1. 42 Ecosystems and Energy Fleur Ferro, Community College of Denver42
Ecosystems and Energy
Questions prepared by
Fleur Ferro, Community College of Denver
Eric Ribbens, Western Illinois University
John Zarnetske, Hoosick Falls Central School

2. How do the Taylor Glacier bacteria in Antarctica produce their energy?
photosynthesis
heterotrophism
chemoautotrophism
thermophobism
chemosynthesis
Answer: C

3. How do the Taylor Glacier bacteria in Antarctica produce their energy?
photosynthesis
heterotrophism
chemoautotrophism
thermophobism
chemosynthesis 3

4. Unlike energy, matter cycles. This means that
an ecosystem cannot lose chemicals from it.
ecosystems can acquire chemicals that are used up from other ecosystems.
when models are built for ecosystems, all of the materials should be able to be accounted for.
matter is being continually converted into heat and back into matter.
chemicals contain energy, but energy doesn’t contain chemicals.
Answer: C 4

5. Unlike energy, matter cycles. This means that
an ecosystem cannot lose chemicals from it.
ecosystems can acquire chemicals that are used up from other ecosystems.
when models are built for ecosystems, all of the materials should be able to be accounted for.
matter is being continually converted into heat and back into matter.
chemicals contain energy, but energy doesn’t contain chemicals. 5

6. the amount of energy producers burn when they metabolize.
Gross primary productivity is higher than net primary productivity. The difference between the two is
the amount of energy producers burn when they metabolize.
typically the ratio between the biomass of producers and the biomass of consumers.
an important measure of ecosystem productivity.
energy that is lost into outer space due to metabolic inefficiencies.
energy that is stored in plant tissues.
Answer: A 6

7. the amount of energy producers burn when they metabolize.
Gross primary productivity is higher than net primary productivity. The difference between the two is
the amount of energy producers burn when they metabolize.
typically the ratio between the biomass of producers and the biomass of consumers.
an important measure of ecosystem productivity.
energy that is lost into outer space due to metabolic inefficiencies.
energy that is stored in plant tissues. 7

8. typically, they are highly territorial.
Why are big, predatory animals rare? Most big, predatory animals are tertiary consumers, which implies that
typically, they are highly territorial.
it’s hard for an ecosystem to support many of them because so much energy is lost at each level of energy exchange.
by overexploitation, humans have caused many predatory species to become endangered.
it takes a long time for big, predatory animals to evolve.
it’s hard for a big animal to move through dense vegetation.
Answer: B 8

9. typically, they are highly territorial.
Why are big, predatory animals rare? Most big, predatory animals are tertiary consumers, which implies that
typically, they are highly territorial.
it’s hard for an ecosystem to support many of them because so much energy is lost at each level of energy exchange.
by overexploitation, humans have caused many predatory species to become endangered.
it takes a long time for big, predatory animals to evolve.
it’s hard for a big animal to move through dense vegetation. 9

10. respiration, decomposition, and excretion photosynthesis fossilization
Look at the diagram, which shows a general model of nutrient cycling. There are major differences between kingdoms of organisms; for example, plants tend to do most assimilation and photosynthesis. However, all living things contribute to one of the arrows on this diagram. Which arrow shows an activity or activities that is/are performed by every living thing?
weathering
respiration, decomposition, and excretion
photosynthesis
fossilization
combustion
Answer: B 10

11. respiration, decomposition, and excretion photosynthesis fossilization
Look at the diagram, which shows a general model of nutrient cycling. There are major differences between kingdoms of organisms; for example, plants tend to do most assimilation and photosynthesis. However, all living things contribute to one of the arrows on this diagram. Which arrow shows an activity or activities that is/are performed by every living thing?
weathering
respiration, decomposition, and excretion
photosynthesis
fossilization
combustion 11

12. denitrifying bacteria. nitrogen-fixing bacteria. legumes.
Eighty percent of our atmosphere is nitrogen gas, yet every year farmers spray ammonia manufactured from natural gas on their fields as a fertilizer. This is because the only way to convert nitrogen from a gas into an available form is by
decomposers.
nitrifying bacteria.
denitrifying bacteria.
nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
legumes.
Answer: D 12

13. denitrifying bacteria. nitrogen-fixing bacteria. legumes.
Eighty percent of our atmosphere is nitrogen gas, yet every year farmers spray ammonia manufactured from natural gas on their fields as a fertilizer. This is because the only way to convert nitrogen from a gas into an available form is by
decomposers.
nitrifying bacteria.
denitrifying bacteria.
nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
legumes. 13

14. converting inorganic compounds into organic compounds
What is the most important role of photosynthetic organisms in an ecosystem?
converting inorganic compounds into organic compounds
absorbing solar radiation
producing organic detritus for decomposers
dissipating heat
recycling energy from other trophic levels
Answer: A 14

15. converting inorganic compounds into organic compounds
What is the most important role of photosynthetic organisms in an ecosystem?
converting inorganic compounds into organic compounds
absorbing solar radiation
producing organic detritus for decomposers
dissipating heat
recycling energy from other trophic levels 15

16. Which of the following best defines the goal of restoration ecology?
Replace a damaged ecosystem with a more suitable ecosystem for that area and time.
Speed up the restoration of a degraded ecosystem. Completely restore a disturbed ecosystem back to its former undisturbed state.
Prevent further degradation by protecting the area in question with park status.
Manage competition between species in human-altered ecosystems.
Answer: B 16

17. Which of the following best defines the goal of restoration ecology?
Replace a damaged ecosystem with a more suitable ecosystem for that area and time.
Speed up the restoration of a degraded ecosystem. Completely restore a disturbed ecosystem back to its former undisturbed state.
Prevent further degradation by protecting the area in question with park status.
Manage competition between species in human-altered ecosystems. 17

18. secondary consumption.
A caterpillar eats 100 joules of energy in a leaf. Thirty of those joules go into creating new biomass. This is describing
primary production.
secondary production.
primary consumption.
secondary consumption.
Answer: B
This is the amount of energy converted into biomass for each organism on each level of a trophic system. 18

19. secondary consumption.
A caterpillar eats 100 joules of energy in a leaf. Thirty of those joules go into creating new biomass. This is describing
primary production.
secondary production.
primary consumption.
secondary consumption. 19

20. Which of the following has the highest level of total global primary production?
open ocean
tropical rain forest
temperate grasslands
savannah
Answer: A
This is due to the fact that, although the amount of primary production in the open ocean is low per unit of area, since oceans are so vast, they create the highest total amount. 20

21. Which of the following has the highest level of total global primary production?
open ocean
tropical rain forest
temperate grasslands
savannah 21