APES chapter 7- climate and biodiversity

Tropical rain forests cover about ____ of the earth's surface, but contain at least ____ of the known terrestrial plant and animal species.

2%, 50%

The El Niño Southern Oscillation affects the weather over at least ____ of the earth for one or two years.

2/3

How much of the world's population depends on mountain systems for all of some of their water?

56%

The earth's air circulation patterns, prevailing winds, and configuration of the continents and oceans result in ____ giant convection currents.

6

About ____ percent if the world's major terrestrial ecosystems are either being used unsustainably or are being degraded.

60

Approximately ____% of the world's major terrestrial ecosystems are being degraded or used unsustainably.

60

____ is the average atmospheric or weather conditions in a given region during a time frame of several decades to thousands of years.

Climate

How do the tropical rain forest differ from the temperate deciduous forest?

Deciduous forests have a dense canopy of broad leaves, compared with an open canopy of the rain forest

What term describes the large-scale weather phenomenon that occurs when prevailing winds in the Pacific Ocean weaken, resulting in above average warming?

ENSO (El Niño-Southern Oscillation)

About 5% of the earth's population lives in the mountains or in the foothills.

False

Deserts are primarily located in the hot, tropical regions.

False

Heat is trapped and more slowly by land than water.

False

Ice and snow on mountains absorb sunlight, helping to store heat and moderate the climate.

False

Succulent plants are normally found in temperate forests.

False

The level of environmental degradation and destruction of terrestrial systems has leveled off.

False

____ occur in the interiors of continents in areas too moist for deserts and too dry for forests.

Grassland

____ help redistribute heat from the sun, thereby influencing climate and vegetation, especially near coastal areas.

Major ocean currents

The rain shadow effect is responsible for the formation of which of the following?

The Mojave desert

Cities tend to create distinct microclimates.

True

Deciduous forests are typically located at higher altitudes than coniferous forests.

True

Desert ecosystem soils take decades to hundreds of years to recover from off-road vehicle use.

True

Deserts are commonly cool at night because desert soils have little vegetation or moisture to help store the heat.

True

Many mountains are islands of biodiversity surrounded by a sea of lower-elevation landscapes transformed by human activities.

True

Tropical rain forests cover only 2% of the earth's land surface but may contain at least half of the earth's known terrestrial plant and animal species.

True

Over the last 10,000 years, which of the following have taken place in eastern North America?

a cool temperate deciduous forest has moved into the Great Lakes region

Climate and vegetation vary with both latitude and ____.

altitude

The rain shadow effect refers to ____.

an increase in moisture on the windward side of mountain ranges

Thick, spongy mats of low-growing plants, primarily grasses, mosses, and lichens, are typical of the ____.

artic tundra

Large regions characterized by a certain climate and dominant plant life are called ____.

biomes

The forest that grows in regions that receive little precipitation, and have short summers with cool to warm temperatures is the ____.

boreal forest

Moose, lynx and burrowing rodent species are most likely found in which of the following?

boreal forests

Trees of the tropical rain forest are characterized by leaves that are ____.

broadleaf and evergreen

Which of the following is not a greenhouse gas? a. carbon monoxide b. water vapor c. carbon dioxide d. methane e. nitrous oxide

carbon monoxide

The most important factor in determining which biome is found in a particular area is ____.

climate

Biomes are characterized by certain types of ____.

climate and dominant plant life

In the northern hemisphere, the earth's major ocean currents tend to circulate ____.

clockwise

Because of a slow rate of ____, temperate deciduous forests have nutrient rich soils.

decomposition

Boreal forests are composed of a few species of coniferous evergreen trees with small, needle-shaped leaves. There trees can withstand the intense cold and ____ of winter.

drought

The highest solar energy input is at the ____.

equator

The El Niño Southern Oscillation changes the weather only along the Pacific coast of South America.

false

The greenhouse effect is created entirely by humans.

false

Tropical savannas in East Africa have herds of ____ and ____ hoofed animals.

grazing browsing

What is the best example of a major human impact on mountain ecosystems? a. conservation to cropland b. overgrazing by livestock c. depletion of groundwater d. timber and mineral extraction e. habitat loss due to the development of major urban areas

habitat loss due to the development of major urban areas

Major human impacts on terrestrial ecosystems are least likely to include ____.

increased global biodiversity

What is the best explanation for why tropical regions normally receive more precipitation than other areas of the globe?

increased heating increases local evaporation

The rain shadow effect increases the likelihood that deserts will form on the ____ side of mountains.

