The role that an organism plays in its environment is called its
A. role.
B. position.
C. ecosystem.
D. niche.
The term used to describe the interrelationship between the living and non-living environments in an area is called a(n)
A. group.
B. community.
C. ecosystem.
D. ecological niche
An early contributor to the understanding of nitrogen fixation was
A. Hooke.
B. Pasteur.
C. Winogradsky.
D. Beijerinck.
Why is oil not degraded when in a natural habitat underground, yet susceptible to bioremediation in an oil spill?
A. The high pressure the oil is subjected to underground prevents bacteria from growing and consuming it.
B. The bacteria can't be given the right amounts or types of nutrients to foster an increase in their number deep underground. Nearer the surface, human intervention can increase the factors that will raise the microbe quantity.
C. The bacteria that degrade the oil require a higher than normal salt content, much like what is found in seawater. Underground, they lack this salt level.
D. It IS degraded underground-but it happens at a much slower rate because a portion of the cycle is photosynthetic in nature. This process is dramatically increased nearer to the water's surface.
Why would soil and water be added to a compost pile?
A. The organisms in the soil, along with the moisture from the water, would facilitate the natural decomposition of the material in the compost pile.
B. Without adding soil and water, no decomposition of the material can take place. The material would simply sit there.
C. Water is the medium that photosynthetic organisms use to break down the organic materials in the compost pile.
D. Soil spreads out the material in the pile. If the material is too close together, natural aeration cannot occur and decomposition stops.