Deck 54: Ecology and the Distribution of Life

Question 1

Biogeography as a science began when

A) European naturalists first traveled the globe and noted patterns in the distributions of organisms.
B) Europeans traveled to the Middle East during the Crusades.
C) phylogenetic methods were developed.
D) the theory of continental drift was accepted.
E) Charles Darwin proposed the theory of natural selection.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The term "ecology" was coined by

A) Charles Darwin.
B) Alfred Russel Wallace.
C) Ralph Nader.
D) Ernst Haeckel.
E) Brian Charlesworth.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which of the following led to the population explosion of the bush fly population in Australia?

A) The introduction of Onthophagus gazella
B) An excess of cattle dung
C) Global climate change
D) All of the above
E) None of the above

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of the following would be considered a biotic factor in the environment?

A) The presence of parasites
B) pH
C) Salinity
D) Temperature
E) All of the above

Question 5

The long-term average atmospheric conditions of a region is referred to as its

A) weather.
B) biotic factor.
C) biome.
D) community.
E) climate.

Question 6

Energy from the sun determines

A) air temperature.
B) air and wind circulation patterns.
C) ocean surface currents.
D) All of the above
E) None of the above

Question 7

Vicariant events

A) result from organisms dispersing across a barrier.
B) were common in the past but are rare today.
C) divide a species into two or more discontinuous populations.
D) were rare in the past but are common today.
E) caused most of today's discontinuous species ranges.

Question 8

A biome is

A) a large ecological unit defined by its climatic and geographic attributes and characterized by ecologically similar organisms.
B) a large ecological unit defined by its dominant animals.
C) a large ecological unit defined by climate characteristics.
D) a large ecological unit defined by the number of photosynthetic species.
E) a large ecological unit defined by biogeochemical cycles.

Question 9

Which of the following statements about climates is true?

A) On average, regions near the equator receive substantially more hours of sun each year than do regions near the 45° latitudes.
B) The rate at which solar energy arrives on any surface depends on the angle of the sunlight.
C) There is no difference between "weather" and "climate."
D) Air temperature increases with increasing elevation.
E) None of the above

Question 10

Which of the following statements about the difference between ecology and environmentalism is true?

A) Only environmentalism includes a consideration of ethical decisions.
B) Only environmentalism is inherently focused on human concerns.
C) Only environmentalism includes a consideration of economics.
D) All of the above
E) None of the above

Question 11

At which latitude would you most likely find deserts?

A) 0°
B) 15°
C) 30°
D) 45°
E) No particular latitude is prone to desert.

Question 12

The oceans can be divided into life zones even though they are all connected because

A) the rate of photosynthesis is low in the oceans.
B) ocean currents keep organisms close to where they were born.
C) light penetration, and hence photosynthesis, vary with depth and determine where organisms live.
D) trade winds keep warm and cold waters separate.
E) continents provide barriers to movement of planktonic life forms.

Question 13

A parsimonious interpretation of a distribution pattern is one that

A) requires the smallest number of undocumented vicariant events.
B) requires the smallest number of undocumented dispersal events.
C) requires the smallest total number of undocumented vicariant plus dispersal events.
D) accords with the phylogeny of a lineage.
E) accounts for centers of endemism.

Question 14

Ecology and environmentalism are

A) synonymous; the terms can be used interchangeably.
B) differentiated by the emphasis placed by ecology on the biotic rather than the abiotic world.
C) differentiated by the lack of utility of ecology in solving world problems.
D) differentiated by the inherent focus of environmentalism on human concerns.
E) both scientific fields of inquiry that generate knowledge about the natural world but use different tools.

Question 15

Which of the following characteristics is unique to Arctic tundra?

A) Winters are long and cold.
B) The soil is underlain by a layer of permafrost.
C) Many small mammals hibernate in winter.
D) Many of the plants are perennials.
E) None of these characteristics apply to Arctic tundra.

Question 16

The solar energy that reaches a given unit of Earth's surface depends primarily on

A) the angle of the sun's rays.
B) the moisture content of the air.
C) the amount of cloud cover.
D) the strength of the winds.
E) day length.

Question 17

Which of the following would be considered an abiotic factor in the environment?

A) Temperature
B) Salinity
C) Light
D) Wind
E) All of the above

Question 18

The latitude of Washington, D.C., is 39°N. The latitude of Boston, Massachusetts, is 42°N. If the only difference in their temperature regimes is connected to their latitude difference, about how much warmer should Washington, D.C. be compared to Boston?

A) 1.2°C
B) 2.4°C
C) 3°C
D) 4.2°C
E) 12°C

Question 19

The only biogeographic region that today is completely isolated from the other regions by water is

A) the Madagascan region.
B) the Ethiopian region.
C) the Neotropical region.
D) the Australasian region.
E) the Nearctic region.

