Deck 17: Ecosystems and Biogeochemical Cycles

Question 1

The diagram below reminds us that

A)ecosystem structures tend to occur on land and ecosystem functions tend to occur on water.
B)ecosystem functions are dynamic processes that support the ecosystem.
C)ecosystem structures and functions are largely the same in most ecosystems.
D)ecosystem functions occur on long time periods.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

An example of commensalism would be

A)a bird that eats ticks from a zebra's skin.
B)Spanish moss that hangs from a live oak tree.
C)the bacteria that causes pneumonia.
D)the needles on a cactus.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

It is common for the predator population to lag behind the prey population by about

A)1/4 of a cycle.
B)1/3 of a cycle.
C)1/2 of a cycle.
D)1 cycle.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

In the diagram below, the dashed horizontal line represents the exponential growth coefficient

A)carrying capacity.
B)competition level.
C)reproduction rate.
D)niche level.

Question 5

Biomagnification can directly cause

A)increases in the amount of energy to be available in the ecosystem.
B)rapid population explosions when environmental conditions provide an opportunity for growth.
C)a temporary speed-up of nutrient cycling in an ecosystem.
D)higher-level heterotrophs to be more susceptible to poison than lower-level heterotrophs.

Question 6

The diagram below illustrates the point that the cows are

A)first-level heterotrophs.
B)second-level heterotrophs.
C)primary producers.
D)keystone predators.

Question 7

Detritivores eat

A)almost solely plants.
B)decaying plants and/or animals in the soil.
C)almost solely animals.
D)animals and plants in the sea only.

Question 8

Ecology is the study of how

A)organisms and populations of organisms interact with one another and with the nonliving components of their environment.
B)people interact with their environment.
C)pollution reduces the productivity and health of the environment.
D)the lithosphere, biosphere, and hydrosphere interact with each other.

Question 9

Species that live a long life and have only a few offspring, such as humans, can be characterized as

A)K-selected.
B)r-selected.
C)autotrophs.
D)omnivores.

Question 10

The major reason for the collapse of the Aral Sea ecosystem was the

A)invasion of the pine beetle as adjacent ecosystems collapsed.
B)increased temperatures during this era of global warming.
C)earthquake of 1964.
D)diversion of water for irrigation purposes.

Question 11

A niche is

A)the biotic components of the ecosystem.
B)the role of a species relative to other species in the ecosystem.
C)the opposite of a habitat.
D)the ecosystem's properties at the time that the climax community occurs.

Question 12

Food webs like the one shown below generally show

A)consumers only at the secondary level and above.
B)the degree of interdependence between organisms in ecosystems.
C)all of the structures in an ecosystem.
D)less information than a food chain.

Question 13

Species that reproduce quickly and have offspring that are likely to die before reaching maturity are known as

A)K-selected.
B)r-selected.
C)autotrophs.
D)omnivores.

Question 14

If two species are in competition for the same resources,

A)we can infer they are in a predator-prey relationship.
B)a new species will be most likely to enter the ecosystem if the species decrease the overlap in their niche.
C)one will always drive the other into extinction.
D)they cannot be part of the same ecosystem.

Question 15

A likely scenario for causing the population trend shown in the diagram below is

A)the carrying capacity changed.
B)favorable environmental conditions caused a temporary population explosion above the carrying capacity.
C)a keystone predator was removed from the ecosystem at the point that the population began to decline.
D)primary succession began at the time when the population reached its peak.

Question 16

The diagram below shows that

A)ecosystem structures include both biotic and abiotic components.
B)ecosystem functions include both biotic and abiotic components.
C)ecosystem structures are abundant and usually considered limitless.
D)ecosystem functions are abundant and usually considered limitless.

Question 17

An example of parasitism is

A)a bird that eats ticks from a zebra's skin.
B)Spanish moss that hangs from a live oak tree.
C)the bacteria that causes pneumonia.
D)the needles on a cactus.

Question 18

In the diagram below, the population growth rate begins to decline after reaching the inflection point most likely because

A)a new keystone predator has been introduced to the ecosystem.
B)the ecosystem's limited resources begin to have an impact on the population.
C)the species in the ecosystem evolve from being K-selected to being r-selected.
D)a catastrophic event, such as a flood or earthquake, disrupts the ecosystem.

