BLY 122 - Chapter 46 Learning Curve

The _____ cycle deals with geological processes and carbon reservoirs, some of which have been built up or take place over a period of millennia. In contrast, the _____ cycle involves biological processes that are carried out on a daily and/or seasonal basis. - short-term carbon; rapid carbon - long-term carbon; short-term carbon - long-term carbon; intermediate carbon - short-term carbon; long-term carbon

- long-term carbon; short-term carbon

Following the 10% rule for energy moving through a trophic pyramid, an increase of 10% at the level of primary producer would increase the biomass supported in the secondary producer trophic level by: - 0.01% - 1% - 10% - 0.1%

0.1%

If all volcanic activity were to stop tomorrow, there would be a _____ reduction in carbon flux into the atmosphere. - 99% - 66% - 33%

99%

Researchers are measuring Earth's atmospheric CO2 levels, gathering data on CO2 levels in northern and then southern hemispheres. What do you expect that they will find? - Because atmospheric CO2 measurements represent global amounts, measurements in the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere will be approximately the same. - Atmospheric CO2 measurements will be greater in the Southern Hemisphere. - Atmospheric CO2 measurements will be greater in the Northern Hemisphere.

Because atmospheric CO2 measurements represent global amounts, measurements in the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere will be approximately the same.

Why does the burning of fossil fuels have such a large impact on atmospheric carbon concentrations? - The impact is minimal rather than large because volcanic activity has been raising CO2 levels in the atmosphere at a constant rate since Earth formed. - Burning fossil fuels results in the release of carbon held in sinks for over 350 million years, and there is no other reservoir capable of holding that amount of carbon. - The impact is large because the CO2 rises to a level in the atmosphere that cannot be utilized by or absorbed by plants through photosynthesis. - Burning fossil fuels does not have a large impact because current plant biomass can absorb the CO2 through photosynthesis.

Burning fossil fuels results in the release of carbon held in sinks for over 350 million years, and there is no other reservoir capable of holding that amount of carbon.

The majority of carbon stored in abiotic reservoirs is in the form of: - C6H12O6. - CO2. - H2CO3. - CH4. - CaCO3.

CaCO3.

In which period shown on the figure would you expect glacial ice to be the lowest? - Cenozoic - Mesozoic - Paleozoic

Cenozoic

Why are CO2 levels higher during interglacial periods? - Temperatures are higher during interglacial periods, causing higher CO2 levels. - Lower ice levels cause CO2 trapped in air bubbles to be released, raising temperatures. - There is more land covered by plants, so more CO2 is fixed during photosynthesis. - There are more organisms respiring, so the ratio of CO2 to O2 in the atmosphere is equal.

Lower ice levels cause CO2 trapped in air bubbles to be released, raising temperatures.

Marine trophic pyramids are inverted in terms of biomass but not energy. Which statement best reflects why this is the case? - Organisms at the bottom of the trophic pyramid are large in size, so they are able to support larger organisms that occupy the higher trophic levels. - Organisms near the top of the trophic pyramid don't weigh very much and move over larger areas than organisms at the base of the trophic pyramid. - Organisms at the bottom of the trophic pyramid have high rates of primary production and replenish biomass eaten by primary consumers with high reproductive rates. - Organisms near the top of the trophic pyramid don't weigh very much and have high reproductive rates.

Organisms at the bottom of the trophic pyramid have high rates of primary production and replenish biomass eaten by primary consumers with high reproductive rates

Carbon moves through ecosystems on both short- and long-term scales. Which of the statements best describes the movement of carbon through short-term time scales of the food chain? - Partially reduced carbon compounds from primary producers are completely reduced by decomposers. - Primary producers oxidize carbon compounds that were previously reduced by decomposers. - Once carbon is fixed by primary producers, it will not enter the atmosphere again until broken down by decomposers. - Primary producers fix atmospheric carbon into compounds that will be oxidized by secondary consumers.

Primary producers fix atmospheric carbon into compounds that will be oxidized by secondary consumers.

Which of the statements is true regarding subduction? - It adds new crust to Earth's surface via volcanic activity. - It is unrelated to Earth's plate tectonics. - It permanently removes carbon from Earth's surface. - It permanently adds carbon to Earth's atmosphere. - The carbon it removes is eventually returned to the atmosphere by volcanism.

