Environmental Science Exam 2

An ecological hotspot is a region that is especially rich with biological diversity. Based on the information in this chapter, which of the following areas qualifies as an ecological hotspot? the Sahara Desert Arizona (U.S.A.) Antarctica Costa Rica

Costa Rica

magma surging upward to the surface divides plates and pushes them apart, creating new crust as it cools and spreads

Divergent plate boundaries

An ideal habitat with unlimited resources is associated with Both exponential growth and logistic growth. Neither exponential growth nor logistic growth. Exponential growth. Population crashes. Logistic growth.

Exponential growth.

igneous rock that cools and solidifies at Earth's surface

Extrusive igneous rock

True or False. In the example described in the tutorial, the red amoebas survived the catastrophic event, and all future generations of amoebas were red because the red amoebas had a higher reproductive rate than the blue ones.

False

Which of the following happened first? The formation of Pangaea. The Appalachian Mountains begin to form. The North Atlantic Ocean begins to form. The mountains of Southern Asia and Europe begin to form.

The Appalachian Mountains begin to form.

Which of the following is true? The earliest known estimate of biodiversity was about right for aquatic species, but too low for terrestrial species. The earliest known estimate of biodiversity was about right for terrestrial species, but too low for aquatic species. The earliest known estimate of biodiversity was too high. The earliest known estimate of biodiversity was too low.

The earliest known estimate of biodiversity was too low.

Which of the following occurred about 21,000 years ago? India breaks off from Antarctica and begins moving north toward Asia. The North Atlantic Ocean begins to form. The formation of the ice age glaciers. The Appalachian Mountains finish forming.

The formation of the ice age glaciers.

According to current best estimates, which of the following is true? The majority of the earth is covered by land, and the majority of species are aquatic. The majority of the earth is covered by water, and the majority of species are aquatic. The majority of the earth is covered by land, and the majority of species are terrestrial. The majority of the earth is covered by water, and the majority of species are terrestrial.

The majority of the earth is covered by water, and the majority of species are terrestrial.

Mass extinctions create conditions that promote _____. genetic drift gene flow paedomorphosis microevolution adaptive radiation

adaptive radiation

The appearance of an evolutionary novelty often promotes _____. paedomorphosis mutation mass extinction gene flow adaptive radiation

adaptive radiation

The different finch species found on the Galápagos Islands probably arose as a result of _____. gene flow artificial selection paedomorphosis mass extinction adaptive radiation

adaptive radiation

The authors of a new study believe taxonomical techniques need to be refined for which of the following groups? fungi bacteria birds plants

bacteria

In order for two organisms to belong to the same species, individuals of their species must _______. share more than 30% genetic identity with each other live in the same geographical area be able to reproduce and have fertile offspring be of the same sex

be able to reproduce and have fertile offspring

The innate reproductive capacity of a species is its _____. carrying capacity logistic growth environmental resistance biotic potential

biotic potential

What color smoke coming from a coal-fired power plant would indicate wasted fuel?

black

Many pollutants from coal-fired power plants are properly managed today. Which of the following is currently considered to be the biggest threat to the environment?

carbon dioxide

Fossil fuels are formed as organic materials decompose and layers of particles fall on top of them. This process is similar to the process of _______.

compaction, When fossil fuels are formed sedimentary layers pile up over time and are physically pressed together (compaction).

inner core

composed mostly of solid metal

outer core

composed of molten metal

upper mantle

contains the asthenosphere

Australia is composed of relatively old and thick

continental crust

Which of the following are responsible for the formation of some of the world's highest mountains?

convergent plate boundaries,Convergent plate boundaries can cause either subduction or continental collisions. Continental collisions lead to mountain formations.

Which of the following correctly represents the layers of the earth from the innermost to the outermost layer? core, mantle, crust crust, mantle, core core, crust, mantle crust, core, mantle

core, mantle, crust

Consider a population of fish in the ocean. Which of the following would be a limiting factor for such a population? atmospheric oxygen levels rainfall the pH of soil dissolved oxygen levels

dissolved oxygen levels

A single, small population that only exists in one place on the planet is considered _____ to that area. pandemic extinct endemic foreign

endemic

The earthquakes that occur in Southern California generally occur above a

fault

Feathers either play a role, or may have played a role, in _____. flight extended hops courtship gliding all of these

flight extended hops courtship gliding all of these

Where is electricity made at a coal-fired power plant?

generator

The evolution of populations due to chance is has more effect in large populations than in small populations. genetic drift. gene flow. natural selection. genetic variation.

genetic drift.

A _____ is defined as the living and nonliving elements around an organism. specialist habitat niche generalist

habitat

In a population with brown and green alleles for color, genetic drift occurs when individuals move into or out of a population, changing the allele frequencies in the population. has more effect on the evolution of a small population. has more effect on the evolution of a large population. always increases the frequency of brown alleles in the population. causes populations to become better adapted to their environments.

has more effect on the evolution of a small population.

