Bio150 -- Prairie Restoration -- Fall 2002 flux
Sample Exam Questions
1. Provide a short definition of each of the following terms (3 pts. each):
C4 plant loess
Blitzkrieg hypothesis
NPP
Evapotranspiration
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Bio150 -- Prairie Restoration -- Fall 2002
2. Explain the costs and benefits of plants’ associations with soil fungi and bacteria. (6 pts.)
3. Explain why members of the plant family Fabaceae tend to have greater representation in plant communities subjected to frequent fire. (6 points)
4. The figures below depict the deposition of nitrogen in the three organic-matter compartments
(aboveground, root and soil) of three biomes. Explain your hypotheses for why these patterns differ between biomes. (10 pts.)
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Bio150 -- Prairie Restoration -- Fall 2002
4. Manning described the Homestead Act, which allotted individual farmers a 160-acre rectangle of land. Describe two distinct biological reasons why the Homestead Act was an inappropriate way to distribute land to grassland settlers. (5 pts.)
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Bio150 -- Prairie Restoration -- Fall 2002
5.
Write a short essay that addresses one of the following questions:
A. Manning's book highlights several efforts to revive interests in the prairie. These efforts include the restoration work being done at the Neil Smith Refuge, the agricultural work of Wes Jackson and the Land
Institute, and the conservation work done at the Turner Ranch. Compare and contrast the philosophies and goals of these three projects. Which do you think will be most successful in restoring the grasslands?
(15 pts.)
B. Describe Manning's argument that the literature of the prairie reflects European cultural attitudes towards a new landscape. Then describe your own views on how a new literature could better address the
"story" of the grasslands. What forms, perspectives, and philosophies would this new literature embrace?
(15 pts.)
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Bio150 -- Prairie Restoration -- Fall 2002
6.. Suppose you were put in charge of a prairie remnant in Iowa, i.e., an area that has never been plowed and contains some species typical of pre-settlement prairie. What would your management goals be? What specific policies would you implement in order to achieve these goals? (10 pts.)
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Bio150 -- Prairie Restoration -- Fall 2002
8. Critique a poster from the Bio 150 section entitled “ Animal Locomotion.” In your critique, you should summarize (1) the larger context for the question under investigation, (2) the investigators’ hypothesis and its justification, (3) the basic design used to test the hypothesis, and (4) how the results informed the investigators’ conclusions. You should also comment on the poster’s effectiveness. (10 pts.)
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