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Unit 1

1.13 MC Answers and Review

7 min read•december 9, 2021

AP Environmental Science ♻️

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Answers and Review for Multiple Choice Practice on Ecosystems Concepts

Image from Pixabay.

A storm like the one pictured above is a weather event and climate is a long-term pattern of weather over 30 years.

⛔STOP!⛔ Before you look at the answers make sure you gave this practice quiz a try so you can assess your understanding of the concepts covered in unit 1. Click here for the practice questions: AP Environmental Science Unit 1 Multiple Choice Questions.

Facts about the test: The AP Environmental Science exam has 80 multiple choice questions and you will be given 1 hour 30 minutes to complete the section. That means it should take you around 17 minutes to complete 15 questions.

*The following questions were not written by CollegeBoard and although they cover information outlined in the AP Environmental Science Course and Exam Description the formatting on the exam may be different.

1. What is the best description of an ecosystem?

A. Biotic and Abiotic factors interacting.

B. All interspecies interactions.

C. The populations of all organisms in a given area interacting.

D. The interactions of plants and animals in a given area.

Answer: An ecosystem is defined by interactions of all living and nonliving factors in a given area. Biotic components are any components of ecosystems that are living, such as plants, animals, and bacteria. Abiotic components are any nonliving parts of ecosystems, like rocks, soil, or even the air we breathe.

📄 Study AP Environmental Science, Unit 1.1: Introduction to Ecosystems

2. A scientist wants to create a diagram showing all of the complex interactions between species living in a local forest preserve, which type would be the most appropriate?

A. Energy pyramid

B. Food pyramid

C. Food web

D. Food chain

Answer: A food web would allow the scientist to show how energy moves from one organism to the next and document the social interaction between organisms. A food chain only looks at one sequence of interactions and not all interactions among organisms in an area. Food webs are a better depiction of what is happening in any given ecosystem as species typically have many interactions with different other species.

📄 Study AP Environmental Science, Unit 1.9: Trophic Levels

📄 Study AP Environmental Science, Unit 1.11: Food Chains and Food Webs

3. The sun provides the energy for almost all life on Earth. Approximately how much of the sun's total potential energy hitting the Earth is used in photosynthesis?

A. 90%

B. 75%

C. 10%

D. 1%

Answer: Very little of the total potential energy is captured by photosynthesis. Of the energy that is captured only around 10% moves up each trophic level while the rest is lost as heat. This means to support multiple levels of organisms, especially large tertiary consumers, an ecosystem must have a strong producer base. 📄 Study AP Environmental Science, Unit 1.10: Energy Flow and The Rule of 10%

4. As energy moves within an ecosystem, how is the majority of it lost?

A. Cellular respiration

B. Light

C. Metabolism

D. Heat loss

Answer: The majority of the potential energy available is lost as heat is generated by organisms. The First Law of Thermodynamics states that energy is not created or destroyed but transformed into new forms. Organisms transform energy from food into heat that is 'lost' to the surrounding ecosystem. 📄 Study AP Environmental Science, Unit 1.10: Energy Flow and The Rule of 10%

5. Net Primary Productivity (NPP) is:

A. The total amount of energy stored.

B. The potential energy that producers can make.

C. The total amount of energy from the sun.

D. The total amount of energy available.

Answer: NPP is calculated by the total energy captured minus the energy lost in order to do so. This would be different from the Gross Primary Productivity that is the total amount of carbon fixed by producers. 📄 Study AP Environmental Science, Unit 1.10: Energy Flow and The Rule of 10%

6. A marine biologist is studying a kelp ecosystem. She notices that Sea Urchins eat the kelp and that Sea otters eat the urchins and protect the kelp forest. In this scenario, the Sea Urchin can be classified as a

A. Primary Consumer

B. Secondary Consumer

C. Decomposer

D. Autotroph

Answer: Primary consumers are organisms that eat producers. They are often considered herbivores and make up the diet of other predatory animals. They would be considered heterotrophs or organisms that eats rather than an autotroph like a plant.

