Deck 15: General Principles of Ecology

Question 1

Atmospheric scientists anticipate a 3.5°C temperature rise in the next century.If so,what impacts will such change bring?

A)Some plant and animal species will migrate to cooler locations,whereas others will become extinct.
B)There will be a positive impact on the world's agricultural systems as ocean evaporation and terrestrial rainfall increases.
C)Sea levels could rise high enough to improve the ease of navigability and shipping.
D)The polar ice caps will increase in size.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

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

A)a large thunderstorm
B)average rainfall
C)a shifting hurricane
D)a widespread blizzard

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

A)peaked around 1950 and have begun slowly decreasing since then.
B)are high but not higher than the highest estimated levels in the last 420,000 years.
C)are estimated to be higher than at any time in the past 420,000 years.
D)began decreasing when the burning of fossil fuels increased.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which study below focuses on the biosphere?

A)a study measuring how introducing wolves into an area affects the deer population
B)a study measuring how building a dam affects plants and animal populations in an area
C)a study measuring how human habitation has changed then population size of caribou in a decade
D)a study measuring how acidification of the oceans affects aquatic and terrestrial organisms

Question 5

What characteristics would you expect to find in species that will most likely prosper as projected climate change occurs?

A)organisms with narrow tolerances that can live in specialized environments
B)organisms that have broad tolerances that can live in a variety of habitats
C)organisms that live in very stable environments
D)organisms that can live only if they form mutualistic relationships with other organisms

Question 6

The Amazon rainforest

A)is an example of a biosphere.
B)is part of the biosphere.
C)contains one biosphere.
D)contains multiple biospheres.

Question 7

Cutting down trees in a forest can affect the flow of a river.This is an example of

A)a biotic factor affecting a biotic factor.
B)an abiotic factor affecting a biotic factor.
C)a biotic factor affecting an abiotic factor.
D)an abiotic factor affecting an abiotic factor.

Question 8

Increased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have contributed to acidification of the oceans.This change of the water's pH due to a change in CO₂ concentrations is an example of

A)how global warming has affected a biotic factor in the biosphere.
B)how global warming has affected an abiotic factor in the biosphere.
C)how human activities have affected a biotic factor in the biosphere.
D)how human activities have affected an abiotic factor in the biosphere.

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT a consequence of climate change?

A)increased droughts
B)decreased flooding
C)decreased biodiversity
D)increase in ocean temperature

Question 10

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

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

Question 11

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 12

Biology is the study of life.Would biologists study abiotic components in an ecosystem?

A)Yes,biologists study all living organisms regardless of size.
B)No,biologists study only those living organisms which have a significant effect on the ecosystem.
C)Yes,understanding living organisms includes understanding the nonliving factors on which they depend.
D)No,biologists only study living components of the ecosystem;the nonliving components would be studied by chemists or geologists.

Question 13

An individual's home is part of his

A)carbon footprint.
B)food footprint.
C)built-up land footprint.
D)goods-and-services footprint.

Question 14

The term biotic includes

A)all living organisms.
B)all nonliving components of the biosphere.
C)both living and nonliving components of the biosphere.
D)only those living and nonliving factors that interact with each other.

Question 15

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,whereas weather is not.
C)climate describes long-term patterns,whereas 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 16

Which of these changes would decrease one's food footprint the most?

A)cooking chicken instead of steak
B)cooking steak instead of chicken
C)cooking steak instead of vegetables
D)cooking vegetables instead of steak

Question 17

One consequence of climate change is

A)increased fires in the Amazon.
B)decreased fires in the Amazon.
C)increased clear-cutting in the Amazon.
D)decreased clear-cutting in the Amazon.

Question 18

Humans are

A)biotic factors within the biosphere.
B)biotic factors outside the biosphere.
C)abiotic factors within the biosphere.
D)abiotic factors outside the biosphere.

Question 19

Ecologists study

A)only biotic factors.
B)only abiotic factors.
C)both biotic and abiotic factors.
D)neither biotic nor abiotic factors.

Question 20

What will happen in the future if humans continue to impact natural systems at the same rates as today?

A)The environment is much too big and the human population much too small in comparison to have any serious consequences.
B)Human societies may experience severe disruptions in the services ecosystems provide that human societies depend on.
C)Some short-term changes may be experienced,but the magnitude will likely be no greater than those that have occurred naturally.
D)Some beneficial and necessary reductions in population growth will occur.

