Question 1

The amount of chemical energy in a consumer's food that is converted to its own new biomass during a given time period is known as which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)  biomass 
B)  standing crop 
C)  biomagnification 
D)  primary production 
E)  secondary production 
A)  biomass 
B)  standing crop 
C)  biomagnification 
D)  primary production 
E)  secondary production E

Question 2

The discipline that applies ecological principles to returning degraded ecosystems to a more natural state is known as

Accepted Answer

A)  population viability analysis. 
B)  landscape ecology. 
C)  conservation ecology. 
D)  restoration ecology. 
E)  resource conservation. 
A)  population viability analysis. 
B)  landscape ecology. 
C)  conservation ecology. 
D)  restoration ecology. 
E)  resource conservation. D

Question 3

How is it that the open ocean produces the highest net primary productivity of Earth's ecosystems, yet net primary productivity per square meter is relatively low?

Accepted Answer

A)  Oceans contain greater concentrations of nutrients compared to other ecosystems. 
B)  Oceans receive a lesser amount of solar energy per unit area. 
C)  Oceans have the largest area of all the ecosystems on Earth. 
D)  Ocean ecosystems have less species diversity. 
E)  Oceanic producers are generally much smaller than oceanic consumers. 
A)  Oceans contain greater concentrations of nutrients compared to other ecosystems. 
B)  Oceans receive a lesser amount of solar energy per unit area. 
C)  Oceans have the largest area of all the ecosystems on Earth. 
D)  Ocean ecosystems have less species diversity. 
E)  Oceanic producers are generally much smaller than oceanic consumers. C

Question 4

The total biomass of photosynthetic autotrophs present in an ecosystem is known as

Accepted Answer

A)  gross primary productivity. 
B)  standing crop. 
C)  net primary productivity. 
D)  secondary productivity. 
E)  trophic efficiency. 
A)  gross primary productivity. 
B)  standing crop. 
C)  net primary productivity. 
D)  secondary productivity. 
E)  trophic efficiency.

Question 5

Figure 42.2 Diagram of a food web (arrows represent energy flow and letters represent species)
-If Figure 42.2 represents a marine food web, the smallest organism might be

Accepted Answer

A)  A. 
B)  F. 
C)  C. 
D)  I. 
E)  E. 
A)  A. 
B)  F. 
C)  C. 
D)  I. 
E)  E.

Question 6

Figure 42.1 Food web for a particular terrestrial ecosystem (arrows represent energy flow and letters represent species)
-Examine the food web for a particular terrestrial ecosystem in Figure 42.1. Which species is most likely a decomposer in this food web?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 7

If you applied a fungicide to a cornfield, what would you expect to happen to the rate of decomposition and net ecosystem production (NEP)?

Accepted Answer

A)  Both decomposition rate and NEP would decrease. 
B)  Both decomposition rate and NEP would increase. 
C)  Neither would change. 
D)  Decomposition rate would increase and NEP would decrease. 
E)  Decomposition rate would decrease and NEP would increase. 
A)  Both decomposition rate and NEP would decrease. 
B)  Both decomposition rate and NEP would increase. 
C)  Neither would change. 
D)  Decomposition rate would increase and NEP would decrease. 
E)  Decomposition rate would decrease and NEP would increase.

Question 8

Figure 42.3
-In the diagram of the nitrogen cycle in Figure 42.3, which number represents the ammonium ion (NH4+)?

Accepted Answer

A)  1 
B)  2 
C)  3 
D)  4 
A)  1 
B)  2 
C)  3 
D)  4

Question 9

Why does a vegetarian leave a smaller ecological footprint than an omnivore?

Accepted Answer

A)  Fewer animals are slaughtered for human consumption. 
B)  There is an excess of plant biomass in all terrestrial ecosystems. 
C)  Vegetarians need to ingest less chemical energy than omnivores. 
D)  Vegetarians require less protein than do omnivores. 
E)  Eating meat is an inefficient way of acquiring photosynthetic productivity. 
A)  Fewer animals are slaughtered for human consumption. 
B)  There is an excess of plant biomass in all terrestrial ecosystems. 
C)  Vegetarians need to ingest less chemical energy than omnivores. 
D)  Vegetarians require less protein than do omnivores. 
E)  Eating meat is an inefficient way of acquiring photosynthetic productivity.

Question 10

Owls eat rats, mice, shrews, and small birds. Assume that, over a period of time, an owl consumes 5,000 J of animal material. The owl loses 2,300 J in feces and owl pellets and uses 2,600 J for cellular respiration. What is the production efficiency of this owl?

Accepted Answer

A)  0.02% 
B)  1% 
C)  4% 
D)  10% 
E)  40% 
A)  0.02% 
B)  1% 
C)  4% 
D)  10% 
E)  40%

Question 11

Which of these ecosystems has the highest net primary productivity per square meter annually?

