Question 1

Which of the following investigations would provide the most informative data to use for predicting the future distribution of organisms in temperate regions that are faced with climate change?

Accepted Answer

A)   Remove, to the mineral soil, all of the organisms from an experimental plot, and monitor the colonization of the area over time in terms of both species diversity and abundance.
B)   Look at the climatic changes that occurred since the last ice age and how species redistributed as glaciers melted.
C)   Compare and contrast the flora and fauna of warm/cold/dry/wet climates to shed light on how they evolved to be suited to their present-day environment.
D)   Quantify the impact of human activities on present-day populations of threatened and endangered species to assess the rate of range contraction, expansion, or extinction. B

Question 2

For mountain ranges that are subjected to prevailing winds, which of the following best explains why is the climate drier on the leeward (downwind) side?

Accepted Answer

A)   Deserts create dry conditions on the leeward side of mountain ranges.
B)   The sun illuminates the leeward side of mountain ranges at a more direct angle, converting to heat energy, which evaporates most of the water present.
C)   Pushed by the prevailing winds on the windward side, air is forced to rise, cool, condense, and drop its precipitation, leaving drier air to descend the leeward side.
D)   Air masses pushed by the prevailing winds are stopped by mountain ranges and the moisture is used up in the stagnant air masses on the leeward side. C

Question 3

Which type of biome is best defined by the following characteristics?
∙ conifers are very prevalent, as well as pines and spruce trees
∙ one of the largest biomes in terms of square kilometers of area
∙ does not receive a lot of precipitation, but is still very moist because of the presence of permafrost

Accepted Answer

A)   boreal forest
B)   temperate evergreen forest
C)   tundra
D)   temperate deciduous forest A

Question 4

Which of the following lakes is most likely to have a relatively simple community structure and clear water?

Accepted Answer

A)   an oligotrophic lake
B)   a eutrophic lake
C)   a relatively shallow lake
D)   a nutrient-rich lake

Question 5

The eight panels below show average climatic values across the year on a monthly basis, as represented by first letter of each month depicted on the x-axis. Temperature values are depicted as a line graph and represented by the left vertical axis, while precipitation values are depicted as a bar graph and represented by the right vertical axis.  Which panel (A-H) most likely depicts the climate for location 1 as shown on the map in the center panel?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 6

The transitions in biological communities with increasing elevation are most analogous to the changes seen in which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)   in biomes at different latitudes
B)   in a community through different seasons
C)   in an ecosystem as it evolves over time
D)   across the United States from east to west

Question 7

Which of the following sources of information allows us to most accurately predict and draw the boundaries of Earth's biomes?

Accepted Answer

A)   the physiological constraints of the environment on animals found within the region
B)   the taxonomic similarities among animal life found within the region
C)   the geographic location of the biomes on the planet
D)   the precipitation and temperature constraints on vegetation within the biome

Question 8

Use the following figure to answer the question below.  In the figure, which shaded region is the most representative of the arctic tundra biome?

Accepted Answer

A)   2
B)   3
C)   4
D)   5

Question 9

If the direction of Earth's rotation reversed, the most predictable effect would be ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   a big change in the length of the year
B)   winds blowing from west to east along the equator
C)   a loss of seasonal variation at high latitudes
D)   the elimination of ocean currents

Question 10

In the region of the Rocky Mountains, one local variety of Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) predominantly occurs between 5,000 and 8,500 feet in elevation, where it can best tolerate temperatures and precipitation. Which of the following changes in pine tree range is most likely to result if future climate change in this region causes the temperature to increase and rainfall to decrease?

Accepted Answer

A)   that variety will occur at lower elevations
B)   that variety will occur at higher elevations
C)   that variety will occur at lower elevations and/or lower latitudes
D)   that variety will occur at higher elevations and/or higher latitudes

Question 11

Which of the following biomes spans a large annual mean temperature range and the narrowest mean precipitation range?

Accepted Answer

A)   tropical forest
B)   temperate forest
C)   desert
D)   taiga

Question 12

The eight panels below show average climatic values across the year on a monthly basis, as represented by first letter of each month depicted on the x-axis. Temperature values are depicted as a line graph and represented by the left vertical axis, while precipitation values are depicted as a bar graph and represented by the right vertical axis.  Which panel (A-H) most likely depicts the climate for location 5 as shown on the map in the center panel?

Accepted Answer

A)   A
B)   B
C)   D
D)   H

Question 13

Which statement about dispersal is the most accurate?

Accepted Answer

A)   Dispersal is a common component of the life cycles of plants and animals.
B)   Colonization of devastated areas after floods or volcanic eruptions does not depend upon climate.
C)   Root growth is the most important mode of dispersal in the life cycles of flowering plants.
D)   Dispersal occurs only on an evolutionary time scale.

Question 14

If a deep temperate zone lake did not turn over during the spring and fall seasons as they normally do, which of the following conditions is most likely to result?

Accepted Answer

A)   The lake would fail to freeze over in winter.
B)   An algal bloom of algae would result every spring.
C)   Lakes would suffer a nutrient depletion in surface layers.
D)   The pH of the lake would become increasingly alkaline.

Question 15

Which of these environmental factors has the largest control over the biotic structure of aquatic biomes?

Accepted Answer

A)   average annual air temperature
B)   seasonal fluctuation of water temperature
C)   oxygen concentrations, salinity, and nutrient levels
D)   average annual precipitation

Question 16

The oceans affect the biosphere in all of the following ways except ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   producing a substantial amount of the biosphere's oxygen
B)   removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
C)   moderating the climate of terrestrial biomes
D)   regulating the pH of freshwater biomes and terrestrial groundwater

Question 17

A certain species of pine tree survives only in scattered locations at elevations above 2,800 meters in the western United States. To understand why this tree grows only in these specific places, an ecologist should ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   study the anatomy and physiology of this species
B)   investigate the various biotic and abiotic factors that are unique to high altitude
C)   analyze the soils found in the vicinity of these trees, looking for unique chemicals that may support their growth
D)   collect data on temperature, wind, and precipitation at several of these locations for a year

Question 18

Two evolutionarily unrelated plant species may live within the same type of biome but on different continents. Which of the following mechanisms would most likely result in these two species having similar traits?

Accepted Answer

A)   convergent evolution
B)   allopatric speciation
C)   introgression
D)   gene flow

Question 19

If global warming continues at its present rate, which biomes will most likely replace portions of the coniferous forest (taiga)?

Accepted Answer

A)   temperate broadleaf forest and grassland
B)   desert and chaparral
C)   tropical forest and savanna
D)   chaparral and temperate broadleaf forest

Question 20

Use the following figure to answer the question below. The shaded regions represent the expected climate conditions which give rise to the particular biomes.  Which shaded region in the figure is the most representative of the biome with the highest variation in annual precipitation?

Accepted Answer

A)   1
B)   2
C)   3
D)   4

Exam 51: An Overview of Ecology