Unit 1 Progress Check: MCQ

A temperate grassland biome has a gross primary productivity of 3,480 kilocalories/meter/year and a net primary productivity of 2,000 kilocalories/meter/year. Which of the following is the approximate number of kilocalories/meter/year available to herbivores in that biome? A) 200 kilocalories/meter/year B) 1,480 kilocalories/meter/year C) 2,000 kilocalories/meter/year D) 5,480 kilocalories/meter/year

A) 200 kilocalories/meter/year

https://assets.learnosity.com/organisations/537/VH905886.g02.png Which of the following types of organisms are required to complete the nitrogen cycle, including the process of denitrification? A) Bacteria B) Producers C) Consumers D) Fungi

A) Bacteria Things to note: -The nitrogen cycle can cycle without having to move through B, C, D and half are not even involved in the final stages of the process (denitrification)

This biome is found in shallow waters off the coastline and is Earth's most biologically diverse marine biome. A) Coral reefs B) Freshwater wetlands C) Open ocean D) Rivers

A) Coral Reefs Things to note: -Corals live in vast colonies off the coast and create a reef that provides habitat for a variety of organisms, including algae, tropical fish, and birds

Which of the following trophic levels represents a primary producer in an aquatic food chain? A) Phytoplankton B) Herbivorous zooplankton C) Carnivorous zooplankton D) Baleen whale

A) Phytoplankton

https://assets.learnosity.com/organisations/537/VH899439.g04.png Which of the following biogeochemical cycles includes the processes of buffering ocean pH and photosynthesis, as shown in the diagram? A) The carbon cycle B) The nitrogen cycle C) The phosphorus cycle D) The potassium cycle

A) The carbon cycle Things to note: -Carbon is converted from atmospheric CO2 to organic carbon compounds via photosynthesis, and carbon sequestered by the ocean buffers ocean pH -Rest are not converted in the process of photosynthesis

Which of the following describes the most likely change to terrestrial biomes resulting from warmer average global temperatures? A) The global distribution of mid-latitude biomes, such as grasslands and temperate rainforests, would increase. B) Deciduous trees found in temperate seasonal forests would flower later in the year. C) The latitude range of tropical rain forests would narrow closer to the equator. D) High-latitude biomes, such as the tundra, would experience a decrease in net primary productivity.

A) The global distribution of mid-latitude biomes, such as grasslands and temperate rainforests, would increase. Things to note: -Warmer average global temperatures would expand the range of biomes currently found at midlatitudes. -Warmer temps = higher productivity

Which of the following best describes an example of resource partitioning in an ecosystem? A) Two different bird species feed from the same oak tree; one eats acorns, and the other eats insects in the bark. B) A tick uses a white-tailed deer as its host, consuming the deer's blood as food. C) Two individuals from the same population of barn owls hunt for the same species of mouse during the night. D) A mason bee pollinates a variety of flowers in a botanical garden.

A) Two different bird species feed from the same oak tree; one eats acorns, and the other eats insects in the bark. Things to note: -2 bird species are using the same resource in slightly different ways to reduce negative impacts of competition

https://assets.learnosity.com/organisations/537/VH915575.g03.png Which box represents a carbon sink that holds carbon compounds for the shortest period of time? A) Vegetation B) Sedimentary rock C) Ocean D) Burning of fossil fuels

A) Vegetation Things to note: -CO2 can move into plants to be stored as glucose much more quickly than sedimentary rocks and fossil fuels can be stored -Carbon compounds are held for the shortest amount of time in vegetation

Which of the following best describes a terrestrial ecosystem that will have the highest net primary productivity? A) Warm temperatures, high rainfall, and consistent sunlight B) Hot temperatures, low rainfall, and consistent sunlight C) Cold temperatures, high rainfall, and inconsistent sunlight D) Warm temperatures, low rainfall, and inconsistent sunlight

A) Warm temperatures, high rainfall, and consistent sunlight Things to note: -Net primary productivity is highest in areas where temperatures are warm and water and solar energy are abundant and encourage the growth of producers.

https://assets.learnosity.com/organisations/537/VH901681.g02.png The diagram shows a model of the global movement of water in the hydrologic cycle. Which of the following statements about the hydrologic cycle is true? A) Water from the ocean evaporates and condenses in the atmosphere. B) Surface runoff is the primary recharge of groundwater. C) Infiltration of water into the ground prevents water from returning to the oceanic reservoir. D) Evapotranspiration from plants decreases atmospheric water vapor.

A) Water from the ocean evaporates and condenses in the atmosphere. Things to note: -Ocean is the largest reservoir and therefore the greatest source for evaporation. -Evapotranspiration: the release of water vapor from the leaves of plants.

This biome contains a nutrient-rich environment created by falling leaves and trapped organic materials from the large trees, and it provides the ecosystem service of filtering pollutants from water. A) Coral reefs B) Freshwater wetlands C) Open ocean D) Rivers

B) Freshwater wetlands Things to note: -They have trees with roots that are submerged in water. The trees drop their leaves, and the water traps organic materials released from decomposition. The wetlands also trap pollutants

The total rate of photosynthesis in a given area. A) Primary productivity B) Gross primary productivity C) Net primary productivity D) Cellular respiration

B) Gross primary productivity Things to note: -Gross primary productivity is defined as the total rate of photosynthesis in a given area.

