Chapter 11

The Principles of Ecology

Worksheets

(Opening image courtesy of the National Science Foundation, http://www.nsf.gov/news/overviews/

earth-environ/assets/interact06.jpg, and under the public domain.)

• Lesson 11.1: The Science of Ecology

• Lesson 11.2: Recycling Matter
• Lesson 11.3: Biomes

www.ck12.org 250
11.1 The Science of Ecology
Lesson 11.1: True or False
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Write true if the statement is true or false if the statement is false.
_____ 1. Biotic factors include sunlight, soil, temperature, and water.
_____ 2. Like nutrients and water, energy also recycles through an ecosystem.
_____ 3. An ecosystem consists of all the biotic and abiotic factors in an area and their interactions.
_____ 4. Herbivores are a necessary link between producers and other consumers.
_____ 5. A niche refers to the place an organism lives within its ecosystem.
_____ 6. Dung beetles eat animal feces.
_____ 7. Autotrophs make their own food.
_____ 8. Organisms use 90% of the available energy at each trophic level.
_____ 9. Carnivores include lions, polar bears, hawks, frogs, salmon, and deer.
_____ 10. Biomass increases at the upper levels of a food chain.
_____ 11. Producers occupy the first trophic level.
_____ 12. Scavengers include vultures and raccoons.
_____ 13. In a complex ecosystem, it is likely that two different species will occupy the same niche.
_____ 14. The habitat is the role of a species in its ecosystem.
_____ 15. A food web shows how energy flows through an ecosystem.

251 www.ck12.org
Lesson 11.1: Critical Reading
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Read these passages from the text and answer the questions that follow.
Trophic Levels
The feeding positions in a food chain or web are called trophic levels. The different trophic levels are
defined in Table 11.1. All food chains and webs have at least two or three trophic levels. Generally, there
are a maximum of four trophic levels. Examples are also given in the table.

Table 11.1: Trophic Levels

Trophic Level Where It Gets Food Example

1st Trophic Level: Producer Makes its own food Plants make food
2nd Trophic Level: Primary Consumes producers Mice eat plant seeds
Consumer
3rd Trophic Level: Secondary Consumes primary consumers Snakes eat mice
Consumer
4th Trophic Level: Tertiary Con- Consumes secondary consumers Hawks eat snakes
sumer

Many consumers feed at more than one trophic level. Humans, for example, are primary consumers when
they eat plants such as vegetables. They are secondary consumers when they eat cows. They are tertiary
consumers when they eat salmon.
Trophic Levels and Energy
Energy is passed up a food chain or web from lower to higher trophic levels. However, only about 10
percent of the energy at one level is available to the next level. This is represented by the pyramid below.
What happens to the other 90 percent of energy? It is used for metabolic processes or given off to the
environment as heat. This loss of energy explains why there are rarely more than four trophic levels in a
food chain or web. Sometimes there may be a fifth trophic level, but usually there’s not enough energy
left to support any additional levels.

Ecological Pyramid. This pyramid shows how energy and biomass decrease from lower to higher trophic
levels. Assume that producers in this pyramid have 1,000,000 kilocalories of energy. How much energy is

www.ck12.org 252
available to primary consumers? (Images of lion and landscape copyright by Eric Isselée, 2010, and image
of giraffe copyright Kletr, 2010. Used under licenses from Shutterstock.com. Compilation created by CK-12
Foundation.)
Trophic Levels and Biomass
With less energy at higher trophic levels, there are usually fewer organisms as well. Organisms tend to
be larger in size at higher trophic levels, but their smaller numbers result in less biomass. Biomass is
the total mass of organisms at a trophic level. The decrease in biomass from lower to higher levels is also
represented by the figure above.
Questions
1. What is a trophic level?

2. Which trophic level includes humans?

3. What types of organisms are in the first trophic level? Give an example.

4. Assume that producers in an ecosystem have 1,000,000 kilocalories of energy. How much energy is
available to primary consumers?

