Science Quiz #7

Some student stake care of a vegetable garden. When it is time to plant in the spring, the students leave part of the garden empty in order to observe ecological succession.Which of these will most likely occur first?

• Development of topsoil

• Growth of weeds and grasses

• Growth of trees and shrubs

• Development of a stream

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Both primary and secondary succession begin with pioneer species that —

• change the area and make it safer from predatory organisms

• invade the area so that new organisms cannot be established

• modify the area and allow larger and more complex organisms to appear

• use up all the existing resources and prevent establishment of non-native organisms

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After a forest fire, which type of organisms will begin secondary succession?

• small shrubs

• mature oaks

• evergreens

• wildflowers

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After which event will primary succession most likely occur?

• thunderstorm

• crop harvest

• volcanic eruption

• urban development

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Which of the following is most likely to cause a change in the genetic traits in an isolated population of a ground-dwelling lizard species?

• The exposure of an individual lizard in the population to radiation that causes a mutation that is not passed on to its offspring

• An unusually dry summer in the lizard population’s ecosystem

• The introduction of an invasive predator that preys on the brightest-colored individuals in the lizard population

• A fast-moving wildfire that burns the canopy of the trees in the lizard population’s ecosystem

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DDT is a pesticide that was once widely used to control agricultural pests and mosquitoes. However, this pesticide caused the eggshells of certain birds, including the brown pelican, to become fragile and thin. The adults would then accidentally crush the eggs while trying to incubate them.

What happened to brown pelican populations as a result of DDT use by humans?

• The populations increased much more slowly.

• The populations decreased as fewer eggs survived long enough to hatch.

• The populations remained stable over time.

• The populations increased as pelicans laid more eggs so that more offspring would survive.

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The organism in the photo is a daphnia, or water flea. Daphnia are tiny aquatic organisms that live in most freshwater habitats. Adults range from less than 1 to 5 mm in length. They are good swimmers and eat mostly algae. Daphnia become mature at 5 to 10 days, and an adult female can produce up to 100 eggs every 3 or 4 days during its 2-month life span. When harmful algae rapidly increase in the daphnia’s environment, daphnia can develop adaptations to tolerate the negative effects of the algae within 10 years.

What characteristic of the daphnia allows the population to adapt to environmental change?

• Its small size

• Its short generation time

• Its freshwater environment

• Its herbivorous diet

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The types of small organisms that live on the bottom of streams can be good indicators of water pollution. The table below groups some organisms by their tolerance of pollution.

A certain stream that was historically clear and clean has become increasingly polluted with fertilizer waste over the years. Which of these describes a likely result of this pollution?

• Mayflies that were previously abundant are no longer present in the stream.

• Stone flies and midges thrive and compete for the same food source.

• Large numbers of crayfish have suddenly died.

• Riffle beetles have become more abundant in the stream.

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Galveston Bay, an estuary in Southeast Texas, is shown below. The amount of salt in the water changes with the tides. Sometimes the water is mostly freshwater, and sometimes it is mixed with saltwater. Various plant species live in this environment and provide a habitat for other organisms.

To successfully live in an estuary, a plant species must have an adaptation that allows it to —

• produce large amounts of food

• absorb large amounts of water

• store excess gases

• filter excess salt

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Copper compounds are used in large amounts to control the growth of algae and other aquatic plants. Copper interferes with photosynthesis in these organisms. What would be the most likely result of an accidental spill of these compounds in an aquatic environment?

• The fish would grow larger than usual.

• The zooplankton population would increase.

• The plants would increase in size but decrease in number

• The plant populations would be reduced.

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