Energy is transferred along food chains from one stage to the next. Which statement best explains how the energy is transferred? A) If a primary consumer stores 100 kcal of energy, then a secondary consumer that feeds on the primary consumer will also have 100 kcal of energy available. B) If a primary producer stores 10,000 kcal of energy, then a tertiary consumer will have 10 kcal of energy available. C) If a primary producer stores 100,000 kcal of energy, then a secondary consumer will have 10,000 kcal of energy available. D) If a secondary consumer stores 500 kcal of energy, then a tertiary consumer that feeds on the secondary consumer will have 5,000 kcal of energy available.

B) If a primary producer stores 10,000 kcal of energy, then a tertiary consumer will have 10 kcal of energy available. Things to note: -Make sure to look at which level is being affected/referred to which

https://assets.learnosity.com/organisations/537/VH905886.g02.png Which of the following processes is illustrated by the downward arrows from the atmosphere that show the conversion of nitrogen gas into usable forms available to producers? A) Nitrogen assimilation B) Nitrogen fixation C) Photosynthesis D) Weathering

B) Nitrogen fixation Things to note: -*Nitrifying bacteria* converts atmospheric nitrogen to *ammonia* -Assimilation is the uptake of nitrogen by producers from nitrifying bacteria

https://assets.learnosity.com/organisations/537/VH902914.g02.png Which of the following best identifies a key component of the hydrologic cycle that powers the movement of water and is missing from the diagram? A) Terrestrial animals B) The Sun C) Bacteria D) Volcanoes

B) The Sun Things to note: -The sun powers the movement of water through evaporation and transpiration -Rest of them don't power the *consistent* movement of water

https://assets.learnosity.com/organisations/537/VH899549.g02.png (A marine food web) Which of the following best describes what is represented by the arrows in the food web? A) The photosynthetic rates of producers B) The flow of energy C) The movement of predators D) The decomposition of matter

B) The flow of energy Things to note: -Food webs depict feeding relationships between organisms

https://assets.learnosity.com/organisations/537/VH901984.g03.png The diagram below represents steps in the phosphorus cycle. Which of the following statements is best supported by the diagram of the phosphorus cycle? A) The largest reservoir of phosphorus is in the atmosphere. B) The phosphates absorbed by animal tissue through consumption eventually return to the soil. C) Plants take up the phosphate ions primarily from the metamorphic rocks. D) Phosphates are not soluble in water.

B) The phosphates absorbed by animal tissue through consumption eventually return to the soil. Things to note: -Phosphates absorbed by animal tissue through consumption eventually return to the soil through the excretion of plants and animals and their decomposition after death -Plants uptake phosphate ions from soils, not from the atmosphere -Phosphates are found in solution in the ocean and other bodies of water

Six white-tailed deer and six sika deer were enclosed in a pasture for observation during an eight-year study in central Texas. White-tailed deer are a native species to central Texas, while sika deer are a non-native species to central Texas. White-tailed deer feed on flowering plants and the tips of trees and shrubs but do not eat grass. Sika deer feed on flowering plants, the tips of trees and shrubs, and grass. All other grazing animals were kept out of the pasture during the study. The number of sika deer more than doubled after the eight years, while the population of white-tailed deer decreased by 50 percent. Which of the following statements best supports the results from the study? A) The sika deer are generalists, while the white-tailed deer are specialists. B) The sika deer out competed the white-tailed deer in consuming flowering plants and shrubs. C) Parasites infected the sika deer population but did not infect the white-tailed deer population. D) Change in the local climate reduced the availability of food resources for the white-tailed deer population.

B) The sika deer out competed the white-tailed deer in consuming flowering plants and shrubs. Things to note: -Since both species eat the same food, there's competition for a limited resource in the confined space -Both would be generalists since both species feed on a variety of food sources

https://assets.learnosity.com/organisations/537/VH913862.g03.png Farmers in a suburban coastal town started using no-till agriculture, a practice that reduces soil erosion from their farmland. Use the image above to determine which of the following long-term effects no-till agriculture will have on the ecosystem surrounding the farmland. A) There will be an increased need for fertilizer on farmlands. B) There will be less algal growth in the nearby ocean. C) There will be less phosphorus pollution in the atmosphere. D) There will be an increased deposition of phosphorus-rich sediments.

B) There will be less algal growth in the nearby ocean. Things to note: -Phosphorous is a limiting factor in biological systems; by decreasing the amount of erosion, less phosphorus will runoff into waterways and be available to algae to use for growth. -If less erosion occurs, more phosphorous remains in the soil, decreasing the need for additional fertilizer. -Sediments are a major source of phosphorous; decreasing erosion will not increase deposition of sediments.

