Chapter 18 Primary and Secondary Production Flashcards

1
Q

Which ingredient is not required in the process of carbon fixation to occur?

A

O2

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2
Q

Which of the following is not one of the uses of forest biomass?

A

It is used as an energy source for photosynthesis.

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3
Q

When studying ecosystems, Arthur Tansley realized the importance of considering organisms and their environment as a(n) ______ system.

A

integrated

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4
Q

Which ecosystem components are studied by an ecosystem ecologist?

A

flow of nutrients

flow of water

flow of energy

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5
Q

Which statement best fits the definition of primary production over some period of time?

A

production of new organic matter by autotrophs

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6
Q

Select the statement that best describes the process of carbon fixation.

A

PAR converts CO2 into sugar and other biomass.

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7
Q

Which formula best represents the rate of primary production?

A

1,000 m3 new biomass / week

Primary production is the rate (area or volume divided by time) at which primary production is occurring

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8
Q

Which organism would directly use the biomass produced by forest vegetation?

A

rabbit

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9
Q

The type of production that is a measure of the total amount of biomass produced by all of the autotrophs is ______.

A

gross primary

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10
Q

An ecosystem is a biological community and all of the ______.

A

abiotic factors influencing it

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11
Q

Identify the different ways in which primary production is measured.

A

the levels of oxygen production by primary producers

the rate of carbon uptake by primary producers

the amount of biomass produced by producer

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12
Q

Which statement is true in regard to studying ecosystems according to Tansley?

A

The chemical, physical, and biological process are equally important to study.

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13
Q

When determining an organism’s trophic level, what group is used as the start of the transfer of energy?

A

primary producers

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14
Q

The general class of organisms that are responsible for primary production is _____

A

autotrophs

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15
Q

In which trophic level are the carnivores that feed upon herbivores placed?

A

third

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16
Q

How is the rate of primary production measured?

A

Amount of biomass / interval of time

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17
Q

Which environmental conditions would most likely produce the highest primary productivity?

A

warm and moist

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18
Q

Which type of primary production will have a larger value?

A

gross

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19
Q

What is annual actual evapotranspiration (AET)?

A

the total amount of water that evaporates and transpires during the course of a year

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20
Q

What is one of the main ways in which primary production is measured?

A

the rate of carbon uptake by primary producers

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21
Q

What is the definition of a trophic level?

A

an organism’s position within a food web

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22
Q

Which two ecosystems would have the lowest AET levels?

A

tundra

hot desert

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23
Q

In what trophic level are detritivores placed?

A

second

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24
Q

Identify the two key variables that are highly correlated with variation in terrestrial primary production.

A

moisture

temperature

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25
Q

From the choices given, identify the biome that has the greatest net primary productivity.

A

temperate deciduous forest

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26
Q

Annual actual evapotranspiration (AET) is reported in what way?

A

millimeters of water evaporated and transpired per year

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27
Q

Which two states had the highest net primary productivity in the central grassland region of the United States?

A

Arkansas

Mississippi

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28
Q

Which variable helps explain the difference in terrestrial primary productivity within the same ecosystem?

A

soil fertility

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29
Q

Which ecosystem would you predict would have the highest AET?

A

jungle

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30
Q

Liebig’s Law of the Minimum helped scientists gain which perspective about primary productivity?

A

Variation in soil fertility can affect the rates of primary production.

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31
Q

Which nutrients were included in the fertilizer added to the Alaskan tundra during the Shaver and Chapin study?

A

nitrogen

potassium

phosphorus

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32
Q

Identify the biome that has an actual evapotranspiration rate closest to 250 mm H2O / yr.

A

Arctic tundra

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33
Q

Identify the minimum increase in net primary production at the Shaver and Chapin Alaska tundra study sites.

A

23%

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34
Q

Which statement is correct about the levels of net primary productivity in the central grassland region of the United States?

A

Primary production was highest in the east and lowest in the west.

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35
Q

Primary production increased by 178% when nitrogen and phosphate were added to a dry alpine meadow. How much did the primary production increase when only nitrogen was added?

A

63%

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36
Q

Which two soil nutrients play the greatest role in determining terrestrial primary productivity?

A

phosphorus

nitrogen

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37
Q

Which nutrient was found to be a limiting nutrient in the wet meadow but not in dry meadow?

