Exam Questions Major Ecosystems Of The Biosphere Chapter 46

Biology, 13e (Mader)

Chapter 46 Major Ecosystems of the Biosphere

1) ________ lakes are nutrient-rich and tend to have large populations of algae.

A) Oligotrophic

B) Eutrophic

C) Temperate

D) Stratified

2) Ocean currents

A) are generated by friction between winds and ocean surfaces.

B) always move clockwise in an ocean basin.

C) are important in shipping but have little effect on living environments.

D) are driven by the Earth's core rotating faster than the ocean water.

E) All of the choices are correct.

3) Incoming solar radiation affects

A) the rise and fall of air masses.

B) evaporation or precipitation of moisture.

C) the seasons.

D) All of these choices are directly or indirectly affected by solar radiation.

E) None of these are correct.

4) Major regional groups of interacting terrestrial ecosystems, characterized by climate and geography, are called

A) biospheres.

B) estuaries.

C) tundras.

D) taigas.

E) biomes.

5) The Earth is actually farther from the sun during the period when the Northern Hemisphere is having summer. How can this be explained?

A) The sun grows more powerful on a half-year cycle.

B) There is a six-month lag phase between sunlight being absorbed and lost.

C) The tilt of the Earth presents the Northern Hemisphere in a more perpendicular angle, and this increased sunlight more than offsets the decrease in sunlight due to the added distance.

D) There must be some mistake in measuring the Earth's orbit because if the Earth were farther away, we would be cooler.

6) If the Earth were standing still (not rotating) and was a solid, uniform ball, wind directions would

A) cease.

B) run north and south.

C) run east and west.

D) remain the same since the Earth's rotation does not affect wind directions.

7) Climate is affected and/or characterized by all of the following factors EXCEPT

A) temperature.

B) variations in solar radiation distribution.

C) topography.

D) soil type.

E) rainfall.

8) In the water cycle, evaporated equatorial water that rises and does not immediately rain back down proceeds to

A) the poles where it causes snow.

B) the poles if it does not encounter mountain ranges, which it usually does.

C) about 60° north or south and then cools and condenses, supporting a band of moist vegetation.

D) about 30° north or south and then cools and condenses, supporting a band of moist vegetation.

9) Which region of the Earth would have the greatest solar exposure during the vernal equinox?

A) equatorial regions

B) between 30° and 60° North

C) between 30° and 60° South

D) between 60° north and the north pole

E) between 60° south and the south pole

10) All of the following are terrestrial biomes EXCEPT

A) tundra.

B) lentic systems.

C) coniferous forests.

D) savannas.

E) deserts.

11) What occurs to air currents as they travel from 60° north towards the pole?

A) The warmed air will rise and cool, producing a low pressure area with high rainfall.

B) The warmed air will rise and cool, producing a low pressure area with low rainfall.

C) The cool air will rise and warm up, producing a low pressure area with high rainfall.

D) The cool air will rise, producing a high pressure area with low rainfall.

12) Temperate deciduous forests are characterized by

A) dry climates with rainfall averages around 25–75 cm. per year.

B) the highest variation in day and night length.

C) the highest amount of organisms living in the tree canopy.

D) a growing season that ranges between 140 and 300 days.

E) the richest topsoil horizon.

13) The Gulf Stream

A) brings tropical Caribbean water to the east coast of North America and upper Western Europe.

B) makes local climates uniform so that Great Britain has the same climate as Greenland.

C) is the major Atlantic Ocean current that warms the eastern coast of South America.

D) is the source of "El Nino" and is a major fishing ground.

E) All of the choices are correct.

14) Which region of the Earth receives the least amount of solar radiation during the winter solstice?

A) Northern Hemisphere

B) equatorial regions

C) Southern Hemisphere

D) between 30° North and 30° South

E) All of the Earth's regions receive the same amount of solar radiation during the winter solstice.

15) What biome has a mean annual precipitation over 250 cm. with relatively little seasonal variation, and warm temperatures over 20°C?

A) tropical dry forest

B) temperate rain forest

C) taiga

D) tropical rain forest

E) savanna

16) Kansas and Pennsylvania are approximately at the same latitude. Yet why are the potential natural communities in Kansas mostly grassland and in Pennsylvania mostly temperate forest?

A) different temperatures

B) different levels of moisture

C) different soil texture and pH levels

D) different vegetation due to different seed banks

E) different altitudes

17) The largest biome on Earth is the

A) tundra.

B) taiga.

C) temperate deciduous forest.

D) desert.

E) ocean (marine aquatic).

18) Which of the following biomes is characterized by little rainfall, permafrost, and an average temperature below 0°C?