Accepted Answer

A)  savanna 
B)  open ocean 
C)  boreal forest 
D)  tropical rain forest 
E)  temperate forest 
A)  savanna 
B)  open ocean 
C)  boreal forest 
D)  tropical rain forest 
E)  temperate forest

Question 12

Which of the following has the greatest effect on the rate of chemical cycling in an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

A)  the ecosystem's rate of primary production 
B)  the production efficiency of the ecosystem's consumers 
C)  the rate of decomposition in the ecosystem 
D)  the trophic efficiency of the ecosystem 
E)  the location of the nutrient reservoirs in the ecosystem 
A)  the ecosystem's rate of primary production 
B)  the production efficiency of the ecosystem's consumers 
C)  the rate of decomposition in the ecosystem 
D)  the trophic efficiency of the ecosystem 
E)  the location of the nutrient reservoirs in the ecosystem

Question 13

Which of the following statements is true?

Accepted Answer

A)  An ecosystem's trophic structure determines the rate at which energy cycles within the system. 
B)  At any point in time, it is impossible for consumers to outnumber producers in an ecosystem. 
C)  Chemoautotrophic prokaryotes near deep-sea vents are primary producers. 
D)  There has been a well-documented increase in atmospheric nitrogen over the past several decades. 
E)  The reservoir of ecosystem phosphorous is the atmosphere. 
A)  An ecosystem's trophic structure determines the rate at which energy cycles within the system. 
B)  At any point in time, it is impossible for consumers to outnumber producers in an ecosystem. 
C)  Chemoautotrophic prokaryotes near deep-sea vents are primary producers. 
D)  There has been a well-documented increase in atmospheric nitrogen over the past several decades. 
E)  The reservoir of ecosystem phosphorous is the atmosphere.

Question 14

A 3-hectare lake in the American Midwest suddenly has succumbed to an algal bloom. What is the likely cause of eutrophication in freshwater ecosystems, such as this one?

Accepted Answer

A)  increased solar radiation 
B)  introduction of non-native tertiary consumer fish 
C)  nutrient-rich runoff 
D)  accidental introduction of a prolific culture of algae 
E)  iron dust blowing into the lake 
A)  increased solar radiation 
B)  introduction of non-native tertiary consumer fish 
C)  nutrient-rich runoff 
D)  accidental introduction of a prolific culture of algae 
E)  iron dust blowing into the lake

Question 15

Which trophic level is most vulnerable to extinction?

Accepted Answer

A)  producer level 
B)  primary consumer level 
C)  secondary consumer level 
D)  tertiary consumer level 
E)  decomposer level 
A)  producer level 
B)  primary consumer level 
C)  secondary consumer level 
D)  tertiary consumer level 
E)  decomposer level

Question 16

Which of the following would be considered an example of bioremediation?

Accepted Answer

A)  adding nitrogen-fixing microorganisms to a degraded ecosystem to increase nitrogen availability 
B)  using a bulldozer to regrade a strip mine 
C)  dredging a river bottom to remove contaminated sediments 
D)  reconfiguring the channel of a river 
E)  adding seeds of a chromium-accumulating plant to soil contaminated by chromium 
A)  adding nitrogen-fixing microorganisms to a degraded ecosystem to increase nitrogen availability 
B)  using a bulldozer to regrade a strip mine 
C)  dredging a river bottom to remove contaminated sediments 
D)  reconfiguring the channel of a river 
E)  adding seeds of a chromium-accumulating plant to soil contaminated by chromium

Question 17

Which statement best describes what ultimately happens to the chemical energy that is not converted to new biomass in the process of energy transfer between trophic levels in an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is undigested and winds up in the feces and is not passed on to higher trophic levels. 
B)  It is used by organisms to maintain their life processes through the reactions of cellular respiration. 
C)  Heat produced by cellular respiration is used by heterotrophs to thermoregulate. 
D)  It is eliminated as feces or is dissipated into space as heat in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics. 
E)  It is recycled by decomposers to a form that is once again usable by primary producers. 
A)  It is undigested and winds up in the feces and is not passed on to higher trophic levels. 
B)  It is used by organisms to maintain their life processes through the reactions of cellular respiration. 
C)  Heat produced by cellular respiration is used by heterotrophs to thermoregulate. 
D)  It is eliminated as feces or is dissipated into space as heat in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics. 
E)  It is recycled by decomposers to a form that is once again usable by primary producers.

Question 18

The law of conservation of matter states that matter cannot be created, yet matter is sometimes gained or lost to an ecosystem. What is the reason for this seeming contradiction?

Accepted Answer

A)  Chemoautotrophic organisms can convert matter to energy. 
B)  Ecosystems are open systems; therefore, matter can be moved in/out of an ecosystem from/to another ecosystem. 
C)  Photosynthetic organisms convert sugars to more complex organic molecules. 
D)  Detrivores convert matter to energy. 
E)  Heterotrophs convert heat to energy. 
A)  Chemoautotrophic organisms can convert matter to energy. 
B)  Ecosystems are open systems; therefore, matter can be moved in/out of an ecosystem from/to another ecosystem. 
C)  Photosynthetic organisms convert sugars to more complex organic molecules. 
D)  Detrivores convert matter to energy. 
E)  Heterotrophs convert heat to energy.

