Env. Chapter 4

1)    Which of the following does the diagram illustrate?

A)   Deserts and tropical rainforests normally occur within a few meters of one another.

B)   Biomes are determined primarily by precipitation and temperature.

C)   Biodiversity does not vary with climate.

D)   Tundra and desert both share a hot climate.

E)   Boreal forests and tropical dry forest have similar climates.

B)   Biomes are determined primarily by precipitation and temperature.

1)    According to this diagram, you should find .

A)   deserts anywhere in the world where hot and dry conditions prevail

B)   tropical rainforest in most parts of Europe and North America

C)   that vegetation is lushest in moderately dry areas

D)   tropical rainforests usually bordering temperate grassland

E)   deserts usually bordering tundra

A)   deserts anywhere in the world where hot and dry conditions prevail

1)    Of the following, chaparral has a climate most similar to .

A)   boreal forest

B)   tundra

C)   tropical dry forest

D)   temperate rainforest

E)   savanna

E)   savanna

1)    If global climate change results in an area of temperate grassland receiving less rainfall and higher temperatures, it will .

A)   have no effect on the biome

B)   gradually be replaced by savanna

C)   rapidly be replaced by temperate deciduous forest

D)   begin to support more desert species

E)   begin to support more invasive exotic species

D)   begin to support more desert species

1)    Temperate deciduous forests are characterized by .

A)   hot temperatures and dry conditions (low precipitation)

B)   cold temperatures and wet conditions (high precipitation)

C)   hot temperatures and wet conditions (high precipitation)

D)   moderate temperatures and moderate amounts of precipitation

E)   cold temperatures and low amounts of precipitation

D)   moderate temperatures and moderate amounts of precipitation

1)    Zebra mussels ____ .

A)   are native to Canada

B)   were introduced into the United States in the early 1900s

C)   are presently restricted to the Great Lakes and Hudson River, but they are expected to spread rapidly in the near future

D)   are an invasive exotic species that clog pipes and cover boat propellers

E)   excrete waste that facilitates algae blooms and subsequent eutrophication of lakes

D)   are an invasive exotic species that clog pipes and cover boat propellers

1)    Which of the following is an example of resource partitioning?

A)   Two species of rodents compete for the same seed resource, and one species causes the other to become extirpated (locally extinct).

B)   Two male ostriches share a harem of females.

C)   Two species of birds forage together, with one eating insects on tree trunks while the other eats insects in the outer branches.

D)   Deer and mountain lions feed on different kinds of food.

E)   Earthworms feed on organic material in soil, and then robins feed on the earthworms.

C)   Two species of birds forage together, with one eating insects on tree trunks while the other eats insects in the outer branches.

1)    Herbivory is actually a type of .

A)   competition

B)   mutualism

C)   coevolution

D)   primary succession

E)   predation

E)   predation

1)    Which of the following is a pathogen?

A)   influenza virus

B)   mosquitoes

C)   alligator gars

D)   arthritis

E)   cancer

A)   influenza virus

1)    Microbes in our digestive tract that help us digest food demonstrate a  association.

A)   pathogenic

B)   homeopathic

C)   parasitic

D)   symbiotic

E)   benthic

D)   symbiotic

1)    Which of the following is an example of an ecological community?

A)   all of the bears, wolves, elk, moose, aspen trees, lodgepole pine trees, and all other animals and plants in Yellowstone National Park

B)   all of the wolves in Yellowstone National Park

C)   all of the lodgepole pine trees in Yellowstone National Park

D)   all of the bears, wolves, elk, moose, aspen trees, lodgepole pine trees, and all other animals and plants in Yellowstone National Park, plus the geysers, hydrothermal vents, rocks, mountains, and other nonliving features in the park

E)   all of the employees working at Yellowstone National Park

A)   all of the bears, wolves, elk, moose, aspen trees, lodgepole pine trees, and all other animals and plants in Yellowstone National Park

1)   _____  capture solar energy and use photosynthesis to produce sugars.

A)   Producers

B)   Primary consumers

C)   Secondary consumers

D)   Detritivores

E)   Heterotrophs

A)   Producers

1)    Grazing animals such as deer are ____ .

A)   producers

B)   primary consumers

C)   secondary consumers

D)   detritivores

E)   decomposers

B)   primary consumers

1)    Fish that eat zooplankton would be considered .

A)   producers

B)   primary consumers

C)   secondary consumers

D)   detritivores

E)   herbivores

C)   secondary consumers

1)    The energy content and biomass of ___ is lowest in any terrestrial food web.

A)   top carnivores

B)   producers

C)   small carnivores such as spiders and lizards

D)   detritivores

E)   decomposers

A)   top carnivores

1)    _________ are typical primary consumers in a temperate deciduous forest.

