Chapter 26 Flashcards
Mastering Ecology
Which of the following statements is FALSE?
Angiosperms are currently the dominant plant group.
The earliest vascular plants were replaced by ferns that dominated during the Carboniferous period.
All of the major groups of plants have increased relatively continuously since their origin.
In general, there has been an increase in the number of species on the planet over the past 600 million years.
Since their origin, there has been an almost continuous increase in the number of species of plants.
All of the major groups of plants have increased relatively continuously since their origin.
The number of species of living organisms on the planet is probably closest to
100,000.
100,000,000.
10,000,000.
1,000,000.
10,000,000
All living species of organisms have now been described by scientists.
True
False
false
Which taxa contain the largest number of known species?
coleoptera
plants (embryophytes)
fungi
crustaceans
coleoptera
Over the past 100 million years, species richness has declined for gymnosperms and has increased for angiosperms.
True
False
True
Angiosperms emerged
100 million years ago.
200 million years ago.
300 million years ago.
400 million years ago.
100 million years ago.
Which of the following is the correct order of plant evolutionary appearance (geologically oldest to present date)?
angiosperms, gymnosperms, psilopsids, pteriodophytes
pteriodophytes, gymnosperms, angiosperms, psilopsids
gymnosperms, angiosperms, psilopsids, pteriodophytes
psilopsids, pteriodophytes, gymnosperms, angiosperms
psilopsids, pteriodophytes, gymnosperms, angiosperms
Consider the period from 2 million years ago to time 0.
For lineage A, how many speciation and extinction events occurred from 2 million years ago to time 0?
0 speciation events and 3 extinctions
2 speciation events and 5 extinctions
5 speciation events and 2 extinctions
5 speciation events and 5 extinctions
2 speciation events and 5 extinctions
For lineage B, how many speciation and extinction events occurred from 2 million years ago to time 0?
1 speciation event and 8 extinctions
2 speciation events and 1 extinction
5 speciation events and 1 extinction
8 speciation events and 1 extinction
5 speciation events and 1 extinction
Humans are responsible for more than 75 percent of all present-day extinctions since a.d. 1600.
True
False
true
96% of marine animal species became extinct in the Permian mass extinction at the end of the Paleozoic, 252 million years ago.
Why does the blue curve show only a 50% drop at that time?
The species that survived the mass extinction diversified very quickly so that the number of families in existence first plummeted but then rapidly increased to 50% of the number before the mass extinction.
Although 96% of marine animal species became extinct, the extinction rate was far lower for terrestrial species.
Although the extinction rate of 96% was high, the number of species in existence was also very high, so that even after the mass extinction, many species remained.
Families typically contain many species, so the percentage of families that became extinct is lower than the percentage of species that became extinct.
Families typically contain many species, so the percentage of families that became extinct is lower than the percentage of species that became extinct.
Overall, how many studies showed a positive effect of organic farming on biodiversity?
66
13
41
9
66
What percentage of the studies showed a negative effect of organic farming on organisms?
89%
13%
11%
8%
11%
For which group of organisms is evidence of positive effects the strongest?
Beetles
Plants
Soil microbes
Birds and mammals
plants
What is the overall ratio of positive effects of organic farming to negative effects?
1: 8.25
66: 8
8. 25:1
8: 66
8.25:1
A scientist plans to further investigate the impact of organic farming on biodiversity. Which groups of organisms should the scientist select?
Beetles and other arthropods
Soil microbes and plants
Birds and mammals
Spiders
Beetles and other arthropods
If you were to graph the relationship between latitude (x-axis) and species richness (y-axis) in the New World, beginning with negative 80° for southernmost, 0° at the equator, and 80° for northernmost location, what would be the trends in the graph?
There would not be a clear relationship between latitude and species richness.
It would be a bell shaped curve with the highest species diversity at 0° latitude.
It would be a bell-shaped curve, but it would be shifted to the left with higher levels of diversity at -30° latitude.
It would be a U-shaped curve with lowest levels of diversity at 0° latitude.
It would be a bell-shaped curve, but it would be shifted to the right with higher levels of diversity at 30° N latitude.
It would be a bell shaped curve with the highest species diversity at 0° latitude.
Species richness in both terrestrial and marine environments generally declines with latitude.
True
False
true
What does the figure suggest about patterns of biodiversity for particular groups of organisms?
Diversity patterns are unpredictable.
Species diversity is highest at the equator.
Climatic influences are most important in determining areas of higher diversity.
Species diversity is highest at the poles.
Climatic influences are most important in determining areas of higher diversity.
In relation to the stability hypothesis of diversity, which area provides the best evidence that glaciation reduced temperate tree diversity?
