Question 1

Which would be considered to be a part of a lake ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

All of the choices listed would be a part of a lake ecosystem. Fish, water, minerals, and rocks are all components of a lake ecosystem.

Question 2

Infographic 8.6.

-Refer to Infographic 8.6. For several years, you have been investigating the effects of a warmer climate on a butterfly population. Recently, you have noticed that the butterflies found in what would traditionally be the zone of physiological stress are growing and breeding more successfully than the butterflies in the zone of optimum range. How do you explain this shift?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Infographic 8.6.

-Refer to Infographic 8.6. For several...

Question 3

A(n) _________ factor is the one abiotic or biotic factor whose supply determines the population size of a given species in a given biome.

Accepted Answer

The limiting factor is the one abiotic or biotic factor that is in the shortest supply or that restricts the population size of a given species in a given biome. It can be a resource like water, nutrients, or light, or a physical condition like temperature or pH. The other options - tolerance, stress, intolerance, and finite - are not used to describe the specific factor that limits population growth.

Question 4

The zone of __________ is the portion of an environmental gradient within which the species survives, grows, and reproduces the best.

Accepted Answer

The optimum range refers to the portion of an environmental gradient within which the species survives, grows, and reproduces the best. This range is typically characterized by a specific set of biotic and abiotic factors, such as temperature, light, nutrients, and pH, that provide the ideal conditions for the species to thrive. The other options - intolerance, tolerance, physiological stress, and limiting factors - may be related to the species' ability to survive in varying environmental conditions, but they do not capture the specific concept of the optimum range.

Question 5

Which biome has abundant biodiversity, with warm temperatures and a great deal of rain?

Accepted Answer

Tropical rainforests typically have warm temperatures and high amounts of rainfall, which create a diverse and abundant ecosystem. The other options listed either have cooler temperatures and/or lower rainfall amounts, which generally result in less biodiversity.

Question 6

In the design of Biosphere 2, which environmental variables could be carefully controlled and precisely measured?

Accepted Answer

Biosphere 2 was designed to be a completely enclosed ecological system where environmental variables such as temperature, water availability, and the proportions of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the air could be precisely controlled and measured. Therefore, all of the above options are correct.

Question 7

-A bait shop wants to sell leeches and performs an experiment to determine the water temperature range of tolerance for them. Which choice best represents this range based on the data shown in the graph above?

Accepted Answer

The answer of 
-A bait shop wants to sell leeches...

Question 8

Describe two abiotic factors that influence the distribution and makeup of biomes and how they do this.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe two abiotic factors that influence the...

Question 9

Which of the following does NOT characterize a particular biome?

Accepted Answer

The size of a biome is not a characteristic that defines it. Biomes are defined by their distinct climate, dominant vegetation, temperature, and precipitation patterns.

Question 10

Which is NOT an example of a terrestrial biome?

Accepted Answer

An open ocean is not a terrestrial biome as it is a marine biome. The other options, temperate forest, Mediterranean scrub, savanna, and desert are all examples of terrestrial biomes.

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT an abiotic factor?

Accepted Answer

Biotic factors are living components of an ecosystem, while abiotic factors are non-living components. Bacteria are living organisms and therefore classified as biotic factors. Rocks, mineral composition of soil, and rainfall are examples of abiotic factors.

Question 12

The biome that contains the least amount of moisture is a __________.

Accepted Answer

Tropical scrub biomes receive very little rainfall and have a high level of evaporation due to high temperatures, making them the biome with the least amount of moisture. Savannas and temperate grasslands receive more rainfall, while mountains and temperate forests can have varying levels of moisture depending on location and altitude.

Question 13

All of the following can be found in the biosphere EXCEPT ________.

Accepted Answer

The ozone layer is part of the stratosphere, not the biosphere, which includes living organisms and their interactions with the environment.

Question 14

The principal of limiting factors states that the survival, growth, and _______ of a species in an ecosystem are determined by the critical resource in least supply.

Accepted Answer

The principal of limiting factors states that the critical resource in least supply limits the survival, growth, and reproduction of a species in an ecosystem. Therefore, choice D, reproduction, is the best answer as it directly fits the context of the principal.

Question 15

Infographic 8.4.

-Refer to Infographic 8.4. From the infographic, which type of biome is mostly found 30° north or south of the equator? What conditions exist there?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Infographic 8.4.

-Refer to Infographic 8.4. From the...

Question 16

Populations that have a _______ range of tolerance and are _______ genetically diverse have a greater chance of surviving a change to their environment.

Accepted Answer

Populations with a broad range of tolerance are able to survive in a wide variety of environmental conditions, which increases their chances of surviving a change in their environment. Additionally, populations that are more genetically diverse have a greater chance of having individuals with traits that are better adapted to the changing environment, which also increases their chances of survival.

Question 17

What is a biome? What are the major factors that distinguish one biome from another?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is a biome? What are the...

Question 18

If no new matter enters the system, how can Earth continue to exist?

Accepted Answer

The answer of If no new matter enters the system,...

Question 19

The range, within upper and lower limits, of a limiting factor that allows a species to survive and reproduce is called the ________.

Accepted Answer

The range of tolerance is the correct term used to describe the range of a limiting factor that allows a species to survive and reproduce within upper and lower limits. This includes factors such as temperature, pH, and availability of resources like food and water. The other options are not commonly used terms in ecology or biology.

Question 20

Which of the following could be considered a limiting factor for a species?

Accepted Answer

All of the choices listed could be a limiting factor for a species. Limiting factors are any biotic or abiotic factors that can affect a population's growth and survival. pH of the soil can affect the availability of nutrients for plants, temperature can influence metabolic processes, level of humidity can affect water availability for plants and animals, and dissolved oxygen levels in water can affect the respiration of aquatic organisms. Therefore, all of these factors could potentially limit the growth and survival of a species.

Quiz 8: Ecosystems and Nutrient Cycling- Engineering Earth: an Ambitious Attempt to Replicate Earths Life Support Systems Goes Awry