Chapter.26 Biomes Test Questions & Answers

Stern's Introductory Plant Biology, 14e (Bidlack)

Chapter 26 Biomes

1) Terrestrial biotic communities as they occur on a continental or global scale are referred to as ________.

A) environments

B) communes

C) ecoregions

D) biomes

E) species groups

2) Biomes are characterized by ________ adapted to the regional climate including  temperature, rainfall, elevation, seasonality, etc.

A) communities of plants and animals

B) ecosystems

C) abiotic elements

D) human dwellings

E) All of these answer choices are correct.

3) When high winds tear away matted vegetation of tundra, the resulting barren patch is called a ________.

A) sink

B) permafrost oasis

C) blowout

D) arctic scar

E) vernal pool

4) The most fragile of the biomes is the

A) tundra.

B) taiga.

C) temperate deciduous forest.

D) grassland.

E) mountain forest.

5) Permafrost, shallow root systems, subzero temperatures and long winters are characteristic of the:

A) coniferous forest.

B) taiga.

C) chaparral.

D) tundra.

E) prairie.

6) Vegetation of the tundra is dominated by ________.

A) gymnosperms such as spruce, fir, and pine

B) short shrubs, grasses, and herbaceous perennial wildflowers

C) xerophytes adapted to areas with low precipitation

D) broad-leaved deciduous trees

E) aquatic plants

7) Another name for the northern coniferous or boreal  forest is the ________.

A) tundra

B) taiga

C) evergreen forest

D) polar forest

E) mountain forest

8) In the continental United States, high mountain peaks support ________.

A) temperate deciduous forest

B) grasslands

C) desert vegetation

D) wetland vegetation

E) alpine tundra and coniferous forest vegetation

9) Despite receiving up to several feet of snow each winter, conifers in the northern boreal forest are adapted to ________.

A) hot dry conditions

B) moist soils

C) reduced water availability

D) long, mild growing seasons

E) temperate conditions of moisture and seasonality

10) Which of the following biomes is characterized by the predominance of broad-leaved trees that are adapted to subfreezing temperatures as long as the cold is accompanied by precipitation or snow cover?

A) mountain forest

B) taiga

C) tundra

D) grasslands

E) temperate deciduous forest

11) Average precipitation of 50–165 cm/year is scattered throughout the year with warm summers and cool to cold winter. The forest leaf canopy is not intact year round. Identify this biome.

A) grasslands

B) temperate deciduous forest

C) coniferous forest

D) savannas

E) Both temperate deciduous forest and coniferous forest are correct.

12) A low-growing, understory vegetation dominates in the early spring and again in the fall because of the available light resulting from leaf drop. This is a characteristic of the:

A) tropical rain forest.

B) temperate deciduous forest.

C) grasslands.

D) savannas.

E) tundra.

13) Hardwood trees such as oak, maple, walnut, and cherry are vegetational types of:

A) tropical rain forests.

B) temperate deciduous forests.

C) coniferous forests.

D) taiga.

E) tundra.

14) Eastern North America, south of the northern boreal forest, is dominated by temperate deciduous forests. Within this biome, gradations of annual low and high temperatures and precipitation result in species assemblages such as ________.

A) maple-basswood and oak-hickory forest

B) big bluestem and other grasses

C) spruce, fir, and pine

D) cactus and chaparral vegetation

E) broad-leaved evergreen angiosperms

15) Naturally occurring grasslands are usually found toward the interiors of continental masses. They tend to intergrade with ________ in areas where annual precipitation drops below 25 cm (10 inches) annually.

A) broad-leaved deciduous forests

B) northern boreal forests

C) deserts

D) coastal habitats

E) alpine tundra

16) The native prairies of North America are part of this biome.

A) temperate deciduous forest

B) tundra

C) grasslands

D) savannas

E) deserts

17) Many of the grasslands of the world have been converted to ________.

A) urban housing

B) commercial pine production

C) hardwood production

D) cropland and cattle grazing land

E) parks

18) Savannas are primarily grasslands with:

A) scattered deciduous trees.

B) scattered evergreen trees.

C) alternating hot and cold seasons.

D) no tree species.

E) numerous tree species.

19) The giant saguaro cactus is found in which North American biome?

A) desert

B) coastal region

C) grassland

D) temperate deciduous forest

E) tundra

20) Succulents and low-growing, small-leaved shrubs are inhabitants of this biome.

A) deserts

B) savannas

C) deciduous forest

D) coniferous forest

E) taiga

21) A characteristic vegetational type found in the desert biome is:

A) succulents

B) chaparral shrubs

C) deciduous trees

D) mosses

E) lianas

22) Thick waxy cuticle layers and dense hairs on leaves are morphological adaptations to:

A) heavy rainfall and humid environments

B) dry environments

C) temperate environments

D) fresh water environments

E) wet environments

23) Which of the following biomes has a significant number of plants that have adapted to their environment through the evolution of CAM photosynthesis?

A) tundra

B) desert

C) tropical rain forest

D) temperate deciduous forest

E) grassland

24) ________ forests are found along the Pacific Coast and along the Rocky Mountain and California mountain ranges.

A) Coastal and mountain

B) Tropical rain forest

C) Eastern deciduous forest

D) Taiga

E) Grassland

25) The climate consists of dry, hot summers and cool, moist winters. The vegetation is characterized by having shrubs with multiple stems arising at the base and extensive root system. This description of climate and vegetation describe the ________biome.

A) savanna 

B) chaparral 

C) desert

D) tall grass prairie

E) grassland

26) Coastal and mountain forests are characterized by plant associations determined primarily by ________.

A) short growing seasons

B) no winter season

C) long dry growing seasons with hot temperatures

D) high annual rainfall

E) altitude and seasonal precipitation patterns

27) The biome with the greatest diversity of flora and fauna is the

A) mountain forest.

B) tropical rain forest.

C) eastern deciduous forest.

D) taiga.

E) grassland.

28) This biome is characterized by having 200–400 cm of precipitation per year and vegetation dominated by tall, broad leaved evergreen trees.

A) grasslands

B) temperate deciduous forests

C) savannas

D) tropical rain forests

E) taiga

29) Bromeliads and orchids are examples of:

A) lianas.

B) parasitic flowering plants.

C) shrubs.

D) epiphytes.

E) hydrophytes

30) Tropical rain forests are characterized by high annual rainfall and ________.

A) nutrient poor soils

B) nutrient rich soils

C) extreme temperature changes

D) seasonal changes in day length

E) high altitude

31) Swamps, bogs, marshes, and moors are all types of:

A) hydrosystems.

B) ecosystems.

C) wetlands.

D) eutrophic lakes.

E) Both hydrosystems and eutrophic lakes are correct.

32) No flowering plants occur in the true tundra.

33) Desert animals tend to forage at night.

34) For a given biome, the vegetational species are exactly the same regardless of the geographical location. For example the species found in a desert in the United States is exactly the same as species found in the deserts of Africa.

35) Broadleaf deciduous trees are characteristic of the taiga.

36) The greatest diversity of species, both flora and fauna, is found in the tropical rain forest.

37) The very large trees ( the coastal redwoods) in the coastal forest biome can attribute their growth and longevity, at least in part, to the presence of fog that lessens transpiration.

38) Climax vegetation always consists of some type of trees.

39) Douglas firs repeatedly replace themselves after fires.

40) Due to permafrost in tundra areas soils are wet and marshy even though the region received limited precipitation.