question 35

Which human activity poses a significant threat to the stability of ecosystems worldwide?

Accepted Answer

Deforestation and habitat destruction

Answer

Sustainable agricultural practices

Answer

Increased use of renewable energy sources

Answer

Water conservation efforts

Question 36

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

Accepted Answer

Different ecosystems

Answer

Living organisms

Answer

Non-living factors

Answer

Decomposers

Question 37

What is the main source of energy for most ecosystems?

Accepted Answer

Sunlight

Answer

Chemical energy

Answer

Heat from the Earth's core

Answer

Electrical energy

Question 38

Which process converts carbon dioxide and water into glucose?

Accepted Answer

Photosynthesis

Answer

Cellular respiration

Answer

Decomposition

Answer

Nutrient cycling

Question 39

What is the term for the network of interconnected food chains within an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Food web

Answer

Ecological community

Answer

Ecological niche

Answer

Energy pyramid

Question 40

What is the process by which nutrients are made available to plants and other organisms?

Accepted Answer

Decomposition

Answer

Photosynthesis

Answer

Cellular respiration

Answer

Excretion

Question 41

What is the name of the process by which an ecosystem gradually changes over time?

Accepted Answer

Ecological succession

Answer

Nutrient deposition

Answer

Population dynamics

Answer

Energy flow

Question 42

What is the term for a group of organisms of the same species living in the same area at the same time?

Accepted Answer

Population

Answer

Community

Answer

Ecosystem

Answer

Species

Question 43

The movement of energy through various levels of an ecosystem is referred to as:

Accepted Answer

Energy flow

Answer

Nutrient cycling

Answer

Primary production

Answer

Decomposition

Question 44

Primary producers in an ecosystem are organisms that:

Accepted Answer

Produce their own food through photosynthesis

Answer

Consume other organisms for energy

Answer

Obtain nutrients from decaying organic matter

Answer

Break down complex organic compounds

Question 45

The process where living organisms transform inorganic substances into organic matter is known as:

Accepted Answer

Photosynthesis

Answer

Respiration

Answer

Decomposition

Answer

Combustion

Question 46

Which of the following relationships involves one organism benefiting while the other remains unaffected?

Accepted Answer

Commensalism

Answer

Mutualism

Answer

Parasitism

Answer

Competition

Question 47

Decomposers in an ecosystem play a crucial role in:

Accepted Answer

Breaking down dead organisms and waste products

Answer

Producing food for primary consumers

Answer

Regulating population sizes of predators

Answer

Maintaining the pH balance of the ecosystem

Question 48

Biomass is a measure of the:

Accepted Answer

Total amount of living matter in an ecosystem

Answer

Rate at which organisms produce new biomass

Answer

Number of different species in an ecosystem

Answer

Carrying capacity of an ecosystem

Question 49

The scientific study of the interactions between organisms and their environment is known as:

Accepted Answer

Ecology

Answer

Evolution

Answer

Genetics

Answer

Zoology

Question 50

Which of the following is not considered a component of an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Human beliefs

Answer

Living organisms (biotic factors)

Answer

Non-living factors (abiotic factors)

Answer

Energy flow

Question 51

Which of the following organisms is a primary producer in an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Grass

Answer

Mice

Answer

Owls

Answer

Bacteria

Question 52

The process by which nitrogen is released back into the atmosphere is called:

Accepted Answer

Denitrification

Answer

Nitrification

Answer

Nitrogen fixation

Answer

Ammonification

Question 53

The scientific study of interactions between organisms and their environment is known as:

Accepted Answer

Ecology

Answer

Biology

Answer

Environmental science

Answer

Zoology

Question 54

Which of the following is NOT a potential impact of human activities on ecosystems?

Accepted Answer

Increased species diversity

Answer

Habitat loss

Answer

Pollution

Answer

Climate change

Question 55

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

Accepted Answer

Gravity

Answer

Living organisms

Answer

Non-living things

Answer

Energy

Question 56

The transfer of energy from one organism to another in an ecosystem is known as:

Accepted Answer

Energy flow

Answer

Energy cycling

Answer

Energy transformation

Answer

Energy storage

Question 57

Which of the following is an example of a primary producer in an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Grass

Answer

Deer

Answer

Fox

Answer

Bacteria

Question 58

Which of the following is NOT a factor that can influence the stability and resilience of an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Pollution

Answer

Biodiversity

Answer

Climate

Answer

Resource availability

Question 59

The process of converting light energy into chemical energy by plants is known as:

Accepted Answer

Photosynthesis

Answer

Chemosynthesis

Answer

Respiration

Answer

Glycolysis

Question 60

Which of the following is NOT a greenhouse gas?

Accepted Answer

Oxygen

Answer

Carbon dioxide

Answer

Water vapour

Answer

Methane

Question 61

Which type of organism is responsible for breaking down organic matter and recycling nutrients in ecosystems?

Accepted Answer

Decomposers

Answer

Producers

Answer

Consumers

Answer

Parasites

Question 62

The scientific study of the interactions between organisms and their environment is called:

Accepted Answer

Ecology

Answer

Biology

Answer

Zoology

Answer

Geology

Question 63

In a food chain, the organism that captures energy directly from the sun is known as the:

Accepted Answer

Producer

Answer

Consumer

Answer

Decomposer

Answer

Predator

Question 64

Which process converts atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia?

Accepted Answer

Nitrogen fixation

Answer

Nitrification

Answer

Denitrification

Answer

Ammonification