topics 1.4-1.7 Flashcards
Which of the following pathways indicate how nitrogen is added to the largest nitrogen reservoir?
a. Nitrifying bacteria and lightning
b. Decomposing plant and animal material
c. Denitrifying bacteria and volcanic activity
d. Nitrates taken up by plant roots
c. Denitrifying bacteria and volcanic activity
A field is abandoned, and an invasive plant that can live in nutrient-poor soil moves into the field. If the land is later cleared of this invasive species and it is discovered that the soil has an abundance of nitrogen compounds, what conclusion can best be made?
a. The plants used up all of the phosphorus and potassium and left the nitrogen behind.
b.
Primary succession always produces an abundance of nitrogen.
c. Bacteria in soil and in root nodules converted free nitrogen into nitrogen compounds.
d. The plants were able to produce nitrogen in their leaves.
e. More rock was weathered and broken down to release nitrogen compounds.
c. Bacteria in soil and in root nodules converted free nitrogen into nitrogen compounds.
How does the burning of fossil fuels contribute to the net increase in atmospheric carbon?
a. Photosynthesis is reduced by virtue of increased smoke and haze.
b. Carbon released by the burning is not in a form that can be readily absorbed by plants, leaving residual carbon in the atmosphere.
c. Carbon that has been sequestered underground is added to the carbon cycling between the atmosphere and the biosphere.
d. Carbon released by the burning is more easily absorbed in the atmosphere than that produced by natural means.
e. Carbon released by the burning increases plant growth, producing more carbon for the atmosphere.
c. Carbon that has been sequestered underground is added to the carbon cycling between the atmosphere and the biosphere.
Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following questions(s) refer to the following elements.
(A) Carbon
(B) Sodium
(C) Sulfur
(D) Phosphorus
(E) Potassium
Guano from fish-eating birds is a commercial source of this element.
a. carbon
b. sodium
c. sulfur
d. phosphorus
e. potassium
d. phosphorus
Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following questions(s) refer to the following elements.
(A) Carbon
(B) Sodium
(C) Sulfur
(D) Phosphorus
(E) Potassium
Marine sediments that form limestone are a major sink for this element.
a. carbon
b. sodium
c. sulfur
d. phosphorus
e. potassium
a. carbon
Which of the following is an example of a carbon sink?
a. Deposition of organic matter on the deep ocean floor
b. Clearing of trees in the Amazon forest
c. Combustion of fossil fuels in power plants
d. Decomposition of food waste by bacteria
e. Nutrient uptake by the roots of grasses in a suburban lawn
a. Deposition of organic matter on the deep ocean floor
Which of the following is true of carbon as it cycles in nature?
a. Carbon dioxide is released during photosynthesis.
b. Carbon compounds rarely exist in the gaseous state.
c. Carbon sinks include forests and oceans.
d. The carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere is reduced by cutting trees.
e. Carbon is concentrated in igneous rocks.
c. Carbon sinks include forests and oceans.
Which of the following is a process that indirectly removes carbon from Earth’s atmosphere?
a. Formation of carbonate deposits
b. Outgassing by volcanoes
c. Respiration by mammals
d. Respiration by anaerobic bacteria
e. Photodissociation by ultraviolet light
a. Formation of carbonate deposits
Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following question(s) refer to the following processes.
(A) Nitrification
(B) Denitrification
(C) Assimilation
(D) Ammonification
(E) Nitrogen fixation
Nitrate ions and nitrite ions are converted into nitrous oxide gas and nitrogen gas (N2).
a. nitrification
b. denitrification
c. assimilation
d. ammonification
e. nitrogen fixation
b. denitrification
Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following question(s) refer to the following processes.
(A) Nitrification
(B) Denitrification
(C) Assimilation
(D) Ammonification
(E) Nitrogen fixation
Ammonia is converted to nitrite, then to nitrate.
a. nitrification
b. denitrification
c. assimilation
d. ammonification
e. nitrogen fixation
a. nitrification
Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following question(s) refer to the following processes.
(A) Nitrification
(B) Denitrification
(C) Assimilation
(D) Ammonification
(E) Nitrogen fixation
Plant roots absorb ammonium ions and nitrate ions for use in making molecules such as DNA, amino acids, and proteins.
a. nitrification
b. denitrification
c. assimilation
d. ammonification
e. nitrogen fixation
c. assimilation
Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following question(s) refer to the following processes.
(A) Photosynthesis
(B) Eutrophication
(C) Denitrification
(D) Decomposition
(E) Transpiration
The process by which a soil nutrient is reduced and released to the atmosphere as a gas
a. photosynthesis
b. eutrophication
c. denitrification
d. decomposition
e. transpiration
c. denitrification
The diagrams above show an area that was once a pasture that has since undergone changes to the vegetation over time. Which of the following changes in the hydrologic cycle is most likely to occur as a result of the change in vegetation in the area?
a. increased infiltration
b. increased runoff
c. decreased transpiration
d. decreased precipitation
a. increased infiltration
The greatest amount of fresh water is found in which of the following?
a. the atmosphere
b. estuaries
c. lakes
d. rivers and streams
e. polar ice caps and glaciers
e. polar ice caps and glaciers
Which of the following best describes the process of leaching?
a. Water percolating through soil, dissolving some of its material
b. The falling of acid precipitation from the atmosphere to Earth’s surface
c. The use of chemicals to reduce the amount of E. coli in wastewater
d. Rocks embedded in a glacier being carried downslope
e. The use of drip irrigation on a crop of wheat
a. Water percolating through soil, dissolving some of its material
