Ecosystems Practice Test

1. What is a food chain?

A. A pathway indicating the flow of energy in an ecosystem

B.  A cycle that begins with ingredients and ends with the cooked food

C.  A series of food outlets

D.  A cycle indicating the intake of food by a person

2. Why does a food chain begin with plants

A. Because they produce food from light energy, carbon dioxide and water.

B. Because all the species of the ecosystem depend on them for food.

C. Because they do not depend on other living creatures for food

D. All of the above

3. The last component of the food chain is a:

A. Producer

B. Consumer

C. Decomposer

D. Predator

4. The further along the food chain you go, the less food ( and hence energy) remains available.

A. True

B. False

5. What acts as the driving force in the food chain?

A. Sun

B. Plants

C. Animals

D. Microorganisms

6. How does a plant get input from the decomposers, the last element of the food chain?

A. Decomposers break down the complex organic compounds into simple nutrients

B. They do not get nutrients from the decomposers

C. Decomposer undergo a conversion into nutrients

D. Through the air

7.Which of the following is not a consumer in the food chain?

A. Herbivores

B. Carnivores

C. Omnivores

D. Autotrophs

8. Which of the following food chains correctly shows the path of matter and energy through an ecosystem?

A. Deer- bear- grass

B. Grass- deer- bear

C. Seeds- bear- chipmunk

D. Chipmunk- seed- deer

9. Which model would an ecologist use to show the weight of living material in an ecosystem?

A. A food web

B. A pyramid of energy

C. A pyramid of numbers

D. A pyramid of biomass

10. Which series correctly sequences interactions in nature from largest to smallest?

A. Population, ecosystem, community

B. Species, organism, community

C. Ecosystem, community, population

D. Community, population, and ecosystem

11. What distinguishes producers from other organisms?

A. They consume a variety of foods

B. They feed at different trophic levels

C. They use energy from the sun to make their own food

12. Which of the following is a biotic factor in an ecosystem?

A. Air

B. Soil

C. Water

D. Tree