5. Which trophic level has the greatest biomass?

253 www.ck12.org
Lesson 11.1: Multiple Choice
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Circle the letter of the correct choice.

1. Examples of biotic factors include

(a) grass, flowers, and sunlight
(b) grass, trees, bees, and ants.
(c) grass, trees, soil, and water.
(d) all of the above
2. Components of an ecosystem include
(a) soil, sunlight, water, and weather.
(b) grass, trees, bees, and ants.
(c) all the biotic and abiotic factors in an area.
(d) all of the above.
3. Which describes the possible flow of energy in an ecosystem?
(a) snakes to frogs to caterpillars to trees
(b) trees to frogs to snakes to caterpillars
(c) trees to caterpillars to frogs to snakes
(d) caterpillars to trees to frogs to snakes
4. The relationship between autotrophs and producers is
(a) that autotrophs make the food the producers eat.
(b) that producers make the food the autotrophs eat.
(c) that autotrophs eat producers.
(d) that they are the same organisms.
5. Which statement best describes a trophic level?
(a) A trophic level is the feeding position of an organism in a food chain or web.
(b) A trophic level is the position of an organism in an ecosystem.
(c) A trophic level is the niche of an organism in an ecosystem.
(d) A trophic level is the feeding role of an organism in an ecosystem.
6. Examples of decomposers include
(a) algae and cyanobacteria.
(b) earthworms, dung beetles, and spiders.
(c) vultures and raccoons.
(d) all of the above.
7. Which organism would usually be in the fourth trophic level?
(a) rats
(b) humans
(c) rabbits
(d) hawks
8. Which statement best defines ecology?
(a) The study of how living things interact with each other.
(b) The study of how living things interact with each other and with their environment.
(c) The study of how living things interact with their environment.
(d) The study of how living things interact with their habitat.

www.ck12.org 254
Lesson 11.1: Vocabulary I
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Match the vocabulary word with the proper definition.
Definitions
_____ 1. represents a single pathway through which energy and matter flow
_____ 2. feeding positions in a food chain or web
_____ 3. the living aspects of the environment
_____ 4. the role of a species in its ecosystem
_____ 5. consumes the soft tissues of dead animals
_____ 6. the physical environment in which a species lives
_____ 7. represents multiple pathways through which energy and matter flow
_____ 8. states that two different species cannot occupy the same niche in the same place for very long
_____ 9. the nonliving aspects of the environment
_____ 10. the study of how living things interact with each other and with their environment
_____ 11. the total mass of organisms at a trophic level
_____ 12. break down remains and other wastes, and release simple inorganic molecules back to the
environment
_____ 13. consumes both plants and animals
_____ 14. consumes animals
_____ 15. consumes producers
Terms
a. abiotic factor
b. biomass
c. biotic factor
d. carnivore
e. competitive exclusion principle
f. decomposer
g. ecology
h. food chain
i. food web
j. habitat
k. herbivore
l. niche
m. omnivore
n. scavenger
p. trophic level

255 www.ck12.org
Lesson 11.1: Vocabulary II
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Fill in the blank with the appropriate term.
1. Abiotic factors are the ____________ aspects of the environment.
2. ____________ are organisms that produce food for themselves and other organisms.
3. Scavengers consume the soft tissues of ____________ animals.
4. ____________ levels are the positions in a food chain or food web
5. Ecosystems require constant inputs of ____________ from sunlight or chemicals.
6. Omnivores consume both ____________ and animals.
7. The competitive ____________ principle states that two different species cannot occupy the same
niche.
8. Producers are also called ____________.
9. ____________ feed on dead leaves and animal feces, among other debris.
10. Examples of ____________ are lions, polar bears, and hawks.
11. ____________ are organisms that depend on other organisms for food.
12. An ____________ consists of all the biotic and abiotic factors in an area and their interactions.

www.ck12.org 256
Lesson 11.1: Critical Writing
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Thoroughly answer the question below. Use appropriate academic vocabulary and clear and complete
sentences.
Describe how energy flows through ecosystems.

