Deck 17: Energy Flow and Trophic Structure

Question 1

The total rate of energy capture by autotrophs is

A) net primary production.
B) secondary production.
C) gross primary production.
D) always less than that of heterotrophs.
E) none of the above

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the following is an electron donor in chemoautotrophs?

A) NO₃^2-
B) CO₂
C) SO₄^2-
D) H₂S
E) none of the above

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The evolution of photosynthesis

A) could only have happened on land.
B) led to more complex life forms.
C) led to the evolution of cyanobacteria.
D) arose at deep hydrothermal vents.
E) none of the above

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The loss of energy between trophic levels

A) determines the structure of ecosystems.
B) is an apparent violation of the second law of thermodynamics.
C) depends on the rate of primary production.
D) is due to the inefficiency of photosynthesis.
E) none of the above

Question 5

Stable isotope analysis of nitrogen

A) allows us to measure the rate of photosynthesis.
B) allows us to measure an organism's trophic position.
C) is possible because isotopes of nitrogen are incorporated at the same rate.
D) removes the effects of omnivory.
E) none of the above

Question 6

Which of the following is not a method of measuring primary production?

A) measurement of biomass
B) measurement of the uptake of ¹⁴C
C) EDDY analysis
D) measurement of chlorophyll
E) none of the above

Question 7

EDDY analysis is based on

A) the measurement of chlorophyll.
B) measuring production in individual plants.
C) the assumption that respiration = production.
D) daily changes in atmospheric CO₂.
E) none of the above

Question 8

Which of the following is not a limiting factor in primary production?

A) water
B) oxygen
C) micronutrients
D) red light
E) none of the above

Question 9

C4 photosynthesis

A) is advantageous because RUBP carboxylase has a high affinity for CO₂.
B) is advantageous because PEP carboxylase has a high affinity for CO₂.
C) the stomata can remain open during the day.
D) evolved just once.
E) none of the above

Question 10

Which of the following is a mismatch?

A) ingestion efficiency/energy consumed/energy available
B) assimilation efficiency/energy assimilated/energy ingested
C) production efficiency/energy produced by photosynthesis/solar energy available
D) production efficiency/energy in new tissue/energy assimilated
E) none of the above

Question 11

Heat loss from an organism is

A) an example of negative allometry.
B) an example of isometry.
C) proportional to the organism's volume.
D) proportional to the organism's surface area.
E) none of the above

Question 12

Which of the following are thought to determine the length of food chains?

A) primary production
B) the number of homeotherms in the food chain.
C) the degree of omnivory
D) disturbance
E) none of the above

Question 13

Top-down control of ecosystems

A) is dependent on primary production.
B) is enhanced by disturbance.
C) can occur through keystone predators.
D) depends on omnivory.
E) none of the above

Question 14

Wolf reintroduction to Yellowstone

A) demonstrated the effect of bottom-up control.
B) led to a decline in aspen reproduction.
C) changed the behavior of elk.
D) led to longer food chains in the Yellowstone food web.
E) none of the above

Question 15

In a trophic cascade,

A) bottom-up factors are eliminated.
B) producers are released from competition.
C) top predators can affect producers.
D) omnivory is unaffected.
E) none of the above

Question 16

In the allometric equation y = bx^a,

A) x and y are two measures of an organism.
B) x and y are the allometric coefficient.
C) b represents the isometry factor.
D) a measures hyperallometry.
E) none of the above

Question 17

The study of food chain length by Young et al (2013) demonstrated that food chain length

A) does not vary among islands.
B) correlated with ecosystem size.
C) correlated with productive space.
D) correlated with productivity.
E) none of the above

Question 18

Actual evapotranspiration is correlated with primary production.

Question 19

Bioaccumulation is the result of biomagnification.

Question 20

Chemoautotrophs do not require an electron donor.

Question 21

C4 photosynthesis is an example of convergent evolution.

Question 22

Trophic levels are integers in most ecosystems.

Question 23

C4 photosynthesis should eventually replace C3 photosynthesis.

Question 24

Prey adaptations affect the assimilation efficiency.

Question 25

Annual production of new biomass can be used to measure net primary production.

Question 26

Cultural eutrophication is a natural process.

Question 27

Accessory pigments capture light of different wavelengths.

Question 28

__________ obtain energy from organic compounds; __________ obtain energy from inorganic sources.

Question 29

Define primary production.

Question 30

Explain the difference between biomagnification and bioaccumulation.

Question 31

Explain one of the consequences to humans of the loss of energy in a food chain.

Question 32

How do we know when photosynthesis evolved?

Question 33

The biomass of blue whales is maintained by consuming large amounts of __________.

Question 34

How do the laws of thermodynamics determine the flow of energy in an ecosystem?