Deck 6: Terrestrial and Aquatic Biomes

Question 1

How much additional precipitation is required to meet water needs for every 10ºC increase in temperature?

A) 2 cm
B) 5 cm
C) 6 cm
D) 10 cm
E) 20 cm

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following is used to distinguish aquatic biomes?
I) salinity
II) depth
III) flow

A) I and II
B) I and III
C) II and III
D) I, II, and III

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which of the following species does not easily fit with the expectations of biome classification?

A) organ pipe cactus
B) eucalyptus trees
C) feral dogs
D) cattails

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of the following pairs is an example of convergent evolution?

A) dogs and cats
B) wolves and deer
C) birds and bats
D) giraffes and trees

Question 5

Warmer and drier parts of the temperate seasonal forest biome are dominated by

A) rainforests.
B) deciduous forests.
C) needle-leaved forests.
D) grasslands.
E) woodlands.

Question 6

Which biome has the highest biodiversity?

A) temperate rainforest
B) temperate seasonal forest
C) tropical rainforest
D) tropical seasonal forest

Question 7

Human activity has caused many species to spread from their original areas. Use the concept of biomes to explain why some species are able to spread easily and even become a problem in a new community.

Question 8

In climate diagrams the location of the temperature and precipitation lines are used to determine which of the two limits plant growth in the biome. Explain why higher temperatures also require increased precipitation.

Question 9

Biomes are

A) geographic regions with the same key species.
B) geographic regions with species that have not evolved convergently.
C) geographic regions with the same range of temperatures.
D) geographic regions whose plant communities have similar adaptations.

Question 10

Which of the following does NOT have a secondary influence on plant communities in biomes?

A) topography
B) soils
C) herbivory
D) fire
E) humidity

Question 11

Why are animals not used as the distinguishing features for biomes?

Question 12

Which biome occurs at the highest altitude?

A) boreal forest
B) temperate rainforest
C) woodland/shrubland
D) tundra

Question 13

At what average temperatures do we see the greatest variation in precipitation among biomes?

A) warm temperatures (approximately 20° to 30°C)
B) moderate temperatures (approximately 5° to 20°C)
C) cold temperatures (approximately −5° to 5°C)
D) very cold temperatures (less than −5°C)

Question 14

The Mediterranean woodland/shrubland biome is characterized by thick evergreen shrubby vegetation. The small, drought-resistant leaves of these plants are said to be

A) sclerophyllous.
B) epiphytic.
C) limnetic.
D) emergent.

Question 15

Which biome has distinct wet and dry seasons?

A) tropical seasonal forest/savannah
B) boreal forest
C) temperate grasslands
D) tropical rainforest
E) tundra

Question 16

Overgrazing has caused significant changes in vegetation in

A) boreal forest.
B) temperate grasslands.
C) tropical seasonal forest/savannah.
D) woodlands/shrublands.

Question 17

Few biomes have cold temperature combined with high precipitation. Why is this?

Question 18

Which biome is home to the redwood (Sequoia sempervirens)?

A) temperate seasonal forest
B) temperate rainforest
C) boreal forest
D) tropical rainforest
E) tropical seasonal forest

Question 19

Where could you NOT go to see well-developed examples of the temperate seasonal forest biome?

A) United States and southeastern Canada
B) Europe
C) South America
D) Eastern Asia

Question 20

Why is the biome concept difficult to apply to aquatic systems?

A) Temperature is similar over the majority of aquatic biomes, unlike terrestrial systems.
B) Aquatic communities vary little from place to place because of the ability of fish to travel between oceans.
C) Nutrients from terrestrial biomes limit most aquatic systems, so terrestrial systems must be considered when determining the aquatic biomes.
D) Producers in many aquatic systems are algae, which have little characteristic large-scale structure.

Question 21

As a river flows downstream, it generally

A) moves faster.
B) has more nutrients.
C) is more shaded.
D) narrows.

Question 22

Compare and contrast arctic and alpine tundra.

Question 23

Which of the following is NOT an effect of dams on streams and rivers?

A) increased water temperature upstream of the dam
B) increased sediment settling
C) increased levels of dissolved oxygen downstream of the dam
D) habitat fragmentation

Question 24

Which is a characteristic agricultural use of the woodland/shrubland biome?

A) grapes
B) wheat
C) cattle
D) coffee

Question 25

The ocean zone with the highest productivity is the

A) neritic zone.
B) photic zone.
C) aphotic zone.
D) benthic zone.

Question 26

Succulent plants are a defining feature of

A) temperate seasonal forest.
B) temperate rainforest.
C) subtropical desert.
D) woodland/shrubland.

Question 27

Which combination of factors causes the fastest nutrient cycling in a biome?

A) high precipitation and high temperatures
B) high precipitation and low temperatures
C) low precipitation and high temperatures
D) low precipitation and low temperatures

Question 28

Savannah gradually changes to tropical seasonal forest as

A) temperature increases.
B) temperature decreases.
C) precipitation increases.
D) precipitation decreases.

