Question 1

Why might eating high on the food chain subject humans to higher concentrations of certain toxic substances than eating low on the food chain?

Accepted Answer

Biological magnification means that there are higher concentrations of certain compounds in higher trophic levels.

Question 2

In 1956, people in Minamata, Japan, began to exhibit severe neurological disorders and birth defects. This problem was eventually attributed to methylmercury, a water- insoluble and breakdown- resistant chemical formed from mercury dumped into the adjacent bay by a local factory. Which of the following types of seafood would have the highest levels of methylmercury, and therefore cause the severest effects?

Accepted Answer

A)  Kelp (large, multicellular, photosynthetic protists) 
B)  Mussels that feed on tiny microscopic algae 
C)  Krill (small crustaceans that eat tiny microscopic algae) 
D)  Sea urchins that feed on kelp 
E)  Tuna that feed on smaller fish that feed on krill that feed on algae 
A)  Kelp (large, multicellular, photosynthetic protists) 
B)  Mussels that feed on tiny microscopic algae 
C)  Krill (small crustaceans that eat tiny microscopic algae) 
D)  Sea urchins that feed on kelp 
E)  Tuna that feed on smaller fish that feed on krill that feed on algae E

Question 3

Organisms that produce their own food in photosynthesis are known as producers, or _ ("self- feeders").

Accepted Answer

autotrophs

Question 4

Which trophic level has the LEAST biological magnification?

Accepted Answer

A)  Tertiary consumers 
B)  Secondary consumers 
C)  Heterotrophs 
D)  Primary consumers 
E)  Primary producers 
A)  Tertiary consumers 
B)  Secondary consumers 
C)  Heterotrophs 
D)  Primary consumers 
E)  Primary producers

Question 5

Suppose a gardener puts a chemical on the soil that kills off all the detritus feeders and decomposers. What would happen to the garden?

Accepted Answer

Nutrients could not be recycle

Question 6

Phosphorus, which is often a limiting nutrient in ecosystems, is important because it

Accepted Answer

A)  is part of the hydrologic cycle. 
B)  is found only in sedimentary rocks. 
C)  evaporates quickly. 
D)  is necessary for the production of cellulose so that autotrophs can grow and provide food for heterotrophs. 
E)  is needed for molecules such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP), cell membranes, and nucleic acids. 
A)  is part of the hydrologic cycle. 
B)  is found only in sedimentary rocks. 
C)  evaporates quickly. 
D)  is necessary for the production of cellulose so that autotrophs can grow and provide food for heterotrophs. 
E)  is needed for molecules such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP), cell membranes, and nucleic acids.

Question 7

The graph indicates that since 1960, global average temperatures have

Accepted Answer

A)  initially increased but are now dropping. 
B)  only decreased. 
C)  remained constant. 
D)  only increased. 
E)  fluctuated but risen overall. 
A)  initially increased but are now dropping. 
B)  only decreased. 
C)  remained constant. 
D)  only increased. 
E)  fluctuated but risen overall.

Question 8

This graph, which is based on estimates from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), shows that by 2100, global temperatures may rise as much as above average levels in 2000. The dashed data line represents a high growth of greenhouse gas, the dotted data line represents a moderate growth of greenhouse gas, and the square data line represents a substantially reduced growth of greenhouse gas.

Accepted Answer

A)  nearly 2°C 
B)  2.5°C 
C)  1°C 
D)  nearly 4°C 
E)  3°C 
A)  nearly 2°C 
B)  2.5°C 
C)  1°C 
D)  nearly 4°C 
E)  3°C

Question 9

Which nutrient cycle lacks an atmospheric reservoir?

Accepted Answer

A)  Oxygen 
B)  Nitrogen 
C)  Water 
D)  Carbon 
E)  Phosphorus 
A)  Oxygen 
B)  Nitrogen 
C)  Water 
D)  Carbon 
E)  Phosphorus

Question 10

Burning coal and oil to release energy also releases , which are overloading Earth's nutrient cycles.

Accepted Answer

A)  oxygen, methane, and sulfur 
B)  sulfur, carbon, and nitrogen 
C)  sulfur, oxygen, and acid 
D)  phosphorus, carbon, and nitrogen 
E)  nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium 
A)  oxygen, methane, and sulfur 
B)  sulfur, carbon, and nitrogen 
C)  sulfur, oxygen, and acid 
D)  phosphorus, carbon, and nitrogen 
E)  nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium

Question 11

What are the sources of sulfur in the atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mostly transportation modes, such as autos, trucks, and planes 
B)  Decomposition and small amounts from pollution 
C)  Natural and human sources, in equal amounts 
D)  Mostly (over 90%) volcanoes and photosynthetic bacteria 
E)  Volcanoes and hot springs, but mostly (about 75%) human activities such as burning coal 
A)  Mostly transportation modes, such as autos, trucks, and planes 
B)  Decomposition and small amounts from pollution 
C)  Natural and human sources, in equal amounts 
D)  Mostly (over 90%) volcanoes and photosynthetic bacteria 
E)  Volcanoes and hot springs, but mostly (about 75%) human activities such as burning coal

Question 12

Detritus feeders consume

Accepted Answer

A)  dead organic matter. 
B)  fungi and bacteria. 
C)  herbivores. 
D)  secondary consumers and primary debris. 
E)  plants and plant debris. 
A)  dead organic matter. 
B)  fungi and bacteria. 
C)  herbivores. 
D)  secondary consumers and primary debris. 
E)  plants and plant debris.

Question 13

Explain why a food web gives a better picture of a community than does a food chain.

Accepted Answer

A food web portrays the intera

Question 14

are organisms such as earthworms, millipedes, and other scavengers that eat waste products and dead organic matter.

