SSCE/WASSCE/GCE PAST QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
OBJECTIVES
1.
In a savanna ecosystem the
abiotic factors include
A. legumes,
temperature and sandy soil
B. water,
temperature and soil
C. minerals, oxygen
and reptiles
D. water, soil and
grasses
Use the diagram below to answer question 2 & 3
2.
Which of the following is
an omnivore
A. Praying mantis
B. Hawk
C. Mouse
D. Grasshopper
3.
Which of the organisms will
have the lowest population in an ecosystem?
A. Hawk
B. Cowpea
C. Praying mantis
D. Mouse
4.
A population with a
relatively large proportion of adults will
A. be crowded
B. decline
C. expand
D. remain stationary
5.
Which of these is NOT an
adaptive feature for arboreal life?
A. Possession of
long tail
B. Possession of
claws
C. Possession of
teeths
D. counter shading in
coat colour
6.
Which of the following is
true of climax community?
A. it persists until
the environment or climate changes
B. it changes
drastically from one year to the next
C. it is first stage
in succession
D. It is made up of the
tallest trees and the smallest
7.
Mutualism is exhibited by
A. tapeworm living
in the gut of man
B. yellow dodder
growing on milk bush
C. platycerium
growing on a palm tree
D. rhizobium living in
the root nodule of groundnut
8.
Which of the following
factors is LEAST likely to affect
the animals living in a fresh water habitat?
A. Turbidity
B. Temperature
C. pH
D. Salinity
9.
Which group of plants would
be the first colonizers in an ecological succession changing rocks to soil?
A. Mosses
B. Ferns
C. Lichens
D. Grasses
10.
Colonization of a bare rock
surface is termed
A.
evolution
B.
specification
C. primary succession
D. secondary succession
11. Toads and lizards in an ecosystem depend on a limited quantity of
food. This is an example of
A. parasitism
B. intraspecific
competition
C. predation
D. interspecific
competition
12. Adaptive features of plants to desert conditions include
A. thick barks,
succulent stems and sunken stomata
B. thin barks,
succulent stems and sunken stomata
C. thin barks, air
floats on stems and sunken stomata
D. air spaces in tissues,
adventitious roots and thick barks
13. The Southern Guinea Savanna in that it has
A. lower rainfall
and shorter grasses
B. less grasses and scattered
trees
C. more rainfall and
taller grasses
D. less arboreal and
burrowing animals
14. The association between a fern and a palm trees on which it is
growing is an example of
A. epiphytism
B. mutualism
C. parasitism
D. saprophytism
15. A fresh water plant such as water lily can solve the problem of
buoyancy b the possession of
A. aerenchymarous tissues
B. dissected leaves
C. thin cell walls of the epidermis
D. water-repelling epidermis
16. The least adaptive feature of aboreal life is the
A. possession of fouur limbs
B. possession of claws
C. development of long tail
D. shading of coat colour
17. The most important environmental factor which epiphytes in the rain
forest compete for is
A. water
B. nutrient
C. light
D. space
18. An ecological succession often leads to
A. an increase in species diversity
B. decrease in species diversity
C. an unstable community
D. the dispersal of species
19. I. High birth rate and high immigration rate
II. Low birth rate and
high immigration rate
III. Low mortality rate and low emigration
IV. High
mortality rate and high emigration rate.
Which combination of the above can
cause rapid over-crowding in climax biotic communities and human settlements?
A. II and III
B. I and III
C. I and IV
D. I and II
20. Which of the following are adaptations of animals to aquatic
habitats?
A. Gills, streamlined bodies and
lateral lines
B. Lateral line, streamlined bodies and
lungs
C. Gills, scaly skin and lungs
D. Gills, streamlined bodies and spiracles
21. Which of the following is an adaptation of forest species?
A. Few stomata
B. Thick bark
C. Buttress roots
D. Reduced leaves
22. Which of the following structural features are adapted for uses
other than water conservation?
