1. Ecology is the study of an organism’s interactions with the:

  Hint

    a) biotic and behavioural characteristics of the organism.
    b) behavioural and physical components of an ecosystem.
    c) biotic and physical factors in the environment.
    d) abiotic components of an ecosystem only.
    e) abiotic and behavioural characteristics of the organism.

2. Ecology studies the ecosystem of an organism (including the factors that control it) including inputs, processes and outputs. Choose the correct answer that represents examples of each of these factors in order.

  Hint

    a) Feeding, light, wastes
    b) Light, feeding, wastes
    c) Energy, waste, water
    d) Water, waste, heat
    e) Light, waste, feeding

3. The term used to refer to all of the interacting plants and animals in a clearly defined area would be a/an:

  Hint

    a) ecology.
    b) environ.
    c) commune.
    d) community.
    e) ecosystem.

4. The woodland forest community and its abiotic environment would most probably be named the:

  Hint

    a) woodland forest ecological zone.
    b) woodland forest environment.
    c) woodland forest commune.
    d) woodland forest community.
    e) woodland forest ecosystem.

5. An ecologist will often assess a region inhabited by an organism through trapping, personal sightings and the tracking of prints and droppings. This would then allow them to determine the organism’s:

  Hint

    a) distribution.
    b) abundance.
    c) transect.
    d) community.
    e) ecosystem.

6. An ecologist uses a diagram drawn from a straight line across a map of a region, to show the topographical features of the land and a plot of the distribution of plant types along it, such as the diagram shown below. Such a drawing is known as a/an:

  Hint

    a) distribution map.
    b) abundance zone.
    c) plant map.
    d) transect.
    e) ecosystem.

7. Abundance can be determined by:

  Hint

    a) counting the number of organisms within a particular area.
    b) using a random quadrat technique.
    c) using a capture/recapture method.
    d) all of the above.

8. The diagram represents a scale diagram of a sample plot of all trees and small shrubs in a community.



Identify the cross-section that best represents transect AB.

  Hint

    a)

    b)

    c)

    d)

    e)

9. An ecologist uses a random quadrat method to estimate the abundance of a species of wattle in an open forest community as shown in the diagram.



Each quadrat is 100 m² and the total area of the community is 12 800 m2. The density of the wattle species is:

  Hint

    a) 3 ×100 m²
    b) 30/100 m²
    c) 6/100 m²
    d) 3/100 m²
    e) 18 ×100 m²

10. An ecologist uses a random quadrat method to estimate the abundance of a species of wattle in an open forest community as shown in the diagram.



Each quadrat is 100 m² and the total area of the community is 12 800 m². The abundance of the wattle species is:

    Hint

    a) 3840 wattle.
    b) 384 wattle.
    c) 38.4 wattle.
    d) 400 wattle.
    e) 4000 wattle.

11. A widely used method of estimating the abundance of animals is the capture–recapture method. In this method the procedure is:

    Hint

    a) based on the assumption that the number of marked individuals in the second catch is the same as the number of marked individuals in the whole                population.
    b) more accurate when estimates are obtained by repeating the exercise a number of times and dividing this by the average.
    c) based on the assumption that all the marked animals are never dispersed evenly among the total population.
    d) based on the assumption that the number of marked individuals in the second catch is proportional to the number of marked individuals in the whole               population.
    e) impossible to use since you can never really determine the exact number of moving animals.

12. The capture–recapture method is used to estimate the population of Rattus lutreolus and the following table shows the results obtained.

Capture/recapture data on Rattus lutreolus

	Capture	Recapture
Number caught	40	22
Number marked	-	10

The estimated abundance of Rattus lutreolus would be closest to:

    Hint

    a) 8
    b) 880
    c) 8880
    d) 88
    e) None of the above.

13. The abundance and distribution of organisms are influenced by a complex range of physical and biological factors interacting in the environment. This usually involves:

    Hint

    a) abiotic environmental factors.
    b) availability of resources.
    c) other members of the same species.
    d) other organisms of different species.
    e) all of the above.

14. Physical factors and resources have an effect on the abundance and distribution of organisms in an ecosystem, as they:

     Hint

    a) determine the vegetation and hence animal populations.
    b) determine the climate and hence animal populations.
    c) determine the interaction between organisms and hence animal populations.
    d) determine the availability of water in an ecosystem.
    e) determine the things an organism directly uses and hence affects animal populations.

15. A resource becomes a limiting factor when its availability:

    Hint

    a) determines the maximum population of the species, therefore limiting the abundance.
    b) determines the average population of the species, and therefore the abundance.
    c) determines the interaction between organisms and hence animal populations.
    d) determines the availability of water in an ecosystem.
    e) determines the amount of shelter an organism has.

