Biology · Unit 8 · Paper 1

Ecology unit test

A test on this unit alone, marked as a percentage and a letter grade — for the test your class is actually sitting, rather than for May. Answer everything, then submit once: seeing the answer to question 3 before attempting question 4 makes the final percentage meaningless.

Paper 1 Paper 2 Paper 3

Each paper is built from this unit’s 42 terms and is the same for everyone, so a teacher can assign “Unit 8, Paper 1” and every student sits the identical test. Multiple choice is marked objectively; the written sections you mark yourself against the model answer and rubric.

Suggested time 31 min 28 points0/17 attempted

Predator-prey cycles

Ten percent rule

Eutrophication

Carrying capacity (K)

Doubling time

Competitive exclusion principle

Nitrogen cycle steps

Simpson's diversity index

Lab: Fruit Fly Behavior

Limiting nutrient

Population density and dispersion

Density-dependent vs independent factors

Short answer 1. Define or explain: Age structure diagram

3 pts

Short answer 2. Define or explain: Keystone species

3 pts

Short answer 3. Define or explain: Invasive species

3 pts

Short answer 4. Define or explain: Ecosystem services

3 pts

Free response

4 pts

Many raptors in Africa are top predators and keystone species in their ecosystems. Raptor population sizes have been declining in recent years. Scientists studied the relationship between conversion of raptor habitat into farmland and raptor population sizes. They compiled data from three regions of Africa and, in each, compared the annual percent change in raptor population size in areas protected from farming with the change in areas where farming occurred. FIGURE. ANNUAL PERCENT CHANGE IN RAPTOR POPULATION SIZE (box and whisker: minimum, Q1, median, Q3, maximum) Region 1, protected −5.1 | −2.6 | −1.6 | −0.7 | +0.4 Region 1, unprotected −10.3 | −8.2 | −4.4 | −2.3 | +0.2 Region 2, protected −2.2 | −1.1 | 0.0 | +3.4 | +5.1 Region 2, unprotected −9.5 | −6.2 | −2.9 | −0.7 | +4.3 Region 3, protected −12.1 | −6.9 | −2.3 | −1.2 | +2.4 Region 3, unprotected −8.8 | −4.3 | −2.4 | −1.1 | +2.9

(a) Based on the box and whisker plot, identify the median annual percent change in population size in the unprotected area of Region 2.

(b) Based on the box and whisker plot, identify the region and area that experienced the greatest median annual percent change in population size.

(c) Researchers hypothesize that if farming is eliminated in Region 2, there will no longer be a decline in the raptor population size. Based on the data in the box and whisker plot, evaluate the researchers’ hypothesis.

(d) Based on the information provided, explain why ecosystem resilience in unprotected areas may decline over time.