Question 29

An important characteristic of freshwater wetlands is

A) basic soils.
B) anoxic soil conditions.
C) sections of open water.
D) acidic water.

Question 30

Coral reefs are most similar to

A) subtropical deserts.
B) woodlands/shrublands.
C) temperate seasonal forests.
D) tropical rainforests.

Question 31

The open ocean is most similar to

A) subtropical desert.
B) temperate seasonal forest.
C) tropical rainforest.
D) woodland/scrubland.

Question 32

Biomes occupying the extremes of the precipitation spectrum (very moist or very dry) burn infrequently, while biomes with moderate precipitation and seasonal drought burn readily and regularly. Explain this phenomenon.

Question 33

A symbiotic relationship with algae is central to

A) mangrove swamps.
B) intertidal zones.
C) coral reefs.
D) ponds and lakes.

Question 34

Which of the following global factors accounts for the difference between temperate seasonal forests and temperate rainforests?

A) decreased precipitation in the seasonal forests due to the edge of Hadley cells
B) increased temperatures in the rainforest due to ocean currents
C) decreased precipitation in the seasonal forests due to rain shadows
D) increased temperatures in the rainforest due to lower latitudes

Question 35

Although precipitation is fairly low in boreal forests, soils are often saturated because of

A) ground water recharge.
B) frequent flooding.
C) prevalence of succulent plants.
D) reduced evaporation of water.

Question 36

Which of the following is another name for boreal forest?

A) matorral
B) pampas
C) steppes
D) taiga

Question 37

Which biome has the most standing biomass per unit of area?

A) temperate seasonal forest
B) tropical seasonal forest
C) temperate rainforest
D) tropical rainforest

Question 38

In which biome is plant growth primarily constrained by precipitation?

A) boreal forest
B) temperate seasonal forest
C) temperate grassland
D) tundra

Question 39

Which of the following helps to prevent tree growth in tallgrass prairies?

A) low precipitation
B) high temperatures
C) frequent fires
D) human land use
E) acidic soils

Question 40

Which biome has soil that degrades quickly once converted to agricultural use?

A) temperate seasonal forest
B) tropical rainforest
C) tropical seasonal forest/savannah
D) woodland/shrubland

Question 41

Explain why the communities in intertidal zones must be adapted to survive a wide range of conditions.

Question 42

Which is a unique characteristic of estuaries?

A) the prevalence of aquatic woody vegetation
B) the seasonal overturn of water stratification
C) the mixing of fresh and salt water
D) the large variety of benthic organisms

Question 43

In which aquatic environment are organisms most likely to produce bioluminescence?

A) aphotic zones
B) coral colonies
C) intertidal zones
D) mangrove swamps

Question 44

During which seasons does overturn occur in a lake?

A) winter and spring
B) winter and summer
C) autumn and spring
D) autumn and summer
E) winter and autumn

Question 45

How might global climate change affect current agricultural regions?

Question 46

An important characteristic of streams is

A) high allochthonous inputs.
B) high autochthonous inputs.
C) lack of interaction with the riparian zone.
D) many photosynthetic organisms.

Question 47

Which of the following is NOT a barrier to shifting biomes?

A) mountains
B) rivers
C) large highways
D) oceans

Question 48

What is the mean in the following data set?
17, 20, 26, 26, 27, 30, 31, 39

A) 26
B) 26.5
C) 27
D) 28

Question 49

Lakes are generally divided into zones, each of which has unique physical and biological attributes. In which zone would you expect to find rooted vegetation?

A) littoral
B) limnetic
C) pelagic
D) benthic
E) neritic

Question 50

Explain the similarities and differences between bogs, marshes, and swamps.

Question 51

The aphotic zone is a feature in

A) coral reefs.
B) freshwater wetlands.
C) mangrove swamps.
D) open ocean.
E) intertidal zones.

Question 52

What is the mode in the following data set?
17, 20, 26, 26, 27, 30, 31, 39

A) 26
B) 26.5
C) 27
D) 28

Question 53

Biological activity is severely limited in a thermally stratified temperate lake in midsummer. Explain this phenomenon with reference to both surface and deeper waters.

Question 54

What important role do mangrove swamps play in maintaining their environment?

A) They transfer sediment from terrestrial to aquatic biomes.
B) They filter water, which refreshes groundwater reservoirs.
C) They prevent coastal erosion.
D) They increase the sedimentation of coral reefs.

Question 55

What is the median in the following data set?
17, 20, 26, 26, 27, 30, 31, 39

A) 26
B) 26.5
C) 27
D) 28

Question 56

Which is the surface water of thermally stratified lake?

A) the epilimnion
B) the hypolimnion
C) the littoral zone
D) the thermocline

Question 57

Why is water at the bottom of a temperate lake likely to be close to 4°C year-round?

A) Cooling water below 4°C requires enormous amounts of energy.
B) Soil temperatures are close to 4°C for most of the year in temperate regions.
C) Air temperatures in the temperate zone rarely fall below 4°C.
D) Water is densest at 4°C.

Question 58

Explain how the riparian zone might affect an adjacent terrestrial biome.