Question 1

Which of the following is an example of bioremediation?

Accepted Answer

A) bulldozing the land around an abandoned strip mine to combat erosion 
B) scraping a river bottom with a tool to remove contaminated sediments 
C) reconfiguring a river channel to increase the flow of water down a river 
D) using microorganisms to eat oil in marine waters after a tanker oil spill 
E) selectively logging younger trees to leave older trees for woodpecker nests 
A) bulldozing the land around an abandoned strip mine to combat erosion 
B) scraping a river bottom with a tool to remove contaminated sediments 
C) reconfiguring a river channel to increase the flow of water down a river 
D) using microorganisms to eat oil in marine waters after a tanker oil spill 
E) selectively logging younger trees to leave older trees for woodpecker nests

Question 2

Assume that,over a period of time,an owl consumes 5000 J of animal matter.The owl loses 2000 J in feces and uses 100 J for cellular respiration.The remainder of the energy was used for growth and reproduction.What is the production efficiency based on the energy stored in assimilated food for this owl?

Accepted Answer

A) 50% 
B) 40% 
C) 70% 
D) 30% 
E) 10% 
A) 50% 
B) 40% 
C) 70% 
D) 30% 
E) 10%

Question 3

Which of the following ecosystems would likely have a larger net primary productivity per hectare (10,000 m2),and why?

Accepted Answer

A) the Atlantic open ocean due to the total biomass of photosynthetic autotrophs 
B) the Asian temperate grasslands due to conditions suited for rapid decomposition 
C) the Costa Rican rain forest due to high annual rainfall and moderate temperatures 
D) the Alps underground caverns and caves due to the abundance of photoautotrophs 
E) the Arctic tundra due to extreme growth patterns during the warm summer season 
A) the Atlantic open ocean due to the total biomass of photosynthetic autotrophs 
B) the Asian temperate grasslands due to conditions suited for rapid decomposition 
C) the Costa Rican rain forest due to high annual rainfall and moderate temperatures 
D) the Alps underground caverns and caves due to the abundance of photoautotrophs 
E) the Arctic tundra due to extreme growth patterns during the warm summer season

Question 4

Suppose you are studying the nitrogen cycling in a pond ecosystem over the course of a month.While you are collecting data,a flock of 100 migrating Canada geese lands and spends the night.How could you quantify the effect of this event on the pond's nitrogen cycling?

Accepted Answer

A) Find out how much nitrogen is consumed in plant material by a Canada goose over about a 12-hour period,and add that amount to the total nitrogen. 
B) Find out how much nitrogen is eliminated by a Canada goose over about a 12-hour period,and subtract that amount from the total nitrogen in the ecosystem. 
C) Find out how much nitrogen is consumed and eliminated by a Canada goose over about a 12-hour period,and record the net value of nitrogen associated with the goose visitation. 
D) Do nothing.The Canada geese visitation to the lake would have a negligible impact on the nitrogen budget of the pond. 
A) Find out how much nitrogen is consumed in plant material by a Canada goose over about a 12-hour period,and add that amount to the total nitrogen. 
B) Find out how much nitrogen is eliminated by a Canada goose over about a 12-hour period,and subtract that amount from the total nitrogen in the ecosystem. 
C) Find out how much nitrogen is consumed and eliminated by a Canada goose over about a 12-hour period,and record the net value of nitrogen associated with the goose visitation. 
D) Do nothing.The Canada geese visitation to the lake would have a negligible impact on the nitrogen budget of the pond.

Question 5

Figure 42.3
-In the diagram of the nitrogen cycle in Figure 42.3,which number represents the ammonium ion (NH4+)?

Accepted Answer

A) 1 
B) 2 
C) 3 
D) 4 
A) 1 
B) 2 
C) 3 
D) 4

Question 6

Which of these ecosystems has the highest net primary productivity per square meter annually?

Accepted Answer

A) Nigerian savanna 
B) Southern open ocean 
C) Canada's boreal forest 
D) Amazon rain forest 
E) Asian temperate forest 
A) Nigerian savanna 
B) Southern open ocean 
C) Canada's boreal forest 
D) Amazon rain forest 
E) Asian temperate forest

Question 7

Primary producers support the primary consumers in an ecosystem.Which of the following is most correct regarding primary producers?

