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PCAT Biology Ecology

Subjects : pcat, biology
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. Links between oceans and land






2. Any group of similar organisms that are capable of reproducing






3. Live together in an intimate - often permanent association - which may or may not be beneficial to both participants






4. Include those protists and fungi that decompose dead organic matter externally and absorb the nutrients - they consistitute a vital link in the cycling of material within the ecosystem






5. Community in an ecological succession is identified by a dominant species






6. Consumer organisms that are higher in hte food chain are usually larger and heavier than those further down






7. Frozen area with no vegetation and terrestrial animals -animals that do inhabit polar regions generally live near the polar oceans






8. Polar bears - musk oxen - and arctic hens






9. Determined by the same decisive factors-temperatures and rainfall






10. Lichens and moss






11. Developed long legs and many are hoofed






12. Used to include only the population and not their physical environment






13. Oceans connect to form one continuous body of water - which controls the earth's temperature by absorbing solar heat






14. The nitrogen locked up in the wastes and dead tissues is released by the action of the bacteria of decay - which convert the proteins into ammonia






15. Treeless - frozen plain found between the taiga lands and the northern ice sheets - very short summer and thus a very short growing season during which time the ground becomes wet and marshy






16. Rivers - lakes - ponds - and marshes






17. One that exerts control over the other species that are present






18. Animals that eat both plants and animals






19. Have cold winters - warm summers - and moderate rainfall -found in the Northeast and Central-Eastern United States and Central Europe






20. One species may be competitively superior in some regions - and the other may be superior in other regions under different environmental conditions. this would result in the elimination of one species in some places and the other in other places






21. Autotrophic green plants and chemosynthetic bacteria that use the energy of the sun and simple raw materials to manufacture carbohydrates - proteins - and lipids






22. When a parasite benefits at the expense of the host






23. Symbiotic relationship from which both organisms derive some benefit






24. Every energy transfer involves a loss of energy and each level of the food chain uses some of the energy it obtains from the food for its own metabolism and loses some additional energy in the form of heat






25. Must be maintained at an optimal level -organisms have adaptations necessary for protection against extremes






26. Affect the type of vegetation that can be supported






27. The metabolically produced CO2 is released to the air. The rest of the orgnaic carbon remains locked whthin an organism until its death (except for wastes given off) - at which time decay processes by bacteria return the CO2 to the air






28. Determines water holding capacity






29. Evolve toward a balance in which the predator is a regulatory influence on th prey but not a threat to its survival






30. Group of organisms of the same species living together in a given location






31. When one organism is benefited by the association and the other is not affected






32. Crawling and sessile organsms






33. Animals eat the plants and synthesize specific animal proteins form the plant proteins. both plants and animals give off wastes and eventually die






34. In the ocean - the top layer thorugh which light can penetrate - is where all aquatic photosynthetic activity takes place






35. Receive less than ten inches of rain each year; the rain is concentrated within a few heavy cloudbursts -ex: Sahara in Africa and Gobi in Asia






36. More than 70% of earth -plants have little controlling influence in communities -most stable ecosystems; the conditions affecting temperature - amount of available oxygen and cabon dioxide - and amount of suspended or dissolve materials are very stab






37. Animals that consume primary consumers (carnivores)






38. Rock and soil surface






39. Determines the nature of plant and animal life in the soil






40. Include reproduction and protection from predators and destructive weather






41. Consists of populations of different plants and animal species interacting with each other in a given environment






42. The vegetation that becomes dominant and stable after years of evolutiionary development






43. Live in burrows had few birds and mammals are found except those which have developed adaptations for maintaining constant body temperatures






44. Monkeys - lizards - snakes - and birds - floor is inhabited by saprophytes






45. Free-living organisms that feed on other living organisms






46. Individual unit of an ecological system - but the organism itself is composed of smaller units -organs >tissues >cells >molecules >atoms > subatomic particles






47. Defines the functional role of an organism in its ecosystem -described what the organism eats - where and how it obtains its food - what climatic factors it can tolerate and which are optimal - the nature of its parasites and predators - where and ho






48. Nekton and benthos - scavengers - and predators (fiercely competitive)






49. Nitrates are absorbed by plants are used to syntheisze nucleic acids and plant proteins






50. Each member of a food chain uses some of the energy it obtains from its food for its own metabolism and loses some additional energy in the form of heat