Chapter 52 Questions

Question 1

Which of the following areas of study focuses on the exchange of energy, organisms, and materials between ecosystems?

a. organismal ecology
b. landscape ecology
c. ecosystem ecology
d. community ecology

Answer 1

b. landscape ecology

Question 2

Which lake zone would be absent in a very shallow lake?

a. benthic zone
b. aphotic zone
c. pelagic zone
d. littoral zone

Answer 2

b. aphotic zone

Question 3

Which of the following is characteristic of most terrestrial biomes?

a. a distribution predicted almost entirely by rock and soil patterns
b. clear boundaries between adjacent biomes
c. vegetation demonstrating vertical layering
d. cold winter months

Answer 3

c. vegetation demonstrating vertical layering

Question 4

The oceans affect the biosphere in all of the following ways except

a. producing a substantial amount of the biosphere’s oxygen.
b. removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
c. moderating the climate of terrestrial biomes.
d. regulating the pH of freshwater biomes and terrestrial groundwater.

Answer 4

d. regulating the pH of freshwater biomes and terrestrial groundwater.

Question 5

Which statement about dispersal is false?

a. Dispersal is a common component of the life cycles of plants and animals.
b. Colonization of devastated areas after floods or volcanic eruptions depends on dispersal.
c. Dispersal occurs only on an evolutionary time scale.
d. The ability to disperse can expand the geographic distribution of a species.

Answer 5

c. Dispersal occurs only on an evolutionary time scale.

Question 6

When climbing a mountain, we can observe transitions in biological communities that are analogous to the changes

a. in biomes at different latitudes.
b. in different depths in the ocean.
c. in a community through different seasons.
d. in an ecosystem as it evolves over time.

Answer 6

a. in biomes at different latitudes.

Question 7

Suppose that the number of bird species is determined mainly by the number of vertical strata found in the environment. If so, in which of the following biomes would you find the greatest number of bird species?

a. tropical rain forest
b. savanna
c. desert
d. temperate broadleaf forest

Answer 7

a. tropical rain forest

Question 8

If the direction of Earth’s rotation reversed, the most predictable effect would be

a. a big change in the length of the year.
b. winds blowing from west to east along the equator.
c. a loss of seasonal variation at high latitudes.
d. the elimination of ocean currents.

Answer 8

b. winds blowing from west to east along the equator.

Question 9

Which of the following statements best summarizes the process of photosynthesis?

a. Energy from light is converted to chemical energy stored in organic molecules.
b. Molecules synthesized in cellular respiration are broken down, releasing energy that the plant uses to grow.
c. Plants absorb O2 from the atmosphere and release CO2 to the atmosphere.
d. Plants break down CO2 absorbed from the atmosphere, releasing energy used to do work.

Answer 9

a. Energy from light is converted to chemical energy stored in organic molecules.

Question 10

Suppose that a few individuals of a lizard species are transported on a log that floats from the mainland, where the lizard is abundant, to a distant island, where prior to this event no lizards (of any species) existed. The environmental conditions on the island are similar to those on the mainland. A small population of this lizard becomes established on the island; within a few years, allele frequencies in the island population differ greatly from those in mainland populations. Which of the following is the most likely cause of the genetic differences between the island and mainland populations?

a. genetic drift
b. natural selection
c. gene flow
d. mutation

Answer 10

a. genetic drift

Question 11

Which of the following statements best represents the hypothesis-based approach to scientific inquiry?

a. A hypothesis can only be proved by a controlled experiment.
b. Accurate observations will support a hypothesis.
c. A hypothesis should lead to a prediction that can be tested.
d. If a prediction is successfully tested, it proves the hypothesis.

Answer 11

c. A hypothesis should lead to a prediction that can be tested.