📄 Study AP Environmental Science, Unit 1.9: Trophic Levels

7. The most abundant element in Earth's atmosphere is

A. Water

B. Nitrogen

C. Carbon

D. Oxygen

Answer: Nitrogen makes up 78% and Oxygen 21%, there are also a lot of different glasses in small amounts like methane, carbon dioxide, and ozone.

📄 Study AP Environmental Science, Unit 1.5: The Nitrogen Cycle

8. A group of living organisms play a large role in the nitrogen cycle. Which group do they belong to?

A. Producers

B. Detritivores

C. Virus

D. Bacteria

Answer: In the biotic pathway, nitrogen-fixing bacteria such as cyanobacteria convert N2 into ammonia (NH3) which then quickly bonds with hydrogen ions to become ammonium (NH4). Then, during nitrification, specialized bacteria convert NH4 into nitrite (NO2) and then into nitrate (NO3). 📄 Study AP Environmental Science, Unit 1.5: The Nitrogen Cycle

9. Humans have altered the phosphorus cycle by

A. Clear-cutting forests.

B. Creating large-scale open-pit mines.

C. Damming rivers for hydroelectric power.

D. Using fertilizers.

Answer: Fertilizers contain phosphorus, a limiting growth factor for plants. The excess phosphorus enters waterways and causes algae growth.

📄 Study AP Environmental Science, Unit 1.6: The Phosphorous Cycle

10. The climate of an area is defined by

A. Long-term temperature and precipitation averages.

B. The proximity to the equator.

C. The recorded high and low-temperature records over the last 100 years.

D. The current atmospheric events such as storms or droughts.

Answer: Climate is long-term weather patterns 30+ years of averages. Biomes can be characterized by their different climates.

📄 Study AP Environmental Science, Unit 1.2: Terrestrial Biomes

11. Which region of the Earth gets hit with the most direct angle of sunlight?

A. North pole

B. Temperate regions

C. Equator

D. South Pole

Answer: The equator gets hit most directly and consistently throughout the year. This is why it is able to maintain warm constant temperatures throughout the year.

📄 Study AP Environmental Science, Unit 1.2: Terrestrial Biomes

12. Earth's biome with the greatest biodiversity is

A. Coral Reefs

B. Savannahs

C. Rainforests

D. Grasslands

Answer: Coral reefs have the largest species diversity of any ecosystem with thousands of different species of fish and invertebrates living closely together.

📄 Study AP Environmental Science, Unit 1.3: Aquatic Biomes

13. A scientist is tracking reindeer migrations and notices that they spend a significant amount of time on the permafrost. What type of biome are they in?

A. Chaparral

B. Tundra

C. Grasslands

D. Forest

Answer: Tundra is a flat treeless region with small hardy plants that live on the permafrost or frozen soil.

📄 Study AP Environmental Science, Unit 1.2: Terrestrial Biomes

14. A marine biologist classifies a new species as having a benthic existence, this would mean that organisms,

A. Is stuck to a surface and can not move around.

B. Lives on the bottom of the ocean.

C. Exists in the area between high and low tide.

D. Lives in the first 100m of the ocean surface.

Answer: Benthic means living on the bottom of the ocean like a crab that walks along the ground. Sedentary would be an organism that is unable to move like a corral. Organisms living within the tides are intertidal and organisms that live in the top part of the open ocean are pelagic.

📄 Study AP Environmental Science, Unit 1.3: Aquatic Biomes

15. An ecologist is writing up documentation to convince developers to leave a wetland as it is. What fact is inaccurate about the benefits of wetlands?

A. Wetlands filter pollutants out of the water.

B. Wetlands are a breeding site for fish and birds.

C. Wetlands are ideal for grazing cattle and other livestock.

D. Wetlands are areas of high primary productivity.

Answer: Livestock would have a hard time moving around wetlands due to the water and mud. It would not be a good place for them.

📄 Study AP Environmental Science, Unit 1.3: Aquatic Biomes

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🏜Unit 1 – The Living World: Ecosystems