APES unit 1 : ecosystems

Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following question(s) refer to the following processes. (A) Nitrification (B) Denitrification (C) Assimilation (D) Ammonification (E) Nitrogen fixation Ammonia is converted to nitrite, then to nitrate?

A)nitrification

Which of the following is the zone of a pond or lake in which rooted, emergent plants such as cattails and rushes are located? A) Benthic B) Limnetic C) Littoral D) Profundal E) Riparian

C) Littoral

Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following question(s) refer to the following processes. (A) Nitrification (B) Denitrification (C) Assimilation (D) Ammonification (E) Nitrogen fixation Plant roots absorb ammonium ions and nitrate ions for use in making molecules such as DNA, amino acids, and proteins. A) a B) b C) c D) d E) e

C) Assimilation

Which of the following is a common characteristic of lakes undergoing cultural eutrophication? A) Decreased rates of sediment accumulation B) Decreased amounts of green and blue-green algae C) Increased levels of oxygen throughout the water column D) Increased water clarity in the epilimnion E) Increased levels of plant nutrients

E) Increased levels of plant nutrients

Algae in an aquatic food chain convert solar energy into 93,000 kilocalories of plant tissue. Which of the following values best represents the amount of energy available for secondary consumers in the food chain? A) 930 kilocalories B) 9,300 kilocalories C) 93,000 kilocalories D) 930,000 kilocalories

A) 930 kilocalories

ConsumerOrganisms that are being eatenShrewsHawksGrasshoppersSnakesSpidersPlantsShrewsXHawksXXGrasshoppersXSnakesXSpiderX Based on the data in the table, if the number of snakes were to suddenly decrease, which of the following changes would most likely occur in the food web of this ecosystem? A) increase in number of shrewsdecrease in number of hawks B) increase in number of hawksdecrease in number of shrews C) increase in number of grasshoppersdecrease in number of plants D) increase in number of spidersdecrease in number of plants

A)increase in number of shrewsdecrease in number of hawks

Based on the data in the table, which of the following pairs of organisms has two ecological relationships, both competition and predation? A) Spiders and shrews B) Hawks and snakes C) Spiders and snakes D) Spiders and grasshoppers

B) Hawks and snakes

Algae in an aquatic food chain convert solar energy into 93,000 kilocalories of plant tissue. Which of the following values best represents the amount of energy available for primary consumers in the food chain? A) 930 kilocalories B) 9,300 kilocalories C) 93,000 kilocalories D) 930,000 kilocalories

B) 9,300 kilocalories

Of the following organisms, which occupies the lowest trophic level? A) Spider B) Deer C) Lion D) Hawk E) Snake

B) Deer

Which of the following best describes the movement of energy in an ecosystem? A) Energy is constantly recycled by decomposers for use by producers. B) Energy is harnessed by producers, and available energy decreases with each trophic level transfer. C) Energy is absorbed by plants through water and soil and then moves up the food chain through consumers. D) Energy is magnified as it moves up the trophic levels, and tertiary consumers store the most energy in a food web.

B) Energy is harnessed by producers, and available energy decreases with each trophic level transfer.

Which of the following best describes a symbiotic relationship? A) Striped bass and bluefish eat the same variety of mackerel. B) Intestinal bacteria inhabit the gut of humans. C) Mountain lions feed on white-tailed deer. D) Marsupial animals carry their young in a pouch.

B) Intestinal bacteria inhabit the gut of humans.

Which of the following would best describe X in the diagram above? (x is the middle of a venn diagram comparing the phosphorus cycle and the nitrogen cycle) A)Bacteria play an important role in the conversion of compounds from the atmospheric gas to the form of the compound taken up by plants. B) Phosphorus and nitrogen are both required for plant growth. C) Volcanic eruptions are a major source of non-anthropogenic inputs. D) Processes include weathering and erosion.

B) Phosphorus and nitrogen are both required for plant growth.