Question 21

How much has Earth's mean surface temperature increased since the early twentieth century?

A)0.1° C
B)0.8° C
C)1.1° C
D)1.8° C

Question 22

Which of the following activities would have the greatest effect in decreasing greenhouse gases?

A)decreasing logging
B)decreasing burning of forests
C)decreasing construction in cities
D)decreasing fossil fuel consumption

Question 23

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 24

Which of the following does NOT represent evidence for global warming?

A)The 10 hottest years on record have occurred since 1990.
B)In Europe,bird and butterfly species have shifted their ranges northward.
C)The hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica has been growing in size.
D)Plants in northern latitudes have increased the length of their growing seasons.

Question 25

Climate change will affect

A)animals but not plants.
B)all organisms in the biosphere.
C)natural organisms but not humans.
D)weak organisms but not strong organisms.

Question 26

The hydrologic cycle includes

A)biotic factors only.
B)abiotic factors only.
C)both biotic and abiotic factors.
D)neither biotic nor abiotic factors.

Question 27

Greenhouse gases warm the planet by

A)absorbing and dispersing solar radiation.
B)magnifying the energy of solar radiation.
C)producing and emitting infrared radiation.
D)absorbing and reemitting infrared radiation.

Question 28

An increase in average temperatures worldwide is called

A)climate change.
B)global warming.
C)the greenhouse effect.
D)weather pattern shift.

Question 29

Historically,an unusual aspect of the recent rise in CO₂ levels is that

A)there is no known mechanism for its occurrence.
B)CO₂ reacts so quickly with other compounds that it should not be occurring.
C)it has occurred relatively slowly.
D)it has occurred relatively rapidly.

Question 30

Which of the following choices is a major difference between human-caused global change and that which occurs naturally?

A)Human-caused global change occurs more quickly,leaving organisms less time to adapt.
B)Human-caused global changes are of a smaller scale than naturally caused changes.
C)Naturally caused global change occurs only at one place on Earth at a time.
D)Naturally caused global changes are limited to the terrestrial habitats where humans live.

Question 31

Why are there many deserts at 30° latitude?

A)Dry air rises at this latitude.
B)Dry air sinks at this latitude.
C)Dry air cools at this latitude.
D)Dry air warms at this latitude.

Question 32

Global warming

A)occurs mainly at the equator.
B)occurs mainly at the north pole.
C)occurs mainly at the south pole.
D)occurs equally at both the equator and the poles.

Question 33

Increasing carbon sinks will

A)increase global warming and decrease climate change.
B)increase global warming and increase climate change.
C)decrease global warming and increase climate change.
D)decrease global warming and decrease climate change.

Question 34

What causes the movement of warm air at the equator?

A)Warm air is less dense than cool air.
B)Warm air is denser than cool air.
C)Warm air is able to hold less water than cool air.
D)Warm air is able to hold more water than cool air.

Question 35

The graph below indicates that global temperatures have

A)varied randomly over the last 160 years.
B)shown no real trend over the last 160 years.
C)tended to increase,especially in the last 100 years.
D)tended to decrease over the last 160 years.

Question 36

Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are shown below.This graph was developed by measurements that were obtained by

A)direct measurements on Mauna Loa,Hawaii,and from air bubbles trapped in ice.
B)studies of the tissues of plants and their structures in response to differing CO₂ levels.
C)carbon isotope levels in sea floor sediments.
D)measurements from undisturbed bat droppings in caves on a South Pacific island.

Question 37

Not all gases are greenhouse gases.Which of the following would be a greenhouse gas?

A)a gas that participates in biogeochemical cycling in the biosphere
B)a gas that absorbs heat that radiates away from the Earth's surface
C)a gas that does not participate in biogeochemical cycling in the biosphere
D)a gas that does not absorb heat that radiates away from the Earth's surface

Question 38

Which term encompasses all the others?

A)climate change
B)global warming
C)greenhouse effect
D)weather patterns

Question 39

One of the major effects of an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide is

A)an increase in average global temperature.
B)cooler average temperatures as carbon dioxide reflects sunlight back into space.
C)an acceleration of the depletion of ozone.
D)an increase in the pH of oceans and lakes.

Question 40

In comparison to past estimates,extinction rates are currently high.Which of the following is the most plausible explanation?

A)Natural fluctuations in climate causes extinctions.
B)Continental drift is causing rapid changes in climate,which,in turn,causes extinctions.
C)Previous extinctions make survival of contemporary species more difficult.
D)Humans are affecting many aspects of the global environment.

