The Plankton, Productivity, And Food Ch12 Complete Test Bank

Investigating Oceanography, 3e (Sverdrup)

Chapter 12 The Plankton, Productivity, and Food Webs

1) The upper boundary of the aphotic zone is determined by the depth of solar light penetration.

2) Productivity tends to be higher in the open ocean than the coastal ocean.

3) Organisms that float, but cannot swim against the tides and waves, are known as ________.

A) photon

B) aphoton

C) plankton

D) nekton

E) benthos

4) The plankton, benthos, and nekton are subdivisions of the ________.

A) seafloor

B) littoral

C) oceanic water column

D) organisms

E) continental shelf

5) The only zone of the ocean with sufficient light for photosynthesis is the ________.

A) euphotic zone

B) aphotic zone

C) disphotic zone

D) None of these choices is correct.

E) All of these choices are correct.

6) Net primary production equals gross primary production minus the respiration requirements of plants or phytoplankton.

7) Gross primary production is the rate of production of organic material by photosynthesis required for both the respiration of the plants or algae and the production of new material.

8) The standing stock of a population is equivalent to its biomass.

9) If both primary productivity and grazing are large, the standing stock cannot be small.

10) Primary productivity per square meter of ocean surface is, on the average, higher in the neritic zone than in the oceanic zone.

11) In temperate regions, both winter mixing and summer's increasing solar radiation control primary production.

12) At low latitudes, primary production is controlled more by the seasonality of the sunlight than by the availability of nutrients.

13) Nutrients tend to be liberated by decomposition of organic matter at depth and returned to the surface by the physical processes of vertical circulation.

14) Approximately 15 percent of the world's ocean area produces eighty-five percent of the ocean's harvest.

15) The total productivity of upwelling areas is greater than the total productivity of open-ocean areas.

16) Greater mixing and nutrients from the land cause the coastal areas to generally have higher primary productivity than the open ocean.

17) The total primary production of the world's oceans is determined more by the large seaweeds than it is by the single-celled microscopic phytoplankton.

18) The shorter food chains of coastal and upwelling areas generally are more efficient than longer open-ocean food chains.

19) If the rate of uptake of dissolved inorganic carbon by phytoplankton is measured, the rate of production of organic matter can be calculated.

20) In grams of carbon per square meter per day, the open-ocean environment is as productive as a tropical rainforest.

21) When primary productivity is high, the standing crop remains high and nearly constant.

22) Areas of divergence promote higher rates of primary production.

23) Chlorophyll a absorbs energy mostly in the blue and red wavelengths.

24) Satellites can detect ocean color.

25) Primary productivity is measured in terms of gC/m2/day.

26) Productivity is higher at a surface convergence than surface divergence.

27) Primary productivity is best described as ________.

A) population

B) standing crop

C) life expectancy

D) rate of birth minus rate of death

E) rate of production of organic carbon

28) Productivity in tropical oceans is limited by nutrient availability.

29) Approximately the same amount of primary productivity occurs in the oceans as occurs on land.

30) Phytoplankton biomass can be measured by satellite.

31) Which of the following is not necessary for photosynthesis?

A) light

B) chlorophyll

C) oxygen

D) water

E) carbon dioxide

32) A high-oxygen content and a low-nutrient content in surface seawater indicate that a population of ________ are present.

A) animals

B) phytoplankton

C) bacteria

D) decomposers

E) None of these is correct; they indicate no life presence.

33) The arctic region has low annual productivity because ________.

A) the nutrient supply is low

B) the water is cold

C) ice covers the water in winter

D) the intensity of solar radiation is low

E) the oxygen level of the surface waters is low

34) Upwelling areas are more productive than oceanic areas because ________ in upwellings.

A) organic matter is more concentrated

B) food chains are shorter

C) there are more nutrients

D) All of these are correct.

E) None of these is correct.

35) In terms of grams of carbon per square meter per day, the open-ocean environment is about as productive as ________.

A) prairie land

B) alpine forests

C) deserts

D) intensively farmed fields

E) tropical rain forests

36) At temperate latitudes, a stable water column with a pycnocline near the surface will ________ primary production in the spring and ________ primary production in late summer.

A) decrease; increase

B) increase; increase

C) increase; decrease

D) decrease; decrease

E) None of these is correct; both will be moderately productive.

37) When new marine phytoplankton biomass is produced by photosynthesis, dissolved carbon dioxide is converted to ________.

A) carbon dioxide gas

B) carbon dioxide solids

C) soluble inorganic compounds

D) organic carbon compounds

E) None of these is correct.

38) Although light, nitrogen, and phosphorous are abundant in the Pacific and Southern Oceans, the plankton are less abundant due to ________.

