Deck 2: Environmental Systems: Connections, Cycles, Flows and Feedback Loops

Question 1

A biological community consists of all

A) populations living and interacting in an area.
B) members of a species living in the same area.
C) living things on Earth.
D) populations of a given species.
E) members of a species living in the same biome.

Answer 1

populations living and interacting in an area.

Question 2

The first law of thermodynamics and the law of conservation of matter are similar in that

A) under normal circumstances neither energy nor matter is created nor destroyed.
B) both energy and matter are recycled through biological systems.
C) both energy and matter flow in a one-way path through biological systems.
D) under normal circumstances energy and matter are destroyed as they pass through biological systems.
E) The first law of thermodynamics and the law of conservation of matter are not similar.

Answer 2

under normal circumstances neither energy nor matter is created nor destroyed.

Question 3

Which of the following is not a molecule?

A) O₃
B) O₂
C) C
D) DNA
E) H₂O

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The relationship among atoms, elements, and compounds is most like the relationship among

A) bricks, brick houses, and large brick buildings.
B) grains of sand, rocks, and continents.
C) bricks, sidewalks, and paved roads.
D) ponds, lakes, and oceans.
E) grains of sugar, sugar, and sweetened iced tea.

Question 5

The length and complexity of a food web in the Arctic would be ____________ when compared to one in the tropical rainforest.

A) short and less complex
B) short and more complex
C) long and less complex
D) long and more complex
E) about the same

Question 6

The process of photosynthesis and cellular respiration are similar in that they both

A) capture energy in the form of sugar.
B) occur in all living organisms.
C) temporarily store energy in chemical bonds.
D) capture energy from the sun.
E) none of these are correct.

Question 7

Metabolism can be seen as the process of converting

A) energy into matter.
B) potential energy into kinetic energy.
C) kinetic energy into potential energy.
D) atoms into compounds.
E) matter into potential energy.

Question 8

An ecosystem consists of

A) a physical environment within which a biological community lives.
B) the species with which a biological community interacts.
C) a biological community and its physical environment.
D) the primary producers within a biological community.
E) all the species in a biological community.

Question 9

What implication(s) does the second law of thermodynamics have for biological systems?

A) Systems cannot create energy because energy is neither created nor destroyed.
B) With each transformation, less available energy is available to do work so older systems have less energy.
C) A constant supply of energy is necessary for maintenance of biological systems.
D) Energy is unlimited because it is used and reused by living organisms.
E) None of these is an implication of the second law of thermodynamics.

Question 10

The law of conservation of matter tells us that matter

A) can never be reused.
B) needs to be conserved or it will not be available for future generations.
C) can be destroyed.
D) can be conserved by some adaptive strategies.
E) is used repeatedly.

Question 11

Photosynthesis produces sugars from

A) water, carbon dioxide, and energy.
B) water, other sugars, and oxygen.
C) oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water.
D) carbon dioxide, enzymes, and energy.
E) oxygen, water, and energy.

Question 12

The process of cellular respiration

A) helps primary producers store energy accumulated by chloroplasts.
B) releases energy from chemical bonds of molecules such as glucose.
C) eliminates the need for enzymes in metabolism.
D) does not occur in primary producers.
E) does not occur in detritivores.

Question 13

The motion of a rock rolling downhill is known as __________ energy.

A) kinetic
B) latent
C) potential
D) electrical
E) mechanical

Question 14

What implication(s) does the law of conservation of matter have for humans?

A) We cannot create energy because it is neither created nor destroyed.
B) As matter is recycled it loses some of its integrity so we need to be careful when we dispose of goods.
C) Natural resources are unlimited because they are used and reused by living organisms.
D) Disposable goods are not going "away" when we throw them out.
E) All of these are implications of the law of conservation of matter.

Question 15

Which of the following statements would change this into a true statement: "Most, but not all, living organisms are made up of organic compounds"?

