AP Environmental Science MCQ Unit 1 Test - Mrs. DiCrisi

What percentage of the sunlight is used for plants' photosynthesis.

1%

(Phosphorus Cycle) List the steps

1) Weathering 2)Absorption 3)Decomposition 4)Sediments

What is the equation for NPP?

5000g/m^2 x day

Which of the following world regions contain the greatest area of rain forest? A)Canada and the United States B)Eastern and Western Europe C)Russia and China D)Australia and New Zealand E)Brazil and Indonesia

E)Brazil and Indonesia

(Nitrogen Cycle) What do we need Nitrogen for?

DNA and protein

What marines have a higher NPP?

Intertidal, open ocean, and coral reefs

What is abiotic?

Non-living things

(Nitrogen Cycle) After the nitrite is converted into nitrate, what happens?

Plants absorb the nitrogen

What are the types of partitioning?

Resource, spatial, morphological, and temporal

Where is the greatest remaining natural biodiversity found?

South America

Which terrestrial biomes are the best for agriculture?

The temperate rainforests, temperate seasonal forests, and temperate grasslands

Bogs

surrounded by moss

(Nitrogen Cycle) Our atmosphere is made up of how much Nitrogen?

78%

A population

A group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area

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: Because it uses solar energy to produce food (its a producer)

Which of the following describes the most likely change to terrestrial biomes resulting from warmer average global temperatures? A)The global distribution of midlatitude biomes, such as grasslands and temperate rain forests, 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 midlatitude biomes, such as grasslands and temperate rain forests, would increase: Because the warmer average global temperature would expand the range of biomes currently found at midlatitudes.

What covers the benthic zone?

Aerobic bacteria covers the bottom.

In a typical forest ecosystem, dead trees and fallen trees are most important because of their role in which of the following? A)Providing a valuable source of timber B)Providing habitats for wildlife C)Contributing to soil erosion D)Increasing water runoff E)Removing carbon dioxide from the air

B)Providing habitats for wildlife

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: both benefit from this relationship

Which of the following is a characteristic of tropical rain forests? A)They rarely receive more than 100 centimeters of rain per year. B)Their soils typically have a high pH. C)Their soils are relatively poor in nutrients. D)They do not exhibit a great deal of species diversity. E)They generally occur in the rain shadows of mountain ranges.

C)Their soils are relatively poor in nutrients.

This biome is warm and wet, with little seasonal variation in temperature and frequent precipitation. A)Savanna B)Boreal forest C)Tropical rain forest D)Desert

C)Tropical rain forest: because tropical rain forests are found along the equator, where the oceans provide a constant source of water vapor, leading to warm and wet conditions.

This rate of reaction can be measured in the dark by determining the amount of oxygen gas consumed in a period of time.

Cellular Respiration (it doesn't require sunlight)

Which country has the largest area of boreal forest? A) Australia B) Brazil C) Chile D) Russia E) United States of America

D) Russia

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 because they're found along coastlines (from rocky cliffs to sandy beaches) that experience different levels of high and low tide. Organisms that inhabit these areas must be adapted to withstand changes in direct sunlight, temperature, and desiccation as well as the crashing waves.

(Nitrogen Cycle) What happens to the Nitrogen when it finds the bacteria on the roots of plants?

It combines with Hydrogen to make ammonia or NH3

(Nitrogen Cycle) Where in the soil is the first place the Nitrogen goes?

It finds bacteria on the roots of plants

Where is the aphotic zone?

It is the second most bottom zone in a body of water; It's usually small if there even is any.

What is morphological partitioning?

It is when species are separated by genetics so as to avoid competition.

What is temporal partitioning?

It is when species have certain times to get their food to avoid competition with other species.

What is spatial partitioning?

It is when species separate by location to avoid competition.

What is the bottom zone of a lake called?

It's the benthic zone

What happens to the amount of energy available as it moves up the food chain?

The amount of energy available decreases up the food chain, so the organisms at the highest trophic level would have the fewest kilojoules of energy available.

(Carbon Cycle) Carbon recycles in what major locations?

The atmosphere, the terrestrial biosphere, the Earth's interior, the ocean, and human influence

(Nitrogen Cycle) What is the process of ammonification?

When decomposers break down animal bodies or animal waste, the nitrogen is put back into nitrification, which is known as the process of ammonification.

Temperate Rainforest

a coastal biome that has moderate temperatures and high precipitation; aren't very common - they live on the west coast of North America from northern California to Alaska, in southern Chile, and in some areas in Oceania; they are close to the ocean, they have high humidity and mild temperatures.; also have mainly coniferous/evergreen (keep their leaves) trees; since there is a lot of rain which washes away nutrients, the soil is also low in nutrients, although it is better than tundra and boreal forests.