Density-dependent factors _______. are less important for regulating population size than density-independent factors have a greater impact at higher population densities act at the community level cause decreases in numbers of species in an ecosystem as a result of temperature extremes

have a greater impact at higher population densities

The sixth mass extinction event is likely being caused by _______. human-induced events the last ice age meteorites disease pandemics

human-induced events

Volcanoes are created when lava cools and accumulates over time. What type of rock are volcanoes made of?

igneous rock

The only process that can add new genes and therefore new variations to a species is _______. mutation selective breeding natural selection stabilizing selection

mutation

Extinction is a(n) _____ process; human activity can affect the _____ at which extinction occurs. unnatural, time natural, rate natural, migration level unnatural, location

natural, rate

What describes the number of individuals in a population per unit area? population gravity population density population extinction Population dynamics

population density

Starting with the smallest level of ecological organization and moving towards the highest, the order should go organism, _________. ecosystem, population, community, biosphere community, population, biosphere, ecosystem population, community, ecosystem, biosphere biosphere, population, ecosystem, community

population, community, ecosystem, biosphere

Which of the following would be the most effective action for protecting biodiversity? practice conservation practice ecotourism practice preservation do all of the above

practice conservation practice ecotourism practice preservation do all of the above

The slowly increasing distance between South America and Africa is due to

seafloor spreading

Layered _________exposed by erosion can be seen when looking at the Grand Canyon in the United States.

sedimentary rock

Which of the following is considered a community? a single population whose individuals are similar enough to each other to be able to breed successfully several interacting species living in the same area all of the living and nonliving things on the earth an ecosystem

several interacting species living in the same area

All fossil fuels, including coal, are considered an indirect form of ____________ energy.

solar

Which type of selection helps to preserve the status quo, genetically speaking? stabilizing selection disruptive selection directional selection status quo selection

stabilizing selection

The extremely deep ocean Marianas Trench is a result of

subduction

Which of the following is the broadest (most all-encompassing) level of ecological organization? an ecosystem the biosphere an organism a population

the biosphere

An excellent example of selective or artificial breeding by humans is _______. the diversity of human species in the world today the extinction of frogs in Monteverde's cloud forest the diversity of dog breeds in the world today the great diversity of man-made fabrics

the diversity of dog breeds in the world today

If color is an inherited trait in beetles, and birds are more likely to eat brown beetles than green beetles, the frequencies of the brown and green alleles will not change. this causes the population to evolve due to genetic drift. the frequency of the green allele will increase. the frequency of the brown allele will increase. this causes the population to evolve due to gene flow.

the frequency of the green allele will increase.

The carrying capacity is _______. always the same for a given habitat the maximum population size that a given environment can sustain the potential number of species that could exist in a given area the greatest number of niches possible in a given area

the maximum population size that a given environment can sustain

lower mantle

thick layer of dense rock surrounding the core

crust

thin rock layer at Earth's surface

Natural disasters like the recent earthquake in Haiti can be attributed to _______.

transform plate boundaries,Where two plates meet, they can slip and grind alongside each other. This can generate enough friction to start an earthquake.

Earthquakes, volcanoes, and landslides can displace large volumes of water and trigger which of the following natural disasters?

tsunamis

If a significant amount of extrusive igneous rock is found in an area, one would expect also to find _____ in the area.

volcanoes

Which of the following can help humans mitigate the negative impact of floods?

zoning laws to reduce building in flood zones

Approximately how many species have been named and catalogued?

1.3 million

How many alleles do you inherit for each genetic trait? 1 2 46 it depends on the specific trait

2

Which statement below most accurately describes a phylogenetic tree? A phylogenetic tree is a branching diagram used to illustrate the steps an organism went through during artificial selection. A phylogenetic tree is a diagram that shows how one species develops into another. A phylogenetic tree is a branching diagram used to illustrate a scientist's hypothesis about how divergence took place among evolutionary lines. A phylogenetic tree is a genetically modified tree that can produce asexually without using seeds.

A phylogenetic tree is a branching diagram used to illustrate a scientist's hypothesis about how divergence took place among evolutionary lines.

based upon the fact that atoms of radioactive elements decay to form stable isotopes. This decay rate is constant and measurable; geologists measure this rate to determine the absolute ages of rocks.

Absolute Dating

_____ is rapid, branching speciation under conditions in which there is little competition. Microevolution Adaptive radiation Genetic drift Paedomorphosis Gene flow

Adaptive radiation

The maximum population a habitat can support is its Exponential growth. Carrying capacity. Birth rate. Logistic growth. Death rate.

Carrying capacity.

dissolves and removes minerals from the rocks, further breaking them down

Chemical weathering

where plates collide

Convergent plate boundaries

Color is an inherited trait in beetles. If brown beetles move into a population from a nearby island, which of the following statements is correct? Gene flow causes the frequency of the brown allele to increase. Natural selection causes the frequency of the green allele to increase. This is an example of genetic drift. Gene flow causes the frequency of the green allele to increase. Natural selection causes the frequency of the brown allele to increase.

