Deck 43: Ecology and the Physical Environment

Question 1

The serotinous cones of the longleaf pine,Pinus palustris,depend on _____ to release their seeds.

A)daylight
B)extended freezes
C)sustained rainfall
D)fire
E)animals

Answer 1

D

Question 2

What will be a consequence if current predictions of global warming are accurate?

A)Rates of natural selection will decrease.
B)New continental land masses will appear.
C)Freshwater will be more widely available.
D)Organisms will need to migrate or adapt quickly in order to survive.
E)Many plants and animals will become smaller.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

What naturally occurring process is responsible for keeping the earth warm enough to sustain life?

A)Oceanic currents
B)Decomposition
C)Greenhouse effect
D)Wildfires
E)Atmospheric circulation

Answer 3

C

Question 4

All rain forests are tropical.

Question 5

In arid terrestrial environments,salt can accumulate in the soil because of

A)the selective uptake of water by plants.
B)the activities of grazing animals.
C)the precipitation of salt from dry air.
D)the secretion of salt by plants.
E)the settlement and evaporation of water.

Question 6

The global patterns of atmospheric circulation and precipitation occur because of

A)the cooling of the land.
B)rising masses of warm air and sinking masses of cool air.
C)the greenhouse effect.
D)global differentials in sea surface temperature.
E)winds blowing off of the world's major mountain chains.

Question 7

The sea heats and cools

A)more quickly than the land.
B)more slowly than the land.
C)at the same rate as the land.

Question 8

Currents in the ocean basins of the Northern Hemisphere always run in what direction?

A)counterclockwise
B)clockwise
C)north to south
D)from the equator to the poles
E)from the poles to the tropics

Question 9

What is most likely to be a common adaptation of coastal plants that grow on sand dunes?

A)deep roots to extract moisture.
B)broad leaves for enhanced photosynthesis.
C)ability to use blue-green light for photosynthesis.
D)increased transpiration of water.
E)elevated growth rates.

Question 10

In aquatic environments,at what range does photosynthesis take place?

A)0-10 m
B)50-100 m
C)0-100 m
D)100-500 m
E)0-1000 m

Question 11

Why are red algae found in deeper oceanic waters?

A)They possess pigments that allow them to utilize red light.
B)They are able to utilize the more saline deep water.
C)Red algae prefer the warmer deep water.
D)They possess pigments that allow them utilize blue-green-light.
E)Fewer algae predators are found in deeper water.

Question 12

Temperature is perhaps the most important factor in the distribution of organisms because

A)water is scarcer in warmer environments.
B)most organisms are unable to regulate their body temperature precisely.
C)many organisms are able to grow faster in warmer climates.
D)the metabolic optimum for endothermic animals is in temperate areas.
E)wind amplifies the effect of cool temperatures.

Question 13

What is adiabatic cooling?

A)the cooling due to rainfall on windward side of a mountain
B)the cooling due to polar air masses flowing towards the equator
C)cooling due to the decrease in air pressure at higher elevations
D)the cooling due to increased cloud cover at higher elevations

Question 14

The Earth's surface releases __________ that is absorbed by the atmosphere,stabilizing or raising atmospheric temperature.

A)gamma radiation
B)ultraviolet radiation
C)near-ultraviolet radiation
D)x-rays
E)long-wave infrared radiation

Question 15

Most of Europe is in the ______ biome.

A)cold desert
B)taiga
C)temperate deciduous forest
D)tundra
E)tropical deciduous forest

Question 16

How do corals react when water temperatures are too high?

A)They migrate to areas with lower water temperatures.
B)They slow down their shell-building processes.
C)They expel their symbiotic algae.
D)They reproduce in large numbers.
E)They produce more pigment.

Question 17

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported in 2007 that atmospheric carbon dioxide levels will nearly double by the end of this century.If this happens,what will be the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide?

A)2.0 ppm
B)3.5 ppm
C)385 ppm
D)560 ppm
E)700 ppm

Question 18

The optimal pH range for most freshwater fishes and invertebrates is

A)2 - 6.
B)2 - 4.
C)4 - 6.
D)6 - 9.
E)8 - 11.

