Ecology and Environmental Biology - Question Bank
1. What role do fungi play in most ecosystems?
2. The study of the spatial distribution and patterns of species and ecosystems is called:
3. Which of the following is an example of a renewable resource?
4. What is the primary goal of environmental biology?
5. Which concept describes the ability of an ecosystem to recover from disturbances?
6. Conservation efforts aimed at protecting entire ecosystems and their processes are known as:
7. The process by which a body of water becomes enriched with nutrients, leading to excessive algal growth and oxygen depletion, is called:
8. The acidification of precipitation due to atmospheric pollutants, primarily sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, is known as:
9. What is the term for the gradual warming of the Earth's atmosphere due to increased greenhouse gas concentrations?
10. The increase in the concentration of a toxin in organisms at successively higher levels in a food chain is called:
11. Human activities that cause environmental damage, such as pollution and habitat destruction, are referred to as:
12. The loss of species from Earth is known as:
13. What term describes the variety of life in a particular habitat or ecosystem?
14. A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance is called a(n):
15. Which type of interaction occurs when one organism hunts and kills another for food?
16. When two or more organisms require the same limited resources, it is called:
17. A relationship where both species benefit is called:
18. A relationship where one species benefits and the other is harmed is called:
19. Factors that limit population growth, such as food scarcity or disease, are known as:
20. The maximum population size of a species that an environment can sustain indefinitely is called the:
21. What is the term for species that are the first to colonize a barren environment during primary succession?
22. The final, stable community that results from ecological succession is known as the:
23. Ecological succession that begins in an area where a community previously existed but has been removed, such as after a fire, is called:
24. Ecological succession that begins in an area devoid of soil, such as on bare rock, is called:
25. The change in species composition of a community over time is called:
26. The process by which water changes from a liquid to a gas is called:
27. Water vapor released from plants into the atmosphere is known as:
28. The process where nitrates are converted back into atmospheric nitrogen gas is called:
29. The conversion of atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into ammonia (NH3) by certain bacteria is called:
30. What is the primary source of nitrogen for most ecosystems?
31. The process by which plants convert atmospheric carbon dioxide into organic compounds is known as:
32. The movement of specific elements or compounds through living organisms and the non-living environment is called a(n):
33. Which biome is known for its high biodiversity, abundant rainfall, and warm temperatures year-round?
34. The driest biome, characterized by very low rainfall and sparse vegetation, is the:
35. Which biome is characterized by extremely low temperatures, little precipitation, and permafrost?
36. What is a biome?
37. The '10% rule' in ecology states that approximately what percentage of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next?
38. The total amount of energy available at each trophic level in an ecosystem is represented by a(n):
39. Which organisms are responsible for breaking down dead organic matter?
40. A sequence of organisms where energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next is called a(n):
41. Organisms that obtain energy by feeding on other organisms are called:
42. Which trophic level do herbivores occupy in a food chain?
43. Organisms that produce their own food, usually through photosynthesis, are called:
44. The role an organism plays in its environment, including its habitat, diet, and interactions, is known as its:
45. Which of the following is an abiotic factor in an ecosystem?
46. An ecosystem includes all the biotic factors (living organisms) and all the ______ factors in a given area.
47. All the different populations of various species that live and interact in a particular area constitute a(n):
48. A group of individuals of the same species living in the same area at the same time is called a:
49. What is the smallest unit of ecological organization that can be considered a living system?
50. Which term describes the study of interactions between organisms and their environment?