Question 19

An example of mutualism would be

A)a bird that eats ticks from a zebra's skin.
B)Spanish moss that hangs from a live oak tree.
C)the bacteria that causes pneumonia.
D)the needles on a cactus.

Question 20

A habitat consists of

A)the source of energy that a species acquires.
B)the position of a species on the food chain or food web.
C)the physical environment where a species lives.
D)the rate of nutrient cycling that takes place in an ecosystem.

Question 21

An ecosystem that is stable is likely to have a

A)high percentage of "eury" species for the environmental conditions present.
B)high percentage of "steno" species for the environmental conditions present.
C)narrow optimal range for the environmental conditions present.
D)high percentage of r-selected species.

Question 22

An open system is characterized by

A)inputs of energy and matter that come from outside the system.
B)energy and matter that are stored in the system, but not within the living tissue.
C)negative feedbacks rather than positive feedbacks.
D)the absence of secondary consumers.

Question 23

Which of the following parts of the ocean are likely to support the lowest net primary productivity?

A)areas beneath the subtropical highs
B)areas where upwelling is occurring
C)shallow seas
D)middle-to-high-latitude areas

Question 24

In which of the following places on Earth has the local environment's capacity to support its human population been exceeded most seriously?

A)India
B)Australia
C)Western North America
D)Southern Africa

Question 25

In the diagram below, the red line represents

A)K-selected species.
B)omnivores.
C)herbivores.
D)r-selected species.

Question 26

Which of the following is not an important factor that contributes to net primary productivity?

A)intensity of insolation
B)soil nutrients
C)precipitation
D)All of these are important factors.

Question 27

If a population of species in an ecosystem does not fluctuate much over time, the ecosystem

A)has no significant buffering mechanisms.
B)has many "eury" species.
C)is said to be stable.
D)has low inertia.

Question 28

The diagram below shows that C₄ plants photosynthesize more efficiently than C₃ plants at high temperatures.This is because

A)C₄ plants make use of chemosynthesis as well as photosynthesis.
B)C₄ plants are able to minimize water loss through the stomates more efficiently than C₃ plants.
C)C₄ plants make use of the Calvin cycle to photosynthesize over a wider range of hours, while C₃ plants do not.
D)C₄ plants have larger chloroplasts than C₃ plants.

Question 29

Which of the following is true about the general geographic distribution of richness and equitability?

A)Both richness and equitability, and therefore biodiversity, increase from the tropics to the poles.
B)Both richness and equitability, and therefore biodiversity, decrease from the tropics to the poles.
C)Richness decreases from tropical areas to polar areas; equitability may increase toward the poles, but overall, biodiversity decreases from the tropics to the poles.
D)Richness increases from tropical areas to polar areas; equitability may decrease toward the poles, but overall, biodiversity increases from the tropics to the poles.

Question 30

Which of the following is not true about protecting biodiversity?

A)Once a species is lost from an area, it isn't typically re-introduced because doing so would endanger other species in that ecosystem.
B)The mining industry exerts a serious threat to biodiversity.
C)Gene and see banks provide "insurance" for the long-term survival of species.
D)The cultivation of densely-planted "energy crops" grown in tropical ecosystems to provide biofuels is a threat to biodiversity.

Question 31

CAM plants

A)use energy sources at hydrothermal vents rather than sunlight to make food.
B)conduct C₄ photosynthesis at some times and C₃ photosynthesis at others.
C)are those that are consumed by omnivores but not herbivores.
D)are those that are consumed by herbivores but not omnivores.

Question 32

In the diagram below, the first law of thermodynamics is responsible for the processes depicted by

A)the purple squiggly lines only.
B)the black arrows only.
C)the brown arrows only.
D)the yellow squiggly lines and the black arrows.
E)the purple squiggly lines and the brown arrows.