257 www.ck12.org
11.2 Recycling Matter
Lesson 11.2: True or False
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Write true if the statement is true or false if the statement is false.
_____ 1. Just like energy, matter is lost as it passes through an ecosystem.
_____ 2. Sublimation occurs when water changes to water vapor.
_____ 3. Part of a cycle that holds an element or water for a short period of time is a reservoir pool.
_____ 4. The deep ocean store carbon for thousands of years or more.
_____ 5. The ocean is a reservoir for water.
_____ 6. Photosynthesis removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
_____ 7. The water on Earth is billions of years old.
_____ 8. Oxygen makes up most of Earth’s atmosphere.
_____ 9. Transpiration occurs when plants release water vapor through their stomata.
_____ 10. Nitrogen fixation is done by by nitrogen-fixing plants.
_____ 11. Cellular respiration releases oxygen into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.
_____ 12. Water droplets fall from the atmosphere as condensation.
_____ 13. The water cycle takes place on, above, and below Earth’s surface.
_____ 14. Carbon cycles quickly between organisms and the atmosphere.
_____ 15. Plants use nitrogen gas from the air to make organic compounds.

www.ck12.org 258
Lesson 11.2: Critical Reading
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Read these passages from the text and answer the questions that follow.
Introduction
Where does the water that is needed by your cells come from? Or the carbon and nitrogen that is needed to
make your organic molecules? Unlike energy, matter is not lost as it passes through an ecosystem. Instead,
matter is recycled. This recycling involves specific interactions between the biotic and abiotic factors in
an ecosystem.
Biogeochemical Cycles
The chemical elements and water that are needed by organisms continuously recycle in ecosystems. They
pass through biotic and abiotic components of the biosphere. That’s why their cycles are called biogeo-
chemical cycles. For example, a chemical might move from organisms (“bio”) to the atmosphere or
ocean (“geo”) and back to organisms again. Elements or water may be held for various periods of time in
different parts of a cycle.

• Part of a cycle that holds an element or water for a short period of time is called an exchange pool.
For example, the atmosphere is an exchange pool for water. It usually holds water (in the form of
water vapor) for just a few days.
• Part of a cycle that holds an element or water for a long period of time is called a reservoir. The
ocean is a reservoir for water. The deep ocean may hold water for thousands of years.

Questions
1. Why is matter not lost as it passes through an ecosystem?

2. What is a biogeochemical cycle?

3. What is an exchange pool? Give an example.

4. What is a reservoir? Give an example.

259 www.ck12.org
Lesson 11.2: Multiple Choice
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Circle the letter of the correct choice.

1. Which statement best describes a biogeochemical cycle?

(a) A cycle that recycles chemical elements and water.
(b) A cycle that continuously cycles chemical elements and water.
(c) A cycle that continuously cycles chemical elements and water that are needed by organisms.
(d) A cycle that continuously cycles chemical elements and water that are needed by organisms
through an ecosystem.
2. An example of an exchange pool is
(a) the atmosphere for water.
(b) the ocean for water.
(c) the Earth for carbon.
(d) all of the above.
3. The relationship between condensation and precipitation is that
(a) precipitation needs to occur prior to condensation.
(b) condensation needs to occur prior to precipitation.
(c) both are parts of the water cycle.
(d) both b and c describe the relationship.
4. The best description of the relationship between runoff and groundwater is that
(a) runoff turns into groundwater.
(b) groundwater turns into runoff.
(c) both result from precipitation and may end up in bodies of water.
(d) none of the above
5. Nitrogen fixation
(a) is the process of changing nitrogen gas to nitrates.
(b) is the process of changing nitrates to nitrogen gas.
(c) is carried out by nitrogen-fixing plants.
(d) naturally occurs in the atmosphere.
6. In terms of carbon and the atmosphere, autotrophs
(a) remove carbon through photosynthesis and release carbon by cellular respiration.
(b) remove carbon through cellular respiration and release carbon by photosynthesis.
(c) remove oxygen through photosynthesis but release carbon by cellular respiration.
(d) only remove carbon through photosynthesis.
7. Which statement is correct?
(a) Nitrogen must cycle through an ecosystem because it is used to make proteins and nucleic acids.
(b) Nitrogen makes up most of Earth’s atmosphere.
(c) Nitrogen gas from the atmosphere cannot be used by plants to make organic compounds.
(d) all of the above
8. Which statement is correct?
(a) Fossil fuels can store carbon for millions of years, and release carbon when burned.
(b) Fossil fuels can store carbon for millions of years, and release oxygen when burned.
(c) Fossil fuels can store oxygen for millions of years, and release carbon when burned.

