APES Quiz – Productivity & Species Interactions

Which of the following best defines Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)?

• The energy lost as heat through respiration

• The total amount of energy captured by producers through photosynthesis

• The energy available to consumers after plant respiration

• The energy consumed by herbivores

If an ecosystem has a GPP of 5,000 kcal/m²/year and respiration is 2,000 kcal/m²/year, what is the Net Primary Productivity (NPP)?

• 2,000 kcal/m²/year

• 3,000 kcal/m²/year

• 5,000 kcal/m²/year

• 7,000 kcal/m²/year

Which statement about primary productivity is TRUE?

• NPP is always greater than GPP

• Respiration decreases NPP

• GPP is the energy stored in plant biomass after respiration

• NPP measures only energy lost to consumers

A fungus provides water and nutrients to a plant, while the plant provides sugars to the fungus. This is an example of:

• Commensalism

• Mutualism

• Parasitism

• Competition

Barnacles attach themselves to whales to gain mobility and access to food, while the whale is unaffected. This interaction is an example of:

• Parasitism

• Commensalism

• Mutualism

• Predation

Which of the following is an example of parasitism?

• Clownfish living among sea anemones for protection

• A tick feeding on a deer’s blood

• Birds nesting in trees without harming them

• Bees pollinating flowers while collecting nectar

In a simple food chain: Grass → Grasshopper → Frog → Snake → Hawk, which organism is the primary consumer?

• Grass

• Grasshopper

• Frog

• Snake

Which trophic level typically has the least amount of available energy?

• Producers

• Primary consumers

• Secondary consumers

• Tertiary consumers

If producers capture 10,000 kcal of energy, approximately how much energy would be available to secondary consumers (assuming 10% rule)?

• 100 kcal

• 1,000 kcal

• 10 kcal

• 10,000 kcal

Which factor would most likely increase NPP in a grassland ecosystem?

• Increased herbivory

• Reduced sunlight

• Greater rainfall and nutrient availability

• Higher respiration losses