Question 1

As the global concentration of carbon dioxide increases,there is great potential for direct impact on the world's

Accepted Answer

The increase in carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere directly affects the Earth's climate by trapping more heat from the Sun, leading to global warming. This can cause various impacts on the climate, such as changes in temperature, precipitation, sea level, and extreme weather events. The other options, while also important, are not directly impacted by carbon dioxide concentration in the same way as the Earth's climate.

Question 2

The great deserts and associated arid areas of the world mostly lie along the western sides of the continents at about

Accepted Answer

The great deserts and arid areas of the world are mostly located at about 30° north and south latitude, which is known as the horse latitudes. This is due to the circulation patterns of the atmosphere, which create persistent high-pressure zones in these regions, leading to dry and arid conditions. Examples of deserts located at this latitude include the Sahara, Arabian, and Mojave deserts.

Question 3

Which of the following are characteristics of biomes? Check all that apply.

Accepted Answer

Biomes are characterized by their large geographical areas with distinctive plant and animal groups, which can be determined by the climate and geography of a region. Biomes are not limited to specific longitudes and latitudes and may consist of multiple ecosystem types. Temperate evergreen forest is one of the major biomes.

Question 4

Destruction of which biome would result in the greatest loss of biodiversity?

Accepted Answer

Tropical rain forests have the highest levels of biodiversity of any biome, with around 50% of all plant and animal species on Earth living there. Destruction of this biome would result in an enormous loss of biodiversity.

Question 5

The distribution of biomes is dependent upon which of the following? Check all that apply.

Accepted Answer

Biomes are primarily determined by temperature and available moisture, which are influenced by factors such as the presence of mountains (which can affect both temperature and precipitation patterns) and the distance from the oceans and elevation (which can influence climate and weather patterns). A thermocline refers to a layer within a body of water where the temperature changes rapidly with depth, which is not directly related to the distribution of biomes on land.

Question 6

Which statement best describes the relationship between elevation and latitude?

Accepted Answer

Elevation and latitude are both factors that affect temperature. As elevation increases, the temperature decreases due to the decrease in atmospheric pressure. Similarly, as latitude increases, the temperature decreases due to the oblique angle of sunlight and the decrease in solar radiation intensity. Therefore, elevation and latitude have a similar effect on temperature, which is a decrease in temperature as either variable increases.

Question 7

CO₂ and other gases,which absorb the longer wavelengths of infrared light and radiated heat from Earth,are responsible for causing the

Accepted Answer

CO₂ and other greenhouse gases absorb and trap outgoing infrared radiation from Earth's surface, causing the greenhouse effect, which contributes to global warming and climate change. The other options are not directly related to the role of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Question 8

Drifting freely in the upper,well-illuminated waters of the ocean,a diverse biological community exists,primarily consisting of microscopic organisms called

Accepted Answer

Phytoplankton are the primary producers of the oceanic food web and are found in the upper, well-illuminated waters of the ocean. They are microscopic organisms that are responsible for converting sunlight into energy through photosynthesis.

Question 9

Most of the ultraviolet radiation reaching the upper atmosphere is absorbed by

Accepted Answer

Ozone is a molecule made up of three oxygen atoms (O3) that can absorb ultraviolet radiation in the upper atmosphere. CFCs, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and water vapor do not absorb significant amounts of ultraviolet radiation.

Question 10

While visiting the South Island of New Zealand,you notice that conditions vary sharply across the island.The West Coast is very wet and receives between 600 and 1600 mm of rainfall per year,while the East Coast only receives about 640 mm of rain per year and is very dry.What best explains this regional difference in precipitation?

Accepted Answer

The presence of mountains along the West Coast is likely to be responsible for the difference in rainfall between the East and West Coasts. Mountains can cause "orographic precipitation," which occurs when moist air is lifted up and over mountains, leading to cooling and precipitation on the windward side of the mountains. In this case, the West Coast is the windward side and receives more rainfall, while the East Coast is in the rain shadow and receives less rainfall.

Question 11

If the energy of the sun no longer reached Earth,the primary productivity of which of the following ecosystems would be least affected?

Accepted Answer

Deep sea hydrothermal vents rely on chemosynthetic bacteria rather than photosynthesis, so they would be the least affected by a lack of solar energy.

Question 12

Tropical climates are warmer than temperate climates because

Accepted Answer

Tropical climates receive the sun's rays at an almost perpendicular angle, leading to a concentration of radiation over a smaller area, resulting in higher temperatures. In contrast, the temperate climates receive the sun's rays at a much steeper incidence, causing the radiation to spread over a broader area, resulting in lower temperatures. Mountains and vegetation may play a role in local variations but are not the main factor determining overall climate.

Question 13

Prairie is another name for a

Accepted Answer

Prairie is a term used for temperate grasslands, which are found in the interior of continents with moderate rainfall. Deserts are dry and barren areas, savannas are grasslands with scattered trees and shrubs, taiga is a coniferous forest biome, and tundra is a cold and treeless biome.

Question 14

During an ecology field trip to a lake,your professor asks you to take temperature readings at various depths and record your data.At 5 meters,you note a temperature of 25°C and at 10 meters you record a temperature of 10°C.Readings at 20 meters and below stay fairly consistent around 8°C.The temperature readings of 25°C,10°C,and 8°C represent the

Accepted Answer

The temperature readings of 25°C, 10°C, and 8°C correspond to the epilimnion (warm, upper layer of a lake), thermocline (middle layer where temperature drops rapidly), and hypolimnion (cold, bottom layer), respectively.

Question 15

Photosynthetic organisms of the open oceans are confined to the upper

Accepted Answer

Photosynthetic organisms in the open ocean are mainly confined to the uppermost layer, known as the euphotic zone, which extends to a depth of about 200 meters (656 feet). Therefore, the correct answer is choice C, two hundred meters.

Question 16

Researchers in Alaska were interested in increasing the sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka)population in three coastal lakes.To accomplish this,the ponds were treated with fertilizers.As a result,zooplankton biomass increased between 40% and 700% in the three lakes.The substantial growth in zooplankton would suggest that prior to these experiments,these lakes were ________.

Accepted Answer

The substantial increase in zooplankton biomass suggests that these lakes were nutrient-poor or oligotrophic prior to the fertilization treatment.

Question 17

Which of the following choices best describes the relationship that exists between moisture and air temperature?

Accepted Answer

The moisture-holding capacity of air is directly related to its temperature. Warm air can hold more moisture than cool air. This is because warm air molecules move faster, creating more space for moisture to fit in between them. Cool air molecules move slower, allowing less space for moisture. Therefore, the moisture-holding capacity of air increases when it is warm and decreases when it is cool.

Question 18

The relatively shallow part of the ocean extending from the low tide mark to the edge of the continental shelf is called the

Accepted Answer

The neritic zone is the part of the ocean that extends from the low tide mark to the edge of the continental shelf, characterized by relatively shallow depths and abundant sunlight, making it rich in marine life.

Question 19

Rhizosphaera needle cast is a fungal disease that affects spruce trees.Which of the following biomes would be most severely affected by an outbreak of this disease?

Accepted Answer

Rhizosphaera needle cast primarily affects spruce trees, which are a dominant species in the taiga biome, also known as the boreal forest. Therefore, an outbreak of this disease would most severely affect the taiga biome.

Question 20

Periodic disturbances of the Pacific currents that cause global weather changes are given the name

Accepted Answer

Periodic disturbances of the Pacific currents that cause global weather changes are known as El Niño.

Quiz 57: The Biosphere and Human Impacts