A) grasslands

B) tundra

C) desert

D) taiga

E) temperate deciduous forest

19) Which of the following biomes is characterized by rich soils, insufficient rainfall for trees, and many herbivores?

A) grasslands

B) chaparral

C) desert

D) taiga

E) tundra

20) Which of the following does NOT characterize tundra?

A) permafrost

B) trees

C) shrub

D) caribou

21) Which biome is characterized by rainfall under 25 cm/year, hot days, cold nights, and quickly blooming plants?

A) grasslands

B) temperate deciduous forest

C) temperate deserts

D) taiga

E) tundra

22) The tropical grassland in Africa is called the

A) savanna.

B) chaparral.

C) prairie.

D) taiga.

E) tundra.

23) As the average global temperature continues to increase, which type of biome(s) will take over the regions currently inhabited by temperate forests?

A) tropical seasonal forests

B) tropical rain forests and deserts

C) taiga and woodlands

D) tropical seasonal forests and deserts

E) tundra and savannas

24) A forest found in a broad belt in northern Eurasia and North America, with conifers and swamps, is called the

A) tropical rain forest.

B) tundra.

C) taiga.

D) chaparral.

E) temperate deciduous forest.

25) In what order do these layers occur in deep lakes in the temperate zone during the summer? 

A) epilimnion - thermocline - hypolimnion

B) thermocline - epilimnion - hypolimnion

C) hypolimnion - epilimnion - thermocline

D) epilimnion - hypolimnion - thermocline

26) Coniferous forests are found in all of the following locations EXCEPT

A) coastal areas of the southeastern United States.

B) northern Africa and the extreme southwestern United States.

C) the Pacific coast of North America.

D) the northern part of North America and Eurasia.

27) A treeless region with little rainfall in the far north is the

A) grassland.

B) tundra.

C) taiga.

D) chaparral.

E) desert.

28) If the mean annual precipitation of a region, currently characterized by grasslands, was to increase by 50 cm. per year, what type of biome(s) would evolve in that region?

A) temperate forests

B) savanna

C) deserts and tropical rain forests

D) taiga and temperate rain forests

E) temperate forests and shrublands

29) A biome with complex structure, warm weather, plentiful rainfall, and diverse species is a

A) tropical rain forest.

B) savanna.

C) taiga.

D) tundra.

30) A biome characterized by hot days, cold nights, and cacti is the

A) tundra.

B) desert.

C) taiga.

D) tropical rain forest.

31) Which ocean current runs along the western coast of South America producing cold offshore winds?

A) Humboldt Current

B) equatorial countercurrent

C) Gulf Stream

D) west wind drift current

E) east wind drift

32) The temperature is nearly uniform throughout a lake

A) during winter when the ice forms an insulating cover.

B) during summer when the sunlight warms the surface and the wind mixes the layers.

C) by the end of the fall and spring overturn.

D) at all times due to winds causing constant mixing of the layers.

E) never. The lake always has different temperature layers and they are reversed in winter and summer.

33) Which of the following statements about stratified temperate zone lakes is NOT true?

A) Solar radiation warms the surface layers in summer.

B) Rich nutrients from the continual production of detritus accumulate near the surface of the lake.

C) Temperature gradients change from summer to winter.

D) Populations of plankton and zooplankton depend on both sunlight and nutrient levels.

E) Wind aids in the circulation of water.

34) Identify the winter solstice, summer solstice, vernal equinox, and autumnal equinox in the picture. Briefly describe the position of the Earth in relation to the sun and the time of year each event occurs.

A. ________

B. ________

C. ________

D. ________

35) The part of a body of water where light does not penetrate is the

A) littoral zone.

B) benthic division.

C) pelagic division.

D) profundal zone.

E) limnetic zone.

36) Identify the biomes labeled A, B, and C in the maps. Describe the general locations and climate in each biome.

37) The sunlit portion of a lake where rooted plants are not found is the

A) littoral zone.

B) limnetic zone.

C) profundal zone.

D) benthic zone.

E) abyssal zone.

38) The portion of a lake or stream that harbors worms, clams, and other organisms is the

A) littoral zone.

B) limnetic zone.

C) profundal zone.

D) benthic zone.

E) abyssal zone.

39) Which association between zone and description is NOT correct?

A) littoral - lake zone closest to shore

B) benthic - stream, lake, or ocean floor

C) limnetic - lake zone on surface away from shore

D) bathypelagic - sunlit portion of the ocean

40) There are tubeworms and clams that live at the bottom of the ocean near thermal vents that do not have direct access to sunlight so they derive their energy from

A) the sun by way of burning fossil fuels like we do with coal and oil.

