Ecology Nature Unbound Populations

Sustainable agriculture is farming that remains productive and profitable while still conserving natural resources. Which of the following is an example of a sustainable agriculture practice?

• preventing cattle from ever grazing on pastures.

• removing all manure from pastures where cattle graze.

• allowing cattle to graze over an entire pasture year round.

• rotating parts of a pasture on which cattle get to graze throughout the year.

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The graph below shows the English sparrow population in an area over several years. In 1988, a large shopping mall was built in the area where the sparrows lived. According to the information in the graph, how did this affect the sparrow population over a period of time?

• The population increased because humans fed the sparrows.

• The sparrow population was unaffected by the shopping mall.

• The population increased because predators were taken away.

• The sparrow population decreased because of habitat destruction.

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The world's population exceeded 6 billion in October 1999, and the annual increase is now about 94 million people. About 260,000 people are added to the world population each day, or about 180 every minute. Which of the following is not a result of the increasing human population?

• fewer old-growth forests

• more stress on natural resources such as water

• increased carrying-capacity of many ecosystems

• less undeveloped land available for animal habitats

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The following graph shows the number of insects present on a field after it has been sprayed with the same insecticide once a year over four years. What is the most reasonable hypothesis for the increase in insects seen in year four?

• The insecticide used in year four was stronger than it was in previous years.

• The insects in the field in year four were the same species as in previous years.

• The population of insects resistant to the insecticide had increased over the four years.

• Insects from a neighboring field had moved into the area before the insecticide was applied in year four.

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Imagine that a community plans to build a shopping mall. Which statement describes how the local government should consider the effects of development on wildlife in the area?

• Local government do not have to consider the impacts of development on endangered species at all.

• Local governments always need to consider the needs of the developer first and the needs of wildlife second.

• Local governments need to consider if a species is endangered and at risk of extinction due to habitat destruction.

• Local governments do not face pressure from environmentalists or developers when making decisions regarding wildlife.

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The Yellowstone area contains organisms representing all trophic levels, including plants, algae, moss, fungi, blue jays, fish, and grizzly bears. Which sequence best represents the transfer of energy through Yellowstone trophic levels?

• fungi to moss to algae to fish

• blue jay to moss to fungi to plant

• algae to fish to grizzly bear to fungi

• plant to blue jay to algae to grizzly bear

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The food web below represents the interactions between organisms in a salt marsh ecosystem and organisms in an old field ecosystem. Which of the following is the correct flow of energy?

• The crab gets energy from eating plants.

• The heron gets energy from eating plants.

• The crab gets energy from eating the heron.

• The heron gets energy from eating the crab.

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Kerry drew the following food chain in her science notebook. How would the grasshopper be classified in this food chain?

• Producer

• Primary Consumer

• Tertiary Consumer

• Secondary Consumer

Very rarely do ecosystems contain more than four trophic levels, because there is not enough energy to support more. In which trophic level is there the least available?

• Producer

• Primary Consumer

• Tertiary Consumer

• Secondary Consumer

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Imagine that a city located in a desert environment has grown significantly over the last few decades. Which statement best describes how the growth of the metropolitan city would impact the desert environment in the area?

• Biodiversity would decrease in the area but increase in the desert beyond the city.

• By destroying the habitat to build homes and highways, the growth of the city would decrease the biodiversity in the desert.

• The growth of the city would have little impact on the environment, because few animals likely lived there before growth happened.

• By bringing in water, the growth of the city would improve the entire desert environment and increase the biodiversity.

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