Question 20

If, for some reason, the population of Onthophagus gazella in Australia were to crash, cattle dung levels most likely would _______, leading to _______ in the population of bush flies.

A) increase; an increase
B) increase; a decrease
C) decrease; an increase
D) decrease; a decrease
E) remain the same; no change

Question 21

Suppose you are visiting a natural history museum and come across skeletons of a population of voles that have a more compact body and shorter appendages than normal. Even without looking at their tags, you would infer that the habitat of this population had been

A) near the equator.
B) near the poles.
C) on the west coast of a continent.
D) on the east coast of a continent.
E) very wet.

Question 22

In which biome is most of Massachusetts located?

A) Temperate grassland
B) Tundra
C) Temperate evergreen forest
D) Boreal forest
E) Temperate deciduous forest

Question 23

Summers in tundra biomes are usually

A) mild and humid.
B) cool and short.
C) warm and moist.
D) much like the winters.
E) mild and very dry.

Question 24

The climate of a temperate deciduous forest is characterized by _______ seasonal temperature fluctuations and _______.

A) large; a dry season during the winter
B) large; a dry season during the summer
C) large; relatively even precipitation during the year
D) small; a dry season during the winter
E) small; a dry season during the summer

Question 25

Which of the following statements about lowland arctic tundra is true?

A) Most animals are either migratory or experience a dormant stage during the winter.
B) Plants grow throughout the year.
C) The land is often very wet during the summer.
D) Both a and b
E) Both a and c

Question 26

Which of the following biomes would likely experience the largest annual temperature fluctuations?

A) Tundra
B) Temperate grasslands
C) Hot desert
D) Temperate deciduous forest
E) Boreal forest

Question 27

In general, ocean surface currents circulate

A) clockwise in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
B) counterclockwise in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
C) clockwise in the Atlantic Ocean and counterclockwise in the Pacific Ocean.
D) counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.
E) clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

Question 28

Winds in the upper (40-60°N) latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere generally come from the

A) north.
B) south.
C) east.
D) west.
E) Both a and b

Question 29

If the Gulf Stream were to shut down, as some models of global climate change predict, _______ would become _______.

A) California; warmer
B) California; colder
C) London; warmer
D) London; colder
E) Lima, Peru; colder

Question 30

Which of the following statements about air temperature is true?

A) Warm and cold air are equally dense.
B) Cold air is denser than warm air, and thus will rise.
C) Cold air is denser than warm air, and thus will sink.
D) Warm air is denser than cold air, and thus will rise.
E) Warm air is denser than cold air, and thus will sink.

Question 31

In which country would you most likely find the boreal forest biome?

A) Canada
B) France
C) Mexico
D) China
E) India

Question 32

Which of the following is not a characteristic of tropical alpine tundra?

A) Very cold and long winters
B) Concentration in the summer of most biological activity
C) Permafrost
D) Low-growing perennial plants
E) All of the above are characteristics of tropical alpine tundra.

Question 33

What is the difference between estivation and hibernation?

A) Hibernation occurs during the winter, whereas estivation occurs during the summer.
B) Hibernation refers to mammal torpor, whereas estivation refers to invertebrate torpor.
C) Estivation is a less extreme form of hibernation.
D) Estivation is a more extreme form of hibernation.
E) There is no difference; "hibernation" and "estivation" are synonyms.

Question 34

Where would you most likely find the richest amphibian communities?

A) Temperate deciduous forest
B) Boreal forest
C) Temperate evergreen forest
D) Tropical evergreen forest
E) Tropical savanna

Question 35

Because of the rotational movement of Earth, an air mass moving north in the Northern Hemisphere will

A) be deflected east.
B) be deflected west.
C) not be deflected.
D) be deflected east during winter and west during summer.
E) be deflected east during summer and west during winter.

Question 36

Which of the following biomes lacks a pronounced seasonal variation in the amount of precipitation?

A) Tropical deciduous forest
B) Thorn forest
C) Tundra
D) Chaparral
E) Cold desert

Question 37

Boreal forests

A) are found near the equator.
B) are the biomes geographically closest to Arctic tundra.
C) experience small temperature fluctuations throughout the year.
D) are found near tropical savannas.
E) None of the above

Question 38

Given pronounced global warming, tundra at the southern boundary of the Northern Hemisphere will most likely become

A) temperate deciduous forest.
B) temperate grassland.
C) boreal forest.
D) hot desert.
E) chaparral.

Question 39

In what way would an area at 60° latitude (North or South) most likely resemble an area near the equator?

A) Both would likely experience rising air currents.
B) Both would likely experience falling air currents.
C) A desert would likely be found in both places.
D) Both a and c
E) None of the above

Question 40

Which of the following is the most important criterion for determining the different types of tropical biomes?

