Ecology Quiz Questions & Answers

Ecology 101

9 multiple choice quiz questions with answers

Test your knowledge of Ecology with this comprehensive quiz! From the study of organisms and their environment to the dynamics of populations and ecosystems, this quiz covers a wide range of ecological concepts and their applications. Explore the various levels of ecological organization, from genes...

Test your knowledge of Ecology with this comprehensive quiz! From the study of organisms and their environment to the dynamics of populations and ecosystems, this quiz covers a wide range of ecological concepts and their applications. Explore the various levels of ecological organization, from genes to the biosphere, and learn about biodiversity, habitats, niches, and biomes. Discover the roles of different ecological disciplines, such as metapopulation ecology, community ecology, and ecosystem ecology, and understand the importance of long-term ecological studies

1. What is ecology?

View Answer

The study of the relationships between living organisms and their physical environment

2. What is biodiversity?

View Answer

Species diversity, ecosystem diversity, and genetic diversity

3. What is a habitat?

View Answer

The environment over which a species occurs

4. What is the largest scale of ecological organization?

View Answer

The biosphere

5. What is molecular ecology?

View Answer

The study of genes in an evolutionary and ecological context

6. What is the difference between migration and dispersal?

View Answer

Dispersal involves the one-way permanent movement of individuals from their birth population into another population, while migration involves the seasonal departure and return of individuals from a habitat

7. What is the study of an organism's behavior in its environment and its ecological and evolutionary implications?

View Answer

Behavioral ecology

8. What is the significance of keystone species?

View Answer

They are species that are connected to a disproportionately large number of other species in the food-web and maintain the organization and structure of entire communities

9. What is the study of the geographic distribution of organisms and the corresponding evolution of their traits in space and time?

View Answer

Biogeography

How Well Do You Know Food Webs?

9 multiple choice quiz questions with answers

Challenge your knowledge on the interconnection of food chains with our quiz! Learn about the basics of food webs, trophic levels, and ecological pyramids. Explore the different types of food webs and how they vary across ecosystems. Test your understanding of trophic dynamics, biomass, and trophic...

Challenge your knowledge on the interconnection of food chains with our quiz! Learn about the basics of food webs, trophic levels, and ecological pyramids. Explore the different types of food webs and how they vary across ecosystems. Test your understanding of trophic dynamics, biomass, and trophic cascades. Discover the complexity of food webs and how they serve as a framework for ecologists to understand the network of interactions among species. See how much you know about the history of food web

1. What is a food web?

View Answer

A graphical representation of what-eats-what in an ecological community

2. What are the two trophic levels that ecologists categorize life forms into?

View Answer

Autotrophs and heterotrophs

3. What are autotrophs?

View Answer

Life forms that produce organic matter from inorganic substances through photosynthesis

4. What are heterotrophs?

View Answer

Life forms that obtain organic matter by feeding on autotrophs and other heterotrophs

5. What is a trophic level?

View Answer

The position of a species in the food web

6. What is trophic dynamics?

View Answer

The central concept in the transfer of energy from one part of the ecosystem to another

7. What are trophic cascades?

View Answer

Indirect effects that can alter the abundance, distribution, or biomass in the trophic levels

8. What is biomass?

View Answer

The stored energy in an ecosystem

9. What is a detrital web?

View Answer

Plant and animal matter is broken down by decomposers and moves to detritivores and then carnivores

Habitat Quiz

9 multiple choice quiz questions with answers

Test your knowledge of habitats with our quiz! From forests to hydrothermal vents, this quiz covers a range of habitat types and their importance for different species. Learn about microhabitats, habitat fragmentation, and the effects of habitat loss and disturbance on biodiversity. Challenge yourse...

Test your knowledge of habitats with our quiz! From forests to hydrothermal vents, this quiz covers a range of habitat types and their importance for different species. Learn about microhabitats, habitat fragmentation, and the effects of habitat loss and disturbance on biodiversity. Challenge yourself with questions about invasive species and monotypic habitats, and discover how different organisms have adapted to extreme environments. Whether you're an ecology enthusiast or just interested in learning more about the natural world, this quiz is for you!

