Question 1

The oceans affect the biosphere in all of the following ways except

Accepted Answer

A) producing a substantial amount of the biosphere's oxygen. 
B) removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. 
C) moderating the climate of terrestrial biomes. 
D) regulating the pH of freshwater biomes and terrestrial groundwater. 
E) being the source of most of Earth's rainfall. 
A) producing a substantial amount of the biosphere's oxygen. 
B) removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. 
C) moderating the climate of terrestrial biomes. 
D) regulating the pH of freshwater biomes and terrestrial groundwater. 
E) being the source of most of Earth's rainfall. D

Question 2

Turnover of water in temperate lakes during the spring and fall is made possible by which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A) warm, less dense water layered at the top 
B) cold, more dense water layered at the bottom 
C) a distinct thermocline between less dense warm water and cold, dense water 
D) the changes in the density of water as seasonal temperatures change 
E) currents generated by nektonic animals 
A) warm, less dense water layered at the top 
B) cold, more dense water layered at the bottom 
C) a distinct thermocline between less dense warm water and cold, dense water 
D) the changes in the density of water as seasonal temperatures change 
E) currents generated by nektonic animals D

Question 3

Use this description to answer the following questions.
A the human population keeps growing,severe human disturbances are altering many biomes.For example,tropical rainforests are being cut down or burned to create large expanses of agricultural land.
-Would you expect to see any microclimate changes as a result of encroaching agriculture into the tropical rainforest biome?

Accepted Answer

A) No, because tropical forests are so diverse with extensive vertical layers that these forests extend their climate over agricultural land. 
B) No, microclimate changes would only be observed if tropical rainforests were totally removed. 
C) No, as long as you fertilize the soil to enhance crop growth. 
D) Yes, one can potentially expect to see a drier microclimate because without tropical vegetation, agricultural land would be exposed to direct sunlight, soils would dry out more quickly, and the natural water cycle will likely be disrupted. 
E) Yes, some changes might occur but we can't predict what the changes would be. 
A) No, because tropical forests are so diverse with extensive vertical layers that these forests extend their climate over agricultural land. 
B) No, microclimate changes would only be observed if tropical rainforests were totally removed. 
C) No, as long as you fertilize the soil to enhance crop growth. 
D) Yes, one can potentially expect to see a drier microclimate because without tropical vegetation, agricultural land would be exposed to direct sunlight, soils would dry out more quickly, and the natural water cycle will likely be disrupted. 
E) Yes, some changes might occur but we can't predict what the changes would be. D

Question 4

The diagram shows a generalized cross section of the marine environment with various zones labelled with letters.Choose the letter that best answers the question.Letters may be used once,more than once,or not at all.
  
-Which zone produces the most global oxygen gas?

Accepted Answer

A) A 
B) B 
C) C 
D) D 
E) E 
A) A 
B) B 
C) C 
D) D 
E) E

Question 5

Studying species transplants is a way that ecologists

Accepted Answer

A) determine the abundance of a species in a specified area. 
B) determine the distribution of a species in a specified area. 
C) develop mathematical models for distribution and abundance of organisms. 
D) determine if dispersal is a key factor in limiting distribution of organisms. 
E) consolidate a landscape region into a single ecosystem. 
A) determine the abundance of a species in a specified area. 
B) determine the distribution of a species in a specified area. 
C) develop mathematical models for distribution and abundance of organisms. 
D) determine if dispersal is a key factor in limiting distribution of organisms. 
E) consolidate a landscape region into a single ecosystem.

Question 6

Fire suppression by humans

Accepted Answer

A) can change the species composition within biological communities. 
B) will result ultimately in sustainable production of increased amounts of forest products for human use. 
C) is necessary for the protection of threatened and endangered forest species. 
D) is a management goal of conservation biologists to maintain the healthy condition of forest communities. 
A) can change the species composition within biological communities. 
B) will result ultimately in sustainable production of increased amounts of forest products for human use. 
C) is necessary for the protection of threatened and endangered forest species. 
D) is a management goal of conservation biologists to maintain the healthy condition of forest communities.

Question 7

Use this description to answer the following question.
In areas of permafrost,stands of black spruce are frequently observed in the landscape,while other tree species are noticeably absent.Often these stands are referred to as "drunken forests" because many of the black spruce are displaced from their normal vertical alignment.
-Which of the following biomes is correctly paired with the description of its climate?