www.ck12.org 260
(d) Fossil fuels can store nitrogen for millions of years, and release nitrogen when burned.

261 www.ck12.org
Lesson 11.2: Vocabulary I
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Match the vocabulary word with the proper definition.
Definitions
_____ 1. cycles that recycle chemical elements and water needed by organisms
_____ 2. precipitation that falls on land and soaks into the ground
_____ 3. rain, snow, sleet, hail, or freezing rain
_____ 4. moves nitrogen back and forth between the atmosphere and organisms
_____ 5. includes the atmosphere, living organisms, and fossil fuel deposits
_____ 6. occurs when plants release water vapor through leaf pores
_____ 7. part of a cycle that holds an element or water for a long period of time
_____ 8. an underground layer of rock that stores water
_____ 9. precipitation that falls on land and flows over the surface of the ground
_____ 10. occurs when water on the surface changes to water vapor
_____ 11. occurs when ice and snow change directly to water vapor
_____ 12. the process in which water vapor changes to tiny droplets of liquid water
_____ 13. a global cycle that takes place on, above, and below the Earth’s surface
_____ 14. the process of changing nitrogen gas to nitrates
Terms
a. aquifer
b. biogeochemical cycle
c. carbon cycle
d. condensation
e. evaporation
f. groundwater
g. nitrogen cycle
h. nitrogen fixation
i. precipitation
j. reservoir
k. runoff
l. sublimation
m. transpiration
n. water cycle

www.ck12.org 262
Lesson 11.2: Vocabulary II
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Fill in the blank with the appropriate term.
1. The ____________ of matter involves specific interactions between the biotic and abiotic factors
in an ecosystem.
2. Water on ____________ is billions of years old.
3. An exchange pool holds an element or water for a ____________ period.
4. ____________ occurs when plants release water vapor through stomata.
5. A ____________ holds an element or water for a long period.
6. Carbon is stored in the atmosphere, in living organisms, and as ____________ fuel deposits.
7. ____________ occurs when water on the surface changes to water vapor.
8. The nitrogen cycle moves nitrogen through the ____________ and ____________ parts of
ecosystems.
9. Nitrogen makes up ____________ percent of Earth’s atmosphere.
10. ____________ is the process in which water vapor changes to tiny droplets of liquid water.
11. Water released by plants is a product of ____________.
12. Sublimation occurs when ice and snow change directly to ____________.

263 www.ck12.org
Lesson 11.2: Critical Writing
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Thoroughly answer the question below. Use appropriate academic vocabulary and clear and complete
sentences.
Give an overview of the carbon cycle, focusing on the role of photosynthesis and cellular respiration.

