Deck 58: The Biosphere

Question 1

Destruction of which biome would result in the greatest loss of biodiversity?

A)desert
B)grassland
C)savanna
D)taiga forest
E)tropical rain forest

Answer 1

E

Question 2

While visiting the South Island of New Zealand, you notice that conditions vary sharply across the island.The West Coast is very wet and receives between 600 and 1600 mm of rainfall per year, while the East Coast only receives about 640 mm of rain per year and is very dry.What best explains this regional difference in precipitation?

A)Proximity to Antarctica.
B)The absence of inland lakes.
C)The presence of a large river along the West Coast.
D)The presence of mountains along the West Coast.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Periodic disturbances of the Pacific currents that cause global weather changes are given the name

A)El Niño.
B)gyrals.
C)the Humboldt current.
D)the Japan current.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The relatively shallow part of the ocean extending from the low tide mark to the edge of the continental shelf is called the

A)surface zone.
B)abyssal zone.
C)neritic zone.
D)littoral zone.

Question 5

Photosynthetic organisms of the open oceans are confined to the upper

A)two hundred millimeters.
B)two hundred centimeters.
C)two hundred meters.
D)two hundred kilometers.

Question 6

Biomes are broad regional areas with defined flora and fauna.Which one of the following choices correctly identifies the biomes shown plotted in the graph of precipitation versus temperature?

A)Tropical Rain forest = 1; Desert = 2; Tundra = 3; Grassland = 4
B)Tropical Rain forest = 1; Desert = 3; Tundra = 4; Grassland = 2
C)Tropical Rain forest = 3; Desert = 4; Tundra = 1; Grassland = 2
D)Tropical Rain forest = 3; Desert = 1; Tundra = 2; Grassland = 3

Question 7

CO₂ and other gases, which absorb the longer wavelengths of infrared light and radiated heat from Earth, are responsible for causing the

A)ozone layer depletion.
B)greenhouse effect.
C)decreased biodiversity.
D)acid rain.

Question 8

Which statement best describes the relationship between elevation and latitude?

A)Elevation and latitude are related because they are both measurements of distance.
B)Elevation and latitude are related because as one increases the other increases.
C)Elevation and latitude are related because they have similar effects on temperature.As the elevation increases, the temperature of the air increases, which is likewise with latitude.
D)Elevation and latitude are related because they have similar effects on temperature.As the elevation increases, the temperature of the air decreases, which is likewise with latitude.

Question 9

The great deserts and associated arid areas of the world mostly lie along the western sides of the continents at about

A)0 $\degree$ north and south latitude.
B)15 $\degree$ north and south latitude.
C)30 $\degree$ north and south latitude.
D)60 $\degree$ north and south latitude.

Question 10

Tropical climates are warmer than temperate climates because

A)temperate climates have more mountains and thus more snow causing the landmasses to warm slower.
B)tropical climates have more vegetation and thus can absorb more heat.
C)temperate climates are closer to the poles and the polar surfaces cause a reduction in heat gain.
D)tropical climates receive the sun's rays at an almost perpendicular angle; since Earth is a sphere, the temperate climates receive the sun's rays at a much steeper incidence thus spreading the radiation over a broader area.

Question 11

During an ecology field trip to a lake, your professor asks you to take temperature readings at various depths and record your data.At 5 meters, you note a temperature of 25 $\degree$ C and at 10 meters you record a temperature of 10 $\degree$ C.Readings at 20 meters and below stay fairly consistent around 8 $\degree$ C.The temperature readings of 25 $\degree$ C, 10 $\degree$ C, and 8 $\degree$ C represent the:

A)epilimnion,thermocline, and hypolimnion.
B)epilimnion,hypolimnion, and thermocline.
C)hypolimnion, epilimnion,and thermocline.
D)hypolimnion, thermocline,andepilimnion.

Question 12

Rhizosphaera needle cast is a fungal disease that affects spruce trees.Which of the following biomes would be most severely affected by an outbreak of this disease?

A)tundra
B)temperate deciduous forest
C)prairie
D)taiga

Question 13

As the global concentration of carbon dioxide increases, there is great potential for direct impact on the world's

A)climate.
B)biodiversity.
C)biogeochemistry.
D)ozone layer.

Question 14

Drifting freely in the upper, well-illuminated waters of the ocean, a diverse biological community exists, primarily consisting of microscopic organisms called

A)phytoplankton.
B)archaeans.
C)detritus.
D)benthos.