Question 41

A friend notes that this winter was a particularly cold one and states that this is evidence that global warming is not occurring.Evaluate the validity of this statement.

Question 42

A skeptic states that climate change may affect polar bears and other organisms,but not humans.Evaluate the validity of this statement.

Question 43

Drought,species extinction,and melting of glaciers are all consequences of ________.

Question 44

Burning forests will

A)increase carbon levels in the atmosphere,which will increase climate change.
B)increase carbon levels in the atmosphere,which will decrease climate change.
C)decrease carbon levels in the atmosphere,which will increase climate change.
D)decrease carbon levels in the atmosphere,which will decrease climate change.

Question 45

Carbon dioxide levels are increasing because

A)human agriculture has greatly increased the amount of carbon dioxide given off by plants during respiration.
B)humans have begun releasing carbon that was formerly sequestered in fossil fuels into the atmosphere.
C)holes in the ozone layer have reduced the total amount of photosynthesis occurring in the biosphere.
D)the huge growth in the human population and domestic livestock has increased the amount of carbon dioxide being released through respiration.

Question 46

Nonliving factors in the biosphere are called ________ factors.

Question 47

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

Question 48

Describe how both biotic and abiotic factors can affect the population size of deer in a forest.

Question 49

As a group,the ________ gases allow light energy to pass through the atmosphere but absorb heat energy as it passes through the atmosphere to outer space.

Question 50

During a debate on sustainability,a presenter states that humans do not need to protect the planet because our technology puts us outside of the biosphere.Evaluate the validity of this statement.

Question 51

The term ________ describes the process of water released to the atmosphere from plants.

Question 52

Biodiesel fuel is produced from oils synthesized by and harvested from living plants.How does the use of biodiesel fuel compare to the use of fossil fuels with respect to the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere?

A)There is no difference;the combustion of the fuel produces carbon dioxide regardless of its source.
B)It is beneficial;converting plant material to biodiesel permanently traps carbon dioxide and prevents its entry to the atmosphere.
C)It is detrimental;because biodiesel produces lower mileage,more must be burned,causing a proportional increase in carbon dioxide release.
D)It is beneficial;because living plants are the source of the biodiesel,burning it simply represents nutrient recycling.

Question 53

Describe how burning fossil fuels can warm the planet.

Question 54

Scientists predict that current increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations will cause temperatures on Earth to rise,a phenomenon known as ________.

Question 55

Describe how a decrease in plant populations can affect the water cycle.

Question 56

Carbon dioxide makes up approximately ________ percent of Earth's atmosphere.

A)94
B)44
C)4
D)0.04

Question 57

Match the term to the correct example.
a.biotic
b.abiotic
c.biosphere
d.weather
e.climate
a redwood tree

Question 58

Climate change increases fires in the rainforest.This will

A)decrease climate change as carbon sinks are formed.
B)decrease climate change as carbon reservoirs are released.
C)further increase climate change as carbon sinks are formed.
D)further increase climate change as carbon reservoirs are released.

Question 59

What best describes the relationship between cutting down forests and changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels?

A)Herbivore populations decline in the absence of forests,and without their respiration less carbon dioxide is recycled into the atmosphere.
B)The carbon dioxide used by the plants for cellular respiration would all be released into the atmosphere at once.
C)Trees naturally die and decompose,but when turned into lumber their carbon is prevented from recycling back to the atmosphere.
D)In the absence of forest plants,there would be less carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere for use during photosynthesis.

Question 60

The single most significant human-caused contribution (about 75 percent)to the worldwide increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide is

A)acid rain and the subsequent chemical reactions that release carbon dioxide from the soil.
B)nitrogen supplements that accelerate decompositional activity and recycle carbon before it can become sequestered in the soil.
C)the burning of fossil fuels and the subsequent emission of carbon dioxide.
D)deforestation and the subsequent decline in photosynthesis.

Question 61

Match the term to the correct example.
a.biotic
b.abiotic
c.biosphere
d.weather
e.climate
a single storm

Question 62

Match the term to the correct example.
a.biotic
b.abiotic
c.biosphere
d.weather
e.climate
the average rainfall of a region

Question 63

Match the term to the correct example.
a.biotic
b.abiotic
c.biosphere
d.weather
e.climate
Earth

Question 64

Match the term to the correct example.
a.biotic
b.abiotic
c.biosphere
d.weather
e.climate
a rock formation