www.ck12.org 264
11.3 Biomes
Lesson 11.3: True or False
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Write true if the statement is true or false if the statement is false.
_____ 1. Biomes may be terrestrial, aquatic, or atmospheric.
_____ 2. Temperature gets cooler as you move away from the equator.
_____ 3. Terrestrial biomes include all the land and water areas on Earth where organisms live.
_____ 4. Sunlight penetrates roughly 200 meters into the water.
_____ 5. Climate is the average weather in an area over a long period of time.
_____ 6. The growing season may last all year in a hot, wet climate.
_____ 7. Temperature refers to the conditions of the atmosphere from day to day.
_____ 8. Phytoplankton are tiny animals that feed on zooplankton.
_____ 9. Climate determines plant growth.
_____ 10. The terrifying anglerfish lives between 100 and 400 feet below sea level.
_____ 11. Plankton are tiny aquatic organisms that swim around in the photic zone.
_____ 12. The photic zone is water deeper than 200 meters.
_____ 13. The boreal forest in central Alaska has low biodiversity.
_____ 14. Aquatic biomes in the ocean are called marine biomes.
_____ 15. When aquatic organisms die, they sink to the bottom, so water near the bottom may contain
more nutrients than water at other depths.

265 www.ck12.org
Lesson 11.3: Critical Reading
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Read these passages from the text and answer the questions that follow.
Terrestrial Biomes
Terrestrial biomes include all the land areas on Earth where organisms live. The distinguishing features of
terrestrial biomes are determined mainly by climate. Terrestrial biomes include tundras, temperate forests
and grasslands, chaparral, temperate and tropical deserts, and tropical forests and grasslands.
Terrestrial Biomes and Climate
Climate is the average weather in an area over a long period of time. Weather refers to the conditions
of the atmosphere from day to day. Climate is generally described in terms of temperature and moisture.
Temperature falls from the equator to the poles. Therefore, major temperature zones are based on latitude.
They include tropical, temperate, and arctic zones (see figure below). However, other factors besides
latitude may also influence temperature. For example, land near the ocean may have cooler summers and
warmer winters than land farther inland. This is because water gains and loses heat more slowly than does
land, and the water temperature influences the temperature on the coast. Temperature also falls from
lower to higher altitudes. That’s why tropical zone mountaintops may be capped with snow.

(Image courtesy of CK-12 Foundation and under the Creative Commons license CC-BY-NC-SA 3.0.)
In terms of moisture, climates can be classified as arid (dry), semi-arid, humid (wet), or semi-humid.
The amount of moisture depends on both precipitation and evaporation. Precipitation increases moisture.
Evaporation decreases moisture.
Climate and Plant Growth
Plants are the major producers in terrestrial biomes. They have five basic needs: air, warmth, sunlight,
water, and nutrients. How well these needs are met in a given location depends on the growing season and
soil quality, both of which are determined mainly by climate.

• The growing season is the period of time each year when it is warm and wet enough for plants to

www.ck12.org 266
 grow. The growing season may last all year in a hot, wet climate but just a few months in a cooler
or drier climate.
• Plants grow best in soil that contains plenty of nutrients and organic matter. Both are added to soil
when plant litter and dead organisms decompose. Decomposition occurs too slowly in cold climates
and too quickly in hot, wet climates for nutrients and organic matter to accumulate. Temperate
climates usually have the best soil for plant growth.

Questions
1. What is a terrestrial biome? Give two examples.

2. What is the difference between climate and weather?

3. How do precipitation and evaporation affect climate?

4. How does climate determine plant growth?

5. What do plants need to grow? How are these needs affected by climate?

267 www.ck12.org
Lesson 11.3: Multiple Choice
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Circle the letter of the correct choice.

