Deck 34: The Biosphere: an Introduction to Earths Diverse Environments

Question 1

Except near hydrothermal vents, the communities of the oceanic aphotic zone get their energy mainly from

A) photosynthesis by local phytoplankton.
B) photosynthesis by local zooplankton.
C) oxidation of sulfur by sulfur bacteria.
D) organic matter sinking from the photic zone.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

All of Earth that is inhabited by life is called the

A) atmosphere.
B) ecosystem.
C) biosphere.
D) biome.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which ocean zone describes the interface between ocean and land?

A) intertidal
B) pelagic
C) benthic
D) aphotic

Answer 3

A

Question 4

While on a walk through a forest, you notice birds in trees, earthworms in the soil, and fungi on plant litter on the forest floor. Based on your observations, you conclude that each of these organisms occupies a different

A) habitat.
B) ecosystem.
C) biosphere.
D) biome.

Question 5

A "rain shadow" describes

A) shadows cast by the mist and clouds that hover above the crest of a mountain range.
B) forested conditions of mountain ranges.
C) mountainous areas where dry descending air absorbs moisture and there is little precipitation.
D) dark-colored chaparral vegetation that grows on the mountain ranges.

Question 6

Which environmental factor has a direct effect on an organism's rate of water loss by evaporation?

A) insect biodiversity
B) wind
C) plant pollination rates
D) algae abundance

Question 7

Which could be a topic for a community-level study of a hydrothermal vent ecosystem?

A) the genetic relationships between crabs at the vent and other areas of the ocean
B) the evolution of a certain species of bacteria in response to the changing composition of the water emitted by the hydrothermal vents
C) the composition of the water emitted by hydrothermal vents
D) the interactions between crabs and other species near hydrothermal vents

Question 8

Most of the world's deserts are located at latitudes where

A) hot, dry air moving toward the equator rises.
B) hot, dry air moving toward the poles rises.
C) cold, dry air moving toward the poles descends.
D) cold, dry air moving toward the equator descends.

Question 9

What is the primary reason that a hot spring will kill a fish placed in it but encourage the growth of certain bacteria?

A) The high temperatures destroy most of the fish's enzymes, but the specialized bacteria have enzymes adapted to these temperatures.
B) Fish cannot feed directly on bacteria, but the bacteria can feed on dead fish.
C) At hot spring temperatures, the metabolic activity of the fish's cells is so rapid that it runs out of food reserves and dies; the bacteria feed on the dead fish.
D) Bacterial growth at high temperatures is so rapid that it deoxygenates the water and kills the fish.

Question 10

In many dense forests, plants living near the ground level engage in intense competition for

A) oxygen.
B) water.
C) carbon dioxide.
D) sunlight.

Question 11

Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring deals with the

A) destruction of polar habitats caused by global warming.
B) environmental effects of pesticides.
C) effects of lynx predation on snow hare populations.
D) fate of tropical rain forests.

Question 12

The pronghorn antelope of the United States and the saiga antelope of the central Asian steppes live in similar habitats and have similar adaptations. Which of the following features would you be surprised to find in a saiga antelope?

A) camouflaging coloration
B) teeth adapted to grinding tough forage
C) a warmly insulating winter coat
D) a digestive tract without cellulose-digesting bacteria

Question 13

The primary source of energy for hydrothermal vent communities is from

A) the heat of the water emerging from the vents.
B) oxidation of photosynthetic bacteria in the vent water.
C) sulfur bacteria.
D) reduction of carbon dioxide in the vent water.

Question 14

The area where fresh water and seawater mix is called a(n)

A) estuary.
B) benthic realm.
C) aphotic zone.
D) continental shelf.

Question 15

The greatest annual input and least seasonal variation in solar radiation occurs in the

A) Southern Hemisphere.
B) temperate zones.
C) tropics.
D) polar regions.

Question 16

The tropics are a region where air

A) descends and warms, dropping rain.
B) descends and warms, creating an arid belt.
C) rises and cools, creating an arid belt.
D) rises and cools, dropping rain.

