Deck 33: The Biosphere

Question 1

Which of the following terms describes all organisms on Earth plus their environments?

A) biosphere
B) ecosystem
C) habitat
D) species

Answer 1

A

Question 2

All of the following except _____ are examples of the major terrestrial biomes.

A) grasslands
B) tropical forests
C) the polar ice caps
D) deserts

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Once released into the atmosphere, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

A) are quickly destroyed by ultraviolet light and are not a cause for environmental concern.
B) reduce the amount of ultraviolet light reaching Earth and negatively impact photosynthesis.
C) react with ozone to form carbon dioxide, an important greenhouse gas.
D) catalyze the conversion of ozone into molecular oxygen.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The biosphere is considered to consist of all living things and the physical environments where they live. To more conveniently characterize it, the biosphere is subdivided into

A) ecosystems.
B) biomes.
C) populations.
D) habitats.

Question 5

The biome characterized by warmth, rain, and a rich diversity of trees, shrubs, and vines is the

A) tundra.
B) chaparral.
C) tropical forest.
D) temperate forest.

Question 6

A rain shadow effect can develop when

A) an air mass rises up the windward slope of a mountain, cools, and drops its moisture before reaching the leeward side.
B) any two of the large atmospheric convection cells come together.
C) hot air blowing off a desert evaporates surface moisture from an adjacent biome.
D) an air mass moves over a large lake and picks up moisture from the water's surface.

Question 7

In the northern ocean basins, ocean currents generally flow _______ between continents.

A) from the equator to the South Pole
B) along the lines of longitude
C) counterclockwise
D) clockwise

Question 8

The figure below illustrates the rain shadow effect.
What best explains why the leeward side of the mountain experiences less rainfall?

A) The air mass simply has no more moisture; it was all released on the windward slope.
B) As the air flows downslope it is compressed and warmed, allowing it to not only retain its own moisture but often removing moisture from the soil beneath as well.
C) The rotation of the earth causes the air moving downslope to be displaced to the right, reducing rainfall behind the mountain.
D) All of the above contribute to the rain shadow effect.

Question 9

Which of the following best explains why a given biome is not found in each location where it could potentially exist?

A) Ecologists are presently unable to answer this question; biomes appear to develop randomly and are based on unknown factors.
B) Biomes consist of unique assemblages of organisms; each biome can occur at only one place on Earth.
C) Despite the appropriate climatic conditions, the bedrock at any given location may not produce the correct soils that would allow the biome to develop.
D) Where aquatic and terrestrial biomes meet, no type of biome is able to become established.

Question 10

Which of the following best explains how a single volcanic eruption in Hawaii can have an effect on the weather elsewhere in the world?

A) The ash thrown from the volcano enters Earth's atmosphere. Winds then carry it around the world, where it may interfere with the amount of sunlight that reaches Earth's surface.
B) The carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses released by the volcano cause global warming.
C) The humans that live in areas where volcanoes occur leave the area, thus changing the conditions in the areas to which they move.
D) The ash and lava combine to form a rain shadow, which is capable of affecting the weather great distances away.

Question 11

Species that are accidentally introduced to new geographic regions

A) can become serious pests.
B) usually quickly die out.
C) can form hybrids with native species.
D) all of the above

Question 12

Which of the following would best be considered an aspect of climate?

A) a thunderstorm
B) average seasonal rainfall
C) a hurricane
D) a blizzard

Question 13

Although the terms climate and weather are often used interchangeably, they are not the same thing; climate differs from weather in that

A) weather includes amount of rainfall per year and climate does not.
B) climate is based on biomes while weather is not.
C) climate describes long-term patterns while weather describes short-term fluctuations.
D) climates are described in terms of long-term average temperature, and weather is described by other factors, such as prevailing winds.

Question 14

Which of the following is not a major factor in shaping the climate of a local region?

A) the intensity of solar radiation
B) global patterns of atmospheric circulation
C) the dominant herbivorous organisms of a region
D) global patterns of oceanic circulation

Question 15

Hawaii is positioned near the center of the north Pacific current system; the general flow of ocean water to the south of Hawaii would be to the

A) east.
B) north.
C) south.
D) west.

Question 16

Imagine a situation where the prevailing winds blow across the ocean toward the western side of a mountain range. Where would you expect to find cactus as the most common plant?