1. What is a habitat?

View Answer

The physical and biotic factors present in an area to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species

2. What is the difference between habitat generalist and habitat specialist species?

View Answer

Habitat generalist species are able to thrive in a wide array of environmental conditions, while habitat specialist species require a limited set of factors to survive

3. What are the different types of terrestrial habitats?

View Answer

Forests, grasslands, wetlands, and deserts

4. What are the different types of freshwater habitats?

View Answer

Rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, marshes, and bogs

5. What are the different types of marine habitats?

View Answer

Brackish water, estuaries, bays, the open sea, the intertidal zone, the sea bed, reefs, and deep and shallow water zones

6. What is a microhabitat?

View Answer

The small-scale physical requirements of a particular organism or population

7. What is the greatest threat to any species?

View Answer

Loss of habitat

8. What is habitat fragmentation?

View Answer

The process of breaking up large habitats into smaller, isolated pieces

9. Why is protection of habitat types necessary?

View Answer

It is a necessary step in the maintenance of biodiversity

Discover the Importance of Keystone Species in Our Ecosystem - Take our Quiz Now...

9 multiple choice quiz questions with answers

Test your knowledge of the ecological world with our Keystone Species quiz! Learn about the critical role that keystone species play in maintaining the structure of an ecosystem, and how they affect the types and numbers of other species in the community. From predators to mutualists, this quiz cove...

Test your knowledge of the ecological world with our Keystone Species quiz! Learn about the critical role that keystone species play in maintaining the structure of an ecosystem, and how they affect the types and numbers of other species in the community. From predators to mutualists, this quiz covers a wide range of keystone species and their ecological importance. Take the quiz and discover how much you know about these fascinating organisms that are essential to the health of our planet.

1. What is a keystone species?

View Answer

A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance

2. Who introduced the concept of keystone species?

View Answer

Robert T. Paine

3. What is the role of a keystone species in an ecosystem analogous to?

View Answer

The role of a keystone in a building

4. What is an example of a classic keystone species?

View Answer

A predator

5. What is the role of sea otters in kelp forests?

View Answer

They protect kelp forests from damage by sea urchins

6. What is the role of keystone predators in increasing biodiversity?

View Answer

They prevent a single species from becoming dominant, thus increasing biodiversity

7. What are keystones mutualists?

View Answer

Organisms that participate in mutually beneficial interaction, the loss of which would have a profound impact upon the ecosystem as a whole

8. What is an example of a keystone species that is an ecosystem engineer?

View Answer

A beaver

9. What is the criticism of the concept of keystone species?

View Answer

It is too simple

Ecosystem Services Quiz

9 multiple choice quiz questions with answers

Test your knowledge on the benefits provided by healthy nature, forests, and environmental systems with this informative quiz. Explore the different categories of ecosystem services, from provisioning to cultural services, and learn about the importance of biodiversity for stabilizing these services...

Test your knowledge on the benefits provided by healthy nature, forests, and environmental systems with this informative quiz. Explore the different categories of ecosystem services, from provisioning to cultural services, and learn about the importance of biodiversity for stabilizing these services. Discover the various products and resources that marine ecosystems and forests offer, and how they contribute to human well-being. Explore the challenges of valuing ecosystem services and making complex decisions at the intersection of ecology, technology, society, and the economy. Test your understanding of

1. What are ecosystem services?

View Answer

Benefits to humans provided by natural environments and healthy ecosystems

2. What are the four categories of ecosystem services?

View Answer

Provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural

3. What are some examples of cultural ecosystem services?

View Answer

Inspiration for art, music, architecture, traditions, and recreational activities

4. What is the concept of ecological redundancy?

View Answer

More than one species performs a given role within an ecosystem

5. What is ecosystem-based adaptation?

View Answer

A strategy for community development and environmental management that seeks to use an ecosystem services framework to help communities adapt to the effects of climate change

6. What are some examples of wild foods?

View Answer

Wild meat, edible insects, edible plant products, mushrooms, and fish

7. What is the economic valuation of ecosystem services?

View Answer

A challenge, and many companies are not fully aware of their dependence and impact on ecosystems

8. What are some examples of marine ecosystem services?

View Answer

Wild and cultured seafood, fresh water, fiber and fuel, biochemical and genetic resources

9. What is the ecosystem services concept?

View Answer

The importance of preserving and restoring natural ecosystems for human well-being

Population Ecology Quiz

9 multiple choice quiz questions with answers

Test your knowledge on population ecology with our quiz! Explore the dynamics of species populations and their interaction with the environment, from birth and death rates to immigration and emigration. Learn about the different types of growth models, the r/K selection theory, and the concept of ca...

