Question 1

Which list of biomes places them in the predicted order of species diversity from lowest to highest?

Accepted Answer

A) tundra, temperate grasslands, tropical rainforests 
B) tropical rainforests, temperate rainforests, tundra 
C) tropical rainforests, tundra; temperate grasslands 
D) tundra, tropical rainforests, temperate grasslands 
A) tundra, temperate grasslands, tropical rainforests 
B) tropical rainforests, temperate rainforests, tundra 
C) tropical rainforests, tundra; temperate grasslands 
D) tundra, tropical rainforests, temperate grasslands

Question 2

Which biogeochemical cycle does NOT include oxidation and reduction reactions that provide energy to microorganisms?

Accepted Answer

A) carbon 
B) nitrogen 
C) phosphorus 
D) None of the answer options is correct. 
A) carbon 
B) nitrogen 
C) phosphorus 
D) None of the answer options is correct.

Question 3

Small leaves and fast flowering are important adaptations for plants that live in cold temperatures and water-logged/frozen soils. Plants exhibiting these traits are present in alpine biomes, but species are different, and found in different families, in the northern Rocky Mountains and the Andes. What is the MOST likely explanation for this observation?

Accepted Answer

A) common ancestry 
B) convergent evolution 
C) climate differences between South America and North America 
D) rainfall differences between South America and North America 
A) common ancestry 
B) convergent evolution 
C) climate differences between South America and North America 
D) rainfall differences between South America and North America

Question 4

In western mountain ranges of North America (e.g., the Sierra Nevadas and the Rockies), where will you find a rain shadow?

Accepted Answer

A) on the west facing slope 
B) on the east facing slope 
C) on the furthest northern tip of the mountain range 
D) on the furthest southern tip of the mountain range 
A) on the west facing slope 
B) on the east facing slope 
C) on the furthest northern tip of the mountain range 
D) on the furthest southern tip of the mountain range

Question 5

Which of the following does NOT contribute to rain shadows?

Accepted Answer

A) the direction of prevailing winds 
B) warm air holds more moisture than cool air 
C) warm air is less dense than cool air 
D) All of the answer options contribute to rain shadows. 
A) the direction of prevailing winds 
B) warm air holds more moisture than cool air 
C) warm air is less dense than cool air 
D) All of the answer options contribute to rain shadows.

Question 6

Which is NOT a hypothesis that attempts to explain the latitudinal diversity gradient?

Accepted Answer

A) Species in tropical habitats have had longer to evolve and diversify. 
B) Temperate communities have fewer species due to the need to adapt to a wider range of weather conditions. 
C) Tropical areas have larger population sizes for a given species. 
D) A given species in tropical habitats may be more spread out, leaving room in between for others. 
E) Tropical areas generally have more parasites that may attack particular types of trees, thereby affecting their distribution. 
A) Species in tropical habitats have had longer to evolve and diversify. 
B) Temperate communities have fewer species due to the need to adapt to a wider range of weather conditions. 
C) Tropical areas have larger population sizes for a given species. 
D) A given species in tropical habitats may be more spread out, leaving room in between for others. 
E) Tropical areas generally have more parasites that may attack particular types of trees, thereby affecting their distribution.

Question 7

In deeper waters, nutrients primarily come from:

Accepted Answer

A) detritus from more productive shallower waters. 
B) thermal vents. 
C) surface winds creating deep ocean currents. 
D) glacial ice melt. 
A) detritus from more productive shallower waters. 
B) thermal vents. 
C) surface winds creating deep ocean currents. 
D) glacial ice melt.

Question 8

Broad, ecologically uniform areas with stable and distinctive collections of species are called:

Accepted Answer

A) interactions. 
B) habitats. 
C) communities. 
D) ecosystems. 
E) biomes. 
A) interactions. 
B) habitats. 
C) communities. 
D) ecosystems. 
E) biomes.

Question 9

Most deserts occur at approximately 30° latitudes. Which of the following statements BEST reflects this finding?

Accepted Answer

A) Cool dry air descends at 30° latitude. 
B) Warm dry air descends at 30° latitude. 
C) Trade winds pull all moisture away from land and to the ocean at 30° latitude. 
D) Westerlies pull all moisture away from land and to the ocean at 30° latitude. 
A) Cool dry air descends at 30° latitude. 
B) Warm dry air descends at 30° latitude. 
C) Trade winds pull all moisture away from land and to the ocean at 30° latitude. 
D) Westerlies pull all moisture away from land and to the ocean at 30° latitude.

