Scientific Inquiry — Unit test Answers

Primary productivity is not limited by _______.a.the availability of sunlightb.timec.the availability of nutrientsd.access to water

Which question would be asked in a dichotomous key?

What is a possible cause for a decrease in ecosystem productivity?a.an increase in the biodiversity of the ecosystemb.a decrease of the biodiversity of an ecosystemc.the biodiversity of an ecosystem experiencing no changed.an ecosystem becoming more stable

Which of the following is true concerning the balance between the solar energy absorbed and radiated by Earth?a.Earth’s atmosphere absorbs a larger fraction of total solar energy than it radiates.b.More than 90% of the solar energy that strikes Earth is absorbed.c.Earth’s surface is responsible for absorbing a larger fraction of energy than it radiates.d.None of the above.

Less than 0.1% of the energy in a food chain generally makes it from the sun to quaternary consumers.

Use this portion of a dichotomous key for tree identification to answer the question.1a. Needlelike leaf ® Step 101b. Broad leaf ® Step 22a. Compound leaf ® Step 32b. Simple leaf ® Step 73a. Leaves attached at single point ® Buckeye3b. Leaves attached at many points ® Step 44a. Leaf bases attached opposite each other on branch ® Ash4b. Leaf bases attached staggered on branch ® Step 5What are the characteristics of a buckeye leaf?

Which of the following is the best explanation for why finches on one of the islands in the Galapagos have large beaks while finches on another island have small beaks?a.Over time, the finches on the island adapted as a result of competition for resources.b.Finches migrated until they found finches with similar beak sizes.c.Finches spontaneously changed their beak size in order to better access food supplies.d.Finches with large beaks are always better adapted to their environment. Finches with small beaks only survive on islands where there were never finches with larger beaks.

Similarities between seemingly unrelated organisms can be explained by Darwin’s theory that organisms come from common ancestors.

Consider the following food chain:Garden plants are eaten by snails, which are eaten by birds, which are eaten by the household cat.

For the following organisms, choose the correct order of increasing trophic level.a.fungi, deer, wolf and grassb.fungi, grass, wolf and deerc.grass, deer, wolf and fungid.grass, fungi, wolf and deer

Which of the following is not an example of energy transformations in an ecosystem?a.sunlight driving photosynthesis in plantsb.herbivores feeding on plantsc.predators feeding on herbivoresd.none of the above

Refer to this portion of a dichotomous key to answer the question.1. (a) Has a single dorsal fin ® 5 (b) Has a double dorsal fin ® 25. (a) Has a small fin on back near tail ® 6 (b) Has no fin on back near tail ® 76. (a) Has barbs near the mouth ® Catfish (b) Does not have barbs near the mouth ® 107. (a) Tail is asymmetrical ® Sturgeon (b) Tail is symmetrical ® 8What would the result be when identifying a fish with a single dorsal fin, no fin on its back near the tail, and a tail that is asymmetrical?

Which of the following human activities most likely resulted in the growth of the North American deer population?a.hunting bisonb.clearing land for farmingc.hunting wolvesd.city building

Which of the following is a possible reason for migration?a.microevolutionb.diminished food supplyc.increased ecosystem stabilityd.macroevolution

This chart shows a portion of a dichotomous key.Dichotomous KeyWhich relationship can be determined from this dichotomous key?

Which of the following is not true about Darwin’s book On the Origin of Species?a.He worked on the manuscript for three years.b.It was successful.c.It explained his theory of evolution.d.It was based on his findings in South Africa.

Primary producers generally form the smallest trophic level of a pyramid of energy.

Macroevolution occurs within a population.

How can an increase in biodiversity lead to an increase in ecosystem stability?a.A more biodiverse ecosystem is not subject to change.b.A more biodiverse ecosystem has a higher chance of adapting to species changes.c.A more biodiverse ecosystem has fewer species types to balance.d.A more biodiverse ecosystem is subject to fewer natural disasters.

Which of the following is true about the efficiency of energy transfer in an ecosystem?a.The more energy the organism requires, the more efficient the energy transfer.b.All energy transfers have the same efficiencies.c.The less energy the organism requires, the more efficient the energy transfer.d.The most efficient energy transfers are in large, warm-blooded animals.