Deck 16: Ecosystems and Biomes

Question 1

Which of the following is false?

A) niche - function of a life-form within a given environment
B) ecosystem - a self-regulating association of living plants and animals and their nonliving environment
C) community - specific location of an organism
D) symbiotic relationships - mutually beneficial relationship

Answer 1

C

Question 2

________ is the specific physical location of an organism, whereas the function, or occupation, of a life-form within a given community is called its ________.

A) Site; situation
B) Niche; habitat
C) Habitat; niche
D) Community; ecosystem

Answer 2

C

Question 3

A self-regulating association of living plants and animals and their nonliving physical environment is termed a/an

A) ecosystem.
B) ecotone.
C) community.
D) niche.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The study of the interrelationships between organisms and their environment is called

A) biology.
B) ecology.
C) pedology.
D) biogeography

Question 5

There are fig trees in the tropical rain forest that are pollinated by only one species of wasp, and these wasps are entirely dependent upon the one species of fig tree they pollinate for their food supply. This is an example of a(n) ________ relationship.

A) symbiotic
B) opportunistic
C) parasitic

Question 6

The interacting populations of living animals and plants in an area form a convenient subdivision in nature described as a/an

A) ecosystem.
B) ecotone.
C) community.
D) niche.

Question 7

A study of the dietary requirements of African elephants in a savanna environment, and the role the elephants play in that environment, would be an example of a topic studied in

A) biogeography.
B) ecology.
C) pedology.
D) plant biology.

Question 8

As the rain forest is cleared, the amount of ________ available for organisms to live in is decreased, and this reduces the populations of plants and animals living there-thereby affecting plant and animal ________.

A) habitat; communities
B) communities; habitat
C) niches; communities
D) communities; habitats

Question 9

The study of the spatial aspects of ecology and the distribution of plants and animals is called

A) biology.
B) ecology.
C) geoarchaeology.
D) biogeography.

Question 10

Lichen is an example of

A) a complex plant.
B) a complex animal.
C) algae and fungus living together in a mutually beneficial arrangement.
D) algae providing structure and support for parasitic fungus.

Question 11

A study of the spatial distribution of savanna biomes and the environmental factors that control that distribution would be an example of a topic studied in

A) biogeography.
B) ecology.
C) pedology.
D) plant biology.

Question 12

Given the way in which humans are altering the environment, destroying species, using resources, and generating wastes, our relationship with planet Earth is akin to that of a ________ relationship.

A) symbiotic
B) mutualistic
C) parasitic

Question 13

Which of the following is $\underline { \text { not } }$ part of an ecosystem?

A) Earth's crust
B) flowers
C) carbon and nitrogen
D) mountain tops
E) All of these are parts of ecosystems.

Question 14

Which of the following is correct?

A) There is only one community within each distinct ecosystem.
B) An ecosystem is the interaction of many communities with the abiotic physical components of their environment.
C) Within a single lake there is usually only one community.
D) By definition, a community includes abiotic factors.

Question 15

Which of the following is $\underline { \text { not } }$ a biotic component of an ecosystem?

A) plants
B) animals
C) bacteria
D) mineral nutrients

Question 16

In the tropical rain forests of South America, a species of frog lives its life cycle in small "ponds" of water caught in large leaves in the tops of trees. The frogs, and the animals they interact with, constitute a/an ________, and the rain forest itself-with all its biotic and abiotic components-constitutes a/an ________.

A) habitat; community
B) community; ecosystem
C) ecosystem; niche
D) ecosystem; community

Question 17

An ecosystem is a/an ________ system in terms of energy, and a/an ________ system in terms of matter.

A) open; open
B) open; closed
C) closed; open
D) closed; closed

Question 18

The fact that no two organisms can occupy the same niche successfully in a stable community is a statement of which general ecological principle?

A) trophic law
B) habitat bifurcation
C) niche rules
D) competitive exclusion

Question 19

Cow birds often land on the backs of cows and pick off ticks and other creatures that feed on the cow. Thus, the birds benefit the cow by removing harmful or irritating bugs, and the cow benefits the bird by providing a food source location. In this situation, the relationship between the ticks and the cow is ________, and that between the cow and the bird is ________.

A) symbiotic; parasitic
B) parasitic; symbiotic
C) symbiotic; mutualistic
D) mutualistic; symbiotic

Question 20

Elephants in the savanna regions of Africa dig holes in dried up river beds to reach water lying just below the surface. These holes provide drinking water for other animals as well. So, without the elephants, many animals might otherwise die from lack of water during the dry season. The location in which the elephants live is an example of a/n ________, and the role they play in creating water holes is an example of a ________.

A) niche; habitat
B) habitat; niche
C) community; niche
D) ecosystem; habitat

Question 21

Light, temperature, water, and climate are examples of

A) biotic ecosystem components.
B) abiotic system components.
C) factors unrelated to photosynthesis.

