topics 1.1-1.3

Question 1

this biome contains plants that are adapted to prevent water loss due to the low average rainfall and high temperatures year-round
a. savanna
b. boreal forest
c. tropical rain forest
d. desert

Answer 1

d. desert

Question 2

which of the following statements is true of aquatic biomes?
a. freshwater and marine biomes are evenly distributed on earth
b. freshwater biomes are a vital source of drinking water
c. freshwater biomes supply a greater portion of Earth’s oxygen than marine biomes
d. marine biomes include streams, rivers, ponds, and lakes

Answer 2

b. freshwater biomes are a vital source of drinking water

Question 3

Traveling southward from the Arctic regions of Canada to the tropics of Panama, one passes through several biomes - tundra, coniferous forest, temperate deciduous forest, and tropical rain forest. This pattern of change in vegetation is primarily the result of
a. primary and secondary succession
b. the invasion of exotic species
c. an increase in mean annual temperature and a decrease in mean annual precipitation
d. an increase in both mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation
e. an increase in both the total annual hours of sunlight

Answer 3

d. an increase in both mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation

Question 4

Which of the following best illustrates an abiotic component of the environment affecting a biotic component of the environment?
a. composted manure is added to agriculture soil during spring tilling
b. coral reefs modify the direction of an ocean current
c. plants release O2 into the atmosphere during photosynthesis
d. low phosphorus content in soil limits the growth of vegetation
e. a thick planting of ground cover reduces soil erosion on a hillside

Answer 4

d. low phosphorus content in soil limits the growth of vegetation

Question 5

The great grasslands of the world have which of the following primary characteristics in common?
a. They are restricted in occurrence to the region between 30° north latitude and 30° south latitude
b. Due to high humidity, fires are uncommon and rarely affect large areas.
c. They are typically created by overgrazing by livestock.
d. Seasonal cycles of temperature and precipitation produce abundant vegetative growth.
e. High winds blow seeds of trees away such that only grasses exist.

Answer 5

d. Seasonal cycles of temperature and precipitation produce abundant vegetative growth.

Question 6

Which of the following is a characteristic of tropical rain forests?
a. They rarely receive more than 100 centimeters of rain per year.
b. Their soils typically have a high pH.
c. Their soils are relatively poor in nutrients.
d. They do not exhibit a great deal of species diversity.
e. They generally occur in the rain shadows of mountain ranges.

Answer 6

c. Their soils are relatively poor in nutrients.

Question 7

Which of the following biomes is best characterized as an area that forms the narrow band along the coast that experiences a range of environmental conditions (including daily changes in sunlight, temperature, and water) ?
a. open ocean
b. lakes
c. coral reefs
d. intertidal zones

Answer 7

d. intertidal zones

Question 8

In a typical forest ecosystem, dead trees and fallen trees are most important because of their role in which of the following?
a. providing a valuable source of timber
b. providing habitats for wildlife
c. contributing to soil erosion
d. increasing water runoff
e. removing carbon dioxide from the air

Answer 8

b. providing habitats for wildlife

Question 9

Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following question(s) refer to the qualities of water samples.

Acidity

Turbidity

Hardness

Dissolved oxygen

Salinity

Decreased by the breakdown of organic waste
a. acidity
b. turbidity
c. hardness
d. dissolved oxygen
e. salinity

Answer 9

d. dissolved oxygen

Question 10

Which of the following is the best explanation of the fact that agricultural production on floodplains is often relatively high?
a. On floodplains, soils tend to be nutrient-rich and fertile.
b. On floodplains, high water tables make irrigation unnecessary.
c. Periodic flooding leaches toxic pollutants out of floodplain soils.
d. Periodic flooding prevents the pH of floodplain soils from becoming too high.
e. Floodplains are usually sparsely settled and thus more acreage is available for agriculture.

Answer 10

a. On floodplains, soils tend to be nutrient-rich and fertile.

