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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. Because organisms at the upper levels of the food chain derive their food energy from organisms at lower levels - and because energy is lost from one level to the next - each level can support a successively smaller biomass






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






3. Conserve water actively






4. Rhododendrons and pines are more suited for growth in acid oil






5. Organisms that manufacture their own food






6. Characterized by low rainfall - although considerably more than the desert biomes receive -provide no shelter for herbivorous mammals from carnivorous predators -ex: East of the Rockies - steppes of the Ukraine - and the pampas of Argentina






7. 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






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






9. Region typical of the open seas and can be divided into photic and aphotic zones






10. Gaseous CO2 enters the living world when plants use it to produce glucose via photosynthesis. The carbon atoms in CO2 are bonded to hydrogen and other carbon atoms. the plant uses the glucose to make starch - proteins - and fat






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






12. Animals that consume only plants or plant foods






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






14. Composed of populations that are able to exist under the new conditions






15. Developed long legs and many are hoofed






16. The major component of the internal environment of all living things






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






18. Distinct community in a geographic region






19. One species may be competitively superior to the other and drive the second to extinction






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






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






22. Evolved physical mechanisms that allow them to make Use of the heat produced as a consequence of respiratiion






23. Vegetation has evolved adaptations for water conservation such as needle shaped leaves






24. Made into nitrites by chemosynthetic bacteria and then to usable nitrates by nitrifying bacteria






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






26. Elemental nitrogen is chemically inert and cannot be used by most organisms. Lightning and nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the roots of legumes change the nitrogen into the usable - soluble nitrates






27. Contains plankton - passively drifting masses of microscopic photosynthetic and heterotrophic organisms - and nekton - and algae






28. Rivers - lakes - ponds - and marshes






29. Plants growing on other plants - trees grow closely together; sunlight hardly reaches the forest floor






30. Includes the community and the environment and usually all five kingdoms






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






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






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






34. Cannot synthesize their ow food and must depend upon autotrophs or others in the ecosystem to obtain their food






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






36. 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






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






38. Crawling and sessile organsms






39. Material is cycled and recycled betweenn organisms and their environments - passing from inorganic forms to organic forms and then back to the inorganic forms






40. Forest floors contain moss and lichens






41. Deer - fox - woodchuck - and squirrel






42. 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






43. Links between oceans and land






44. Animals that consume dead animals






45. Rock and soil surface






46. Determine by the amount of decaying plant and animal life in the soil






47. Region on the continental shelf that contains ocean area with depths up to 600 feet and extends several hundred miles from the shores






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






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






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