A) The highest recorded summer temperature
B) The lowest recorded winter temperature
C) Soil conditions
D) The pH of the water
E) The length of the dry season

Question 41

In which season is plant growth concentrated in cold deserts?

A) Winter
B) Spring
C) Summer
D) Autumn
E) Plant growth is evenly distributed throughout the year.

Question 42

Which of the following biomes has the greatest species richness?

A) Thorn forest
B) Boreal forest
C) Tropical deciduous forest
D) Temperate deciduous forest
E) Tropical evergreen forest

Question 43

In which biome is most of Australia located?

A) Temperate grassland
B) Cold desert
C) Temperate evergreen forest
D) Boreal forest
E) None of the above

Question 44

Which of the following statements about hot deserts is false?

A) They are found primarily around the equator.
B) Many have a rich fauna in rodents, lizards, and snakes.
C) They have richer and more diverse vegetation than do cold deserts.
D) Their flora often evolve adaptations to resist droughts.
E) All of the above are true; none is false.

Question 45

Which of the following statements about tropical deciduous forests is true?

A) Their soils are among the best in the tropics for agriculture because they contain more nutrients than the soils in wetter areas.
B) Most of the trees keep their leaves throughout the year.
C) They are primarily located in two belts: one around 30°N and the other around 30°S.
D) They have fewer trees than do thorn forests.
E) None of the above

Question 46

During which season is rainfall usually highest in thorn deserts?

A) Winter
B) Spring
C) Summer
D) Autumn
E) Rain is evenly distributed throughout the year.

Question 47

If one were to rank the severity of the dry seasons in the three biomes named below, which of the following would represent the correct order (from most severe to least severe)?

A) Thorn forest, tropical evergreen forest, tropical deciduous forest
B) Thorn forest, tropical deciduous forest, tropical evergreen forest
C) Tropical evergreen forest, thorn forest, tropical deciduous forest
D) Tropical evergreen forest, tropical deciduous forest, thorn forest
E) Tropical deciduous forest, tropical evergreen forest, thorn fores

Question 48

Thorn deserts would most likely be found

A) adjacent to chaparral.
B) on the equatorial sides of hot deserts.
C) next to tundra.
D) near the poles.
E) None of the above

Question 49

Which of the following best characterizes precipitation patterns in temperate grasslands?

A) Much rainfall throughout the year
B) Very snowy winters
C) Low to moderate rainfall, primarily in spring and summer
D) A rainy season in fall and almost no rainfall the rest of the year
E) Very little rainfall throughout the year

Question 50

In which biome is most of Spain located?

A) Temperate grassland
B) Hot desert
C) Chaparral
D) Boreal forest
E) None of the above

Question 51

The largest tropical savannas are found in

A) the western part of South America.
B) central Australia.
C) central and eastern Africa.
D) the Arabian Peninsula.
E) China.

Question 52

There are relatively few birds in temperate grasslands because

A) there are very few species of plants there.
B) the structure of grassland flora is relatively simple.
C) the summers are not warm enough to support birds.
D) Both a and b
E) None of the above

Question 53

If you were to start in the middle of the Sahara Desert and go south, you would most likely reach which biome?

A) Cold desert
B) Chaparral
C) Temperate grasslands
D) Thorn forest or tropical savanna
E) Boreal forest or temperate evergreen forest

Question 54

In which of the following groups is species richness high in cold deserts?

A) Plants
B) Soil biota
C) Seed-eating birds
D) Both a and b
E) Both b and c

Question 55

Which of the following statements about chaparral is true?

A) It is dominated by tall deciduous trees.
B) The biome can support large numbers of rodents from the copious seeds produced by annual plants.
C) Summers are very hot.
D) Winters are cold and very dry.
E) None of the above

Question 56

In which biome is Monterey, California, located?

A) Temperate grassland
B) Cold desert
C) Chaparral
D) Boreal forest
E) None of the above

Question 57

In which biome is Tucson, Arizona, located?

A) Temperate grassland
B) Cold desert
C) Temperate evergreen forest
D) Hot desert
E) Temperate deciduous forest

Question 58

In which biome is Topeka, Kansas, located?

A) Temperate grassland
B) Tundra
C) Temperate evergreen forest
D) Boreal forest
E) Temperate deciduous forest

Question 59

Which of the following pairs of biomes is maintained by grazing herbivores?

A) Cold desert and hot desert
B) Chaparral and thorn forest
C) Temperate grassland and tropical savanna
D) Temperate and tropical deciduous forests
E) Cold desert and tundra

Question 60

The primary difference between thorn forest and tropical deciduous forest biomes is that

A) thorn forests have taller trees.
B) tropical deciduous forests have longer rainy seasons.
C) thorn forests have much longer rainy seasons.
D) thorn forests have hotter winters.
E) tropical deciduous forests have much poorer soils.

