Question 1

Should the scientific community accept,without questions,Boyce,Worm,and Lewis's hypothesis that Earth's oceans are losing 500 million tons of phytoplankton per year? Support your answer.

Accepted Answer

No,the scientific community should not unquestioningly accept Boyce,Worm,and Lewis's hypothesis that Earth's oceans are losing 500 million tons of phytoplankton per year. Decisions about how the oceans' resources are used and cared for are based on what we know about net primary productivity (NPP)in the oceans. If those decision are based on inaccurate data,then it is difficult to make good decisions. Multiple research teams have uncovered data that disagrees with the data shared by Boyce,Worm,and Lewis. It is important for the scientific community to critically examine all of the data to determine which set,or combinations of data,most accurately depict the NPP of Earth's oceans.

Question 2

Match each term to its correct description below.
-This biome is dominated by trees and shrubs adapted to relatively rich soil; snowy winters; and moist,warm summers.With oak,maple,hickory,beech,and elm,this biome displays good diversity.Squirrels,rabbits,deer,raccoons,beavers,bobcats,mountain lions,bears,and many amphibians and reptiles constitute the consumer community.

Accepted Answer

A)  tropical forest
B)  chaparral
C)  boreal forest
D)  tundra
E)  desertF) temperate deciduous forestG) grassland F

Question 3

On what four factors does net primary productivity rely,and what terrestrial ecosystem is the most productive because of these factors?

Accepted Answer

The generally most productive terrestrial ecosystems are tropical forests because they bring together an efficient combination of the four factors affecting net primary productivity: plenty of water and sunlight with moderate to warm temperatures.Much of the needed soil nutrients are sequestered within the vegetation of this ecosystem.

Question 4

Strict vegetarians,or vegans,would be considered ________ consumers in an energy pyramid.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Strict vegetarians,or vegans,would be considered ________ consumers...

Question 5

Match each term to its correct description below.
-This biome is commonly found in both temperate and tropical latitudes.It does not receive enough moisture to support vigorous tree growth,so it is dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants.Burrowing rodents like voles and prairie dogs are common.

Accepted Answer

A)  tropical forest
B)  chaparral
C)  boreal forest
D)  tundra
E)  desertF) temperate deciduous forestG) grassland

Question 6

Assessing the overall net primary productivity (NPP)of an ecosystem is important in determining how an ecosystem works,because ________ capture influences the amount of food available to other organisms in the ecosystem.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Assessing the overall net primary productivity (NPP)of...

Question 7

Since 1931,the phytoplankton biomass in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean has been monitored by the __________ (CPR)survey where a special instrument is pulled through the ocean by commercial fishing vessels to collect millions of sample of plankton.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Since 1931,the phytoplankton biomass in the Northeast...

Question 8

There are 5 million kcal of energy stored in grain that could be fed either to chickens or humans.A small village of starving people need to be fed.The most efficient way to feed the majority of the villagers is to feed

Accepted Answer

A)   all of the grain to the villagers.
B)   all of the grain to chickens and let the villagers eat the eggs.
C)   all of the grain to chickens and let the villagers eat the chickens.
D)   some of the grain to chickens and some of it to villagers.

Question 9

A decline in phytoplankton could affect the climate of Earth by altering the ________ cycle by moving less ________ from the atmosphere into phytoplankton tissues.Since ________ is a greenhouse gas,more of it in the atmosphere could contribute to global warming.

Accepted Answer

A)   carbon; carbon dioxide; carbon dioxide
B)   phosphorous; phosphorous; phosphorous
C)   hydrologic; water; water
D)   oxygen; oxygen; oxygen

Question 10

Which of the following groups of organisms would NOT be considered consumers?

Accepted Answer

A)   herbivores
B)   predators
C)   decomposers
D)   photosynthesizers

Question 11

Areas of the ocean that are very cloudy due to large amounts of stirred sediment or eroded soil are likely to experience ________ productivity levels.

Accepted Answer

A)   decreased primary
B)   increased primary
C)   no change in primary
D)   an increase in primary productivity levels with a decrease in secondary

Question 12

Human activities

Accepted Answer

A)   rarely affect nutrient cycles.
B)   can alter nutrient cycles on local and global scales.
C)   tend to cause only local changes in nutrient cycles.
D)   generally improve nutrient cycling in ecosystems.

Question 13

There are 5 million kcal of energy stored in grain that could be fed either to beef cattle or humans.A farmer chooses to feed the grain to the cattle to fatten them up for human consumption.How many kcal would now be available as beef to feed the humans?

Accepted Answer

A)   500,000
B)   50,000
C)   5,000
D)   500

Question 14

Tuna are predatory fish that consume smaller,carnivorous fish that have fed on zooplankton.The zooplankton had fed on phytoplankton.When a human eats tuna,that person is the ________ trophic level of the food chain.

Accepted Answer

A)   second
B)   third
C)   fourth
D)   fifth

Question 15

Ecologists use a(n)________ to represent the amount of energy available to organisms in an ecosystem.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Ecologists use a(n)________ to represent the amount...

Question 16

The primary contribution of decomposers to an ecosystem occurs when they

Accepted Answer

A)   capture solar energy.
B)   recycle nutrients sequestered in organisms back to the physical environment.
C)   regulate the number of producers.
D)   prevent consumer overpopulation.

Question 17

The chemical and physical components of an ecosystem are considered to be ________ or nonliving.

Accepted Answer

A)   abiotic
B)   biota
C)   biotic
D)   abalone

Question 18

Which of the following are likely biotic components of a desert ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

A)   sand, sun, and occasional rain
B)   cacti, sage brush, scorpions, and snakes
C)   oak trees, rhododendrons, squirrels, and moss
D)   moss, large pine trees, frogs, and otters

Question 19

Propose an explanation for why whales swimming up and down through the water column in the ocean ecosystem can help remove tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Propose an explanation for why whales swimming...

Question 20

The primary difference between consumers and decomposers is that ________ obtain their nutrients by eating ________,while decomposers obtain their nutrients from ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   consumers; other live organisms; dead consumers
B)   consumers; only dead consumers; other live consumers
C)   consumers; other live organisms; photosynthesis
D)   Consumers and decomposers both obtain their nutrients by eating other live organisms.

Exam 21: Ecosystems