Question 1

What is the leading hypothesis as to why terrestrial productivity is higher in equatorial climates?

Accepted Answer

A) Productivity increases with temperature. 
B) Productivity increases with water availability. 
C) Productivity increases with available sunlight. 
D) Hypothesis is most likely a combination of the other answers. 
A) Productivity increases with temperature. 
B) Productivity increases with water availability. 
C) Productivity increases with available sunlight. 
D) Hypothesis is most likely a combination of the other answers. D

Question 2

Detritus can be consumed by which of the following primary decomposers?

Accepted Answer

A) bacteria 
B) archaea 
C) fungi 
D) earthworms 
E) all of the above 
A) bacteria 
B) archaea 
C) fungi 
D) earthworms 
E) all of the above E

Question 3

Figure 54.9  
-Considering the global nitrogen cycle,how are humans altering this cycle?

Accepted Answer

A) industrial nitrogen fixation 
B) nitrogen lost to the atmosphere 
C) reduction of nitrogen available to terrestrial ecosystems 
D) reduction of nitrogen fixation by bacteria 
A) industrial nitrogen fixation 
B) nitrogen lost to the atmosphere 
C) reduction of nitrogen available to terrestrial ecosystems 
D) reduction of nitrogen fixation by bacteria A

Question 4

Figure 54.7  
-Based on the experiment in the figure above,all of the following are plausible reasons for the result except that

Accepted Answer

A) nutrients evaporate now that vegetation is absent. 
B) nutrients dissolve in the water running through the watershed. 
C) nutrients are attached to small particles of sand or clay that leave the watershed. 
D) plant roots that held soil particles in place are no longer there. 
A) nutrients evaporate now that vegetation is absent. 
B) nutrients dissolve in the water running through the watershed. 
C) nutrients are attached to small particles of sand or clay that leave the watershed. 
D) plant roots that held soil particles in place are no longer there.

Question 5

What is the main reason for using food webs instead of food chains in analyzing ecosystems?

Accepted Answer

A) Most organisms eat more than one type of food. 
B) Most organisms feed at several trophic levels. 
C) The decomposition cycle needs to be shown. 
D) Answers A and B both apply. 
E) All of the above answers apply. 
A) Most organisms eat more than one type of food. 
B) Most organisms feed at several trophic levels. 
C) The decomposition cycle needs to be shown. 
D) Answers A and B both apply. 
E) All of the above answers apply.

Question 6

Figure 54.7  
-After looking at the experiment in the figure above,what can be said about nutrient export in ecosystems?

Accepted Answer

A) Nutrient export is typically 10 times lower in a clear-cut watershed. 
B) Nutrient export is typically 10 times higher in a clear-cut watershed. 
C) Nutrient export is typically 10 times higher in an uncut watershed. 
D) Nutrient export is not affected by any form of cutting. 
A) Nutrient export is typically 10 times lower in a clear-cut watershed. 
B) Nutrient export is typically 10 times higher in a clear-cut watershed. 
C) Nutrient export is typically 10 times higher in an uncut watershed. 
D) Nutrient export is not affected by any form of cutting.

Question 7

Regarding soil and organic matter in humus,which of the following statements is true?

Accepted Answer

A) Humus is composed of inorganic nutrients,and organic matter is composed only of organic matter. 
B) Soil organic matter is completely decayed. 
C) Completely decayed soil organic matter is called humus. 
D) Eventually,the nutrients in soil organic matter are converted to organic form. 
A) Humus is composed of inorganic nutrients,and organic matter is composed only of organic matter. 
B) Soil organic matter is completely decayed. 
C) Completely decayed soil organic matter is called humus. 
D) Eventually,the nutrients in soil organic matter are converted to organic form.

Question 8

From which one of the following environmental issues have we not documented either a slowdown,partial,or significant recovery?

Accepted Answer

A) phosphate pollution 
B) global warming 
C) acid rain 
D) ozone hole 
A) phosphate pollution 
B) global warming 
C) acid rain 
D) ozone hole

Question 9

If plants in a northern temperate area use 26,400 kcal/m² of energy from solar radiation in photosynthesis,and the total amount of solar radiation energy reaching that area is 2,640,000 kcal/m²,what is the overall gross photosynthetic efficiency?