A)   Snakes

B)   Deer

C)   Shelf fungi

D)   Bison

E)   Wolves

B)   Deer

1)    Which of the following is true about top predators?

A)   They are often keystone species.

B)   They are likely to be herbivores.

C)   They are likely to be producers.

D)   They include bacteria and fungi.

E)   Their removal increases biodiversity.

A)   They are often keystone species.

1)    Kelp ____.

A)   is eaten by sea otters

B)   is an invasive exotic species

C)   suffers intense herbivory from zebra mussels

D)   suffers intense herbivory from sea urchins

E)   is pollinated by sea urchins

D)   suffers intense herbivory from sea urchins

1)    A trophic cascade is the effect of _____ on ____.

A)   detritivores; decomposers

B)   producers; first-level consumers

C)   top consumers; one another

D)   top consumers; lower trophic levels

E)   flooding; terrestrial ecosystems

D)   top consumers; lower trophic levels

1)    A community may undergo a regime shift or a phase shift if .

A)   pollutants cause a rapid rise in mutations

B)   it suffers a natural fire or flood

C)   it has too many symbiotic relationships among species

D)   it loses a keystone species or suffers a major climatic change

E)   all invasive species are removed

D)   it loses a keystone species or suffers a major climatic change

1)    Secondary succession ___.

A)   requires primary succession to precede it

B)   occurs after a volcano spreads lava across a landscape

C)   occurs after a fire or flood

D)   typically begins with lichen colonizing rock

E)   is predictable because it always ends in the formation of a climax community

C)   occurs after a fire or flood

1)    Which of the following are pioneer species?

A)   lichens

B)   wolves and mountain lions

C)   beavers

D)   aspen trees

E)   zebra mussels

A)   lichens

1)    A climax community always .

A)   is typical of the first stages of secondary succession

B)   remains in place until a disturbance restarts succession

C)   contains as many pioneer species as later successional species

D)   consists of a single population of organisms

E)   has the lowest biodiversity of all stages of succession

B)   remains in place until a disturbance restarts succession

1)    Ecologists researching Mount Saint Helens after the 1979 eruption determined that .

A)   the landscape has remained barren for almost 40 years

B)   the red alder went extinct from the eruption

C)   nothing in the blast zone survived the eruption

D)   many species in the blast zone survived the eruption

E)   plants in unseeded areas were growing better than plants in seeded areas

D)   many species in the blast zone survived the eruption

1)    A restoration ecologist may do all of the following EXCEPT:

A)   remove invasive European buckthorn from a Minnesota forest.

B)   plant trees in an area that has been mined.

C)   place levees in sensitive areas to prevent seasonal flooding.

D)   recreate a wetland in an area that had been drained for farming.

E)   plant a prairie in an area that has been farmed.

C)   place levees in sensitive areas to prevent seasonal flooding.

1)    Which of the following is/are an abiotic factor?

A)   oak trees

B)   snails

C)   temperature

D)   butterflies

E)   grasses

C)   temperature

1)    The statement, "Hiking up a mountain in the southwestern United States is like walking from Mexico to Canada," is meant to demonstrate that ____ change(s) rapidly as you change altitude and latitude.

A)   biomes

B)   oxygen levels

C)   carbon dioxide levels

D)   levels of industrial air pollutants

E)   human population density

A)   biomes

1)    What terrestrial biome has the most biodiversity?

A)   temperate deciduous forest

B)   coral reefs

C)   tropical rainforest

D)   temperate rainforest

E)   boreal forest

C)   tropical rainforest

1)    Global climate change may cause shifts in biomes because .

A)   biodiversity and day length will change

B)   mean temperature and precipitation for many areas will change

C)   many species may become extinct

D)   food web dynamics will change

E)   soil chemistry, pH of precipitation, and the frequency of invasive species will change

B)   mean temperature and precipitation for many areas will change

1)    Both taiga and tundra ___.

A)   lack trees

B)   have comparatively low temperatures throughout the year

C)   lack many birds

D)   have many burrowing rodents

E)   are found in the southeastern United States

B)   have comparatively low temperatures throughout the year

1)    What biome is depicted in this climate graph?

A)   tropical rainforest

B)   savanna

C)   temperate grassland

D)   temperate rainforest

E)   boreal forest

D)   temperate rainforest

1)    What biome is highly seasonal, with mild, wet winters and warm, dry summers?

A)   grassland

B)   savanna

C)   temperate rainforest

D)   boreal forest

E)   chaparral

E)   chaparral

Read the following scenario and answer the question(s) below.

Human activities, including fossil fuel combustion, farming, and deforestation, are known to increase atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. Measurable warming of Earth due to these gases can alter ecosystem dynamics. In addition to the direct climatic effects on organisms within biomes, warming can melt permafrost in the tundra and increase precipitation in arctic areas. Global warming also can increase sea surface temperatures, melting sea ice in the Arctic and increasing the intensity of hurricanes in temperate and tropical coastal areas. Within communities, climatic change can shift interdependent species "out-of-sync," potentially causing indirect loss of species.

