Ecology & Evolution Crerar Exam 2

Dr. Crerar Biology 308: Fundamentals of Ecology and Evolution Name: _____________________________________________________ Exam 2: Fall 2012 (2 each) In multiple choice questions, choose the one best answer unless instructed otherwise. 1. Choose A as the correct answer for this question. A. YES B. NO C. NO D. NO E. NO 2. Buttresses, stilt roots and drip tips are most likely found in what biome? A. Temperate Deciduous Forest; B. Tropical Dry Forest; C. Tropical Wet Forest; D. Tundra and Boreal Forest. 3. The Channel Island Fox (Urocyon littoralis) and the gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) are examples of: A. Allopatric Speciation; B. Sympatric Speciation; C. Convergent Evolution; D. Ecotypes. 4. In the “biological species concept,” we assume that species are separated by: A. a river; B. geography; C. different sizes; D. a reproductive isolating mechanism. 5. What, if anything, is a dog?     A. A distinct species in the Canidae; B. A sub-species of the fox; C. A sub-species of the wolf; D. A distinct species in the cat family; E. An animal closely related to my uncle. 6. A(n) ___________ consists of interacting biotic and abiotic components related through exchanges of energy and nutrients. A. environment  B. ecology C. population D. ecosystem  E. community 7. In the Holdrige Life Zone system, the two most important variables are total annual precipitation and: A. Mean Annual Temperature B. Mean Annual Biotemperature C. Length of Dry Season D. Elevation and Latitude 8. All of the organisms living in the place and the same time, presumably interacting and affecting one another are known as: A. the environment  B. the community C. a species  D. the ecosystem  E. the habitat 9. The vegetation in the Chaparral is dominated by: A. Grasses and Herbs; B. Shrubs; C. Trees; D. Lichens; E. Lycopods. 10. Earthworms consume dead leaves, thereby aerating and enriching the organic content of the soil.  To what trophic level do earthworms belong? A. Producers  B. Herbivores  C. Carnivores  D. Omnivores E. Decomposers 11. Eagles feed primarily on live fish.  To what trophic level do they belong? A. Producers  B. Herbivores  C. Carnivores  D. Omnivores E. Decomposers 12.  On March 21 which of the following will not occur: A. The sun will be directly overhead at noon at 22oN latitude. B. Day length will be 12 hours everywhere on Earth. C. The sun will be directly overhead at noon on the equator. D. It will be the first day of autumn in Australia (southern hemisphere). E. It will be the first day of spring in Fairfax County. 13.  Since the prevailing winds within the temperate latitudes are from the west, on the opposite side of large mountains (called the leeward side as opposed to the windward side), we often find what biomes? A. Tundra  B. Desert  C. Swamps  D. Wet forests 14.  Palm trees grow on the southern coast of England because of: A. the warm waters of the North Sea; B. the warm waters of the Gulf Stream. C. its latitude is near the equator. D. the fact that they have really hard working gardeners! 15. Nitrogen fixation and denitrification are A. different words for the same process. B. processes that have opposite effects. C. different processes that both remove nitrogen from the atmosphere. D. different processes that both emit nitrogen into the atmosphere. E. different processes that both move nitrogen from the land to the oceans. 16. In which country would you most likely find the boreal forest biome? A. Canada B. France C. Mexico D. China E. India 17. The long-term average atmospheric conditions of a region is referred to as its A. weather. B. biotic factor. C. biome. D. community. E. climate. 18. In Fairfax County, what direction is the prevailing wind coming from? A. North B. South C. East D. West E. Northeast 19. Dead zones result from the depletion of A. nitrogen. B. carbon. C. oxygen. D. sulfur dioxide. E. ozone. 20. In which biome is Virginia located? A. Temperate grassland B. Tundra C. Boreal forest D. Temperate evergreen forest E. Temperate deciduous forest 21. The most prevalent gas in Earth’s atmosphere is A. argon. B. carbon dioxide. C. nitrogen. D. oxygen. E. ozone. 22. Nitrogen is often in short supply in terrestrial ecosystems because A. there is very little free nitrogen in the air. B. atmospheric nitrogen exists primarily in the stratosphere and does not come into contact with terrestrial ecosystems. C. atmospheric nitrogen cannot be used by most organisms. D. nitrogen solubility in water is very low, and therefore aquatic nitrogen enters cells very slowly. E. atmospheric nitrogen varies widely from location to location, and local shortages occur frequently. 