Asia
North America
Europe
Russia
europe
What does this figure suggest?
Mammalian diversity is highest at the northern latitudes.
Greater land area is strongly associated with mammalian diversity.
Land area is highest at the equator.
Mammalian diversity is highest at the equator.
Mammalian diversity is highest at the equator.
Actual evapotranspiration is __________.
water loss through evaporation, which is driven by humidity and temperature
water uptake by plants, which is a function of transpiration and water supply from all sources
the flux of water from the terrestrial surface and is a function of water supply from precipitation and water demand driven by influx of solar radiation
the flux of water from leaves and is a function of water supply from precipitation and water demand driven by influx of solar radiation
the total amount of water lost from leaves, which is driven by air temperature
the flux of water from the terrestrial surface and is a function of water supply from precipitation and water demand driven by influx of solar radiation
Compared to patterns seen for terrestrial organisms, marine biodiversity in the North Atlantic is __________.
similar in showing generally increasing diversity with increasing latitude.
the opposite with marine diversity generally increasing with increasing latitude.
different in that it does not show a clear pattern in relation to latitude.
similar in showing generally decreasing diversity with increasing latitude.
the opposite with marine diversity generally decreasing with increasing latitude
similar in showing generally decreasing diversity with increasing latitude.
Variation in species richness of terrestrial species in North America correlates most strongly with estimates of
precipitation.
actual or potential evapotranspiration.
solar radiation.
annual temperature.
actual or potential evapotranspiration.
Which of the following taxa have greater richness at lower PET?
amphibians
reptiles
mammals
birds
birds
What is PET?
probable evapotranspiration
positive evaporative transport
potential evapotranspiration
probability of evaporation
potential evapotranspiration
In terrestrial habitats, species richness is negatively correlated with primary productivity.
True
False
false
As the structural diversity of plant communities increases, the species richness of animals also increases.
True
False
true
The species richness of terrestrial plants and animals generally increases with elevation.
True
False
false
Which of the following is seen as a significant predictor of increased diversity in trees?
decreased temperatures
decreased precipitation
wind patterns
primary productivity
primary productivity
Terrestrial vertebrate richness is most strongly tied to
altitude.
sea surface temperatures.
potential evapotranspiration.
primary productivity.
potential evapotranspiration.
Species diversity at the regional spatial scale is called __________.
theta diversity delta diversity gamma diversity beta diversity alpha diversity
gamma
Which of the following statements is FALSE?
Geographic ranges of many species are shifting currently.
Future changes in Earth’s climate will cause changes in species distribution patterns.
Regional species diversity may change over geologic time.
The emergence and extinction of species drives patterns of species diversity over time periods of thousands of years.
Over timescales of thousands of years, climate change may influence regional diversity.
The emergence and extinction of species drives patterns of species diversity over time periods of thousands of years.
Use the maps in the image and your knowledge of predictors of species diversity to choose the true statement regarding the difference between patterns of bird species richness in the summer and the winter in the United States.
Bird species diversity is always highest at the lowest latitudes in the United States.
The highest levels of species richness is found in the northern, northeastern, and western United States in winter, while the highest species richness is found in the southern and southwestern portions of the country in the summer.
The highest regions of species diversity shift due to migratory patterns of bird species in the United States.
Migratory patterns of bird species reinforce latitudinal gradients of species diversity in the United States.
The Midwest consistently has the highest levels of bird species diversity.
The highest regions of species diversity shift due to migratory patterns of bird species in the United States.
A measure of diversity between sites is called
beta diversity.
alpha diversity.
gamma diversity.
zeta diversity
beta
The figure suggests
diversity changes seasonally.
primary productivity dictates diversity.
birds are more diverse at northern latitudes.
a high gamma diversity.
diversity changes seasonally.
What percent of the plant species found on Madagascar are unique to that island?
10 20 40 80 90
80
The human population of Madagascar doubles about every _____ years.
10 25 40 60 80
25
What is a lemur?
a primate only found on Madagascar
a poisonous snake found only on Madagascar
a type of orchid found only on Madagascar
a type of tree found only on Madagascar
a type of cuckoo found only on Madagascar
a primate only found on Madagascar
Much of the original forest cover on Madagascar has been destroyed primarily as a result of _____.
the building of malls pollution from automobile emissions the building of tract housing burning for agricultural purposes industrial activity
burning for agricultural purposes
What is the cause of the red color of the waters about Madagascar?
dinoflagellates a persistent red tide the high concentration of iron found in these waters soil that has washed into the ocean red algae
soil that has washed into the ocean
Which state is most likely to be a hotspot for biodiversity?
West Virginia
North Carolina
California
South Dakota
California