Question 33

The difference between inertia and resilience is that

A)inertia is the ability of an ecosystem to protect itself against experiencing stress, while resilience is the ability of an ecosystem to find its optimal range of conditions.
B)inertia is the ability of an ecosystem to find its optimal range of conditions, while resilience is the ability of an ecosystem to protect itself against experiencing stress.
C)inertia is the ability of an ecosystem to recover following stress, while resilience is the ability of an ecosystem to resist change after a stress is applied.
D)inertia is the ability of an ecosystem to resist change after a stress is applied, while resilience is the ability of an ecosystem to recover following stress.

Question 34

In the diagram below, the second law of thermodynamics is responsible for the processes depicted by

A)the purple squiggly lines only.
B)the black arrows only.
C)the brown arrows only.
D)the yellow squiggly lines and the black arrows.
E)the purple squiggly lines and the brown arrows.

Question 35

In the Calvin cycle of photosynthesis,

A)chlorophyll in the chloroplasts fixes insolation, exciting electrons.
B)molecules of ATP and NADPH are made.
C)ATP and NADPH fix CO₂ from the air to create organic molecules (sugars).
D)O₂ is input and carbon dioxide is released.

Question 36

The left half of the diagram below represents the component of photosynthesis that

A)occurs only in plants that have relatively large chloroplasts.
B)occurs only in plants that have relatively small chloroplasts.
C)can happen whether sunlight is present or not.
D)requires the presence of sunlight.

Question 37

The major difference between richness and equitability is that

A)richness is a measure of biodiversity and equitability is a measure of competition.
B)richness expresses how complicated the organisms that make up an ecosystem are, while equitability only considered the number of organisms.
C)richness is a count of the number of species present in an ecosystem and equitability describes how evenly distributed the populations of each species are.
D)richness describes the number of r-selected species in an ecosystem and equitability expresses the number of K-selected species in an ecosystem.

Question 38

Net primary productivity is the

A)total amount of energy fixed for photosynthesis in an area, minus the energy wasted or used.
B)for plant respiration and maintaining existing tissue.
C)total amount of energy fixed for photosynthesis in an area.
D)percentage of the total vegetation surface that is a healthy green color.
E)ratio of the population of autotrophs to the population of heterotrophs in an ecosystem.

Question 39

If owls begin migrating to an area to feed on a particular mouse species, but the mice have ingested a toxin (to owls)that begins to keep the owl population in check, which then causes the mouse population to increase, until more owls move into the area, and so on, this is an example of a

A)positive feedback system.
B)negative feedback system.
C)detritivore.
D)chemosynthesis.

Question 40

Which of the following is not a way in which biodiversity directly helps society?

A)buffer against extreme events.
B)"insurance policy" against the impacts of new diseases.
C)aesthetic and spiritual value.
D)prevention of global warming.

Question 41

NO_x reacts with what in the formation and intensification of particulate matter, which is linked to haze, decreasing visibility, and respiratory ailments?

A)carbon dioxide (CO₂)
B)methane (CH₄)
C)ammonia (NH₃)
D)sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄)

Question 42

Ultramafic igneous rocks (those with very high magnesium and iron, and low silica content)may offer the best hope for improving the environment by

A)being placed on the ocean floor, where they can absorb water and reduce global sea levels.
B)absorbing CO₂, with their rate of absorption capable of being increased by people.
C)pulling ground-level ozone out of the atmosphere as it cools.
D)reducing the rate of salinization of soils when it is ground into a fine powder and sprinkled on the surface.

Question 43

Tropospheric ozone forms when

A)sunlight causes NO₂ to photodissociate.
B)SO₂ reacts with particulate matter.
C)NO_x reacts with ammonia (NH₃).
D)carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere from fossil fuel combustion.

Question 44

The lethal limit of a "eury" species is likely to be

A)higher than that of a "steno" species.
B)lower than that of a "steno" species.
C)both higher and lower than that of a "steno" species.
D)neither higher nor lower than that of a "steno" species.

Question 45

In the diagram below the "steno" species is represented by the

A)green line.
B)black line.

Question 46

The diagram below depicts the

A)nitrogen cycle.
B)carbon cycle.
C)titanium cycle.
D)phosphorus cycle

Question 47

In the diagram below, the red arrows represent

A)fluxes that are increasing over time.
B)fluxes that have little environmental impact.
C)fluxes that are constant across time.
D)human-influenced fluxes.

