Exam 30: Earths Diverse Ecosystems

The loss of native vegetation to overgrazing, overharvesting, and overuse of groundwater to grow crops can lead to desertification.

What are the main factors that determine the locations of terrestrial biomes?

Which zone is inhabited by bottom-feeding catfish, crayfish, aquatic worms, clams, and bacteria?

The producers in hydrothermal vent communities are

As air travels over a mountain range, it warms on the far side and absorbs water from the land, creating a local dry area called a_________ .

-What biome would you expect to find at 60° N latitude and elevations of 3,500 meters?

Why do areas of upwelling tend to have large and diverse populations of organisms?

Multiple layers of vegetation, ranging from shade-tolerant undergrowth to towering sun-loving canopy trees, are characteristic of

As large tracts of rain forest disappear due to human activities, the region tends to become drier. Why?

Reef-building corals enter into a mutually beneficial relationship with photosynthetic protists called _________as a means of obtaining food.

The shallow, near-shore region of large lakes that supports the greatest diversity of plant and animal life is the_________ zone.

In the fall, the trees in a temperate deciduous forest lose their leaves primarily as an adaptation to

Northern coniferous forests, characterized by long, cold winters and conifers with short needles, are the largest terrestrial biome.

Western Oregon generally has cooler summer temperatures and warmer winter temperatures than do same-latitude states that are inland; similarly, Cape Cod (a coastal peninsula southeast of Boston) generally has a more moderate climate than interior Massachusetts does. Why?

Thick, water-storing leaves and stems and shallow, spreading roots are adaptations to

Which area contains aquatic organisms that can tolerate exposure to air?

The temperatures at the equator remain warm year round because

Why do higher-latitude ecosystems experience more pronounced seasons than ecosystems at equatorial latitudes?

The defining characteristic of a desert is the high temperature.

Weather patterns that occur over years or centuries in a particular region make up its_________.