Biology: Concepts and Connections 6th - Chapter 34

Biology: Concepts and Connections, 6e (Campbell) Chapter 34 The Biosphere: An Introduction to Earth’s Diverse Environments Multiple-Choice Questions 1) The sum of all Earth's ecosystems is called the A) stratosphere. B) lithosphere. C) biosphere. D) hydrosphere. E) troposphere. Answer: C Topic: Opening Essay Skill: Factual Recall 2) The primary source of energy for hydrothermal vent communities is A) the heat of the water emerging from the vents. B) oxidation of petroleum compounds in the vent water. C) oxidation of hydrogen sulfide in the vent water. D) reduction of sulfates in the vent water. E) reduction of carbon dioxide in the vent water. Answer: C Topic: Opening Essay Skill: Factual Recall 3) While on a walk through a forest, you notice birds in trees, earthworms in the soil, and fungi on plant litter on the forest floor. Based on your observations, you conclude that each of these organisms occupies a different A) habitat. B) biome. C) ecosystem. D) biosphere. E) abiome. Answer: A Topic: 34.1 Skill: Application 4) The level of ecologic organization that incorporates abiotic factors is the A) community. B) ecosystem. C) population. D) species. E) symbioses Answer: B Topic: 34.1 Skill: Factual Recall 5) Which of the following could be a topic for a community-level study of a hydrothermal vent ecosystem? A) the populations of species occupying the water column above the vent B) the relationships between crabs at the vent and other areas of the ocean C) evolution of bacteria in response to the changing composition of the water emitted by the hydrothermal vents D) the composition of the water emitted by hydrothermal vents E) the interactions between Yeti crabs near hydrothermal vents Answer: E Topic: 34.1 Skill: Conceptual Understanding 6) Rachel Carson's book, Silent Spring, deals with the A) destruction of polar habitats caused by global warming. B) environmental effects of pesticides. C) effects of lynx predation on snow hare populations. D) hydrological cycle. E) fate of tropical rain forests. Answer: B Topic: 34.2 Skill: Factual Recall 7) The immediate results of the widespread use of pesticides and fertilizers included ________, but long-term results included ________. A) dramatic increases in crop yields . . . the evolution of pest resistance B) the increased spread of malaria . . . delayed resistance to pesticides C) terrible declines in agricultural productivity . . . worldwide distribution of DDT D) global declines in undesirable pests, such as mice, rats, crows, and sharks . . . increases in these pests E) dramatic declines in crop pests . . . localized distribution of DDT Answer: A Topic: 34.2 Skill: Conceptual Understanding 8) In many dense forests, plants living near the ground level engage in intense competition for A) oxygen. B) water. C) carbon dioxide. D) sunlight. E) nitrogen. Answer: D Topic: 34.3 Skill: Factual Recall 9) Which of the following environmental factors usually has the greatest direct effect on an organism's rate of water loss by evaporation? A) soil type B) wind C) fires, hurricanes, and tornadoes D) moisture E) barometric pressure Answer: B Topic: 34.3 Skill: Factual Recall 10) What is the primary reason that a hot spring will kill a fish placed in it, but encourage the growth of certain bacteria? A) The high temperatures denature most of the fish's enzymes, but the bacteria have enzymes adapted to these temperatures. B) Fish cannot feed directly on bacteria, but the bacteria can feed on dead fish. C) At hot spring temperatures, the metabolic activity of the fish's cells is so rapid that it runs out of food reserves and dies; the bacteria feed on the dead fish. D) Bacterial growth at high temperatures is so rapid that it deoxygenates the water and kills the fish. E) The bacteria in hot springs are poisonous to fish. Answer: A Topic: 34.3 Skill: Conceptual Understanding 11) The pronghorn antelope of the United States and the saiga antelope of the central Asian steppes live in similar habitats and have similar adaptations. Which of the following features would you be surprised to find in a saiga antelope? A) camouflaging coloration B) teeth adapted to grinding tough forage C) the ability to obtain most or all of the water needed for life from the vegetation in the diet D) a warmly insulating winter coat E) a digestive tract that separates nutrients from cellulose and rapidly excretes cellulose Answer: E Topic: 34.4-Evolution Connection Skill: Conceptual Understanding 12) The reason that the pronghorn antelope is not found outside North America is most likely that A) it is a relatively new species in evolutionary terms. B) it has never dispersed beyond this region. C) its nutritional requirements cannot be met outside this region. D) there are too many pronghorn predators outside North America. E) its temperature requirements are stringent and not met outside North America. Answer: B Topic: 34.4-Evolution Connection Skill: Factual Recall 13) The adaptations of pronghorns A) to open country