Question 22

Photosynthesis involves

A) the release of carbon dioxide in a process using sunlight.
B) the union of carbon dioxide and water under the influence of sunlight, and the release of oxygen.
C) a process known as respiration.
D) important reactions within the stems and roots of plants.

Question 23

Today there are over 270,000 species of plants with conductive tissues and material flow systems known as

A) blue-green algae.
B) cyanobacteria.
C) animals.
D) vascular plants.

Question 24

The greatest pool of carbon on Earth resides in

A) the oceans.
B) living matter.
C) the atmosphere.
D) the lithosphere.

Question 25

Respiration involves

A) the use of heat energy to react carbon dioxide with water to produce water and oxygen.
B) a chemical reaction between oxygen and carbohydrates that produces heat, carbon dioxide, and water.
C) the use of light energy to react carbon dioxide with water to produce carbohydrates and oxygen.
D) the use of light energy to react carbon dioxide with oxygen to produce water and oxygen.

Question 26

Which of the following expresses the correct relationship?

A) chloroplasts are chlorophyll
B) chlorophyll is in chloroplasts
C) guard cells control stomata
D) both A and C
E) both B and C

Question 27

Plants on the floor of a rain forest often have very dark-green leaves. This coloration is due to the presence of ________ amounts of chlorophyll in the leaves, which is necessitated by the fact that the amount of light reaching the forest floor is ________.

A) large; substantial
B) large; very limited
C) small; substantial
D) small; very limited

Question 28

The rate at which energy is stored in organic substances, such as in plants, is

A) photosynthetic rate.
B) respiration rate.
C) primary productivity.
D) sugar detention.

Question 29

The openings in the surfaces of leaves are known as ________, and the cells that control the size of the openings are called ________.

A) chlorophyll; stomata
B) stomata; guard cells
C) guard cells; stomata
D) stomata; chlorophyll

Question 30

Relative to the area surrounding a forest, which of the following is false regarding a forest-floor microclimate?

A) It is cooler in summer.
B) It is windier.
C) It is more humid.
D) It has moderated temperatures.

Question 31

The break-even point between the production and consumption of organic material within a plant is termed the

A) compensation point.
B) net leaf rate.
C) primary productivity.
D) photosynthetic status.

Question 32

Alexander von Humboldt first proposed the idea that plant communities change with altitude just as they do with latitude. This is known as the

A) altitude-latitude hypothesis.
B) vegetation similarity theory.
C) life zone concept.
D) "plant fallacy hypothesis" since the idea was later disproved.

Question 33

Trees evolved the ability to grow tall because of

A) poorly regulated growth hormone production.
B) the need for space to spread their branches.
C) competition for sunlight.
D) competition for oxygen.

Question 34

Which of the following results from the competition for sunlight in a plant community?

A) varying heights of plants
B) leaf orientation
C) plant structure
D) all of these

Question 35

The highest net primary productivity potential is in a

A) tropical seasonal forest.
B) savanna.
C) field of cultivated land in Canada.
D) tropical rain forest.

Question 36

Net primary productivity is

A) measured in tons per day.
B) measured in pounds per ton.
C) measured in grams of fixed carbon per square meter per year.
D) estimated based on plant sizes.

Question 37

Near the subtropical high pressure centers, net primary productivity is limited by

A) sunlight.
B) lack of rainfall.
C) cold temperatures.
D) all of these

Question 38

In the Northern Hemisphere midlatitudes, north-facing slopes tend to be ________ vegetated than south-facing slopes because ________.

A) less; they are colder
B) less; they receive less sunlight
C) more; they are more moist
D) more; they are less windy

Question 39

Which of the following life-zone lists is in the correct sequence from lowest to highest elevation?

A) tropical rain forest, needleleaf forest, temperate deciduous forest, tundra
B) tundra, tropical rain forest, needleleaf forest, temperate deciduous forest, ice and snow
C) temperate deciduous forest, ice and snow, needleleaf forest, tropical rain forest
D) tropical rain forest, temperate deciduous forest, needleleaf forest, tundra, and ice and snow

Question 40

Chlorophyll ________ green light.

A) reflects
B) absorbs
C) transmits
D) uses

Question 41

What would happen death or decay did $\underline {\text { not } }$ occur?

A) The decomposer component of the food chain would not be operating.
B) The wastes generated by organisms would not decompose and, consequently, the surface of Earth would become covered with nondecaying animal wastes.
C) Nutrient cycling would stop, so soils would eventually lose their fertility, plants would not be able to grow, and the food chain would collapse.
D) all of these
E) A and B only

Question 42

Ecosystems are generally structured in a complex network of interconnected feeding patterns in which consumers participate at several different points. This pattern is called a

A) food web.
B) niche order.
C) trophic place.
D) food chain.