Tundra Biome

a cold and treeless biome that has very little low growing vegetation; the coldest biome, located in Russia, Canada, Scandinavia, and Alaska; sometimes, we can also find tundra on high mountains such as the Himalayas; can only support shallow-rooted plants (lichens, mosses, and small woody shrubs) due to a layer or permafrost in the soil

What is mutualism?

a symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit from the relationship

Temperate Seasonal Forest

has warm summers and cold winters, and it has quite a bit of precipitation; mostly have deciduous broadleaf (lose their leaves) trees such as maple and oak trees; since deciduous leaves decompose quickly, they have soil that is very high in nutrients; they are found in eastern United States, Japan, eastern Australia, and much of Europe.

Marine Aquatic Biomes

intertidal, open ocean, coral reefs, and estuaries, marshes, swamps

What are the types of competition?

intraspecific and interspecific

Lakes

larger, deeper, and less still (more waves), and more convection currents

What is parasitism?

A type of symbiotic relationship in which one species benefits and the other is negatively affected

This biome is characterized by long dry seasons and is dominated by grasses, shrubs, and grazing animals. A)Savanna B)Boreal forest C)Tropical rain forest D)Desert

A)Savanna

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: Because the two bird species are using the same resource in slightly different ways to reduce the negative impact of competition on the two species.

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

A community

All the different populations that live together in an area

What is a biome?

An area of the planet that can be classified by its climate and its organisms that have adapted to live there

(Phosphorus Cycle) What does the decomposition step do?

Animals excrete waste or die and then the bacteria converts the organic phosphorus into inorganic phosphorus (mineralization)

(Nitrogen Cycle) After the nitrite is converted into nitrate, plants absorb the nitrogen. What is this process called?

Assimilation

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 nonnative 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: Since both species eat the same food, there is competition for a limited resource in a confined space.

Which of the following best describes soil in many tropical rain forests? A)They lack soil horizons. B)They are quickly depleted nutrients when the forest is removed. C)They are similar to soils in grasslands. D)They are well suited for growing a wide variety of crops. E)They are deep and well drained.

B)They are quickly depleted nutrients when the forest is removed.

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

B)Tropical rain forest: Because net primary productivity (NPP) is higher in biomes that are warm year-round and receive abundant rainfall and sunlight to encourage the growth of producers, which are all characteristics of tropical rain forests.

Phytoplankton are most abundant in the upper few hundred feet of most bodies of water because A)they can most readily hide from predators there B)sunlight does not penetrate to great depths in water C)as primary producers, they must be accessible to many other organisms D)they are benthic organisms E)they feed on zooplankton, which are found only in the top layers of water

B)sunlight does not penetrate to great depths in water

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

What is the photosynthesis equation?

CO2 + H2O ---> O2 + C6H12O6

Which of the following best illustrates an abiotic component of the environment affecting a biotic component of the environment? A)Composted manure is added to agricultural soil during spring tilling. B)Coral reefs modify the direction of an ocean current. C)Plants release O2 into the atmosphere during photosynthesis. D)Low phosphorus content in soil limits the growth of vegetation. E)A thick planting of ground cover reduces soil erosion on a hillside.

D)Low phosphorus content in soil limits the growth of vegetation.

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: Through the process of photosynthesis, plants convert solar energy into chemical energy, which moves through the food chain when one organism feeds on another.

The great grasslands of the world have which of the following primary characteristics in common? A)They are restricted in occurrence to the region between 30° north latitude and 30° south latitude. B)Due to high humidity, fires are uncommon and rarely affect large areas. C)They are typically created by overgrazing by livestock. D)Seasonal cycles of temperature and precipitation produce abundant vegetative growth. E)High winds blow seeds of trees away such that only grasses exist.

D)Seasonal cycles of temperature and precipitation produce abundant vegetative growth.

Traveling southward from the Arctic regions of Canada to the tropics of Panama, one passes through several biomes - tundra, coniferous forest, temperate deciduous forest, and tropical rain forest. This pattern of change in vegetation is primarily the result of A) primary and secondary succession B)the invasion of exotic species C)an increase in mean annual temperature and a decrease in mean annual precipitation D)an increase in both mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation E)an increase in the total annual hours of sunlight

D)an increase in both mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation

The major biological source of dissolved oxygen in the ocean comes from A)decomposition of organic sediments on the ocean floor B)metabolic processes of coral in reefs C)oxidation of sulfur by bacteria in ocean vent communities D)photosynthesis by phytoplankton E)respiration by zooplankton

D)photosynthesis by phytoplankton

(Nitrogen Cycle) What breaks down waste from animals or the animals themselves?

