APES Mid-term Review
A scientist is studying a biome that experiences large seasonal fluctuations in both temperature and precipitation patterns. Which of the following would best characterize the organisms that inhabit the biome?
Generalists would be most abundant, because the resources available would be constantly changing.
The organism produces large numbers of offspring every time it reproduces.
Type III
Which of the following is a characteristic of an organism that displays a Type III survivorship curve?
Type III organisms (including many marine invertebrates and other r-selected species) have large numbers of offspring.
Ammonia is converted to nitrite, then to nitrate.
nitrification
Which of the following terrestrial biomes has the highest net primary productivity?
tropical rain forest
Which of the following age-structure diagrams best displays the age ranges in a country that is in stage 2 of the demographic transition?
Stage 2 in the demographic transition has high birth rates and fairly high death rates, with a rapidly growing population. This is illustrated by high numbers of prereproductive-age individuals in the age-structure diagram, leading to a pyramid shape.
Population Bottleneck: (Look at Tab 1) Based on the information, which ecosystem most likely experienced a recent population bottleneck? A. Ecosystem A, because its low genetic diversity could have resulted from an event that reduced the variation in the gene pool B. Ecosystem B, because its high species diversity could have resulted from increased competition among its members C. Ecosystem C, because its low habitat diversity indicates an increase in available niches D. Ecosystem D, because its low species diversity indicates that it also has low species evenness
A. Ecosystem A A population bottleneck occurs when a significant decrease in the population size reduces genetic variation within a population.
Provisioning Ecosystem Service: Which of the following economic consequences to a provisioning ecosystem service will most likely result from increased global warming? A. The collapse of local fisheries, because of the damage to coral reefs from ocean acidification B. Loss of revenue from the soil industry, because of increased oil spills from offshore oil wells C. Widespread crop failure, because of increased acid precipitation in agricultural areas D. Increased cost for water filtration, because of loss of coastal wetlands
A. The collapse of local fisheries, because of the damage to coral reefs from ocean acidification Many fish depend on coral reefs for habitat, and the carbon dioxide that largely causes anthropogenic global warming also causes ocean acidification, which does damage coral reefs.
Open oceans produce the largest share of Earth's biomass because the net primary productivity (NPP) of the oceans is
low, but the large expanse of the oceans supports enormous numbers of producers such as phytoplankton
In a given ecosystem, producers convert solar energy into 15,000kcal15,000kcal of chemical energy stored in organic compounds. Which of the following is the most likely amount of energy available to secondary consumers?
1,50kcal
Marine sediments that form limestone are a major sink for this element.
carbon
Replacement level fertility occurs at
2.1 children per woman.
The population size is decreasing because there are fewer prereproductive-aged individuals in the population. Which of the age structure diagrams best illustrates the population?
A top-heavy age structure diagram, illustrates a declining population size because the number of pre reproductive- and reproductive-aged individuals is low.
Island Species Population: Based on the theory of island biogeography, which of the following islands would most likely have the highest number of species living on it? A. An island 30 hectares in size that is 30 kilometers off the coast of the mainland B. An island 30 hectares in size that is 10 kilometers off the coast of the mainland C. An island 10 hectares in size that is 30 kilometers off the coast of the mainland D. An island 10 hectares in size that is 10 kilometers off the coast of the mainland
A. An island 30 hectares in size that is 30 kilometers off the coast of the mainland According to the theory of island biogeography, as the size of an island increases, the number of species living on it should increase. Also, as an island's distance from the mainland increases, the number of species living on it should decrease. This option provides the combination of great size and closest distance to the mainland compared to the other options.
Based on current trends and patterns, which of the following statements best predicts how the human population will change over the next 50 years?
As the population density increases, there will be an increase in disease transmission, leading to increased mortality.
Ecosystem Services Storm Protection: Which of the following is an example of an ecosystem service that would provide protection from a hurricane storm surge? A. A lock and Dam System B. An Intact Coastal Wetland C. An Energy- Producing Tidal Barrage System D. An Offshore, Deep- Water Fish Farm
B. An Intact Coastal Wetland An intact coastal wetland or marsh would offer natural protection from a storm surge categorized under regulating ecosystem service.