Accepted Answer

A) savanna-low temperature, precipitation uniform during the year 
B) tundra-long summers, mild winters 
C) temperate broadleaf forest-relatively short growing season, mild winters 
D) temperate grasslands-relatively warm winters, most rainfall in summer 
E) tropical forests-nearly constant day length and temperature 
A) savanna-low temperature, precipitation uniform during the year 
B) tundra-long summers, mild winters 
C) temperate broadleaf forest-relatively short growing season, mild winters 
D) temperate grasslands-relatively warm winters, most rainfall in summer 
E) tropical forests-nearly constant day length and temperature

Question 8

Use this description to answer the following question.
In areas of permafrost,stands of black spruce are frequently observed in the landscape,while other tree species are noticeably absent.Often these stands are referred to as "drunken forests" because many of the black spruce are displaced from their normal vertical alignment.
-Which of the following areas of study focuses on the exchange of energy,organisms,and materials between ecosystems?

Accepted Answer

A) population ecology 
B) organismal ecology 
C) landscape ecology 
D) ecosystem ecology 
E) community ecology 
A) population ecology 
B) organismal ecology 
C) landscape ecology 
D) ecosystem ecology 
E) community ecology

Question 9

Which of the following examples of an ecological effect leading to an evolutionary effect is most correct?

Accepted Answer

A) When seeds are not plentiful, trees produce more seeds. 
B) A few organisms of a larger population survive a drought and then these survivors emigrate to less arid environments. 
C) A few individuals with denser fur survive the coldest days of an ice age, and the reproducing survivors of the ice age all have long fur. 
D) Fish that swim the fastest in running water catch the most prey and more easily escape predation. 
E) The insects that spend the most time exposed to sunlight have the most mutations. 
A) When seeds are not plentiful, trees produce more seeds. 
B) A few organisms of a larger population survive a drought and then these survivors emigrate to less arid environments. 
C) A few individuals with denser fur survive the coldest days of an ice age, and the reproducing survivors of the ice age all have long fur. 
D) Fish that swim the fastest in running water catch the most prey and more easily escape predation. 
E) The insects that spend the most time exposed to sunlight have the most mutations.

Question 10

The diagram shows a generalized cross section of the marine environment with various zones labelled with letters.Choose the letter that best answers the question.Letters may be used once,more than once,or not at all.
  
-Which zone has a condition of constant temperature?

Accepted Answer

A) A 
B) B 
C) C 
D) D 
E) E 
A) A 
B) B 
C) C 
D) D 
E) E

Question 11

Use this description to answer the following question.
In areas of permafrost,stands of black spruce are frequently observed in the landscape,while other tree species are noticeably absent.Often these stands are referred to as "drunken forests" because many of the black spruce are displaced from their normal vertical alignment.
-What might be the adaptive significance of these unusual forests growing the way they do in this marginal habitat?

Accepted Answer

A) Needles are adapted to withstand cold arctic temperatures. 
B) Branches are adapted to absorb more CO₂ with this displaced alignment. 
C) Taproot formation is impossible, so trees developed shallow root beds. 
D) Trees are tilted so snow prevents them from breaking or tipping over. 
E) Trees tip so that they do not compete with each other for sunlight. 
A) Needles are adapted to withstand cold arctic temperatures. 
B) Branches are adapted to absorb more CO₂ with this displaced alignment. 
C) Taproot formation is impossible, so trees developed shallow root beds. 
D) Trees are tilted so snow prevents them from breaking or tipping over. 
E) Trees tip so that they do not compete with each other for sunlight.

Question 12

-In the figure above,which number would designate the arctic tundra biome?

Accepted Answer

A) 2 
B) 3 
C) 4 
D) 5 
A) 2 
B) 3 
C) 4 
D) 5

Question 13

Use the following diagram from the text showing the spread of the cattle egret,Bubulcus ibis,since its arrival in the New World,to answer the question below.
  
-How would an ecologist likely explain the expansion of the cattle egret?

Accepted Answer

A) The areas to which the cattle egret has expanded have no cattle egret parasites. 
B) Climatic factors, such as temperature and precipitation, provide a suitable habitat for cattle egrets. 
C) There are no predators for cattle egrets in the New World, so they continue to expand their range. 
D) A habitat left unoccupied by native herons and egrets met the biotic and abiotic requirements of the cattle egret transplants and their descendants. 
E) The first egrets to colonize South America evolved into a new species capable of competing with the native species of herons and egrets. 
A) The areas to which the cattle egret has expanded have no cattle egret parasites. 
B) Climatic factors, such as temperature and precipitation, provide a suitable habitat for cattle egrets. 
C) There are no predators for cattle egrets in the New World, so they continue to expand their range. 
D) A habitat left unoccupied by native herons and egrets met the biotic and abiotic requirements of the cattle egret transplants and their descendants. 
E) The first egrets to colonize South America evolved into a new species capable of competing with the native species of herons and egrets.

