New quizzes Flashcards
Which of the following factors best defines the location and boundaries of a biome?
temperature and latitude
Which of the following factors have the greatest direct influence on the distribution of terrestrial biomes?
average temperature and soil moisture
Which of the following explains why some stands of trees in the taiga biome are called “drunken forest”?
Frost-heaving of shallow soil causes the trees to lean “drunkenly.”
Which of the following provides an accurate comparison of the temperate rainforest and the boreal forest?
the temperate rainforest has more species of conifer than the boreal forest.
Which of the following conditions is characteristic of a tropical grassland and savanna?
a pronounced dry season
Which of the following is the defining characteristic of a lentic ecosystem?
It contains standing water.
Which of the following statements explains the critical difference between a bog and a fen?
Bogs are fed by groundwater, but fens are not.
Which of the following statements accurately describes an ecoregion?
Question 8 options:
An ecoregion is smaller than an ecozone and is characterized by climatic conditions and landforms.
Permafrost is found in some parts of the boreal forest biome.
True
The semi-evergreen tropical forest is fairly moist year-round.
False
The deepest place in any ocean is in the South Pacific.
True
The salinity of an estuary fluctuates on a daily basis
True
The seaward side of a mountain range receives orographic precipitation.
True
Which of the following statements distinguishes alpine tundra from arctic tundra?
Alpine tundra occurs at any latitude, but arctic tundra occurs only at high latitudes.
Which of the following terrestrial biomes is considered to have the highest degree of ecological development?
a tropical rainforest
Which of the following represents the correct sequence of primary productivity in a lake from least to most productive?
oligotrophic, mesotrophic, eutrophic
Graminoids (grasses) dominate which of the following wetland types?
marsh
Which of the following statements does NOT apply to coral reefs?
They occur in shallow, fertile waters.
Biomes contain many distinct communities.
True
Swamps are only ever flooded seasonally.
False
Kelps tend to grow on sandy substrate.
False
Which of the following scientists coined the word “biodiversity”?
E.O. Wilson
According to the CBD definition, which of the following factors is NOT an important component of biodiversity?
the biomass of organisms in a large geographic area
Which of the following environments most likely has many endemic species?
a tropical, forested island
Which of the following species populations is likely at greatest risk of extinction?
a small endemic population
In an effort to conserve the Florida panther (Felis concolor coryi), female panthers of another subspecies were introduced into the population. Which of the following statements gives a positive and negative effect of this strategy?
It increased genetic diversity but decreased subspecies integrity.
Approximately how many species of organisms have been named?
1.8 million
Which of the following features is considered an environmental service?
carbon storage in biomass
Which of the following is currently the most commonly used renewable energy source?
trees
Which of the following is a synonym for extirpation?
local extinction
Which of the following organisms has NOT been extirpated from Canada?
timber wolf
Canada has been considered a leader in biodiversity conservation among industrialized nations for which of the following reasons?
Canada was the first industrialized nation to sign the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
Which of the following terms refers to the number of species in a community (or clearly defined geographical area)?
alpha diversity
Which of the figures above describes the typical relationship between the size of an area and the number of species present?
figure D
Endemic species usually show little population diversity.
False
What value does Simpson’s index (D) estimate?
the probability that two randomly sampled individuals will be of the same species
Estimates of species richness will vary with the taxonomic competence of the researcher.
True
Gamma diversity is defined as the richness of communities within a larger study region.
True
Which of the following forests in Canada is NOT rare and/or threatened?
Boreal forest.
Which of the following impacts is largely responsible for the loss of tallgrass prairie in Canada?
agriculture
Canadian biodiversity has been relatively well studied and described, compared to most other nations.
True
Ecosystem stability depends mostly on species richness
False
Some ecological services depend on the presence of specialized organisms.
True