Question 43

Bears eat both plants and animals; therefore, they are

A) herbivores.
B) carnivores.
C) omnivores.
D) specialists.

Question 44

Loss of phytoplankton in the ocean would constitute a/n ________ effect on the marine ecosystem because ________.

A) insignificant; krill are located high on the food chain
B) insignificant; krill are located low on the food chain
C) significant; krill are located high on the food chain
D) significant; krill are located low on the food chain

Question 45

Which of the following is $\underline {\text { false }}$ regarding nitrogen?

A) The atmosphere contains 78.084 percent nitrogen by volume.
B) The key link in the nitrogen cycle is bacterial action.
C) Atmospheric nitrogen is accessible directly to most organisms.
D) Nitrogen is very important to organisms.

Question 46

The fact that the majority of people are ________ in the food chain means that they can obtain the ________ dose of pollutants from the food they eat.

A) primary consumers; smallest
B) primary consumers; largest
C) top carnivores; smallest
D) top carnivores; largest

Question 47

The different spatial distribution of coast redwoods and red maple trees illustrates the operation of

A) limiting factors.
B) competitive exclusions.
C) management through logging.
D) symbiosis.

Question 48

Which of the following is true of generalists and specialists?

A) A generalist can eat many different types of food.
B) A specialist can never play a significant role in an ecosystem because it is "so specialized."
C) A specialist is less likely to become extinct than a generalist if the environment is disturbed because the specialist, by definition, is specially adapted to survive.
D) All of the above are true.

Question 49

Carbon dioxide is produced by all of the following except

A) plant and animal respiration.
B) photosynthesis.
C) volcanic activity.
D) fossil fuel combustion of industry.

Question 50

Which of the following is $\underline {\text { false }}$ regarding synthetic fertilizers?

A) Most contain nitrogen compounds.
B) Their rate of production is doubling very quickly-every eight years.
C) The amount of compounds in these fertilizers far exceeds the ability of bacteria to break them down-thereby contributing to pollution of surface water.
D) These fertilizers not only increase soil fertility, they also act to build the soil through the direct addition of organic matter.

Question 51

The landscape devastated by the eruption of Mount Saint Helens

A) is recovering through primary succession.
B) is recovering through secondary succession.
C) is now a climax community.
D) will never recover.
E) only A and B

Question 52

Which of the following would be true if 100 people could be fed from the grain produced on an acre of land?

A) 90 people could be fed if the grain were first fed to the cows-which were then fed to the people
B) 50 people could be fed if the grain were first fed to the cows-which were then fed to the people
C) 10 people could be fed if the grain were first fed to the cows-which were then fed to the people
D) There is no difference in the number of people that could be fed under each condition.

Question 53

Energy flows through an ecosystem along a circuit called the

A) food web.
B) niche order.
C) trophic place.
D) food chain.

Question 54

The net dry weight of organic matter that feeds a food chain is

A) not related to net primary productivity.
B) derived from respiration.
C) biomass-or the useful amount of chemical energy.
D) produced to a greater extent in tundra environments than in savannas.

Question 55

Which of the following is $\underline {\text { false }}$ regarding the hypoxic zone (Dead Zone) off the coast of Louisiana?

A) By 2008 it stretched across the entire Texas Gulf Coast.
B) Dead zones worldwide cover 250,000 square km (94,600 square miles).
C) The agricultural, feedlot, and fertilizer industries deny any connection between their nutrient runoff and the hypoxic zone.
D) The hypoxic zone is deadly to marine organisms due to its toxically high oxygen levels.

Question 56

Which of the following lists gives the correct sequence of trophic levels in a food chain?

A) autotrophs, heterotrophs, decomposers
B) producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, tertiary consumers
C) consumers, producers, decomposers
D) omnivores, carnivores, herbivores, autotrophs
E) Both A and B are correct.

Question 57

In a food chain, toxic chemicals tend to accumulate and concentrate most in the

A) top carnivore.
B) autotrophs.
C) primary consumers.
D) primary producers.

Question 58

Which of the following is true of evolution?

A) It is unrelated to natural selection.
B) It is unrelated to the concept of biodiversity.
C) It is a scientific theory.
D) It is not driven by differential reproduction.

Question 59

In nature, approximately ________ of the calories in plant matter survive from the primary to the secondary trophic (feeding, nutrition) level.

A) 10 percent
B) 30 percent
C) 50 percent
D) 90 percent

Question 60

The landscape on the fresh lava flows from the Kileua volcano

A) is recovering through secondary succession.
B) has formed a pioneer community as succession begins.
C) is now a climax community.
D) will never recover.

Question 61

Which of the following is true regarding the practice of setting well-regulated fires in forests?