Test your knowledge on population ecology with our quiz! Explore the dynamics of species populations and their interaction with the environment, from birth and death rates to immigration and emigration. Learn about the different types of growth models, the r/K selection theory, and the concept of carrying capacity. See how much you know about population viability analysis, survivorship curves, metapopulations, and more. Challenge yourself with this fascinating field of study that is essential for conservation biology and offers interesting problems for mathematicians and

1. What is population ecology?

View Answer

The study of species populations and their interaction with the environment

2. What does population size refer to?

View Answer

The total number of individuals in a population

3. What is carrying capacity?

View Answer

The maximum population size of the species that the environment can sustain

4. What is the intrinsic rate of increase?

View Answer

The maximum per capita growth rate for a population

5. What are the two types of growth models?

View Answer

Exponential and logistic

6. What is the r/K selection theory?

View Answer

An important concept in population ecology that distinguishes between r and K selected species

7. What do survivorship curves show?

View Answer

The distribution of populations according to age

8. What is top-down control?

View Answer

Control of a population by organisms at the top of the food chain

9. What is the metapopulation concept?

View Answer

Introduced in 1969, it refers to a group of spatially separated populations that interact with each other

Species Distribution and Conservation Prioritization Quiz

9 multiple choice quiz questions with answers

How much do you know about species distribution and conservation prioritization? Take this quiz to test your knowledge on the factors affecting species distribution, methods used to determine distribution patterns, and the prioritization of areas for conservation efforts based on species richness. L...

How much do you know about species distribution and conservation prioritization? Take this quiz to test your knowledge on the factors affecting species distribution, methods used to determine distribution patterns, and the prioritization of areas for conservation efforts based on species richness. Learn about the Species Distribution Grids Project and how it is used to assess climate change impacts and aid in conservation planning. Challenge yourself and discover how you can contribute to the conservation of our planet's diverse species.

1. What is species distribution?

View Answer

The geographic area within which a species can be found

2. What are some factors that affect species distribution?

View Answer

Both A and B

3. What is the Clark-Evans nearest neighbor method used for?

View Answer

To determine the distribution pattern of species

4. What is the Species Distribution Grids Project?

View Answer

An effort to create maps and databases of the whereabouts of various animal species

5. What is the focus of prioritizing areas for deforestation prevention?

View Answer

Preventing deforestation and prioritizing areas based on species richness

6. What is the Gridded Species Distribution?

View Answer

A set of maps showing the distribution of species in a given area

7. What is the focus of the work on identifying areas for conservation?

View Answer

Identifying areas for conservation and not on any specific conservation initiatives

8. What is the purpose of species distribution models?

View Answer

To assess climate change impacts and conservation management issues

9. What is the Species Grids data set?

View Answer

A data set containing sample maps for the Gridded Species Distribution map gallery

Trophic Levels and Food Chains Quiz

9 multiple choice quiz questions with answers

Test your knowledge on the position of organisms in a food chain with this informative quiz! Learn about trophic levels, food chains, and food webs, and understand the intricate relationships between plants, herbivores, and predators in tritrophic interactions. Discover the impact of biodiversity an...

