Ecology Quiz

Which sequence best represents the flow of energy through an ecosystem?

• Sun $\rightarrow$ green plants $\rightarrow$ herbivores $\rightarrow$ carnivores

• Sun $\rightarrow$ herbivores $\rightarrow$ producers $\rightarrow$ consumers

• green plants $\rightarrow$ carnivores $\rightarrow$ consumers $\rightarrow$ herbivores

• consumers $\rightarrow$ carnivores $\rightarrow$ herbivores $\rightarrow$ producers

The final consumers in many food webs are

• autotrophs

• herbivores

• hosts

• carnivores

Burmese pythons are large snakes that have been introduced into the Florida Everglades ecosystem. Burmese pythons and alligators hunt the same prey. One likely effect of the introduction of the pythons is that

• alligators will have more prey available

• pythons will become native to the Everglades

• alligator populations will decline

• pythons will become an endangered species

State one similarity in the way relationships between organisms are shown in food chains and food webs:

• Show the interactions between producers and consumers
• Depict the trophic levels of organisms
• Highlight the competition between species
• Illustrate the flow of energy and nutrients

Explain why using a food chain is more limiting than using a food web to show relationships between organisms in an ecosystem:

• Using a food chain is more limiting than using a food web because it only represents a single linear sequence of energy flow, whereas a food web shows the interconnected relationships between multiple organisms in an ecosystem.
• A food chain is more detailed than a food web
• Using a food chain allows for more flexibility in representing relationships
• A food chain is easier to understand than a food web

Explain how increasing the wolf population caused an increase in birds and beavers.

• Increasing the wolf population decreased the number of deer, leading to more vegetation growth. This provided more food and habitat for birds and beavers, causing their populations to increase.
• Birds and beavers populations decreased due to the rise in the wolf population.
• The wolf population increase had no impact on the ecosystem, leading to a random increase in birds and beavers.
• Increasing the wolf population led to a decrease in vegetation, causing birds and beavers to thrive.

Explain why some ecologists are concerned about removing wolves from federal protection.

• Wolves play a key role in ecosystem balance by controlling prey populations and preventing overgrazing.
• Wolves are a threat to human safety
• Removing wolves increases biodiversity
• Wolves have no impact on the ecosystem