Test Questions Unit 3 (Chapters 4 & 5)

Question 1

Which of the following biomes is maintained through occasional fires: A) Tundra B) Tropical Forests C) Taiga D) Mountain Ranges E) Grassland

Answer 1

E) Grassland

Question 2

Which of the following non-point pollution types is most likely to cause cultural eutrophication in lake ecosystems: A) Oil from parking lots B) Pesticides from agricultural fields C) Heavy metals from mining practices D) Sediments from erosion E) Fertilizer from agricultural fields

Answer 2

E) Fertilizer from agricultural fields

Question 3

Photosynthetic organisms such as phytoplankton would be most abundant in which oceanic zone?: A) Bathyl B) Euphotic C) Littoral D) Limnetic E) Benthos

Answer 3

B) Euphotic

Question 4

Which country would have the largest percentage of boreal forests?: A) Brazil B) United States C) Australia D) Russia E) Nepal

Answer 4

D) Russia

Question 5

The land area that delivers recharge to smaller tributary streams that flow into larger rivers is known as: A) Delta B) Source zone C) Flood plain D) Watershed E) Estuary

Answer 5

D) Watershed

Question 6

Oceanic currents act as a conveyor belt system creating a connected loop of deep and shallow ocean currents that transfers warm and cold water between the tropics and the poles. The strongest influence on this system of ocean currents is due to: A) Upwelling events that bring nutrient-rich cold water form the bottom up to the top B) The rotation of the earth on its axis C) Differences in water density due to temperature and salinity concentrations D) Atmospheric convection causing large inputs of freshwater into the ocean by precipitation E) Location of continents that help determine direction and flow of currents

Answer 6

C: Differences in water density due to temperature an salinity concentrations

Question 7

The most biologically diverse areas of the ocean include coral reefs and estuaries. All of the following characteristics are reasons why these ecosystems can support such a high level of diversity EXCEPT: A) They are high areas of primary productivity B) Both ecosystems have abundant nutrient flow supporting phytoplankton populations C) Coral reefs and estuaries receive an abundant amount of light D) Both ecosystems provide plenty of habitat space for organisms E) These ecosystems do not have commercially important species therefore human impact on biodiversity is limited

Answer 7

E) These ecosystems do not have commercially important species therefore human impact on biodiversity is limited

Question 8

Deep lakes that are characterized by steep banks and have a relatively small supply of plant nutrients are known as: A) Autotrophic B) Euphotic C) Mesotrophic D) Oligotrophic E) Eutrphic

Answer 8

D) Oligotrophic

Question 9

Marine biologists have found that increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are lowering ocean pH, a condition known as ocean acidification. This also causes a decrease in the concentration of calcium carbonate ions. If this rise were to continue it would have a devastating impact on coral ecosystems because: A) It would cause a decline in the endosymbiotic algae the coral depend on B) It would decrease the ability of the corals to form their exoskeletons C) It would increase the amount of dissolved oxygen beyond the tolerance of the coral D) It would increase the turbidity of the water beyond the corals’ range of tolerance E) It would decrease the number of crustaceans acting as keystone species in the ecosystem

Answer 9

B) It would decrease the ability of the corals to form their exoskeletons

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT an ecosystem service provided by forests?: A) Carbon sequestration B) Water purification C) Lumber production D) Food production E) Road construction

Answer 10

E) Road construction

Question 11

Which of the following has the lowest average net primary productivity?: A) Swamps B) Savanna C) Tropical forest D) Tundra E) Coniferous forest

Answer 11

D) Tundra

Question 12

This ecosystem is characterized by long, hot summers and moderate moist winters. It supports many small mammal, and most vegetation germinates after a period exposed to fire. It is mostly found along coastal areas such as the Pacific Coast of North America, the coastal hills of Chile, and the Mediterranean: A) Tundra B) Desert C) Grassland D) Chaparral E) Taiga forest

Answer 12

D) Chaparral

Question 13

The building of a new highway in a heavily forested area separates individuals of a beetle population living in the area. Over time the population can no longer reproduce with each other and become two distinct species. The mechanism for speciation in this event is: A) Mutation B) Geographic isolation C) Genetic drift D) Selective breeding E) Gene flow by migration

Answer 13

B) Geographic isolation

Question 14

The Amazon Basin in South America is the world’s largest tropical rainforest. Forest cover is rapidly decreasing due to logging and conversion of forests to agricultural land. If this trend continues it will reduce the forest coverage to 20% of its original cover by 2016. The loss of forested land would most likely: A) Increase the concentration of water vapor in the atmosphere B) Decrease the local regional flooding that occurs C) Increase available supplies for plant derived medicines D) Decrease the total amount of atmospheric nitrogen E) Increase the total amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide

Answer 14

E) Increase the total amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide

Question 15

As temperatures warm, mountain glaciers melt. As ice sheets recede they expose new surface area that may become inhabited by organisms. Which of the following best represents the likely ecological succession to occur?: A) Lichens, grasses, shrubs, trees B) Mosses, grasses, lichens, trees C) Grasses, trees, mosses, lichens D) Shrubs, grasses, trees, lichens E) Trees, shrubs, grasses, moss

Answer 15

A) Lichens, grasses, shrubs, trees

Question 16

Traits that allow a species to survive in its environment represent:

A) habitat
B) adaptation
C) critical factors
D) speciation

E) evolution

Answer 16

B) adaptation

Question 17

Which of the following practices are most damaging to species of coral?: A) Whaling B) Line fishing C) Seine fishing D) Aquaculture cages E) Bottom trawling

Answer 17

E) Bottom trawling

Question 18

Primary succession occurs before secondary succession to: A) Establish soil in the area B) Decompose fire-damaged vegetation C) Introduce early successional plants and animals D) Increase soil nutrient levels E) Provide moisture for soil

Answer 18

A) Establish soil in the area

Question 19

Which of the following is necessary to calculate the net primary productivity of an ecosystem?: A) Amount of energy produced by photosynthesis and lost by plant respiration per unit area per unit time B) Amount of energy produced by photosynthesis and gained by heterotrophs per unit area per unit time C) Amount of energy gained by heterotrophs and lost by heterotrophic respiration per unit area per unit of time D) Amount of energy gained by heterotrophs and lost by plant respiration per unit area per unit of time E) Amount of energy lost by plant respiration and lost by heterotrophic respiration per unit area per unit of time

Answer 19

A) Amount of energy produced by photosynthesis and lost by plant respiration per unit area per unit time

Question 20

Which of the following areas would most likely have the highest biodiversity: A) A low altitude area near the equator B) A low altitude area near a polar latitude C) A high altitude area near the temperate latitude D) A high altitude area near the polar latitude E) A high altitude area near the equator

Answer 20

A) A low altitude area near the equator

Question 21

The size and isolation of an island will have the greatest effect on its: A) elevation B) average temperature C) climate D) species diversity E) albedo

Answer 21

D) species diversity

Question 22

Which of the following would lead to s species adapting quickly to environmental change?: A) A role as a keystone species B) Short generational time spans C) A long life expectancy D) Bearing few offspring

Answer 22

B) Short generational time spans

Question 23

Consider the following: a red-billed oxpecker picks ticks off a black rhinoceros. The relationships between (i) the oxpecker and the ticks (ii) the oxpecker and the rhinoceros and (iii) the ticks and the rhinoceros are best described as: A) (i) parasitism (ii) competition (iii) commensalism B) (i) predetation (ii) mutualism (iii) commensalism C) (i) predetation (ii) mutualism (iii) parasitism D) (i) commensalism (ii) parasitism (iii) parasitism E) (i) competition (ii) commensalism (iii) parasitism

Answer 23

C) (i) predetation (ii) mutualism (iii) parasitism

Question 24

In general, what percentage of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next?: A) 0.1% B) 1% C) 3% D) 5% E) 10%

Answer 24

E) 10%

Question 25

In lakes, the nutrient-rich water near the shore is part of the: A) bathyal zone B) euphotic zone C) littoral zone D) limnetic zone E) profundal zone

Answer 25

C) littoral zone

Question 26

During ecological succession, these first colonists are hardy organisms such as mosses and lichens: A) climax community B) pioneer species C) ecotones D) keystone species E) parasitism

Answer 26

B) pioneer species

Question 27

Which biome would produce the most biomass? A) desert B) tundra C) coastal zone D) estuary E) coniferous forest

Answer 27

D) Estuary

Question 28

How do sea otters protect kelp forests in the Northern Pacific Ocean? A) build nests with it B) eat birds C) ear sea urchins D) lay on it E) eat fish

Answer 28

C) eat sea urchins

Question 29

When harmless species resemble poisonous or distasteful species gaining protection from predators, it is called _____ _____.

Answer 29

Batesian Mimicry

Question 30

On land, water that reaches the atmosphere from the surface of leaves does so through a process known as: A) condensation B) evaporation C) transpiration D) sublimation E) precipitation

Answer 30

C) transpiration