Question 14

Generalized global air circulation and precipitation patterns are caused by

Accepted Answer

A) rising, warm, moist air masses that cool and release precipitation as they rise and then, at high altitude, cool and sink back to the surface as dry air masses after moving north or south of the tropics. 
B) air masses that are dried and heated over continental areas that rise, cool aloft, and descend over oceanic areas followed by a return flow of moist air from ocean to land, delivering high amounts of precipitation to coastal areas. 
C) polar, cool, moist high-pressure air masses from the poles that move along the surface, releasing precipitation along the way to the equator where they are heated and dried. 
D) the revolution of Earth around the sun. 
E) mountain ranges that deflect air masses containing variable amounts of moisture. 
A) rising, warm, moist air masses that cool and release precipitation as they rise and then, at high altitude, cool and sink back to the surface as dry air masses after moving north or south of the tropics. 
B) air masses that are dried and heated over continental areas that rise, cool aloft, and descend over oceanic areas followed by a return flow of moist air from ocean to land, delivering high amounts of precipitation to coastal areas. 
C) polar, cool, moist high-pressure air masses from the poles that move along the surface, releasing precipitation along the way to the equator where they are heated and dried. 
D) the revolution of Earth around the sun. 
E) mountain ranges that deflect air masses containing variable amounts of moisture.

Question 15

The main reason polar regions are cooler than the equator is that

Accepted Answer

A) there is more ice at the poles. 
B) sunlight strikes the poles at a lower angle. 
C) the poles are farther from the sun. 
D) the polar atmosphere is thinner and contains fewer greenhouse gases. 
E) the poles are permanently tilted away from the sun. 
A) there is more ice at the poles. 
B) sunlight strikes the poles at a lower angle. 
C) the poles are farther from the sun. 
D) the polar atmosphere is thinner and contains fewer greenhouse gases. 
E) the poles are permanently tilted away from the sun.

Question 16

What is the limiting factor for the growth of trees in the tundra?

Accepted Answer

A) low precipitation 
B) cold temperatures 
C) insufficient minerals in bedrock 
D) pH of soils 
E) permafrost 
A) low precipitation 
B) cold temperatures 
C) insufficient minerals in bedrock 
D) pH of soils 
E) permafrost

Question 17

If you are interested in observing a relatively simple community structure in a clear water lake,you would do well to choose diving into

Accepted Answer

A) an oligotrophic lake. 
B) a eutrophic lake. 
C) a relatively shallow lake. 
D) a nutrient-rich lake. 
E) a lake with consistently warm temperatures. 
A) an oligotrophic lake. 
B) a eutrophic lake. 
C) a relatively shallow lake. 
D) a nutrient-rich lake. 
E) a lake with consistently warm temperatures.

Question 18

Species introduced by humans to new geographic locations

Accepted Answer

A) are usually successful in colonizing the area. 
B) always spread because they encounter none of their natural predators. 
C) increase the diversity and therefore the stability of the ecosystem. 
D) can outcompete and displace native species for biotic and abiotic resources. 
E) are always considered pests by ecologists. 
A) are usually successful in colonizing the area. 
B) always spread because they encounter none of their natural predators. 
C) increase the diversity and therefore the stability of the ecosystem. 
D) can outcompete and displace native species for biotic and abiotic resources. 
E) are always considered pests by ecologists.

Question 19

Community ecology focuses on

Accepted Answer

A) analyzing factors that affect population sizes. 
B) organisms' physiology and behaviour that enables them to cope in a particular environment. 
C) interactions among species that affect the structure and organization of a community. 
D) flow of energy and chemical cycling of energy between organisms and the environment. 
E) interactions of individuals in many different populations. 
A) analyzing factors that affect population sizes. 
B) organisms' physiology and behaviour that enables them to cope in a particular environment. 
C) interactions among species that affect the structure and organization of a community. 
D) flow of energy and chemical cycling of energy between organisms and the environment. 
E) interactions of individuals in many different populations.

Question 20

Air masses formed over the Pacific Ocean are moved by prevailing westerlies where they encounter extensive north-south mountain ranges,such as the Sierra Nevada and the Cascades.Which statement best describes the outcome of this encounter between a landform and an air mass?

