Download Honors Biology - Unit 1 Test Essay Questions

Name: ___________________________________________ Date: ____________________ Per: ___________
Honors Biology - Unit 1 Test Essay Questions
Directions: You will be given a choice of 3 of the following questions on your test and you will choose to answer 2 of them. I
will only grade the first 2 you answer (you will not get extra credit for answering all 3). Points will be awarded on the basis of :
-
Completely answering the question, demonstrating a complete understanding
Using appropriate terminonlogy and vocabulary in your answer
Arrangement, clarity and neatness of your answer
Do NOT just provide a list of bullet points for your answer, it must be supported with text.
Choose 2 from below:
1) Describe the three types of ecological pyramids in detail. Draw a sample energy pyramid and label each trophic level.
Provide an example of an organism that could exist at each level. Explain why the energy available at the top level of
the pyramid is a small percentage of the energy at the bottom of the pyramid.
2) Describe succession; compare and contrast primary and secondary succession, giving specific examples of each and
the types of organisms that could be found at the various stages of the two examples you explain.
3) How would one determine whether something was living or nonliving? Explain an example of something non-living
with life-like characteristics
4) Define the 3 main types of relationships within an ecosystem (predation, competition, and symbiotic) then explain the
3 types of symbiotic relationships, explaining specific examples of each.
5) Discuss the four ways population size can change. Choose a country of your choice and explain what is happening to
its population size and what factors are contributing to this change in population size.
6) Discuss biodiversity and its importance to an ecosystem. Then explain how humans have affected biodiversity by
overfishing/overhunting (especially of keystone species) and introducing invasive species. Use examples to support
your case.
7) Explain the concepts of bioaccumulation and biomagnification and how it affects consumers at higher trophic levels.
Be sure to mention what types of substances biomagnify and provide an example of organism that have been affected
by this.
8) Describe the pattern between the wolf population in relation to the moose population. What types of population trends
do we see from 1959 until 2009, and discuss in detail why we see these trends. (See paragraph and graph below)
Isle Royale is the largest island located in Lake Superior. Moose first arrived at Isle Royale around
1900. Wolves first arrived at the island on an ice bridge from Canada in 1940. Disease has also
influenced the wolf population. Between 1980 and 1982, the wolf population declined from 50 to 14,
due to canine parvovirus. The Isle Royale wolves and moose have been studied since 1959. This Isle
Royale wolf-moose study is unique because it entails just a single predator (the wolf) and a single
prey (the moose) on a small island with very little human influence. This is the longest continuous
study of a predator and its prey.
Name: ___________________________________________ Date: ____________________ Per: ___________
Honors Biology - Unit 1 Test Essay Questions
9) Propose an explanation for the pattern of population density observed below in species C, and describe the effect that
the introduction of beetle species C had on the population density of species A & B.
Two species of leaf-eating beetle (Species A & B ), have existed on an isolated island in the Pacific Ocean for over
100,000 years. In 1964, a third species of leaf eating beetle (Species C) was accidentally introduced on the island.
The population size of each species has been regularly monitored as shown in the graph above.
10) Describe what is occurring in the population during Phase A, what type of growth it is, and why it is growing in this
way. Then discuss what type of growth is seen during phase B and what is causing the shape we see, along with
possible explanations for the fluctuations shown during phase B.