Test your knowledge on the position of organisms in a food chain with this informative quiz! Learn about trophic levels, food chains, and food webs, and understand the intricate relationships between plants, herbivores, and predators in tritrophic interactions. Discover the impact of biodiversity and climate change on ecosystems, and explore the fascinating world of ecological studies and pest management strategies. This quiz will challenge your understanding of the complexities of trophic paths and the importance of understanding tritrophic interactions in ecological

1. What is the trophic level of an organism?

View Answer

The position it occupies in a food web

2. What is a food chain?

View Answer

A succession of organisms that eat other organisms and may, in turn, be eaten themselves

3. What is the origin of the word 'trophic'?

View Answer

Greek

4. Who developed the concept of trophic level?

View Answer

Raymond Lindeman

5. What is a food web?

View Answer

A diagram that sets out the intricate network of intersecting and overlapping food chains for an ecosystem

6. What is the average energy conversion rate for consumers at each trophic level?

View Answer

10%

7. What is the mean trophic level of humans?

View Answer

2.0

8. What are tritrophic interactions?

View Answer

Interactions between three trophic levels

9. What is the impact of climate change on tritrophic interactions?

View Answer

Negative impact

How much do you know about ecological succession?

9 multiple choice quiz questions with answers

Test your knowledge on ecological succession with this informative quiz! From the basics of the process to the role of bacteria and theories of succession, this quiz covers it all. See if you can identify the differences between primary and secondary succession, understand the role of community prop...

Test your knowledge on ecological succession with this informative quiz! From the basics of the process to the role of bacteria and theories of succession, this quiz covers it all. See if you can identify the differences between primary and secondary succession, understand the role of community properties in successional development, and grasp the concept of climax communities. Plus, learn about microbial succession and how it impacts newly available habitats and disturbed communities. Take this quiz to become an expert on the fascinating topic of ecological succession!

1. What is ecological succession?

View Answer

The process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time.

2. Which of the following plays a crucial role in the cycling of nutrients like carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur?

View Answer

Bacteria

3. What is primary succession?

View Answer

Colonization of an area that has not been previously occupied by an ecological community.

4. What is secondary succession?

View Answer

Follows severe disturbance or removal of a preexisting community that has remnants of the previous ecosystem.

5. Who suggested a much greater role of chance factors in the theories of succession?

View Answer

Henry Gleason

6. What influences the trajectory of successional change?

View Answer

Site conditions, perturbations, species interactions, and stochastic factors.

7. What are communities in early succession dominated by?

View Answer

Fast-growing, well-dispersed species

8. What was formerly seen as having a stable end-stage called the climax?

View Answer

Succession

9. What is the climax community?

View Answer

The final or stable community in a sere that is self-perpetuating and in equilibrium with the physical habitat.

COPY: Ecology 101

9 multiple choice quiz questions with answers

Test your knowledge of Ecology with this comprehensive quiz! From the study of organisms and their environment to the dynamics of populations and ecosystems, this quiz covers a wide range of ecological concepts and their applications. Explore the various levels of ecological organization, from genes...

Test your knowledge of Ecology with this comprehensive quiz! From the study of organisms and their environment to the dynamics of populations and ecosystems, this quiz covers a wide range of ecological concepts and their applications. Explore the various levels of ecological organization, from genes to the biosphere, and learn about biodiversity, habitats, niches, and biomes. Discover the roles of different ecological disciplines, such as metapopulation ecology, community ecology, and ecosystem ecology, and understand the importance of long-term ecological studies

1. What is ecology?

View Answer

The study of the relationships between living organisms and their physical environment

2. What is biodiversity?

View Answer

Species diversity, ecosystem diversity, and genetic diversity

3. What is a habitat?

View Answer

The environment over which a species occurs

4. What is the largest scale of ecological organization?

View Answer

The biosphere

5. What is molecular ecology?

View Answer

The study of genes in an evolutionary and ecological context

6. What is the difference between migration and dispersal?

View Answer

Dispersal involves the one-way permanent movement of individuals from their birth population into another population, while migration involves the seasonal departure and return of individuals from a habitat

7. What is the study of an organism's behavior in its environment and its ecological and evolutionary implications?

View Answer

Behavioral ecology

8. What is the significance of keystone species?

View Answer

They are species that are connected to a disproportionately large number of other species in the food-web and maintain the organization and structure of entire communities

9. What is the study of the geographic distribution of organisms and the corresponding evolution of their traits in space and time?

View Answer

Biogeography