Deck 5: Biomes and Biodiversity

Question 1

You have just been beamed into a biome that has relatively stable temperatures and abundant rainfall. Along with your laser gun, your compass, and rain poncho, you have a graph of precipitation and temperature similar to the one above. Which letter marks the area you are in?

A) A
B) B
C) C
D) D
E) E

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Historically, the greatest threat to grasslands has been

A) damage by off-road vehicles.
B) air pollution.
C) conversion to farmland.
D) global climate change.
E) mineral extraction.

Answer 2

conversion to farmland.

Question 3

Ecological diversity is a measure of the number of

A) different kinds of organisms within a community or ecosystem.
B) different versions of the same gene in an ecological community.
C) sizes, colors, and shapes of organisms within an ecological community.
D) niches, trophic levels, and ecological processes of a biological community.
E) different species in an ecosystem.

Answer 3

niches, trophic levels, and ecological processes of a biological community.

Question 4

Which of the following statements about trade in endangered species is false?

A) The principal importers of endangered species are developed countries.
B) Overharvesting affects animals more than plants.
C) People who say they are animal lovers are the main contributors to the trade.
D) The principal exporters of endangered species are developing countries.
E) None of these statements are false.

Question 5

The main reason for the current high rate of animal extinctions is

A) uncontrolled sport hunting in the developed world.
B) commercial harvesting of wildlife in Africa.
C) drought conditions caused by the greenhouse effect.
D) habitat destruction worldwide.
E) None of these by themselves cause high rates of animal extinctions, but together they combine to cause high rates.

Question 6

In general, funding for recovery programs is given to species that are

A) in the most danger.
B) the most important.
C) most well known.
D) most numerous.
E) keystone species.

Question 7

One biome type that has not been as badly threatened as other biomes is

A) arctic tundra.
B) tropical rainforests.
C) grasslands.
D) temperate forests.
E) southern pine forests.

Question 8

Habitat fragmentation usually leads to a(n)

A) decrease in biodiversity.
B) reduction in the number of introduced species.
C) increase in biodiversity due to the isolated populations.
D) increase in the number of introduced species.
E) more stable environment.

Question 9

Which of the following is true?

A) Humans may have been causing extinctions thousands of years ago, but our impact has recently increased.
B) Humans are responsible for many of the mass extinctions in the geologic record.
C) Humans only began causing extinctions in the past 150 years.
D) Humans have never had significant impact on species extinctions until the past four decades.
E) Humans have been causing extinctions for thousands of years and we are still causing extinctions at about the same rate.

Question 10

In contrast with the ______________, the soil of the ______________ is more nutrient-rich and this type of biome has fewer insects, parasites, and fungal diseases. Therefore, in many places, these areas are highly endangered.

A) temperate grasslands; tropical seasonal forest
B) tropical rainforest; tropical seasonal forest
C) tundra; boreal forests
D) tropical seasonal forest; tropical rainforest
E) boreal forests; tundra

Question 11

The total number of living species is probably

A) about 450,000.
B) between 500,000 and 1 million.
C) between 3 million and 50 million.
D) between 75 and 95 million.
E) at least 300 million.

Question 12

Use the following graph to answer the question.

Temperate forest biomes would fall in the area marked by the letter

A) A
B) B
C) C
D) D
E) E

Question 13

Species diversity is most concentrated in

A) North America and Europe.
B) South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia.
C) South Africa, Australia, and Europe.
D) Oceania, East Asia, and Antarctica.
E) North America, South America, and Africa

Question 14

The area marked "A" has a

A) wide precipitation range and narrow temperature range.
B) narrow precipitation and temperature range.
C) wide precipitation and temperature range.
D) wide temperature range and narrow precipitation range.
E) varying temperature and narrow precipitation range.

Question 15

Approximately how many species have been identified on Earth?

A) about 500,000
B) a little less than 1 million
C) about 1.7 million
D) a little more than 10 million
E) about 30 million

Question 16

The main reason that there are relatively few invertebrates categorized as endangered species is because

A) we consider other groups, such as mammals, to be more interesting and desirable.
B) worldwide there are relatively few invertebrates when compared to plants.
C) it is extremely difficult to identify and count invertebrates.
D) Since there are 532 invertebrates considered endangered, none of these are true.
E) invertebrates are more numerous and the relative percentages are similar.

Question 17

Use the following graph to answer the question.

Desert biomes would fall in the area marked by the letter

A) A
B) B
C) C
D) D
E) E

Question 18

Most of the species that are yet undiscovered are probably

A) mammals and reptiles.
B) birds and fish.
C) fungi.
D) invertebrates.
E) multicellular plants.

Question 19

The location of specific biomes can be predicted based on

A) the Coriolis Effect.
B) the Second Law of Thermodynamics.
C) precipitation and temperature.
D) seasonal variations in sunspots.
E) large landforms in the area.

Question 20

We are usually referring to species diversity when we talk about biodiversity. However, genetic diversity is also important to ecological systems because diverse genes

A) increase the efficiency and productivity of a system because all niches are filled.
B) allow an individual organism to adapt to its changing environment.
C) are necessary for a population to evolve in a changing environment.
D) lead to diverse ecological processes in a biological community.
E) are important for a balanced ecosystem.

Question 21

Tropical moist forests have high species diversity because they have highly developed, diverse niche opportunities and habitats.

Question 22

The objective of a species recovery plan is to

A) interbreed threatened species with common species.
B) increase an endangered species population until it is no longer endangered.
C) invest corporate capital in species maintenance.
D) study the species for a better understanding of its role in the biological community.
E) protect the species to aid other organisms and resources in the ecosystem.

Question 23

Humid tropical forests have extraordinary biological diversity

A) because of the very fertile tropical soils.
B) because rainfall dissolves soil nutrients and makes them available to plants.
C) because water is not a limiting factor.
D) despite a complete absence of nutrients in the environment.
E) despite the poor, weathered soils.

Question 24

What is unique about the Mediterranean climate area biome?

A) It is a highly desirable place to live.
B) It is only found in the Mediterranean area.
C) It has very poor soil but supports an extremely diverse array of species.
D) It has a large total area.
E) It contains a high number of unique species.

Question 25

The biome that is most at risk due to over-harvest of organisms might be the

A) marine biome.
B) tropical rainforest biome.
C) tundra biome.
D) desert biome.

Question 26

What biome is characterized by moderate temperatures and abundant precipitation?

A) chaparral
B) tropical rainforest
C) temperate rainforest
D) taiga
E) No biome has moderate temperatures and abundant precipitation.

Question 27

The giant panda is considered to be a _________________ species.

A) keystone
B) umbrella
C) flagship
D) indicator
E) principal

Question 28

Estuaries contain a mix of fresh and salt water.

Question 29

Kudzu vine is a Japanese plant that was introduced without negative consequences into the United States to control erosion.

Question 30

The primary difference between a bog and a fen is

A) fens are fed by groundwater, bogs are fed by rainfall.
B) fens have many trees, bogs have none.
C) fens are always on the coast, bogs are inland.
D) All of these are differences between fens and bogs.
E) There are no differences between fens and bogs, they are synonymous.

Question 31

Which of the following is not a benefit of high biodiversity?

A) aesthetic and cultural value
B) potential medicinal value
C) potential sources of food
D) ecological value
E) All of these are benefits of biodiversity.

Question 32

In terms of species diversity and complexity, a coral reef would be similar to which terrestrial biome?

A) Savannah
B) Arctic tundra
C) Tropical rainforest
D) Chaparral