Deck 24: Biogeographic Processes

Question 1

Oxygen levels in our atmosphere increased approximately 2 billion years ago from early oceanic organisms through the process of ______.

A) succession
B) respiration
C) photosynthesis
D) decomposition

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The driving force behind practically all life on Earth is:

A) the sun
B) water
C) carbon dioxide
D) oxygen
E) nitrogen

Answer 2

A

Question 3

What types of plants are common in arid climates?

A) xerophytes
B) hydrophytes
C) mesophytes
D) aridophytes

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Phytoplankton are _____.

A) herbivores
B) carnivores
C) autotrophs
D) omnivores
E) marine scavengers

Question 5

How many trophic levels higher are wolves from grass on the food chain?

A) one
B) two
C) three
D) four

Question 6

The highest net primary productivity occurs:

A) in boreal forests
B) in tropical rainforests
C) in tropical grasslands
D) in mid-latitude grasslands

Question 7

A natural ecosystem operates on:

A) energy flow and matter flow
B) energy cycling and matter cycling
C) energy cycling and matter flow
D) energy flow and matter cycling

Question 8

Net primary productivity is the _____________.

A) biomass of all plants and animals
B) biomass produced by all the plants
C) biomass produced by all plants minus the mass lost through plant respiration
D) biomass produced by all plants and animals minus mass lost by their respiration

Question 9

The replacement of one type of vegetation by another type of vegetation is known as plant ____.

A) dynamics
B) succession
C) evolution
D) trophic replacement

Question 10

The type of plant succession initiated by a disturbance like fire is called:

A) primary
B) secondary
C) tertiary
D) none of these

Question 11

A species that has a wide range of tolerance to most environmental factors is:

A) very sensitive to climatic change
B) found in a wide geographic range
C) found in a narrow geographic range
D) easily stressed

Question 12

The term biomass in an ecosystem refers to the mass of:

A) all the plants
B) all the animals
C) trees
D) all of the above

Question 13

An invasion of exotic species to a region sometimes results in increased ___.

A) biomass
B) succession
C) competition
D) all of these
E) none of these

Question 14

Endemic species are often found:

A) on large continents
B) in coastal marshes
C) on isolated islands
D) in urban areas

Question 15

Plants that live in wet environments are classified as ___.

A) hypophytes
B) hygrophytes
C) waterphytes
D) epiphytes

Question 16

All these are a necessary part of a natural ecosystem EXCEPT:

A) producers
B) decomposers
C) abiotic substances
D) omnivores

Question 17

A climax community is the highest producer of biomass for an evolving ecosystem.

Question 18

The total energy of an ecosystem decreases at higher trophic levels.

Question 19

The total biomass of an ecosystem always decrease at higher trophic levels.

Question 20

Amensalism refers to:

A) survival of the fittest
B) two species interacting for mutual benefits
C) one species may inhibit the optimum growth of another
D) none of these

Question 21

In the Arctic, the limiting factor for growth is most likely:

A) wolves
B) precipitation
C) temperature
D) sunlight