Ecology Ch 3 Practice Exam

What are terrestrial biomes characterized by?

a. Temperature

b. Climate

c. Vegetation

d. Wildlife

c. Vegetation

The greatest land-use change has happened in the past ___ years.

a. 200

b. 10,000

c. 100

d. 150

d. 150

What is the limiting factor in tropical rainforests?

a. Fauna

b. Light

c. Vegetation

d. Temperature

b. Light

What biome is Florida considered?

a. Temperate Evergeen

b. Tropical Rainforest

c. Tropical Savanna

d. Hot Desert

a. Temperate Evergeen

What biome does this graph represent?

a. Temperate Deciduous Forests

b. Hot Desert

c. Tropical Seasonal Forests

d. Temperate Shrublands

d. Temperate Shrublands

Which of the following incorrectly matches the lake zone with its description?

a. Photic: plankton, Sargassum mats, nekton; shallow enough for sunlight to penetrate.

b. Pelagic: temperate, large stands of seaweed (brown algae)

c. Littoral: The wider coastal zone including adjacent land areas and shallow parts of

the sea just offshore

d. Benthic: the muddy bottom of a lake, pond, or ocean

b. Pelagic: temperate, large stands of seaweed (brown algae)

Which of the following statements correctly describes a temperate deciduous forest?

a. These forests are found in mid-latitudes (~30°–50° N)

b. Fire is a common abiotic factor

c. Wet and dry seasons

d. >2,000 mm (79 in) of rain annually

a. These forests are found in mid-latitudes (~30°–50° N)

Briefly summarize each biome:

1. Tropical Rainforests:

- The most productive and diverse ecosystems on Earth

- Light is a key limiting factor (dense top layers of trees!)

- No seasonality

- 10* N and S (on equator basically)

- 2,000 mm annual rain

2. Tropical Seasonal Forests and Savannas:

- North and South of the wet tropics

- Wet and dry seasons

- Shorter trees, deciduous in dry seasons, more grasses and shrubs

- Savannahs maintained by fire, herbivores, or flooding

3. Hot Deserts:

- In high pressure zones (30* N and S)

- High temps, low moisture

- Sparse vegetation and animal populations

- Low water availability constrains plant abundance and influences form

- Desertification: Drought + unsustainable grazing

4. Temperate Grasslands:

- Between 30-50 N latitude

- Co-occuring wet and growing season

- Maintained by frequent fires and large herbivores

- Grasses have extensive roots -> high soil organic matter

- Most impacted by agriculture

5. Temperate Shrublands and Woodlands:

-30 and 40 N latitude

- Mediterranean-type climates (asynchronous wet and growing seasons)

- Evergreen shrubs and trees can survive dry and warm seasons

- Fire is common and helps maintain biome

6. Temperate Deciduous Forests:

- 30 to 50 N

- N hemisphere only

- Adequate water and soil fertility (good ag. land)

- Leaves are deciduous in winter

- Oaks, maples, and beeches; species diversity lower than tropical rainforests

7. Temperate Evergreen Forests:

-30-50 N and S coastal, continental, and maritime zones

- Nutrient-poor acidic soils

- Conifers (silviculture, heavily logged)

- Florida biome

8. Boreal Forests (Taiga):

-50-65 N

- Long, severe winters

- Permafrost subsurface soil remains frozen year-round at least 3 consecutive

years

- Trees present are conifers (pines, spruces, larches, and birches)

- Cold, wet conditions in boreal soilds limit decomposition, so soils have high

organic matter. (no bacteria to break down in cold)

- In low-lying areas, extensive peat bogs form

- More imperil to global warming because of required permafrost conditions

9. Tundra:

- Above 65*

- Cold and dry

- Vegetation is sedges, forbs, grasses, low-growing shrubs, lichens, mosses

- Short growing season, plants survive by going dormant

- Widespread permafrost

-Energy development

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