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






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






3. First to resettle a virgin area






4. 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






5. 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






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






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






8. The oceans






9. Includes climate - temperature - availability of light and water - and the local topology






10. Ammonia (NH3) is broken down to release free nitrogen - which returns to the beginning of the denitrifying






11. 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






12. The orderly process by which one biotic community replaces or succeeds another until a climax community is established






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






14. 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






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






16. 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






17. Symbiotic relationship from which both organisms derive some benefit






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






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






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






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






22. Rock and soil surface






23. Forest floors contain moss and lichens






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






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






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. 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






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






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






30. 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






31. 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






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






33. Have adaptations enabling them to survive in very cod water - with high pressures - and in complete darkness






34. 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






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






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






37. Includes all portions of the planet that support life -the atmosphere - the lithosphere - and the hydrosphere






38. 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






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






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






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






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






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






44. Lichens and moss






45. Food chain is not a simple linear chain but an intricate web






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






47. 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






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






49. 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






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