Question 1

Which aquatic biome listed here is one of the most productive on Earth, and why?

Accepted Answer

A)   deep-sea vent, warm water temperatures
B)   coral reef, diversity of organisms
C)   grasslands, nutrient rich low-moisture soils
D)   oligotrophic lake, clear water for light penetrationE) C) and D)
F) A) and B)

Question 2

As temperatures rise due to global climate change, plant species' ranges in the southern hemisphere may move further southward. Which of the following is a characteristic of plants that would most likely allow them to avoid extinction by moving southward under climate change?

Accepted Answer

A)   those having larger, and initially more contiguous, established populations
B)   those having smaller established populations
C)   those having seeds that become viable only after a forest fire
D)   those which disperse many seeds in close proximity to the parent treeE) All of the above
F) C) and D)

Question 3

In creating global climate patterns, which of the following factors is most likely the primary cause of all of the other factors that are listed?

Accepted Answer

A)   precipitation differences between tropical and polar regions
B)   global ocean currents
C)   global wind patterns
D)   variation in the heating of Earth's surfaceE) None of the above
F) C) and D)

Question 4

The main reason polar regions are cooler than the equator is that ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   solar radiation strikes the poles at a lower angle and travels through more atmosphere
B)   the poles are farther from the sun than is the equator
C)   the polar atmosphere is thinner and contains fewer greenhouse gases
D)   the poles are permanently tilted away from the sunE) B) and D)
F) All of the above

Question 5

Hot deserts are characterized by which of the following features?

Accepted Answer

A)   Low water availability as an important constraint on the abundance of desert plants.
B)   They are usually located within 10 degrees of the equator.
C)   Plants tall in stature with large leaves
D)   Moderate to high water availability in only some months of the year.E) None of the above
F) A) and B)

Question 6

Which of the following is a mechanism by which ocean ecosystems affect the biosphere?

Accepted Answer

A)   producing a substantial amount of the biosphere's oxygen and being the source of most of Earth's rainfall
B)   adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere
C)   absorbing more oxygen than is produced regulating the pH of freshwater biomes
D)   allowing temperatures on continental coastlines to fluctuate widelyE) A) and B)
F) B) and C)

Question 7

At 15-30°N, air masses formed over the Pacific Ocean are moved by prevailing westerlies, where they encounter extensive north-south mountain ranges over continents. Which statement best describes the result when an air mass encounters a landform?

Accepted Answer

A)   The cool, moist Pacific air heats as it rises, releasing its precipitation as it passes the tops of the mountains. This now warm and dry air cools as it descends on the leeward side of the range.
B)   The warm, moist Pacific air rises and cools, releasing precipitation as it moves up the windward side of the range. This now cool and dry air mass heats up as it descends on the leeward side of the range.
C)   The cool, dry Pacific air heats up and picks up moisture from evaporation of the snowcapped peaks of the mountain range, releasing this moisture as precipitation when the air cools while descending on the leeward side of the range.
D)   These air masses are blocked by the mountain ranges, producing high annual amounts of precipitation on the windward sides of these mountain ranges.E) All of the above
F) A) and D)

Question 8

Which of the following statements best describes the interaction between fire and ecosystems?

Accepted Answer

A)   The likelihood of a wildfire occurring in a given ecosystem is highly predictable over the short term.
B)   Many kinds of plants and plant communities have adapted to frequent fires.
C)   The suppression of forest fires by humans has prevented certain communities, such as grasslands, from reaching their climax stage.
D)   Chaparral communities have evolved to the extent that they rarely burn.E) A) and B)
F) B) and C)

Question 9

In deep water, which of the following abiotic factors would most limit primary productivity?

Accepted Answer

A)   temperature
B)   light availability
C)   solute concentration
D)   chemical composition of the sea floorE) None of the above
F) All of the above

Question 10

Which of the following areas of study focuses on the exchange of energy, organisms, and materials between ecosystems?

Accepted Answer

A)   organismal ecology
B)   landscape ecology
C)   ecosystem ecology
D)   community ecologyE) A) and C)
F) B) and C)

Question 11

Turnover of water in temperate lakes during the spring and fall is caused by which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)   warm, less dense water layered at the top
B)   cold, more dense water layered at the bottom
C)   a distinct thermocline between less dense, warm water and cold, dense water
D)   the changes in the density of water as seasonal temperatures changeE) C) and D)
F) B) and C)

Question 12

Generally, deserts are located in places where air masses are which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)   tropical
B)   ascending
C)   at the start of trade winds
D)   descendingE) B) and C)
F) C) and D)

Question 13

Which of the following examples demonstrates an ecological effect leading to an evolutionary effect?