can be a disadvantage in a densely forested environment. B) include a reflective coat, an ability to find small pools of water, and chemical defenses against most predators. C) to the open plains and shrub deserts of North America have helped them spread to nearly every continent. D) demonstrate that meeting the demands of local environmental conditions helps organisms extend their ranges to other types of environments. E) allow them to survive in forests, since they are herbivores. Answer: A Topic: 34.4-Evolution Connection Skill: Factual Recall 14) In terms of global air circulation, the tropics are a region where air A) descends and warms, dropping rain. B) descends and warms, creating an arid belt. C) rises and warms, creating an arid belt. D) rises and cools, creating an arid belt. E) rises and cools, dropping rain. Answer: E Topic: 34.5 Skill: Conceptual Understanding 15) The greatest annual input and least seasonal variation in solar radiation occurs in the A) Northern Hemisphere. B) Southern Hemisphere. C) temperate zones. D) tropics. E) polar regions. Answer: D Topic: 34.5 Skill: Factual Recall 16) If you travel from west to east through Ecuador, you will pass through tundra, taiga, temperate forest, and tropical forest. Which of the following climatic factors remains constant on such a trip? A) maximum temperature B) average rainfall C) soil type D) day length E) wind Answer: D Topic: 34.5 Skill: Conceptual Understanding 17) Most of the world's deserts are located at latitudes where A) hot, dry air moving toward the equator rises. B) hot, dry air moving toward the poles rises. C) hot, dry air moving toward the poles descends. D) cold, dry air moving toward the poles descends. E) cold, dry air moving toward the equator descends. Answer: D Topic: 34.5 Skill: Conceptual Understanding 18) When people speak of the "rain shadow" of the California Coast Range, they are referring to the A) shadow cast by the mist and clouds that hover above the crest of the range. B) forested condition of the eastern flank of the range compared to the western flank. C) scarcity of rain on the eastern flank and adjacent lowlands compared to the western flank. D) dark-colored chaparral vegetation that grows on the eastern flank. E) fact that the vegetation of the eastern flank stays green further into the summer than the vegetation of the western flank or adjacent lowlands. Answer: C Topic: 34.5 Skill: Application 19) A sperm whale in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean is in which oceanic zone? A) intertidal B) benthic C) neritic D) pelagic E) estuarine Answer: D Topic: 34.6 Skill: Factual Recall 20) Except near hydrothermal vents, the communities of the oceanic aphotic zone get their energy mainly from A) photosynthesis by local phytoplankton. B) photosynthesis by local zooplankton. C) oxidation of sulfur by sulfur bacteria. D) oxidation of silicates by silicate bacteria. E) organic matter sinking from the photic zone. Answer: E Topic: 34.6 Skill: Factual Recall 21) Which ocean zone is the most productive biologically and the most demanding physically? A) intertidal B) pelagic C) abyssal D) upwelling E) bathypelagic Answer: A Topic: 34.6 Skill: Factual Recall 22) Fresh water and seawater mix in a(n) A) pelagic zone. B) estuary. C) benthic zone. D) limnetic zone. E) littoral zone. Answer: B Topic: 34.6 Skill: Factual Recall 23) Under the conditions known as El Niño, the mineral nutrient content of the seawater off the coast of Peru declines to very low levels. What effect will this likely have on marine life in the area? A) The lower the levels of minerals, the less polluted the water; hence, most populations will increase. B) It will result in toxic red tides, which will reduce the populations of many species. C) It will reduce the abundance of phytoplankton and, consequently, the abundance of other organisms. D) It will increase the productivity of phytoplankton and, therefore, the productivity of other organisms by decreasing salinity. E) It will increase the productivity of phytoplankton and, therefore, the productivity of other organisms by allowing sunlight to penetrate deeper into the ocean. Answer: C Topic: 34.7 Skill: Application 24) Usually, a river ________ at its source compared to farther downstream. A) has less phytoplankton B) is warmer C) is murkier D) is wider E) flows more slowly Answer: A Topic: 34.7 Skill: Conceptual Understanding 25) Why is the runoff from fertilized agricultural fields, even if free of pesticides, often harmful to the ecosystems of temperate lakes? A) Fertilizer compounds are toxic to fish. B) The runoff causes a surface algal bloom, which reduces the lake's oxygen by cutting off the sunlight and fouling the water with dead organic matter. C) The runoff raises the levels of inorganic nutrients in the surface waters to levels that are toxic for algae and other lake organisms. D) Runoff water pools at the lake's bottom, where the fertilizer compounds react with materials in the sediment to form toxic substances. E) The runoff is