Exam 53: The Physical Environment and Biogeography of Life

In Europe the major mountain ranges run east-west, blocking the migration of species during previous glacial periods.Most North American mountain ranges run north-south and did not block the retreat of species during glacial periods.This suggests that speciation in North America during glacial periods was most influenced by the process of

A hummingbird conservation group wants to find out more about the birds' ecology.Which hummingbird study would best be described as a landscape-level study?

Refer to the diagram below. According to the diagram, the greatest amount of incoming solar radiation is

Applying the theory of island biogeography to habitat fragmentation, what would be the best suggestion conservation managers could make to loggers to maintain the highest species diversity possible?

A grasshopper species lives in a temperate grassland.Along the southern edge of the grasshopper's range, drought over several years changes the habitat into a semi-desert.A large population of the grasshopper in this region separates from the rest of the population, moves farther south, and eventually becomes a new species, much better adapted to arid conditions.This instance of speciation apparently resulted from which evolutionary process?

Due to the tilt of Earth's axis, summer in Australia begins in the month of _______.

Much of the length of the Nile River, in Northern Africa, flows through desert, mountains, and plains.When a river flows through a flat desert, such as most of the Sahara, what aspect of its flow would most likely change, and how would it change?

In the Amazon rainforest, cutting forests increases hazards around the remaining fragments, including fires, hunting, and disease.These increased hazards are the result of _______.

Humans have transformed an estimated 50 percent of Earth's land surface for agricultural land, cities, highways, and other uses.What is the most likely effect this has had on world climate?

All of these would be considered strictly ecological studies except

Seagrasses are flowering plants that are rooted in the shallow waters off coastal areas.Seagrass beds along the coast of the southeastern United States and the Caribbean are often associated with coral reefs; together, they support an extremely rich and diverse community of organisms.These ecosystems are often compared to rainforests, most likely due to their effect on

Seabird species diversity is higher at temperate and polar latitudes than in the tropics, in contrast to diversity in most other groups of species.This might be explained by

An ecologist is studying the growth rate of fish populations in the most pristine, untouched coral reef she can find.The reef is located in a protected natural area where no fishing or other human activities are allowed.What is the most scientifically appropriate way for her to make her study more modern, or "use-inspired"?

Which factor would not be a problem for a scientist wishing to study reasons for the existence of latitudinal gradients in species diversity?

A small prairie state park is surrounded by agricultural land.It is the only prairie remaining in the state and is geographically and genetically isolated from remaining stands of prairie in surrounding states.This is an example of habitat _______.

A large city suffers from a major heat-island effect, which is becoming more noticeable as climate change progresses.City planners are considering methods for decreasing the heat-island effect.Which of these methods would likely be most effective?

On the west coast of South America, moisture-containing wind blowing west from the Pacific Ocean encounters the coastal Andes mountain range.What are the likely climatic conditions on the two sides of the mountains?

Ecologists use a mixture of observations, experiments, and models to study ecological systems.Explain why all three methods are important in ecological studies.

As agriculture and urbanization continue to expand in the United States, more natural areas are lost or fragmented.Even public lands, including national parks, are subject to human activities such as cattle grazing and mining, causing further fragmentation.Given this situation, plus your knowledge of biogeographic patterns and factors affecting them, what overall trend in species diversity might be expected to occur in the next 100 years?

A large river flows across a plain and will soon reach the ocean.A small stream flows rapidly down a mountain.Compared to the river, the stream would have water that is