Question 1

Destruction of which biome would result in the greatest loss of biodiversity?

Accepted Answer

Tropical rain forests have the highest level of biodiversity and are home to millions of plant and animal species. Destruction of this biome would result in the greatest loss of biodiversity.

Question 2

While visiting the South Island of New Zealand, you notice that conditions vary sharply across the island.The West Coast is very wet and receives between 600 and 1600 mm of rainfall per year, while the East Coast only receives about 640 mm of rain per year and is very dry.What best explains this regional difference in precipitation?

Accepted Answer

The Southern Alps run along the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island, causing orographic rainfall as moist air from the Tasman Sea rises and cools, leading to high precipitation on the West Coast and a rain shadow effect on the East Coast.

Question 3

Periodic disturbances of the Pacific currents that cause global weather changes are given the name

Accepted Answer

El Niño refers to the periodic warming of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, which can cause significant global weather changes.

Question 4

The relatively shallow part of the ocean extending from the low tide mark to the edge of the continental shelf is called the

Accepted Answer

The neritic zone is the part of the ocean extending from the low tide mark to the edge of the continental shelf.

Question 5

Photosynthetic organisms of the open oceans are confined to the upper

Accepted Answer

Photosynthetic organisms in the ocean, such as phytoplankton, require sunlight to perform photosynthesis, which is available in the upper layers of the ocean, typically up to about 200 meters deep, known as the euphotic zone.

Question 6

Biomes are broad regional areas with defined flora and fauna.Which one of the following choices correctly identifies the biomes shown plotted in the graph of precipitation versus temperature?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Biomes are broad regional areas with defined...

Question 7

CO₂ and other gases, which absorb the longer wavelengths of infrared light and radiated heat from Earth, are responsible for causing the

Accepted Answer

CO₂ and other greenhouse gases absorb and trap the longer wavelengths of infrared radiation, which causes an increase in global temperatures and the greenhouse effect. This can lead to climate change and other environmental issues.

Question 8

Which statement best describes the relationship between elevation and latitude?

Accepted Answer

Elevation and latitude are related because as one increases, the temperature decreases. As latitude increases and moves away from the equator, average temperatures get lower because the sun's energy is spread over a larger area. Similarly, as elevation increases, temperature decreases due to the thinner atmosphere at higher altitudes. Therefore, D is the correct answer.

Question 9

The great deserts and associated arid areas of the world mostly lie along the western sides of the continents at about

Accepted Answer

The great deserts are typically found around 30° north and south latitude due to the descending dry air of the Hadley cell circulation.

Question 10

Tropical climates are warmer than temperate climates because

Accepted Answer

Tropical climates are warmer because they receive sunlight more directly, with the sun's rays hitting at a near-perpendicular angle, concentrating the energy over a smaller area compared to temperate climates where the rays are spread over a larger area due to the Earth's curvature.

Question 11

During an ecology field trip to a lake, your professor asks you to take temperature readings at various depths and record your data.At 5 meters, you note a temperature of 25 $\degree$C and at 10 meters you record a temperature of 10 $\degree$C.Readings at 20 meters and below stay fairly consistent around 8 $\degree$C.The temperature readings of 25 $\degree$C, 10 $\degree$C, and 8 $\degree$C represent the:

Accepted Answer

The epilimnion is the warm upper layer, the thermocline is the middle layer where temperature changes rapidly, and the hypolimnion is the cold, deeper layer.

Question 12

Rhizosphaera needle cast is a fungal disease that affects spruce trees.Which of the following biomes would be most severely affected by an outbreak of this disease?

Accepted Answer

The taiga biome, also known as the boreal forest, is primarily composed of coniferous trees such as spruce, which are susceptible to Rhizosphaera needle cast. An outbreak would most severely affect this biome due to the prevalence of spruce trees.

Question 13

As the global concentration of carbon dioxide increases, there is great potential for direct impact on the world's

Accepted Answer

The increase in carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere directly affects the Earth's climate by trapping more heat from the Sun, leading to global warming. This can cause various impacts on the climate, such as changes in temperature, precipitation, sea level, and extreme weather events. The other options, while also important, are not directly impacted by carbon dioxide concentration in the same way as the Earth's climate.

Question 14

Drifting freely in the upper, well-illuminated waters of the ocean, a diverse biological community exists, primarily consisting of microscopic organisms called

Accepted Answer

Phytoplankton are microscopic organisms that drift in the upper, sunlit layers of the ocean and are a crucial part of the marine ecosystem, serving as the primary producers.

Question 15

If the energy of the sun no longer reached Earth, the primary productivity of which of the following ecosystems would be least affected?

Accepted Answer

Deep sea hydrothermal vent ecosystems rely on chemosynthesis, not photosynthesis, for primary productivity, so they would be least affected by the absence of sunlight.

Question 16

Prairie is another name for a

Accepted Answer

A prairie is a type of temperate grassland characterized by flat or gently rolling terrain and is primarily found in North America.

Question 17

Researchers in Alaska were interested in increasing the sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) population in three coastal lakes.To accomplish this, the ponds were treated with fertilizers.As a result, zooplankton biomass increased between 40% and 700% in the three lakes.The substantial growth in zooplankton would suggest that prior to these experiments, these lakes were __________________.

Accepted Answer

The significant increase in zooplankton biomass suggests that these lakes were oligotrophic prior to the fertilization treatments. Oligotrophic lakes contain low nutrient levels, which limit the growth of organisms, including phytoplankton and zooplankton.

Question 18

Temperate grasslands and temperate deciduous forests are two different biomes that are located in the same latitudes.Which one of the following abiotic conditions is most likely to account for the differences in their community composition?

Accepted Answer

Precipitation is the most likely abiotic condition to account for the differences in community composition between temperate grasslands and temperate deciduous forests. Temperate grasslands are typically found in areas with less precipitation than temperate deciduous forests. This difference in precipitation leads to differences in the types of plants that can grow in each biome. In temperate grasslands, the grasses are able to tolerate the drier conditions, while in temperate deciduous forests, the trees are able to tolerate the wetter conditions.

Question 19

Most of the ultraviolet radiation reaching the upper atmosphere is absorbed by

Accepted Answer

Ozone in the Earth's stratosphere absorbs most of the Sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation, preventing it from reaching the surface.

Question 20

Which of the following choices best describes the relationship that exists between moisture and air temperature?

Accepted Answer

The moisture-holding capacity of air is directly related to its temperature. As air temperature increases, the air molecules move faster and farther apart, which decreases the relative humidity and the ability of the air to hold moisture. Conversely, as air temperature decreases, the air molecules move slower and more closely together, which increases the relative humidity and the ability of the air to hold moisture. Therefore, the moisture-holding capacity of air increases when it is warm and decreases when it is cool.

Quiz 58: The Biosphere