Deck 5: Environmental Systems and Ecosystem Ecology

Question 1

The majority of Earth's fresh water exists ______________

A)in groundwater
B)in the form of ice
C)in the atmosphere
D)in freshwater lakes,streams,and rivers
E)in the oceans

Answer 1

in the form of ice

Question 2

Negative feedback processes tend to function within ecosystems to _____________.

A)cause further ecological destruction
B)stabilize the ecosystem
C)cause ecological relationships to disintegrate
D)cause ecological relationships to flourish
E)reinforce harmful changes

Answer 2

stabilize the ecosystem

Question 3

Nitrogen and phosphorus are referred to as macronutrients because _____________.

A)they are needed to manufacture large biomolecules
B)their cycles have larger reservoirs than those of micronutrients
C)they are required in large amounts for organisms to survive
D)they are needed by large organisms
E)they are larger than other nutrients needed by plants

Answer 3

they are required in large amounts for organisms to survive

Question 4

Biodiversity is partially influenced by net primary productivity (NPP).Where can the highest terrestrial rates of NPP be found?

A)polar regions
B)tundra
C)deserts
D)tropical rainforests
E)deciduous forests

Question 5

The first essential step in changing atmospheric nitrogen into more usable NH₃ is called ______________

A)nitrification
B)denitrification
C)ammonification
D)biogeochemical cycling
E)nitrogen fixation

Question 6

Use the accompanying figure to answer the following question.
Overall,it appears that terrestrial biomes with more available fresh water ______________ .

A)tend to have less productivity than those without much fresh water
B)don't differentiate between fresh water as rainfall and fresh water as ice in glaciers
C)tend to have about the same productivity as those without much fresh water
D)tend to have more productivity than those without much fresh water
E)No real conclusions can be drawn.

Question 7

In some areas,cattle on an open range may compact fragile soils while grazing.This can damage plant roots,leading to fewer,smaller plants,which may in turn cause cattle to graze more and work harder to obtain food.This is an example of a ______________ .

A)positive feedback loop
B)dynamic equilibrium
C)food web
D)negative feedback loop
E)homeostatic system

Question 8

All of the following are considered Earth's structural spheres EXCEPT ______________

A)geosphere
B)lithosphere
C)atmosphere
D)hydrosphere
E)biosphere

Question 9

The phosphorus in all biological tissues can be traced back to _____________.

A)phosphorus weathered from rock
B)phosphorus dissolved in the ocean and taken up by shellfish
C)volcanic activities
D)atmospheric phosphorus gas
E)phosphorus in animal bones

Question 10

The largest pool of carbon in the carbon cycle is _____________.

A)the hydrosphere
B)in plants and animals
C)sedimentary rock
D)the ocean
E)the atmosphere

Question 11

The Haber -Bosch process allows farmers to _____________.

A)apply synthetic nitrogen -rich fertilizers to their cropland
B)apply synthetic phosphorus -rich fertilizers to their cropland
C)extract nitrogen from animal waste products for use as fertilizer
D)circumvent regulations meant to protect waterways from nutrient pollution
E)fertilize their cropland without having to worry about nutrients getting into waterways

Question 12

Ecotones are the _____________.

A)areas between territories of organisms
B)interactive behaviors leading to communication
C)sounds that animal communities make in ecosystems
D)studies of specific biomes by ecologists
E)transitional zones between ecosystems

Question 13

Use the accompanying figure to answer the following question.
Recall that areas with high net primary productivity not only produce high levels of biomass rapidly,they also take up large amounts of CO2 and give off large amounts of oxygen.What is the likely result of the increasing amounts of fertilizers in the major rivers emptying into oceans?

A)Eutrophication,followed by hypoxia,is a likely result,ultimately leading to more CO2 uptake and more oxygen released.
B)Eutrophication,followed by hypoxia,is a likely result,ultimately leading to less CO2 uptake and more oxygen released.
C)Fisheries will improve as the extra nutrients feed shellfish and fish.
D)Productivity in these areas will increase permanently,leading to more CO2 uptake and more oxygen released.
E)Eutrophication,followed by hypoxia,is a likely result,ultimately leading to less CO2 uptake and less oxygen released.

Question 14

The eutrophication that has taken place in Chesapeake Bay,the Gulf of Mexico,and other locations appears to be due to ______________

A)heavy metals dumped in the sewage
B)excess nutrients from fertilizers
C)weather alone,because it is only obvious in the summer
D)pesticide use along the waterways
E)global warming from human use of fossil fuels

Question 15

A system stabilized by negative feedback,with opposing processes offsetting each other,is said to be in ______________ .

A)environmental balance
B)harmonic resonance
C)static control
D)normal balance
E)dynamic equilibrium

Question 16

Use the accompanying figure to answer the following question.
This graph helps to explain ______________ .

A)why we need to be concerned with damage to rainforests and coral reefs
B)why cultivated lands are a logical choice to replace rainforests
C)why the open ocean is so productive
D)why tundra has such high net primary productivity of biomass
E)the importance of deserts

Question 17

The three largest pools of the carbon cycle,in order,are _____________.