Question 10

Deserts can be found at 30° N and 30° S of the equator. If you visited the deserts in both regions you would see that the dominant plants look very similar. This is MOST likely the result of:

Accepted Answer

A) common ancestry. 
B) convergent evolution. 
C) adaptive radiation. 
D) biome specialization. 
A) common ancestry. 
B) convergent evolution. 
C) adaptive radiation. 
D) biome specialization.

Question 11

Primary producers are present in every biome, including the deep sea. How can there be primary producers in the deep sea when sunlight does not penetrate to these depths?

Accepted Answer

A) There are probably only two trophic levels because there is only light available from bioluminescent organisms. 
B) The higher trophic levels (secondary or tertiary consumers)are probably only represented by one or two species because of the low levels of energy available from primary producers. 
C) Primary producers in the deep sea use energy from chemical reactions to drive the reduction of CO2 to organic compounds. 
D) The biome is not stable because there is not a constant source of molecules available for primary producers to convert into biomass. 
A) There are probably only two trophic levels because there is only light available from bioluminescent organisms. 
B) The higher trophic levels (secondary or tertiary consumers)are probably only represented by one or two species because of the low levels of energy available from primary producers. 
C) Primary producers in the deep sea use energy from chemical reactions to drive the reduction of CO2 to organic compounds. 
D) The biome is not stable because there is not a constant source of molecules available for primary producers to convert into biomass.

Question 12

Latitudinal patterns of biodiversity are similar between plants and animals.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

If the Earth spun on an axis that was perfectly perpendicular to the equator, then the poles would receive the same amount of solar energy as the equator.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

In either freshwater or marine biomes, which regions would you expect to have the HIGHEST productivity?

Accepted Answer

A) near the surface where sunlight penetrates 
B) just below the deepest level where sunlight penetrates 
C) at the deepest depth of the biome 
D) in the middle depths of the biome 
A) near the surface where sunlight penetrates 
B) just below the deepest level where sunlight penetrates 
C) at the deepest depth of the biome 
D) in the middle depths of the biome

Question 15

Moderate temperatures and precipitation, as well as nutrient-rich soil due to annual leaf fall, characterize this biome.

Accepted Answer

A) temperate grassland 
B) temperate coniferous forest 
C) taiga 
D) savannah 
E) deciduous forest 
A) temperate grassland 
B) temperate coniferous forest 
C) taiga 
D) savannah 
E) deciduous forest

Question 16

Trees in rainforests have high tree species richness, but low density. In deciduous forests the pattern is the opposite. Which of the following is NOT a plausible explanation for this pattern?

Accepted Answer

A) Many deciduous tree species are pollinated by wind, so individuals must be more closely spaced to one another for fertilization to occur. 
B) Organisms that are adapted to the variability in higher latitudes are able to achieve higher population sizes. 
C) Because there are fewer organisms that can adapt to higher latitudes, there are fewer "pest" species that could easily move between trees in close proximity. 
D) There are fewer species in temperate regions because the number of trees per hectare is lower than in tropical rainforests. 
A) Many deciduous tree species are pollinated by wind, so individuals must be more closely spaced to one another for fertilization to occur. 
B) Organisms that are adapted to the variability in higher latitudes are able to achieve higher population sizes. 
C) Because there are fewer organisms that can adapt to higher latitudes, there are fewer "pest" species that could easily move between trees in close proximity. 
D) There are fewer species in temperate regions because the number of trees per hectare is lower than in tropical rainforests.

Question 17

There are many climatological factors that contribute to high levels of rainfall at the equator. Which of the following is NOT a reason for high rainfall at the equator?

Accepted Answer

A) As warm air rises, it cools and water condenses to form rain. 
B) There are high levels of solar radiation at the equator. 
C) Temperatures are relatively constant. 
A) As warm air rises, it cools and water condenses to form rain. 
B) There are high levels of solar radiation at the equator. 
C) Temperatures are relatively constant.

Question 18

If rates of nitrogen fixation increased tenfold in terrestrial ecosystems, would you expect a tenfold increase in primary productivity?

Accepted Answer

A) Yes, because nitrogen is a limiting nutrient in terrestrial ecosystems. 
B) Yes, because there is an abundance of carbon dioxide in terrestrial ecosystems. 
C) No, because there are other limiting nutrients in terrestrial ecosystems besides nitrogen. 
D) No, because there would be a higher increase in primary productivity. 
A) Yes, because nitrogen is a limiting nutrient in terrestrial ecosystems. 
B) Yes, because there is an abundance of carbon dioxide in terrestrial ecosystems. 
C) No, because there are other limiting nutrients in terrestrial ecosystems besides nitrogen. 
D) No, because there would be a higher increase in primary productivity.

