Chapter 52: Intro to Ecology and the Biosphere – Summer Quiz #1
Concept 52.1
1. An ecologist might conduct research to answer which of the following questions?
A. How does the uneven heating of Earth's surface cause the movement of air and water
masses?
B. How do genes specify protein construction?
C. How are different species of fish related (in an evolutionary sense) to each other?
D. How does caffeine affect the transmission of nerve impulses in humans?
E. How do tapeworms adapt to life in the human intestine?
2. The sum of all Earth's ecosystems is called the _____.
A. stratosphere
B. lithosphere
C. biosphere
D. hydrosphere
E. troposphere
3. An immature frog (a tadpole) lives in a pond or lake. However, the adult frog
possesses special adaptations that permit it to survive in a terrestrial environment. These
special adaptations _____.
A. help prevent the adult frog's body from drying out
B. maximize body temperature
C. permit the adult frog to maintain its internal water balance given the solute
concentration of its hypotonic surroundings
D. maximize the rate of water loss from its body
E. maximize the interception of solar energy
4. The warming of the Earth is a(n) ______ effect. People are worried that it will have
a(n) _______ effect, perhaps causing the extinction of a number of species.
A. ecological; evolutionary
B. abiotic; dispersal
C. evolutionary; biotic
D. ecological; dispersal
E. biotic; abiotic
5. In a rather infamous case of species transplantation, starlings were introduced into
North America from Europe in 1890 by an eccentric Shakespeare fan. While the actual
range of starlings was originally in the eastern hemisphere, it is clear that North America
was part of its _______ range. "
A. biotic
B. potential
C. biogeographical
D. natural
E. ecological
Concept 52.2
6. Temperature, precipitation, sunlight, and wind are the major components of ______ (
A. biotic factors
B. biomes
C. dispersal
D. climate
E. ecosystems
7. Bodies of water tend to moderate climate because ________. (
A. The hydrogen bonding in water gives it a high specific heat.
B. Water has a high heat of vaporization.
C. The hydrogen bonding in water causes it to be cohesive.
D. Water is always cooler than the nearby landmasses.
E. all of the above
8. Why are many of the world's deserts located at latitudes of between 30°N and 30°S?
A. Earth is tilted on its axis.
B. The greatest amount of solar energy per unit area is absorbed by Earth between 30°N
latitude and 30°S latitude.
C. Dry air, originating at the equator, descends toward Earth's surface between 30°N
latitude and 30°S latitude.
D. Warm air rises between 30°N latitude and 30°S latitude and spreads toward the poles
and the equator.
E. Earth is a rotating sphere
9. Earth's biosphere is not completely self-contained (or closed) because _____.
A. humans pollute the atmosphere and bodies of water
B. plants, algae, and photosynthetic bacteria obtain energy from sunlight, and heat
escapes from the biosphere into space
C. the precipitation that falls on the interior of western North America is derived from the
Pacific Ocean
D. bacteria that live on snowy mountains receive nutrients blown to them by winds
E. sulfur bacteria that live near hydrothermal vents deep in the oceans use CO2 contained
in seawater to make organic compounds
10. When people speak of the "rain shadow" of the California Coast Range, they are
referring to _____.
A. the shadow cast by the mist and clouds that hover above the crest of the range
B. the forested condition on the eastern flank of the range compared with the western
flank
C. the scarcity of rain on the eastern flank and adjacent lowlands compared with the
western flank
D. the dark-colored chaparral vegetation that grows on the eastern flank
E. none of the above
11. Wet and dry seasons in tropical deciduous forests are ultimately caused by _____.
A. changes in day length
B. microclimates
C. proximity to bodies of water
D. upwelling of cold ocean water
E. the tilt of the Earth
Concept 52.3
12. Which one of the following statements about biomes is correct?
A. Each biome type occurs on every continent.
B. The major factors affecting the distribution of biomes are temperature and
precipitation.
C. Most biomes are characterized by unique groups of particular species of plants and
animals.
D. Most biomes are unaffected by human activity.
E. Each continent is home to a biome not found elsewhere on Earth.
13. Communities that exist in the aphotic zone ultimately depend on food manufactured
by chemoautotrophic bacteria or _____.
A. algae and cyanobacteria that also live in the aphotic zone
B. algae and cyanobacteria that live in the photic zone
C. decomposers
D. scavengers
E. minerals found on the ocean bottom
14. After nutrient enrichment from sewage contamination, a lake often becomes
inhospitable to fish. Why?
A. Nutrient input to a lake causes the explosive growth of algal and cyanobacterial
populations. This reduces the penetration of light into the lake, the water temperature
falls, and eventually the fish population dies.
B. Nutrient input to a lake poisons the fish.
C. Nutrient input to a lake causes the explosive growth of algal and cyanobacterial
populations. Decomposition of dead algae and cyanobacteria by bacteria results in the
depletion of oxygen in the water, which leads to the death of fish.