A) near the shore on the western side of the mountains
B) inland on the western side of the mountains
C) on the eastern side of the mountains
D) on both sides of the mountains but higher up on slopes on the western side of the mountains

Question 17

One of the primary forces that cause atmospheric circulation is convection, which occurs when

A) the rotation of Earth exerts friction on the atmosphere.
B) warm air at the surface rises and displaces the cooler air above it.
C) winds blowing north or south are deflected to the left or right by the Earth's rotation.
D) the tilt of the Earth's axis of rotation causes the atmosphere to slide toward the equator.

Question 18

Which of the following factors does not represent a significant contribute to desert formation?

A) high temperature
B) lack of liquid water
C) salt content of the soil
D) rain shadows

Question 19

Which of the following would have the greatest climactic effect over the largest area?

A) the Missouri River
B) the Great Lakes
C) tropical rainforests
D) the Gulf Stream Current

Question 20

Chemicals used by humans have reduced the concentration of ozone (O₃) in the stratosphere over both the North and South poles. Why is the reduction of ozone dangerous to humans?

A) Localized changes in the Earth's atmosphere can alter the general global circulation and rainfall patterns.
B) The ozone layer absorbs ultraviolet light, a known mutagen; if it is reduced, the UV exposure at ground level will significantly increase.
C) Ozone is critical for the recycling of oxygen from carbon dioxide.
D) With reduced ozone concentrations the fixation of nitrogen gas to nitrate (NO3) will occur too slowly.

Question 21

Cuban tree frogs are a much greater problem in the United States than in Cuba; what hypothesis best suggests why?

A) Foods available to the tree frogs in the United States have a higher nutritional quality and represent an increased carrying capacity for frog populations.
B) The United States has a cooler climate, which allows the tree frogs to be more active and aggressive.
C) Tree frogs were introduced without the natural biological constraints they experience in Cuba and have become much more numerous in the United States.
D) Natural selection gradually improves a species competitive advantages; the immigrant frogs simply reflect these evolutionary changes.

Question 22

An ecosystem consists of both biotic (living) and _______ (nonliving) factors.

Question 23

Problems arise during an El Niño event when

A) warm surface water depleted of its nutrients flows toward the South American coast.
B) displaced organisms crowd into adjacent habitats.
C) warm surface waters evaporate water more rapidly, causing increased rainfall in every terrestrial biome.
D) ocean current systems reverse their flow directions and impede migrating marine fish and mammals.

Question 24

How can the latitudinal variation of Earth's average temperatures be explain?

A) The curvature of Earth places the equator closest to the sun and the polar latitudes farthest from the sun.
B) The ocean moderates Earth's climate; the greatest extent of ocean is within the tropical latitudes.
C) Moist air like that found in the tropics holds more heat than the dry air of the temperate and polar latitudes.
D) Sunlight strikes the equatorial latitudes nearly perpendicularly but strikes obliquely at the temperate and polar latitudes.

Question 25

The particular type of terrestrial biome that develops is strongly influenced by

A) the animal species living in the area.
B) temperature, rainfall, and altitude
C) other nearby biomes.
D) the plant species living in the area.

Question 26

An _______ studies the many levels of interaction between organisms and their environments.

Question 27

In which of the following would oxygen-rich surface water be most likely to sink seasonally to replenish deeper waters?

A) near the shores of the Atlantic Ocean
B) in Lake Superior
C) in a shallow lake near Miami, Florida
D) in the Tennessee River

Question 28

The waters along the coast of Peru are unusually cold considering its proximity to the equator. This cold temperature is due to the

A) melting icebergs that calve from Andean glaciers into Peruvian coastal waters.
B) rain shadow effect created by the Andes and the introduction of cool rainwater into the coastal zone.
C) Gulf Stream, a current that transports cold water from the north.
D) Peru Current, which transports cold water from the south.

Question 29

The biome occupied primarily by drought-resistant shrubs and characterized climatically by dry, hot summers and cool, wet winters is the

A) temperate forest.
B) chaparral.
C) boreal forest.
D) tundra.

Question 30

With respect to productivity, why are aquatic biomes more influenced by terrestrial biomes than vice versa?

A) Terrestrial biomes cover more of Earth's surface than aquatic biomes do.
B) Terrestrial biomes are unaffected by climate and thus are more stable than aquatic biomes.
C) Aquatic biomes are low in nutrients and rely on nutritional input from nearby terrestrial biomes.
D) The ocean covers nearly 70 percent of the Earth's surface, but the latitudes where temperature and rainfall are best for photosynthesis are terrestrial.

Question 31

The biosphere is defined as all the living organisms on Earth along with the _______ _______ in which they live.

Question 32

Understanding plate tectonics has helped ecologists make sense of ancient biomes; when land masses move in elevation or to different regions of the globe they experience climatic change.
Use the figure above to predict the change for a temperate deciduous forest as it moves south and elevates by 5,000 feet.

