Question 1

-In the figure above, which direction will have a rain shadow?

Accepted Answer

A)  South 
B)  East 
C)  West 
D)  North 
E)  Both West and East

Question 2

Which is a likely biotic factor limiting songbird distribution in Hawaii to alpine habitats?

Accepted Answer

A)  temperature 
B)  oxygen content 
C)  moisture 
D)  insects causing fatal diseases in songbirds at lower altitudes

Question 3

Which level of ecological study focuses the most on abiotic factors?

Accepted Answer

A)  speciation ecology 
B)  population ecology 
C)  community ecology 
D)  ecosystem ecology

Question 4

-Based on the data in the figure, which of the following statements is TRUE?

Accepted Answer

A)  Area 1 could be called a boreal forest/taiga. 
B)  Area 2 could be called a temperate grassland. 
C)  Area 1 could be called a tropical wet/rain forest. 
D)  Area 2 could be tundra.

Question 5

Which marine zone would have the lowest rates of primary productivity (photosynthesis)?

Accepted Answer

A)  pelagic 
B)  aphotic 
C)  neritic 
D)  continental shelf 
E)  intertidal

Question 6

Which abiotic factor would have the most significant acute physiological effect on migrating salmon as they move from saltwater to freshwater?

Accepted Answer

A)  salinity differences 
B)  competition for resources 
C)  ambient temperature 
D)  human-built structural interferences

Question 7

Imagine that a deep temperate-zone lake did not turn over during the spring and fall seasons. Based on the physical and biological properties of limnetic ecosystems, what would be the difference from normal seasonal turnover?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 8

The main reason polar regions are cooler than the equator is that ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  there is more ice at the poles 
B)  sunlight strikes the poles at a lower angle 
C)  the poles are farther from the Sun 
D)  the polar atmosphere is thinner and contains fewer greenhouse gases 
E)  the poles are permanently tilted away from the Sun

Question 9

If the Earth were to reorient such that the North Pole always received direct sunlight (always faced the Sun), how would that change Earth's climate?

Accepted Answer

A)  The equators would not change in climate. 
B)  The South Pole would get colder. 
C)  The equators would get warmer. 
D)  The North Pole would get more wind.

Question 10

-In the accompanying figure, which number would designate the arctic tundra biome?

Accepted Answer

A)  2 
B)  3 
C)  4 
D)  5 
E)  The arctic tundra is not designated by a number in the figure.

Question 11

Which of the following are important biotic factors that can affect the structure and organization of biological communities?

Accepted Answer

A)  precipitation, wind 
B)  nutrient availability, soil pH 
C)  predation, competition 
D)  temperature, water 
E)  light intensity, seasonality

Question 12

The specific abiotic factors defining a biome are ________.
I. annual variation in temperature and precipitation
II. average annual temperature and moisture levels
III. maximum annual temperature and moisture levels
IV. maximum annual temperatures, moisture levels, and average annual temperature

Accepted Answer

A)  only I and II 
B)  only III and IV 
C)  only I, II, and IV 
D)  only II, III, and IV 
E)  only I, II, and III

Question 13

A certain species of pine tree survives only in scattered locations at elevations above 2800 meters in the western United States. To understand why this tree grows only in these specific places, an ecologist should ________.

Accepted Answer

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

Question 14

The diagram shows a generalized cross section of the marine environment with various zones labeled with letters. 
-Which zone produces the most global oxygen gas?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 15

What would happen to the seasons if the Earth were tilted 35 degrees off its orbital plane instead of the usual 23.5 degrees?

Accepted Answer

A)  The seasons would disappear. 
B)  Winters and summers would be more severe. 
C)  Winters and summers would be less severe. 
D)  The seasons would be shorter.

Question 16

-In the map above, where will the weather be drier?
I. near 30° N
II. near 30° S
III. near the Equator

Accepted Answer

A)  only I and II 
B)  only II and III 
C)  only I and III 
D)  only I 
E)  only III

Question 17

If a meteor impact or volcanic eruption injected a lot of dust into the atmosphere and reduced the sunlight reaching Earth's surface by 70 percent for 1 year, which of the following marine communities most likely would be LEAST affected?

Accepted Answer

A)  deep-sea vent 
B)  coral reef 
C)  intertidal 
D)  pelagic 
E)  estuary

Question 18

As climate changes because of global warming, plant species' ranges in the northern hemisphere may move northward. The trees that are most likely to avoid extinction in such an environment are those that ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  have seeds that are easily dispersed by wind or animals 
B)  have thin seed coats 
C)  produce well-provisioned seeds 
D)  have seeds that become viable only after a forest fire 
E)  disperse many seeds in close proximity to the parent tree

Question 19

Which of the following statements best describes the effect of climate on biome distribution?

Accepted Answer

A)  Average annual temperature and precipitation are sufficient to predict which biome will be found in an area. 
B)  Seasonal fluctuation of temperature is not a limiting factor in biome distribution if areas have the same annual temperature and precipitation means. 
C)  The average climate and pattern of climate are important in determining biome distribution. 
D)  Temperate forests and grasslands are different biomes because they receive a different quality and quantity of sunlight, even though they have essentially the same annual temperature and precipitation. 
E)  Correlation of climate with biome distribution is sufficient to determine the cause of biome patterns.

Question 20

If you are interested in observing a relatively simple community structure in a clear-water lake, you would do well to choose diving into ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  an oligotrophic lake 
B)  a eutrophic lake 
C)  a relatively shallow lake 
D)  a nutrient-rich lake 
E)  a lake with consistently warm temperatures

Exam 49: An Introduction to Ecology