B) the sun, but they are deep in the dark ocean and live off dead detritus that sink to them.

C) chemosynthetic bacteria.

D) sources not yet known.

41) Which of the following events will occur as an ocean current moves from an equatorial region towards a polar region?

A) The current will be warm as it leaves the equatorial region and begins to cool as it moves towards the polar region. This in turn will cause the air currents to become cooler as they move closer to the poles, creating a tundra type of biome.

B) The current will be cool as it leaves the equatorial region and begins to warm as it moves towards the polar region. This in turn will cause the air currents to become cooler as they move closer to the poles, creating a tundra type of biome.

C) The current will be warm as it leaves the equatorial region and begins to cool as it moves towards the polar region. This in turn will cause the air currents to become warmer as they move closer to the poles, creating a grassland type of biome.

D) The current will be warm as it leaves the equatorial region and begins to cool as it moves towards the polar region. This in turn will cause the air currents to become warmer as they move closer to the poles, creating a desert type of biome.

E) The current will be warm as it leaves the equatorial region and become even warmer as it moves towards the polar region. This in turn will cause the air currents to become warmer and drier as they move closer to the poles, creating a tundra type of biome.

42) Wetlands are generally classified by their vegetation. Wetlands dominated by trees and shrubs are ________ and wetlands dominated by grasses and sedges are ________.

A) marshes; swamps

B) swamps; marshes

C) marshes; pine savannas

D) bogs; swamps

43) Which of the following is NOT strictly a freshwater community?

A) lakes

B) rivers

C) estuaries

D) streams

E) ponds

44) When a cold ocean current brings rich nutrients to the surface and influences the climate of the region, it is called a(n)

A) guano.

B) lake effect.

C) upwelling.

D) monsoon.

E) profundal zone.

45) Among the many functions of wetlands is (are)

A) providing food and habitats for fish, waterfowl, and wildlife.

B) purifying water by filtering it and breaking down toxic wastes and nutrients.

C) absorbing storm and overflow waters.

D) All of the choices are functions performed by wetlands.

46) Due to its high productivity and biological diversity, this biome is considered the "nursery" of the sea.

A) rocky beach

B) sandy beach

C) estuary

D) coral reef

E) ocean floor

47) A rain shadow is the region where heavy condensation precipitates out, as warm, moist air rises and then cools on the windward side of mountain ranges.

48) The early explorers used sailing ships, which were blown by the major winds; therefore, Columbus and other sailors generally traveled from Europe to North America by the mid-latitude westerlies, and returned to Europe by the southern easterlies near the equator.

49) The Humboldt Current runs along the coast of South America, carrying nitrogen-rich cold water northward.

50) As the Earth moves from the summer solstice towards the vernal equinox, the equatorial regions of the Earth will be in direct alignment with the sun.

51) Explain what is meant by the rain shadow effect.

52) Identify the correct sequence that freshwater will flow through.

A) clouds - streams - river - wetlands - delta - ocean

B) clouds - river - stream - delta - wetlands - ocean

C) ocean - clouds - stream - estuary - river

D) cloud - river - stream - delta - marsh - ocean

E) ocean - delta - estuary - river - stream - marsh

53) What is the correct order of biome distribution starting at the lowest elevation and moving to higher elevations?

A) tropical forest - deciduous forest - montane coniferous forest - alpine tundra

B) tropical forest - deciduous forest - desert - alpine tundra

C) deciduous forest - montane coniferous forest - tropical forest - alpine tundra

D) tropical forest - grasslands - montane coniferous forest - deciduous forest

E) montane coniferous forest - alpine tundra - temperate deciduous forest - savanna

54) What is the main reason that the oceans play a larger role than land masses in determining the temperature of air masses?

A) The ocean holds its temperature longer than land masses.

B) The ocean currents are constantly moving while land masses are stationary.

C) The ocean is flat while land masses have topographical features to break up air patterns.

D) The ocean currents move in a circular pattern while land masses are stationary.

55) Which of the following biomes will receive migratory animals, such as caribou, from the tundra?

A) coniferous forest

B) temperate deciduous forest

C) polar ice

D) grasslands

E) tropical rain forest

56) List the biome distribution starting at the northern most latitude and moving south.

57) Which aquatic zone will provide a habitat for invertebrates and many small fish?

A) littoral zone

B) profundal zone

C) epipelagic zone

D) limnetic zone

58) Which of the following correctly pair ocean and lake zones?

A) epipelagic - benthic

B) mesopelagic - profundal

C) littoral - bathypelagic

D) mesopelagic - epipelagic

E) epipelagic - limnetic