Accepted Answer

The answer of are organisms such as earthworms, millipedes, and...

Question 15

What is meant by the term trophic level?

Accepted Answer

A trophic level is a

Question 16

Macronutrients are elements or small molecules that are needed in only trace amounts.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

As part of a research project, a graduate student creates an artificial environment in a sealed container. She sterilizes the soil and adds plants, snails, shrews, and a snake. After adding a small artificial pond, she seals the container. During the first several weeks, the plants are thriving and the animals are doing well. However, piles of dropping are beginning to accumulate, and the entire floor of the container becomes covered with a layer of plant debris several inches thick. One probable cause for the problems is that the graduate student didn't

Accepted Answer

A)  add any decomposers. 
B)  include any carnivores. 
C)  include any herbivores. 
D)  put in enough plants. 
E)  include any autotrophs. 
A)  add any decomposers. 
B)  include any carnivores. 
C)  include any herbivores. 
D)  put in enough plants. 
E)  include any autotrophs.

Question 18

In open- water marine ecosystems, the occupy the same trophic level as the giant sequoias (redwoods) in the forests of California.

Accepted Answer

A)  tiny, multicellular zooplankton ("animal drifters") that feed on phytoplankton 
B)  fast- swimming, fish- eating tuna 
C)  giant, squid- eating whales 
D)  microscopic, single- celled algae (protists) called phytoplankton ("plant- like drifters") 
E)  microscopic bacteria that decompose all the other organisms once they have died 
A)  tiny, multicellular zooplankton ("animal drifters") that feed on phytoplankton 
B)  fast- swimming, fish- eating tuna 
C)  giant, squid- eating whales 
D)  microscopic, single- celled algae (protists) called phytoplankton ("plant- like drifters") 
E)  microscopic bacteria that decompose all the other organisms once they have died

Question 19

In an attempt to become more environmentally conscious, a woman changes her lifestyle. She begins to grow the majority of her own food in her yard without using pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, she walks rather than taking the car for trips shorter than 5 kilometers, and she uses solar and wind for her power. By taking these actions, she is

Accepted Answer

A)  decreasing her carbon footprint. 
B)  increasing the number of endocrine disruptors to which she is exposed. 
C)  increasing her greenhouse gas output. 
D)  increasing her intake of bioaccumulated compounds. 
E)  increasing her nitrogen cycling. 
A)  decreasing her carbon footprint. 
B)  increasing the number of endocrine disruptors to which she is exposed. 
C)  increasing her greenhouse gas output. 
D)  increasing her intake of bioaccumulated compounds. 
E)  increasing her nitrogen cycling.

Question 20

The amount of life that an ecosystem can support is determined primarily by the

Accepted Answer

A)  number of producers and their efficiency. 
B)  number of heterotrophs. 
C)  efficiency of the consumers. 
D)  efficiency of the heterotrophs. 
E)  number of chemoautotrophs. 
A)  number of producers and their efficiency. 
B)  number of heterotrophs. 
C)  efficiency of the consumers. 
D)  efficiency of the heterotrophs. 
E)  number of chemoautotrophs.

Exam 29: Energy Flow and Nutrient Cycling in Ecosystems

Why might eating high on the food chain subject humans to higher concentrations of certain toxic substances than eating low on the food chain?

Organisms that produce their own food in photosynthesis are known as producers, or _ ("self- feeders").

Which trophic level has the LEAST biological magnification?

Suppose a gardener puts a chemical on the soil that kills off all the detritus feeders and decomposers. What would happen to the garden?

Phosphorus, which is often a limiting nutrient in ecosystems, is important because it

The graph indicates that since 1960, global average temperatures have

Which nutrient cycle lacks an atmospheric reservoir?

Burning coal and oil to release energy also releases , which are overloading Earth's nutrient cycles.

What are the sources of sulfur in the atmosphere?

Detritus feeders consume

Explain why a food web gives a better picture of a community than does a food chain.

are organisms such as earthworms, millipedes, and other scavengers that eat waste products and dead organic matter.

What is meant by the term trophic level?

Macronutrients are elements or small molecules that are needed in only trace amounts.

In open- water marine ecosystems, the occupy the same trophic level as the giant sequoias (redwoods) in the forests of California.

The amount of life that an ecosystem can support is determined primarily by the

An Introduction to Life on Earth

Atoms, Molecules, and Life

Biological Molecules

Cell Structure and Function

Cell Membrane Structure and Function

Energy Flow in the Life of a Cell

Capturing Solar Energy: Photosynthesis

Harvesting Energy: Glycolysis and Cellular Respiration

Cellular Reproduction

Meiosis: the Basis of Sexual Reproduction

Patterns of Inheritance

Dna: the Molecule of Heredity

Gene Expression and Regulation

Biotechnology

Principles of Evolution

How Populations Evolve

The Origin of Species

The History of Life

Systematics: Seeking Order Amid Diversity

The Diversity of Prokaryotes and Viruses

The Diversity of Protists

The Diversity of Plants

The Diversity of Fungi

Animal Diversity I: Invertebrates

Animal Diversity II: Vertebrates

Animal Behavior

Population Growth and Regulation

Community Interactions

Earths Diverse Ecosystems

Conserving Earths Biodiversity

Homeostasis and the Organization of the Animal Body

Circulation

Respiration

Nutrition and Digestion

The Urinary System

Defenses Against Disease

Chemical Control of the Animal Body: the Endocrine System

The Nervous System

The Senses

Action and Support: the Muscles and Skeleton

Animal Reproduction

Animal Development

Plant Anatomy and Nutrient Transport

Plant Reproduction and Development

Plant Responses to the Environment

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