Accepted Answer

A) 0)01% 
B) 0)1% 
C) 1% 
D) 100% 
A) 0)01% 
B) 0)1% 
C) 1% 
D) 100%

Question 10

You own 300 acres of patchy temperate forest.Which one of the following actions would increase the net primary productivity of the area the most?

Accepted Answer

A) adding fertilizer to the entire area 
B) introducing 100 rabbits into the area 
C) planting 500 new trees 
D) relocating all the deer found in the area 
A) adding fertilizer to the entire area 
B) introducing 100 rabbits into the area 
C) planting 500 new trees 
D) relocating all the deer found in the area

Question 11

Considering the global carbon cycle,where is the largest reservoir of carbon?

Accepted Answer

A) terrestrial ecosystems 
B) oceans 
C) atmosphere 
D) beneath the surface of the Earth 
A) terrestrial ecosystems 
B) oceans 
C) atmosphere 
D) beneath the surface of the Earth

Question 12

Figure 54.9  
-Which of the following is not a source of human-fixed nitrogen?

Accepted Answer

A) industrially produced fertilizers 
B) cultivation of soybeans 
C) combustion of fossil fuels 
D) irrigation agriculture 
A) industrially produced fertilizers 
B) cultivation of soybeans 
C) combustion of fossil fuels 
D) irrigation agriculture

Question 13

Figure 54.9  
-How much nitrogen is fixed from human processes?

Accepted Answer

A) It is equal to the amount fixed by natural means. 
B) It is about half that fixed by natural means. 
C) It is about double that fixed by natural means. 
D) We cannot calculate this value. 
A) It is equal to the amount fixed by natural means. 
B) It is about half that fixed by natural means. 
C) It is about double that fixed by natural means. 
D) We cannot calculate this value.

Question 14

Figure 54.3  
-Which habitat type in the figure above makes available the most new tissue to consumers?

Accepted Answer

A) tropical wet forest 
B) open ocean 
C) algal beds and reefs 
D) wetlands 
A) tropical wet forest 
B) open ocean 
C) algal beds and reefs 
D) wetlands

Question 15

Which of the following human activities is impacting the water cycle the least?

Accepted Answer

A) increase in asphalt and concrete surfaces 
B) conversion of grasslands and forests into agricultural fields 
C) increased processing of salt water to freshwater 
D) increases in irrigated agriculture 
A) increase in asphalt and concrete surfaces 
B) conversion of grasslands and forests into agricultural fields 
C) increased processing of salt water to freshwater 
D) increases in irrigated agriculture

Question 16

Which of the following consume other living organisms?

Accepted Answer

A) primary producers 
B) herbivores 
C) carnivores 
D) decomposers 
E) Both B and C 
A) primary producers 
B) herbivores 
C) carnivores 
D) decomposers 
E) Both B and C

Question 17

Why are changes in the global carbon cycle important?

Accepted Answer

A) Carbon is the chief source of food,and burning it reduces available food for primary consumers. 
B) Global carbon availability is directly related to the water cycle. 
C) Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas,and increasing atmospheric concentrations could alter Earth's climate. 
D) Carbon can be recycled only a limited number of times. 
A) Carbon is the chief source of food,and burning it reduces available food for primary consumers. 
B) Global carbon availability is directly related to the water cycle. 
C) Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas,and increasing atmospheric concentrations could alter Earth's climate. 
D) Carbon can be recycled only a limited number of times.

Question 18

Figure 54.9  
-Considering the global nitrogen cycle depicted in the figure above,what is the limiting portion of the cycle for plants?

Accepted Answer

A) industrial nitrogen fixation 
B) nitrogen lost to the atmosphere 
C) internal nitrogen cycling in the oceans 
D) nitrogen fixation by bacteria 
A) industrial nitrogen fixation 
B) nitrogen lost to the atmosphere 
C) internal nitrogen cycling in the oceans 
D) nitrogen fixation by bacteria

Question 19

Which of the following statements about secondary production is true?