acid, and acidification kills key lake organisms. Answer: B Topic: 34.7 Skill: Factual Recall 26) Species in widely separated biomes often appear display similar characteristics because of A) convergence. B) coevolution. C) mutations. D) evolutionary drift. E) dominance. Answer: A Topic: 34.8 Skill: Factual Recall 27) Which of the following statements about biomes, the major terrestrial ecosystems covering the Earth, is true? A) Each of the nine major biomes is restricted to just one or two continents. B) The major factors affecting the distribution of biomes are wind and sunlight. C) Most biomes are characterized by a particular group of species. D) Most natural biomes are unaffected by human activity. E) Fire is very important in some biomes. Answer: E Topic: 34.8 Skill: Conceptual Understanding 28) Which of the following statements about tropical forests is true? A) Tropical forests occur in equatorial regions with 6- to 8-hour days. B) In tropical regions with distinct wet and dry seasons, tropical deciduous trees and shrubs are common. C) Once stripped, tropical rain forests regrow quickly, although with slightly less diversity. D) Horizontal stratification provides many different habitats in tropical rain forests. E) The soils of tropical rain forests are typically rich in nutrients. Answer: B Topic: 34.9 Skill: Factual Recall 29) The kind of vegetation in a tropical rain forest is generally determined by the amount of A) rainfall. B) nitrogen in the soil. C) carbon dioxide in the air. D) minerals in the soil. E) light. Answer: A Topic: 34.9 Skill: Factual Recall 30) The major reason for tropical deforestation is A) hurricane destruction of large regions. B) governments of developing countries selling off land to earn cash. C) people clearing forests to open up land for agriculture. D) governments clearing forests to build cities. E) natural succession as global warming occurs. Answer: C Topic: 34.9 Skill: Factual Recall 31) A photograph of a Victorian trophy room shows the heads of 15 species of hoofed mammals, all shot within a day's walk of a single hunting camp in Africa. This camp was probably located in A) tropical rain forest. B) tropical deciduous forest. C) chaparral. D) savanna. E) desert. Answer: D Topic: 34.10 Skill: Conceptual Understanding 32) The dominant herbivores in savannas are A) gophers. B) insects. C) antelope. D) giraffes. E) worms. Answer: B Topic: 34.10 Skill: Factual Recall 33) Which of the following options correctly pairs a biome and its characteristics? A) temperate broadleaf forest=mild winters, moderate rainfall, predominantly dicot vegetation B) temperate grassland=cool to cold winters, wet summers C) chaparral=mild, rainy winters; long, hot, but wet summers D) savanna=long, cold winters, vegetation dominated by conifers E) tundra=very cold winters; only the upper layer of the soil thaws during summer Answer: E Topic: 34.10, 34.12, 34.13, 34.16, Skill: Factual Recall 34) Which of the following statements about deserts and the organisms that live there is true? A) Air temperatures in cold deserts, such as those west of the Rocky Mountains, may never fall below 30 degrees C. B) Growth and reproduction occur year-round in deserts. C) Deserts typically occur at the equator. D) Desert plants typically produce very few seeds. E) Many desert animals are nocturnal. Answer: E Topic: 34.11 Skill: Factual Recall 35) You are reading the journal of an amateur naturalist who visited the Sonoran Desert in the last century. Which of his descriptions of desert plants would you question? A) a plant whose seeds will not germinate unless soaked B) a perennial that flowers only after years of vegetative growth and produces a large number of seeds C) a late winter hillside covered with wildflowers D) a common annual that produces one large seed per plant E) a moth-pollinated perennial Answer: D Topic: 34.11 Skill: Application 36) Chaparral vegetation occurs around much of the central valley of central and southern California. This biome is very similar to that found A) along the coast of Great Britain. B) in the Australian interior. C) in the Mediterranean region. D) on the southeast coast of the United States. E) in central Asia. Answer: C Topic: 34.12 Skill: Factual Recall 37) Which of the following is characteristic of the chaparral biome? A) dense, broadleaf shrubs B) low amounts of rainfall at unpredictable periods throughout the year C) vegetation that is particularly susceptible to periodic fires D) many plants with seeds that need fire to germinate E) animals species limited to lizards and snakes Answer: D Topic: 34.12 Skill: Factual Recall 38) Most of the best agricultural soils in the United States are found in areas that were formerly A) temperate grasslands. B) savanna. C) taiga forest. D) tropical rain forest. E) tundra. Answer: A Topic: 34.13 Skill: Factual Recall 39) The factor(s) that help to perpetuate temperate grasslands, such as the American prairies, and prevent them from becoming woodlands include A) poor soil. B) seasonal drought and frequent