Question 19

Which statement most accurately describes how matter and energy are used in ecosystems?

Accepted Answer

A)  Matter flows through ecosystems; energy cycles within ecosystems. 
B)  Energy flows through ecosystems; matter cycles within and through ecosystems. 
C)  Energy can be converted into matter; matter cannot be converted into energy. 
D)  Matter can be converted into energy; energy cannot be converted into matter. 
E)  Matter is used in ecosystems; energy is not. 
A)  Matter flows through ecosystems; energy cycles within ecosystems. 
B)  Energy flows through ecosystems; matter cycles within and through ecosystems. 
C)  Energy can be converted into matter; matter cannot be converted into energy. 
D)  Matter can be converted into energy; energy cannot be converted into matter. 
E)  Matter is used in ecosystems; energy is not.

Question 20

To selectively remove soil toxins from regions affected by Hurricane Katrina, some residents have raised sunflowers and other plants in their yards. Then, the mature plants are pulled up and safely stored with other contaminated wastes. This is an example of

Accepted Answer

A)  biological augmentation. 
B)  reducing primary production. 
C)  lowering production efficiency. 
D)  bioremediation. 
E)  arresting nutrient cycling. 
A)  biological augmentation. 
B)  reducing primary production. 
C)  lowering production efficiency. 
D)  bioremediation. 
E)  arresting nutrient cycling.

Exam 42: Ecosystems and Energy

The amount of chemical energy in a consumer's food that is converted to its own new biomass during a given time period is known as which of the following?

The discipline that applies ecological principles to returning degraded ecosystems to a more natural state is known as

How is it that the open ocean produces the highest net primary productivity of Earth's ecosystems, yet net primary productivity per square meter is relatively low?

The total biomass of photosynthetic autotrophs present in an ecosystem is known as

Figure 42.2 Diagram of a food web (arrows represent energy flow and letters represent species) -If Figure 42.2 represents a marine food web, the smallest organism might be

Figure 42.1 Food web for a particular terrestrial ecosystem (arrows represent energy flow and letters represent species) -Examine the food web for a particular terrestrial ecosystem in Figure 42.1. Which species is most likely a decomposer in this food web?

If you applied a fungicide to a cornfield, what would you expect to happen to the rate of decomposition and net ecosystem production (NEP)?

Figure 42.3 -In the diagram of the nitrogen cycle in Figure 42.3, which number represents the ammonium ion (NH4+)?

Why does a vegetarian leave a smaller ecological footprint than an omnivore?

Owls eat rats, mice, shrews, and small birds. Assume that, over a period of time, an owl consumes 5,000 J of animal material. The owl loses 2,300 J in feces and owl pellets and uses 2,600 J for cellular respiration. What is the production efficiency of this owl?

Which of these ecosystems has the highest net primary productivity per square meter annually?

Which of the following has the greatest effect on the rate of chemical cycling in an ecosystem?

Which of the following statements is true?

A 3-hectare lake in the American Midwest suddenly has succumbed to an algal bloom. What is the likely cause of eutrophication in freshwater ecosystems, such as this one?

Which trophic level is most vulnerable to extinction?

Which of the following would be considered an example of bioremediation?

Which statement best describes what ultimately happens to the chemical energy that is not converted to new biomass in the process of energy transfer between trophic levels in an ecosystem?

The law of conservation of matter states that matter cannot be created, yet matter is sometimes gained or lost to an ecosystem. What is the reason for this seeming contradiction?

Which statement most accurately describes how matter and energy are used in ecosystems?

To selectively remove soil toxins from regions affected by Hurricane Katrina, some residents have raised sunflowers and other plants in their yards. Then, the mature plants are pulled up and safely stored with other contaminated wastes. This is an example of

Introduction: Evolution and the Foundations of Biology

The Chemical Context of Life

Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life

A Tour of the Cell

Membrane Transport and Cell Signaling

An Introduction to Metabolism

Cellular Respiration and Fermentation

Photosynthesis

The Cell Cycle

Meiosis and Sexual Life Cycles

Mendel and the Gene Idea

The Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance

The Molecular Basis of Inheritance

Gene Expression: From Gene to Protein

Regulation of Gene Expression

Development, Stem Cells, and Cancer

Viruses

Genomes and Their Evolution

Descent With Modification

Phylogeny

The Evolution of Populations

The Origin of Species

Broad Patterns of Evolution

Early Life and the Diversification of Prokaryotes

The Origin and Diversification of Eukaryotes

The Colonization of Land by Plants and Fungi

The Rise of Animal Diversity

Plant Structure and Growth

Resource Acquisition, Nutrition, and Transport in Vascular Plants

Reproduction and Domestication of Flowering Plants

Plant Responses to Internal and External Signals

Homeostasis and Endocrine Signaling

Animal Nutrition

Circulation and Gas Exchange

The Immune System

Reproduction and Development

Neurons, Synapses, and Signaling

Nervous and Sensory Systems

Motor Mechanisms and Behavior

Population Ecology and the Distribution of Organisms

Species Interactions

Global Ecology and Conservation Biology

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