Deck 23: Terrestrial Ecosystems

Question 1

The broad categories of grasses,shrubs,and trees represent a diverse range of species and characteristics,and they have fundamentally different patterns of

A)nutrient allocation and morphology.
B)carbon allocation and morphology.
C)carbon allocation and nutrient allocation.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Arid environments that occur in the rain shadow of mountain barriers or are located far inland where moist maritime air rarely penetrates are referred to as ________.

Answer 2

deserts

Question 3

There are consistent patterns in the distribution and abundance of dominant plant life-forms across the biosphere because these life-forms share ________ to the selection pressures of climate and the physical environment.

Answer 3

adaptations

Question 4

Plants that root and grow on other plants in the tropical rain forest are called

A)phreatophytes.
B)succulents.
C)epiphytes.
D)halophytes.

Question 5

A(n)________ climate is characterized by hot,dry summers and cool,moist winters.

Question 6

Leaves that live for only a single year or growing season are classified as ________.

Question 7

The highest diversity of plant and animal life occurs in

A)tropical savannas.
B)tropical rain forests.
C)temperate deciduous forests.
D)boreal forests.

Question 8

________ is the perennially frozen subsurface that develops in boreal and arctic systems where the ground temperatures remain below 0°C for extended periods of time.

Question 9

Deeply weathered soils,with no distinct horizons characteristic of the tropical rain forest,are

A)mollisols.
B)andosols.
C)oxisols.
D)alfisols.

Question 10

Which of the following is the predominant leaf form of environments where the growing season is very short or where nutrient availability severely constrains photosynthesis and plant growth?

A)winter-deciduous leaves
B)drought-deciduous leaves
C)broadleaf evergreen leaves
D)needle-leaf evergreen leaves

Question 11

Which of the following allocates the greatest amount of biomass to photosynthetic tissue and the least amount to supportive tissue?

A)trees
B)shrubs
C)lianas
D)grasses

Question 12

Tropical ________ refers to vegetation in the drier tropics and subtropics that is dominated by a ground cover of grasses with scattered shrubs or trees.

Question 13

What kind of trees dominate in ecosystems characterized by warm,wet climates with no distinct seasonality?

A)broadleaf evergreen
B)drought-deciduous
C)winter-deciduous
D)needle-leaf evergreen

Question 14

A belt of coniferous forest,known as ________ forest,occurs in the high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere.

Question 15

Native grasslands of North America,influenced by declining precipitation from east to west,consist of three main types distinguished by the ________ of the dominant species.

Question 16

A(n)________ is a biotic unit of plant formations and associated animal life based on the predominant plant types,with at least eight major terrestrial types.

Question 17

Decomposition rates in the tropical rain forest are

A)slow due to inhibition of decomposition by moisture.
B)fast due to near optimal conditions for decomposers.
C)fast due to highly fertile soils.
D)slow due to stored soil organic matter pools from which plants draw nutrients.

Question 18

Tropical forests make up 6 percent of total land mass but contain an estimated ________ of all species on Earth.

A)1 percent
B)6 percent
C)50 percent
D)90 percent

Question 19

Distribution patterns of biomes can be determined based almost entirely on

A)only mean annual temperature.
B)both mean annual temperature and precipitation.
C)the distribution of soils.
D)global weather patterns.

Question 20

Tropical rain forests are restricted primarily to the ________ zone between latitudes 10° N and 10° S.

Question 21

Fire in the taiga

A)damages trees,resulting in excessively slow recovery due to low temperatures.
B)alters nutrient cycling,making nutrients unavailable for trees.
C)occurs often,resulting in decreased competition of vegetation adapted to repeated burning.
D)results in systems dominated by grassland species.

Question 22

The dominant vegetation types in temperate shrublands are

A)pine trees.
B)evergreen shrubs and sclerophyllous vegetation.
C)dwarf willows and Atriplex.
D)grasses and dwarf oak.

Question 23

Savannas typically occur in

A)cold areas with little rainfall in polar regions.
B)cold areas with little rainfall at high altitudes in the tropics.
C)very dry areas in the rain shadow of mountains of both temperate and tropical latitudes.
D)warm areas with seasonal rainfall in the tropics.

Question 24

The dominant biome in mediterranean climates found between 30° and 40° latitude is

A)temperate shrubland.
B)temperate deciduous forest.
C)desert.
D)tropical savanna.

Question 25

Which of the following organisms are adapted to living in a desert?

A)spadefoot toads
B)oak trees
C)lemmings
D)spruce trees

Question 26

Large grazing ungulates and burrowing animals are most abundant in

A)deserts.
B)tropical rain forest.
C)temperate shrubland.
D)temperate grassland.

Question 27

Cool deserts are dominated by

A)shrubs such as Artemisia tridentata.
B)trees such as willow or poplar.
C)tall-growth forms of saguaro.
D)ground-dwelling succulents.

Question 28

In which biome would one find sclerophyllous vegetation?