fires. C) large numbers of cacti. D) mild winters with very little rain. E) overgrazing by cattle. Answer: B Topic: 34.13 Skill: Factual Recall 40) In which of the following biomes would you expect to find the highest abundance of large, grazing mammals? A) tropical rain forest B) chaparral C) temperate grassland D) desert E) temperate forest Answer: C Topic: 34.13 Skill: Factual Recall 41) Which of the following statements about temperate broadleaf forests is true? A) Temperate broadleaf forests have a narrow range of temperatures over the course of a year. B) Oak, hickory, birch, beech, and maple are common trees in temperate broadleaf forests. C) Trees in temperate broadleaf forests typically have a relatively short growing season of two to three months. D) Temperate broadleaf forests are less open than tropical rain forests. E) Before European settlement, the dominant biome in western North America was temperate broadleaf forest. Answer: B Topic: 34.14 Skill: Factual Recall 42) Which of the following biomes is dominated by coniferous trees adapted to surviving long, harsh winters and short, wet summers? A) coniferous forests B) tundra C) temperate broadleaf forest D) savanna E) chaparral Answer: A Topic: 34.15 Skill: Factual Recall 43) Which of the following statements about coniferous forests is true? A) Coniferous forests are the smallest terrestrial biome. B) Coniferous forests are characterized by long but mild winters and short, dry summers that are sometimes warm. C) Coniferous forests usually have nutrient-rich soils. D) Coniferous forests may experience considerable precipitation, but usually in the form of snow. E) Coniferous forests usually experience high rainfall, which keeps the soil saturated. Answer: D Topic: 34.15 Skill: Factual Recall 44) Which of the following tundra features would be found at the top of the Andes mountains in Ecuador? A) fierce winds and frigid nights B) areas of dry soil C) large, shallow-rooted vegetation D) a brief, bright growing season and a long, dark winter E) mostly sandy soil with a low pH Answer: A Topic: 34.16 Skill: Conceptual Understanding 45) Which of the following factors is fundamentally responsible for the character of arctic tundra soils? A) secretion of acid by lichens and plant roots B) high aluminum content due to a low rate of leaching C) permafrost D) summer aridity E) abundant winter snow Answer: C Topic: 34.16 Skill: Factual Recall 46) Which of the following has the greatest impact on the global water cycle? A) removing animals from their biome B) human destruction of forests C) connecting aquatic and terrestrial biomes D) cutting plants to prevent transpiration E) human overuse of water resources for large cities Answer: B Topic: 34.17 Skill: Conceptual Understanding Art Questions 1) Which of the zones shown in this depiction of an aquatic biome is the photic zone? A) zone A B) zone B C) zone C D) zone D E) zone E Answer: E Topic: 34.6 Skill: Factual Recall 2) Which arrow in this image of the global water cycle includes transpiration? A) arrow A B) arrow B C) arrow C D) arrow D E) arrow E Answer: D Topic: 34.17 Skill: Factual Recall Scenario Questions After reading the following paragraph, answer the question(s) below. The largest estuary in the United States is the Chesapeake Bay, which extends through six states, including Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. The bay is one of the most productive natural areas in the world. It's home to thousands of plants and animals, including many commercially important species. The water of the bay is relatively shallow. Many areas are no more than 10 feet deep, with an average depth of 30 feet. Light penetrates the shallow water and supports the submerged plants that provide food and shelter for the many species living in the bay ecosystem. However, like many estuaries, the bay receives large amounts of fertilizer runoff from farms, lawns, and wastewater treatment facilities. 1) Which of the following is the most probable sequence of events when fertilizer runoff reaches the Bay? A) submerged vegetation increases, more food for fish and shellfish, fish and shellfish populations increase B) phytoplankton population increases, more food for fish and shellfish, fish and shellfish populations increase C) phytoplankton population increases, blocks sunlight to submerged vegetation, submerged vegetation dies, fish and shellfish populations decrease D) phytoplankton population decreases, increased sunlight to submerged vegetation, fish and shellfish populations increase E) submerged vegetation decreases, fish and shellfish feed on decaying plants, phytoplankton feed on fish and shellfish, commercial fisheries decline Answer: C Topic: 34.6, 34.7 Skill: Conceptual Understanding 2) Fertilizer runoff contains ________, which are the most important limiting factors for plant growth. A) carbon and hydrogen B) oxygen and carbon dioxide C) water and carbon dioxide D) nitrogen and phosphorus E) sulfur and magnesium Answer: D Topic: 34.6, 34.7 Skill: Factual Recall 14