Question 48

The greenhouse gas nitrous oxide, which you may know as laughing gas from your most recent visit to the dentist, has the chemical formula

A)NO_x.
B)N₂O.
C)NO₂.
D)NO₃.

Question 49

The diagram below conveys the idea that

A)oceanic subduction zones are areas where ecosystems are particularly rich.
B)biogeochemical cycles store and cycle matter across the different "spheres."
C)diversity is only one indicator of an ecosystem's health.
D)life tends to exist in "clumps" with little between the productive areas.

Question 50

In the diagram below, the importance of the falling precipitation at "A" for the global carbon cycle is that

A)the falling rain makes carbon in the atmosphere more inert - giving it much greater potential to act as a greenhouse gas and warm the Earth.
B)the falling rain brings CaCO₃ which was trapped in the atmosphere to the surface, cooling the Earth.
C)the falling rain lubricates the Earth's surface, making crustal deformation more likely, which would bring carbon stored in the lithosphere back up to the atmosphere, warming the Earth.
D)CO₂ combines with water to form H₂CO₃, removing carbon from the atmosphere and cooling the Earth.

Question 51

The diagram below depicts the global

A)nitrogen cycle.
B)sulfur cycle.
C)carbon cycle.
D)titanium cycle.

Question 52

The diagram below reminds us that NO_x reacts with water to produce nitric acid (HNO₃), an important component of

A)global warming.
B)El Niño.
C)eutrophication.
D)acid rain.

Question 53

The form of nitrogen that comprises 78% of atmospheric mass and is necessary for biological processes, but unusable by plants is

A)N₂.
B)NO_x.
C)N₂O.
D)NO₂.

Question 54

The Haber-Bosch process is important because it is a

A)technique for fertilizing the ocean to increase productivity of ecosystems.
B)mechanism by which human activities alter the global nitrogen cycle.
C)process by which tropospheric ozone forms.
D)means by which oil and gas are extracted from geologic formations in the lithosphere.

Question 55

Nitrates often used for gunpowders, explosives, and fertilizers (when combined with positive ions such as potassium, sodium, and calcium) have the chemical formula

A)N₂.
B)N₂O.
C)NO₂.
D)NO₃.

Question 56

The largest amount of carbon is involved in

A)natural fire.
B)biological processes in the oceans.
C)respiration from land organisms.
D)fossil fuels.

Question 57

According to the diagram below, the process by which nitrogen moves from the land to the atmosphere primarily after microbes or fossil fuel combustion converts various forms of nitrogen back to N₂, as at the yellow asterisk (*), is known as

A)cyclolysis.
B)denitrification.
C)eutrophication.
D)photodissociation.

Question 58

In the diagram below, the importance of the erupting volcano at "B" for the global carbon cycle is that

A)CO₂ dissolved in magma rises with the magma and is released from solution into the atmosphere as pressures decrease, warming the Earth.
B)the heat from the erupting volcano warms the atmosphere to such an extent that it can no longer retain CO₂ in it, causing it to condense and cool the Earth.
C)as the magma begins to cool when it reaches the surface, atmospheric CO₂ is absorbed into it, cooling the Earth.
D)atmospheric CO₂ gets drawn into the volcanic caldera as soon as the magma exits the chamber, cooling the Earth.

Question 59

Secondary succession would begin to take place after an ecosystem is disrupted by a

A)glaciation.
B)volcanic eruption.
C)deforestation.
D)nuclear meltdown.

Question 60

When the climax community appears,

A)biodiversity increases.
B)the total energy fixed exceeds the energy used by respiration.
C)K-selected species become increasingly favored over r-selected species.
D)All of these happen.

Question 61

The global trend in sulfur emissions can be characterized by

A)increasing rates of emission in almost every country.
B)decreasing rates of emission in almost every country.
C)decreasing rates of emission in the industrialized countries but increasing rates in the developing countries.
D)increasing rates of emission in the industrialized countries but decreasing rates in the developing countries.

Question 62

The areas within the United States where humans have contributed the most sulfur to the atmosphere are generally near

A)nuclear power plants.
B)coal-fired power plants.
C)cement factories.
D)hydroelectric plants.