A)tundra
B)taiga
C)shrubland
D)tropical forest

Question 29

The relationship between mean annual precipitation (MAP)and aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP)is ANPP = 0.50 × (MAP)+ (70)in mm MAP and (g/m2/yr)for ANPP in grassland systems.If precipitation is currently 1000 mm and MAP increases by 25 percent,then ANPP will be approximately

A)570.
B)625.
C)695.
D)713.

Question 30

Which type of biome is depicted here?

A)deciduous forest
B)coniferous forest
C)tropical forest
D)savanna

Question 31

The density of woody vegetation in a savanna is controlled through

A)mean annual temperature.
B)mean annual temperature,soil texture,and water-holding capacity.
C)mean annual precipitation.
D)mean annual precipitation,soil texture,and water-holding capacity.

Question 32

What is the primary difference between savannas and tropical forests?

A)Tropical forests are typically warmer.
B)Savannas have less precipitation.
C)Tropical forests have more variable temperatures.
D)There are no climate differences between the two.

Question 33

Campos,llano,and cerrado are all areas of

A)tropical rain forest.
B)tropical savanna.
C)mediterranean shrubland.
D)desert.

Question 34

Increases in elevation are accompanied by decreases in temperature.The rate at which temperature drops as elevation increases is referred to as the dry adiabatic lapse rate,which gives a drop in temperature of rising unsaturated air of about 10°C for every 1000 meters.If the temperature is 25°C at the base of the mountain,what temperatures do organisms experience 3000 meters upslope?

A)5°C
B)0°C
C)-5°C
D)-15°C

Question 35

In what layer would one find salamanders in a deciduous forest?

A)canopy
B)shrub layer
C)understory
D)ground

Question 36

Climate diagrams are valuable because they show

A)seasonal variation in temperature and precipitation.
B)abundance of dominant vegetation.
C)diversity of plant species present.
D)variation in carbon availability.

Question 37

Which of the following is not a type of temperate grassland?

A)veld
B)pampas
C)prairie
D)chaparral

Question 38

Typical soils of the temperate forest region are

A)alfisols and inceptisols.
B)oxisols.
C)andosols.
D)aridisols and vertisols.

Question 39

The vegetation formation dominated by needle-leaf evergreen trees and occurring where growth is restricted to a few months of the year due to low temperatures is referred to as

A)temperate deciduous forest.
B)tundra.
C)boreal forest.
D)temperate shrubland.

Question 40

Which biome is represented by the map and climate diagrams?

A)deciduous forest
B)temperate grassland
C)desert
D)savanna

Question 41

Grazing at moderate levels stimulates plant productivity in grassland systems.

Question 42

Tropical rain forests typically have a thick layer of litter on the forest floor.

Question 43

Topographic features,such as mountains and valleys,influence the climate of a region.

Question 44

Similar climates produce similar vegetation structure around the world.

Question 45

Deserts are typically hot throughout the year and rarely have freezing temperatures.

Question 46

Leaf characteristics are useful indicators of the trade-offs plants make to combat environmental constraints.

Question 47

The vegetation of tundra is dominated by

A)broadleaf deciduous trees.
B)short plants such as sedges,heaths,and willow.
C)needle-leaf evergreen trees.
D)sclerophyllous broadleaf evergreen shrubs.

Question 48

Grazing ungulates are relatively common and burrowing rodents are relatively rare in temperate grasslands.

Question 49

Which biome is represented by the map and climate diagrams?

A)deciduous forest
B)coniferous forest
C)tropical forest
D)tundra

Question 50

Which of the following is a management technique to reduce the effects of logging?

A)clear-cutting
B)shelterwood
C)top harvest
D)controlled burns

Question 51

Deciduous leaves usually live for more than a single year or growing season.

Question 52

Classification of the world's major terrestrial biomes is based on the dominant forms of plant life.

Question 53

Deserts often occur in the rain shadow of mountain ranges.

Question 54

Which biome contains the largest tree species in the world?

A)coniferous forest
B)deciduous forest
C)tropical forest
D)arctic forest

Question 55

Covering only 6 percent of the land surface,tropical rain forests account for more than 50 percent of all known plant and animal species.

Question 56

The largest and most continuous region of tropical rain forest in the world is in South America.

Question 57

Grasslands formerly covered 42 percent of the land surface of the Earth.

Question 58

Which of the following biomes contains permafrost?

A)taiga
B)tundra
C)desert
D)temperate grassland

Question 59

Tropical savannas typically lack trees or shrubs.

Question 60

In the tropical latitudes,the length of the dry season increases with distance from the equator.

Question 61

Mediterranean climates are characterized by relatively dry summers and wet winters.

Question 62

Tundra occurs only at high latitudes in polar regions.

Question 63

In temperate deciduous forests,the greatest concentration and diversity of life occur in the canopy.

Question 64

Net primary productivity of boreal forest is generally lower than in temperate deciduous forest.

Question 65

Tundra occurs at high elevations on mountains.

Question 66

Vegetation that is sclerophyllous is adapted to areas with ample moisture and moderate temperatures.

Question 67

Rainfall is greater in temperate deciduous forests than in temperate shrublands and grasslands.

Question 68

Coniferous forests are dominated by needle-leaf evergreen trees.