Passage #1

Ecological pyramids are used to show the trophic levels within ecosystems. The wider divisions of the pyramid indicate the larger units of the subject represented by the pyramid. The narrower divisions of the pyramid indicate the smaller units of the subject represented by the pyramid.

The number of divisions in an ecological pyramid will change as the number of trophic levels in ecosystems change.

Types of ecological pyramids include numbers pyramids, biomass pyramids, and energy pyramids.

1. Ecological pyramids show

1. numbers of organisms in an ecosystem
2. number of ecosystems in a biome
3. the trophic levels in an ecosystem
4. none of these

1. have the same number of divisions
2. describe the total mass of organisms in an ecosystem
3. describe the total amount of energy in an ecosystem
4. none of these

1. division #4
2. division #1
3. division #3
4. division #2

1. division #1
2. division #2
3. division #3
4. division #4

1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. none of these

Passage #2

Read the two experiments below. Use information from the experiments to answer the questions.

Experiment 1:

A total of 410 adult Asian carp were captured and put into an experimental tank on September 10, 2002. There was high mortality during the acclimation period due to loss of skin scales during the capture. After 4 days for acclimation, mercury chloride was added to the tank to bring the concentration of mercury up to 300 ppm (parts per million). The fish were sacrificed on January 10, 2003 and their livers were tested for mercury.

Experiment 2:

A total of 600 juvenile Asian carp were captured and divided equally between three experimental tanks on April 1, 2003. During this experiment, the fish in one tank were fed clippings of natural aquatic grasses two times each day. Fish in the second tank were fed twice daily with pellets made from natural aquatic grasses and containing experimental vitamin supplement #A2. Fish in the third tank were fed twice daily with pellets made from natural aquatic grasses and containing experimental vitamin supplement #A3. All fish were weighed on September 30, 2003.

6. The variable being tested in experiment 1 is

1. skin scale loss during capture
2. mercury chloride absorption
3. size of Asian carp livers
4. none of these

1. 4 months
2. 5 months
3. 6 months
4. none of these

1. mercury poisoning
2. loss of skin scales during capture
3. lack of food
4. none of these

1. parasites per mammal
2. plants per meter
3. particles per mile
4. none of these

1. Experiment 1
2. Experiment 2

1. adult Asian carp livers absorb mercury
2. juvenile Asian carp livers absorb mercury
3. vitamin supplement #A2 produces more growth than vitamin supplement #A3
4. none of these

1. 600
2. 300
3. 200
4. none of these

Passage #3

The graph below shows the average number of rabbits and coyotes in an area over time.

Which conclusion is best supported by these data?

1. The rabbit population obtains energy by consuming young plants.
2. The coyote population is influenced by the available number of rabbits.
3. The number of rabbits will decrease during summer months.
4. The number of coyotes will be greater than the number of rabbits within a ten-year period.