Question 63

The largest reservoir or store of phosphorus can be found in

A)atmosphere.
B)biota.
C)soils.
D)oceans.

Question 64

Storms can compound problems related to hypoxia by

A)driving saltwater into freshwater ecosystems, killing the fish and causing them to decompose.
B)leaving behind debris that inhibits photosynthesis of the remaining living plants and phytoplankton.
C)the production of hydrogen sulfide and tannic acid as a by-product of the decomposition process.
D)All of these cause hypoxia in the aftermath of a storm.

Question 65

The hypoxia problem in the Gulf of Mexico is primarily caused by

A)local wind circulations along the coast.
B)very low thermocline levels in the Gulf of Mexico.
C)runoff of nutrient-rich fertilizers into the Mississippi River.
D)El Niño events.

Question 66

Assuming that all other factors are equal, on a hot summer afternoon the biological oxygen demand in a lake will be

A)low because metabolic reactions increase in high temperatures.
B)high because metabolic reactions increase in high temperatures.
C)low because metabolic reactions decrease in high temperatures.
D)high because metabolic reactions decrease in high temperatures.

Question 67

The diagram below shows that most of the reservoir and flux of the biogeochemical cycle called the sulfur cycle takes place in the lithosphere, so it is termed a(n)

A)metamorphic cycle.
B)igneous cycle.
C)sedimentary cycle.
D)rock cycle.

Question 68

If the compensation point is above the thermocline,

A)hypoxic waters can easily circulate to the surface, endangering the lake ecosystem, and this is more likely to happen in summer.
B)hypoxic waters cannot easily circulate to the surface, protecting the lake ecosystem, and this is more likely to happen in summer.
C)hypoxic waters can easily circulate to the surface, endangering the lake ecosystem, and this is more likely to happen in winter.
D)hypoxic waters cannot easily circulate to the surface, protecting the lake ecosystem, and this is more likely to happen in winter.

Question 69

Kudzu is a type of invasive

A)rodent in the southeastern United States.
B)fern in the southeastern United States.
C)vine in the southeastern United States.
D)fish in the southeastern United States.

Question 70

Assuming that all other factors are equal, on a cold winter afternoon the amount of dissolved O₂ in a lake will be

A)more than on a hot day because the decreased energy in colder water makes O₂ molecules less likely to escape to the atmosphere, and biological oxygen demand will be higher than on a hot day.
B)less than on a hot day because the decreased energy in colder water makes O₂ molecules more likely to escape to the atmosphere, and biological oxygen demand will be higher than on a hot day.
C)more than on a hot day because the decreased energy in colder water makes O₂ molecules less likely to escape to the atmosphere, and biological oxygen demand will be lower than on a hot day.
D)less than on a hot day because the decreased energy in colder water makes O₂ molecules more likely to escape to the atmosphere, and biological oxygen demand will be lower than on a hot day.

Question 71

The impact of humans on the global sulfur cycle is

A)very small since sulfur emission has been banned by international treaty.
B)very small at the global scale but can be large locally.
C)large at the global scale but usually small locally.
D)moderate and relatively evenly distributed across space.

Question 72

The plant shown in the photograph below is an invasive species that often clogs waterways in the southeastern United States.It is the

A)lily pad.
B)coypu.
C)water hyacinth.
D)cottonmouth.

Question 73

Assuming all other factors are equal, a low biological oxygen demand would be likely to cause the

A)compensation point (or level)to rise in the lake.
B)compensation point (or level)to fall in the lake.
C)profundal zone to expand in the lake.
D)limnetic zone to shrink in the lake.

Question 74

Which of the following is an important role of phosphorus in biology?

A)It is an essential component of ATP, which stores the energy acquired in the "light reaction" phase of photosynthesis.
B)It allows increased amounts of energy available to organisms.
C)It is an important component of proteins.
D)All of these are roles of phosphorus.

Question 75

Guano is significant because

A)it is a major source of phosphorus.
B)its presence is considered a sign of an imminent volcanic eruption.
C)it is a major part of the global sulfur cycle.
D)it is a sign of a pioneer community.

Question 76

The diagram below illustrates the process of

A)regelation.
B)eutrophication.
C)carbonation.
D)illuviation.