Gene flow causes the frequency of the brown allele to increase.

the study of Earth's physical features, processes, and history

Geology

Remember that color is an inherited trait in beetles. Which of the following is an example of natural selection? Green beetles migrate out of the population. Green beetles leave more offspring than brown beetles because they are better at finding food. A storm kills more green beetles than brown beetles by chance. Green beetles and brown beetles always leave the same number of offspring. Green beetles migrate out of the population, and brown beetles migrate into the population.

Green beetles leave more offspring than brown beetles because they are better at finding food.

Which of the following is a major reason that humans have converted the native ecosystems of Costa Rica for other uses? Humans benefited more economically from agriculture. Humans needed to find more medicine in the rainforest. Humans wanted to make more money from ecotourism. Scientists needed to convert the ecosystems into something else in order to understand them better.

Humans benefited more economically from agriculture.

forms when magma cools

Igneous rock

Which of the following would NOT cause population size to decrease? Poor weather, resulting in less food being available A exponentially growing population outgrowing its food supply and crashing Increased birth rate Increased death rate Increase in the number of predators

Increased birth rate

Which of the following events could NOT be caused by a population bottleneck? Loss of alleles Increased population size Reduction in genetic variability Changes in allele frequency

Increased population size

magma that cools slowly well below Earth's surface

Intrusive igneous rock

During peak usage, what happens to the cost of electricity?

It almost always increases.

Which of the following is true? It is more likely that a new bird species will be discovered than a new insect species. It is more likely that a new mammal species will be discovered than a new insect species. It is more likely that a new insect species will be discovered than a new mammal species. It is more likely that a new mammal species will be discovered than a new bird species.

It is more likely that a new insect species will be discovered than a new mammal species.

Which of the following statements about the amoeba population described at the end of the tutorial is true? It is healthier than the starting population. It is more vulnerable to extinction due to lack of genetic variation. It is less vulnerable to extinction because it survived the catastrophe.

It is more vulnerable to extinction due to lack of genetic variation.

Which of the following is a step that Costa Rica took to safeguard its biodiversity? It opened its reserves to hunters and loggers. It opened national parks and created protected areas so that close to 25% of its land is protected or reserved. It closed its national parks and made public protected areas in the interest of ecotourism. Members of the Quakers converted 90% of forested areas into dairy farms.

It opened national parks and created protected areas so that close to 25% of its land is protected or reserved.

Which of the following U.S. states would be least likely to be affected by a tsunami?

Kansas

Continental rifting formed which of the following? Ice age glaciers Pangaea Mountains of Southern Asia and Europe North Atlantic Ocean

North Atlantic Ocean

all landmasses were joined into 1 supercontinent 225 million years ago

Pangaea

breaks the rock into smaller pieces

Physical weathering

movement of lithospheric plates

Plate tectonics

Logistic growth involves Population growth continuing forever. A population crash. Population growth reaching carrying capacity and then speeding up. Population size decreasing to zero. Population growth slowing down as the population approaches carrying capacity.

Population growth slowing down as the population approaches carrying capacity.

In exponential growth Population size grows faster and faster as the population gets bigger. Population size stays constant. Population size grows more and more slowly as the population gets bigger. Population growth slows as the population gets close to its carrying capacity. None of these are correct.

Population size grows faster and faster as the population gets bigger.

________found in the Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe is composed of dense and relatively young rock.

Seafloor crust

one plate of crust may slide beneath another - Magma erupts through the surface in volcanoes

Subduction

Two organisms live in the same geographical area, are very similar genetically, and can breed with each other successfully. Which of the following statements is correct? These organisms have undergone speciation. These organisms are members of the same species. These organisms have gone extinct. These organisms are members of different populations.

These organisms are members of the same species.

two plates meet, slipping and grinding alongside one another Friction spawns earthquakes along slip-strike faults

Transform plate boundary

Old Faithful Geyser at Yellowstone National Park in the United States acquires its energy from

a hot spot

Which of the following areas would experience the most devastation after an earthquake?

a marshlike environment that was filled with landfill in order to build a city

An allele is: the gene pool of a population a particular trait a genotype a particular version of a gene

a particular version of a gene

Allelic frequencies change in: a population an individual single cells

a population

Which of the following populations would be most vulnerable to extinction? a small, endemic population a large population of generalists a medium-sized specialist population a small population of generalists

a small, endemic population

When looking at the distribution of a population, we might find a uniform distribution when _______. members of a population try to avoid predators a resource is found in limited, isolated areas within the habitat not enough of a resource is available to support the population individuals are competing for an evenly distributed resource such as space

individuals are competing for an evenly distributed resource such as space

Of identified and catalogued species, which is the largest group? insects fungi bacteria plants

insects

magma released from the lithosphere

lava

The formation of rock through compaction and cementation is termed _______.

lithification

the molten, liquid state of rock (beneath the surface)

magma

Which of the following would explain the extinction of upwards of 90% of species in existence over a short period of time? mass extinction events dispersal events speciation endemic populations

mass extinction events

A population is: all organisms in a given area all organisms in the ecosystem various alleles at all the gene loci members of the same species occupying the same area at the same time

members of the same species occupying the same area at the same time

Generation-to-generation change in the allele frequencies in a population is _____.

microevolution