A) It becomes a tropical forest.
B) It becomes a grassland.
C) It becomes chaparral.
D) It becomes a boreal forest.

Question 33

Terrestrial biomes are generally named based on the

A) dominant types of plant life.
B) geographical location of the biome.
C) dominant types of animal life.
D) climate of the region.

Question 34

The _______ consists of all life and its surroundings.

Question 35

Collectively, the biosphere's major terrestrial and aquatic life zones are called

A) biomes.
B) ecosystems.
C) habitats.
D) populations.

Question 36

Which of the following factors has the least effect on aquatic biomes?

A) human actions
B) the number of rain shadows
C) climate
D) local terrestrial biomes

Question 37

The intertidal zone is somewhat unusual in comparison to the other aquatic biomes because

A) its primary production depends extensively on the photosynthetic output of mutualistic algae.
B) sand is one of the few aquatic substrates that regularly moves.
C) it experiences periodic submersion and exposure during the tidal cycle.
D) the mixing of salt and fresh water moderates the temperature more so than any other aquatic habitat.

Question 38

Which of the following features is not a defining characteristic of an aquatic biomes?

A) the dominant plants that live there
B) salt content
C) temperature
D) water depth

Question 39

The deep waters of tropical lakes are home to very few life forms. What best explains the low number of organisms in deep water?

A) Sunlight is unable to penetrate deeply into the water column.
B) Deep-water organisms are secondary consumers, but in tropical lakes there is very little primary production.
C) Rapid nutrient recycling in the warm upper layers of the lake utilize nutrients before they reach deeper waters.
D) The warm surface water is too buoyant to permit mixing with cooler, heavier water at depth, and results in low oxygen levels in deep water.

Question 40

During an El Niño event,

A) sea surface temperatures in the Pacific become significantly warmer.
B) a reversal of the Peru current brings Pacific Ocean water to the tip of South America where it mixes with Atlantic ocean water.
C) the Earth's rotational axis tilts beyond its normal 23.5°.
D) sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic become significantly warmer.

Question 41

The activities of _______ greatly affect the location and integrity of both aquatic and terrestrial biomes.

Question 42

Relatively little precipitation falls on the side of a mountain that faces away from prevailing winds because of the _____ ______ effect.

Question 43

A _______ biome forms in a region with low precipitation, generally less than 25 cm/year.

Question 44

When a predator is removed or displaced from its ecosystem generally only its preferred prey is affected.

Question 45

Introduced species that become serious pests are often called ________ species.

Question 46

The rotation of Earth causes winds to _______ as they move across the Earth's surface.

Question 47

Species that are accidentally or intentionally released into new geographic regions are called __________ species.

Question 48

The Earth's tropical areas are found at _______ latitudes than temperate areas.

Question 49

Atmospheric circulation occurs primarily within one of the _______ major convection cells.

Question 50

Climate is defined as the prevailing weather conditions in an area over a time period of thirty years or longer.

Question 51

The biosphere can be divided into major terrestrial and aquatic life zones called ______.

Question 52

An easterly wind blows from the east toward the west.

Question 53

Occupying more than 75 percent of Earth's surface, _______ biomes are clearly the dominant habitat for life on this planet.

Question 54

Meteorologists use the term _______ to describe the temperature, precipitation, wind speed, and other physical conditions at a specific place over a short period of time.

Question 55

_______ biomes are characterized by slowly flowing shallow water on lands that border larger bodies of water.

Question 56

Plants are able to use nitrogen in only two forms, nitrate and _______.

Question 57

Despite the absence of photosynthesis, the continuous settling of detritus makes the _______ zone of the coastal ocean a stable habitat.

Question 58

Climate is more predictable than weather.

Question 59

All cities at a given latitude have the same average temperature.

Question 60

Chaparral and grasslands are examples of ______ that receive moderate amount of rainfall.

Question 61

The four atmospheric convection cells significantly affect the amount of solar radiation reaching the Earth's equator.

Question 62

In the Northern Hemisphere most ocean currents run clockwise.

Question 63

Temperature differences drive air movement in the four atmospheric convection cells with warm, moist air sinking and cool, dry air rising.

Question 64

Deserts form only near the equator.

Question 65

When a predator is removed or displaced from its ecosystem, numerous additional species of both plants and animals can be affected.

Question 66

The Gulf Stream move about as much water as the average large river on land does.

Question 67

Rivers are not greatly influenced by bordering terrestrial biomes.