1. Ecosystems and Restoration Ecology
Ecosystems and Restoration Ecology

2. Unlike energy, matter cycles. This means that
an ecosystem cannot lose chemicals from it.
ecosystems can acquire chemicals that are used up from other ecosystems.
when models are built for ecosystems, all of the materials should be able to be accounted for.
matter is being continually converted into heat and back into matter.
chemicals contain energy, but energy doesn’t contain chemicals.
Answer: c 2

3. Unlike energy, matter cycles. This means that
an ecosystem cannot lose chemicals from it.
ecosystems can acquire chemicals that are used up from other ecosystems.
when models are built for ecosystems, all of the materials should be able to be accounted for.
matter is being continually converted into heat and back into matter.
chemicals contain energy, but energy doesn’t contain chemicals. 3

4. Gross primary productivity is higher than net primary productivity
Gross primary productivity is higher than net primary productivity. The difference between the two is
the amount of energy producers burn when they metabolize.
typically the ratio between the biomass of producers and the biomass of consumers.
an important measure of ecosystem productivity.
energy that is lost into outer space due to metabolic inefficiencies.
energy that is stored in plant tissues.
Answer: a 4

5. Gross primary productivity is higher than net primary productivity
Gross primary productivity is higher than net primary productivity. The difference between the two is
the amount of energy producers burn when they metabolize.
typically the ratio between the biomass of producers and the biomass of consumers.
an important measure of ecosystem productivity.
energy that is lost into outer space due to metabolic inefficiencies.
energy that is stored in plant tissues. 5

6. Why are big, predatory animals rare
Why are big, predatory animals rare? Most big, predatory animals are tertiary consumers, which implies that
typically, they are highly territorial.
It’s hard for an ecosystem to support many of them because so much energy is lost at each level of energy exchange.
by overexploitation, humans have caused many predatory species to become endangered.
it takes a long time for big, predatory animals to evolve.
It’s hard for a big animal to move through dense vegetation.
Answer: b 6

7. Why are big, predatory animals rare
Why are big, predatory animals rare? Most big, predatory animals are tertiary consumers, which implies that
typically, they are highly territorial.
It’s hard for an ecosystem to support many of them because so much energy is lost at each level of energy exchange.
by overexploitation, humans have caused many predatory species to become endangered.
it takes a long time for big, predatory animals to evolve.
It’s hard for a big animal to move through dense vegetation. 7

8. Look at the diagram, which shows a general model of nutrient cycling
Look at the diagram, which shows a general model of nutrient cycling. There are major differences between kingdoms of organisms; for example, plants tend to do most assimilation and photosynthesis. However, all living things contribute to one of the arrows on this diagram. Which arrow shows an activity or activities that is/are performed by every living thing?
weathering
respiration, decomposition, and excretion
photosynthesis
fossilization
combustion
Answer: b 8

9. Look at the diagram, which shows a general model of nutrient cycling
Look at the diagram, which shows a general model of nutrient cycling. There are major differences between kingdoms of organisms; for example, plants tend to do most assimilation and photosynthesis. However, all living things contribute to one of the arrows on this diagram. Which arrow shows an activity or activities that is/are performed by every living thing?
weathering
respiration, decomposition, and excretion
photosynthesis
fossilization
combustion 9

10. Eighty percent of our atmosphere is nitrogen gas, yet every year farmers spray ammonia manufactured from natural gas on their fields as a fertilizer. This is because the only way to convert nitrogen from a gas into an available form is by
decomposers.
nitrifying bacteria.
denitrifying bacteria.
nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
legumes.
Answer: d 10

11. Eighty percent of our atmosphere is nitrogen gas, yet every year farmers spray ammonia manufactured from natural gas on their fields as a fertilizer. This is because the only way to convert nitrogen from a gas into an available form is by
decomposers.
nitrifying bacteria.
denitrifying bacteria.
nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
legumes. 11

12. What is the most important role of photosynthetic organisms in an ecosystem?
converting inorganic compounds into organic compounds
absorbing solar radiation
producing organic detritus for decomposers
dissipating heat
recycling energy from other trophic levels
Answer: a 12