Accepted Answer

A) The cool, moist Pacific air heats up as it rises, releasing its precipitation as it passes the tops of the mountains, and this warm, now dry air cools as it descends on the leeward side of the range. 
B) The warm, moist Pacific air rises and cools, releasing precipitation as it moves up the windward side of the range, and this cool, now dry air mass heats up as it descends on the leeward side of the range. 
C) The cool, dry Pacific air heats up and picks up moisture from evaporation of the snowcapped peaks of the mountain range, releasing this moisture as precipitation when the air cools while descending on the leeward side of the range. 
D) These air masses are blocked by the mountain ranges, producing high annual amounts of precipitation on the windward sides of these mountain ranges. 
E) These air masses remain essentially unchanged in moisture content and temperature as they pass over these mountain ranges. 
A) The cool, moist Pacific air heats up as it rises, releasing its precipitation as it passes the tops of the mountains, and this warm, now dry air cools as it descends on the leeward side of the range. 
B) The warm, moist Pacific air rises and cools, releasing precipitation as it moves up the windward side of the range, and this cool, now dry air mass heats up as it descends on the leeward side of the range. 
C) The cool, dry Pacific air heats up and picks up moisture from evaporation of the snowcapped peaks of the mountain range, releasing this moisture as precipitation when the air cools while descending on the leeward side of the range. 
D) These air masses are blocked by the mountain ranges, producing high annual amounts of precipitation on the windward sides of these mountain ranges. 
E) These air masses remain essentially unchanged in moisture content and temperature as they pass over these mountain ranges.

Exam 52: An Introduction to Ecology and the Biosphere

The oceans affect the biosphere in all of the following ways except

Turnover of water in temperate lakes during the spring and fall is made possible by which of the following?

The diagram shows a generalized cross section of the marine environment with various zones labelled with letters.Choose the letter that best answers the question.Letters may be used once,more than once,or not at all. -Which zone produces the most global oxygen gas?

Studying species transplants is a way that ecologists

Fire suppression by humans

Which of the following examples of an ecological effect leading to an evolutionary effect is most correct?

The diagram shows a generalized cross section of the marine environment with various zones labelled with letters.Choose the letter that best answers the question.Letters may be used once,more than once,or not at all. -Which zone has a condition of constant temperature?

-In the figure above,which number would designate the arctic tundra biome?

Use the following diagram from the text showing the spread of the cattle egret,Bubulcus ibis,since its arrival in the New World,to answer the question below. -How would an ecologist likely explain the expansion of the cattle egret?

Generalized global air circulation and precipitation patterns are caused by

The main reason polar regions are cooler than the equator is that

What is the limiting factor for the growth of trees in the tundra?

If you are interested in observing a relatively simple community structure in a clear water lake,you would do well to choose diving into

Species introduced by humans to new geographic locations

Community ecology focuses on

Air masses formed over the Pacific Ocean are moved by prevailing westerlies where they encounter extensive north-south mountain ranges,such as the Sierra Nevada and the Cascades.Which statement best describes the outcome of this encounter between a landform and an air mass?

Introduction: Evolution and Themes of Biology

The Chemical Context of Life

Water and Life

Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life

The Structure and Function of Large Biological Molecules

A Tour of the Cell

Membrane Structure and Function

An Introduction to Metabolism

Cellular Respiration and Fermentation

Photosynthesis

Cell Communication

The Cell Cycle

Meiosis and Sexual Life Cycles

Mendel and the Gene Idea

The Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance

The Molecular Basis of Inheritance

From Gene to Protein

Regulation of Gene Expression

Viruses

DNA Tools and Biotechnology

Genomes and Their Evolution

Descent with Modification: A Darwinian View of Life

The Evolution of Populations

The Origin of Species

The History of Life on Earth

Phylogeny and the Tree of Life

Bacteria and Archaea

Protists

Plant Diversity I: How Plants Colonized Land

Plant Diversity II: The Evolution of Seed Plants

Fungi

An Overview of Animal Diversity

An Introduction to Invertebrates

The Origin and Evolution of Vertebrates

Plant Structure,Growth,and Development

Resource Acquisition and Transport in Vascular Plants

Soil and Plant Nutrition

Angiosperm Reproduction and Biotechnology

Plant Responses to Internal and External Signals

Basic Principles of Animal Form and Function

Animal Nutrition

Circulation and Gas Exchange

The Immune System

Osmoregulation and Excretion

Hormones and the Endocrine System

Animal Reproduction

Animal Development

Neurons,Synapses,and Signalling

Nervous Systems

Sensory and Motor Mechanisms

Animal Behaviour

Population Ecology

Community Ecology

Ecosystems and Restoration Ecology

Conservation Biology and Global Change

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