1. A biome is
(a) a group of similar ecosystems with the same general abiotic factors and primary producers and
consumers.
(b) a group of similar ecosystems with the same general abiotic factors and primary producers.
(c) a group of similar ecosystems with the same general abiotic factors.
(d) a group of similar ecosystems with the same general biotic factors.
2. Climate is _______________, whereas weather is _______________.
(a) the conditions of the habitat from day to day, the average weather in an area over a long period
of time.
(b) the conditions of the atmosphere from day to day, the average weather in an area over a long
period of time.
(c) the average weather in an area over a long period of time, the conditions of the atmosphere
from day to day.
(d) the average weather in an area over a long period of time, the conditions of the habitat from
day to day.
3. Wetlands are important, as they
(a) remove excess nutrients from runoff before it empties into rivers or lakes.
(b) provide a safe, lush habitat for many species of animals.
(c) store excess water from floods.
(d) all of the above
4. Organisms that live deep in the ocean must be able to
(a) withstand extreme water pressure, very hot water, and complete darkness.
(b) withstand extreme water pressure, very cold water, and complete darkness.
(c) withstand extreme water pressure, cold water, and limited sunlight.
(d) none of the above
5. Nekton are _______________, and benthos are _______________.
(a) aquatic animals that swim, aquatic organisms that crawl.
(b) aquatic animals that crawl, aquatic organisms that swim.
(c) bacteria and algae, tiny animals that feed on nekton.
(d) decomposers, fish and shrimp.
6. Aquatic biomes are defined in terms of which abiotic factors? (1) sunlight (2) dissolved oxygen and
nutrients (3) temperature (4) moisture.
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2
(c) 3 and 4
(d) 1, 2, 3, and 4
7. Which best describes the relationship between climate and biodiversity?
(a) As climate determines the animals in an ecosystem, it directly influences the biodiversity of a
biome.
(b) As climate determines the plants in an ecosystem, it also influences the biodiversity of a biome.

www.ck12.org 268
 (c) As climate determines plant growth, it also directly influences the biodiversity of a biome.
(d) As climate determines plant growth, it also changes the biodiversity of a biome.
8. Examples of adaptations of organisms include
(a) the large, hollow leaves of the aloe plant.
(b) the stout, barrel-shaped stems of cactus.
(c) the fat tail of the Gila monster.
(d) all of the above.

269 www.ck12.org
Lesson 11.3: Vocabulary I
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Match the vocabulary word with the proper definition.
Definitions
_____ 1. includes all the land areas on Earth where organisms live
_____ 2. includes ocean and lakes
_____ 3. the period of time each year when it is warm and wet enough for plants to grow
_____ 4. bacteria and algae that use sunlight to make food
_____ 5. a state in which a plant slows down cellular activities
_____ 6. extends to a maximum depth of 200 meters below the surface of the water
_____ 7. the average weather in an area over a long period of time
_____ 8. aquatic biomes in the ocean
_____ 9. an area that is saturated with water or covered by water for at least one season of the year
_____ 10. have water that contains little or no salt
_____ 11. tiny animals that feed on phytoplankton
_____ 12. a group of similar ecosystems with the same general abiotic factors and primary producers
Terms
a. aquatic biome
b. biome
c. climate
d. dormancy
e. freshwater biome
f. growing season
g. marine biome
h. photic zone
i. phytoplankton
j. terrestrial biome
k. wetland
l. zooplankton

www.ck12.org 270
Lesson 11.3: Vocabulary II
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Fill in the blank with the appropriate term.
1. The ____________ zone extends to a maximum depth of 200 meters below the surface of the
water.
2. ____________ biomes have water that contains little or no salt.
3. Water in lakes and the ocean varies in the amount of dissolved oxygen and ____________.
4. The Gila monster’s fat tail serves as a storage depot for ____________.
5. ____________ grow best in soil that contains plenty of nutrients and organic matter.
6. A ____________ is an area that is saturated with water or covered by water for at least one
season each year.
7. Terrestrial biomes include all the ____________ areas on Earth where organisms live.
8. Phytoplankton are bacteria and algae that use ____________ to make food.
9. ____________ is the average weather in an area over a long period of time.
10. In biomes with cold climates, plants may adapt by becoming ____________ during the coldest
part of the year.
11. Terrestrial biomes are classified by climatic factors and types of primary ____________.
12. The ____________ is divided into different zones, depending on distance from shore and depth
of water.

271 www.ck12.org
Lesson 11.3: Critical Writing
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Thoroughly answer the question below. Use appropriate academic vocabulary and clear and complete
sentences.
Identify and describe two terrestrial biomes.

www.ck12.org 272