Deck 34: The Biosphere: an Introduction to Earths Diverse Environments

Question 1

Usually,a river _ at its source compared to farther downstream.

A)is wider
B)flows more slowly
C)has less phytoplankton
D)is warmer

Answer 1

C

Question 2

A sperm whale in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean is in which oceanic zone?

A)pelagic
B)estuarine
C)intertidal
D)benthic

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The dominant herbivores in savannas are

A)gophers.
B)antelope.
C)insects.
D)giraffes.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following factors is fundamentally responsible for the character of arctic tundra soils?

A)permafrost
B)secretion of acid by lichens and plant roots
C)summer aridity
D)abundant winter snow

Question 5

In terms of global air circulation,the tropics are a region where air

A)rises and warms,creating an arid belt.
B)rises and cools,creating an arid belt.
C)descends and warms,dropping rain.
D)rises and cools,dropping rain.

Question 6

Which of the following biomes is dominated by coniferous trees adapted to surviving long,harsh winters and short,wet summers?

A)tundra
B)temperate broadleaf forest
C)savanna
D)coniferous forests

Question 7

When people speak of the "rain shadow" of the California Coast Range,they are referring to the

A)dark- colored chaparral vegetation that grows on the eastern flank.
B)shadow cast by the mist and clouds that hover above the crest of the range.
C)scarcity of rain on the eastern flank and adjacent lowlands compared to the western flank.
D)forested condition of the eastern flank of the range compared to the western flank.

Question 8

Species in widely separated biomes often appear to display similar characteristics because of

A)coevolution.
B)convergent evolution.
C)evolutionary drift.
D)mutations.

Question 9

Which ocean zone describes the interface between ocean and land?

A)upwelling
B)abyssal
C)pelagic
D)intertidal

Question 10

Which of the following options correctly pairs a biome and its characteristics?

A)temperate broadleaf forest=mild winters,moderate rainfall,predominantly dicot vegetation
B)tundra=very cold winters; only the upper layer of the soil thaws during summer
C)savanna=long,cold winters,vegetation dominated by conifers
D)chaparral=mild,rainy winters; long,hot,but wet summers

Question 11

The adaptations of pronghorns

A)demonstrate that meeting the demands of local environmental conditions helps organisms extend their ranges to other types of environments.
B)include a reflective coat,an ability to find small pools of water,and chemical defenses against most predators.
C)to the open plains and shrub deserts of North America have helped them spread to nearly every continent.
D)to open country could be a disadvantage in a densely forested environment.

Question 12

You are reading the journal of an amateur naturalist who visited the Sonoran Desert in the last century.Which of his descriptions of desert plants would you question?

A)a perennial that flowers only after years of vegetative growth and produces a large number of seeds
B)a common annual that produces one large seed per plant
C)a late winter hillside covered with wildflowers
D)a plant whose seeds will not germinate unless soaked

Question 13

Which of the following statements about temperate broadleaf forests is true?

A)Temperate broadleaf forests have a narrow range of temperatures over the course of a year.
B)Oak,hickory,birch,beech,and maple are common trees in temperate broadleaf forests.
C)Temperate broadleaf forests are less open than tropical rain forests.
D)Temperate broadleaf forests have very poor soil.

Question 14

Which of the following is characteristic of the chaparral biome?

A)many plants with seeds that need fire to germinate
B)animal species limited to lizards and snakes
C)dense,broadleaf shrubs
D)low amounts of rainfall at unpredictable periods throughout the year

Question 15

Which of the following environmental factors usually has the greatest direct effect on an organism's rate of water loss by evaporation?

A)wind
B)soil type
C)fires,hurricanes,and tornadoes
D)barometric pressure

Question 16

Which of the following has the greatest impact on the global water cycle?

A)human destruction of forests
B)human overuse of water resources for large cities
C)connecting aquatic and terrestrial biomes
D)removing animals from their biome

Question 17

Except near hydrothermal vents,the communities of the oceanic aphotic zone get their energy mainly from

A)organic matter sinking from the photic zone.
B)photosynthesis by local zooplankton.
C)photosynthesis by local phytoplankton.
D)oxidation of sulfur by sulfur bacteria.

