Chapter 02
Life on LandMultiple Choice Questions
Answers attached 1. (p. 15) A biome is characterized primarily by
A. climate and predominate plant types.
B. temperature and moisture.
C. flora and fauna.
D. global weather patterns.
E. None of the choices are correct.
BT: Knowledge
Learning Objective: 2.1
2. (p. 15) Earth's climatic variation is due to
A. spherical shape of the earth.
B. earth's axial rotation as it orbits the sun.
C. uneven heating of the earth's surface.
D. All of the choices are correct.
E. None of the choices are correct.
BT: Knowledge
Learning Objective: 2.1
3. (p. 17) All of the following statements concerning wind are true except:
A. northeast trade winds blow toward the poles.
B. southeast trade winds blow toward the equator.
C. polar easterlies blow toward the equator.
D. westerlies blow toward the south pole in the southern hemisphere.
E. westerlies blow toward the north pole in the northern hemisphere.
BT: Comprehension
Learning Objective: 2.1
4. (p. 15) Warm tropical air
A. is dense and sinks.
B. has a low evaporative potential.
C. cools as it ascends.
D. warms as it ascends.
E. meets cool polar air causing precipitation in the tropics.
BT: Analysis
Learning Objective: 2.1
5. (p. 21) All of the following statements are true except:
A. A horizon: mixture of organic and mineral materials.
B. B horizon: deposition of clay and humus.
C. C horizon: weathered parent material.
D. O horizon: organic layer.
E. All of the choices are correct.
BT: Knowledge
Learning Objective: 2.2
6. (p. 16) There are(is) _______ convective air cell(s) per hemisphere, _______ total for the earth.
A. 1; 2
B. 2; 4
C. 3; 6
D. 4; 8
E. 5; 10
BT: Comprehension
Learning Objective: 2.1
7. (p. 17-18) Climatic diagrams provide all of the following information except:
A. wind patterns.
B. average minimum temperature above and below 0ºC.
C. temperature and precipitation variations.
D. wet and dry season durations.
E. None of the choices are correct.
BT: Comprehension
Learning Objective: 2.1
8. (p. 23, 33) Most of the earth's deserts are
A. located at 0º latitude.
B. located at 30º north and south latitudes.
C. located at 60º north and south latitudes.
D. located at 90º north and south latitudes.
E. randomly scattered around the earth's surface.
BT: Knowledge
Learning Objective: 2.1
9. (p. 19-20, 21-22) All of the following components influence soil structure except:
A. age.
B. parent material.
C. climate.
D. organisms.
E. None of the choices are correct.
BT: Knowledge
Learning Objective: 2.2
10. (p. 23, 35) Tropical dry forests are located between
A. 0º and 10º north and south latitudes.
B. 0º and 25º south latitude.
C. 10º and 25º north and south latitudes.
D. 10º and 25º south latitude.
E. None of the choices are correct.
BT: Knowledge
Learning Objective: 2.1
11. (p. 22-42) All of the following statements are true except:
A. Tropical rain forests are continuously warm and wet.
B. Tropical dry forests have rainy and dry seasons.
C. In a desert, evaporation exceeds precipitation.
D. Taigas have moderate temperatures with occasional droughts.
E. Tundras are cold and dry.
BT: Knowledge
Learning Objective: 2.1
Learning Objective: 2.3
12. (p. 15-17) Atmospheric circulation and precipitation patterns are influenced by which of the following?
A. rising and sinking of warm and cool air masses
B. uneven heating of the earth's surface and atmosphere by the sun
C. differential ability of cool and warm air masses to hoBT water vapor
D. Coriolis effect
E. All of the choices are correct.
BT: Comprehension
Learning Objective: 2.1
13. (p. 21) The _______________ is a depositional horizon that contains clays, humus, and other materials which may form distinct banding patterns.
A. A horizon
B. B horizon
C. C horizon
D. D horizon
E. O horizon
BT: Knowledge
Learning Objective: 2.2
14. (p. 27-30) Which of the following biomes have fertile soils that contain large quantities of organic matter?
A. tropical rain forest
B. temperate forest
C. temperate grassland
D. All of the choices are correct.
E. both temperate forest and temperate grassland
BT: Knowledge
Learning Objective: 2.3
15. (p. 25-26) Which of the following is not a characteristic of the boreal forest?
A. dominated by evergreen conifers such as spruce and fir
B. home to moose and migratory caribou
C. sparse plant cover
D. thick layer of plant litter that ties up nutrients
E. low fertility, thin, acidic soil
BT: Knowledge
Learning Objective: 2.3
16. (p. 45-47) Which of the following is true for the Ecozones of Canada?
A. they are more specific than biomes
B. they are less specific than ecoregions
C. like biomes, they are mainly based on climate and major vegetation
D. they are relevant to the terrestrial environment
E. All of the choices are correct.
BT: Knowledge
Learning Objective: 2.3
17. (p. 15) The sun is directly above the equator at the _____________________.