A

phosphorus

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38
Q

Which statement describes Liebig’s (1840) Law of the Minimum?

A

A single nutrient controls primary productivity.

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39
Q

Which nutrient was determined to be a limiting factor in the biomass of phytoplankton?

A

total phosphorus

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40
Q

What was the source of the nutrients Shaver and Chapin added to the arctic tundra during their study?

A

commercial fertilizer

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41
Q

Which nutrient proved to be a limiting factor in the phytoplankton biomass in temperate zone lakes?

A

phosphorus

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42
Q

Identify the maximum increase in net primary productivity at the Shaver and Chapin study sites.

A

300%

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43
Q

Which nutrients produce an increase in phytoplankton biomass in the Experimental Lake Area study area?

A

carbon

sucrose

nitrate

44
Q

Which combination of fertilizers produced a 178% increase in primary production of the dry alpine meadow?

A

nitrogen and phosphorus

45
Q

How did Lake 226 respond once the fertilizer was no longer being added?

A

The phytoplankton biomass declined.

46
Q

Which nutrient is considered the main nutrient that limits net primary production in dry meadows?

A

nitrogen

47
Q

Which region of the ocean will have the highest net primary productivity?

A

Over continental shelves

48
Q

What is the correct relationship between total phosphorus and plankton biomass when conditions are otherwise good for plankton growth?

A

High total phosphorus is correlated with high phytoplankton biomass.

49
Q

The term used for the movement of water that brings nutrients to surface waters the ocean from deeper waters is ______

A

upwelling

50
Q

What would likely occur to the phytoplankton biomass of a lake if a large amount of phosphorus were to be added?

A

The biomass would increase.

51
Q

What feature prevents the open ocean from experiencing a significant amount of vertical mixing?

A

A permanent thermocline

52
Q

Which nutrient combination increased the phytoplankton biomass the most in the Experimental Lake Area study?

A

carbon, nitrate, and phosphate

53
Q

How did Lake 226 respond to the addition of nutrients?

A

The phytoplankton biomass increased.

54
Q

The nutrient that is most often the limiting factor for marine ecosystems is _____

A

nitrogen

55
Q

Which regions of the ocean have the highest net primary productivity? (Select all that apply.)

A

Areas over continental shelves

Areas of upwelling

Margins of the continents

56
Q

Which residual variation factor, suggested by Dillon and Rigler, is believed to influence phytoplankton biomass?

A

Intensity of predation on the zooplankton.

57
Q

In what ways are nutrients renewed along continental margins? (Select all that apply.)

A

breakdown of organic matter

upwelling of the ocean currents

runoff from land

58
Q

What is the main source of nutrient renewal in the open ocean?

A

Vertical mixing

59
Q

A collection of plants with similar physiological and anatomical characteristics that influence their seasonality, resources requirements, and life histories is known as a(n) ______.

A

plant functional group

60
Q

In which aquatic ecosystem is nitrogen the limiting nutrient for phytoplankton biomass?

A

marine

61
Q

What is the scatter of points around lines showing a relationship between nutrient concentrations and phytoplankton biomass called?

A

Residual variation

62
Q

As the number of algal species increases in a lake, you would expect ______ in primary production

A

an increase

63
Q

A plant functional group consists of plants with similar ______ that influence their seasonality, resource requirements, and life histories.

A

physiological and anatomical characteristics

64
Q

Identify the bottom-up control.

A

average temperature

65
Q

Identify the top-down control.

A

Which nutrient combination increased the phytoplankton biomass the most in the Experimental Lake Area study?

66
Q

The nutrient that is most often the limiting factor for marine ecosystems is ______

A

nitrogen

67
Q

Which organism would most likely cause a trophic cascade?

A

grey wolf

68
Q

Which of the following is the first step in a trophic cascade in a freshwater lake?

A

Piscivore fish feed on the planktivorous fish.

69
Q

The primary production of a large lake has been increasing over time; a likely cause is ______ the lake.

A

an increase in the diversity of primary producers in

70
Q

Organize the order of events, with the first at the top, that occurred when the levels of planktivorous fish was reduced in a lake.

A
  1. predaceous invertebrate pop inc
  2. herbivorous pop shifted to larger individ
  3. herbivorous pop fed upon phytoplankon
  4. phytoplankon biomass and rate of primary prod declined
71
Q

Which of the following factors are bottom-up controls of ecosystems?

