Deck 5: Ecosystems and Matter Cycling

Question 1

Disruption of biogeochemical cycles can cause ________.

A) the spread of ocean dead zones
B) acid deposition
C) global warming
D) All of the above

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The following is NOT true of matter on Earth: ________.

A) It has mass and takes up space
B) It cannot be consumed so that it no longer exists
C) It cannot be created nor destroyed
D) It has an infinite supply

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The smallest particles that still exhibit characteristics of an element are called ________.

A) neutrons
B) protons
C) electrons
D) atoms

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Water is a compound made up of ________.

A) two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom
B) three hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom
C) two helium atoms and one oxygen atom
D) two oxygen atoms and one hydrogen atom

Question 5

The law of conservation of matter tells us that ________.

A) matter will always exist, but in various forms
B) matter can be transformed but not destroyed
C) pollution exists because matter does not 'go away'
D) All of the above

Question 6

Of Earth's 92 naturally occurring elements, the ones that are necessary for living things are referred to as ________.

A) nutrients
B) compounds
C) proteins
D) carbohydrates

Question 7

________ would experience the most rapid nutrient cycling between the biomass and the soil system.

A) The temperate grassland ecosystem
B) The temperate forest ecosystem
C) The temperate wetland ecosystem
D) The tropical forest ecosystem

Question 8

CO₂ uptake by plants is greatest in ________.

A) winter and spring
B) spring and summer
C) fall and winter
D) summer and fall

Question 9

Gaseous cycles have most of their matter in the ________ while sedimentary cycles have most of their matter in the ________.

A) hydrosphere; atmosphere
B) atmosphere; lithosphere
C) atmosphere; ecosphere
D) biosphere; hydrosphere

Question 10

Leaf decay in the tropics takes ________, while in the boreal forest it takes ________.

A) decades; centuries
B) years; weeks
C) weeks; decades
D) days; weeks

Question 11

The phosphorus cycle lacks the ________ phase.

A) sedimentary
B) liquid
C) gaseous
D) solid

Question 12

The dominant limiting factor for freshwater aquatic ecosystems and for plant growth in terrestrial systems is usually ________.

A) nitrogen
B) phosphorus
C) saline water
D) oxygen

Question 13

The residence time of phosphorus in terrestrial systems can be up to ________.

A) 10 years
B) 100 years
C) 5 years
D) 1,000 years

Question 14

Humans intervene in the phosphorus cycle in several ways that accelerate its mobilization but NOT by ________.

A) mining rocks
B) burning fossil fuels
C) livestock farming
D) fishing

Question 15

Phosphorus stored in the lithosphere becomes available for biomass through ________.

A) precipitation
B) magma flows
C) burning of fossil fuels
D) geologic uplift and weathering

Question 16

Guano is ________.

A) an endemic plant
B) deep ocean deposits
C) bird droppings
D) a type of amphibian

Question 17

The sulphur cycle differs from the phosphorus cycle in that it ________.

A) is not a limiting factor for growth
B) depends on microbial activity
C) has an atmospheric component
D) All of the above

Question 18

Bacteria are an important component of the sulphur cycle because ________.

A) bacteria dry out peat beds, leading to emission of sulphur dioxide
B) bacteria capture atmospheric sulphur
C) bacteria change sulphur into sulphates that can be absorbed by plants
D) bacteria break down sulphur in animal wastes

Question 19

Atmospheric sulphur often comes from ________.

A) combustion of coal
B) photosynthesis
C) plant respiration
D) All of the above

Question 20

The largest atmospheric constituent is ________.

A) carbon dioxide
B) water vapour
C) oxygen
D) nitrogen

Question 21

Rhizobia refers to ________.

A) nitrogen fixing fungi
B) nitrogen fixing bacteria
C) nitrogen fixing plants
D) nitrogen fixing algae

Question 22

The process by which plant biomass is converted to NH₃ (ammonia) and NH₄ (ammonium salts) is called ________.

A) nitrogen fixation
B) denitrification
C) nitrification
D) mineralization

Question 23

Carbon dioxide gas accounts for ________ of the atmosphere.

A) 0.3 per cent
B) 0.03 per cent
C) 3 per cent
D) 30 per cent

Question 24

Large amounts of carbon can be stored in ________.

A) forests
B) coral reefs
C) peat bogs
D) All of the above

Question 25

Humans have altered the carbon cycle via ________.

A) large-scale farming
B) land use conversion
C) industrial activity
D) All of the above

Question 26

Water moves through the hydrological cycle fuelled by energy from ________.

A) the sun
B) photosynthesis
C) wind
D) tides

Question 27

Evapotranspiration is part of the ________.

A) sulphur cycle
B) phosphorus cycle
C) hydrological cycle
D) nitrogen cycle

Question 28

Seventy-five per cent of the world's fresh water is held in ________.

A) the liquid phase
B) oceans
C) the gaseous phase
D) the solid phase

Question 29

An area subject to the rainshadow effect ________.

A) receives low levels of sunlight
B) experiences high levels of precipitation
C) experiences low levels of precipitation
D) Both a and c

Question 30

Spring melt is a critical component of the hydrological cycle in Canada because ________.

A) the melting water is mainly used for agricultural purposes
B) the melting water influences the runoff regime for many Canadian rivers
C) the melting water is a critical source of water for many Canadian communities
D) the melting water contributes to humidity levels throughout the summer months

Question 31

An underground formation of loose materials may be ________.

