chapter18

What fraction of Earth's surface has been altered by human use?

75%

Which of the following is an example of an evolutionary adaptation?

A portion of a forest burns in a forest fire. As a species of beetles starts to recolonize the area, the lighter-colored individuals in the population are much more visible against the burned bark compared to darker individuals. These lighter individuals are eaten by bird predators at a high rate. After two generations, most of the beetles are darker in color.

A student decides to take up jogging to improve her aerobic capacity. During the first few weeks of exercise, she is only able to jog for about one and a half miles before tiring. However, after three months, she is able to jog four miles with ease. This physiological change is an example of __________.

acclimation

The most inclusive level of organization in nature is the ____

biosphere

Which of the following is not a result of global warming?

decreasing sea levels.

Water-storing plants and deeply-rooted shrubs are plants that characterize ______.

deserts

Human activity, especially __________, significantly alters the amount of atmospheric water vapor available for the water cycle.

destruction of tropical rain forests

Which of the following actions would increase your carbon footprint?

eating more beef and less chicken

What level of ecology is concerned with both the biotic and abiotic aspects of an environment?

ecosystem

The effect of deforestation has been to ______.

increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

Which of the following would be a positive benefit of global warming for a particular species?

Bark beetles are able to reproduce twice a year rather than once because of global warming.

Which of the following is a true statement?

The increase in average global temperatures over the last century has been attributed to an increase in the concentration of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere.

Wetlands ______.

are important in improving water quality

The temperate zones ______.

are relatively wet

What level of ecology is concerned with groups of individuals of the same species?

population

What name is given to the seafloor?

benthic realm

The dominant greenhouse gas is _____.

carbon dioxide

Temperature increases due to global warming have been greatest _____.

close to the poles

What level of ecology is concerned with groups of individuals of different species?

community

If you study how two species of finches compete for food, you are trying to answer a question about _______.

community ecology

Long, snowy winters as well as evergreen trees such as pine and fir are found in ______.

coniferous forest

Which of these biomes is one of the most biologically productive of all biomes?

estuaries

The definition of your carbon footprint is __________.

he amount of greenhouse gas emitted as a result of your actions

Ecology is the study of ______

interactions between organisms and their environments

What name is given to the region where sea meets land?

intertidal zone

The photic zone is the shallow water near shore and the upper layer of water away from shore where __________.

light is available for photosynthesis

In the oceans, global warming has ______.

made the water more acidic

Estuaries are considered examples of _____.

marine biomes

Aquatic organisms ______.

may experience problems with water balance

Which of the following is a behavioral response to environmental variability?

migrating to a different location

On land, plants depend on the availability of two important inorganic nutrients, which they obtain from the soil: _____ and _____.

nitrogen ...phosphorus

Which nutrients often limit the distribution and abundance of photosynthetic organisms?

nitrogen and phosphorus

The rising average global temperature is having the greatest effect on the

northernmost regions of the Northern Hemisphere and the Antarctic Peninsula

Which of the following can moderate climate by absorbing heat when the air is warm and releasing heat when the air is cold?

oceans

What level of ecology is concerned with the adaptations of individuals?

organismal

What name is given to the open ocean?

pelagic realm

n what part of the ocean are phytoplankton found?

pelagic realm

In an aquatic ecosystem, what name is given to the region where photosynthesis can occur?

photic zone

Water moves from land to the atmosphere through _____.

transpiration and evaporation

Permafrost, or permanently frozen subsoil, characterizes _____.

tundra

Terrestrial ecosystems are grouped into biomes primarily on the basis of __________

vegetative type

With regard to the environment as a whole, when is the worst time to apply pesticide to your lawn?

when it is raining, or is about to rain

Which of the following is a true statement?

After a period of below-average rainfall, drought-resistant individuals may be more prevalent in a plant population.

The greenhouse effect causes an increase in global temperatures. This increase is primarily due to ______.

CO2 and other greenhouse gases slowing the escape of heat from Earth

_______ is the science that studies the interactions between organisms and their environments

Ecology

______ are the dominant herbivores of savanna ecosystems.

Insects

What is a population?

a group of organisms of the same species living in a particular geographic area

Which of the following is abiotic?

a rock

What are estuaries?

a transition area between a river and the ocean

An organism's environment consists of __________.

abiotic and biotic factors

What term applies to the physical and physiological changes experienced by astronauts who spend months in space?

acclimation

Which of these is a community?

all of the organisms living in your home

Which of the following is a population?

all of the redwood trees that live in a particular forest

Which of the following organisms are not ultimately dependent on sunlight for energy?

species that live in hydrothermal vent habitats

The goal of developing, managing, and conserving Earth's resources in ways that meet the needs of people today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs is known as _____.

sustainability

Latitudes between the tropics and the Arctic Circle in the north and the Antarctic Circle in the south are called _____.

temperate zones