The carbon it removes is eventually returned to the atmosphere by volcanism.

Autotrophs in marine environments are carbon sinks and contribute to the short-term carbon cycle. When the outer shells of these organisms fall to the ocean floor through sedimentation, these same autotrophs contribute to the long-term carbon cycle. Plant diversity in terrestrial environments contributes to the short-term carbon cycle through photosynthesis. Plants contribute to the long-term carbon cycle: - through cellular respiration. - by decaying in soils. - by providing food for primary consumers. - through carbon fixation.

by decaying in soils

A team of scientists studying a material have determined that 12C, 13C, and 14C occur in the material in a ratio of 1000:10:1. How did they most likely differentiate between these forms of carbon? - by the number of neutrons in 12C, 13C, and 14C - by the number of electrons in 12C, 13C, and 14C - by the number of protons in 12C, 13C, and 14C - by the biomasses of 12C, 13C, and 14C - by the number of positrons in 12C, 13C, and 14C

by the number of neutrons in 12C, 13C, and 14C

Examining the relationship between primary producers, primary consumers, and secondary consumers is one way to track the flow of _____ through a system. - energy contained in fossil fuels - energy contained in organic compounds - energy contained in proteins - energy in the form of heat

energy contained in organic compounds

If all of the tertiary consumers were removed from an environment, the associated food web, and thus the carbon cycle, would collapse. T or F

false

Most phosphorus on the planet is found in living organisms. T or F

false

Nutrient cycling through ecosystems can be depicted using a(n): - trophic pyramid. - food web. - ecosystem. - food chain. - Calvin cycle.

food web

An examination of geologic processes that drive the long-term carbon cycle shows that: - more carbon is moved from the atmosphere into geologic reservoirs than is released from geologic reservoirs into the atmosphere. - the same amount of carbon is moved from the atmosphere into geologic reservoirs as the amount released from geologic reservoirs into the atmosphere. - less carbon is moved from the atmosphere into geologic reservoirs than is released from geologic reservoirs into the atmosphere.

more carbon is moved from the atmosphere into geologic reservoirs than is released from geologic reservoirs into the atmosphere.

Organisms in an ecosystem are linked to their physical environment through the cycling of _____ and the transfer of _____. - energy; nutrients - nutrients; sunlight - nutrients; water - sunlight; nutrients - nutrients; energy

nutrients; energy

To which group do herbivores belong in a food web? - primary consumers - primary producers - decomposers - secondary consumers - tertiary consumers

primary consumers

The equation C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O represents the process of: - None of the answer options is correct. - respiration. - photosynthesis.

respiration

The Olympic Mountain Range is an actively growing mountain range, where two tectonic plates are continuing to move each other, exposing more sedimentary rock. This movement of one tectonic plate contributing to the growth of the mountain chain will primarily: - return carbon to the ocean through weathering. - return carbon to the atmosphere through volcanic activity. - return carbon to sedimentary rocks through sedimentation of shells and skeletons. - return carbon to the atmosphere through oxidation of ancient organic matter.

return carbon to the ocean through weathering.

Many commercial fertilizer products include phosphorous. The amount of phosphorous typically exceeds what can be absorbed by primary producers. The excess will be returned to the phosphorous cycle through: - chemical weathering. - upwelling in the ocean. - decomposition. - runoff into the ocean.

runoff into the ocean

Which of the processes is responsible for the change scientists observed in atmospheric concentrations of 12C, 13C, and 14C over the last 200 years? - the burning of fossil fuels - chemical weathering - subduction - volcanism - the clearing of forests

the burning of fossil fuels

Energy flow through ecosystems can be depicted using a(n): - trophic pyramid. - Calvin cycle. - food web. - food chain. - ecosystem.

trophic pyramid

Primary consumers obtain carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus through ingestion of primary producers. T or F

true

The long-term and short-term carbon cycles are connected by the fact that some of the carbon contained in C6H12O6 (or other organic molecules) in plants is incorporated into sedimentary rocks or oil; carbon in sedimentary rock and oil is not immediately cycled back to the atmosphere. t or f

true

Your body, your house, and your pets are all considered carbon reservoirs. T or F

true

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

yearly; century