D. Nutrient input to a lake poisons the organisms that fish eat.
E. Nutrient input causes the death of algae and cyanobacteria and, thus, the ultimate
sources of organic compounds in a lake ecosystem. Eventually, this reduces the
availability of food for fish within the lake, leading to their death.
15. Plankton consists of _____.
A. algae, cyanobacteria, and animals that drift near the surfaces of oceans only
B. photosynthetic organisms that drift near the surfaces of aquatic biomes
C. algae, cyanobacteria, and animals that belong to the benthic communities of oceans,
lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams
D. algae, cyanobacteria, and animals that drift near the surfaces of oceans, lakes, ponds,
rivers, and streams
E. algae, cyanobacteria, and animals that occupy the aphotic zones of oceans, lakes, and
ponds
16. Which one of the following is characteristic of oligotrophic lakes?
A. seasonal O2 depletion
B. summer turnover
C. frequent algal blooms
D. few littoral plants and a low density of phytoplankton
E. animals that are tolerant of low-oxygen conditions
17. Rooted plants are found only in the _____ zone of a lake.
A. pelagic
B. thermocline
C. limnetic
D. littoral
E. none of the above
18. Below the photic zone of the ocean, _____.
A. phytoplankton outnumber zooplankton
B. plants are rooted in the sandy bottom
C. food chains are detritus-based
D. primary producers capture the sun's energy, which is then passed up the energy
pyramid
E. all the organisms are either floating or free-swimming
19. What is the importance of turnover in temperate lakes?
A. It brings oxygen-rich water to the bottom, and nutrient-rich water to the surface.
B. It helps to set up a thermocline in the lake.
C. It brings benthic organisms to the surface where they have access to more light and
oxygen.
D. It occurs constantly during the summer, giving the lakes a murky appearance.
E. It changes the relative positions of the photic and aphotic zones.
Concept 52.4
20. A climograph shows the mean temperature and precipitation values that support
different biomes. What information that would help predict what biome should be found
in a particular range is missing?
A. latitude and longitude
B. day length
C. the pattern of climatic variation, including seasonal differences
D. microclimate
E. dominant plant species
21. Different species that inhabit the same type of biome, but occur in widely separated
geographic regions, often appear similar due to _____.
A. their close evolutionary relationships
B. convergent evolution
C. the occurrence of the same sets of species within a biome, wherever it is found
D. recent common ancestry
E. chance
22. What helps produce the patchiness found in most biomes?
A. climate change
B. layered structure
C. convergent evolution
D. ecotones
E. disturbance
23. Permafrost is characteristic of the _____.
A. tundra
B. temperate forest
C. taiga
D. desert
E. tropical forest
24. Which biome is the largest terrestrial biome on Earth?
A. temperate broadleaf forest
B. coniferous forest
C. savanna
D. desert
E. tropical forest
25. Fringe wetlands develop _____.
A. along shallow and periodically flooded banks of rivers and streams
B. along the coasts of lakes where water flows back and forth because of falling and
rising lake levels
C. along the coasts of seas where water flows back and forth because of tidal action
D. both b and c
E. all of the above
26. Which one of the following choices correctly pairs a terrestrial biome with some of its
characteristics?
A. temperate broadleaf forest; cold winters, wet and dry seasons
B. grassland; moderate winter temperatures, dry summers
C. taiga; very cold winters, short growing season
D. savanna; long, cold winters, abundant precipitation throughout the year
E. tundra; very cold winters, low summer productivity
27. Which one of the following biomes is dominated by gymnosperm or conifer trees
(pines, firs, spruces)?
A. taiga
B. tundra
C. desert
D. broadleaf forest
E. tropical rain forest
28. Of these biomes, vertical stratification (layers of plants) is most pronounced in the
_____.
A. grassland
B. tundra
C. desert
D. tropical rain forest
E. savanna
29. What could a climograph be used for?
A. to compare the temperature and altitude of different biomes
B. to compare the latitude and precipitation of different biomes
C. to compare the temperature and precipitation of different biomes
D. to compare geographic range and diversity of organisms in different biomes
E. to compare average wind speeds and precipitation of different biomes
30. Which statement is true about the tundra?
A. Tundra only exists in the Arctic.
B. Permafrost prevents much water from infiltrating the soil.
C. Migratory birds leave the tundra during the summer to find warmer places to nest.
D. Due to rich mineral content, agriculturists have recently focused their attention on the
tundra.
E. none of the above
31. Which choice below describes a feature of grassland that explains why its remnants
are concentrated in arid regions of North America and central Asia?
A. Grassland is often consumed by fire.
B. The soil is fertile and most grassland has been converted to farmland.
C. Large grazers, such as bison and wild horses, have depleted grassland.
D. Woody shrubs and trees have taken over in areas that receive more precipitation.
E. Grassland has been found to be a good source of minerals and oil.
32. Which one of the following pairs of biomes is characterized by relatively simple food
webs (low biological diversity)?
A. tundra and grassland
B. tundra and desert
C. desert and grassland
D. desert and broadleaf forest
E. taiga and savanna
FRQ #8 – 4 points