Question 15

If the energy of the sun no longer reached Earth, the primary productivity of which of the following ecosystems would be least affected?

A)deep sea hydrothermal vent
B)temperate rain forest
C)desert
D)taiga

Question 16

Prairie is another name for a

A)desert.
B)temperate grassland.
C)savanna.
D)taiga.

Question 17

Researchers in Alaska were interested in increasing the sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) population in three coastal lakes.To accomplish this, the ponds were treated with fertilizers.As a result, zooplankton biomass increased between 40% and 700% in the three lakes.The substantial growth in zooplankton would suggest that prior to these experiments, these lakes were __________________.

A)eutrophic
B)stratified
C)subject to low light levels
D)oligotrophic

Question 18

Temperate grasslands and temperate deciduous forests are two different biomes that are located in the same latitudes.Which one of the following abiotic conditions is most likely to account for the differences in their community composition?

A)temperature
B)precipitation
C)sunlight
D)soil nutrients

Question 19

Most of the ultraviolet radiation reaching the upper atmosphere is absorbed by

A)CFCs.
B)ozone.
C)nitrogen.
D)carbon dioxide.

Question 20

Which of the following choices best describes the relationship that exists between moisture and air temperature?

A)The moisture-holding capacity of air decreases when it is warm and increases when it is cool.
B)The moisture-holding capacity of air remains the same (warm or cool) and is not related to its temperature.
C)The moisture-holding capacity of air increases when it is warm and decreases when it is cool.
D) The moisture-holding capacity of air decreases as the higher altitude winds of the polar regions descend onto the continents.

Question 21

Oxygen levels in the photic zone fluctuate over the course of a 24-hr period.If you were measuring dissolved oxygen over the course of the day, when would you expect to see the lowest levels of oxygen and why?

A)Mid-morning -- because fish are most active and their respiration rates are highest.
B)Early afternoon -- when the surface water warms up and sinks to the bottom.
C)Mid-afternoon -- because the activity of the Calvin cycle (the dark reactions) of photosynthesis are at their peak.
D)Early evening -- when animals come to feed and disturb the surface waters.
E)During the night -- because the light reactions of photosynthesis are inactive.

Question 22

A mountain range along the coast of a continent is located perpendicular to the prevailing sea breeze.Which one of the following describes an area where the rain shadow is located?

A)on the leeward side of the mountain where cool, dry air is descending
B)on the leeward side of the mountain where warm, moist air is descending
C)on the windward side of the mountain where warm, moist air is rising
D)on the windward side of the mountain where cool, dry air is rising

Question 23

Which two countries are both likely to have prevailing winds blowing from west to east?

A)United States and Argentina
B)United States and Panama
C)Canada and Brazil
D)Panama and Brazil

Question 24

If the tilt of Earth's axis relative to its plane of orbit was increased to 30 degrees, the seasons in Boston would become less distinct.

Question 25

If you plot mean annual precipitation against mean annual temperature and look at the distribution of major biomes relative to these two variables, which biome would be in the central region of the graph?

A)savanna
B)hot desert
C)tropical rain forest
D)temperate deciduous forest

Question 26

Which of the following adversely affects the ozone layer?

A)chlorofluorocarbons
B)greenhouse gases
C)oil
D)coal and natural gas

Question 27

Which one of the following marine ecosystems would be expected to have the lowest species diversity and primary production per unit area?

A)oligotrophic oceans
B)upwelling regions of ocean
C)coral reefs
D)estuaries

Question 28

Biological magnification of persistent toxins would be greatest in a

A)deer.
B)fox.
C)polar bear.
D)mushroom.

Question 29

In a temperate zone lake, what should the temperature profile be immediately after the fall overturn?

A)coldest water at the top, 4 $\degree$ C water at the bottom
B)warmest water at the top, 4 $\degree$ C water at the bottom
C)4 $\degree$ C water throughout
D)10 $\degree$ C water throughout

Question 30

Scientists cannot predict when an El Niño will begin.But once it does, forecasters are able to predict changes to weather patterns.What would be a predicted weather effect of an El Niño?

A)Drier and warmer in the southeastern U.S.
B)Colder than normal across the northeastern United States.
C)More rain in Peru and Ecuador.
D)More rain in Indonesia and the Phillipines.