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Introduction to Environmental Science and Ecology — HS Environmental Science practice questions

14 multiple-choice questions and 13 flashcards on Introduction to Environmental Science and Ecology, about 9% of the HS Environmental Science bank. Every one carries a written rationale.

Written and maintained by the CoStudy team · last updated 2026-10-02 · how we write and review questions

What this chapter covers

Introduction to Environmental Science and Ecology is one of 11 chapters in CoStudy's HS Environmental Science bank, and it holds 14 of the bank's 150 multiple-choice questions — roughly 9% of the total. That proportion is not arbitrary: chapters follow the certifying body's published exam outline, and the number of questions in each is set by that domain's published weight, so the share of your practice time this chapter takes matches the share of the real exam it accounts for.

Studying by chapter is worth doing once you have a diagnostic score. A single overall percentage tells you whether you are close; it does not tell you which domain is dragging. Working a weak chapter in isolation, and re-testing it in isolation, is the fastest way to move a score that has stalled — and it is why the mock exams in CoStudy report by domain rather than as one number.

Free Introduction to Environmental Science and Ecology practice questions

5 questions drawn from this chapter, with the full rationale shown — the controlling principle behind the right answer, and why each wrong option tempts and fails.

An ecosystem is best defined as:

  1. all the members of one species in an area
  2. the living things in an area plus their physical environment
  3. all the living things in an area, without the environment
  4. a region with a particular climate and vegetation type

Answer: B — the living things in an area plus their physical environment

B) Correct — Ecosystems include biotic and abiotic parts and how they interact. A) Is a population. C) Is a community. D) Is a biome.

All the largemouth bass in one lake make up a:

  1. population
  2. community
  3. ecosystem
  4. biome

Answer: A — population

A) Correct — A population is one species in one area. B) Includes every species in the lake. C) Includes the living things and the water, sediments, and climate. D) Is a large region, such as a temperate forest.

A student tests how the amount of fertilizer affects algae growth. The amount of fertilizer is the:

  1. independent variable
  2. dependent variable
  3. control group
  4. constant

Answer: A — independent variable

A) Correct — It is the factor the student changes on purpose. B) Is the algae growth that is measured. C) Is the group with no added fertilizer. D) Constants are kept the same, such as light and temperature.

Which statement is a hypothesis rather than an observation?

  1. More nitrate will increase algae growth
  2. The pond water looks green
  3. The nitrate level was 5 mg/L
  4. Algae covered half of the pond's surface on Monday

Answer: A — More nitrate will increase algae growth

A) Correct — A hypothesis is a testable prediction. B) Is an observation. C) Is a measurement. D) Is an observation.

A habitat is where an organism lives; its niche is:

  1. the area it defends from rivals
  2. its role in the ecosystem
  3. the same thing as its habitat
  4. the biome where it lives

Answer: B — its role in the ecosystem

B) Correct — A niche includes what it eats, when it is active, and how it uses its surroundings. A) That is a territory, which only some animals have. C) A niche is a role, not a place. D) The biome is a larger region.

Introduction to Environmental Science and Ecology flashcards

4 cards from the 13 in this chapter.

Independent vs dependent variable?

Independent: the factor the scientist changes (e.g., fertilizer amount). Dependent: what is measured (e.g., algae growth). A control group gets no treatment.

Tropical rainforest features?

Hot, wet year-round. Highest biodiversity. Near equator.

Niche?

Role of organism in ecosystem. How it gets resources + interacts.

Tundra features?

Cold, treeless. Permafrost. Slow growth, low biodiversity.

Practise the full chapter

These are a sample. The full Introduction to Environmental Science and Ecology chapter runs 27 items with per-chapter progress tracking, on the web and in the iOS app.

Open HS Environmental Science in CoStudy →

Other HS Environmental Science chapters

All HS Environmental Science practice questions →