Question 18

The factor(s)that help to perpetuate temperate grasslands,such as the American prairies,and prevent them from becoming woodlands include

A)large numbers of cacti.
B)periodic drought and fires.
C)mild winters with very little rain.
D)poor soil.

Question 19

If you travel from west to east through Ecuador,you will pass through tundra,taiga,temperate forest,and tropical forest.Which of the following climatic factors remains constant on such a trip?

A)average rainfall
B)soil type
C)day length
D)maximum temperature

Question 20

Which of the following statements about coniferous forests is true?

A)Coniferous forests are characterized by long but mild winters and short,dry summers that are sometimes warm.
B)Coniferous forests may experience considerable precipitation,but usually in the form of snow.
C)Coniferous forests usually have nutrient- rich soils.
D)Coniferous forests are the smallest terrestrial biome.

Question 21

The level of ecologic organization that incorporates abiotic factors is the

A)species.
B)community.
C)population.
D)ecosystem.

Question 22

The greatest annual input and least seasonal variation in solar radiation occurs in the

A)polar regions.
B)Southern Hemisphere.
C)temperate zones.
D)tropics.

Question 23

Which of the following tundra features would be found at the top of the Andes mountains in Ecuador?

A)permafrost
B)large trees with shallow roots
C)a brief,bright growing season and a long,dark winter
D)fierce winds and frigid nights

Question 24

Which of the following statements about biomes,the major terrestrial ecosystems covering the Earth,is true?

A)Most natural biomes are unaffected by human activity.
B)Each of the ten major biomes is restricted to just one or two continents.
C)Fire is very important in some biomes.
D)The major factors affecting the distribution of biomes are wind and sunlight.

Question 25

While on a walk through a forest,you notice birds in trees,earthworms in the soil,and fungi on plant litter on the forest floor.Based on your observations,you conclude that each of these organisms occupies a different

A)ecosystem.
B)habitat.
C)biosphere.
D)abiome.

Question 26

Why is the runoff from fertilized agricultural fields,even if free of pesticides,often harmful to the ecosystems of temperate lakes?

A)Runoff water pools at the lake's bottom,where the fertilizer compounds react with materials in the sediment to form toxic substances.
B)The runoff is acid,and acidification kills key lake organisms.
C)The runoff causes heavy growth of algae,which eventually die and decompose,causing oxygen depletion.
D)Fertilizer compounds are toxic to fish.

Question 27

In many dense forests,plants living near the ground level engage in intense competition for

A)carbon dioxide.
B)sunlight.
C)oxygen.
D)water.

Question 28

Most of the best agricultural soils in the United States are found in areas that were formerly

A)tundra.
B)temperate grasslands.
C)tropical rain forest.
D)taiga forest.

Question 29

Which of the zones shown in this depiction of an aquatic biome is the photic zone?

A)zone A
B)zone B
C)zone C
D)zone D

Question 30

Rachel Carson's book,Silent Spring,deals with the

A)fate of tropical rain forests.
B)destruction of polar habitats caused by global warming.
C)effects of lynx predation on snow hare populations.
D)environmental effects of pesticides.

Question 31

The immediate results of the widespread use of pesticides and fertilizers included ,but long- term results included _.

A)terrible declines in agricultural productivity ...worldwide distribution of DDT
B)global declines in undesirable pests,such as mice,rats,crows,and sharks ...increases in these pests
C)dramatic increases in crop yields ...the evolution of pest resistance
D)the increased spread of malaria ...delayed resistance to pesticides

Question 32

Under the conditions known as El Niño,the mineral nutrient content of the seawater off the coast of Peru declines to very low levels.What effect will this likely have on marine life in the area?

A)It will increase the productivity of phytoplankton and,therefore,the productivity of other organisms by allowing sunlight to penetrate deeper into the ocean.
B)It will reduce the abundance of phytoplankton and,consequently,the abundance of other organisms.
C)It will result in toxic red tides,which will reduce the populations of many species.
D)The lower the levels of minerals,the less polluted the water; hence,most populations will increase.

Question 33

Chaparral vegetation occurs around much of the central valley of central and southern California.This biome is very similar to that found

A)in central Asia.
B)on the southeast coast of the United States.
C)in the Australian interior.
D)in the Mediterranean region.

