Chapter 3 AP® Environmental Science Practice Exam

Section 1: Multiple-Choice Questions

Choose the best answer for questions 1–18.

Question 1

1. Which of the following is NOT an example of an abiotic component of an ecosystem?

  1. Water

  2. Minerals

  3. Sunlight

  4. Fungi

  5. Air

Question 2

2. Which of the following is NOT characteristic of most ecosystems?

  1. Biotic components

  2. Abiotic components

  3. Recycling of matter

  4. Distinct boundaries

  5. A wide range of sizes

Question 3

3. The waste product in photosynthesis is

  1. carbon dioxide.

  2. oxygen.

  3. glucose.

  4. water.

  5. energy.

Question 4

4. Which of the following could be a cause of decreased evapotranspiration?

  1. Increased precipitation

  2. Decreased runoff

  3. Increased percolation

  4. Increased vegetation

  5. Increased sunlight

For questions 5, 6, and 7, select from the following choices:

  1. Producers

  2. Decomposers

  3. Primary consumers

  4. Secondary consumers

  5. Tertiary consumers

Question 5

5. At which trophic level are eagles that consume fish that eat algae?

Question 6

6. At which trophic level do organisms use a process that produces oxygen as a waste product?

Question 7

7. At which trophic level are dragonflies that consume mosquitoes that feed on herbivorous mammals?

Question 8

8. Beginning at the lowest trophic level, arrange the following food chain found on the Serengeti Plain of Africa in the correct sequence.

  1. Shrubs–gazelles–cheetahs–decomposers

  2. Shrubs–decomposers–gazelles–cheetahs

  3. Shrubs–decomposers–cheetahs–gazelles

  4. Gazelles–decomposers–cheetahs–shrubs

  5. Decomposers–cheetahs–shrubs–gazelles

Question 9

9. Which macronutrient is required by humans in the largest amounts?

  1. Calcium

  2. Nitrogen

  3. Sulfur

  4. Potassium

  5. Magnesium

Question 10

10.Roughly what percentage of incoming solar energy is converted into chemical energy by producers?

  1. 99

  2. 80

  3. 50

  4. Between 5 and 20

  5. 1

Question 11

11.The net primary productivity of an ecosystem is 1 kg C/m2/year, and the energy needed by the producers for their own respiration is 1.5 kg C/m2/year. The gross primary productivity of such an ecosystem would be

  1. 0.5 kg C/m2/year.

  2. 1.0 kg C/m2/year.

  3. 1.5 kg C/m2/year.

  4. 2.0 kg C/m2/year.

  5. 2.5 kg C/m2/year.

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Question 12

12.An ecosystem has an ecological efficiency of 10 percent. If the producer level contains 10,000 kilocalories of energy, how much energy does the tertiary consumer level contain?

  1. 1 kcal

  2. 10 kcal

  3. 100 kcal

  4. 1,000 kcal

  5. 10,000 kcal

Question 13

13.Which biogeochemical cycle(s) does NOT have a gaseous component?

  1. Potassium

  2. Sulfur

  3. Phosphorus

  1. II only

  2. I and II only

  3. III only

  4. II and III only

  5. I and III only

Question 14

14.Which of the following statements about the carbon cycle is true?

  1. Carbon transfer from photosynthesis is in steady state with respiration and death.

  2. The majority of dead biomass is accumulated in sedimentation.

  3. Combustion of carbon is equivalent in mass to sedimentation.

  4. Most of the carbon entering the oceans is from terrestrial ecosystems.

  5. Carbon exchange between the atmosphere and terrestrial ecosystems is primarily an abiotic process.

Question 15

15.Human interaction with the nitrogen cycle is primarily due to

  1. the leaching of nitrates into terrestrial ecosystems.

  2. the breakdown of ammonium into ammonia for industrial uses.

  3. the interruption of the mineralization process in urban areas.

  4. the acceleration of the nitrification process in aquatic ecosystems.

  5. the decreased assimilation of ammonium and nitrates.

Question 16

16.Research at Hubbard Brook showed that stream nitrate concentrations in two watersheds were ________ before clear-cutting, and that after one watershed was clear-cut, its stream nitrate concentration was _______.

  1. similar/decreased

  2. similar/increased

  3. similar/the same

  4. different/increased

  5. different/decreased

Question 17

17.Small inputs of this substance, commonly a limiting factor in aquatic ecosystems, can result in algal blooms and dead zones.

  1. Dissolved carbon dioxide

  2. Sulfur

  3. Dissolved oxygen

  4. Potassium

  5. Phosphorus

Question 18

18.After a severe drought, the productivity in an ecosystem took many years to return to pre-drought conditions. This observation indicates that the ecosystem has

  1. high resilience.

  2. low resilience.

  3. high resistance.

  4. low resistance.

  5. equal resilience and resistance.

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Section 2: Free-Response Questions

Write your answer to each part clearly. Support your answers with relevant information and examples. Where calculations are required, show your work.

Question 1

1. Nitrogen is crucial for sustaining life in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

  1. Draw a fully labeled diagram of the nitrogen cycle. (4 points)

  2. Describe the following steps in the nitrogen cycle:

    1. Nitrogen fixation (1 point)

    2. Ammonification (1 point)

    3. Nitrification (1 point)

    4. Denitrification (1 point)

  3. Describe one reason why nitrogen is crucial for sustaining life on Earth. (1 point)

  4. Describe one way that the nitrogen cycle can be disrupted by human activities. (1 point)

Question 2

2. Read the following article written for a local newspaper and answer the questions below.


Neighbors Voice Opposition to Proposed Clear-Cut

A heated discussion took place last night at the monthly meeting of the Fremont Zoning Board. Local landowner Julia Taylor has filed a request that her 150-acre woodland area be rezoned from residential to multiuse in order to allow her to remove all of the timber from the site.

“This is my land, and I should be able to use it as I see fit,” explained Ms. Taylor. “In due course, all of the trees will return and everything will go back to the same as it is now. The birds and the squirrels will still be there in the future. I have to sell the timber because I need the extra revenue to supplement my retirement as I am on a fixed income. I don’t see what all the fuss is about,” she commented.

A group of owners of adjacent properties see things very differently. Their spokesperson, Ethan Jared, argued against granting a change in the current zoning. “Ms. Taylor has allowed the community to use these woods for many years, and we thank her for that. But I hope that the local children will be able to hike and explore the woods with their children as I have done with mine. Removing the trees in a clear-cut will damage our community in many ways, and it could lead to contamination of the groundwater and streams and affect many animal and plant species. Like the rest of us property owners, Ms. Taylor gets her drinking water from a well, and I do not think she has really looked at all the ramifications should her plan go through. We strongly oppose the rezoning of this land—it has a right to be left untouched.”

After more than 2 hours of debate between Ms. Taylor and many of the local residents, the chair of the Zoning Board decided to research the points raised by the neighbors and report on his findings at next month’s meeting.

  1. Name and describe the ecosystem value(s) that are being expressed by Ms.Taylor in her proposal to clear-cut the wooded area. (2 points)

  2. Name and describe the ecosystem value(s) that Mr. Jared is placing on the wooded area. (2 points)

  3. Provide three realistic suggestions for Ms. Taylor that could provide her with revenue from the property but leave the woods intact. (3 points)

  4. Identify and then discuss the validity of the environmental concerns that were raised by Mr. Jared. (3 points)

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