A

physical factors

chemical factors

72
Q

Organize in order, with the first change at the top, the events that would occur in a lake ecosystem if the biomass of planktivorous fish increased.

A
  1. zooplankton biomass dec
  2. avg size of herbivorous zooplank dec
  3. phytoplank biomass inc
  4. primary prod inc
73
Q

Which of the following is a type of top-down control on ecosystems?

A

type of predators

74
Q

The group of herbivorous organisms responsible for consuming 66% of the primary production on the Serengeti grasslands is _____

A

grazers

75
Q

What are the effects of a trophic cascade?

A

a change in the prey abundance

a change in the productivity of a population

a change in the biomass

76
Q

Which abiotic factors stimulate plant production in a grassland ecosystem?

A

rainfall levels

soil fertility

77
Q

List in order, with the highest consumer at the top, the steps of a trophic cascade in a freshwater lake.

A
  1. pisciover fish feed on plankon fish
  2. plankton fish feed on zooplank
  3. zooplank feed on phyto
  4. phyto determeine biomass lvl
78
Q

What happened when the levels of planktivorous fish were reduced in a lake?

A

There was a decrease in primary productivity.

79
Q

What mechanisms underly compensatory growth?

A

lower rates of respiration

a reduction in self-shading

80
Q

Identify the correct result of an increase in the biomass of planktivorous fish in a lake ecosystem.

A

The zooplankton biomass decreased.

81
Q

Which type of grazing pattern resulted in compensatory growth of the plants?

A

intermediate intensity

82
Q

What type of potential influence do grazers have on the primary production of the Serengeti grasslands?

A

high

83
Q

What was the primary production when the grazing intensity reached 0.4?

A

450 g/m2/yr

84
Q

Which influences on grassland ecosystems are produced by grazing mammals?

A

soil fertility

plant production

85
Q

What happens to sunlight as it shines upon a forest?

A

Some is reflected from the forest canopy.

Some is converted into heat energy.

86
Q

Trophic dynamics is the transfer of energy from one part of an ecosystem to ______.

A

another part of it

87
Q

What event would cause plants to undergo compensatory growth?

A

grazing by herbivores

88
Q

During ecological transfer, about 5% to __% of the energy is transferred from a lower trophic level to a higher one.

A

20%

89
Q

Why does heavy grazing not result in compensatory growth of plants?

A

It reduces the plant’s capacity to recover.

90
Q

True or false: There is no theoretical upper limit on the number of trophic levels that can exist in an ecosystem.

A

False

91
Q

Which grazing intensity produced the highest primary production?

A

0.5

92
Q

What plant structure is responsible for absorbing solar energy?

A

chlorophyll in the leaves

93
Q

In what ways is energy lost in ecosystems?

A

loss of energy as heat

respiration by consumers

limited consumption

94
Q

When studying trophic dynamics, what is the key component that is being discussed?

A

transfer of energy

95
Q

Which of the following statements is true regarding the models displayed in the figure? Experimental and observational studies indicate ______.

A

greater support for the ratio-dependent model

96
Q

The typical range of energy being transferred to the next higher tropic level varies from 5% to 20%. The percent transferred is called the ecological _____

A

Efficiency

97
Q

What is the main source of energy at the bottom trophic level of the salt marsh ecosystem?

A

detritus of salt marsh grass

98
Q

What is the factor in all ecosystems that limits the number of trophic levels present?

A

the amount of energy lost as the energy is transferred between trophic levels

99
Q

What information did Peterson gain during his salt marsh study by investigating the ratios of stable isotopes?

A

the contribution of alternative food sources to the diet of the mussel

100
Q

Out of the producers in the salt marsh study, plankton had the highest concentration of which isotope?

A

34 S

101
Q

What happens to energy as it is transfered from one trophic level to the next?

A

Some energy is lost.

102
Q

As primary production increases, the abundance of organisms ______.

A

increases at all trophic levels

103
Q

What are the various forms of energy for consumers in a salt marsh?

A

phytoplankton

upland plants

detritus

104
Q

Which isotopes did Peterson use in order to determine the food sources of mussels in the salt marsh?

A

sulfur

nitrogen

carbon

105
Q

During the salt marsh study, which group of producers was the most depleted of 13 C?

A

Upland plants