Question 12

Of the following, which is the most inclusive level of organization in nature?

a. biosphere
b. community
c. cell
d. population
e. ecosystem

Answer 12

a. biosphere

Question 13

Which of the following causes Earth’s seasons?

a. vertical air circulation
b. global wind patterns
c. ocean currents
d. changes in the Earth’s distance from the sun
e. Earth’s tilt on its axis

Answer 13

e. Earth’s tilt on its axis

Question 14

Which of the following investigations is an example of the study of an abiotic factor?

a. investigating how an elk population competes for food
b. investigating how the amount of annual precipitation affects the distribution of a tree species
c. the relationship between finch beak size and food availability on two different Galapagos Islands
d. observing interactions among various organisms in a rainforest canopy
e. identifying food sources for an egret population

Answer 14

b. investigating how the amount of annual precipitation affects the distribution of a tree species

Question 15

In most cases, the two major climatic factors affecting the distribution of organisms in terrestrial ecosystems are _____.

a. competitors and predators
b. predators and parasites
c. water and temperature
d. wind and water
e. temperature and sunlight

Answer 15

c. water and temperature

Question 16

What is a biome?

a. a set of similar communities
b. a specific set of abiotic factors
c. a major type of biosphere
d. an area with a uniform distribution of organisms and abiotic environmental conditions
e. a major type of ecosystem

Answer 16

e. a major type of ecosystem

Question 17

Which of the biomes—tundra, coniferous forest, temperate broadleaf forest, temperate grassland, savanna, chaparral, desert, tropical rainforest—require periodic fires to maintain their existence?

a. savanna, desert, chaparral, temperate grassland, and temperate broadleaf forest
b. savanna and chaparral
c. savanna, chaparral, temperate grassland, tundra, and coniferous forest
d. tropical forest, savanna, chaparral, temperate grassland, and coniferous forest
e. savanna, chaparral, temperate grassland, and coniferous forest

Answer 17

e. savanna, chaparral, temperate grassland, and coniferous forest

Question 18

In which biome would you most likely find plants that exhibit or CAM photosynthesis?

a. coniferous forest
b. desert
c. tropical forest
d. tundra
e. temperate grassland

Answer 18

b. desert

Question 19

What are the most abundant animals found in the pelagic zone?

a. zooplankton
b. marine mammals
c. cnidarians
d. echinoderms
e. dinoflagellates

Answer 19

a. zooplankton

Question 20

Why are experiments that involve transplanting species seldom conducted today?

a. The success of the transplant cannot be measured in one researcher’s lifetime.
b. There are no criteria to determine if they are successful.
c. Species transplants still are a popular experimental tool.
d. The potential range of a transplanted species can never be greater than its actual range.
e. The transplanted species are often disruptive to their new communities.

Answer 20

e. The transplanted species are often disruptive to their new communities.

Question 21

Which would be a consequence of the removal of predators from a population such as the Trinidadian guppy population?

a. Guppies would produce fewer but larger offspring.
b. Guppy color patterns would change; guppies would produce fewer but larger offspring; the nitrogen excretion rate would increase and the rate of growth of primary producers such as algae would increase.
c. Primary producers such as algae would overgrow.
d. Guppy color patterns would change.
e. The nitrogen excretion rate would increase.

Answer 21

b. Guppy color patterns would change; guppies would produce fewer but larger offspring; the nitrogen excretion rate would increase and the rate of growth of primary producers such as algae would increase.

Question 22

Which of the following areas of study focuses on the exchange of energy, organisms, and materials between ecosystems?

a. landscape ecology
b. organismal ecology
c. population ecology
d. ecosystem ecology
e. community ecology

Answer 22

a. landscape ecology

Question 23

Which lake zone would be absent in a very shallow lake?

a. limnetic zone
b. littoral zone
c. benthic zone
d. pelagic zone
e. aphotic zone

Answer 23

e. aphotic zone

Question 24

Which of the following is characteristic of most terrestrial biomes?

a. annual average rainfall in excess of 250 cm
b. cold winter months
c. clear boundaries between adjacent biomes
d. vegetation demonstrating vertical layering
e. a distribution predicted almost entirely by rock and soil patterns

Answer 24

d. vegetation demonstrating vertical layering

Question 25

The oceans affect the biosphere in all of the following ways except

a. moderating the climate of terrestrial biomes.
b. removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
c. producing a substantial amount of the biosphere’s oxygen.
d. being the source of most of Earth’s rainfall.
e. regulating the pH of freshwater biomes and terrestrial groundwater.

Answer 25

e. regulating the pH of freshwater biomes and terrestrial groundwater.

Question 26

Which statement about dispersal is false?

a. Dispersal occurs only on an evolutionary time scale.
b. Colonization of devastated areas after floods or volcanic eruptions depends on dispersal.
c. Seeds are important dispersal stages in the life cycles of most flowering plants.
d. Dispersal is a common component of the life cycles of plants and animals.
e. The ability to disperse can expand the geographic distribution of a species.