Question 17

The questions of how chemicals flow and energy cycles between organisms and their surroundings are addressed in the study of which level of ecological organization?

A) community
B) ecosystem
C) population
D) species

Question 18

A sperm whale in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean is in which oceanic zone?

A) intertidal
B) benthic
C) pelagic
D) estuarine

Question 19

The adaptations of pronghorns

A) to open country could be a disadvantage in a densely forested environment.
B) include a reflective coat, an ability to find small pools of water, and chemical defenses against most predators.
C) to the open plains and shrub deserts of North America have helped them spread to nearly every continent.
D) demonstrate that meeting the demands of local environmental conditions helps organisms extend their ranges to other types of environments.

Question 20

The immediate results of the widespread use of pesticides and fertilizers included ________, but long-term results included ________.

A) dramatic increases in crop yields; the evolution of pest resistance
B) the increased spread of malaria; delayed resistance to pesticides
C) global declines in agricultural productivity; worldwide distribution of DDT
D) global declines in undesirable pests such as mice and rats; increases in these pests

Question 21

The major cause of tropical deforestation is

A) hurricane destruction of large regions.
B) people clearing forests to open up land for agriculture.
C) governments clearing forests to build cities.
D) natural succession as global warming occurs.

Question 22

Why is the runoff from fertilized agricultural fields, even if free of pesticides, often harmful to the ecosystems of temperate lakes?

A) Fertilizer compounds create large hydrothermal vent communities that kill lake organisms.
B) The runoff causes heavy growth of algae, which eventually die and decompose, causing oxygen depletion.
C) Runoff water pools at the lake's bottom, where the fertilizer compounds react with materials in the sediment to form toxic substances.
D) The runoff is acid, and acidification kills key lake organisms.

Question 23

Which biome is characterized by large, grazing mammals?

A) chaparral
B) temperate grassland
C) desert
D) temperate forest

Question 24

Most of the best agricultural soils in the United States are found in areas that were formerly

A) temperate grasslands.
B) taiga forest.
C) tropical rain forest.
D) tundra.

Question 25

Which is a correct pairing of a biome and its characteristics?

A) temperate broadleaf forest-mild winters; scarce rainfall; predominantly dicot vegetation
B) chaparral-mild, rainy winters; long, hot, but wet summers
C) savanna-long, cold winters; vegetation dominated by conifers
D) tundra-very cold winters; only the upper layer of the soil thaws during summer

Question 26

Which statement about biomes, the major terrestrial ecosystems covering the Earth, is true?

A) Each of the ten major biomes is restricted to just one or two continents.
B) The major factors affecting the distribution of biomes are wind and sunlight.
C) Most natural biomes are unaffected by human activity.
D) Fire is important in some biomes because it creates openings.

Question 27

Which statement about tropical forests is true?

A) Tropical forests occur in equatorial regions with very long (16- to 20-hour) days.
B) Tropical forest structure consists of distinct layers that provide many different habitats.
C) Once stripped, tropical rain forests regrow quickly, although with slightly less diversity.
D) The soils of tropical rain forests are typically rich in nutrients.

Question 28

Which statement about coniferous forests is true?

A) Coniferous forests are the smallest terrestrial biome.
B) Coniferous forests are characterized by long, mild winters and short, dry summers.
C) Coniferous forests usually have nutrient-rich soils.
D) Coniferous forests experience precipitation that is mainly in the form of snow.

Question 29

You are reading the journal of an amateur naturalist who visited the Sonoran Desert in the last century. Which of his descriptions of desert plants would you question?

A) a plant whose seeds will not germinate unless soaked
B) a perennial that flowers only after years of vegetative growth and produces a large number of seeds
C) a late winter hillside covered with wildflowers
D) a common annual that produces one large seed per plant

Question 30

Species in widely separated but similar biomes often appear to display similar characteristics because of

A) convergent evolution.
B) coevolution.
C) mutations.
D) evolutionary drift.

Question 31

Factors that help to limit growth of woody plants in temperate grasslands include

A) nutrient-poor soil and high insect diversity.
B) fires and grazing by large mammals.
C) large numbers of cacti and small numbers of grazing mammals.
D) mild winters and low annual precipitation.