Question 19

Species diversity is generally greatest at Earth's poles.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

The Mojave Desert lies to the east of the coastal and Sierra Nevada mountains in California. Deserts in Chile lie to the west of the Andes mountains. Both the California and the Andes mountains run along the west coast of their respective continents. What probably accounts for the fact that one desert is on the east side of its neighboring mountain range, while the other is on the west side of its neighboring mountain range?

Accepted Answer

A) Winds to the west of the Andes dry the air and create the deserts. 
B) Winds move from east to west along the Andes in the southern hemisphere. 
C) The Andes are very high, and block any wind that might move over. 
D) The Andes are a young mountain range and there hasn't been enough time for plants to colonize the range. 
A) Winds to the west of the Andes dry the air and create the deserts. 
B) Winds move from east to west along the Andes in the southern hemisphere. 
C) The Andes are very high, and block any wind that might move over. 
D) The Andes are a young mountain range and there hasn't been enough time for plants to colonize the range.

Exam 48: Biomes and Global Ecology

Which list of biomes places them in the predicted order of species diversity from lowest to highest?

Which biogeochemical cycle does NOT include oxidation and reduction reactions that provide energy to microorganisms?

In western mountain ranges of North America (e.g., the Sierra Nevadas and the Rockies), where will you find a rain shadow?

Which of the following does NOT contribute to rain shadows?

Which is NOT a hypothesis that attempts to explain the latitudinal diversity gradient?

In deeper waters, nutrients primarily come from:

Broad, ecologically uniform areas with stable and distinctive collections of species are called:

Most deserts occur at approximately 30° latitudes. Which of the following statements BEST reflects this finding?

Deserts can be found at 30° N and 30° S of the equator. If you visited the deserts in both regions you would see that the dominant plants look very similar. This is MOST likely the result of:

Primary producers are present in every biome, including the deep sea. How can there be primary producers in the deep sea when sunlight does not penetrate to these depths?

Latitudinal patterns of biodiversity are similar between plants and animals.

If the Earth spun on an axis that was perfectly perpendicular to the equator, then the poles would receive the same amount of solar energy as the equator.

In either freshwater or marine biomes, which regions would you expect to have the HIGHEST productivity?

Moderate temperatures and precipitation, as well as nutrient-rich soil due to annual leaf fall, characterize this biome.

Trees in rainforests have high tree species richness, but low density. In deciduous forests the pattern is the opposite. Which of the following is NOT a plausible explanation for this pattern?

There are many climatological factors that contribute to high levels of rainfall at the equator. Which of the following is NOT a reason for high rainfall at the equator?

If rates of nitrogen fixation increased tenfold in terrestrial ecosystems, would you expect a tenfold increase in primary productivity?

Species diversity is generally greatest at Earth's poles.

Life: Chemical, Cellular, and Evolutionary Foundations

The Molecules of Life

Nucleic Acids and Transcription

Translation and Protein Structure

Organizing Principles: Lipids, Membranes, and Cell Compartments

Making Life Work: Capturing and Using Energy

Cellular Respiration: Harvesting Energy From Carbohydrates and Other Fuel Molecules

Photosynthesis: Using Sunlight to Build Carbohydrates

Cell Signaling

Cell and Tissue Architecture: Cytoskeleton, Cell Junctions, and Extracellular Matrix

Cell Division: Variations, Regulation, and Cancer

Dna Replication and Manipulation

Genomes

Mutation and Dna Repair

Genetic Variation

Mendelian Inheritance

Inheritance of Sex Chromosomes, Linked Genes, and Organelles

The Genetic and Environmental Basis of Complex Traits

Genetic and Epigenetic Regulation

Genes and Development

Evolution: How Genotypes and Phenotypes Change Over Time

Species and Speciation

Evolutionary Patterns: Phylogeny and Fossils

Human Origins and Evolution

Cycling Carbon

Bacteria and Archaea

Eukaryotic Cells: Origins and Diversity

Being Multicellular

Plant Structure and Function: Moving Photosynthesis Onto Land

Plant Reproduction: Finding Mates and Dispersing Young

Plant Growth and Development

Plant Defense: Keeping the World Green

Plant Diversity

Fungi: Structure, Function, and Diversity

Animal Nervous Systems

Animal Sensory Systems and Brain Function

Animal Movement: Muscles and Skeletons

Animal Endocrine Systems

Animal Cardiovascular and Respiratory Systems

Animal Metabolism, Nutrition, and Digestion

Animal Renal Systems: Water and Waste

Animal Reproduction and Development

Animal Immune Systems

Animal Diversity

Animal Behavior

Population Ecology

Species Interactions, Communities, and Ecosystems

The Anthropocene: Humans As a Planetary Force

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