Question 11

Where is the majority of fresh water on earth?
a. groundwater
b. ice caps and glaciers
c. lakes
d. oceans

Answer 11

b. ice caps and glaciers

Question 12

In Mediterranean climate regions like portions of California, a wetter-than-normal winter often leads to greater severity of fires the following summer. This seeming paradox occurs because increased rain leads to
a. greater accumulation of chaparral biomass
b. higher pollination rates of annual flowers
c. greater recreational use of parklands
d. greater erosion and damage of access roads
e. decreased summer rainfall

Answer 12

a. greater accumulation of chaparral biomass

Question 13

The major biological source of dissolved oxygen in the ocean comes from
a. decomposition of organic sediments on the ocean floor
b. metabolic processes of coral in reefs
c. oxidation of sulfur by bacteria in ocean vent communities
d. photosynthesis by phytoplankton
e. respiration by zooplankton

Answer 13

d. photosynthesis by phytoplankton

Question 14

Which of the following world regions contain the greatest area of rain forest?
a. Canada and the United States
b. Eastern and Western Europe
c. Russia and China
d. Australia and New Zealand
e. Brazil and Indonesia

Answer 14

e. Brazil and Indonesia

Question 15

Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following question(s) refer to the following countries.

(A) Australia

(B) Brazil

(C) Chile

(D) Russia

(E) United States of America

Country with the largest area of boreal forests
a. australia
b. Brazil
c. Chile
d. russia
e. United States of America

Answer 15

d. russia

Question 16

Which of the following best describes soil in many tropical rain forests?
a. They lack soil horizons.
b. They are quickly depleted nutrients when the forest is removed.
c. They are similar to soils in grasslands.
d. They are well suited for growing a wide variety of crops.
e. They are deep and well drained.

Answer 16

b. they are quickly depleted nutrients when the forest is removed

Question 17

Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following question(s) refer to the following possible relationships between organisms in an ecosystem.

(A) Commensalism

(B) Parasitism

(C) Mutualism

(D) Predation

(E) Competition

Exemplified by bees consuming nectar and carrying pollen from one flower to another
a. commensalism
b. parasitism
c. mutualism
d. predation
e. competition

Answer 17

c. mutualism

Question 18

Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following question(s) refer to the following possible relationships between organisms in an ecosystem.

(A) Commensalism

(B) Parasitism

(C) Mutualism

(D) Predation

(E) Competition

Exemplified by starlings displacing bluebirds from nesting sites
a. commensalism
b. parasitism
c. mutualism
d. predation
e. competition

Answer 18

e. competition

Question 19

Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following question(s) refer to the following possible relationships between organisms in an ecosystem.

(A) Commensalism

(B) Parasitism

(C) Mutualism

(D) Predation

(E) Competition

Exemplified by moss growing on a tree trunk in a forest
a. commensalism
b. parasitism
c. mutualism
d. predation
e. competition

Answer 19

a. commensalism

Question 20

Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following question(s) refer to the following possible relationships between organisms in an ecosystem.

(A) Commensalism

(B) Parasitism

(C) Mutualism

(D) Predation

(E) Competition

Exemplified by ticks feeding on a deer
a. commensalism
b. parasitism
c. mutualism
d. predation
e. competition

Answer 20

b. parasitism

Question 21

Phytoplankton are most abundant in the upper few hundred feet of most bodies of water because
a. they can most readily hide from predators there
b. sunlight does not penetrate to great depths in water
c. as primary producers, they must be accessible to many other organisms
d. they are benthic organisms
e. they feed on zooplankton, which are found only in the top layers of water

Answer 21

b. sunlight does not penetrate to great depths in water

Question 22

In a fish species, the number of eggs that hatch and survive for one year varies depending on the number of eggs that were produced. As the number of eggs produced increases past a threshold number, the survival rate of the offspring decreases. Which of the following statements best explains why only a limited number of offspring can survive in a fish population?
a. Resource partitioning allows similar species to coexist in the same ecological community.
b. The number of fish surviving after one year is proportional to the number of eggs produced.
c. The chance of survival decreases when there is intraspecific competition for resources among surviving yearlings.
d. More yearling fish survive beyond one year when there is an abundance of prey species present.

Answer 22

c. The chance of survival decreases when there is intraspecific competition for resources among surviving yearlings.

Question 23

Which of the following best describes a symbiotic relationship?
a. Striped bass and bluefish eat the same variety of mackerel.
b. Intestinal bacteria inhabit the gut of humans.
c. Mountain lions feed on white-tailed deer.
d. Marsupial animals carry their young in a pouch.

Answer 23

b. intestinal bacteria inhabit the gut of humans