Answer 26

a. Dispersal occurs only on an evolutionary time scale.

Question 27

When climbing a mountain, we can observe transitions in biological communities that are analogous to the changes

a. across the United States from east to west.
b. in biomes at different latitudes.
c. in a community through different seasons.
d. in an ecosystem as it evolves over time.
e. at different depths in the ocean.

Answer 27

b. in biomes at different latitudes.

Question 28

Suppose that the number of bird species is determined mainly by the number of vertical strata found in the environment. If so, in which of the following biomes would you find the greatest number of bird species?

a. savanna
b. temperate broadleaf forest
c. temperate grassland
d. tropical rain forest
e. desert

Answer 28

d. tropical rain forest

Question 29

If the direction of Earth’s rotation reversed, the most predictable effect would be

a. a big change in the length of the year.
b. winds blowing from west to east along the equator.
c. no more night and day.
d. the elimination of ocean currents.
e. a loss of seasonal variation at high latitudes.

Answer 29

b. winds blowing from west to east along the equator.

Question 30

In ecological terms, disturbance is an event such as a storm, fire, or human activity that changes a community, removing organisms and altering resource availability. Which of the following statements about the effects of disturbance is correct?

a. The effects of disturbance on a community are almost always negative.
b. A healthy community is in an equilibrium state of balance, with few disturbances.
c. Disturbances can create patches of different habitats in a community.

Answer 30

c. Disturbances can create patches of different habitats in a community.

Question 31

Which statement accurately describes the potential effects of disturbance on species diversity?

a. Moderate levels of disturbance generally act to reduce species diversity within a community.
b. Many species are well adapted to survive periodic disturbances.
c. In many biomes, periodic disturbances may eliminate the dominant plants.

Answer 31

b. Many species are well adapted to survive periodic disturbances.

Question 32

In Australia, researchers tested the hypothesis that sea urchin abundance limits kelp distribution. Select the evidence that offers the best support for this hypothesis.

a. Sea urchins graze on kelp.
b. When sea urchins were removed from experimental plots, kelp cover increased.
c. There is an inverse relationship between the abundance of sea urchins and the abundance of kelp.

Answer 32

b. When sea urchins were removed from experimental plots, kelp cover increased.

Question 33

Graph.
The graph shows the percentage of seaweed cover as a function of time. The seaweed cover is measured from 0 to 100 percent on the y-axis, while the time is measured from August 1982 to February 1984 on the x-axis. There are four curves on the plot. The first curve represents a situation where both limpets and urchins are removed. This curve goes up from 5 percent in August 1982 to 95 percent in August 1983; then it goes almost straight to 95 percent in February 1984. The second curve represents a situation where only urchins are removed. This curve goes up from 5 percent in August 1982 to 85 percent in February 1984. The third curve represents a situation where only limpets are removed. The fourth curve represents the control group where both urchins and limpets are present. These two curves show an insignificant decline from 5 percent from August 1982 to February 1984.
a. The lack of change over time in the control plots (with urchins and limpets present) shows that limpets and urchins have no effect on seaweed cover.
b. Sea urchins have a much greater effect than limpets in limiting seaweed cover.
c. Removing only limpets increased seaweed cover dramatically.

Answer 33

b. Sea urchins have a much greater effect than limpets in limiting seaweed cover.

Question 34

A climograph for the major North American biomes. It shows annual mean temperature as a function of annual mean precipitation. Zones for a desert, temperate grassland, temperate broadleaf forest, tropical forest, northern coniferous forest, and arctic and alpine tundra are present here. Each zone occupies its mean temperature and precipitation levels.

Examine the climograph for some major North American biomes. Which two factors influence the distribution of organisms, as shown in this climograph?

a. The presence of broadleaf and presence of coniferous forest
b. Annual mean temperature and annual mean precipitation
c. The presence of tundra and presence of forested land

Answer 34

b. Annual mean temperature and annual mean precipitation

Question 35

One reason that deserts tend to be found at 30 degrees N and 30 degrees S latitudes is that

a. deserts are dry.
b. it’s warmer near the equator.
c. global wind and pressure patterns affect where rain falls.
d. desert soils are different from tropical rain forest soils.
e. mountains change rainfall patterns.

Answer 35

c. global wind and pressure patterns affect where rain falls.

