Geog&100 Lecture 4A&4B
Which of the following statements about human impacts on the nitrogen cycle is FALSE? (a)Blue baby syndrome was a problem caused by emissions of nitrous oxides from cars (b)Nitrates are good for crops but pose a water quality problem for rivers and groundwater aquifers (c)Nitrous oxides that react with hydrocarbons cause photochemical smog (d)When nitrogen fertilizer application to farms in Eastern Europe decreased significantly after the collapse of Communism in the early 1990s, the hypoxic or dead zone in the Black Sea nearly disappeared.
(a)Blue baby syndrome was a problem caused by emissions of nitrous oxides from cars
Which forest-climate association is NOT correct? (a)Deciduous Forest - Mediterranean (b)Tropical Rainforest - Tropical Wet (c)Boreal Forest - Subarctic (d)Taiga - Subarctic
(a)Deciduous Forest - Mediterranean
What type of stream is LEAST likely to be found in a desert biome?(a)Ephemeral Streams (b)Intermittent Streams (c)Losing Streams (d)Perennial Streams
(a)Ephemeral Streams
Which of the following deserts in the United States is a cold or mid-latitude desert? (a)Great Basin desert of Utah and Nevada (b)Mojave Desert of southern California and southern Nevada (c)Sonoran Desert of Arizona and NW Mexico (d)Chihuahua Desert of southwest Texas and north central Mexico
(a)Great Basin desert of Utah and Nevada
Which of the following is NOT one of the five soil-forming factors?(a)Humidity (b)Topography (c)Climate (d)Time
(a)Humidity
What percentage of all the water on Earth is unfrozen freshwater in surface waters such as rivers, streams, lakes and ponds? (a)Less than 1 percent (b)1 percent (c)2 percent (d)97 percent
(a)Less than 1 percent
Which of the following is NOT associated with COLD DESERTS?(a)Near the Sub-Tropical High (b)Found in the Mid-Latitudes (c)Found in the far interiors of continents (d)Found on the leeward side of mountain ranges
(a)Near the Sub-Tropical High
Where in the world would you find a temperature rainforest?(a)Pacific Northwest and Western New Zealand (b)Western Europe and the Eastern United States (c)Equatorial Brazil and Indonesia (d)Central Canada and Russia
(a)Pacific Northwest and Western New Zealand
Which of the following statements about ecological succession is FALSE? (a)Succession occurs only if an area has undergone natural disturbance; it does not occur after human disturbance. (b)Succession is a process whereby different plants dominate at different times as time goes by (c)Pioneer plants are the hardiest plants that come in right after the initial `disturbance (d)Secondary succession occurs when the soils is still intact, but primary succession starts from scratch with rock or deposits as no soils is present9.
(a)Succession occurs only if an area has undergone natural disturbance; it does not occur after human disturbance.
Which Biome has the greatest biodiversity on Earth? (a)Tropical Rain Forest (b)Boreal Forest (c)Temperate Rain Forest (d)Mid-Latitude Deciduous Forest
(a)Tropical Rain Forest
Which forests of the world are seeing the greatest destruction right now? (a)Tropical Rain Forests (b)Temperature Rain Forests (c)Mid-latitude Deciduous Forests (d)Boreal Forests of Canada and the Taiga of Russia
(a)Tropical Rain Forests
What percentage of greenhouse gases emitted by humans is absorbed by the forests of the world? (a)10 percent (b)25 percent (c)40 percent (d)50 percent
(b)25 percent
What is the MAIN threat to grassland biomes? (a)Mineral extraction (b)Agriculture (c)Invasive Species (d)Urbanization
(b)Agriculture
Which forest biome would have the most fertile soils? (a)Coniferous Forest (b)Deciduous Forest (c)Tropical Rainforest (d)Temperate Rainforest
(b)Deciduous Forest
Which of the following is NOT part of the mineral component of soil? (a)Calcium (b)Humus (c)Phosphorous (d)Sodium
(b)Humus
What is NOT associated with the soils of the prairies and steppe grasslands? (a)Calcium Carbonate (b)Low pH - acidic soils (c)Thick, humus rich A horizon (d)Fertile soils good for farming
(b)Low pH - acidic soils
Which of the following does not apply to grazing bison and zebras?(a)Herbivores (b)Omnivores (c)Consumers (d)Heterotrophs
(b)Omnivores
Which type of grassland has to deal with a dry winter, and has some trees due to its wet summer? (a)Steppe (b)Savanna (c)Pampas (d)Tall Grass Prairie
(b)Savanna
A farm field that is abandoned and left alone for many decades is an example of which of the following processes? (a)Primary Succession (b)Secondary Succession (c)Ecoystem Developmemt (d)Biomagnification
(b)Secondary Succession
Which of the following is NOT a SOURCE in the carbon cycle?(a)Humans burning fossil fuels (b)Soils and vegetation tissue (c)Melting Arctic Tundra releasing methane (d)Forest Fires
(b)Soils and vegetation tissue
Which of the following statements about the desert is NOT true?(a)Rain often comes down fast and runs off the desert pavement soil (b)Temperature is the main limiting factor (c)The soils tend to be alkaline with large amounts of calcium carbonate (d)Many animals are nocturnal
(b)Temperature is the main limiting factor