Accepted Answer

A)   When seeds are not plentiful, trees produce more seeds.
B)   A few individuals with denser fur than the population average survive the coldest years of an ice age, and the offspring of the reproducing survivors of the ice age will likely have more dense fur.
C)   Fish that swim the fastest in running water catch the most prey and more easily escape predation.
D)   The insects that spend the most time exposed to sunlight have the most mutations from UV light, and thus evolve the fastestE) C) and D)
F) A) and B)

Question 14

Use the following figures to answer the question below. The diagram is a climograph, which depicts the most likely overlap between mean temperatures and precipitation values that result in the given types of biomes.  East of the Mississippi River in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, the mean annual precipitation is 130cm. The mean annual temperature is 14.3°C. In the winter, the mean temperature is 7.3°C, while in summer it is 20.6°C. Using the climograph shown here, the biome found in Hopkinsville is most likely a ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   temperate rainforest
B)   temperate broadleaf forest
C)   shrubland during the winter, temperate forest during the summer
D)   temperate forest during the winter, tropical seasonal forest during the summerE) None of the above
F) A) and D)

Question 15

What is most likely to happen to the seasons if Earth were tilted 35 degrees off its orbital plane instead of the usual 23.5 degrees?

Accepted Answer

A)   The seasons would disappear.
B)   Winters and summers would be more severe.
C)   Winters and summers would be less severe.
D)   The seasons would be shorter.E) C) and D)
F) B) and C)

Question 16

Use the following figures to answer the question below. The figure depicts average temperatures and total precipitation across the 12 months of the year. Annual precipitation in Area 1 is approximately 260 cm, and in Area 2, 10 cm.  Based on the data in the figures, which of the following statements is most consistent with the data?

Accepted Answer

A)   Area 1 is considered a fall-wet system.
B)   Area 1 is near or in the tropics.
C)   Area 1 is in mid-continental boreal forest.
D)   Area 2 is in the arctic.E) A) and D)
F) A) and B)

Question 17

After glaciers melt and shrink in size, the ability of plants to extend their range and reach un-vegetated regions is initially determined by which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)   whether there is simultaneous migration of herbivores
B)   their tolerance to shade
C)   their seed dispersal rate
D)   their tolerance to cooler temperaturesE) A) and B)
F) All of the above

Question 18

Subtropical plants are commonplace in Land's End, England, however, at the equivalent latitude of Labrador in coastal Canada, the local flora is instead subarctic. Which statement best explains why this apparent anomaly exists between North America and Europe?

Accepted Answer

A)   Labrador does not get enough rainfall to support the subtropical flora found in Land's End.
B)   Warm ocean currents interact with England, whereas cold ocean currents interact with Labrador.
C)   Rainfall fluctuates greatly in England; rainfall is consistently high in Labrador.
D)   Labrador receives sunlight of lower duration and intensity than does Land's End.E) A) and D)
F) B) and D)

Question 19

Use the diagram showing the spread of the cattle egret, Bubulcus ibis, since its arrival in the New World, to answer the question. The range of cattle egrets has expanded between 1937 (dark region in South America)  and today, as depicted in the map with lighter shades indicating more recent advancements of the egret over time.  Which of the following claims best explains the expansion of the cattle egret range?

Accepted Answer

A)   Climatic factors, such as sunlight, temperature, and precipitation, provide a suitable habitat for cattle egrets.
B)   There are no predators for cattle egrets in the New World, so they continue to expand their range.
C)   The abundant area and little competition with other birds occupying similar habitats met the biotic and abiotic requirements of the cattle egret expansion.
D)   The first egrets to colonize South America evolved into a new species capable of competing with the native species of herons and egrets.E) A) and B)
F) All of the above

Question 20

Which of the following best explains why the actual vegetation that is present in a particular biome may not match the prediction of a global biome map that was generated by modeling the temperatures and precipitation expected at a given latitude?