Question 19

What substance would you expect to accumulate in soil as a result of increased acid precipitation?

A)Calcium
B)Nitrogen
C)Oxygen
D)Ammonia

Question 20

The northern boundary of the distribution of wild madder is defined by

A)areas that never drop below freezing.
B)the 20 ^$\circ$ Celsius isotherm.
C)the presence of pollinating insects.
D)areas that do not go below 4.5 ^$\circ$ Celsius.
E)the frequency of low-intensity fires.

Question 21

The Earth is spherical,which causes differences in the intensity of solar radiation at different latitudes (refer to Figure 43.14 ).The Earth is also tilted on its axis at a 23.5 ^$\circ$ angle.How do you think this tilt affects the intensity of solar radiation?

A)In the Northern and Southern hemispheres,equal latitudes receive the sun's rays at equal angles year round.
B)The Northern hemisphere has a lower intensity of solar radiation than the Southern hemisphere because it is tilted away from the Sun year round.
C)The sun's rays strike the Northern hemisphere more obliquely during its summer months and less obliquely during its winter months.
D)The Northern hemisphere has a higher intensity of solar radiation than the Southern hemisphere because it is tilted toward the Sun year rounD.
E)The sun's rays strike the Northern hemisphere more obliquely during its winter months and less obliquely during its summer months.

Question 22

Temperature tends to decline with longitude.

Question 23

The number of aquatic species increases in acidic waters.

Question 24

You discover a genus of lizards that contains two extinct species and five living species.The oldest fossils from the genus belong to the two extinct species,and are known only from the Ethiopian biogeographical region.Two of the living species are found only in the Neotropical biogeographic region and the other three are found only in the Australian biogeographic region.Fossil records confirm that all living species are native to the areas they currently inhabit.What is the most reasonable conclusion about the evolution of these lizard species?

A)The Neotropical and Australian lineages do not share a common ancestor,but evolved independently through convergent evolution.
B)The Neotropical and Australian lineages share a common ancestor,who originated in the Neotropical region.
C)The Neotropical and Australian lineages share a common ancestor,who originated in the Australian region.
D)The Neotropical and Australian lineages share a common ancestor,who originated in the Ethiopian region.
E)The Neotropical and Australian lineages share a common ancestor,which originated in the Palearctic region.

Question 25

Which of the following is a characteristic of tundra?

A)temperate climate
B)dry climate
C)more than 100 cm of rain a year
D)long growing season
E)found at low latitudes

Question 26

What factor would you expect to show the largest difference between the coral reef and intertidal biomes?

A)Animal species diversity
B)Plant species diversity
C)Temperature variation
D)Water pH
E)Salinity

Question 27

Based on the three cell model of global air circulation shown in the figure above,where would you be most likely to find a plant species that is very drought tolerant,but not cold tolerant?

A)between 20 ^$\circ$ and 30 ^$\circ$ latitude
B)between 0 ^$\circ$ and 15 ^$\circ$ latitude
C)between 45 ^$\circ$ and 55 ^$\circ$ latitude
D)between 60 ^$\circ$ and 100 ^$\circ$ latitude

Question 28

The range of the sugar maple could decrease in response to warming due to climate change.

Question 29

Which organism would be most likely to be able to survive rapid global climate change?

A)a tree species with bird dispersed seeds
B)a salamander that inhabits high elevations
C)an insect that can feed upon many different plant species
D)a fish species that depends on coral reefs for food and shelter
E)a bird that lives north of the Arctic Circle

Question 30

A coastal area has a greater variation in temperature than an area at the same laititude located 20 miles inland.

Question 31

How would you best explain the existence of a mountain range which runs east-to-west and has abundant conifer trees,ferns,and mosses on the east side,but only sparse shrubby plants on the west side?

A)Adiabatic cooling leads to temperature gradients that produce the differing plant communities.
B)Differences in solar intensity produce the differing plant communities.
C)Precipitation differences due to a rain shadow on the west side produce the differing plant communities.
D)Differences in the specific heat of the two sides of the mountain produce the differing plant communities.

Question 32

The same biome cannot occur on more than one continent.