A) low surface temperature

B) low oxygen levels at the surface

C) lack of iron in surface waters

D) low surface temperature and lack of iron in surface waters

E) low surface temperature, low oxygen levels at the surface, and lack of iron in surface waters

39) The most numerous and greatest biomass of herbivores are ________.

A) zooplankton

B) fish

C) the great whales

D) primary consumers

E) zooplankton and primary consumers

40) A standing crop of phytoplankton can be measure by ________.

A) determining the chlorophyll a content of a sample

B) weighing the cells in a sample

C) counting the cells in a sample

D) All of these are correct.

E) None of these is correct.

41) There is less biomass per unit volume available for harvesting in the open ocean, as compared to upwelling and coastal zones, because ________.

A) there are less nutrients

B) there is less oxygen

C) the salinity is greater

D) the temperature is lower

E) All of these are correct.

42) As a general rule, total biomass ________, size of individuals ________, and number of individuals ________ as you move up a trophic pyramid.

A) increases; decreases; decreases

B) decreases; increases; decreases

C) increases; decreases; increases

D) decreases; decreases; increases

E) increases; increases; increases

43) At higher and higher trophic levels, there are usually ________ and ________ animals.

A) fewer; smaller

B) fewer; larger

C) more; smaller

D) more; larger

E) None of these is correct; there is no change in number or size.

44) In a simple food chain with 10-percent efficiency, a net primary production rate at the first trophic level is 10,000 units. How many units are available to the fourth trophic level?

A) 1000

B) 100

C) 10

D) 1

E) 0.1

45) Which compound does not serve as a pigment in phytoplankton?

A) chlorophyll c

B) chlorophyll a

C) fucoxanthin

D) hemoglobin

E) phycoerythrin

46) In temperate waters, the timing of the phytoplankton bloom is influenced by ________.

A) light intensity

B) inorganic nutrient concentrations

C) stability of the water column

D) zooplankton abundance

E) All of these are correct.

47) If the net primary production in a region is continually consumed by herbivores, the standing stock ________.

A) increases

B) decreases

C) does not change

D) increases, decreases, or does not change depending on the time of year

E) increases, decreases, or does not change depending on the nutrients present

48) The biomass of planktonic, unicellular algae in tropical regions ________.

A) remains nearly constant over the year

B) increases during the summer months

C) decreases during the summer months

D) increases during the winter months

E) decreases during the winter months

49) An increase in the chlorophyll a content of a seawater sample with time yields a measurement of ________.

A) change in the species of phytoplankton in the sample

B) gross production of organic carbon

C) plant respiration

D) net production of organic carbon

E) decomposition of plant cells

50) A food web is ________.

A) a net for trapping marine organisms

B) a plan of interactive food chains and energy

C) an inverse trophic pyramid

D) used only with herring life histories

E) a diagram of an organism's life history

51) Adding iron to the surface of the ocean has been shown to ________.

A) have no impact on phytoplankton community composition

B) increase phytoplankton production for an initial short period

C) make no difference to phytoplankton production

D) be toxic to phytoplankton production

E) All of these are false; this experiment has never been tried.

52) The highest rates of productivity in temperate waters occur in ________.

A) spring

B) winter

C) summer

D) fall

E) Productivity is the same during all seasons.

53) The most common nutrient that limits coastal productivity is ________.

A) oxygen

B) phosphate

C) nitrate

D) carbon

E) iron

54) If baleen whales eat krill that eat diatoms, krill represents the ________ trophic level.

A) first

B) second

C) third

D) fourth

E) fifth

55) The Redfield Ratio is ________.

A) N:C:P 106:16:1

B) P:C:N 106:16:1

C) C:P:N 106:16:1

D) C:N:P 106:16:1

E) P:N:C 106:16:1

56) The period of highest productivity in polar areas is ________.

A) summer

B) winter

C) spring

D) fall

E) Productivity is similar in all seasons.

57) Net plankton are larger than nannoplankton.

58) Sargassum is the only large planktonic seaweed.

59) The coccoliths on the outside of coccolithophores are made of silica.

60) Krill is the common name for copepods.

61) Comb jelly is another name for jellyfish.

62) Red tides may or may not be poisonous to other marine organisms.

63) The dominant phytoplankton in the open ocean are members of the picoplankton.

64) Viral abundance is strongly correlated with plankton biomass.

65) All harmful algal blooms are caused by dinoflagellates.

66) DOM or dissolved organic matter is largely unused by other organisms.

67) The most abundant phytoplankton in the open ocean is the cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus.

68) Holoplankton spend only their larval stages in the plankton.

69) Archaea are found only in physically extreme environments such as hydrothermal vents.

70) All phytoplankton are capable of photosynthesis.

71) Cyanobacteria are one of only a few organisms able to use nitrogen gas to make organic matter.