Accepted Answer

A)   precipitation and temperature are not the primary factors which control vegetative growth
B)   biomes overlap with one another so you can not ever be sure what to expect
C)   the Earth's tilt has resulted in seasonal changes that impact biomes
D)   local differences in soil, elevation, or topography can result in considerably different climates and plant communities within a biomeE) None of the above
F) A) and C)

Exam 51: An Overview of Ecology

Subtropical plants are commonplace in Land's End, England, however, at the equivalent latitude of Labrador in coastal Canada, the local flora is instead subarctic. Which statement best explains why this apparent anomaly exists between North America and Europe?

Correct Answer
verified

Which of the following examples demonstrates an ecological effect leading to an evolutionary effect?

Correct Answer
verified

The main reason polar regions are cooler than the equator is that ________.

Correct Answer
verified

Which of the following is a mechanism by which ocean ecosystems affect the biosphere?

Correct Answer
verified

Which of the following best explains why the actual vegetation that is present in a particular biome may not match the prediction of a global biome map that was generated by modeling the temperatures and precipitation expected at a given latitude?

Correct Answer
verified

Which of the following statements best describes the interaction between fire and ecosystems?

Correct Answer
verified

After glaciers melt and shrink in size, the ability of plants to extend their range and reach un-vegetated regions is initially determined by which of the following?

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified

In creating global climate patterns, which of the following factors is most likely the primary cause of all of the other factors that are listed?

Correct Answer
verified

At 15-30°N, air masses formed over the Pacific Ocean are moved by prevailing westerlies, where they encounter extensive north-south mountain ranges over continents. Which statement best describes the result when an air mass encounters a landform?

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified

As temperatures rise due to global climate change, plant species' ranges in the southern hemisphere may move further southward. Which of the following is a characteristic of plants that would most likely allow them to avoid extinction by moving southward under climate change?

Correct Answer
verified

Hot deserts are characterized by which of the following features?

Correct Answer
verified

Which aquatic biome listed here is one of the most productive on Earth, and why?

Correct Answer
verified

Turnover of water in temperate lakes during the spring and fall is caused by which of the following?

Correct Answer
verified

In deep water, which of the following abiotic factors would most limit primary productivity?

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified

What is most likely to happen to the seasons if Earth were tilted 35 degrees off its orbital plane instead of the usual 23.5 degrees?

Correct Answer
verified

Which of the following areas of study focuses on the exchange of energy, organisms, and materials between ecosystems?

Correct Answer
verified

Generally, deserts are located in places where air masses are which of the following?

Correct Answer
verified

Exam 51: An Overview of Ecology

Subtropical plants are commonplace in Land's End, England, however, at the equivalent latitude of Labrador in coastal Canada, the local flora is instead subarctic. Which statement best explains why this apparent anomaly exists between North America and Europe?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following examples demonstrates an ecological effect leading to an evolutionary effect?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The main reason polar regions are cooler than the equator is that ________.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following is a mechanism by which ocean ecosystems affect the biosphere?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following best explains why the actual vegetation that is present in a particular biome may not match the prediction of a global biome map that was generated by modeling the temperatures and precipitation expected at a given latitude?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following statements best describes the interaction between fire and ecosystems?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

After glaciers melt and shrink in size, the ability of plants to extend their range and reach un-vegetated regions is initially determined by which of the following?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In creating global climate patterns, which of the following factors is most likely the primary cause of all of the other factors that are listed?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

At 15-30°N, air masses formed over the Pacific Ocean are moved by prevailing westerlies, where they encounter extensive north-south mountain ranges over continents. Which statement best describes the result when an air mass encounters a landform?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

As temperatures rise due to global climate change, plant species' ranges in the southern hemisphere may move further southward. Which of the following is a characteristic of plants that would most likely allow them to avoid extinction by moving southward under climate change?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Hot deserts are characterized by which of the following features?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which aquatic biome listed here is one of the most productive on Earth, and why?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Turnover of water in temperate lakes during the spring and fall is caused by which of the following?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In deep water, which of the following abiotic factors would most limit primary productivity?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What is most likely to happen to the seasons if Earth were tilted 35 degrees off its orbital plane instead of the usual 23.5 degrees?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following areas of study focuses on the exchange of energy, organisms, and materials between ecosystems?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Generally, deserts are located in places where air masses are which of the following?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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