Which of the following terrestrial biomes has the highest net primary productivity? A) Desert B) Tropical rainforest C) Taiga D) Savanna

B) Tropical Rainforest Things to note: -Net primary productivity is higher in biomes that are warm year-round and receive abundant rainfall and sunlight to encourage the growth of producers

Which of the following terrestrial biomes has the highest primary productivity per unit area? A) Desert B) Tropical rainforest C) Boreal forest D) Savanna

B) Tropical rainforest Things to note: -Others don't have the plants to having high photosynthesis = high primary productivity and other factors

https://assets.learnosity.com/organisations/537/VH899268.g03.png The diagram shows a particular terrestrial food web. Based on the food web shown above, which of the following correctly describes the flow of energy through the trophic levels from producers to quaternary consumers? A) Red-tailed hawk, grasshopper mouse, grasshopper, rattlesnake, brittlebush B) Red-tailed hawk, rattlesnake, grasshopper mouse, grasshopper, brittlebush C) Brittlebush, grasshopper, grasshopper mouse, rattlesnake, red-tailed hawk D) Brittlebush, red-tailed hawk, rattlesnake, grasshopper mouse, grasshopper

C) Brittlebush, grasshopper, grasshopper mouse, rattlesnake, red-tailed hawk Things to note: -The energy flows up the food web through trophic levels based on feeding relationships.

Which of the following smaller reservoirs of freshwater are missing from the diagram? A) Fossil fuels B) Rocks C) Ice caps D) Algae

C) Ice caps Things to note: -Ice caps & Glaciers store almost 70% of Earth's total freshwater -Rest are reservoirs for different cycles

In reef ecosystems, corals often have microalgae living inside them. The algae supply the corals with nutrients, and the coral give shelter to the algae. Which of the following interactions best describes the relationship between the corals and the algae? A) Competition B) Predation C) Mutualism D) Parasitism

C) Mutualism

The energy available to consumers determined by subtracting the energy used by plants from the total energy transformed by the process of photosynthesis. A) Primary productivity B) Gross primary productivity C) Net primary productivity D) Cellular respiration

C) Net primary productivity Things to note: -The rate of energy storage by photosynthesizers after subtracting energy used for cellular respiration in plants.

The majority of the nitrogen on Earth can be found in which of the following reservoirs? A) Terrestrial plants B) Soil bacteria C) The atmosphere D) Sedimentary rock

C) The atmosphere

https://assets.learnosity.com/organisations/537/VH899442.g02.png The diagram above best illustrates major processes in which of the following biogeochemical cycles? A) The carbon cycle B) The nitrogen cycle C) The phosphorus cycle D) The water cycle

C) The phosphorus cycle Things to note: -Phosphorus cycle doesn't have an atmospheric sink and is driven by weathering and uplift

Based on the second law of thermodynamics, how much biomass of phytoplankton would be needed to produce 1 kilogram (kg) of large fish in this food web? A) 1g B) 10g C) 100kg D) 1,000kg

D) 1,000kg Things to note: -Be sure to read which animal it's referring to in order to count the trophic levels it passes through and times 0.10x each time

https://assets.learnosity.com/organisations/537/VH915575.g03.png Which of represents a carbon source? A) Vegetation B) Sedimentary rock C) Ocean D) Burning of fossil fuels

D) Burning fossil fuels Things to note: -Burning fossil fuels is a source because it releases carbon that has been stored in coal, oil, or natural gas, which are carbon sinks -Rest are sinks

This rate of reaction can be measured in the dark by determining the amount of oxygen gas consumed in a period of time. A) Primary productivity B) Gross primary productivity C) Net primary productivity D) Cellular respiration

D) Cellular respiration Things to note: -Does not require sunlight, so it can be measured in the dark. -Rest sunlight is required

https://assets.learnosity.com/organisations/537/VH899549.g02.png (A marine food web) Which trophic level has the least available energy in kilojoules in this food web? A) Phytoplankton B) Herbivorous zooplankton C) Baleen whale D) Killer whale

D) Killer whale

Which of the following best describes the flow of energy in most *terrestrial* and *near-surface* marine ecosystems? A) Decomposers break down dead or decaying organisms to release energy and nutrients to be used by producers. B) Chemoautotrophs use inorganic energy sources, such as hydrogen sulfide, to create organic compounds from carbon dioxide. C) Apex predators feed on other organisms, which releases heat that can be used by producers and primary consumers. D) Producers use energy from the sun to make organic matter, such as sugars, from carbon dioxide and water and are then consumed by organisms higher in the food chain.

D) Producers use energy from the sun to make organic matter, such as sugars, from carbon dioxide and water and are then consumed by organisms higher in the food chain. Things to note: -Through the process of photosynthesis, plants convert solar energy into chemical energy, which moves through the food chain when one organism feeds on another. -Decomposers cycle nutrients but energy cannot be cycled back to producers.

This freshwater biome is characterized by fast-flowing water that can originate from underground springs or runoff, which carries sediment and organic material. A) Coral reefs B) Freshwater wetlands C) Open ocean D) Rivers

D) Rivers Things to note: -Rivers carry runoff from rain or snow. Turbulent water, known as rapids, form from the fast-moving water flow