A) This practice was important to primitive peoples in managing their game yields.
B) This practice may have been important to the formation of grasslands worldwide.
C) This practice is called fire ecology.
D) This practice has been used by the U.S. Forest Service since the 1940s.
E) All of these are true.

Question 62

The practice of repeatedly planting huge acreages of land in a single crop, such as wheat, ________ stability, and it makes an area ________ susceptible to disease.

A) increases; more
B) increases; less
C) decreases; more
D) decreases; less

Question 63

Which of the following is false regarding biomes?

A) Biomes are subdivisions of ecosystems.
B) The term "biome" applies to both terrestrial and marine associations of plants and animals.
C) Biomes are named for the dominant vegetation found in them.
D) Biomes can be divided into units called formation classes.

Question 64

In the history of planet Earth, there have been ________ major extinctions.

A) 2
B) 6
C) 13
D) an uncounted, but very large, number of

Question 65

Large vegetation units (forest, woodland, grassland, shrubland, desert, and tundra), i.e., the $\underline { \text { floristic components } }$ of a terrestrial ecosystem, are called

A) formation classes.
B) biomes.
C) plant life-form designations.
D) ecosystems.

Question 66

A biome is

A) an ecosystem characterized by related animal populations.
B) a large, stable terrestrial ecosystem or aquatic ecosystem.
C) the smallest local designation of a community.
D) a natural community that is unaffected by human activity.

Question 67

An undisturbed ecosystem will most likely have the greatest amount of biomass at

A) an early stage.
B) an intermediate stage.
C) a mature stage.

Question 68

Which of the following combinations of practices would promote sustainable agriculture?

A) monocultures; use of synthetic fertilizers
B) monocultures; use of organic (natural) fertilizers
C) multiple cropping; use of synthetic fertilizers
D) multiple cropping; use of organic (natural) fertilizers

Question 69

Which of the following would be the first to appear following the abandonment of farmland in an oak-hickory forest?

A) hickory trees
B) oak trees
C) annual weeds
D) bushes

Question 70

A lake that has undergone eutrophication would be

A) clear and low in nutrients.
B) clear and high in nutrients.
C) low in transparency and low in nutrients.
D) low in transparency and high in nutrients.

Question 71

If a lava flow completely destroys pre-existing plant communities, what type of succession will occur first?

A) primary
B) secondary
C) tertiary
D) any of the above

Question 72

The loss of species throughout the world constitutes a loss of biodiversity, which represents a ________ in ecosystem stability and a ________ in productivity.

A) gain; gain
B) gain; loss
C) loss; gain
D) loss; loss

Question 73

Which of the following is false regarding biomes?

A) They are characterized by specific plant and animal communities and their related ecosystems.
B) They are usually named on the basis of their dominant vegetation.
C) Ten major global terrestrial ecosystems are identified in the text.
D) They are usually named for the specific climatic zone in which they occur.

Question 74

Which if the following is false regarding the possible effects of climate change?

A) Some spring events are happening four weeks earlier than they did 50 years ago.
B) Climates could shift 100-400 km (60-250 mi) poleward in the next 100 years.
C) The rate of climate change has been the same from the Tertiary Period until today.
D) Sugar maple, beech, and hemlock trees are predicted to disappear from the U.S., except in Maine, as they move northward into eastern Canada.

Question 75

Which of the following does $\underline { \text { not } }$ usually occur with ecological succession?

A) the establishment of less complex ecosystems
B) an increase in biodiversity
C) an increase in stability
D) modification of the physical environment
E) None of these occur.

Question 76

Ecotones are

A) usually wide transition zones.
B) zones of shared traits.
C) sharply defined.
D) all of these
E) A and B only

Question 77

Which of the following is true regarding possible impacts on ecosystems that might occur as a result of climate change?

A) Studies have demonstrated there will be no impact on plant distributions.
B) The transition between prairie grasslands and northern forests is now in central Nebraska and is unchanging.
C) The transition between prairie grasslands and northern forests is expected to move northward with increasing temperatures.
D) Beech trees in eastern North America will not change in distribution.

Question 78

A forest has ________ inertial stability and ________ resilience.

A) high; high
B) high; low
C) low; low
D) low; high

Question 79

Which of the following did $\underline { \text { not } }$ occur as a result of the 1988 Yellowstone fires?

A) About 20 percent of the total acres in the park were severely burned.
B) A task force report led to a new policy of full fire suppression in all forests.
C) A conclusion was reached that previous fire suppression efforts actually made the fire worse than it would have otherwise been.
D) A task force report was prepared that endorsed continued fire ecology practices.

Question 80

Why does rapid climate change pose a threat to organisms?

A) Plants may be unable to recolonize an area fast enough to survive.
B) Habitat loss will occur for plants.
C) Habitat loss will occur for animals that depend on plant ecosystems that are no longer intact.
D) Temperature limiting factors may cause some ecosystems and communities to be weakened.
E) all of these