APES 2013
Biome/Aquatic Ecosystem Quiz
Study Guide
1. When talking about weather, what are the major features talked about on a daily basis?
2. When talking about climate, how is this different than weather? What are the TWO
characteristics most talked about in reference to climate?
3. What are the earth’s prevailing wind patterns? (How many total? )
4. What is the greenhouse effect? What are the major greenhouse gases?
5. What do the terms windward and leeward mean in reference to mountains?
6. What is the rain shadow effect? Which side of the mountain does this usually occur?
7. What determines what biome is found in a particular area of the world?
8. Which two features of earth determine where a biome is found?
9. As you move up a mountain, what biomes will be found? (In order? )
10. What kind of trees are found in a tropical rain forest? How are trees different in the
temperate deciduous forest?
11. What are some types of trees found in a temperate deciduous forest?
12. What are some types of trees found in a taiga/boreal forest/coniferous forest?
13. What are succulent plants? Where are they most often found?
14. Why do tropical deserts have such different day and night temperatures?
15. How are the following grasslands of the world different in the types of producers found?
a. Savanna b. veldts
c. steppes
d. Prairies
16. What adaptations would plants and animals of the desert have to have? How about plants
and animals of the tundra? The tropical rain forest? Grasslands?
17. What types of plants and animals would we find in a temperate deciduous forest?
18. What is permanently frozen soil called? Where is it found?
19. What is desertification? What are the major causes?
20. What are the soil conditions like in each of these?
a. Tropical rain forest
b. savanna
c. temperate deciduous forest d. tundra
e. coniferous forest
21. In a tropical rain forest, what is the major limiting factor for plants?
22. What plants get most of the sunlight in the tropical rain forest?
23. Where is there very little plant growth in the tropical rain forest?
24. Which biome has the most diversity of all terrestrial biomes?
25. What are 3 or 4 unique characteristics of the deciduous forest?
26. What are some animals of the deciduous forest? Where does each spend most of it’s
time?
27. Which mammal would have the highest population in a deciduous forest?
28. The coniferous forest (taiga or boreal forest) is dominated by what kind of trees? What
are their leaves like?
29. Why are there fewer animal species in a deciduous forest than the other types of forests?
30. What are the limiting factors for a coral reef ecosystem to thrive?
31. What is the difference between phytoplankton and zooplankton?
32. What is the difference between nekton and benthos?
33. What does an aquatic environment do with nutrients found there?
34. The biggest factor determining how many plants and animals found in aquatic
ecosystems would be ________________________.
35. What are the major zones of the ocean? Map them out if needed.
36. As far as productivity per unit area, how do oceans rank compared to other life systems?
Explain.
37. The world’s highest net primary productivity per unit area would be found in this zone of
the ocean.??
38. What are estuaries? What makes them unique? Are they productive? What types of plants
and animals would be found here?
39. What tree is very important to the success of coastal wetlands? What ecological services
does it provide? Why are we taking it away?
40. What is a unique adaptation for species found in the intertidal zone?
41. What are some major threats to barrier island development?
42. What is the most productive aquatic ecosystem which is sometimes called the tropical
rain forest of the ocean?
43. Where does most photosynthesis occur in the open ocean?
44. What are the zones of a lake? Where are decomposers found in great abundance?
45. The nutrient rich water near lake shores is called the ______________ zone.
46. Where would lake water be very cool with very little to no light penetration?
47. What are a lot of wetland areas converted to?
48. What are the big 3 limiting factors in any aquatic ecosystem?
49. Be able to recognize climatograms for each of the major terrestrial biomes.