chapter 56 biology

which of the following is a characteristic of desert plants

adaptations that conserve water

Adaptations found in inhabitants of the rocky intertidal zone include:

an anchor or some other means of attachment

what environment is characterized by high nutrient inputs and by relatively great fluctuations in salinity and temperature

an estuary

sponges and brittle stars are members of the ____ category of organisms

benthos

climates characteristic of the mediterranean region are also common in

california

which statement about earths biomes is false?

deserts have less rainfall due to their distance from the ocean

an ____ is the transition zone where two ecosystems meet and intergrade

ecotone

the united states is part of the Palearctic realm

false- Nearctic

the term nekton refers to bottom-dwelling organisms in an aquatic ecosystem

false- benthos

the limnetic zone is the shallow-water area along the shore of a lake or pond

false- littoral

an example of a freshwater wetland is an estuary

false- swamp, march

the boreal forest biome does not contain deciduous trees

false-does

the southern hemisphere has no equivalent of the boreal forest of the north. why?

it has no land in the corresponding latitudes

the ____ contains the greatest volume of ocean water

oceanic province

microscopic algae typically fall under the classification of

phytoplankton

in tropical and temperate regions, ____ becomes more significant than temperature

precipitation

Near the poles, what is generally the overriding climate factor?

temperature

which of the following characterisitics applies to biomes

they encompass interacting landscapes

which biome has the longest growing season ?

tropical rain forest

a layer of permanently frozen ground is called permafrost

true

small lakes and ponds usually lack a profundal zone

true

the transition zone between biomes is call an ecotone

true

_____ is characterized by cold temperatures, little precipitation, and few or no trees

tundra

for coral reefs to form in tropical waters, it is necessary for the coral animals to live in symbiosis with

zooxanthellae