Question 1

The graph indicates that since 1960, global average temperatures have:

Accepted Answer

A) remained constant. 
B) only decreased. 
C) only increased. 
D) fluctuated but risen overall. 
E) initially increased but are now dropping.

Question 2

A snake that eats a small rabbit that feeds on grass is classified as a(n):

Accepted Answer

A) autotroph. 
B) primary producer. 
C) secondary consumer. 
D) primary consumer. 
E) tertiary consumer.

Question 3

Bacteria that live in deep-sea thermal vents use energy from inorganic hydrogen sulfide (H2S)to make organic molecules from carbon dioxide and are thus:

Accepted Answer

A) decomposers. 
B) primary consumers. 
C) producers. 
D) secondary consumers. 
E) tertiary consumers.

Question 4

The greenhouse effect is:

Accepted Answer

A) the ability of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides to retain heat in the lower atmosphere. 
B) the ability of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides to retain heat in the upper atmosphere. 
C) the ability of certain gases to absorb solar heat and reflect the heat to Earth as short-wave radiation. 
D) the ability of certain gases to retain solar radiation as heat energy. 
E) the ability of structures created by humans to retain solar energy as short-wave radiation.

Question 5

If a couple was attempting to get pregnant, which foods should they eat to avoid endocrine disruptors?

Accepted Answer

A) organic grains, fruits, and vegetables 
B) high-fat salmon 
C) DDT-treated vegetables 
D) high-level carnivores like tuna 
E) meals microwaved in plastic bags

Question 6

In a grassland of Kansas, 1,000 grams of grass are produced per square meter per year by all the different grass species. A theoretical upper limit to the biomass of secondary consumers that can be supported in this ecosystem is:

Accepted Answer

A) 1,000 grams. 
B) 100 grams. 
C) 10 grams. 
D) 1 gram. 
E) 0)1 gram.

Question 7

What are some possible consequences of global warming?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are some possible consequences of global...

Question 8

The aquifers are underground reservoirs in the hydrologic cycle. True or False?

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

Which ecosystems are more productive: tropical rain forests or northern coniferous forests? Why?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which ecosystems are more productive: tropical rain...

Question 10

Suppose a gardener puts a chemical on the soil that kills off all the detritus feeders and decomposers. What would happen to the garden?

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The answer of Suppose a gardener puts a chemical on...

Question 11

One of the basic laws of ecosystems that describes the complex interaction of organisms is that ________ flows through the community.

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The answer of One of the basic laws of ecosystems...

Question 12

What would happen in an ecosystem without decomposers and detritus feeders?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What would happen in an ecosystem without...

Question 13

In nitrogen-limited ecosystems, legumes often dominate over other plants because they:

Accepted Answer

A) do not need nitrogen at all. 
B) have long taproots that can extract nitrogen from deeper down in the soil. 
C) have unique access to the large atmospheric pool of nitrogen thanks to their symbiotic bacteria. 
D) inhibit the growth of denitrifying bacteria around their roots, thus keeping more nitrate in the soil. 
E) obtain supplemental nitrogen by trapping insects and other prey.

Question 14

Farmers often include legumes as part of their normal crop rotation. This practice increases the overall production of their crops by:

Accepted Answer

A) adding nitrogen to the soil. 
B) adding phosphorus to the soil. 
C) helping the soil retain water better. 
D) making the soil less acidic. 
E) suppressing the growth of weeds.

Question 15

The amount of life that an ecosystem can support is determined primarily by the:

Accepted Answer

A) efficiency of the consumers. 
B) number of producers and their efficiency. 
C) number of heterotrophs. 
D) number of chemoautotrophs. 
E) efficiency of the heterotrophs.

Question 16

Minerals that are needed in only trace amounts are macronutrients. True or False?

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

Why are acid rain or acid deposition more of a problem in certain areas, such as New England, than in others?

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The answer of Why are acid rain or acid deposition...

Question 18

If you are attempting to minimize the amount of mercury in your diet, you should eat:

Accepted Answer

A) omnivores like hogs. 
B) low-level carnivores like tilapia. 
C) herbivores like cattle. 
D) high-level carnivores like tuna. 
E) producers like fruits and vegetables.

Question 19

Organisms that produce their own food in photosynthesis are known as producers, or ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Organisms that produce their own food in...

Question 20

The three major reservoirs of carbon are:

Accepted Answer

A) rocks, the atmosphere, and guano. 
B) acid precipitation, carbon-fixing bacteria, and oceans. 
C) soil, water, and the atmosphere. 
D) fossil fuels, legumes, and micronutrients. 
E) oceans, the atmosphere, and fossil fuels.

Exam 28: How Do Ecosystems Work