Accepted Answer

A) Endotherms have higher metabolic rates compared to ectotherms and therefore have higher secondary production. 
B) Ectotherms have higher metabolic rates compared to endotherms and therefore have higher secondary production. 
C) Endotherms use less internal energy for metabolism and therefore have higher rates of secondary production. 
D) Ectotherms use less internal energy for metabolism and therefore have higher rates of secondary production. 
A) Endotherms have higher metabolic rates compared to ectotherms and therefore have higher secondary production. 
B) Ectotherms have higher metabolic rates compared to endotherms and therefore have higher secondary production. 
C) Endotherms use less internal energy for metabolism and therefore have higher rates of secondary production. 
D) Ectotherms use less internal energy for metabolism and therefore have higher rates of secondary production.

Question 20

Why is energy lost when herbivores eat primary producers?

Accepted Answer

A) Primary producers have energy stored in indigestible substances. 
B) Primary producers cannot produce once eaten. 
C) Digestion takes place so rapidly that very little energy is absorbed. 
D) Most primary producers contain no usable energy for herbivores. 
A) Primary producers have energy stored in indigestible substances. 
B) Primary producers cannot produce once eaten. 
C) Digestion takes place so rapidly that very little energy is absorbed. 
D) Most primary producers contain no usable energy for herbivores.

Exam 54: Ecosystems

What is the leading hypothesis as to why terrestrial productivity is higher in equatorial climates?

Detritus can be consumed by which of the following primary decomposers?

Figure 54.9 -Considering the global nitrogen cycle,how are humans altering this cycle?

Figure 54.7 -Based on the experiment in the figure above,all of the following are plausible reasons for the result except that

What is the main reason for using food webs instead of food chains in analyzing ecosystems?

Figure 54.7 -After looking at the experiment in the figure above,what can be said about nutrient export in ecosystems?

Regarding soil and organic matter in humus,which of the following statements is true?

From which one of the following environmental issues have we not documented either a slowdown,partial,or significant recovery?

If plants in a northern temperate area use 26,400 kcal/m² of energy from solar radiation in photosynthesis,and the total amount of solar radiation energy reaching that area is 2,640,000 kcal/m²,what is the overall gross photosynthetic efficiency?

You own 300 acres of patchy temperate forest.Which one of the following actions would increase the net primary productivity of the area the most?

Considering the global carbon cycle,where is the largest reservoir of carbon?

Figure 54.9 -Which of the following is not a source of human-fixed nitrogen?

Figure 54.9 -How much nitrogen is fixed from human processes?

Figure 54.3 -Which habitat type in the figure above makes available the most new tissue to consumers?

Which of the following human activities is impacting the water cycle the least?

Which of the following consume other living organisms?

Why are changes in the global carbon cycle important?

Figure 54.9 -Considering the global nitrogen cycle depicted in the figure above,what is the limiting portion of the cycle for plants?

Which of the following statements about secondary production is true?

Why is energy lost when herbivores eat primary producers?

Biology and the Tree of Life

Water and Carbon: the Chemical Basis of Life

Protein Structure and Function

Nucleic Acids and the Rna World

An Introduction to Carbohydrates

Lipids, membranes, and the First Cells

Inside the Cell

Cell-Cell Interactions

Cellular Respiration and Fermentation

Photosynthesis

The Cell Cycle

Meiosis

Mendel and the Gene

Dna and the Gene: Synthesis and Repair

How Genes Work

Transcription, RNA Processing, and Translation

Control of Gene Expression in Bacteria

Control of Gene Expression in Eukaryotes

Analyzing and Engineering Genes

Genomics

Principles of Development

An Introduction to Animal Development

An Introduction to Plant Development

Evolution by Natural Selection

Evolutionary Processes

Speciation

Phylogenies and the History of Life

Bacteria and Archaea

Protists

Green Algae and Land Plants

Fungi

An Introduction to Animals

Protostome Animals

Deuterostome Animals

Viruses

Plant Form and Function

Water and Sugar Transport in Plants

Plant Nutrition

Plant Sensory Systems, signals, and Responses

Plant Reproduction

Animal Form and Function

Water and Electrolyte Balance in Animals

Animal Nutrition

Gas Exchange and Circulation

Electrical Signals in Animals

Animal Sensory Systems and Movement

Chemical Signals in Animals

Animal Reproduction

The Immune System in Animals

An Introduction to Ecology

Behavioural Ecology

Population Ecology

Community Ecology

Biodiversity and Conservation Biology

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