MARINE BIOLOGY: FUNCTION, BIODIVERSITY,
ECOLOGY CERTIFICATION EVALUATION TEST
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS
◉ What are the living parts of an ecosystem called?
Answer: Biotic factors
◉ What are the nonliving parts of an ecosystem called?
Answer: Abiotic factors
◉ List the ecological levels of organization from largest to smallest.
Answer: Biosphere - Ecosystem - Community - Population -
Organism
◉ What is the maximum population size an environment can
support?
Answer: Carrying capacity
◉ What type of competition occurs between members of the same
species?
Answer: Intraspecific competition
,◉ What type of competition occurs between different species?
Answer: Interspecific competition
◉ What is a relationship in which both organisms benefit?
Answer: Mutualism
◉ What is a relationship in which one organism benefits while the
other is unaffected?
Answer: Commensalism
◉ What is a relationship in which one organism benefits while
harming another organism?
Answer: Parasitism
◉ What occurs when one organism hunts and consumes another
organism?
Answer: Predation
◉ What is a species that greatly affects ecosystem balance called?
Answer: Keystone species
,◉ What is a non-native species that causes harm to an ecosystem
called?
Answer: Invasive species
◉ What percentage of energy passes from one trophic level to the
next?
Answer: 10%
◉ What are organisms that make their own food called?
Answer: Autotrophs (or Producers)
◉ What are the most common autotrophs in the ocean?
Answer: Phytoplankton
◉ What consumers eat plants?
Answer: Herbivores
◉ What consumers eat animals?
Answer: Carnivores
◉ What eat both plants and animals?
Answer: Omnivores
, ◉ What break down dead organisms and recycle nutrients back into
the ecosystem?
Answer: Decomposers
◉ What feed on dead and decaying matter?
Answer: Detritivores
◉ What is a single pathway of energy transfer called?
Answer: Food chain
◉ What is a network of feeding interactions called?
Answer: Food web
◉ What are plant-like plankton called?
Answer: Phytoplankton
◉ What are animal-like plankton called?
Answer: Zooplankton
◉ What is short-term atmospheric conditions called?
Answer: Weather
ECOLOGY CERTIFICATION EVALUATION TEST
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS
◉ What are the living parts of an ecosystem called?
Answer: Biotic factors
◉ What are the nonliving parts of an ecosystem called?
Answer: Abiotic factors
◉ List the ecological levels of organization from largest to smallest.
Answer: Biosphere - Ecosystem - Community - Population -
Organism
◉ What is the maximum population size an environment can
support?
Answer: Carrying capacity
◉ What type of competition occurs between members of the same
species?
Answer: Intraspecific competition
,◉ What type of competition occurs between different species?
Answer: Interspecific competition
◉ What is a relationship in which both organisms benefit?
Answer: Mutualism
◉ What is a relationship in which one organism benefits while the
other is unaffected?
Answer: Commensalism
◉ What is a relationship in which one organism benefits while
harming another organism?
Answer: Parasitism
◉ What occurs when one organism hunts and consumes another
organism?
Answer: Predation
◉ What is a species that greatly affects ecosystem balance called?
Answer: Keystone species
,◉ What is a non-native species that causes harm to an ecosystem
called?
Answer: Invasive species
◉ What percentage of energy passes from one trophic level to the
next?
Answer: 10%
◉ What are organisms that make their own food called?
Answer: Autotrophs (or Producers)
◉ What are the most common autotrophs in the ocean?
Answer: Phytoplankton
◉ What consumers eat plants?
Answer: Herbivores
◉ What consumers eat animals?
Answer: Carnivores
◉ What eat both plants and animals?
Answer: Omnivores
, ◉ What break down dead organisms and recycle nutrients back into
the ecosystem?
Answer: Decomposers
◉ What feed on dead and decaying matter?
Answer: Detritivores
◉ What is a single pathway of energy transfer called?
Answer: Food chain
◉ What is a network of feeding interactions called?
Answer: Food web
◉ What are plant-like plankton called?
Answer: Phytoplankton
◉ What are animal-like plankton called?
Answer: Zooplankton
◉ What is short-term atmospheric conditions called?
Answer: Weather