Accepted Answer

A) Primary producers occupy the trophic level that directly feeds all autotrophs. 
B) Heterotrophs are able to thrive in an ecosystem without primary producers. 
C) Chemoautotrophic prokaryotes near deep-sea vents are primary producers. 
D) Detritivores have no interaction with the primary producers in an ecosystem. 
A) Primary producers occupy the trophic level that directly feeds all autotrophs. 
B) Heterotrophs are able to thrive in an ecosystem without primary producers. 
C) Chemoautotrophic prokaryotes near deep-sea vents are primary producers. 
D) Detritivores have no interaction with the primary producers in an ecosystem.

Question 8

Photosynthetic organisms are unique to most ecosystems because they

Accepted Answer

A) synthesize organic compounds they obtain from decaying heterotrophs. 
B) synthesize inorganic compounds from decaying organic compounds. 
C) use light energy to synthesize organic matter from inorganic matter. 
D) use chemical energy to synthesize organic matter from decaying matter. 
E) convert light and chemical energy into inorganic and organic matter. 
A) synthesize organic compounds they obtain from decaying heterotrophs. 
B) synthesize inorganic compounds from decaying organic compounds. 
C) use light energy to synthesize organic matter from inorganic matter. 
D) use chemical energy to synthesize organic matter from decaying matter. 
E) convert light and chemical energy into inorganic and organic matter.

Question 9

In Japan,seaweed and seagrass bed reconstruction included constructing a seafloor habitat,transplanting seaweeds and seagrasses,and hand seeding.Which of the following correctly pairs the specific task with the restoration strategy?

Accepted Answer

A) biological augmentation-transplanting seaweeds 
B) biological augmentation-constructing seafloor habitat 
C) bioremediation-hand seeding 
D) bioremediation-transplanting seagrasses 
A) biological augmentation-transplanting seaweeds 
B) biological augmentation-constructing seafloor habitat 
C) bioremediation-hand seeding 
D) bioremediation-transplanting seagrasses

Question 10

Predict the fate of a phosphorus atom after a non-native earthworm consumes leaf litter in a forest.

Accepted Answer

A) It is incorporated into the earthworm as an energy-storing molecule. 
B) It is excreted as ammonium ion by the non-native earthworm. 
C) It is released during cellular respiration as a phosphate ion. 
D) It is weathered into rocks as it is released from the soil and leaf litter. 
A) It is incorporated into the earthworm as an energy-storing molecule. 
B) It is excreted as ammonium ion by the non-native earthworm. 
C) It is released during cellular respiration as a phosphate ion. 
D) It is weathered into rocks as it is released from the soil and leaf litter.

Question 11

In ecosystems,why is the term cycling used to describe the transfer of chemical elements,whereas the term flow is used for energy exchange?

Accepted Answer

A) Chemical elements are repeatedly used,but energy passes through and between ecosystems. 
B) Photosynthesis results in transforming chemical elements with no effect on energy transfer. 
C) Chemical elements flow between ecosystems,whereas energy stays within one ecosystem. 
D) Photosynthesis alters system energy without a change in the number of chemical elements. 
A) Chemical elements are repeatedly used,but energy passes through and between ecosystems. 
B) Photosynthesis results in transforming chemical elements with no effect on energy transfer. 
C) Chemical elements flow between ecosystems,whereas energy stays within one ecosystem. 
D) Photosynthesis alters system energy without a change in the number of chemical elements.

Question 12

Please use the following information to answer the questions below.
The tundra biome is rapidly changing as a result of global warming.Studying the energy budget of the tundra can help scientists to evaluate the magnitude of these changes.In a randomly selected square meter of tundra,the amount of plant biomass is 200 g.The amount of new plant biomass added in a year is 100 g.In the same square meter,the total biomass added in a year is 15 g.A grasshopper that eats 1 g of plant biomass is able to use 0.15 g of that biomass for growth.The grasshopper cannot assimilate 50% of the plant's biomass.
-The 100 g of new plant biomass is the

Accepted Answer

A) net ecosystem production. 
B) gross primary production. 
C) total biomass production. 
D) secondary production. 
E) net primary production. 
A) net ecosystem production. 
B) gross primary production. 
C) total biomass production. 
D) secondary production. 
E) net primary production.