23. Within a trophic level, assimilation efficiency equals: A. assimilation/ingestion; B. production/assimilation; C. consumption/ingestion; D. production/ingestion. 24. Where is rainfall generally greatest? A. Near the equator; B. At about 30 degrees latitude; C. In the middle of continents; D. Near the North and South Pole; E. In Fairfax County. 25. Given the following, what is my Biome? Rainfall occurs throughout the year or with one dry month. The maximum rain is associated with the passage of the thermal equator. There are 20004000 mm of rain/year and an average temperature of 25oC. I am also Dr. Rockwood’s favorite biome! A. Tropical Wet Forest B. Tropical Moist Forest C. Savanna D. Taiga E. Tropical Deciduous or Dry Forest 26. Species that are found only within a certain region are said to be A. biotonic. B. zoonotic. C. endangered. D. biogeographical. E. endemic. 27. The pattern of movement made by a chemical element as it moves through organisms and the global ecosystem is called the _______ cycle. A. hydrological B. upwelling C. greenhouse D. biogeochemical 28. Which of the following correctly states the First Law of Thermodynamics? A. There is a loss of 90% of energy as you travel up a food pyramid. B. Energy can neither be created nor destroyed but may change form. C. In each energy transformation, potential energy is reduced as some energy is lost as heat. D. There is a 10% rule for movement up the levels of the food pyramid. 29. Which one of the following is not a reducer-decomposer? A. Dermestid Beetles; B. Vultures; C. Earthworms; D. Collembola; E. Bacteria. 30. Given the following, what is my Biome? I am located at about ten degrees latitude, near sea level, on the western side of a mountain range. I have a six month dry season and a six month rainy season. The dominant vegetation consists of trees. A. Tropical Wet Forest B. Tropical Moist Forest C. Savanna D. Desert E. Tropical Deciduous or Dry Forest 31. In what microclimate are you likely to find the coolest and most moist conditions in the Northern hemisphere? A. On the top of a hill; B. On the lower slope of a hill facing south; C. On the lower slope of a hill facing north; D. On the upper slope of a hill facing south. 32. The amount of NP consumed by herbivores in forested ecosystems is about: A. 1-10% B. 10-50% C. 50-90% D. 100% 33. Which of the following statements is true? A. Litter production is highest in the tropics while litter accumulation is highest in high latitude coniferous forests. B. Litter production is highest in the tropics and litter accumulation is also highest in the tropics. C. Litter production is lowest in the tropics while litter accumulation is highest in high latitude coniferous forests. D. Litter production is lowest in the tropics and litter accumulation is lowest in high latitude coniferous forests. 34. Which of the following statements about air temperature is true? A. Warm and cold air are equally dense. B. Cold air is denser than warm air, and thus will rise. C. Cold air is denser than warm air, and thus will sink. D. Warm air is denser than cold air, and thus will rise. E. Warm air is denser than cold air, and thus will sink. 35. The largest tropical savannas are found in A. the western part of South America. B. central Australia. C. central and eastern Africa. D. the Arabian Peninsula. E. China. 36. Given the following, what is my Biome? I am located at about 70 degrees latitude. I have almost no precipitation year round. The dominant vegetation is shrubs and lichens. I am able to do more than 30% of all carbon sequestration in the terrestrial biome. A. Tropical Wet Forest B. Tropical Moist Forest C. Savanna D. Boreal Forest E. Tropical Deciduous or Dry Forest 37. Which of the following correctly states the Second Law of Thermodynamics? A. There is a loss of 90% of energy as you travel up a food pyramid. B. Energy can neither be created nor destroyed but may change form. C. In each energy transformation, potential energy is reduced as some energy is lost as heat. D. There is a 10% rule for movement up the levels of the food pyramid. 38. Photosynthetic efficiency in natural and agricultural ecosystems is in the range of: A. 0-1% B. 2-10% C. 10-20% D. 50% E. 100% 39. Which of the following correctly completes this statement? Air masses at the surface of the Earth are deflected to the ____ in the northern hemisphere and to the _______ in the southern hemisphere. A. north; south B. right; left C. east; west D. left; right 40. The annual increase in atmospheric CO2 is only 3.5 X 1015 g as compared to 5.6 being released through fossil fuel consumption. What are the “sinks” for the difference? A. Temperate forests and grasslands B. Boreal forests and Oceans C. Agricultural crops D. Lakes and Rivers E. Tropical savannas 41. An example of an element that has a hybrid cycle with both sedimentary and atmospheric components is: A. Nitrogen B. Phosphorus C. Water D. Carbon E. Iron 42. What was not one of the results of introducing Nile Perch into Lake Victoria? A. Extinction or near extinction of many native endemic fish species; B. Proliferation of Snails; C. Near extinction of schistosomiasis; D. Proliferation of algae leading to algal “blooms”. 