A) All living organisms are made up of organic compounds.
B) All living organisms are made up of inorganic compounds.
C) Most, but not all, living organisms are made up of inorganic compounds.
D) Most, but not all, living organisms are made up of organic elements.
E) Most, but not all, living organisms are made up of inorganic elements.

Question 16

Potential energy is _______ energy.

A) electrical
B) motion
C) stored
D) heat
E) latent

Question 17

Photosynthesis is the process of converting __________ into __________ energy.

A) chemical bond energy; kinetic
B) sunlight; chemical bond
C) solar energy; kinetic
D) solar electrical energy; heat
E) chemical bond energy; potential

Question 18

All members of a species that live in the same area at the same time make up a(an)

A) species.
B) ecosystem.
C) community.
D) population.
E) biome.

Question 19

Energy is the ability to

A) move objects.
B) become heated.
C) transfer heat from one object to another.
D) All of these are true.
E) Both move objects and transfer heat from one object to another are true.

Question 20

Producers rely on ____________ to release chemical energy and consumers rely on ____________ to release chemical energy.

A) cellular respiration; photosynthesis
B) cellular respiration; cellular respiration
C) photosynthesis; cellular respiration
D) photosynthesis; photosynthesis
E) the sun; the sun

Question 21

Which biogeochemical cycle lacks an atmospheric component?

A) The hydrologic cycle.
B) The carbon cycle.
C) The nitrogen cycle.
D) The phosphorous cycle.

Question 22

Photosynthesis is a step in the global nitrogen cycle.

Question 23

Which is not a characteristic of acids?

A) they readily give up hydrogen ions
B) they have a pH of less than 7
C) they react easily with living tissue
D) they react easily with nonliving minerals
E) all of these are characteristic of acids

Question 24

If you were to remove the top predator in a food web or food chain

A) there would be an increase in the number of producers.
B) the producer population will be depleted because there are more primary consumers or herbivores.
C) another predator would move in and take its place as top predator.
D) there would be no change in the exchange of energy since predators get very little (only 10%) of the energy from their food source.

Question 25

Living vegetation and the ocean are known as "carbon sinks" because

A) they are made of carbon.
B) they create carbon.
C) they destroy carbon.
D) they store carbon.
E) due to gravity, carbon is found closer to the ground.

Question 26

Water supplies contaminated with algae that produce toxins making the water unfit to drink is a result of the human impact to the

A) hydrologic cycle.
B) carbon cycle.
C) nitrogen cycle.
D) sulfur cycle.

Question 27

How do the organisms living around Yellowstone's hot springs get energy?

A) by eating alga
B) from the heat in the hot spring
C) from photosynthesis
D) from chemosynthesis
E) no organisms can live at the depths of black smokers

Question 28

Primary consumers are also known as

A) carnivores.
B) scavengers.
C) decomposers.
D) herbivores.
E) top carnivores

Question 29

Water expands when it crystallizes.

Question 30

Based on what you know of photosynthesis, what effect would clearcutting of large forests have on the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?

A) It would increase the level of carbon dioxide since less photosynthesis would be taking place.
B) The amount of carbon dioxide would be decreased since the trees would no longer be living.
C) There would be no change in carbon dioxide levels since humans put carbon dioxide into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels.
D) The amount of carbon dioxide would be the same since the reaction rates of photosynthesis and respiration are equal.

Question 31

_______________________ are characteristics of an entire system that are greater than the sum of its parts.

A) Open systems
B) Closed systems
C) Disturbances
D) Emergent properties
E) Feedback loops

Question 32

Which is the best example of a closed system?

A) a space station
B) a forest
C) a hotel
D) a lake
E) none of these are correct.

Question 33

Energy enters a system as sunlight and a producer is able to produce 10 kilograms of tissue. If eaten, the producer would produce about ______ kilograms of consumer tissue that would provide about __________ kilograms of tissue for a secondary consumer.

A) 100; 10
B) 10; 1
C) 100; 1
D) 1; 0.1
E) 10; 0.1

Question 34

Nitrogen is an essential component of amino acids and proteins.