Decomposers, such as aerobic bacteria, anaerobic bacteria, and fungi.

(Nitrogen Cycle) After assimilation, the nitrogen is released by the bacteria into the atmosphere. What is this process called?

Denitrification

This biome contains plants that are adapted to prevent water loss due to the low average rainfall and high temperatures year-round.

Deserts because they are hot and dry year-round, and plant species are adapted in a variety of ways (small leaves, stems that store water, and modified spines) to reduce water loss.

Which country has the largest area of temperate deciduous forest? A) Australia B) Brazil C) Chile D) Russia E) United States of America

E) United States of America

Which of the following regions of the ocean is LEAST likely to contain photosynthetic organisms? A)Intertidal zone B)Zone of coastal upwelling C)Pelagic zone D)Euphotic zone E)Abyssal zone

E)Abyssal zone

What is Earth's life support?

Earth's life support consists of 4 main spherical systems that interact with each other: atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, and biosphere.

(Nitrogen Cycle) What is it called when the Nitrogen combines with Hydrogen.

Fixation

What are the aquatic biomes?

Fresh, marine, and wetlands

What is GPP?

Gross Primary Productivity

What are the factors that sustain life on Earth?

High quality energy of the sun, the cycling of nutrients, and gravity.

What is the Law of Superposition?

In any undisturbed sequence of rocks deposited in layers, the youngest layer is on top and the oldest on bottom, each layer being younger than the one beneath it and older than the one above it.

What is net primary productivity (NPP)?

Its the energy available to consumers determined by subtracting the energy used by plants from the total energy transformed by the process of photosynthesis.

What is gross primary productivity?

Its the total rate of photosynthesis in a given area.

Where is the photic zone?

Near the middle of the body of water, between the algae and the aphotic zone.

(Nitrogen Cycle) Additional nitrifying bacteria converts the Nitrite into ________.

Nitrate

(Nitrogen Cycle) Ammonia is toxic so additional bacteria combines this ammonia with oxygen. This process is called ___________.

Nitrification

(Nitrogen Cycle) What does the Nitrogen turn into at the process of Nitrification?

Nitrite

Fresh Aquatic Biome

Streams, rivers, lakes, and ponds

Wetland Aquatic Biomes

Swamps, bog, and marshes

What are terrestrial biomes?

Taiga (Boreal Forest), temperate rainforest, temperate seasonal forest, tropical rainforest, shrubland, temperate grasslands, savanna, desert, and tundra

What is it called where the land and ocean meet?

That is the intertidal zone.

What is the surface of a lake called?

The Limnetic Zone

What is the surface of an open ocean called?

The Pelagic zone

An ecosystem

The community and its environment (biotic and abiotic)

Biospheres

The entire portion of Earth inhabited by life; the sum of all the planet's ecosystems.

(Nitrogen Cycle) After assimilation, where does the remaining nitrate go and what happens to it?

The nitrate then goes to the bacteria that releases the nitrogen to the atmosphere.

(Phosphorus Cycle) What does the sediment step do?

The phosphorus gets buried in sediment which becomes rocks and the cycle begins again

What is photosynthesis?

The process by which plants use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water. They do this to create ATP (energy)

An environment with the highest diversity of tree species would have what kind of precipitation and temperature?

The temperature would remain high the entire year. Precipitation would be very high as well.

(Nitrogen Cycle) How do animals take part in the Nitrogen cycle?

They eat the plants, then they will die or poop which then releases the nitrogen into the ground again.

An environment most likely to be characterized by dry scrub with frequent fires would have what kind of precipitation and temperature?

This environment would have a consistent high temperature throughout the year. It would have low precipitation all year, and little to none in the summer.

What is a biogeochemical cycle?

a pathway by which a chemical substance moves through the biotic and abiotic compartments of Earth

What is commensalism?

a type of symbiotic relationship in which one species benefits and the other isn't affected

What is directly below the limnetic zone (the surface of a lake)

algae occupies that area

What is a heterotroph?

an organism deriving its nutritional requirements from complex organic substances.

What is an autotroph?

an organism that is able to form nutritional organic substances from simple inorganic substances such as carbon dioxide.