Question 32

Which statement about temperate broadleaf forests is true?

A) Temperate broadleaf forests have a narrow range of temperatures over the course of a year.
B) Oak, hickory, birch, beech, and maple are common trees in temperate broadleaf forests.
C) Temperate broadleaf forests have very poor soil.
D) Temperate broadleaf forests are less open than tropical rain forests.

Question 33

Usually, a river ________ at its source compared to farther downstream.

A) has less phytoplankton
B) is warmer
C) is wider
D) flows more slowly

Question 34

Which biome is dominated by coniferous trees adapted to surviving long, harsh winters and short, wet summers?

A) coniferous forests
B) tundra
C) temperate broadleaf forest
D) savanna

Question 35

A photograph of a Victorian trophy room shows the heads of 15 species of hoofed mammals, all shot within a day's walk of a single hunting camp in Africa. This camp was probably located in

A) tropical rain forest.
B) chaparral.
C) savanna.
D) desert.

Question 36

The dominant herbivores in savannas are

A) gophers.
B) insects.
C) antelope.
D) giraffes.

Question 37

Which statement about deserts and the organisms that live there is true?

A) Air temperatures in cold deserts, such as those west of the Rocky Mountains, may never fall below 30°C.
B) Growth and reproduction occur year-round in deserts.
C) Desert plants typically produce very few seeds.
D) Many desert animals are nocturnal.

Question 38

The kind of vegetation in a tropical rain forest is generally determined by the amount of

A) rainfall.
B) organic material in the soil.
C) minerals in the soil.
D) light.

Question 39

Under the conditions known as El Niño, the inorganic nutrient content of the seawater off the coast of Peru declines to very low levels. What effect will this likely have on marine life in the area?

A) The lower the levels of minerals, the less polluted the water; hence, most populations will increase.
B) It will result in toxic red tides, which will reduce the populations of many species.
C) It will reduce the abundance of phytoplankton and, consequently, the abundance of other organisms.
D) It will increase the productivity of phytoplankton and, therefore, the productivity of other organisms by allowing sunlight to penetrate deeper into the ocean.

Question 40

Which characteristic belongs to the chaparral biome?

A) sparse grasses
B) cool, wet summers and freezing winter temperatures
C) plants with seeds that will germinate only after exposure to a hot fire
D) animal species limited to lizards and snakes

Question 41

After reading the paragraph below, answer the questions that follow.
The largest estuary in the United States is the Chesapeake Bay, which extends through six states. The Bay is one of the most productive natural areas in the world. It is home to thousands of plants and animals, including many commercially important species. The water of the Bay is relatively shallow. Many areas are no more than 10 feet deep, with an average depth of 30 feet. Light penetrates the shallow water and supports submerged plants that provide food and shelter for the many species living in the bay ecosystem. However, like many estuaries, the Bay receives large amounts of fertilizer runoff from farms, lawns, and wastewater treatment facilities.
Which is the most probable sequence of events when fertilizer runoff reaches the Bay?

A) Submerged vegetation increases, food for fish and shellfish increases, fish and shellfish populations increase.
B) The phytoplankton population increases, food for fish and shellfish increases, fish and shellfish populations increase.
C) The phytoplankton population increases, it blocks sunlight to submerged vegetation, submerged vegetation dies, fish and shellfish populations decrease.
D) Submerged vegetation decreases, fish and shellfish feed on decaying plants, phytoplankton feed on fish and shellfish, commercial fisheries decline.

Question 42

Living things that live in the polar ice biome include

A) mosses, lichens, seals, and polar bears.
B) penguins, seals, moose, and springtails.
C) mosses, ferns, gulls, and penguins.
D) lichens, jaguars, gulls, and polar bears.