Question 34

The major reason for tropical deforestation is

A)natural succession as global warming occurs.
B)governments clearing forests to build cities.
C)hurricane destruction of large regions.
D)people clearing forests to open up land for agriculture.

Question 35

Which of the following statements about deserts and the organisms that live there is true?

A)Air temperatures in cold deserts,such as those west of the Rocky Mountains,may never fall below 30 degrees C.
B)Desert plants typically produce very few seeds.
C)Growth and reproduction occur year- round in deserts.
D)Many desert animals are nocturnal.

Question 36

Fresh water and seawater mix in a(n)

A)limnetic zone.
B)estuary.
C)littoral zone.
D)benthic zone.

Question 37

The reason that the pronghorn antelope is not found outside North America is most likely that

A)its nutritional requirements cannot be met outside this region.
B)there are too many pronghorn predators outside North America.
C)its temperature requirements are stringent and not met outside North America.
D)it has never dispersed beyond this region.

Question 38

Which of the following statements about tropical forests is true?

A)Once stripped,tropical rain forests regrow quickly,although with slightly less diversity.
B)Tropical forests occur in equatorial regions with very long 16- to 20- hour days.
C)The forest structure consists of distinct layers that provide many different habitats.
D)The soils of tropical rain forests are typically rich in nutrients.

Question 39

The kind of vegetation in a tropical rain forest is generally determined by the amount of

A)nitrogen in the soil.
B)minerals in the soil.
C)rainfall.
D)light.

Question 40

All of Earth that is inhabited by life is called the

A)stratosphere.
B)hydrosphere.
C)lithosphere.
D)biosphere.

Question 41

In which of the following biomes would you expect to find the highest abundance of large,grazing mammals?

A)desert
B)temperate grassland
C)temperate forest
D)chaparral

Question 42

Which of the following could be a topic for a community- level study of a hydrothermal vent ecosystem?

A)the relationships between crabs at the vent and other areas of the ocean
B)the composition of the water emitted by hydrothermal vents
C)the evolution of a certain species of bacteria in response to the changing composition of the water emitted by the hydrothermal vents
D)the interactions between Yeti crabs and other species near hydrothermal vents

Question 43

What is the primary reason that a hot spring will kill a fish placed in it,but encourage the growth of certain bacteria?

A)Fish cannot feed directly on bacteria,but the bacteria can feed on dead fish.
B)Bacterial growth at high temperatures is so rapid that it deoxygenates the water and kills the fish.
C)At hot spring temperatures,the metabolic activity of the fish's cells is so rapid that it runs out of food reserves and dies; the bacteria feed on the dead fish.
D)The high temperatures denature most of the fish's enzymes,but the specialized bacteria have enzymes adapted to these temperatures.

Question 44

A photograph of a Victorian trophy room shows the heads of 15 species of hoofed mammals,all shot within a day's walk of a single hunting camp in Africa.This camp was probably located in

A)desert.
B)chaparral.
C)savanna.
D)tropical rain forest.

Question 45

Most of the world's deserts are located at latitudes where

A)hot,dry air moving toward the poles rises.
B)hot,dry air moving toward the equator rises.
C)cold,dry air moving toward the equator descends.
D)cold,dry air moving toward the poles descends.

Question 46

The pronghorn antelope of the United States and the saiga antelope of the central Asian steppes live in similar habitats and have similar adaptations.Which of the following features would you be surprised to find in a saiga antelope?

A)camouflaging coloration
B)a digestive tract that separates nutrients from cellulose and rapidly excretes cellulose
C)teeth adapted to grinding tough forage
D)a warmly insulating winter coat

Question 47

Living things that live in the polar ice biome include

A)penguins,seals,moose,and springtails
B)lichens,jaguars,gulls,and polar bears
C)mosses,ferns,gulls,and penguins
D)mosses,lichens,seals,and polar bears

Question 48

Which arrow in this image of the global water cycle includes transpiration?

A)arrow A
B)arrow B
C)arrow C
D)arrow D

Question 49

The primary source of energy for hydrothermal vent communities is

A)the heat of the water emerging from the vents.
B)oxidation of petroleum compounds in the vent water.
C)reduction of carbon dioxide in the vent water.
D)oxidation of hydrogen sulfide in the vent water.