A. Autumnal equinox
B. Spring equinox
C. Summer solstice
D. Winter solstice
E. Both the spring and autumnal equinox
BT: Knowledge
Learning Objective: 2.1
18. (p. 16) Hadley, Ferel and Polar cells are:
A. Atmospheric cells on either side of the equator
B. Cells of warm air that move north from the equator
C. Cells of cool air that move down from the polar regions
D. Caused by the tilt of the earth on its axis
E. Responsible for daily weather patterns
BT: Knowledge
Learning Objective: 2.1
19. (p. 17) Coriolis effect causes winds in the
A. Tropical latitudes to be predominantly easterlies
B. Temperate latitudes to be predominantly westerlies
C. High latitudes to be predominantly westerlies
D. Northern Hemisphere to deflect to the left
E. Southern Hemishperhe to deflect to the right
BT: Application
Learning Objective: 2.1
20. (p. 18-19) A climate diagram shows temperature and precipitation. The points at which the precipitation line lies above the temperature line indicates:
A. Areas with predominantly warm wet climates
B. Areas with predominantly cool wet climates
C. The periods of time when there is adequate moisture for plant growth
D. The periods of time when the temperature is suitable for plant growth
E. The number of growing degree days.
BT: Knowledge
Learning Objective: 2.1
21. (p. 20) Soils have been referred to as "the poor man's tropical rainforest" because:
A. They are inexpensive to study
B. They have very high undescribed biodiversity
C. They have very high amounts of well-described biodiversity
D. They are most diverse in the tropical rainforest
E. They are moist, warm environments
BT: Knowledge
Learning Objective: 2.2
22. (p. 22) Which soil horizon is most influenced by parent material?
A. A
B. B
C. C
D. O
E. All are equally influenced
BT: Comprehension
Learning Objective: 2.2
23. (p. 47) Black-capped chickadees stay warm at night in the coBT Canadian winter by:
A. Allowing their body temperature to drop, and warming by bouts of shivering
B. Constantly foraging even in the dark
C. Hibernating
D. Putting on enough body fat to keep them warm for a week at a time
E. Storing food within easy reach at all times
BT: Knowledge
Learning Objective: 2.3
True / False Questions
24. (p. 26) Mycorrhizae are parasitic fungi that are depleting tropical trees of nutrients.
FALSE
BT: Knowledge
Learning Objective: 2.3
25. (p. 43) As altitude increases temperatures decrease, likewise as latitude decreases temperatures decrease.
FALSE
BT: Analysis
Learning Objective: 2.3
26. (p. 17) Trade winds move toward the equator.
TRUE
BT: Knowledge
Learning Objective: 2.1
27. (p. 15-16) In general, warm air can hoBT more moisture than cool air and therefore has a stronger evaporative effect.
TRUE
BT: Knowledge
Learning Objective: 2.1
28. (p. 14) The dispersal of the quanacaste tree's (Enterolobium cyclocarpum) seeds was performed by herbivores that have since become extinct; consequently, the tree is now on the verge of extinction.
FALSE
BT: Knowledge
Learning Objective: 2.1
29. (p. 16) The precipitation in moist temperate regions is caused by the meeting of cool polar air and warm subtropical air.
TRUE
BT: Knowledge
Learning Objective: 2.1
30. (p. 43) Environments located at low latitudes at high elevations have similar climates as those environments located at high latitudes.
TRUE
BT: Knowledge
Learning Objective: 2.3
31. (p. 24) Proximity to large bodies of water moderates terrestrial temperatures.
TRUE
BT: Knowledge
Learning Objective: 2.3
32. (p. 43) In the region between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, seasonal variations in temperature and day length at low elevation are slight.
TRUE
BT: Comprehension
Learning Objective: 2.3
33. (p. 25) The boreal forest is the largest biome in terms of area in the southern hemisphere.
FALSE
BT: Comprehension
Learning Objective: 2.3
34. (p. 27) OBT growth boreal forests contain sequoias, the largest living organisms on earth.
FALSE
BT: Comprehension
Learning Objective: 2.3
35. (p. 29) The largest biome in North America is the temperate grassland.
TRUE
BT: Knowledge
Learning Objective: 2.3
Fill in the Blank Questions
36. (p. 34) Desert soils are often low in _________________.
oganic matter.
BT: Knowledge
Learning Objective: 2.3
37. (p. 35) Irrigation of desert soils couBT lead to the formation of _________________.
salt crystals
BT: Knowledge
Learning Objective: 2.3
38. (p. 22) The term for the biome characterized by an open landscape of mosses, lichens, and dwarf willows, dotted with small ponds and laced with clear streams is the _____________.
Tundra
BT: Knowledge
Learning Objective: 2.3
39. (p. 42) Mountains are sometimes referred to as "______ in the sky".
islands
BT: Knowledge
Learning Objective: 2.3
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