Question 43

After reading the paragraph below, answer the questions that follow.
The largest estuary in the United States is the Chesapeake Bay, which extends through six states. The Bay is one of the most productive natural areas in the world. It is home to thousands of plants and animals, including many commercially important species. The water of the Bay is relatively shallow. Many areas are no more than 10 feet deep, with an average depth of 30 feet. Light penetrates the shallow water and supports submerged plants that provide food and shelter for the many species living in the bay ecosystem. However, like many estuaries, the Bay receives large amounts of fertilizer runoff from farms, lawns, and wastewater treatment facilities.
Fertilizer runoff contains ________, which are the most important limiting factors for phytoplankton growth.

A) carbon and hydrogen
B) oxygen and carbon dioxide
C) nitrogen and phosphorus
D) sulfur and magnesium

Question 44

All parts of the biosphere are linked by

A) high temperatures and low annual rainfall.
B) the global water cycle and nutrient cycles.
C) acid soil pH and fast wind speed.

Question 45

Which statement logically predicts how natural selection, when acting on genetic variation, may subsequently result in evolutionary adaptation?

A) As global warming continues, many species found near the tropics will migrate either northward or southward toward the poles.
B) During years of drought, tree rings will be narrower.
C) As the African environment becomes drier and the grasslands more prevalent, arched feet and non-opposable toes, both more effective for walking upright, became more common in hominins.
D) Insect diversity in temperate broadleaf forests will vary from year to year based on the amount of precipitation.

Question 46

Scientists from The National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science conducted a 6-year study on the effects of ocean temperature change on abundance of dominant intertidal species (barnacles and mussels). These organisms can outcompete other intertidal organisms for space (and therefore distribution and abundance). Suppose the scientists collected the following data on average intertidal zone temperatures (C°) and densities of mussel clumps and barnacle colonies (per square meter):
$$\begin{array} { | l | l | l | l | } \hline { \text { Year } } & \text { Avg. Annual Intertidal Zone } & & \\ & \text { Temperature } \left( \mathrm { C } ^ { \circ } \right) & \text { \# Clumps Mussels/sq m } & \text { \# Colonies Barnacles/sq m } \\\hline 2004 & 6 ^ { \circ } & 6 & 22 \\\hline 2005 & 6.7 ^ { \circ } & 5.5 & 19 \\\hline 2006 & 7.3 ^ { \circ } & 5 & 17 \\\hline 2007 & 7.8 ^ { \circ } & 4.75 & 16.5 \\\hline 2008 & 8.2 ^ { \circ } & 4.5 & 16 \\\hline 2009 & 8.5 ^ { \circ } & 4.5 & 16 \\\hline 2010 & 8.7 ^ { \circ } & 4.5 & 16 \\\hline\end{array}$$

-Which is a correct interpretation of the data?

A) As average annual intertidal zone temperatures increased between 2004 and 2005, the number of colonies of barnacles also increased.
B) As average annual intertidal zone temperatures increased between 2007 and 2010, the number of mussel clumps proportionally decreased.
C) The greatest change in average annual intertidal zones temperatures occurred between 2004 and 2005.
D) Between 2004 and 2010, the number of colonies of barnacles increased proportionally with the number of mussel clumps.

Question 47

Use the figure below to answer the questions that follow.

Forest destruction reduces the magnitude of impacts at which arrow?

A) arrow A
B) arrow B
C) arrow C
D) arrow D

Question 48

After reading the paragraph below, answer the questions that follow.
California condors, large, predatory birds that were previously on the edge of extinction, have benefited from a program that raises birds in captivity and then releases them into the wild. The reintroduction program, however, is having variable success.
Which finding could best explain how condor reproduction along the coast is being harmed by DDT in the condors' foods now, even though DDT was banned in 1972?

A) Condors may be feeding on animals that contain DDT.
B) Eggshells are made of a material that accumulates tiny amounts of DDT from the environment.
C) Condors are very large and long-lived animals so their bodies cannot properly digest and eliminate pesticides in seawater.

Question 49

In which of the zones shown in this depiction of an aquatic biome does photosynthesis occur?

A) zone G
B) zone B
C) zone E
D) zone D

Question 50

Use the figure below to answer the questions that follow.

Which arrow in this image of the global water cycle includes transpiration?

