Chapter 11 Flashcards
The living portion of an ecosystem is called the abiotic component.
False
Bioremediation is an example of a service that an ecosystem can provide.
True
The ecological pyramids of most terrestrial systems have a minimum of five levels.
False
Simple ecosystems are less vulnerable to destruction compared to complex ecosystems.
False
The entire process of ecological succession requires up to 20 years to complete
False
Carbon tends to be the limiting elemental nutrient in terrestrial systems.
False
Non-nitrogen fixing terrestrial plants take up nitrogen mostly as NH4
False
Tillage helps release mineralized nitrogen in the soil.
True
Deserts are never utilized for agricultural purposes.
False
One of the most common agroecosystems in the United States is the corn-soybean rotation.
True
Alfalfa can be a common component of an animal-based agroecosystem.
True
Modern agriculture has resulted in greatly accelerated rates of erosion.
True
Wetlands are no longer being drained in the United States
False
Which of the following would be considered an abiotic factor of an ecosystem?
water
Which component is the start of every food chain?
sun
In a food chain, an eagle would be an example of a
secondary consumer
In a food chain a plant would be an example of a
primary producer
How much energy is generally transferred to each successive level of an ecological pyramid?
10 percent
The chemical formula for atmospheric nitrogen is
N2
Which of the following is NOT one of the pathways through which atmospheric nitrogen is converted to a usable form for plants?
denitrification fixation
Which is the first product in industrial fixation?
NH3
Performed by microbes the reverse of the immobilization process is called
mineralization
The average percentage of nitrogen in the soil is in the range of
1 to 10 percent
Which of the following biomes once occupied 80 percent of North and South America?
grasslands
