Stemscopes Exam Environmental Science 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is an ecosystem?
- Only the living organisms in an area
- Only the non-living factors in an area
- All living organisms and their non-living environment interacting together (Correct answer)
- A single species and its habitat
Correct answer: All living organisms and their non-living environment interacting together
An ecosystem includes all living organisms (biotic factors) and non-living components (abiotic factors) that interact in a specific area.
Question 2: What is the role of decomposers in an ecosystem?
- They produce food through photosynthesis
- They consume other organisms for energy
- They break down dead organic matter and recycle nutrients (Correct answer)
- They compete with producers for sunlight
Correct answer: They break down dead organic matter and recycle nutrients
Decomposers like bacteria and fungi break down dead organisms and waste, returning nutrients to the soil.
Question 3: Which of the following is a renewable energy resource?
- Coal
- Natural gas
- Petroleum
- Solar energy (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Solar energy
Solar energy is renewable because it is continuously supplied by the Sun and will not run out on human timescales.
Question 4: What is the greenhouse effect?
- The cooling of Earth's surface at night
- The trapping of heat in Earth's atmosphere by certain gases (Correct answer)
- The effect of plants on temperature
- The reflection of sunlight by ice caps
Correct answer: The trapping of heat in Earth's atmosphere by certain gases
The greenhouse effect occurs when atmospheric gases like CO₂ and methane trap outgoing infrared radiation, warming Earth's surface.
Question 5: What is biodiversity?
- The total number of trees in a forest
- The variety of species and genetic variation in an area (Correct answer)
- The number of ecosystems on Earth
- The number of food chains in an ecosystem
Correct answer: The variety of species and genetic variation in an area
Biodiversity refers to the variety of life forms, including species diversity, genetic diversity, and ecosystem diversity.
Question 6: Which process describes water changing from liquid to vapor?
- Condensation
- Precipitation
- Evaporation (Correct answer)
- Infiltration
Correct answer: Evaporation
Evaporation is the process by which liquid water gains energy and transforms into water vapor.
Stemscopes Exam Environmental Science 1
What is an ecosystem?