A) an aquifer
B) an underground lake
C) a fossil fuel deposit
D) a glacier

Question 32

The process of eutrophication can be slowed by ________.

A) increasing nutrient inputs
B) limiting nutrient inputs
C) increasing phosphorous
D) increasing oxygen

Question 33

Eutrophication tends to increase populations of ________ at the expense of ________.

A) fish; plant species
B) phytoplankton; benthic plants
C) benthic plants; invertebrates
D) benthic plants; phytoplankton

Question 34

When organic wastes are added to a body of water, ________.

A) oxygen levels fall
B) number of bacteria falls
C) oxygen levels increases
D) BOD drops

Question 35

________ is NOT a characteristic of oligotrophic ecosystems.

A) Low quantity of undesirable species
B) Low productivity
C) High-species diversity
D) Low-water quality

Question 36

An example of a non-point source of pollution would be ________.

A) discharge from a factory
B) runoff from agricultural land
C) a sewage plant effluent pipe
D) a pipe discharging heated water

Question 37

The following is the best example of a synergistic effect in the Great Lakes: ________.

A) Phosphorus deficiency limiting fish growth in some areas of the Lakes and excess phosphorus in other areas of the Lakes
B) The collective impact of urban and industrial development around the shores of Lake Erie
C) Canada and the United States signing the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement to work together to improve water quality in the region
D) The invasive zebra mussel that converts phosphorus into a form easily used by aquatic plants such as algae, thereby increasing the impacts of eutrophication

Question 38

Acidic rainwater has a pH lower than ________.

A) 4.8
B) 5.6
C) 7.0
D) 6.7

Question 39

Acid deposition is due mainly to human interference in the ________.

A) carbon and sulfur cycles
B) sulfur and nitrogen cycles
C) phosphorus and sulfur cycles
D) carbon and phosphorus cycles

Question 40

When the effects of acid rain became evident in Sudbury in the 1970s, the industry's main response was to ________.

A) plant more durable trees
B) build higher smoke stacks
C) ban the chemicals responsible for acid rain
D) sell its mines

Question 41

In Canada, 'acid shock' is seen most often in the ________.

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

Question 42

The pulse of acidity is called ________.

A) sublimation
B) acid deposition
C) acid shock
D) aquatic effect

Question 43

________ has/have the highest buffering capacity in terms of acid deposition.

A) Quebec
B) The Prairies
C) Coastal British Columbia
D) Newfoundland

Question 44

Common loons need lake water with a pH of at least ________ to find enough food to feed their young.

A) 4.5
B) 5.0
C) 6.0
D) 5.5

Question 45

Twenty kilograms per hectare is the ________ for acid deposition in Canada.

A) PVT (policy value target)
B) PTV (political target value)
C) STV (scientific target value)
D) PTV (policy target value)

Question 46

The following is an impact of acid rain on human drinking water: ________.

A) Significantly higher treatment costs to clean water prior to drinking
B) Foul-smelling drinking water
C) Bad-tasting drinking water
D) Excess levels of lead in drinking water due to corroded pipes

Question 47

Denitrification refers to ________.

A) the process of converting nitrates into nitrogen gas
B) the process of converting biomass back to ammonia
C) the process of converting ammonia and ammonium salts into nitrites and nitrates
D) the removal of excess nitrogen from water bodies

Question 48

The amount of moisture held in an air mass at a particular temperature compared to how much could be held if fully saturated is referred to as ________.

A) humidex
B) humidity ratio
C) relative humidity
D) saturation point

Question 49

The most significant movement of water in the hydrological cycle occurs between ________.

A) the oceans and the atmosphere
B) terrestrial water and the atmosphere
C) rivers/lakes and the ocean
D) precipitation and groundwater

Question 50

Everything is either matter or energy.

Question 51

Energy has mass and takes up space.

Question 52

Matter can be created from nothing.

Question 53

Most nutrients have a large, slow-moving abiotic pool and a rapidly exchanged biotic pool.

Question 54

The elements that make up your body have undergone millions of years of recycling.

Question 55

In tropical forests, nutrients are mainly held in the soils.

Question 56

Phosphorus is a macronutrient that is part of many organic molecules.

Question 57

Phosphorus availability in soil is dependent on soil pH.

Question 58

Sulphur has a gaseous cycle.

Question 59

The form that sulphur takes depends in part on whether there are anaerobic or aerobic bacteria present.

Question 60

Lightning can play a role in fixing nitrogen for plant uptake.

Question 61

Granite rock is a large reservoir of carbon.

Question 62

Canada has up to one-third of the world's fresh water.

Question 63

Eutrophication only occurs as a result of human activity.

Question 64

Fish are usually the first organisms to suffer from acid deposition in aquatic environments.

Question 65

Using the law of conservation of matter, explain the unsustainable nature of many modern lifestyles.

Question 66

What are the key differences between sedimentary and gaseous biogeochemical cycles? Give an example of each.

Question 67

Do deciduous or needle-leafed trees provide better food for decomposers? Why?

Question 68

How does acid precipitation affect phosphorus availability in soils?

Question 69

How do anadromous fish species affect nutrient cycling in freshwater?

Question 70

What is the rock cycle? Describe weathering.

Question 71

What are the two main human impacts on the carbon cycle?

Question 72

Outline five special properties of water.

Question 73

What is cultural eutrophication? What are the main nutrient sources contributing to it? What can we do to minimize cultural eutrophication?

Question 74

What is acid deposition? What causes it and what are its effects?