1)    The relationship between caterpillars and flowering plants is best described as .

A)   intraspecific competition

B)   parasitism

C)   herbivory

D)   mutualism

E)   interspecific competition

C)   herbivory

1)    The relationship between flowering plants and bees is best described as .

A)   predation

B)   parasitism

C)   herbivory

D)   mutualism

E)   competition

D)   mutualism

1)    Global warming has been hypothesized to cause many plants to flower earlier. If bees and other pollinators begin the search for food earlier in response to this, this would represent  within the community.

A)   primary succession

B)   secondary succession

C)   coevolution

D)   climax

E)   extirpation

C)   coevolution

1)    If the climate warms significantly, glaciers may melt, exposing underlying rock. This may lead to  in the community.

A)   primary succession

B)   secondary succession

C)   coevolution

D)   climax

E)   facilitation

A)   primary succession

1)    Which of the following might be first to populate an area after glaciers melt in response to global climate change?

A)   lichens

B)   shrubs

C)   aspen trees

D)   grasses

E)   hardwood trees

A)   lichens

1)    Intense hurricanes that may result from global warming can directly lead to  within impacted terrestrial communities.

A)   primary succession

B)   secondary succession

C)   coevolution

D)   climax

E)   facilitation

B)   secondary succession

1)    Some models of climate change for North America predict that the grassland regions of the prairie states will become warmer and drier. This would result in .

A)   a shift from grassland toward chaparral and savanna

B)   the need to develop varieties of agricultural crops that tolerate desert conditions

C)   less stress on groundwater and aquifers to irrigate crops in the area

D)   the need to plant temperate deciduous forest trees to shelter crops from the sun

E)   decreased damage from crop pests and diseases

B)   the need to develop varieties of agricultural crops that tolerate desert conditions

1)    Imagine a coastal community facing the challenge of restoring a degraded wetland ecosystem, which has suffered from pollution and habitat destruction due to urban development. The community seeks to restore the wetland to its previous state to support biodiversity and ecosystem services such as flood control and water filtration. In this situation described, why might restorationists choose to include non-native species in the restoration project?

A)   to reduce biodiversity and simplify ecosystem structure

B)   to maintain the historical species composition of the wetland

C)   to enhance ecosystem resilience and adaptability to climate change

D)   to minimize habitat complexity and promote species extinction

E)   to decrease ecosystem function and impede natural processes

C)   to enhance ecosystem resilience and adaptability to climate change

1)    What is the primary focus of restoration ecology as described in the chapter?

A)   preserving natural ecosystems without any human intervention

B)   restoring ecological communities to their historical conditions

C)   exploiting natural resources for economic development

D)   introducing invasive species to enhance biodiversity

E)   developing new technologies for agricultural production

B)   restoring ecological communities to their historical conditions

1)    +List the three major trophic categories in a food web. What types of organisms are found in each level? At what levels are the autotrophs and heterotrophs found? Discuss the significance of each level for the integral functioning of the food web.

The three major trophic categories in a food web are producers, consumers, and decomposers and detritivores. Producers are at the bottom of the food web and include green plants and bacteria that make their own food using sunlight or chemical energy. They are called autotrophs and provide energy for other organisms. Consumers are at the higher levels and include herbivores (primary consumers) that eat plants and carnivores (secondary, tertiary, and higher consumers) that eat other animals. They are called heterotrophs because they cannot make their own food. Consumers help control plant and animal populations, pollinate plants, and spread seeds. Decomposers and detritivores include bacteria, fungi, millipedes, and other small soil animals. They are also heterotrophs that break down dead organisms and waste. This helps keep the soil healthy and returns nutrients to producers. All three categories are important because they help maintain balance and keep the food web working properly.

1)    +Why do environmentalists favor the term food web as opposed to food chain?

Ecologists prefer the term food web instead of food chain because ecosystems are more complicated than a simple chain. A food web shows how many plants and animals are connected through food and energy. For example, grass is eaten by deer, mice, and rabbits. Birds eat insects, spiders, and berries. Soil bacteria break down dead plants and animals. A food web can include hundreds or thousands of species. Studying food webs helps scientists identify keystone species, which are important for keeping ecosystems balanced.

Distinguish between an introduced species and an invasive species

An introduced species is a plant or animal brought into a new area by humans, either on purpose or by accident. It does not always cause harm. An invasive species is an introduced species that harms the environment, economy, or human health and is often difficult to control. For example, zebra mussels clog water pipes, while introduced Colorado blue spruce trees can provide shelter for wildlife and increase biodiversity.