AP Biology Unit 8: Ecology
Explore AP Biology Unit 8 questions on environmental responses, energy flow, population and community ecology, biodiversity, resilience, and ecosystem disruptions.
- Syllabus
- Effective Fall 2025
- Course
- AP Biology
Covered syllabus points
8 Ecology question 1
Many insects rely on pheromones (chemical signals) that are released by the females to find
mating partners. Scientists hypothesize that, in a certain type of moth, the behavior of male
moths in response to pheromones is regulated by the extracellular signaling molecule 20E.
Question (a)
(a)
B.
[ 4 ]
Question (i)
(i)
Using the template in the space provided for your response, construct an appropriate
type of graph that represents the data in Table 1. Your graph should be appropriately
plotted and labeled.
[ 3 ]
Question (ii)
(ii)
Based on the data in Table 1, determine the type of activity that was affected by
inhibiting the expression of the DopEcR receptor.
[ 1 ]
Question (b)
(b)
C.
[ 1 ]
Question (i)
(i)
Based on Table 1, identify the treatment group in which the oriented activity was greater
than 50\% of the general activity.
[ 1 ]
Question (c)
(c)
D.
[ 1 ]
Question (i)
(i)
Use evidence from the information provided to support the scientists' claim.
[ 1 ]
8 Ecology question 2
The internal temperature of different organisms was determined under various conditions, as shown in the table below.
Predict the internal temperature (in °C) of a goose that is flying just above the treetops when the external temperature is 7°C. Give your answer to the nearest whole number.
8 Ecology question 3
Scientists studying a wild population of mantled howler monkeys found the average birth rate to be 0.22 and the average death rate to be 0.12. At the start of the study, the population consisted of 13 monkeys. Assuming no immigration or emigration, which of the following best describes the change in population size that will occur over the next year?
A
The population size will decrease because a population of 13 is too small to sustain itself.
B
The population will decrease because more monkeys are dying each year than are being born.
C
The population will increase exponentially because it is so small that there are likely few competitors and abundant resources.
D
The population will increase because more monkeys are being born each year than are dying.
8 Ecology question 4
The common wild oat is native to regions of Europe and Asia but is an invasive species in central California grasslands. In California, the common wild oat has almost completely replaced some species of native bunchgrass. Researchers found that aphids, a type of small insect that often carries plant viruses, have a much higher reproductive rate in grasslands that include the common wild oat than in grasslands composed of only native bunchgrass species. Additionally, the viruses carried by the aphids appear to affect only the native bunchgrasses and not the common wild oat. Native bunchgrasses infected by the virus have much higher death rates than do native bunchgrasses that are not infected.
Question (a)
(a)
Describe the change in the resilience of an ecosystem when there is a decrease in the number of species.
[ 1 ]
Question (b)
(b)
Explain how the addition of the common wild oat affects the number of native bunchgrass plants that can be supported by the California grasslands ecosystem.
[ 1 ]
Question (c)
(c)
Researchers suggest adding ladybugs, predators of aphids, to the California grasslands. Predict the effect of adding ladybugs on the abundance of the native bunchgrass population.
[ 1 ]
Question (d)
(d)
Justify your prediction in part (c).
Write your responses to this question only on the designated pages in the separate Free Response booklet.
If there are multiple parts to this question, write the part letter with your response.
[ 1 ]
All question bank results loaded