Topic 2.1 to 2.

14 Practice Questions

1.

Most food chains seldom have more than four trophic levels because
A.

in most ecosystems, competition for food is very great.

B.

the total biodiversity in any ecosystem is limited.

C.

energy is lost as it moves along a food chain and little remains at the level of the top
carnivore.

D.

in many parts of the world, many species have become extinct and complex ecosystems
are rare.
(Total 1 mark)

2.

Which of the following statements about food chains is true?

A.

Herbivores are usually found at the third trophic level.

B.

Carnivores are never at the second trophic level.

C.

Primary producers can be found at any trophic level.

D.

Secondary consumers are at the second trophic level.

(Total 1 mark)

3.

The diagram below shows a complete food web. Each letter represents a species.

F
E

N
O
Which are producers?
A.

P and H

B.

P, H, R and F

C.

O, N and T

D.

O
(Total 1 mark)

4.

The diagram below shows a complete food web. Each letter represents a species.
P

F
E

N
O
Which are secondary consumers?
A.

G, S, R, P and F

B.

H and P

C.

N, L, E and T

D.

O
(Total 1 mark)

5.

Two herbivorous animals are part of the same community. One of them is prey to many
predators and the other has no natural predator. They are
A.

primary consumers and occupy the same ecological niche.

B.

primary producers and occupy the same ecological niche.

C.

primary consumers and occupy different ecological niches.

D.

primary producers and occupy different ecological niches.

(Total 1 mark)

6.

With the help of a diagram, state what is meant by the term food-chain.

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(Total 2 marks)

The bar-graph below shows the number of bird species found at different altitudes in the
Himalayan Mountains. These mountains, in northern India, show a transition from tropical
forest at the base, to a tundra-like ecosystem at high altitudes.
9000
8000
7000
6000
A ltitu d e / m

7.

5000
4000
3000
2000
1000

100
200
N u m b e r o f b ird s p e c ie s

300

[G M Macdonald, Biogeography: Space, Time and Life (Blackwell, 2003), p. 414.

Reproduced by permission of Wiley-Blackwell]

(a)

(i)

Define the terms species diversity and habitat diversity.

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(2)

(ii)

Use the data in the graph to state and explain the relationship between species
diversity and habitat diversity.
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4

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(2)

(c)

Human activities often simplify ecosystems, making them unstable. Explain this
statement.
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(5)
(Total 9 marks)

8.

Figure 1 shows a simplified food web for the North Sea in Europe.
Figure 1
In s o la tio n
fro m su n
(s o la r e n e rg y )

S u rfa c e o f se a
E u p h o tic z o n e
(lig h t a v a ila b le fo r
p h o to s y n th e s is )

M in e ra l
n u trie n ts
in s o lu tio n

P h y to p la n k to n

S e a b ird s ( e .g . p u ffin , g a n n e t)
S e a ls

Z o o p la n k to n

M ac k erel
J
e
l
l
y
f
i
s
h
S
a
n
d
e
e
l
s
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - C a rb o n d io x id e
d is s o lv e d in
s e a w a te r

H e rrin g
D o lp h in s
S q u id

D e m e r s a l f is h ( e .g . c o d , h a d d o c k )
C ru s ta c e a n s
( e .g . c r a b s , lo b s te r s )
C o n tin e n ta l s h e lf
B e n th ic z o n e
(se a b e d )

D e tritu s (d e c a y in g
o rg a n ic m a te ria l)

S E D IM E N T

[Adrian Kidd, Managing Ecosystems, (Hodder & Stoughton, 1999) p. 41; p. 72. Hodder and Stoughton.
Reproduced by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Ltd.]

(a)

(i)

Complete the table below by assigning each of the following types of organisms
from Figure 1 to its correct trophic level.
jellyfish, crustaceans, dolphins, zooplankton, puffins, phytoplankton
Producer

Primary
Consumer

Secondary
Consumer

Tertiary
Consumer

Decomposer

(3)

(ii)

Explain why there is a limit to the number of trophic levels which can be supported
in an ecosystem.
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(2)

(iii)

In the 1970s sand eels were harvested and used as animal feed, for fishmeal and for
7

oil and food on salmon farms. State and explain what impacts a dramatic reduction
in the number of sand eels might have on the rest of the ecosystem.
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(3)

Figure 3 shows common sources of pressure on marine ecosystems.

Figure 3
Pressure

Substance or activity

Waste input

Nitrate and phosphate

Pathogens
Oil

Sewage, agriculture
Sewage, agriculture
Industry, shipping, vehicles, urban
run-off

Pesticides and herbicides

Radioactive wastes
Heavy metals

Industry, agriculture, forestry

Nuclear fuel processing
Industry, ocean dumping, vehicles

Plastics and debris

Solid waste

Litter, shipping wastes, lost fishing gear Entanglement of wildlife, digestive interference
Sewage, ocean dumping, industry
Reduced oxygen, smothering

Environment
restructure

Coastal development

Dredging, industrial, residencial and

tourism development

Resource
exploitation

Fish and shellfish harvesting, Harvesting activities, drilling accidents, Stock depletion, oil and chemical
petroleum development
oil leakage
contamination, disturbance of the sea bed during
drilling

Atmospheric
change

(c)

Major sources

Potential effects
Eutrophication
Disease and infection, shellfish contamination
Oiling of birds and animals, seafood tainting,
beach contamination

Metabolic problems

Aethetic and habitat loss, coastal erosion

Mineral development

Extraction of sand and gravel

Destruction of fish spawning areas. Decreased

water quality, coastal erosion, changes in sea
bed.

Greenhouse gases

Energy production, transportation,

agriculture, industry

Sea level rise, coastal flooding

Referring to Figure 3, discuss why marine ecosystems can be so difficult to manage.

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(5)
(Total 13 marks)