Question 61

For the terrestrial fauna in the Americas, the formation of the Central American land bridge 4 million years ago led to

A) vicariant events.
B) continental drift.
C) biotic interchange.
D) the formation of a biome.
E) None of the above

Question 62

Wallace's line in the Malay Archipelago separates the _______ and the _______ biogeographical regions.

A) Malay; Australasian
B) Malay; Antarctic
C) Ethiopian; Oriental
D) Australasian; Oriental
E) Neotropical; Nearctic

Question 63

The appearance of a physical barrier that splits the range of a species is called

A) a biogeographic event.
B) a biome.
C) the Wallace line.
D) a vicariant event.
E) continental drift.

Question 64

A biologist interested in determining where the common ancestor of oak trees lived would most likely construct

A) a biotic interchange.
B) a vicariance.
C) an area phylogeny.
D) a pelagic bootstrap.
E) None of the above

Question 65

In which biogeographic region is the continental United States?

A) Neotropical
B) Palearctic
C) Nearctic
D) Temperate deciduous forest
E) None of the above

Question 66

In which biome is most of Brazil located?

A) Temperate grassland
B) Hot desert
C) Chaparral
D) Boreal forest
E) Tropical evergreen forest

Question 67

What is the best explanation for why so many related organisms are found in Africa and South America?

A) Dispersal
B) The two continents were once part of the same continent.
C) Biotic interexchange
D) The species are endemic.
E) None of the above

Question 68

It tends to rain more in the mountains than in adjacent lowlands because

A) as air travels up mountains, it cools. Cool air holds less moisture than warm air does, and the excess moisture is dropped as rain.
B) as air travels up the mountains, it is compressed. The mountains squeeze the water out of the air, and the water falls as rain.
C) mountains are often in the clouds.
D) as air moves down mountains, it expands and does not form clouds, so no rainfall occurs.
E) the rain has farther to travel from clouds to the lowlands, and so more evaporates before reaching the ground.

Question 69

What is the name of the ocean zone where organisms often eat decaying matter that falls toward the bottom and in which some organisms also make their own light?

A) Photic
B) Benthic
C) Estuary
D) Littoral
E) Aphotic

Question 70

About 2.5 percent of Earth's water is found in ponds, lakes, and other freshwater sources. What percent of aquatic species live in these freshwater ecosystems?

A) Less than 1 percent
B) About 2.5 percent
C) About 5 percent
D) About 10 percent
E) More than 20 percent

Question 71

A new river that cuts through the range of a species of terrestrial isopods, effectively ending gene flow between populations on either side, is serving as a(n)

A) biotic interchange.
B) Wallace line.
C) estivation.
D) biogeographic region.
E) vicariant event.

Question 72

Which of the following can be barriers to dispersal for marine organisms?

A) Changes in water temperature
B) Changes in salinity
C) Changes in food supplies
D) All of the above
E) None of the above

Question 73

Which of the following statements is true?

A) The leeward side of a mountain usually experiences the most intense rain.
B) The windward side of a mountain usually experiences little rain due to the rain shadow.
C) As a parcel of air rises, its molecules move farther apart.
D) Both a and b
E) Both a and c

Question 74

In situations in which both vicariance and dispersal can explain biogeographic patterns, biologists prefer

A) the vicariance explanation.
B) the dispersal explanation.
C) the most parsimonious explanation.
D) the explanation that requires the largest number of unobserved events to account for it.
E) to flip a coin.

Question 75

Species that are found only within a certain region are said to be

A) biotonic.
B) zoonotic.
C) endangered.
D) biogeographical.
E) endemic.

Question 76

Which of the following represents the correct ranking of zones in terms of their proximity to the surface of an ocean (from closest to farthest away)?

A) Pelagic, benthic, abyssal
B) Pelagic, abyssal, benthic
C) Abyssal, benthic, pelagic
D) Benthic, pelagic, abyssal
E) Benthic, abyssal, pelagic

Question 77

In which biogeographic region is most of Europe?

A) Neotropical
B) Palearctic
C) Nearctic
D) Temperate deciduous forest
E) None of the above

Question 78

Which of the following statements is correct?

A) Because Earth's oceans form one interconnected water mass, oceans form a single zone.
B) Most marine organisms have restricted ranges.
C) Primary food production is remarkably constant across the oceans.
D) All of the above
E) None of the above

Question 79

Australia will likely slam into Asia many million years in the future. The most likely consequence of this fusion will be

A) continental drift.
B) a vicariance event.
C) estivation.
D) a biotic exchange.
E) an endemic radiation.

Question 80

If you went north from a spot in the Oriental biogeographic region, you would most likely reach the _______ biogeographic region.

A) Eurasian
B) Nearctic
C) Antarctic
D) Palearctic
E) Ethiopian