The diagram shows the amount of phosphorus measured in teragrams (1 teragram = 1×1012 grams), in the various reservoirs of the phosphorus cycle. Based on the diagram, which of the following reservoirs contains the most phosphorus? A) Plants B) Sediments C) Soil D) Oceans

B) Sediments

Losses of usable energy between successive trophic levels in an ecosystem are best accounted for by which of the following? A)The first law of thermodynamics B) The second law of thermodynamics C) The law of conservation of matter D) The process of ecological succession E) Limiting factors in the ecosystem

B) The second law of thermodynamics

The two major processes involved in the carbon cycle are: A)weathering and erosion B) photosynthesis and respiration C) evaporation and transpiration D) erosion and deposition E) fixation and denitrification

B) photosynthesis and respiration

The process in the hydrologic cycle in which water vapor is released from leaves into the atmosphere is called: A) infiltration B) transpiration C) sublimation D) reflection E) percolation

B) transpiration

In a fish species, the number of eggs that hatch and survive for one year varies depending on the number of eggs that were produced. As the number of eggs produced increases past a threshold number, the survival rate of the offspring decreases. Which of the following statements best explains why only a limited number of offspring can survive in a fish population? A) Resource partitioning allows similar species to coexist in the same ecological community. B) The number of fish surviving after one year is proportional to the number of eggs produced. C) The chance of survival decreases when there is intraspecific competition for resources among surviving yearlings. D) More yearling fish survive beyond one year when there is an abundance of prey species present.

C) The chance of survival decreases when there is intraspecific competition for resources among surviving yearlings.

Elements that cycle in the environment and that also have a gaseous phase at some point in their cycle include which of the following? 1. Carbon 2. Phosphorus 3. Sulfur A) I only B) III only C) I and II only D) I and III only E) I, II, and III

C) I and II only

Why do introduced species often become pests? A) They displace native species. B) They increase biodiversity. C) They do not adapt well to local habitats. D) They contribute to habitat fragmentation. E) They have low biotic potential.

C) They do not adapt well to local habitats.

Which of the following best explains why decomposers in soils and water are important to ecosystems? A) They remove heavy metals. B) They store carbon dioxide. C) They recycle nutrients. D) They neutralize acid deposition. E) They produce more oxygen than they consume.

C) They recycle nutrients.

The net annual primary productivity of a particular wetland ecosystem is found to be 8,000 kcal/m2 per year. If respiration by the aquatic producers is 12,000 kcal/m2 per year, what is the gross annual primary productivity for this ecosystem, in kcal/m2 per year? A) 4,000 B) 8,000 C) 12,000 D) 20,000 E) 96,000

D) 20,000

This biome contains plants that are adapted to prevent water loss due to the low average rainfall and high temperatures year-round. A) Savanna B) Boreal forest C) Tropical rain forest D) Desert

D) Desert

Which of the following best describes gross primary productivity in an ecosystem? A) Gross primary productivity is the total amount of energy captured by producers plus the energy used by consumers over time. B) Gross primary productivity is the total amount of energy captured by producers minus the energy that producers respire over time. C) Gross primary productivity is the total amount of energy lost as heat during energy transfer between trophic levels. D) Gross primary productivity is the total amount of solar energy captured by producers through photosynthesis over time.

D) Gross primary productivity is the total amount of solar energy captured by producers through photosynthesis over time.

The terrestrial biomes shown in the diagram above vary in net primary productivity. The explanation for the variation includes which of the following? I. Temperature II. Precipitation III. Longitude A) I only B) II only C) III only D) I and II only E) II and III only

D) I and II only

Which of the following biomes is best characterized as an area that forms the narrow band along the coast that experiences a range of environmental conditions (including daily changes in sunlight, temperature, and water) ? a) open ocean b) lakes c) coral reefs d) intertidal zones

D) intertidal zones

Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following question(s) refer to the following countries. (A) Australia (B) Brazil (C) Chile (D) Russia (E) United States of America Country with the largest area of temperate deciduous forest

E) US