Deck 32: Global Ecology

Question 1

In savannas, the dominant plants are:

A) lichens.
B) evergreen trees.
C) grasses.
D) shrubs.
E) deciduous trees.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

All of the following are adaptations of desert plants EXCEPT:

A) the ability to carry out CAM photosynthesis.
B) the ability to carry out C₄ photosynthesis.
C) the ability to complete their life cycles before soil moisture is depleted.
D) the ability to grow as succulents having deep root systems.
E) the ability to store water in special tissues.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

A monsoon forest is a type of:

A) subtropical mixed forest.
B) short-tree forest.
C) temperate deciduous forest.
D) tropical rainforest.
E) tropical seasonal forest.

Answer 3

E

Question 4

A hot desert differs from a cold desert in that a cold desert:

A) is found at lower latitudes.
B) is found in a climate that favors succulents.
C) is cold at night but very hot during the day.
D) is found in areas that have two peaks of rainfall during the year.
E) is characterized by small-leaved shrubs such as sagebrush.

Question 5

The most extreme deserts are found:

A) at the equator.
B) around 10º north and south.
C) around 20º north.
D) around 20º south.
E) around 30º north and south.

Question 6

The areas with the highest vulnerability of fires are characterized by:

A) periods of constant drought.
B) vulnerability to lightning.
C) high winds.
D) large numbers of deciduous trees.
E) annual moist periods and dry periods.

Question 7

Which of the following is characterized by having scattered trees and shrubs in a grassland setting?

A) Temperate mixed forest.
B) Temperate deciduous forest.
C) Deciduous tropical forest.
D) Mediterranean scrub.
E) Savanna.

Question 8

In tropical seasonal forests the dominant plants are:

A) pines trees.
B) evergreen trees.
C) shrubs.
D) deciduous trees.
E) grasses.

Question 9

The largest desert in the world is in:

A) Australia.
B) Africa.
C) South America.
D) North America.
E) Europe.

Question 10

Which of the following statements about tropical rainforests is FALSE?

A) They contain plants that are either evergreen or leafless for short periods.
B) There is strong competition for light.
C) There is abundant plant cover beneath the trees.
D) The trees have an abundance of epiphytes.
E) They occur where temperatures and rainfall are relatively consistent.

Question 11

A liana is a(n):

A) epiphyte.
B) herbaceous plant.
C) woody vine.
D) tropical tree.
E) orchid.

Question 12

Aside from moisture and elevation, the main climatic factor affecting the distribution of biomes is:

A) fire.
B) temperature.
C) air currents.
D) carbon dioxide.
E) oxygen.

Question 13

Along the Pacific Coast of the United States, the "rain shadow" is the ______ area on the ______ slopes of mountain chains.

A) dry; eastern
B) dry; western
C) moist; eastern
D) moist; western
E) moist; southern

Question 14

A tropical mixed forest is characterized by having:

A) both evergreen trees and shrubs.
B) evergreen trees only.
C) shrubs only.
D) deciduous trees only.
E) monsoon forests only.

Question 15

The Earth's axis is _________ to the plane of its orbit.

A) parallel
B) perpendicular
C) tilted 45.45º
D) tilted 23.45º
E) tilted 10.45º

Question 16

An increase in elevation of ______ and an increase in latitude of ______ are generally accompanied by the same decrease in mean atmospheric temperature.

A) 100 meters; 0.5 $\degree$
B) 100 meters; 1.0 $\degree$
C) 100 meters; 10.0 $\degree$
D) 100 kilometers; 1.0 $\degree$
E) 100 kilometers; 10.0 $\degree$

Question 17

Which of the following statements concerning soils is FALSE?

A) They are affected by the organisms present.
B) They are affected by the amount of time they are exposed to weathering.
C) They are partially determined by the parent material.
D) They are static systems.
E) They are climate-sensitive.

Question 18

Which of the following statements about grasslands is FALSE?

A) In North America, they become progressively wetter with increasing distance from the Atlantic Ocean.
B) They are most extensive in the middle latitudes.
C) When disturbed, they can change to deserts.
D) Fire is important in their development.
E) They build deep, rich soils.

Question 19

Tropical rainforests commonly have ________ species per hectare.

A) 1-2
B) 5-6
C) 10-20
D) 50-60
E) 100 or more

Question 20

A characteristic plant found in western North America where desert grades into a savanna-type community is:

A) Welwitschia.
B) succulent euphorbes.
C) juniper.
D) creosote bush.
E) Arizona honeysweet.

Question 21

Which of the following statements about the taiga is FALSE?

A) Lakes, bogs, and marshes are common.
B) Fires are rare.
C) A snow cover persists throughout the winter.
D) It is absent from the Southern Hemisphere.
E) It is also called boreal forest.

Question 22

Which of the following statements concerning permafrost is FALSE?

A) It does not occur in the taiga.
B) It provides a base for soils that are high in organic matter.
C) It helps stabilize soils.
D) Its removal causes "drunken forests."
E) It is a permanently frozen zone.

Question 23

The major variations in grasslands are related to:

A) fire.
B) precipitation.
C) wind.
D) pH.
E) temperature.

Question 24

Approximately ______ of the Earth's land surface is Arctic tundra.

A) one-fiftieth
B) one-twentieth
C) one-tenth
D) one-fifth
E) one-third

Question 25

The percentage of the biomass of tundra plants that is underground varies from ______ percent.

