Chapter 4 Ecosystems and Communities Test A
Chapter 4 Ecosystems and Communities Test A
Multiple Choice
Write the letter that best answers the question or completes the statement on the line provided.
_____ 1. How does an area’s weather differ from the area’s climate?
a. Weather involves temperature and preciapitation and climate involves only temperature.
b. An area’s weather depends on where it is located on Earth and the area’s climate does
not.
c. An area’s weather does not change very much and an area’s climate changes many times.
d. Weather is the area’s day-to-day conditions and climate is the area’s average conditions.
_____ 2. The tendency for warm air to rise and cool air to sink results in
a. global wind patterns. c. the seasons.
b. ocean upwelling. d. regional precipitation.
_____ 3. An organism’s niche is
a. the range of physical and biological conditions in which an organism lives and the way it
obtains what it needs to survive and reproduce.
b. all the physical and biological factors in the organism’s environment.
c. the range of temperatures that the organism needs to survive.
d. a full description of the place an organism lives.
_____ 4. No two species can occupy the same niche in the same habitat at the same time
a. because of the interactions that shape the ecosystem.
b. unless the species require different abiotic factors.
c. because of the competitive exclusion principle.
d. unless the species require different biotic factors.
_____ 5. What would likely happen if the
population of the bird species shown
in the ecosystem in Figure 4–1 were to
suddenly decrease?
a. The fish population would decrease.
b. The fish population would increase.
c. The fish population would remain
the same. Figure 4–1
d. Fish would leave the ecosystem.
_____ 6. A wolf pack hunts, kills, and feeds on a moose. In this interaction, the wolves are
a. hosts. c. mutualists.
b. prey. d. predators.
_____ 7. A symbiotic relationship in which one organism is harmed and another benefits is
a. mutualism. c. commensalism.
b. parasitism. d. predation.
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Completion
Complete each statement on the line provided.
16. Over time, some plants growing in an area are crowded out by other plants. The new plants
use up water and nutrients needed by the previous plants. The disappearance of the first plants
is due to .
17. Predator is to prey as herbivore is to .
18. Some orchids grow high on trees so that they can get enough light for photosynthesis. The trees are
unaffected by the presence of the orchids. The relationship between the orchids and the trees is an
example of .
19. Regrowth of grasses, ferns, wildflowers, and saplings after a forest fire is an example of
succession.
20. A freshwater ecosystem that can purify water by filtering pollutants and help to prevent flooding
by absorbing large amounts of water is a .
Short Answer
In complete sentences, write the answers to the questions on the lines provided.
21. How are microclimates related to climates?
23. How do predators affect the populations of their prey? Figure 4–2
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24. Deserts vary greatly depending on elevation and latitude. What characteristic do all deserts share?
25. Lake and pond water circulates. What does this circulation do for the lake or pond?
Figure 4–3
26. Infer Are sea cucumbers photosynthetic? Use Figure 4–3 to explain your answer.
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27. Interpret Visuals Use Figure 4–3 to identify three organisms that spend part of their lives
underwater and part of their lives exposed to the air. Explain your answer.
28. Interpret Visuals Using Figure 4–3, describe the type and quantity of energy available in the open
ocean at depths of 6000 meters and 100 meters.
29. Draw Conclusions Some of the organisms in Figure 4–3 are listed in more than one column.
Ignoring clams and crustaceans, what zones have some organisms in common with other zones?
What important factor do the zones that you listed have in common?
30. Compare and Contrast Contrast the abiotic factors at high tide with those at low tide for the
organisms in the intertidal zone in Figure 4–3.
Essay
Write the answer to each question on the lines provided.
31. Explain how ocean currents originate and affect Earth’s climates.
32. Describe the stages of primary succession in land environments, including the roles played by
grasses, lichens, trees, mosses, and shrubs.
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33. Figure 4–4 shows a decrease in the deer population after 1925. Give one possible reason for this
population decline. Explain your reasoning.
34. The general characteristics of temperate grasslands found in the United States, Central Asia, and
Argentina are similar. Identify some characteristics of temperate grasslands, and explain why
these regions share characteristics in spite of the distance between the locations. Mention climate,
climate zones, biomes, and biotic and abiotic factors in your answer.
35. Why does a river ecosystem often support little plant life at its source? Describe how the
ecosystem changes to support organisms as it flows.
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