A) arrow A
B) arrow B
C) arrow C
D) arrow D

Question 51

After reading the paragraph below, answer the questions that follow.
California condors, large, predatory birds that were previously on the edge of extinction, have benefited from a program that raises birds in captivity and then releases them into the wild. The reintroduction program, however, is having variable success.
Scientists suspected that the condors eating marine mammals were ingesting DDT, causing the kind of shell fragility found in the middle part of the last century before DDT was banned. Which action would provide the best evidence that poor egg quality rather than predation or some other factor was the cause of failed condor reproduction?

A) swapping eggs from nests of reintroduced condors with eggs from successfully reproducing condors in captivity
B) comparing the number of eggs in nests of birds in captivity with the number of eggs in the nests of birds in the wild
C) counting the number of mating pairs in each area in the wild
D) monitoring food eaten by condors in each of the areas where condors have been reintroduced

Question 52

Scientists from The National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science conducted a 6-year study on the effects of ocean temperature change on abundance of dominant intertidal species (barnacles and mussels). These organisms can outcompete other intertidal organisms for space (and therefore distribution and abundance). Suppose the scientists collected the following data on average intertidal zone temperatures (C°) and densities of mussel clumps and barnacle colonies (per square meter):
$$\begin{array} { | l | l | l | l | } \hline { \text { Year } } & \text { Avg. Annual Intertidal Zone } & & \\ & \text { Temperature } \left( \mathrm { C } ^ { \circ } \right) & \text { \# Clumps Mussels/sq m } & \text { \# Colonies Barnacles/sq m } \\\hline 2004 & 6 ^ { \circ } & 6 & 22 \\\hline 2005 & 6.7 ^ { \circ } & 5.5 & 19 \\\hline 2006 & 7.3 ^ { \circ } & 5 & 17 \\\hline 2007 & 7.8 ^ { \circ } & 4.75 & 16.5 \\\hline 2008 & 8.2 ^ { \circ } & 4.5 & 16 \\\hline 2009 & 8.5 ^ { \circ } & 4.5 & 16 \\\hline 2010 & 8.7 ^ { \circ } & 4.5 & 16 \\\hline\end{array}$$

-What can the scientists conclude from the data?

A) An increase of 2.2°C from 2004 to 2008 reduces the density of barnacles and mussels by approximately 25%.
B) An increase of 6°C is needed before the number of clumps of mussels decreases.
C) Increasing annual ocean temperatures do not affect abundance of mussels or barnacles.
D) If annual ocean temperatures were recorded for another three years, scientists would likely observe steady temperatures.

Question 53

Use the figure below to answer the questions that follow.

If process D is decreased, what impact will that likely have on the surrounding area?

A) Increased precipitation will increase erosion.
B) Lack of vegetation will increase the probability of drought.
C) Areas covered by ocean will increase.
D) More moisture will move over land from the ocean.

Question 54

Use the figure below to answer the questions that follow.

If ocean waters in one area are radioactively contaminated, which processes would cause that radioactivity to show up in plant crops at some distance from the contamination?

A) processes A and B
B) processes B and C
C) processes C and D
D) processes D and A

Question 55

Pronghorn antelopes are well adapted for dry conditions with extremes of temperature, especially cold. As global climate change causes the region where the pronghorns live to change, in temperature as well as plant, predator, and prey diversity and abundance, what is likely to happen to the pronghorns?

A) They will learn to eat whatever plants exist in their area and escape from any new predators that arrive.
B) If the pronghorn population includes genetic variation that allows survival and reproduction in the new conditions, they will adapt.
C) If climate change is not too rapid, the pronghorn can produce new traits needed to survive and reproduce in the changed conditions.
D) Because pronghorns will need to be cooler, their fur will become thinner.

Question 56

After reading the paragraph below, answer the questions that follow.
California condors, large, predatory birds that were previously on the edge of extinction, have benefited from a program that raises birds in captivity and then releases them into the wild. The reintroduction program, however, is having variable success.
Which information provides the best evidence to help develop a hypothesis about what is causing the difficulties faced by a coastal condor population?