Question 36

In which marine zone would you find the majority of plankton?

a. benthic zone
b. pelagic zone
c. intertidal zone
d. abyssal zone

Answer 36

b. pelagic zone

Question 37

Which of the following is not an abiotic factor organisms could come into contact with?

a. salinity
b. temperature
c. sunlight
d. bacteria
e. oxygen

Answer 37

d. bacteria

Question 38

Population ecologists are primarily interested in

a. understanding how biotic and abiotic factors influence populations and how they change.
b. the overall vitality of a population of organisms.
c. how humans affect the size of wild populations of organisms.
d. studying interactions among populations of organisms that inhabit the same area.
e. how populations evolve as natural selection acts on heritable variations among individuals and changes in gene frequency.

Answer 38

a. understanding how biotic and abiotic factors influence populations and how they change.

Question 39

Biodiversity on Earth is highest among

a. temperate grasslands and deciduous forests.
b. rivers and lakes.
c. coral reefs and tropical forests.
d. savanna and chaparral.
e. deserts and tundra.

Answer 39

c. coral reefs and tropical forests.

Question 40

Many endangered or extinct species live in freshwater habitats, such as along the Mississippi River. Eutrophication has been one major source of freshwater destruction and damage. Since nitrogen is a major contributor to eutrophication, one good solution would be to

a. breed varieties of duckweed that absorb lots of phosphorus.
b. fertilize cornfields during the summer instead of in spring.
c. prevent runoff of nitrogen fertilizers into streams and rivers from agricultural land.
d. require all wastewater dumped in the Mississippi River to go through a wastewater treatment facility first.
e. build more levees so the river runs to the Gulf of Mexico faster.

Answer 40

c. prevent runoff of nitrogen fertilizers into streams and rivers from agricultural land.

Question 41

The climograph shows that
Graph
a. biomes exist in distinct annual temperature and precipitation ranges and do not overlap.
b. biomes are controlled more by annual mean temperature than by annual mean precipitation.
c. tropical forests span the largest precipitation range of any biome.
d. deserts span the largest temperature range of any biome.
e. the largest biome on Earth, in area, is the temperate grassland.

Answer 41

c. tropical forests span the largest precipitation range of any biome.

Question 42

The climograph shows that
Graph
a. most biomes require at least an average of 200 cm of precipitationper year.
b. most biomes require at least an average annual temperature of 20°C.
c. no biomes exist below 0°C.
d. the desert biome exists within the most wide range of annual meanprecipitation on Earth.
e. temperate grasslands exist within the most wide range of annual mean temperature on Earth.

Answer 42

e. temperate grasslands exist within the most wide range of annual mean temperature on Earth.

Question 43

Ecosystem ecology emphasizes

a. movement of energy and cycling of chemicals between organisms.
b. movement of energy and cycling of chemicals between organisms and the environment.
c. factors that affect population size and how and why this changes over time.
d. factors controlling the exchange of energy, materials, and organisms across multiple ecosystems.
e. how an organism’s structure, physiology, and behavior allow it to survive.

Answer 43

b. movement of energy and cycling of chemicals between organisms and the environment.

Question 44

If you were hiking up a mountain, you might observe transitions in biological communities or habitats that are analogous to the changes

a. in biomes at different latitudes.
b. in different depths in the ocean.
c. in a community through different seasons.
d. in an ecosystem as it evolves over time.

Answer 44

a. in biomes at different latitudes.

Question 45

Suppose you were interested in starting a farm near a mountain range somewhere in the Northern Hemisphere and growing a vegetable crop that requires a lot of sunlight and water. Which of the following should you do to maximize your success?

a. Establish crops on the top of the mountain range.
b. Establish crops on the north-facing and leeward slopes of the mountain range.
c. Establish crops on the south-facing slopes of the mountain range.
d. Establish crops on the windward side of the mountain range
e. c and d

Answer 45

e. c and d

Question 46

Seasons on Earth in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres are caused by

a. the distance from the Earth to the sun changing over the course of a year.
b. a change in the angle of tilt of Earth’s axis throughout the year.
c. the angle of the sun’s rays striking Earth changing as the Earth orbits the sun with a constant tilt.
d. the rotation of the Earth on its own axis.
e. a combination of b and e

Answer 46

c. the angle of the sun’s rays striking Earth changing as the Earth orbits the sun with a constant tilt.