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AP Environmental Science Practice Quiz: Ecological Tolerance

Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026

Test your understanding with short quizzes. This quiz has 9 questions to check your progress.

Question 1 of 9

Which of the following best describes the concept of ecological tolerance?

All Questions (9)

Which of the following best describes the concept of ecological tolerance?

A) The range of environmental conditions an organism can survive in.

B) The role an organism plays within its ecosystem.

C) The total number of different species in a given area.

D) The process by which organisms evolve over time.

Correct Answer: A

Based on the provided text, ecological tolerance is defined as 'the range of conditions... that an organism can endure before injury or death results.'

According to the text, to which of the following can the concept of ecological tolerance be applied?

A) Only to individual organisms

B) Only to entire species

C) To both individuals and species

D) Only to plant life

Correct Answer: C

The provided content explicitly states, 'Ecological tolerance can apply to individuals and to species.'

A specific type of coral can only live in water with a salinity between 32 and 40 parts per thousand. This range represents the coral's...

A) reproductive cycle.

B) ecological tolerance for salinity.

C) predator-prey relationship.

D) geographic location.

Correct Answer: B

The text defines ecological tolerance as the range of conditions, such as salinity, that an organism can endure. The specific salinity range for the coral is a direct example of this concept.

What is the direct consequence for an organism if an environmental condition, such as temperature, moves outside its range of tolerance?

A) Guaranteed adaptation

B) Increased growth rate

C) Injury or death

D) A change in its genetic makeup

Correct Answer: C

The definition provided states that the range of tolerance is what an organism can endure 'before injury or death results.'

Which of the following is explicitly listed in the text as a condition to which ecological tolerance applies?

A) Sunlight

B) Predator density

C) Food availability

D) Disease prevalence

Correct Answer: A

The text provides a list of example conditions: 'temperature, salinity, flow rate, and sunlight.' Sunlight is on this list.

The term 'ecological tolerance' refers to the limits an organism can withstand regarding a set of...

A) behavioral adaptations.

B) interspecies relationships.

C) environmental conditions.

D) reproductive strategies.

Correct Answer: C

The core definition of ecological tolerance is centered on the 'range of conditions' an organism can endure, which are aspects of its environment.

A biologist notes that a certain plant species is only found on north-facing slopes of a mountain. Based on the provided text, the concept of ecological tolerance would suggest this is because the north-facing slope provides a specific...

A) range of sunlight the species can endure.

B) protection from all herbivores.

C) source of genetic mutation.

D) method of seed dispersal.

Correct Answer: A

The limited distribution of the plant suggests it has a specific range of tolerance for an environmental factor. Among the options, the amount of sunlight is a condition explicitly mentioned in the text and is known to differ on north-facing versus south-facing slopes.

If an individual fish has a tolerance for water flow rates between 0.5 m/s and 1.5 m/s, what happens if it is permanently moved to a stream with a flow rate of 2.0 m/s?

A) It will immediately adapt and thrive.

B) It will experience conditions beyond its tolerance, potentially leading to injury.

C) It will change its diet to compensate for the faster flow.

D) Its tolerance range will automatically expand to include 2.0 m/s.

Correct Answer: B

The text states that when conditions are outside the range of tolerance, injury or death can result. A flow rate of 2.0 m/s is outside the fish's stated range of endurance.

The provided text defines ecological tolerance by referencing all of the following conditions EXCEPT:

A) Temperature

B) Flow rate

C) Salinity

D) Nutrient availability

Correct Answer: D

The text explicitly lists 'temperature, salinity, flow rate, and sunlight' as examples of conditions. Nutrient availability is not mentioned in the provided content.