72) Some phytoplankton species migrate as much as 500 m vertically every day.

73) Some ctenophores are herbivores while others are carnivores.

74) Autotrophic organisms are ________.

A) able to chemosynthesize

B) the base of the food web

C) able to photosynthesize

D) All of these are correct.

E) None of these is correct.

75) Dinoflagellates are known for ________.

A) producing toxins that can be lethal to humans

B) their ability to glow with bioluminescence

C) their formation of bottom sediments

D) producing toxins that can be lethal to humans and their ability to glow with bioluminescence

E) producing toxins that can be lethal to humans, their ability to glow with bioluminescence, and their formation of bottom sediments

76) Dinoflagellates and coccolithophores belong to the ________.

A) phytoplankton

B) zooplankton

C) benthos

D) nekton

E) decomposers

77) Diatoms are able to ________.

A) form chains to help floating

B) store oil to reduce their density

C) produce two flagella that provide motility and reduce sinking

D) form chains to help floating and store oil to reduce their density

E) form chains to help floating, store oil to reduce their density, and produce two flagella that provide motility and reduce sinking

78) Which is not a member of the zooplankton?

A) a copepod

B) an arrow worm

C) a fish egg

D) a diatom

E) a jellyfish

79) Populations of zooplankton can ________.

A) accumulate at water-layer density boundaries

B) move toward the sea surface at night

C) reflect sound waves

D) accumulate at water-layer density boundaries and reflect sound waves

E) accumulate at water-layer density boundaries, move toward the sea surface at night, and reflect sound waves

80) Which organisms are members of the holoplankton?

A) foraminiferans

B) pteropods

C) comb jellies

D) All of these are correct.

E) None of these is correct.

81) Larval stages of starfish, barnacles, and crabs belong to the ________.

A) nekton

B) benthos

C) phytoplankton

D) holoplankton

E) meroplankton

82) Bacteria living in the ocean are ________.

A) a food source for other organisms

B) decomposers of organic matter

C) recyclers of nutrients

D) All of these are correct.

E) None of these is correct.

83) Harmful algal blooms can ________.

A) contaminate shellfish with toxins

B) kill fish

C) clog fishing nets

D) impact marine mammals

E) All of these are correct.

84) Harmful algal blooms can be triggered by ________.

A) nutrient runoff from land

B) high-salinity water

C) temperature and light combinations

D) disturbing cells buried in the sediments

E) All of these are correct.

85) When centric diatoms reproduce by simple cell division, the two new daughter cells are ________.

A) both smaller than the parent cell

B) both the same size as the parent cell

C) both larger than the parent cell

D) of unequal size

E) None of these is correct; centric diatoms do not reproduce in this way.

86) Zooplankton in the deep scattering layer (DSL) ________.

A) scatter during the night, removing the DSL

B) move away from the surface during the night

C) rise toward the surface during the day

D) move away from the surface during the day

E) remain at the same depth during both day and night

87) Measurements of chlorophyll a fluorescence are made at sea to determine the biomass of ________.

A) meroplankton

B) phytoplankton

C) holoplankton

D) meroplankton and holoplankton

E) meroplankton, phytoplankton, and holoplankton

88) Plankton that range between 200 microns and 2 millimeters in size are considered ________.

A) macroplankton

B) microplankton

C) meroplankton

D) nanoplankton

E) picoplankton

89) Dinoflagellate cell walls are composed of ________.

A) silica

B) calcium carbonate

C) cellulose

D) a combination of these choices

E) None of these choices.

90) Some planktonic cyanobacteria have the ability to "fix" which of the following elements, thus having a fertilizing effect on the marine environment similar to the ability of the land plants legumes?

A) oxygen

B) helium

C) hydrogen

D) nitrogen

91) In the dark-light bottle experiment, which one of the following is measured in the dark bottle?

A) photosynthesis

B) respiration

C) decomposition

D) photosynthesis plus respiration

E) chlorophyll concentration

92) The richest fishing areas of the world are mostly located ________.

A) in waters where coral reefs are common

B) in waters where equatorial upwelling takes place

C) in open waters far from coasts

D) in waters where coastal upwelling takes place

E) in waters around Antarctica and in the Arctic

93) The difference between food webs and food chains is that food webs ________.

A) consist of only one trophic level

B) include primary producers as well as consumers

C) do not take into account predators

D) only outline feeding relationships among consumers

E) are more complex

94) Salt-tolerant plants include cordgrasses and mangroves.

95) There are no bacteria that are capable of photosynthesis.

96) Coccolithophorids and diatoms both use calcium carbonate as part of their external skeletons, or shells.

97) Mineral ballasting allows organic-rich fecal pellets to sink faster.

98) Cyanobacteria such as Trichodesmium play an important role in the oceans because they fix nitrogen gas.

99) Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are always associated with toxins.

100) Holoplankton spend part of their lives in the water column and part of their lives in the benthos.

101) Viral abundance decreases with depth and distance from shore.

102) Areas of divergence where upwelled water reaches the surface typically have very low productivity.

103) Phytoplankton use all of the following as part of the cell structure except ________.

A) cellulose

B) silica

C) calcium carbonate

D) iron

104) Depending on the time of year, ________ can account for between 10 to 50 percent of net primary production in the open ocean.

A) dinoflagellates

B) Prochlorococcus

C) Synechococcus

D) diatoms

E) Rhizosolenia

105) Meroplankton spend only a part of their lifecycle in the water column. Common examples include ________.

A) copepods

B) krill

C) sea star larvae

D) salps

106) One of the most abundant groups of microorganisms on the planet is ________.

A) marine group I Archaea

B) Prochlorococcus

C) tintinnids

D) copepods

107) Common photosynthetic pigments include all of the following except ________.

A) chlorophyll a

B) fucoxanthin

C) fluorescence

D) phycoerythrin

108) Bottom-up control of primary productivity refers to control by all of the following except ________.

A) light

B) grazing

C) nutrients

D) temperature

E) salinity

109) Assuming 10-percent trophic efficiency, the other 90 percent of the energy associated with a given trophic level is ________.

A) transferred to higher trophic levels

B) lost as heat

C) converted to bioluminescence

D) transferred to lower trophic levels

110) High-nutrient, low chlorophyll a (HNLC) regions include ________.

A) the subarctic Pacific

B) the North Atlantic

C) the Indian Ocean

D) the Gulf Stream

E) the Gulf of Mexico

111) The vast open ocean is dominated by picoplankton that are efficiently grazed by ________.

A) whales

B) heterotrophic dinoflagellates

C) ciliates and tintinnids

D) copepods

112) The nutrient-poor open ocean tends to support a(n) ________ biological pump compared to coastal and upwelling regions.

A) efficient

B) inefficient

C) complex

D) ballasted

113) As organic material sinks through the ocean, much of it is remineralized by ________.

A) inorganic chemical reactions

B) increasing pH

C) viruses

D) heterotrophic bacteria

114) At midlatitudes in spring, a phytoplankton bloom is often preceded by ________.

A) vertical mixing exceeding the critical depth

B) vertical mixing becoming shallower than the critical depth

C) the critical depth being equal to the compensation depth

D) the critical depth becoming shallower than the thermocline

115) At high latitudes, phytoplankton blooms are typically most limited by ________.

A) light

B) temperature

C) grazing

D) nutrients

116) At low (tropical) latitudes, phytoplankton blooms are typically most limited by ________.

A) light

B) temperature

C) grazing

D) nutrients

117) In HNLC regions, phytoplankton blooms are typically most limited by ________.

A) iron

B) nitrogen

C) light

D) grazing

E) phosphorus

118) Rates of primary productivity in the open ocean are about the same as ________.

A) rainforests

B) deserts and grasslands

C) intensive agriculture regions

D) pastures

119) All of the following are true plants except ________.

A) mangroves

B) sea grasses

C) marsh grasses

D) seaweed

E) halophytes

120) Sargassum belongs to which of the following taxonomic groups?

A) mangroves

B) sea grasses

C) marsh grasses

D) seaweed

E) halophytes

121) Bacterioplankton fall typically to which of the following size ranges?

A) 1–2 cm

B) 1–2 mm

C) 1–2 μm

D) 1–2 nm

E) 1–2 pm

122) Bacterioplankton includes which of the following?

A) archaea

B) eukaryotes

C) viruses

D) protists

E) None of these

123) Zooplankton are always ________.

A) animals

B) multicellular

C) heterotrophs

D) All of these are correct.

E) None of these is correct.

124) Crustacean zooplankton include the following groups except ________.

A) krill

B) copepods

C) euphausids

D) chaetognaths

E) None of these is a crustacean.

125) In the dark-light bottle experiment, which one of the following is measured in the clear bottle?

A) photosynthesis

B) respiration

C) decomposition

D) photosynthesis plus respiration

E) chlorophyll concentration

126) During a dark-light bottle experiment, the light bottle yielded a change of +10 in arbitrary units of oxygen change, while the dark bottle yielded a change of –2. What is the rate of gross photosynthesis?

A) +2

B) +8

C) +10

D) +12

E) –20

127) Satellites can detect ocean color by taking advantage of the fact that chlorophyll absorbs ________.

A) radioactivity

B) green and blue light

C) red and green light

D) blue and green light

E) blue and red light

128) Phytoplankton blooms can occur when the following are present in abundance except ________.

A) light

B) nitrate

C) phosphate

D) zooplankton

E) carbon dioxide