Which forest biome is under the greatest threat of destruction right now due to farming, ranching, and logging? (a)Deciduous Forest (b)Tropical Rainforest (c)Temperate Rainforest (d)Boreal Forest
(b)Tropical Rainforest
What is NOT a difference between the Tropical Rain Forest and the Deciduous Forest? (a)Tropical Rainforest has no dormant season to lose its leaves (b)Tropical Rainforest has very little undergrowth and Deciduous Forests have very thick undergrowth (both have little underbrush)(c)Tropical Rainforest has no limitations as far as temperature or moisture, but Deciduous Forests have limiting temperature in the winter (d)Tropical Rainforests have very high amounts of biodiversity, whereas Deciduous Forests have moderate amounts of biodiversity
(b)Tropical Rainforest has very little undergrowth and Deciduous Forests have very thick undergrowth (both have little underbrush)
Which of the following is NOT an invasive species? (a)Zebra Mussels in the Great Lakes (b)Cheatgrass in Nevada and Utah (c)Big Bluestem and Little Bluestem Prairie Illinois (Native tall grass prairie) (d)Kudzo in the South
(c)Big Bluestem and Little Bluestem Prairie Illinois (Native tall grass prairie)
What is the limiting factor in a Tropical Rainforest? (a)Soil Moisture (b)Temperature (c)Competition for sunlight (d)Rainfall
(c)Competition for sunlight
Which of the following is NOT true regarding legumes? (a)Legumes are plants with N-fixing bacteria living on their root nodules (b)Peanuts are a legume that George Washington Carver promoted to regenerate the worn-out soils in the South (c)Farmers traditionally have rotated soybeans and wheat with corn, a legume, because the corn will replenish the nitrogen in the soil. (d)Legumes support bacteria that can fix nitrogen out of the soil and provide a form of the element that plants can utilize
(c)Farmers traditionally have rotated soybeans and wheat with corn, a legume, because the corn will replenish the nitrogen in the soil.
What does the term biomagnification mean? (a)Loss of 90% of energy as you move up each trophic level of the food chain (b)Biological organisms tend to be larger in colder environments (c)Higher concentrations of toxins like DDT and mercury as you move up the food chain (d)Biological effects on the environment tend to be magnified when humans are present
(c)Higher concentrations of toxins like DDT and mercury as you move up the food chain
What is the main limiting factor in most grassland environments?(a)Competition (b)Soil Fertility (c)Moisture (d)Temperature
(c)Moisture
Which of the following desert adaptations would most likely be found in areas of high water table near dry streambeds or next to dam reservoirs? (a)Wide and Shallow rooting system (b)Succulence (c)Phreatophytes (d)Recessed Stomata
(c)Phreatophytes
Which of the following is a SOURCE in the carbon cycle?(a)Photosynthesizing trees (b)Limestone rock (c)Plants decomposing and humans respiring (d)Ocean water containing dissolved CO2
(c)Plants decomposing and humans respiring
Which of the following is the main threat to desert environments where irrigation agriculture is common? (a)Invasive species (b)Extinctions (c)Salinization (d)Wind Erosion and Dust Storms
(c)Salinization
Which of the following is part of the long-term or geologic carbon cycle? (a)Soils (b)Vegetation (c)Atmospheric CO2 (d)Deep Marine Sediments
(d)Deep Marine Sediments
Which of the following works AGAINST biological diversity?(a)Corridors (b)Reserves (c)Contiguous Habitat (d)Fragmentation
(d)Fragmentation
Which of the following associations is NOT correct? (a)Producers - Terrestrial Plants (b)Autotrophs - Algae, Plankton, and Terrestrial Plants (c)Consumers - Grasshoppers, Rabbits, and Humans (d)Heterotrophs - Trees
(d)Heterotrophs - Trees
What is the term that refers to the fact that ecosystems with some disturbances will have greater biological diversity than ecosystems with no disturbances or a great deal of disturbances? (a)Moderate disturbance theory (b)Goldilocks biological effect (c)Mild Ecological Effects Theory (d)Intermediate Disturbance Theory
(d)Intermediate Disturbance Theory
Which of the following Biome-Climate associations is NOT correct?(a)Tall Grass Prairie - Humid Continental (D) (b)Savanna - Tropical Wet and Dry (A) (c)Short Grass Prairie - Semi-Arid Steppe (B) (d)Mid-Grass Prairie - Humid Subtropical
(d)Mid-Grass Prairie - Humid Subtropica
Which soil structure is the worst for allowing water infiltration (prevents infiltration)? (a)Columnar (b)Blocky (c)Prismatic (d)Platy
(d)Platy
Which of the following is a common invasive species tree (phreatophyte) found along rivers and reservoirs in the deserts of the western U.S? (a)Cheat Grass (b)Kudzu (c)Russian Thistle or Tumbleweed (d)Tamarisk or Salt Cedar
(d)Tamarisk or Salt Cedar
Which of the following does NOT apply to the Tropical Rainforest?(a)Light is a limiting factor (b)Canopy layers and habitat stratification (c)High biodiversity (d)Thick undergrowth and fertile soils
(d)Thick undergrowth and fertile soils
About 90% of available food energy is lost each move up the trophic level
True
Soils with a large percentage of sand particles are typically the most fertile soils, and also hold water better than other types of soils.