Invasive Island Species: An island off the coast of Africa contains a larger percentage of specialist species than generalist species. Which of the following describes the most immediate effect if an invasive generalist species is introduced to the island? A. As predation increases, the population size of the invasive generalist species will decrease. B. As competition for resources increases, the population size of the island's specialist species will decrease C. As resources are partitioned, the population sizes of both the generalist species and the specialist species will increase D. As niches overlap, the invasive generalist species will be outcompeted by the island's specialist species
B. As competition for resources increases, the population size of the island's specialist species will decrease The invasive generalist species would most likely outcompete the island's species for food and other resources, as these are extremely limited on islands and specialists can thrive in a narrow range of conditions.
Fastest Recovery: (Look at Tab 1) Based on the information, which ecosystem would most likely recover the fastest from a natural disruption? A. Ecosystem A B. Ecosystem B C. Ecosystem C D. Ecosystem D
B. Ecosystem B Ecosystems with more genetic diversity and larger number of different species are more likely to recover from natural disruptions.
Regulating Ecosystem Services: Which of the following ecosystem services is categorized as regulating? A. Wood fuel, medicine, and potable water B. Pollination, decomposition, and water purification C. Recreation, education, and aesthetics D. Photosynthesis, nutrient cycling, and creation of soils
B. Pollination, decomposition, and water purification Regulating services are benefits obtained from the regulation of ecosystem processes.
How does the burning of fossil fuels contribute to the net increase in atmospheric carbon?
Carbon that has been sequestered underground is added to the carbon cycling between the atmosphere and the biosphere.
Ecosystem Biodiversity: (Look at Tab 1) Based on the information, which of the following best describes Ecosystem C? A. Its low species diversity indicates that Ecosystem C most likely has species with very low population sizes B. its high genetic diversity indicates that Ecosystem C most likely has species that evolve quickly C. Its high genetic diversity indicates that Ecosystem C is most likely the result of the founder effect and a subpopulation originating from Ecosystem A D. Its low habitat diversity indicates that Ecosystem C most likely has a low number of specialist species and few species that utilize large territories
D. Its low habitat diversity indicates that Ecosystem C most likely has a low number of specialist species and few species that utilize large territories Having a limited number of different habitats would inhabit the survival of different types of specialist species and those that control large territories.
Which of the following pathways indicate how nitrogen is added to the largest nitrogen reservoir?
Denitrifying bacteria and volcanic activity
Which of the following best describes the movement of energy in an ecosystem?
Energy is harnessed by producers, and available energy decreases with each trophic level transfer.
A variety of plants and animals inhabit a forest ecosystem. Which statement correctly explains why certain organisms would be more likely to survive than others if a forest fire burned the area?
Generalist species are more likely to survive because they can thrive in a wide variety of environmental conditions and can make use of a variety of different resources.
Which of the following best describes gross primary productivity in an ecosystem?
Gross primary productivity is the total amount of solar energy captured by producers through photosynthesis over time.
Which of the following statements best describes why birth and death rates are changing in a country that is in Phase 2 of the demographic transition?
In phase 2, there is rapid population growth as the result of better access to clean drinking water, food, vaccinations, and other medical care.
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) ?
Intertidal zones
Which of the following best describes the net primary productivity of an ecosystem?
Net primary productivity is the amount of energy lost through respiration by producers subtracted from the gross primary productivity of an ecosystem.
An energy transformation occurs and results in increased disorder.
Second law of thermodynamics
Song sparrows are found in a variety of habitat. They feed on a variety of organisms and also consume plants REPRODUCTIVE DATA FOR SONG SPARROWS Clutch Size: 1-6 eggs Number of Broods per year: 1-7 broods Incubation Period: 12-15 days Nestling Period: 9-12 days Based on the description and the data table above, which of the following combinations best classifies the song sparrow?
Song sparrows reproduce multiple times in a year and have limited parental care, traits of r-strategists. Generalists can live in a variety of habitats and have diverse diets.
Losses of usable energy between successive trophic levels in an ecosystem are best accounted for by which of the following?
The second law of thermodynamics
Of the following ecosystems, which has the lowest net primary productivity, measured as kilocalories of energy produced per square meter per year?
Temperature grassland
What best predicts how the human population will change over the next 50 years?
The amount of land available for agriculture is limited, and as the population grows, available food and water will decrease.
