Environmental Science-KEY
Study Guide
Ch. 6 & 7
1. What effects on climate, do you think, would result from an increase in altitude? Temperature
decreases with an increase in altitude and also with an increase in latitude.
2. A place at 2º N latitude has an average annual temperature of –6º C. What can you conclude
about the environment? This latitude is near the equator, for it to have a cold climate it must
be at a high altitude.
3. The average year-after-year conditions of temperature and precipitation in a particular region is
the region’s what? Climate
4. Name two factors that contribute to Earth’s climate. Latitude and transport of heat
5. A mountain can affect climate by what? By causing precipitation to fall mostly on one side of
the mountain.
6. Which biome is characterized by very low temperatures, little precipitation, and permafrost?
Tundra
7. Which two biomes have the least amount of precipitation? Tundra and desert
8. What are the characteristics of an aquatic ecosystem? Depth and flow of the water and
temperature of the water.
9. What determines the chemistry of aquatic ecosystems? amount of salts, nutrients, and oxygen
dissolved in the water.
10. What kind of animals would you find on a savanna? large herds of grazing animals, such as
rhinos, gazelles, and giraffes.
11. What are the characteristics of a tropical rainforest? species of animals with specialized ways
of surviving in order to avoid competition
12. How do desert animals survive? They survive by being nocturnal
13. On what side of mountain ranges do you find deserts? The dry side (usually East)
14. Describe the soil in the tundra. It has a layer of soil that is permanently frozen beneath the top
soil (permafrost).
15. Describe a Taiga. A forest biome dominated by coniferous trees, such as pine, fir, and spruce.
16. Name an adaptation of coniferous trees in the taiga. They have a unique overall shape in order
to accumulate snow, which acts as a heavy insulating layer.
17. Name an adaptation demonstrated by plants in tropical rain forests. 1) Trees have above
ground roots called buttresses, which increase stability and 2) herbs with large flat leaves
located in the understory help the plant gather sunlight.
18. Why do chaparral plants usually survive fires? They can resprout from small amounts of
surviving plant tissue.
19. What adaptations are used by animals of the Arctic tundra? Rodents burrow underground for
winter protection.
20. As you travel from the North Pole toward the equator, put the following biomes in order:
tropical rainforest, tundra, grassland. tundra, then grasslands, then tropical rain forests.
21. What animals would you expect to see in the emergent layer of a tropical rain forest? eagles,
bats, and snakes
22. The distance north or south of the equator, as measured in degrees, is called what? Latitude
23. What is the main factor that determines what type of plants grow in a biome? Precipitation and
altitude
24. Biomes with higher temperatures and less precipitation tend to have what type of vegetation?
Shorter and less dense
25. What type of biome is located primarily in coastal areas that have Mediterranean-style climates
with warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters? Chaparral
26. Tropical rain forests are threatened by what? Deforestation and the trade of rain forest plants
and animals.
27. What biome includes birds that migrate during winter, coniferous plants, and cold
temperatures? Taiga
28. What is the environmental function of wetlands? 1) absorbing and removing pollutants from
water and 2) trapping carbon that would otherwise be released into the air
29. What causes most coastal pollution in the United States? industrial waste and sewage
30. Where are swamps commonly found? flat, poorly drained land.
31. Where are the majority of marine organisms found? shallow, coastal waters.
32. The types of organisms found in a pond or lake depend on what? 1) the presence of nutrients
and 2) the amount of sunlight available.
33. In the _littoral_ zone, life is diverse and abundant.
34. In the _benthic_ zone, the water is cool and dark.
35. What mainly distinguishes nekton from benthos? One swims freely and the other often lives
attached to a hard surface.
36. Estuaries are productive ecosystems because they constantly receive nutrients from where?
Rivers and oceans
37. Which organism produces most of the food in an aquatic ecosystem? phytoplankton
38. What causes coral reefs to have a rock-like shape? The secretion of calcium carbonate by tiny
marine animals.
39. What are the two main types of freshwater wetlands? marshes and swamps
40. Which water ecosystem has the highest level of salinity? salt marsh
41. List two threats to coral reefs. Pesticides and oil spills
42. Why doesn’t photosynthesis occur in deep ocean water? There is no sunlight.
43. List two categories of marine organisms. Plankton and nekton (and benthos)
44. Organisms that drift with ocean currents are called what? Plankton
45. What term describes organisms that live on or in the ocean floor? Benthos
46. Give an example of a type of plankton. Algae
47. Give an example of a type of nekton. Shark
48. Nekton includes all animals that do what? Move independently of ocean currents