Biology 1B Formative Self-Assessment Questions,
Bio1B Ecology section Fall 2025 Study Guide with
Solutions
Use these questions to assess your foundational knowledge of the learning objectives to guide
your study for the midterm and final exams for Ecology section. These questions are at lower
levels of the Bloom’s taxonomy (recall and understand), so will not be as challenging as the
questions on the midterm and final. A practice midterm will be provided that is closer to the level
of the midterm and final questions.
LO01: Explain the nested relationships among populations, species,
communities, and ecosystems.
1. Which of the following is the correct order from smallest to largest in the biological
hierarchy?
A) Species, Population, Community, Ecosystem
B) Species, Ecosystem, Population, Community
C) Population, Species, Community, Ecosystem
D) Ecosystem, Community, Species, Population
2. A population is best described as:
A) A group of different species living in a shared environment
B) A community interacting with the physical environment
C) All individuals of a single species living in a specific geographic area D) Multiple ecosystems
functioning together as a unit
3. If a researcher is studying the effect of pollution on a lake and the organisms that live
within it, which level of biological organization is primarily being studied?
A) Population
,B) Species
C) Ecosystem
D) Community
4. A community differs from a population in which of the following ways?
A) A community consists of all the different populations of species living in the same area, while
a population consists of individuals of one species.
B) A community includes the physical environment, while a population only includes the living
organisms.
C) A population includes multiple species living together, while a community is only one species
in a given area.
D) A community and population are the same, but communities are larger in size.
LO02: Explain the difference between abiotic and biotic factors in an
ecosystem, and provide examples of how these factors can affect the
communities present.
5. Which of the following is an example of a biotic factor in an ecosystem?
A) Temperature
B) Soil pH
C) Sunlight
D) Predators
6. Abiotic factors in an ecosystem include all of the following except:
A) Water
B) Temperature
C) Competition
, D) Nutrient availability
7. Which of the following are primary abiotic factors influencing the ecology of terrestrial
biomes?
A) Predation and competition
B) Temperature and precipitation
C) Biotic interactions and species diversity
D) Soil composition and nutrient availability
LO03: Reflect on the history and societal implications of the field of Ecology,
and its relationship to traditional ecological knowledge or other knowledge
systems.
8. The field of Ecology primarily studies:
A) The influence of genetic traits on organisms
B) Interactions between organisms and their environment
C) The history of Earth’s formation
D) Chemical reactions within cells
9. Which of the following best describes Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)?
A) A formal scientific method focused only on laboratory research
B) The study of ecological processes through experiments in controlled environments
C) Knowledge passed down through generations by indigenous peoples, concerning their local
ecosystems
D) A set of laws established by modern ecologists for ecosystem management
Bio1B Ecology section Fall 2025 Study Guide with
Solutions
Use these questions to assess your foundational knowledge of the learning objectives to guide
your study for the midterm and final exams for Ecology section. These questions are at lower
levels of the Bloom’s taxonomy (recall and understand), so will not be as challenging as the
questions on the midterm and final. A practice midterm will be provided that is closer to the level
of the midterm and final questions.
LO01: Explain the nested relationships among populations, species,
communities, and ecosystems.
1. Which of the following is the correct order from smallest to largest in the biological
hierarchy?
A) Species, Population, Community, Ecosystem
B) Species, Ecosystem, Population, Community
C) Population, Species, Community, Ecosystem
D) Ecosystem, Community, Species, Population
2. A population is best described as:
A) A group of different species living in a shared environment
B) A community interacting with the physical environment
C) All individuals of a single species living in a specific geographic area D) Multiple ecosystems
functioning together as a unit
3. If a researcher is studying the effect of pollution on a lake and the organisms that live
within it, which level of biological organization is primarily being studied?
A) Population
,B) Species
C) Ecosystem
D) Community
4. A community differs from a population in which of the following ways?
A) A community consists of all the different populations of species living in the same area, while
a population consists of individuals of one species.
B) A community includes the physical environment, while a population only includes the living
organisms.
C) A population includes multiple species living together, while a community is only one species
in a given area.
D) A community and population are the same, but communities are larger in size.
LO02: Explain the difference between abiotic and biotic factors in an
ecosystem, and provide examples of how these factors can affect the
communities present.
5. Which of the following is an example of a biotic factor in an ecosystem?
A) Temperature
B) Soil pH
C) Sunlight
D) Predators
6. Abiotic factors in an ecosystem include all of the following except:
A) Water
B) Temperature
C) Competition
, D) Nutrient availability
7. Which of the following are primary abiotic factors influencing the ecology of terrestrial
biomes?
A) Predation and competition
B) Temperature and precipitation
C) Biotic interactions and species diversity
D) Soil composition and nutrient availability
LO03: Reflect on the history and societal implications of the field of Ecology,
and its relationship to traditional ecological knowledge or other knowledge
systems.
8. The field of Ecology primarily studies:
A) The influence of genetic traits on organisms
B) Interactions between organisms and their environment
C) The history of Earth’s formation
D) Chemical reactions within cells
9. Which of the following best describes Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)?
A) A formal scientific method focused only on laboratory research
B) The study of ecological processes through experiments in controlled environments
C) Knowledge passed down through generations by indigenous peoples, concerning their local
ecosystems
D) A set of laws established by modern ecologists for ecosystem management