leeward

Woody plants that are vines supported by trees are called ____.

lianas

Which of the following would not be true of a tropical rain forest? a. low net primary productivity b. little ground level vegetation c. low levels of ground level sunlight d. high biodiversity e. high humidity

low net primary productivity

Scientists predict that human-enhanced global warming will have several effects. What is not one of these? a. alter precipitation patterns b. shift areas where we can grow crops c. raise average sea levels d. lower sea levels e. shift areas where plants and animals can be found

lower sea levels

Vegetation layers in the tropical rain forests are structured mostly according to plants' need for ____.

nutrients

Which of the following statements about oceans is not true? a. ocean currents redistribute heat from the sun b. most of the heat absorption by the oceans occurs in tropical waters c. irregularly shaped continents cause currents to flow in circular patterns d. differences in density of warm and cold seawater set up warm and cold currents e. ocean currents flow counter-clockwise in the northern hemisphere

oceans currents flow counter-clockwise in the northern hemisphere

In tropical forest, dropped leaves, fallen trees, and dead animals decompose ___.

quickly due to the abundance of decomposers

"Widely scattered clumps of trees, warm temperatures year-round, and alternating dry and wet seasons, with herds of herbivores" are characteristics of ________.

savanna

The biome that has warm temperatures year-round and widely spaced clumps of trees is the ____.

savanna

The large grazing animals such as wildebeests and gazelles are best associated with which biome?

savanna

Tropical rain forests are not good for clearing to grow crops or animals, primarily because they are low in __________.

slow nutrients

Desert ecosystems are fragile fro which of the following two reasons? a. frequent wildfire and flooding b. rapid nutrient cycling and frost damage c. slow plant growth and low species diversity d. overpopulation of predator species and drought e. off-road vehicle traffic and deep, organic soils

slow plant growth and low species diversity

Wind is an indirect form of ______ energy.

solar

Which is an effective strategy adopted by desert plants for survival?

storing water in expandable tissues

Which of the following does alpine tundra receive in larger amounts than Arctic tundra? a. rain b. snow c. sunlight d. wind e. ice

sunlight

Oak, hickory, maple, aspen and birch are best associated with the ____.

temperate deciduous forest

Suppose you are walking through a forest dense with oak and hickory trees, and with a thick litter layer underfoot. What type of forest are you most likely to be in?

temperate deciduous forest

Which of the following biomes has been most disturbed by human activities? a. tundra b. tropical rain forest c. coniferous forest d. temperate deciduous forest e. taiga

temperate deciduous forest

Which type of desert would have high daytime temperatures in summer, low temperatures in winter, and moderate precipitation?

temperate deserts

Soil nutrients are remarkably sparse in the ____, considering the overall high levels of biomass.

temperate grassland

Which of the following biomes has bitterly cold winters, hot dry summers, and receives sparse precipitation?

temperate grassland

Redwoods are associated with which of the following?

temperate rain forests

Where is the largest input of solar energy occur?

the equator

The deserts of Death Valley formed as a result of ____.

the rain shadow effect

Which of the following is one of the major factors that influences global air circulation as described in the textbook?

the rotation of the earth on its axis

The term Greenhouse Effect describes _____.

the trapping of heat energy by molecules in the atmosphere

Which of the following is true about temperate deciduous forests? a. average temperatures change significantly with the seasons b. they are predominantly populated by evergreen trees c. areas cleared of trees do not naturally regenerate for over 1000 years d. they have nutrient-poor soil e. decomposition occurs rapidly

they are predominately populated by evergreen trees

Which of the following is not true about mountains?

they have deep, fertile soils

The biome with the highest diversity is the ____.

tropical rain forest

The forest that goes in regions that receive continuous warm temperatures and seasonal rainfall is the ____.

tropical rain forest

Which of the following would be described as having ample rainfall or moisture from fog, with large conifers such as Sitka spruce and Douglas fir? a. temperate rain forest b. temperate deciduous forest c. tropical rain forest d. chaparral e. taiga

tropical rain forest

Which of the following does not belong with the others? a. taiga b. cold forests c. boreal forests d. evergreen coniferous forests e. tropical rain forests

tropical rainforest

A large body of evidence indicates that human activities are enhancing the earth's natural greenhouse effect and changing the earth's climate.

true

Treeless, bitterly cold most of the year, long and dark winters, low-growing plants, and permafrost are characteristics of________.

tundra

Which term describes the temperature, precipitation, and humidity of an area over hours or days?

weather