A. Succulent stems
B. Scales in animals
C. Spines in plants
D. Feathers in bird
23. An association between the root nodule of a leguminous plants rhizobium
sp, is known as
A. commensalism
B. mycorrhiza
C. parastism
D. symbiosis
24. The number of plants species obtained from a population study of a
garden is as follows: Guinea grass (15), Ipomea spp (5), sida
spp (7) and Imperata spp (23). What is the percentage of occurrence
of Imperata spp?
A. 35%
B. 16%
C. 46%
D. 23%
25. The epiphytic habitat can best be described as
A. arboreal
B. estuarine
C. aquatic
D. terrestrial
26. In a population study using the transect method, a student is likely
to record the highest number of species in
A. a tropical rain forest
B. a guinea savanna
C. a sahel savanna
D. an estuarine swamp
27. A freshwater pond may contain
A. tadpole, water boatman, leeches and
crab
B. water beetle, shrimps, water snail
and water bug
C. water lily, fish, water scorpion and
dragon larva
D. pon skater, water lily, shark and
mosquito larva
28. The distribution of plants in a rain forest is governed mainly by
A. vegetation
B. soil types
C. amount of sunlight
D. rainfall pattern
29. The stem of a typical aqautic plant usually has many
A. air cavities
B. intercellular space
C. water cavities
D. water conducting cells
30. The ability of an organism to live successfully in an environment is
known as
A. resistance
B. competition
C. succession
D. adaptation
Answers
1. B | 7. D | 13. C | 19. B | 25. A |
2. C | 8. D | 14. A | 20. A | 26. A |
3. A | 9. C | 15. A | 21. C | 27. C |
4. C | 10. C | 16. D | 22. A | 28. D |
5. C | 11. D | 17. B | 23. D | 29. A |
6. A | 12. A | 18. A | 24. C | 30. D |
THEORY
1. (SSCE, 1997) (b) State four structural features which adapt animal to a named
natural habitat
(c)
Describe the method you would use to determine the density of a named plant
species in a terrestrial habitat.
Solution
(b) A named natural habitat can be terrestrial, aquatic or arboreal.
Some structural features which adapt animals to aquatic habitat are:
1. Possession of gills for gaseous exchange
2. Possession of swim bladder for buoyancy
3. Streamlined shape for easy movement
4. Lateral line for detection of vibration
5. Fin for movements
6. Slimy body for easy movement
7. Sucker for attachment onto vegetation
(c) The density of the plant to be determined is Tridax. The area to be surveyed id determined and a quadrat is thrown severally at random. Where ever the quadrat lands, the number of individual plants species present is counted. Plants partially enclosed are counted as half. The density is calculated by dividing the total number of times the species occurs within the quadrat by the total area of the quadrat.
2. (SSCE, 2006 Q3) (a) Define the term adaptation.
(b) Describe how plants are adapted to the following habitat giving one example for each habitat:
(i) Dry terrestrial habitat
(ii) Fresh water habitat
Solution
Refer to blog Content
3. (WASSCE, 2007 Q3) (b) Briefly describe how the crab is adapted for life in its habitat.
(c) List
(i) four causes of food shortage
(ii) four factors that affect population size.
Solution
Adaptation of crab to habitat
1. Burrows and stays in burrows
2. Presence of exoskeleton to
prevent desiccation
3. Possession of gills for oxygen
intake in water
4. Presence of powerful chelipeds
for seizing food
5. Body fluid is isotonic with sea
water to prevent loss of body fluids by osmosis
6. Possession of lung-like tissue
for absorption of atmospheric oxygen.
(c) (i) Causes of food shortage
1. Drought
2. Bush fire
3. Overpopulation
4. Erosion
5. Infertility of soil
6. Plant diseases
7. lack of mechanized farming
methods
8. poor food preservation methods
9. poor transportation of
agricultural goods
(ii) Refer to blog Content
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