Ch. 23 Terrestrial Ecosystems

What kind of trees dominate in ecosystems characterized by warm, wet climates with no distinct seasonality? A) broadleaf evergreen B) drought-deciduous C) winter-deciduous D) needle-leaf evergreen

A) broadleaf evergreen

Which biome contains the largest tree species in the world? A) coniferous forest B) deciduous forest C) tropical forest D) arctic forest

A) coniferous forest Example: sequoia forests

The dominant biome in mediterranean climates found between 30° and 40° latitude is A) temperate shrubland. B) temperate deciduous forest. C) desert. D) tropical savanna.

A) temperate shrubland.

What is the primary difference between savannas and tropical forests? A) Tropical forests are typically warmer. B) Savannas have less precipitation. C) Tropical forests have more variable temperatures. D) There are no climate differences between the two.

B) Savannas have less precipitation.

1) Distribution patterns of biomes can be determined based almost entirely on A) only mean annual temperature. B) both mean annual temperature and precipitation. C) the distribution of soils. D) global weather patterns.

B) both mean annual temperature and precipitation

The broad categories of grasses, shrubs, and trees represent a diverse range of species and characteristics, and they have fundamentally different patterns of A) nutrient allocation and morphology. B) carbon allocation and morphology. C) carbon allocation and nutrient allocation.

B) carbon allocation and morphology.

Which biome is represented by the map and climate diagrams? A) deciduous forest B) coniferous forest C) tropical forest D) tundra

B) coniferous forest

The dominant vegetation types in temperate shrublands are A) pine trees. B) evergreen shrubs and sclerophyllous vegetation. C) dwarf willows and Atriplex. D) grasses and dwarf oak.

B) evergreen shrubs and sclerophyllous vegetation. sclerophyllous-plants with very thick leaves to conserve water in dry climate

Decomposition rates in the tropical rain forest are A) slow due to inhibition of decomposition by moisture. B) fast due to near optimal conditions for decomposers. C) fast due to highly fertile soils. D) slow due to stored soil organic matter pools from which plants draw nutrients.

B) fast due to near optimal conditions for decomposers

The vegetation of tundra is dominated by A) broadleaf deciduous trees. B) short plants such as sedges, heaths, and willow. C) needle-leaf evergreen trees. D) sclerophyllous broadleaf evergreen shrubs.

B) short plants such as sedges, heaths, and willow.

The highest diversity of plant and animal life occurs in A) tropical savannas. B) tropical rain forests. C) temperate deciduous forests. D) boreal forests.

B) tropical rain forests

Which of the following biomes contains permafrost? A) taiga B) tundra C) desert D) temperate grassland

B) tundra

Increases in elevation are accompanied by decreases in temperature. The rate at which temperature drops as elevation increases is referred to as the dry adiabatic lapse rate, which gives a drop in temperature of rising unsaturated air of about 10°C for every 1000 meters. If the temperature is 25°C at the base of the mountain, what temperatures do organisms experience 3000 meters upslope? A) 5°C B) 0°C C) -5°C D) -15°C

C) -5°C

Tropical forests make up 6 percent of total land mass but contain an estimated ________ of all species on Earth. A) 1 percent B) 6 percent C) 50 percent D) 90 percent

C) 50 percent

The vegetation formation dominated by needle-leaf evergreen trees and occurring where growth is restricted to a few months of the year due to low temperatures is referred to as A) temperate deciduous forest. B) tundra. C) boreal forest. D) temperate shrubland.

C) boreal forest.

Plants that root and grow on other plants in the tropical rain forest are called A) phreatophytes. B) succulents. C) epiphytes. D) halophytes.

C) epiphytes

Fire in the taiga A) damages trees, resulting in excessively slow recovery due to low temperatures. B) alters nutrient cycling, making nutrients unavailable for trees. C) occurs often, resulting in decreased competition of vegetation adapted to repeated burning. D) results in systems dominated by grassland species.

C) occurs often, resulting in decreased competition of vegetation adapted to repeated burning.