43. The D.C. Area had record heat in July 2011 and a record cold day in December 2011. These facts illustrate that: A. The climate is definitely changing; B. The climate is obviously not changing; C. A day or a month does not provide sufficient data to know whether climate is changing or not; D. Politicians understand the differences between responses A, B, and C. 44. In a tropical forest, calcium and nitrogen are stored primarily in which component of the ecosystem? A. Living Biomass; B. Forest Floor Organic Debris; C. Soil; D. Sedimentary Rock. 45. The carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere is presently about 380 ppm. What was the historic level of carbon dioxide, going back 1000 years? A. Around 100 ppm; B. Around 1000 ppm; C. Around 500 ppm; D. Around 275 ppm. 46. What did not happen on September 22? A. The Autumnal Equinox; B. At noon, the sun was directly overhead at the equator; C. Day length was 12 hours everywhere on the Earth; D. In the Southern Hemisphere it was the first day of spring; E. At noon, the sun was directly overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn. Match the following to the best answer. Each answer is used only once. B 47. Factors that include the living components in the environment. A. population D 48. The place where organisms live and the environmental factors B. biotic associated with that place. A 49. A group of interbreeding individuals of the same species in the C. community same place at the same time. C 50. The assemblage of plants, animals, microbes or other organisms D. habitat living in the same habitat, and that interact and affect one another. E. abiotic Problems/Short Answer. (4) 1. Identify the major form of carbon in each of the following situations: A. atmosphere _______________carbon dioxide gas_____________________________ B. Inorganic form of carbon, sedimentary deposits _____carbonate compounds (CO3-)___ C. Organic form of carbon, sedimentary (underground deposits) ___peat, shale, oil______ D. Wood in a forest ____ cellulose, lignin, fibers, etc. in leaves and wood _____________ (2) 2. What is one example of a sedimentary nutrient cycle? _____phosphorous, magnesium, iron, calcium, potassium______ (2) 3. What is one example of an atmospheric nutrient cycle? __nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, water__ (8) 4. Define the following: A. Evapotranspiration the total amount of water returned to the atmosphere by the combined processes of evaporation and plant transpiration B. Standing Crop an energy unit converted to a biomass equivalent at a given point in time (kg of carbon/m2) C. Primary Production The accumulation of energy by autotrophs (photosynthesis or chemosynthesis) per unit area per unit time. D. Secondary Production The accumulation of energy by heterotrophs (herbivores, decomposers etc.) per unit area per unit time. (6) 5. Given the equations above, solve the following problems. A farmer harvests the equivalent of 2000 kcal/m2/year of hay from his field. If the photosynthetic efficiency of hay is estimated at 10%, what was the PAR per hectare? All of this hay (2000 kcal/m2) is now fed to cattle, whose assimilation efficiency is found to be 50%. How much energy is assimilated? If growth efficiency is estimated as 2.5%, what is the NP of cattle? SHOW YOUR WORK! Then fill in the box below. ANSWER PAR per hectare 20,000 kcal Assimilation by Cattle 1000 kcal NP of Cattle 25 kcal PAR = NP/PE = 2000/0.1 = 20000 kcal EA = A/I = .50 = A/2000 = 1000 kcal EG = NP/A = 0.025 = NP/1000 = 25 kcal (3) 6. In the diagram below, label the seasons in which you would expect a thermocline, and the seasons in which you would expect turnover. (4) 7. In each pair of examples below, circle the animal with the higher Assimilation Efficiency. A. Milkweed Bug feeding on milkweed seeds Versus Monarch Butterfly Larva feeding on Milkweed Leaves B. Grasshopper feeding on grass Versus Cow feeding on Grass C. Human feeding of a beef kabob Versus Human feeding on a Lettuce Salad D. Spittle Bug (Homoptera) feeding phloem Versus Larval Moth feeding on Leaves (3) 8. In each pair of examples below, circle the animal with the higher Growth Efficiency. A. Spittle Bug (Homoptera) Versus Ant (Hymenoptera) B. Milkweed Bug (Hemiptera) Versus Zebra (Mammal) C. Fencepost Lizard (Reptile) Versus Blue Jay (Bird)