Test your basic knowledge |

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. 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






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






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






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






5. Two fates await the ammonia (NH3). some are nitrified or dentrified






6. Freshwater Biomes vs. Saltwater 2: In rivers and streams - strong swift currents exist - and thus fish that have developed strong muscles and plants with _____________ have survived






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






8. An essential component of amino acids and nucleic acids - which are the building blocks of all living things






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






10. 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






11. 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






12. Two species may rapidly evolve in divergent directions under the strong selection pressure resulting from intense competition. thus - the two species would rapidly evolve greater differences in their niches






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






14. First to resettle a virgin area






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






16. Receive less rainfall than the temperate forests - have long - cold winters - and are inhabited by single coniferous tree-the spruce -extreme northern parts of Canada and Russia






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






18. Cold - dry - and inhabited by fir - pine - and spruce trees -much vegetation has evolved adaptations for water conservation such as needle-shaped leaves -Extreme Northern Part of the US and in Southern Canada






19. Adaptations for maintaining their internal osmolarity and conserving water






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






21. The chief disruptive force






22. 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






23. Without a constant input of energy from the sun - an ecosystem would soon run down - as food is transferred from one level of the food chain to the next - a transfer of energy occurs






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






25. 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






26. Encompasses all that is external to the organism and is necessary for its existence






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






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






29. Energy is transferred from the original sources in green plants through a series o organisms with repeated stages of consumption and finally decomposition






30. Algae - sponges - clams - snails - sea urchins - starfish - and crabs






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






32. Chief animal inhabitant is the moose; however - the black bear - wolf - and some birds






33. Include reproduction and protection from predators and destructive weather






34. 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






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






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






37. Organisms that manufacture their own food






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






39. Needs constant energy source and cycling of materials between the living system






40. Symbiotic relationship from which both organisms derive some benefit






41. Polar bears - musk oxen - and arctic hens






42. Crawling and sessile organsms






43. Animals that consume primary consumers (carnivores)






44. Nutrients - water - and sunlight limitations aid in maintaining populations at relatively constant levels






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






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






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






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






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






50. 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