Question 13

Figure 42.3
-In the diagram of the nitrogen cycle in Figure 42.3,which number represents nitrogen gas?

Accepted Answer

A) 1 
B) 2 
C) 3 
D) 4 
A) 1 
B) 2 
C) 3 
D) 4

Question 14

For most terrestrial ecosystems,pyramids composed of species abundances,biomass,and energy are similar in that they have a broad base and a narrow top.The primary reason for this pattern is that

Accepted Answer

A) secondary consumers and top-level carnivores require far less energy than producers. 
B) at each step,energy is lost from the system because of the second law of thermodynamics. 
C) as matter passes through ecosystems,some of the matter is lost to the environment as heat. 
D) toxin accumulation in an animal's tissues limits the secondary consumers and top carnivores. 
E) top carnivores and secondary consumers have a more general diet than primary producers. 
A) secondary consumers and top-level carnivores require far less energy than producers. 
B) at each step,energy is lost from the system because of the second law of thermodynamics. 
C) as matter passes through ecosystems,some of the matter is lost to the environment as heat. 
D) toxin accumulation in an animal's tissues limits the secondary consumers and top carnivores. 
E) top carnivores and secondary consumers have a more general diet than primary producers.

Question 15

The flow of energy in an arctic ecosystem goes through a simple food chain: phytoplankton to zooplankton to fish to seals to polar bears.Which of the following is most correct about this food chain?

Accepted Answer

A) Less energy is transferred from fish to seals than from seals to bears. 
B) The total biomass of the fish population is lower than that of the seals. 
C) Energy transfer is greater from zooplankton to fish than from fish to seals. 
D) Seal populations are larger than zooplankton and phytoplankton populations. 
E) There is equal energy transfer in joules between all organisms at all levels. 
A) Less energy is transferred from fish to seals than from seals to bears. 
B) The total biomass of the fish population is lower than that of the seals. 
C) Energy transfer is greater from zooplankton to fish than from fish to seals. 
D) Seal populations are larger than zooplankton and phytoplankton populations. 
E) There is equal energy transfer in joules between all organisms at all levels.

Question 16

Which of these ecosystems has the lowest net primary production per square meter?

Accepted Answer

A) a salt marsh 
B) an open ocean 
C) a coral reef 
D) a tropical rain forest 
A) a salt marsh 
B) an open ocean 
C) a coral reef 
D) a tropical rain forest

Question 17

Which trophic level is most vulnerable to extinction?

Accepted Answer

A) milkweed plants that conduct photosynthesis 
B) monarch caterpillars that eat milkweed plants 
C) goldfinches that eat monarch caterpillars 
D) large golden eagles that eat goldfinches 
E) inky cap fungus that breaks down detritus 
A) milkweed plants that conduct photosynthesis 
B) monarch caterpillars that eat milkweed plants 
C) goldfinches that eat monarch caterpillars 
D) large golden eagles that eat goldfinches 
E) inky cap fungus that breaks down detritus

Question 18

Which of the following correctly represents an experimental result from the Hubbard Brook watershed deforestation experiment?

Accepted Answer

A) Very few minerals were recycled within a forest ecosystem. 
B) Calcium levels remained high in the soil of deforested areas. 
C) Deforestation increased water runoff leaving the watershed. 
D) Water leaving the area of study had little to nitrogen present. 
A) Very few minerals were recycled within a forest ecosystem. 
B) Calcium levels remained high in the soil of deforested areas. 
C) Deforestation increased water runoff leaving the watershed. 
D) Water leaving the area of study had little to nitrogen present.

Question 19

Which of the following locations is the largest reservoir for carbon in the carbon cycle?