A) 3 to 9
B) 10 to 18
C) 20 to 30
D) 35 to 45
E) 50 to 98

Question 26

According to the United Nations, the population of the world in 2100 will be:

A) 3 to 5 million.
B) 100 to 500 million.
C) 1 to 5 billion.
D) 9 to 10 billion.
E) 50 to 100 billion.

Question 27

Which of the following groups of organisms is NOT commonly found in the taiga?

A) Lichens
B) Mosses
C) Annuals
D) Willows
E) Dewberries

Question 28

Chaparral, maquis, and fynbos are equivalent names for:

A) subtropical mixed forest.
B) coniferous forest.
C) temperate deciduous forest.
D) mixed West-coast forest.
E) Mediterranean scrub.

Question 29

Most deserts are found between 30 $\degree$ north latitude and 30 $\degree$ south latitude.

Question 30

A rain shadow is characterized by abundant rainfall.

Question 31

Cyprus swamps are characteristically found in the:

A) subtropical mixed forest.
B) coniferous forest.
C) temperate deciduous forest.
D) mixed West-coast forest.
E) Mediterranean scrub.

Question 32

A biome refers to a type of relatively homogeneous vegetation occurring over large terrestrial areas.

Question 33

The temperate deciduous forest biome:

A) is equally widespread in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
B) has liquid water available to plants all year.
C) is characterized by trees that retain their leaves all year.
D) has precipitation evenly distributed throughout the year.
E) has cool summers and relatively warm winters.

Question 34

Giant sequoia trees are characteristically found in the:

A) subtropical mixed forest.
B) coniferous forest.
C) temperate deciduous forest.
D) mixed West-coast forest.
E) Mediterranean scrub.

Question 35

The sharing of genera is a striking feature found in the:

A) grasslands.
B) Mediterranean scrub.
C) taiga.
D) temperate mixed and coniferous forests.
E) temperate deciduous forests.

Question 36

Spring ephemerals differ from early summer species in that spring ephemerals:

A) have broader, thinner leaves.
B) have smaller storage organs.
C) complete their photosynthetic activity earlier.
D) are herbaceous.
E) are leafless in winter.

Question 37

The Mediterranean scrub biome is characterized by ______ summers and ______ winters.

A) warm; warm
B) cool; cool
C) cool, moist; hot, dry
D) hot, dry; cool, moist
E) hot, moist; cool, dry

Question 38

Which of the following statements about the Arctic tundra is FALSE?

A) It is a treeless biome.
B) Fixed nitrogen is in short supply.
C) It lacks permafrost.
D) It lies mostly above the Arctic Circle.
E) The soils are acidic to neutral and low in nutrients.

Question 39

A deciduous conifer abundant in some taiga areas is:

A) fir.
B) spruce.
C) pine.
D) larch.
E) poplar.

Question 40

Temperate mixed and temperate deciduous forests differ in that temperate mixed forests:

A) have more deciduous trees.
B) have more conifers.
C) have warmer winters.
D) have soils richer in nutrients.
E) are found farther south.

Question 41

In the grassland biome, fire favors the growth of plants with basal meristems.

Question 42

Spring ephemerals usually emerge and mature more slowly than do late summer species.

Question 43

The boreal forest has the right characteristics to make huge wildfires possible.

Question 44

The cold deserts receive precipitation as snow.

Question 45

The tropics contain 75% of the world's species.

Question 46

Tropical soils lose their fertility when they are cleared.

Question 47

The glades within forested areas of the central and eastern United States contain plants of the grasslands biome.

Question 48

An example of an epiphyte is a moss.

Question 49

The addition of phosphorus fertilizers to cleared tropical soils is usually helpful in restoring their fertility.

Question 50

The type of soil within a region is determined not by climate but by the parent material in which the soil forms and the length of time the region has been stable.

Question 51

Tropical mixed forests are characterized by having evergreen trees and shrubs.

Question 52

Welwitschia is a plant found in the savanna.

Question 53

In savannas, epiphytes and annual herbs are abundant.

Question 54

The juniper woodlands of the United States occur in areas adjacent to low-elevation deserts.

Question 55

All the great deserts of the world are found along the equator.

Question 56

In rainforests, relatively little light penetrates to the forest floor.

Question 57

More types of annual plants are found in deserts than in any other biome.

Question 58

At their poleward margins, tropical savannas grade into taiga.

Question 59

Tussocks are growth forms typically exhibited by desert annuals.

Question 60

Areas of monsoon forest have high precipitation throughout the year.

Question 61

The temperate deciduous forest plants of Japan and China are quite different from those of eastern North America.

Question 62

The Arctic tundra is entirely underlain by permafrost.

Question 63

In temperate deciduous forests, species ripen seeds that are dispersed by birds in the fall.

Question 64

In North America, taiga extends farther north along the western side of the continent than along the eastern side.

Question 65

In the northernmost taiga, most of the precipitation falls in winter.

Question 66

Temperate mixed forest, with conifers and deciduous trees, is characteristic of the Great Lakes-Saint Lawrence River region.

Question 67

In regions of Mediterranean-type vegetation, most plant growth occurs in the cool, moist summers.

Question 68

Mediterranean scrub communities in different areas of the world tend to resemble each other even though their plant species are unrelated.