What is an abiotic factor?
Non-Living factors in an ecosystem
All the different populations that live and interact in an environment.
A. Community
B. Population
C. Niche
D. Biosphere
A. Community
Recent evidence indicates that lakes in large areas of New York State are being affected by acid rain. The major effect of acid rain in the lakes is _______.
(1) an increase in game fish population levels
(2) the stimulation of a rapid rate of evolution
(3) the elimination of many species of aquatic life
(4) an increase in agricultural productivity
(3) the elimination of many species of aquatic life

Which of the following steps of the carbon cycle is occurring at point A?
A Respiration
B Combustion
C Photosynthesis
D Decomposition
A Respiration
Removal of a __________________ from a community affects community structure significantly.
A) keystone species
B) niche
C) competitor
D) predator
A) keystone species
Nonliving parts of the environment such as soil, water, sunlight are ...
A. Decomposers
B. Biotic
C. Abiotic
D. Scavenger
C. Abiotic
Struggle between organism for the same resources. This keeps the size of a species population in check.
A. Predators
B. Limiting factors
C. Biodiversity
D. Competition
A. Predators
Which human activity has probably contributed most to the acidification of lakes in the Adirondack region?
1) passing environmental protection laws
(2) establishing reforestation projects in lumbered areas
(3) burning fossil fuels that produce air pollutants containing sulfur and nitrogen
(4) using pesticides for the control of insects that feed on trees
(3) burning fossil fuels that produce air pollutants containing sulfur and nitrogen
Which of the following correctly pairs a step of the water cycle with its events?
A. Transpiration - water vapor cools and turns into liquid droplets
B. Condensation - water droplets fall to Earth as rain, hail, or snow
C. Precipitation - water enters through a plant's roots, travels through its vascular system, and escapes through its leaves
D. Evaporation - liquid water changes into water vapor
D. Evaporation - liquid water changes into water vapor
A barnacle grows on a whale, doing it no harm. This is an example of________________.
A) vitalism
B) mutualism
C) parasitism
D) commensalism
D) commensalism
Which are the four most abundant elements in living cells?
1. carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur
2. carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen
3. carbon, oxygen, sulfur, phosphorus
4. carbon, sulfur, hydrogen, magnesium
2. carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen
An organism that survives by eating animals.
A. Prey
B. Producer
C. Carnivore
D. Autotroph
C. Carnivore
An activity that would help to ensure a suitable environment for future generations is the increased use of__________.
1) fossil fuels
(2) pesticides
(3) biological controls
(4) chemical dumps
(3) biological controls
Which of the following best describes the importance of biogeochemical cycles?
A They explain how energy moves through trophic levels of an ecosystem.
B They chart how biotic changes destroy unstable ecosystems.
C They describe how the adaptations of organisms change based on environmental pressures.
D They show how certain elements and compounds move through the environment and are continually used and recycled.
D They show how certain elements and compounds move through the environment and are continually used and recycled.
Which sequence shows increasing complexity of levels of ecological organization?
(1) biosphere, ecosystem, community
(2) biosphere, community, ecosystem
(3) community, ecosystem, biosphere
(4) ecosystem, biosphere, community
(3) community, ecosystem, biosphere
Some _____ Factors of an ecosystem?
light intensity
temperature range
type of soil or rock
pH level (acidity or alkalinity)
water availability
dissolved gases
level of pollutant
Abiotic Factors
A representation of interconnected food chains that show more complex feeding relationships between producers, consumers, and decomposers
A. Limiting Factor
B. Biodiversity
C. Food Web
D. Ecology
C. Food Web
Toxic chemicals called PCBs, produced as a result of manufacturing processes were dumped into the Hudson River. What was most likely a result of this action on fish in the Hudson River?
(1) Some fish became unfit to eat.
(2) The fish populations increased.
(3) Thermal pollution of the river increased, decreasing the fish population.
(4) The carrying capacity for fish increased in the river.
(1) Some fish became unfit to eat.
Atmospheric nitrogen (N2 gas) is easily taken up and used by plants and animals.
True or False
False
Correct! Although the majority of the air we breathe is N2, most of the nitrogen in the atmosphere is unavailable for use by organisms. In order for plants and animals to be able to use nitrogen, N2 gas must first be converted to a different form, such as ammonium (NH4+), nitrate (NO3-), or organic nitrogen.
Cutting down a rainforest and planting agricultural crops, such as coffee plants, would most likely result in __________.
(1) a decrease in biodiversity
(2) an increase in the amount of energy recycled
(3) a decrease in erosion
(4) an increase in the amount of photosynthesis
(1) a decrease in biodiversity
What is an example of an Abiotic Factor?
Sunlight
Food and or home for a parasite.
A. Scavenger
B. Decomposer
C. Host
D. Consumer
C. Host
The lower part of the Hudson River contains large amounts of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) and heavy metals. Which statement best explains their presence in the river?
(1) They are introduced by environmentalists to kill sewage bacteria.
(2) They are the decomposition products of river organisms.
(3) They were accidentally spilled into the river by fishermen.
(4) They were discharged into the river as manufacturing byproducts.
(4) They were discharged into the river as manufacturing byproducts.
What is the most common way that nitrogen fixation occurs?
A. lightning
B. nitrogen-fixing bacteria
C. fossil fuel combustion
D. forest fires
B. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria
Correct! Microorganisms, particularly bacteria, play major roles in all of the principal nitrogen transformations. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria often form symbiotic relationships with host plants. In fact, most nitrogen-fixing is carried out by bacteria.
An ecosystem will most likely remain stable if_____.
(1) it has more predators than prey
(2) it has a high level of biodiversity
(3) biotic factors decrease
(4) finite resources decrease
(2) it has a high level of biodiversity