Which of the following is not a type of temperate grassland? A) veld B) pampas C) prairie D) chaparral

D) chaparral

Which of the following allocates the greatest amount of biomass to photosynthetic tissue and the least amount to supportive tissue? A) trees B) shrubs C) lianas D) grasses

D) grasses

In what layer would one find salamanders in a deciduous forest? A) canopy B) shrub layer C) understory D) ground

D) ground

The density of woody vegetation in a savanna is controlled through A) mean annual temperature. B) mean annual temperature, soil texture, and water-holding capacity. C) mean annual precipitation. D) mean annual precipitation, soil texture, and water-holding capacity.

D) mean annual precipitation, soil texture, and water-holding capacity.

Large grazing ungulates and burrowing animals are most abundant in A) deserts. B) tropical rain forest. C) temperate shrubland. D) temperate grassland.

D) temperate grassland.

Savannas typically occur in A) cold areas with little rainfall in polar regions. B) cold areas with little rainfall at high altitudes in the tropics. C) very dry areas in the rain shadow of mountains of both temperate and tropical latitudes. D) warm areas with seasonal rainfall in the tropics.

D) warm areas with seasonal rainfall in the tropics

Deciduous leaves usually live for more than a single year or growing season.

False

Grazing ungulates are relatively common and burrowing rodents are relatively rare in temperate grasslands.

False

In temperate deciduous forests, the greatest concentration and diversity of life occur in the canopy.

False

Tropical rain forests typically have a thick layer of litter on the forest floor.

False

Tropical savannas typically lack trees or shrubs.

False

Tundra occurs only at high latitudes in polar regions.

False

________ is the perennially frozen subsurface that develops in boreal and arctic systems where the ground temperatures remain below 0°C for extended periods of time.

Permafrost

Classification of the world's major terrestrial biomes is based on the dominant forms of plant life.

True

Coniferous forests are dominated by needle-leaf evergreen trees.

True

Covering only 6 percent of the land surface, tropical rain forests account for more than 50 percent of all known plant and animal species.

True

Deserts are typically hot throughout the year and rarely have freezing temperatures.

True

Deserts often occur in the rain shadow of mountain ranges.

True

Grasslands formerly covered 42 percent of the land surface of the Earth.

True

Grazing at moderate levels stimulates plant productivity in grassland systems.

True

In the tropical latitudes, the length of the dry season increases with distance from the equator.

True

Leaf characteristics are useful indicators of the trade-offs plants make to combat environmental constraints.

True

Mediterranean climates are characterized by relatively dry summers and wet winters.

True

Net primary productivity of boreal forest is generally lower than in temperate deciduous forest.

True

Rainfall is greater in temperate deciduous forests than in temperate shrublands and grasslands

True

Similar climates produce similar vegetation structure around the world.

True

The largest and most continuous region of tropical rain forest in the world is in South America.

True

Topographic features, such as mountains and valleys, influence the climate of a region.

True

Tundra occurs at high elevations on mountains.

True

There are consistent patterns in the distribution and abundance of dominant plant life-forms across the biosphere because these life-forms share ________ to the selection pressures of climate and the physical environment.

adaptations

A(n) ________ is a biotic unit of plant formations and associated animal life based on the predominant plant types, with at least eight major terrestrial types.

biome

Leaves that live for only a single year or growing season are classified as ________.

deciduous

Arid environments that occur in the rain shadow of mountain barriers or are located far inland where moist maritime air rarely penetrates are referred to as ________.

desert

Tropical rain forests are restricted primarily to the ________ zone between latitudes 10° N and 10° S.

equatorial

Native grasslands of North America, influenced by declining precipitation from east to west, consist of three main types distinguished by the ________ of the dominant species

height

A(n) ________ climate is characterized by hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters.

mediterranean

Tropical ________ refers to vegetation in the drier tropics and subtropics that is dominated by a ground cover of grasses with scattered shrubs or trees.

savanna

A belt of coniferous forest, known as ________ forest, occurs in the high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere.

taiga