Bio182 Exam 4 Pre class assignemnts

Which of the following processes INCREASES the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere? (Select all that apply.)

*Respiration *Volcanic Eruptions

Humans and chimpanzees last shared a common ancestor around _____ million years ago, and our genomes now differ by about _____%.

5-7; 1

Scientists increasingly refer to the modern era as the ________ period to emphasize the dominant impact of humans on the Earth.

Anthropocene

Some of the characteristics used to describe biomes include precipitation and:

Average temperature

Broad, ecologically uniform areas with stable and distinctive collections of species are called:

Biomes

There is a giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) named Washington (after George Washington) that was believed to be the second largest tree in the world (253.7 ft. in height!) until it was struck by lightning in 2003. The lightning strike caused a fire at the top of the tree that reduced Washington's height to about 229 feet. The fire released carbon that had been sequestered in wood into the environment in the form of:

CO2

In addition to burning fossil fuels, humans return CO2 to the atmosphere faster than it can be removed by:

Clearing Forest for Agriculture

While some may consider that the goal of conservation biology is to preserve all species on the planet, which of the following is a more accurate statement of conservation biology's goals?

Conservation biology concentrates on preserving levels of species diversity in communities to maintain ecosystem services provided by the species in that community.

A body of learned behavior that is socially transmitted among individuals and passed down from one generation to the next is known as:

Culture

Because tropical plants have very high species diversity, they also have very low population:

Density

True or False/ Evolution: acts on animals but not plants

False

True or False/ Evolution: always results in an increase in an organism's fitness.

False

True or False/ Evolution: can only occur in the natural environment.

False

True or False/ Evolution: is not seen in domesticated animals.

False

In addition to the shift to bipedalism, what major trend or trends do we see in hominin evolution as we look across our entire fossil record? (Select all that apply.)

Increase in Brain Size Increase in Body Size

Recall that in the northern hemisphere, atmospheric CO2 levels are highest in early spring and lowest in early fall. What accounts for this seasonal fluctuation in atmospheric CO2 levels?

Photosynthesis

Hypoxia (oxygen depletion) is a challenging problem in coastal ecosystems worldwide. If nutrient inputs, especially nitrogen, are in excess in a coastal sea, which sequence of events below could lead to dead zones as a result of hypoxia?

Phytoplankton productivity and biomass increase, and after they die, decomposition of their dead biomass by bacteria depletes the oxygen in the deeper waters causing other organisms to leave or die.

Biologists who study biodiversity describe new species and monitor species of which we are aware. Why is the study of biodiversity important in the Anthropocene?

The study of biodiversity is important because it helps quantify the effects of human actions on changes in the traits of many populations (size, density, distribution).

Over the last several decades, what have researchers discovered about atmospheric CO2 levels?

They have Increased

True or False/ Evolution: is inherently random in nature.

True

In the fall of 2012, Hurricane Sandy caused more than 110 deaths and an estimated $65.5 billion of damage along the Atlantic coast of the United States. Who needs to be involved in preparing for the next "Sandy"?

We are all collectively responsible for preparing for our future.

Genetic sequence data from mitochondrial and Y chromosome DNA agree that the human family is _____ and it arose _____.

Young; Africa

The rate of respiration _____ throughout the year.

remains more or less constant

Biological reserves are an important tool in maintaining biodiversity because a reserve:

that is designed for a single species will also protect other species in the reserve.

Which of the following are suspected environmental impacts of fracking? (Select all that apply.)

water table contamination increased incidence of earthquakes methane leakage into the atmosphere

What type of biome would you expect to find in an area where the average annual precipitation is 100 cm and the average annual temperature is 10 C?

woodland/shrubland

Photosynthesis and respiration affect atmospheric CO2 levels on a _____ timescale, whereas volcanic eruptions affect atmospheric CO2 levels on a _____ timescale.

yearly; century