A)sedimentary rock,the atmosphere,and plants
B)oceans,sedimentary rock,and respiration
C)freshwater streams,the atmosphere,and plants
D)fertilizers,plants,and the atmosphere
E)sedimentary rock,oceans,and fossil fuels

Question 18

The biosphere is best defined as ______________

A)all living and nonliving parts,including the flow of energy and matter
B)all Earth's organisms and their physical and aquatic environment where energy and matter are cycled
C)all Earth's organisms and the nonliving environment with which they interact
D)a regional grouping of plants,animals,and abiotic factors
E)a grouping of plants and animals that interact with one another

Question 19

Containing elements of both forests and coastal marshes,the swamplands of extreme southern Louisiana would be an example of ______________

A)an ecotone
B)a closed ecosystem
C)a dead zone
D)an abiotic system
E)a superbiome

Question 20

Which location on the map has the highest net primary productivity?

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

Question 21

In an aquatic ecosystem experiencing eutrophication,levels of dissolved macronutrients and dissolved oxygen levels _____________.

A)increase; increase
B)remain stable; increase
C)increase; decease
D)decrease; increase
E)decrease; decrease

Question 22

Define the term emergent properties and give an example from a natural system.

Question 23

How and why do ecologists use GIS software?

Question 24

Humans have dramatically altered the rate of nitrogen fixation into forms usable by autotrophs by _____________.

A)selectively removing leguminous plants
B)using antibiotics to reduce the numbers of denitrifying bacteria
C)burning of fossil fuels to meet our energy needs
D)increasing the erosion of farmlands through poor agricultural practices
E)producing synthetic fertilizers and applying them to crops,lawns,and parks

Question 25

Which of the following is the best example of an ecosystem service?

A)a park ranger checking fishing licenses
B)the regulation of gas prices
C)a college environmental club cleaning up the shoulder of a highway
D)soil microbes fixing atmospheric nitrogen
E)a city cutting down a tree that is dying

Question 26

Human activity has affected every aspect of the nitrogen cycle.List the ways that humans have altered nitrogen content starting with how nitrogen becomes available to producers,where it goes,and what impacts it has.What are the ecological concerns regarding the dramatic changes people have made in the global nitrogen cycle?

Question 27

Human activity has affected every aspect of the water cycle.Identify three ways that humans have altered the water cycle.What are the major concerns regarding our alteration of the water cycle?

Question 28

All of the following are fluxes in the hydrologic cycle EXCEPT _____________.

A)infiltration
B)uptake
C)transpiration
D)evaporation
E)fixation

Question 29

Mutualistic relationships between bacteria and certain root nodules play an important role in the global cycling of _____________.

A)carbon
B)water
C)rock
D)phosphorus
E)nitrogen

Question 30

Which of the following describes matter and energy flow in an ecosystem?

A)Matter and energy both flow through an ecosystem.
B)Matter and energy flow in opposite directions within an ecosystem.
C)Matter and energy both cycle within an ecosystem.
D)Matter flows through an ecosystem,whereas energy is recycled within an ecosystem.
E)Energy flows through an ecosystem,whereas matter is recycled within an ecosystem.

Question 31

Identify the anthropogenic sources of phosphorus,and explain why they are a problem.

Question 32

What factors contribute to the "dead zone" in Chesapeake Bay?

Question 33

Nitrogen fixation is a process that makes nitrogen available to plants and is carried out by _____________.

A)nitrogen gas dissolving in fresh water and in the ocean
B)parasitic bacteria
C)volcanic eruptions
D)plants during photosynthesis
E)mutualistic and free -living bacteria

Question 34

Which of the following would reduce nutrient pollution in the Mississippi River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds?

A)removing the "buffers" around streams because they acidify the water
B)closing or update sewage treatment plants that lack a process for removing nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater
C)removing wetlands that are contaminating the waterways with nutrient pollution from wildlife waste and decaying vegetation such as cattails
D)applying fertilizer to lawns and crops just before heavy rainstorms because the fertilizer would then infiltrate the soil rather than staying at the surface,where it can contaminate waterways
E)allowing storm runoff from streets and parking lots to enter waterways rather than capturing it in lagoons because the lagoons can contaminate groundwater aquifers

Question 35

You are studying with a classmate,who explains that increasing the amount of nutrients in a lake helps submerged,rooted aquatic plants by providing them with the nitrogen and phosphorus they need to survive and reproduce.Which of the following should be your response to your study buddy?

A)You disagree because the resulting increase in phytoplankton at the surface would inhibit sunlight from penetrating into the water,thus inhibiting photosynthesis in the submerged plants.
B)You agree and point out that plants also benefit because the decrease in oxygen will kill aquatic fish and snails,some of which would otherwise eat the aquatic plants.
C)You agree because all organisms need nitrogen and phosphorus,and waterways are naturally limited in those nutrients.
D)You disagree and explain that plants cannot use the nutrients in the water because the plants do not have access to the nutrients.
E)You agree and point out that the resulting fish kill would further enhance the nitrogen and phosphorus levels in the lake,which would further enhance the growth of submerged aquatic plants,creating a positive feedback loop.

Question 36

By damming rivers and creating reservoirs,we are _____________.

A)decreasing evaporation
B)increasing transportation
C)decreasing transpiration
D)increasing transpiration while decreasing evaporation
E)increasing evaporation

Question 37

The atmosphere is an important reservoir (pool)in all the following cycles EXCEPT _____________.

A)phosphorus
B)carbon
C)hydrologic
D)nitrogen
E)Technically,the atmosphere is not an important reservoir in any of these cycles.