A) Sea lions, food for condors along the coast, live near an old dumping ground for a chemical manufacturing plant and have a significant amount of DDT in their blubber.
B) Air currents along the coast are stronger, allowing coastal condors to cover more area in their search for prey.
C) California bans ammunition containing lead (Pb) to prevent lead ingestion by condors feeding on carcasses of animals shot by hunters but not retrieved.
D) Hatching success in birds farther from the coast was greater than that in birds along the coast.

Question 57

Use the figure below to answer the questions that follow.

In what ways are the aquatic zones similar to terrestrial biomes?

A) In temperature, D is most like tropical forests and F is most like tundra.
B) In sunlight, D is most like the floors of tropical forests and F is most like savannas.
C) In organism sizes, A is most like savannas and C is most like deserts.

Question 58

Which factor is fundamentally responsible for the character of arctic tundra soils?

A) secretion of acid by lichens and plant roots
B) permafrost
C) warm, wet summers
D) abundant winter snow

Question 59

After reading the paragraph below, answer the questions that follow.
The largest estuary in the United States is the Chesapeake Bay, which extends through six states. The Bay is one of the most productive natural areas in the world. It is home to thousands of plants and animals, including many commercially important species. The water of the Bay is relatively shallow. Many areas are no more than 10 feet deep, with an average depth of 30 feet. Light penetrates the shallow water and supports submerged plants that provide food and shelter for the many species living in the bay ecosystem. However, like many estuaries, the Bay receives large amounts of fertilizer runoff from farms, lawns, and wastewater treatment facilities.
The marshland area around the Bay that reduces flooding is a

A) wetland.
B) temperate forest.
C) tropical forest.
D) temperate grassland.

Question 60

After reading the paragraph below, answer the questions that follow.
California condors, large, predatory birds that were previously on the edge of extinction, have benefited from a program that raises birds in captivity and then releases them into the wild. The reintroduction program, however, is having variable success.
If it were determined that condor reproduction along the coast is being harmed by DDT in the condors' foods, which action would be most useful to improve the situation?

A) providing carcasses of animals without DDT for the condors to eat
B) moving all condors away from the area where DDT exists
C) monitoring DDT use in the area where reproduction is failing
D) removing all eggs from condor nests in the coastal population so that there will be no hatchlings with DDT

Question 61

Scientists from The National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science conducted a 6-year study on the effects of ocean temperature change on abundance of dominant intertidal species (barnacles and mussels). These organisms can outcompete other intertidal organisms for space (and therefore distribution and abundance). Suppose the scientists collected the following data on average intertidal zone temperatures (C°) and densities of mussel clumps and barnacle colonies (per square meter):
$$\begin{array} { | l | l | l | l | } \hline { \text { Year } } & \text { Avg. Annual Intertidal Zone } & & \\ & \text { Temperature } \left( \mathrm { C } ^ { \circ } \right) & \text { \# Clumps Mussels/sq m } & \text { \# Colonies Barnacles/sq m } \\\hline 2004 & 6 ^ { \circ } & 6 & 22 \\\hline 2005 & 6.7 ^ { \circ } & 5.5 & 19 \\\hline 2006 & 7.3 ^ { \circ } & 5 & 17 \\\hline 2007 & 7.8 ^ { \circ } & 4.75 & 16.5 \\\hline 2008 & 8.2 ^ { \circ } & 4.5 & 16 \\\hline 2009 & 8.5 ^ { \circ } & 4.5 & 16 \\\hline 2010 & 8.7 ^ { \circ } & 4.5 & 16 \\\hline\end{array}$$

-How would information gleaned from this project enable additional studies of organismal biodiversity and climate change?

A) Scientists could use their data analysis to predict future changes in biodiversity of nondominant (more rare) intertidal marine organisms as they respond to variation in climate change.
B) Scientists could use their data analysis to predict changes in biodiversity of terrestrial organisms in temperate forests as they respond to variation in climate change.
C) Scientists could use their data analysis to predict the impact of average rainfall on biodiversity of intertidal marine organisms.