Earth Spheres and Ecosystems Review

Rain carries soil into a nearby pond. This is an interaction between which two “spheres” of the earth?

• Hydrosphere & Atmosphere

• Atmosphere & Biosphere

• Geosphere & Hydrosphere

• Atmosphere & Geosphere

The unique role a species plays in its environment is its __________________.

• habitat

• trophic level

• abiotic factor

• niche

• community

Many species together in one place are called _____________________.

• mutualism

• a population

• a niche

• a community

• an ecosystem

Which level of an energy pyramid is most likely to have the highest number of organisms?

• Producers

• Primary consumers

• Secondary consumers

• Tertiary consumers

Two types of organisms consume dead and decaying matter. The difference between these two types of organisms is that _____________ are consumers that feed on dead animals, while ______________ break down plants and animals into simpler molecules.

• decomposers; producers

• scavengers; decomposers

• producers; decomposers

• decomposers; scavengers

We know that energy from the sun is transferred into an organism because of __________________.

• the fourth law of thermodynamics

• the first law of thermodynamics

• the third law of thermodynamics

• the second law of thermodynamics

A coral snake is venomous while its mimic, the scarlet king snake, is not. This is an example of _______________.

• mullerian mimicry

• chemical mimicry

• malthusian mimicry

• batesian mimicry

The viceroy butterfly and the monarch butterfly look very similar. Both are distasteful to predators. This is an example of _______________.

• mullerian mimicry

• chemical mimicry

• malthusian mimicry

• batesian mimicry

A tiny filter-feeding barnacle sticks to a whale. The whale is unaffected by this new stowaway. What type of relationship is this?

• mutualism

• commensalism

• parasitism

• neutralism

Cowbirds are known to lay their eggs in the nests of other birds. Mother birds will feed the new chicks and their own, which sometimes means not every chick gets enough food. This is an example of ____________.

• mutualism

• commensalism

• amensalism

• parasitism