13. What is the most important role of photosynthetic organisms in an ecosystem?
converting inorganic compounds into organic compounds
absorbing solar radiation
producing organic detritus for decomposers
dissipating heat
recycling energy from other trophic levels 13

14. Which of the following best defines the goal of restoration ecology?
Replace a damaged ecosystem with a more suitable ecosystem for that area and time.
Speed up the restoration of a degraded ecosystem. Completely restore a disturbed ecosystem back to its former undisturbed state.
Prevent further degradation by protecting the area in question with park status.
Manage competition between species in human-altered ecosystems.
Answer: b 14

15. Which of the following best defines the goal of restoration ecology?
Replace a damaged ecosystem with a more suitable ecosystem for that area and time.
Speed up the restoration of a degraded ecosystem. Completely restore a disturbed ecosystem back to its former undisturbed state.
Prevent further degradation by protecting the area in question with park status.
Manage competition between species in human-altered ecosystems. 15

16. A caterpillar eats 100 joules of energy in a leaf
A caterpillar eats 100 joules of energy in a leaf. Thirty of those joules go into creating new biomass. This is describing
primary production.
secondary production.
primary consumption.
secondary consumption.
Answer: b 16

17. A caterpillar eats 100 joules of energy in a leaf
A caterpillar eats 100 joules of energy in a leaf. Thirty of those joules go into creating new biomass. This is describing
primary production.
secondary production.
primary consumption.
secondary consumption. 17

18. Which of the following has the highest level of total global primary production?
open ocean
tropical rain forest
temperate grasslands
savanna
Answer: a 18

19. Which of the following has the highest level of total global primary production?
open ocean
tropical rain forest
temperate grasslands
savanna 19

20. The trophic level that ultimately supports all others consists of
primary producers.
primary consumers.
secondary consumers.
tertiary consumers.
decomposers.
Answer: a

21. The trophic level that ultimately supports all others consists of
primary producers.
primary consumers.
secondary consumers.
tertiary consumers.
decomposers.

22. Scientific Skills Exercises
Teal measured the amount of solar radiation entering a salt marsh in Georgia over a year. He also measured the aboveground biomass of the dominant primary producers, which were grasses, as well as the biomass of the dominant consumers, including insects, spiders, and crabs, and of the detritus that flowed out of the marsh to the surrounding coastal waters. To determine the amount of energy in each unit of biomass, he dried the biomass, burned it in a calorimeter, and measured the amount of heat produced.

23. What percentage of the solar energy that reaches the marsh is incorporated into gross primary production?
1.1%
5.8%
10.3%
62.4%
Answer: b

24. What percentage of the solar energy that reaches the marsh is incorporated into gross primary production?
1.1%
5.8%
10.3%
62.4%

25. What percentage of the solar energy that reaches the marsh is incorporated into net primary production?
0.01%
0.2%
1.1%
12.3%
Answer: c

26. What percentage of the solar energy that reaches the marsh is incorporated into net primary production?
0.01%
0.2%
1.1%
12.3%

27. How much energy is lost by primary producers as respiration in this ecosystem?
3,921 kcal/m2 • yr
6,585 kcal/m2 • yr
13,735 kcal/m2 • yr
27,995 kcal/m2 • yr
Answer: d

28. How much energy is lost by primary producers as respiration in this ecosystem?
3,921 kcal/m2 • yr
6,585 kcal/m2 • yr
13,735 kcal/m2 • yr
27,995 kcal/m2 • yr

29. How much energy is lost as respiration by the insect population?
16 kcal/m2 • yr
85 kcal/m2 • yr
224 kcal/m2 • yr
305 kcal/m2 • yr
Answer: c

30. How much energy is lost as respiration by the insect population?
16 kcal/m2 • yr
85 kcal/m2 • yr
224 kcal/m2 • yr
305 kcal/m2 • yr

31. If all of the detritus leaving the marsh is plant material, what percentage of all net primary production leaves the marsh as detritus each year? 8%
20%
43%
56%
Answer: d

32. If all of the detritus leaving the marsh is plant material, what percentage of all net primary production leaves the marsh as detritus each year? 8%
20%
43%
56%