Deck 4: Environments and Life

Question 1

Temperate forests, dominated by maples, oaks, and beeches (plus flowering plants), are located in

A) tropical rain forests.
B) savannahs and grasslands.
C) warm climate areas with long summers.
D) Mediterranean climates.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

A by-product of long-term photosynthesis that is a major constituent in Earth's atmosphere is

A) carbon dioxide.
B) oxygen.
C) nitrogen.
D) water vapor.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

__________ is a group of individuals that belong to a single species and live together in a particular area.

A) Community
B) Population
C) Ecosystem
D) Biota

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The intertidal zone is most closely associated with

A) the continental shelf.
B) the abyssal plain.
C) a barrier island shoreline.
D) the continental slope.

Question 5

Regarding the glacial ice sheet of Greenland, what is the greatest thickness of ice?

A) Over 1000 meters
B) Over 2000 meters
C) Over 3000 meters
D) Over 6000 meters

Question 6

The northern and southern trade winds converge in the

A) easterlies.
B) westerlies.
C) world's deserts.
D) intertropical zone.

Question 7

During __________, the intertropical convergence zone moves from the Indian Ocean south of India to the Himalayan Mountains and the Tibetan plateau.

A) summer
B) winter
C) spring
D) autumn

Question 8

Terrestrial climates on land near the equator tend to be

A) large deserts.
B) rain forests.
C) savannahs.
D) grasslands.

Question 9

How many gyres are associated with wind systems of the Northern Hemisphere of Earth?

A) Two
B) Four
C) Six
D) Eight

Question 10

The tilt of Earth's axis causes

A) the percentage of solar radiation reflected from Earth's surface to vary from 5 to 95 percent.
B) the Sun's rays to strike more directly and for more hours every day during summer in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere.
C) all of Earth's heat transfer in the atmosphere.
D) deflection of air currents differently in the Northern versus the Southern Hemisphere.

Question 11

The cool, dense air mass that forms over land and then pushes seaward produces the

A) summer monsoons.
B) winter monsoons.
C) rain shadows.
D) chaparrals.

Question 12

The way that a species relates to its environment defines its

A) habitat.
B) ecologic niche.
C) life habit.
D) limiting factors.

Question 13

The trade winds blow toward the equator from the northeast and southeast, pushing equatorial water westward to form the north and south

A) summer and winter monsoon.
B) circumpolar current.
C) equatorial currents.
D) equatorial countercurrents.

Question 14

Consumers that feed on producers are called

A) carnivores.
B) herbivores.
C) parasites.
D) scavengers.

Question 15

The Great Basin of North America lies in the rain shadow of the

A) Pacific Ocean.
B) Rocky Mountains.
C) Gulf of Mexico.
D) Sierra Nevada.

Question 16

Diversity is usually relatively low in habitats that

A) have communities with moderate predation.
B) have communities with low levels of physical disturbance.
C) have communities dominated by opportunistic species.
D) present physical difficulties for life.

Question 17

Northern coniferous forests, dominated by spruce, pine, and fir, are located adjacent to the subarctic ecosystem known as

A) savannahs.
B) tundras.
C) glaciers.
D) ice caps.

Question 18

The albedo of Earth's surface is greatest in areas covered by

A) forests.
B) bare soil.
C) ocean water.
D) ice and snow.

Question 19

Fossil angiosperms are valuable indicators of climates over the past __________ years.

A) 3 billion
B) 3 million
C) 8 to 9 million
D) 80 to 90 million

Question 20

__________ form in areas where rainfall is sufficient for grasses, but NOT forests, to grow.

A) Savannahs
B) Glaciers
C) Deserts
D) Tundras

Question 21

The tropical zone of calcareous nannoplankton in the modern Atlantic Ocean sits astride what latitude?

A) 40° north
B) 20° north
C) 0° (the equator)
D) 20° south

Question 22

Near the deepest part of the __________, continental crust gives way to oceanic crust.

A) intertidal zone
B) shelf break
C) continental slope
D) continental shelf

Question 23

Thinking of the marine food web, select the most important nektonic organism listed below.

A) Phytoplankton
B) Zooplankton
C) Fishes
D) Larvae

Question 24

A large proportion of freshwater consumers are

A) zooplankton.
B) phytoplankton.
C) insects.
D) shelled mollusks.

Question 25

Marshes occur in (or on) the

A) continental shelf.
B) intertidal zone.
C) deep-sea floor.
D) subtidal zone.

Question 26

Descending Antarctic water flows well into the Northern Hemisphere bringing and brings needed __________ to bottom-dwelling animals.

A) cold water
B) salt
C) oxygen
D) carbon dioxide

Question 27

__________ are marine animals that strain zooplankton from seawater.

A) Sharks
B) Baleen whales
C) Carnivorous whales
D) Crabs and starfishes

Question 28

__________ graze on plant-like organisms, especially algae, growing on hard surfaces on the sea floor.

A) Suspension feeders
B) Benthic herbivores
C) Deposit feeders
D) Marine carnivores

Question 29

Brackish seawater is common in

A) bays and lagoons.
B) continental shelves.
C) lakes and ponds.
D) open ocean waters.

Question 30

The upper layer of the ocean, where enough light penetrates the water to permit plants to conduct photosynthesis, is called the __________ zone and occurs at depths of __________ meters in most instances.

A) subtidal; 300 to 600
B) photic; 100 to 200
C) intertidal; about approximately 0
D) epicontinental; about approximately 600