false
The United States has seen most of its deforestation from 1920 to today.
false
The largest component of the carbon cycle is atmospheric CO2.
false
Trees lose large amounts of water to the atmosphere in a process called photosynthesis.
false
Under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, it is illegal to kill a species that is listed as endangered, but it is allowed to destroy its critical habitat.
false
When bacteria in wetlands remove excess nitrates and return them to the atmosphere as N2 gas the process is known as fixation.
false
Extinction rates in the human era of today (Anthropocene) are about 3X what they were in prehistoric times before humans existed.
false more like 1000
Geology is the main factor determining a climax community of vegetation
false- it is CLIIMATE
When nitrogen fertilizer application to farms in Eastern Europe decreased significantly after the collapse of Communism in the early 1990s, the hypoxic or dead zone in the Black Sea nearly disappeared.
true
What percentage of the extra CO2 that exists in the atmosphere from human activity is the result of deforestation, rather than burning of fossil fuels? (a)20 percent (b)25 percent (c)50 percent (d)70 percent
(a)20 percent
Soils with a large percentage of clay particles are very porous and allow for the greatest amount of water infiltration into the subsurface?
false
The opening in the leaves of trees whereby water is lost, and CO2 is gained, is called the stomata.
true
Ecosystem services are goods or services provided to humans from nature, but only of those goods or services are bought and sold in our economic marketplace.
false
Farmers traditionally have rotated soybeans and wheat with corn, a legume, because the corn will replenish the nitrogen in the soil.
false
Gulf Hypoxia tends to be a bigger problem (hypoxic zone) when there is a drought in the agricultural Midwest.
false
Humans have had only a minor impact on natural landscapes and vegetation.
False
Invasive species have had a minor economic impact on human activity.
false
Salinization is a process that degrades soils via over-cultivation and over-grazing, which strips off the vegetative cover and reduces soil moisture.
false
Soils found under coniferous forests (needle leaf trees) are typically too alkaline (salty) for agriculture?
false
Which statement about forest below is FALSE? (a)Forests are a huge sink for carbon, and have absorbed about 25% of the extra CO2 humans have emitted from burning fossil fuels and other activities (b)Forests have a significant impact on the hydrologic cycle (c)Deforestation has accounted for about 20% of the increased CO2 resulting fromhuman activity (d)The United States has seen most of its deforestation from 1920 to today.
d)The United States has seen most of its deforestation from 1920 to today.
A Tall Grass Prairie is also referred to as a Steppe, and is found in western Kansas and eastern Colorado.
false
A climax community is always a forest.
false
A soil that has over 90 percent clay particles will be the best for farming?
false
All exotic species are invasive species.
false
Blue baby syndrome was a problem caused by emissions of nitrous oxides from cars
false
Earthworms and rodents have a negative impact on soil development?
false
The vast majority of the unfrozen, freshwater found on the Earth is tied up in groundwater aquifers.
true
Deforestation has accounted for about 20% of the increased CO2 resulting fromhuman activity
true
Forests are a huge sink for carbon, and have absorbed about 25% of the extra CO2 humans have emitted from burning fossil fuels and other activities
true
Forests have a significant impact on the hydrologic cycle
true
Fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas are called "ancient sunlight" because these were formed from dead plants (or animals that ate the plants) that converted chemical energy from sunlight millions of years ago.
true
Heavy farm machinery can compact the soil and hurt soil structure that can reduce porosity for water infiltration.
true
Increased volcanic activity in the geologic past has led to global warming via CO2 emissions, but over time increased weathering rates from warmer temperatures will cool the earth back down, providing a negative feedback?
true
Legumes are plants with N-fixing bacteria living on their root nodules
true
Legumes support bacteria that can fix nitrogen out of the soil and provide a form of the element that plants can utilize
true
Nitrates are good for crops but pose a water quality problem for rivers and groundwater aquifers
true
Nitrogen is a secondary source of acid rain after sulfur dioxide.
true
Nitrogen is required for plant and animal life, but N2 gas is a form of nitrogen that plants cannot utilize?
true
Nitrous oxides that react with hydrocarbons cause photochemical smog
true
Organic matter, mineral matter, water, and gases from air are all components found in soil.
true
Over 95% of all species that have ever lived on planet Earth have gone extinct.
true
Peanuts are a legume that George Washington Carver promoted to regenerate the worn-out soils in the South
true
Salinization is a process most commonly found in arid regions where the soils are already alkaline
true
The biggest cause of Gulf Hypoxia is emissions of Nitrous Oxides from cars
true
The largest component of the Nitrogen Cycle is atmospheric N2 gas.
true
