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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. Determines water holding capacity






2. 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






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






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






5. Include reproduction and protection from predators and destructive weather






6. Animals that consume only plants or plant foods






7. 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






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






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






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






11. The study of interactions between organisms and their environment






12. 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






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






14. Vegetation such as vines and eppiphytes






15. 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






16. The chief disruptive force






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






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






19. Links between oceans and land






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






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






22. Jungles characterized by high temperatures and torrential rains -found in Central Africa - Central America - the Amazon basic - and Southeast Asia






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






24. Distinct community in a geographic region






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






26. Deer - fox - woodchuck - and squirrel






27. 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






28. 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






29. Developed long legs and many are hoofed






30. Symbiotic relationship from which both organisms derive some benefit






31. Forest floors contain moss and lichens






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






33. 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






34. 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






35. Only animal life and other heterotrophic life exists






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






37. 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






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






39. 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






40. 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






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






42. 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






43. Conserve water actively






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






45. Freshwater Biomes vs. Saltwater 1: Freshwater is _______________ which results in the passage of water into the cell. Freshwater organisms have homeostatic mechanisms to maintain water balance by the regular removal of the excess water. these include






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






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






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






49. Region exposed to low tides that undergoes variations in temperature and periods of dryness






50. Regiong beneatht he photic zone that receives no light