16. Select the answer that represents abiotic factors only.

     Hint

    a) Air temperature, nesting sites, relative humidity and light intensity
    b) Nesting materials, soil moisture, relative humidity and light intensity
    c) Air temperature, living space, relative humidity and light intensity
    d) Air temperature, soil moisture, relative humidity and light intensity
    e) Shelter, soil moisture, relative humidity and light intensity

17. Select the answer that represents examples of resources only.

     Hint

    a) Nesting materials, nesting sites, relative humidity and shelter
    b) Living space, nesting sites, nesting materials and shelter
    c) Air temperature, living space, relative humidity and light intensity
    d) Air temperature, nesting sites, relative humidity and light intensity
    e) Shelter, soil moisture, relative humidity and light intensity

18. A device used to measure wind speed (an abiotic component) would be a/an:

   Hint

    a) windometer.
    b) anemometer.
    c) barometer.
    d) thermometer.
    e) none of the above.

19. A device used to air pressure (an abiotic component) would be a/an:

    Hint

    a) barograph.
    b) anemometer.
    c) barometer.
    d) airometer.
    e) none of the above.

20. The table compares agricultural, urban and natural ecosystems.

	Agricultural	Urban	Natural
Species diversity	Monoculture	Small	Substantial
Complexity	Relatively simple	Relatively simple	Highly complex
Stability	Unstable	Unstable	Relatively stable
Energy inputs	Light, fuels	Fuels, electricity	Sunlight
Recycling of matter	Some	Little	All

In this table it can be seen that:

  Hint

    a) a natural ecosystem contrasts heavily with both urban and agricultural ecosystems.
    b) there has been manipulation of species diversity in the natural ecosystem.
    c) agricultural ecosystems are relatively simple, but stable ecosystems.
    d) natural ecosystems are relatively simple, but stable ecosystems.
    e) a natural ecosystem is relatively stable, with some recycling of matter.

21. In the graph shown:

    Hint

    a) the independent variable is abundance of parrots.
    b) the independent variable is time.
    c) the dependent variable is abundance of parrots.
    d) the dependent variable is the number of nesting boxes .
    e) the abundance of parrots is a controlled variable.

22. Consider the simplified food web shown.



A farmer attempts to kill off the insects through the use of insecticides. This would result in:

     Hint

    a) more shrubs and grass surviving to maturity in the area.
    b) increased food supply to the rabbit and grazing sheep.
    c) reduction in numbers of emu wren, with concern that they may disappear from the area if all insects are eliminated.
    d) reduction in fox numbers for a short period of time until other food sources are used.
    e) all of the above.

23. Interrelationships exist between different species of organisms within an ecosystem. Depending on the nature of the relationship, it may be harmful or beneficial to the organism. The Cooktown orchid, Dendrobium phalaenopsis, grows in exposed situations, usually attached to tree trunks such as paperbark melaleucas. From this position, it is able to access more light and does not pose a threat to the tree on which it grows. This relationship between the orchid and the tree would be an example of:

    Hint

    a) mutualism.
    b) commensalism.
    c) symbiosis.
    d) competition.
    e) competitive inhibition.

24. From the food chain shown, you should be able to see that the consumers occupy different levels within the food chain. The level occupied by a consumer is referred to as a/an:

    Hint

    a) feeding level.
    b) second order level.
    c) consumer level.
    d) trophic level
    e) eating level.

25. Which of the biomass pyramids shown represents a stable transfer of matter within an ecosystem?

    Hint

    a) Biomass pyramid A
    b) Biomass pyramid B
    c) Biomass pyramid C
    d) Biomass pyramid D
    e) None of the above.

26. One possible reason for the larger mass of herbivores compared to producers in the food pyramid labelled C is:

    Hint

    a) rainfall causing a decrease in the plant biomass.
    b) disease or drought causing a decrease in the plant biomass.
    c) a rapid increase in the number of carnivores.
    d) global warming causing a decrease in the plant biomass.
    e) disease or drought causing a decrease in the plant biomass.

27. An increase in the concentration of chemical substances through a food chain is known as:

    Hint

    a) bioelimination.
    b) biozonation.
    c) biomagnification.
    d) bioaddition.
    e) bioconcentration.

28. Organisms responsible for the decay of organic material, causing the release of minerals and elements for re-use in an ecosystem are known as:

    Hint

    a) herbivores
    b) carnivores.
    c) second-order consumers.
    d) first-order consumers.
    e) decomposers.

29. The diagram represents the cycling of matter within an ecosystem. Which of the labels A, B, C, D or E represents respiration?

    Hint

    a) A
    b) B
    c) C
    d) D
    e) E