An organism

any individual living thing (1 rabbit, 1 ant, etc)

Rivers

are large (in width) and have a bigger volume

Ponds

are small and still

Streams

are smaller, have higher velocity, and have higher dissolved Oxygen

Swamps

are wooded and have trees

(Carbon Cycle) What absorbs the atmospheric carbon?

autotrophs (such as plants and plankton) and bodies of water in the ocean

Which is caused by suspended particulates? a) Acidity b)Turbidity c)Hardness d)Dissolved oxygen e)Salinity

b)Turbidity

(Nitrogen Cycle) How can triple bonded nitrogen be broken down?

by bacteria and lightning

(Nitrogen Cycle) How does Nitrogen fall to the earth from the atmosphere?

by precipitation

(Carbon Cycle) What two forms of carbon are found in the atmosphere?

carbon dioxide and methane

(Carbon Cycle) What is created when the bodies of ocean water absorb atmospheric carbon?

carbonic acid

What are examples of biotic things?

carnivores, producers, herbivores, omnivores, soil, detrivores (bacteria)

What is this part of the photosynthetic equation called: O2 + C6H12O6

cellular respiration

Symbiosis types are ______.

close and long term relationships

What is interspecific competition?

competition between different species

What is intraspecific competition?

competition between members of the same species

Which is decreased by the breakdown of organic waste? a) Acidity b)Turbidity c)Hardness d)Dissolved oxygen e)Salinity

d)Dissolved oxygen

In Mediterranean climate regions like portions of California, a wetter-than-normal winter often leads to greater severity of fires the following summer. This seeming paradox occurs because increased rain leads to ________.

greater accumulation of chaparral biomass

Temperate Grassland

has cold, harsh winters and hot, dry summers; very dry, and the harsh weather makes it difficult for plants to grow; experiences frequent wildfires; are located in the Great Plains of North America, the Pampas in South America, and the Steppes in Central Asia and Eastern Europe.

Shrubland (chapparal)

has hot, dry summers and rainy winters; there is a 12-month growing season; however, plant growth is restrained by the dry summers and colder temperatures in the winter; there are often droughts and fires in this biome, so the plants include drought-resistant shrubs such as yucca, scrub oak, and sagebrush; located in southwestern California, southern Australia, southern South America, and southern Africa.

Savanna

has warm forests and distinct wet and dry seasons; located in Central America, southern Asia, northwestern Australia, and sub Saharan Africa; even though the warm temperatures promote decomposition which leads to rich soil composition, the dry climate prevents many large plants from growing.

Tropical Rainforest

is a warm and wet biome that lies near the equator; experiences little seasonal temperature variation, and it receives a large amount of precipitation; has a lot of vegetation that uses nutrients from the soil, which means that the soil doesn't have that many nutrients; has the most biodiversity of all the biomes: three distinct layers of vegetation, the large trees form a forest canopy that covers the rest of the forest and underneath that, shorter trees that make up the subcanopy.

(Phosphorus Cycle) Why do we need phosphorus?

it is essential for the growth of plants and animals; it is important in the production of DNA and RNA which helps to make the cell membrane and the production of ATP

NPP is ______

left over sugar from producers such as plants, algae, etc

What is biotic?

living organisms

What are examples of abiotic things?

minerals, temperature, soil, temp, precipitation, and soil (due to its minerals)

What are the types of symbiosis?

mutualism, commensalism, parasitism

What does competition lead to?

natural selection

Where is the littoral zone?

near the shore where the sunlight penetrates to the sediment and allows aquatic plants to grow (where shore becomes water)

(Nitrogen Cycle) In assimilation, is all the nitrate absorbed?

no

What are the ecological levels?

organism, population, community, ecosystem, biosphere

(Nitrogen Cycle) Ammonia is toxic so additional bacteria combines this ammonia with ___________.

oxygen

(Phosphorus Cycle) What does the weathering step do?

phosphorus is found in rocks; weathering along with rain breaks down the phosphorus in rocks and it travels to the soil and into water sources

What is climate based on?

precipitation and temperature

(Phosphorus Cycle) Where is one main area where you DON'T find phosphorus?

the atmosphere

(Phosphorus Cycle) What does the absorption step do?

the plants absorb phosphorus then grow and the animals will eat the phosphorus from the plant

Taiga (Boreal Forest)

the second coldest biome; it has mostly coniferous/evergreen (keep their leaves) trees that can withstand cold winters and short growing seasons; nutrients don't decompose easily so the soils are relatively low in nutrients due to the cold; we usually see boreal forests in Europe, Russia, and North America

What is the group called that includes carbon, phosphorus, nitrogen, and water cycle?

these are called biogeochemical cycles (they are essential for life on earth)

What do all wetlands have in common?

they all have a high NPP