Module 9 Ecology and the Biosphere Flashcards
There is a single path through a food chain.
true
A grazing food web has plants or other photosynthetic organisms at its base, followed by herbivores and various carnivores.
true
Food web diagrams illustrate how energy flows directionally through ecosystems.
true
The water cycle is driven by the sun’s energy, as it warms the oceans and other surface waters.
true
Most groundwater reservoirs, or aquifers, are the source of drinking or irrigation water drawn up through wells.
true
The synthesis of ammonia is involved in the nitrogen cycle.
true
Natural surface runoff occurs when it is leached from phosphate-containing rock by weathering, thus sending phosphates into rivers, lakes, and the ocean.
true
Carbon is present in all organic molecules.
true
Carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere dissolves in phosphorus and reacts with water molecules to form ionic compounds.
false
The canopy is the uppermost overhead layer of branches and leaves in tropical rainforests.
true
Subtropical deserts are very dry; evaporation typically exceeds precipitation.
true
The dominant vegetation in the __________ biome tends to consist of grasses.
temperature grasslands
It is estimated that fewer than 1,000 fish species inhabit coral reefs.
false
The ocean is categorized into different zones based on how far the dark reaches into the water.
false
Together, climate change and human activity pose dual threats to the long-term survival of the world’s coral reefs.
true
Estuaries are coastal areas where saltwater and freshwater mix
true
Drylands are environments in which the soil is either permanently or periodically saturated with water.
false
Temperature is not an important abiotic factor affecting living things found in lakes and ponds.
false
Salt marshes along the coast of the United States have a large number of grasses, but few herbivores. The grasses decay rapidly before the animals in the habitat are able to eat them. What type of animal dominates this habitat?
decomposers
Salt marshes along the coast of the United States have a large number of grasses, but few herbivores. Most animals such as snails and crabs feed on the grasses once they are decaying. Birds often fly into the marsh and feed on these snails and crabs. Therefore these birds are considered…
carnivores
The Mississippi River watershed covers most of the central United States, and then the river itself drains into the Gulf of Mexico. The area that the Mississippi travels through is primarily farmland. Every summer, the Gulf of Mexico experiences eutrophication. Why does this happen?
fertilizer from farms causes algal blooms
Humans are afraid of many top predators (e.g., sharks, wolves, bears, tigers) and often remove them from habitats by killing them in large numbers. In the northeastern US, what would you predict would be the result of removing all of the wolves from the forests?
an increase in the number of deer
This is a very basic food chain for an owl. Due to climate changes, the owl population declined almost completely in this region. What do you predict happened to the bird population in response?
they decreased in number
Which would be the best solution to reduce eutrophication in the Chesapeake Bay?
decrease the amount of fertilizers added to fields around the Bay
If the rate of global deforestation increases, what do you predict would happen to the atmospheric carbon level?
it will continue to increase
During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a short-term decrease in atmospheric carbon. What was the cause of this short-term change?
decreased fossil fuel usage as more people worked from home and did not drive
If only half of the plants in the world existed in 2110, what would happen to the atmospheric carbon levels?
They would be higher due to a decrease in primary production.