Accepted Answer

A) atmosphere 
B) sedimentary rocks 
C) fossilized plants 
D) plant biomass 
E) soil bacteria 
A) atmosphere 
B) sedimentary rocks 
C) fossilized plants 
D) plant biomass 
E) soil bacteria

Question 20

Energy transfer between trophic levels is typically only 10% efficient.Approximately how many kilograms of secondary consumer biomass can be supported by a field plot containing 1,000 kg of plant material?

Accepted Answer

A) 10,000 
B) 1,000 
C) 100 
D) 10 
E) 1 
A) 10,000 
B) 1,000 
C) 100 
D) 10 
E) 1

Exam 42: Ecosystems and Energy

Which of the following is an example of bioremediation?

Which of the following ecosystems would likely have a larger net primary productivity per hectare (10,000 m2),and why?

Suppose you are studying the nitrogen cycling in a pond ecosystem over the course of a month.While you are collecting data,a flock of 100 migrating Canada geese lands and spends the night.How could you quantify the effect of this event on the pond's nitrogen cycling?

Figure 42.3 -In the diagram of the nitrogen cycle in Figure 42.3,which number represents the ammonium ion (NH4+)?

Which of these ecosystems has the highest net primary productivity per square meter annually?

Primary producers support the primary consumers in an ecosystem.Which of the following is most correct regarding primary producers?

Photosynthetic organisms are unique to most ecosystems because they

In Japan,seaweed and seagrass bed reconstruction included constructing a seafloor habitat,transplanting seaweeds and seagrasses,and hand seeding.Which of the following correctly pairs the specific task with the restoration strategy?

Predict the fate of a phosphorus atom after a non-native earthworm consumes leaf litter in a forest.

In ecosystems,why is the term cycling used to describe the transfer of chemical elements,whereas the term flow is used for energy exchange?

Figure 42.3 -In the diagram of the nitrogen cycle in Figure 42.3,which number represents nitrogen gas?

For most terrestrial ecosystems,pyramids composed of species abundances,biomass,and energy are similar in that they have a broad base and a narrow top.The primary reason for this pattern is that

The flow of energy in an arctic ecosystem goes through a simple food chain: phytoplankton to zooplankton to fish to seals to polar bears.Which of the following is most correct about this food chain?

Which of these ecosystems has the lowest net primary production per square meter?

Which trophic level is most vulnerable to extinction?

Which of the following correctly represents an experimental result from the Hubbard Brook watershed deforestation experiment?

Which of the following locations is the largest reservoir for carbon in the carbon cycle?

Energy transfer between trophic levels is typically only 10% efficient.Approximately how many kilograms of secondary consumer biomass can be supported by a field plot containing 1,000 kg of plant material?

Introduction: Evolution and the Foundations of Biology

The Chemical Context of Life

Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life

A Tour of the Cell

Membrane Transport and Cell Signaling

An Introduction to Metabolism

Cellular Respiration and Fermentation

Photosynthesis

The Cell Cycle

Meiosis and Sexual Life Cycles

Mendel and the Gene Idea

The Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance

The Molecular Basis of Inheritance

Gene Expression: From Gene to Protein

Regulation of Gene Expression

Development,stem Cells,and Cancer

Viruses

Genomes and Their Evolution

Descent With Modification

Phylogeny

The Evolution of Populations

The Origin of Species

Broad Patterns of Evolution

Early Life and the Diversification of Prokaryotes

The Origin and Diversification of Eukaryotes

The Colonization of Land by Plants and Fungi

The Rise of Animal Diversity

Plant Structure and Growth

Resource Acquisition,nutrition,and Transport in Vascular Plants

Reproduction and Domestication of Flowering Plants

Plant Responses to Internal and External Signals

Homeostasis and Endocrine Signaling

Animal Nutrition

Circulation and Gas Exchange

The Immune System

Reproduction and Development

Neurons,synapses,and Signaling

Nervous and Sensory Systems

Motor Mechanisms and Behavior

Population Ecology and the Distribution of Organisms

Ecological Communities

Conservation Biology and Global Change

Filters

Which of the following ecosystems would likely have a larger net primary productivity per hectare (10,000 m²),and why?

Figure 42.3 -In the diagram of the nitrogen cycle in Figure 42.3,which number represents the ammonium ion (NH₄⁺)?