Climate and Terrestrial Biodiversity Test

Possible effects of a warmer atmosphere include which of the following? I. Expanded ranges of tropical diseases II. More intense hurricanes and typhoons III. Increased crop damage from pests and diseases

I, II, III

Brown pelicans are fish-eating birds. As a result of an El Nino event, the population of brown pelicans in southern California declines. Which of the following best explains the relationship between the El Nino event and the population decline?

Warmer ocean temperatures can cause fish to move to colder water farther from pelican nest sites.

The soil of tropical rainforests is generally unsuitable for agriculture because

most nutrients are in the profuse vegetation instead of the soil

when a rainforest is slashed and burned, the local concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases. This is primarily due to

oxidation of carbon compounds

In a typical forest ecosystems, dead trees and fallen trees are most important because of their role in which of the following?

providing habitat for wildlife

when El Nino occurs every three to seven years, a mass of warm Pacific water that is usually pushed by trade winds

surges back eastward toward South America

Which tree species grows best with full sunlight?

sweet gum

which biome is one of the largest carbon sinks?

taiga

the locations shaded in the world map are known as

taiga (boreal forest)

The diagram shows the major climatic zones in the northern hemisphere. Precipitation is very low in desert areas because

the air in these areas is descending

the greatest diversity of animal species is found in tropical rain forests because

the complex structure of the rainforest provides more ecological niches

A biome absent in North America is

tropical rainforest

Approximately how many more mammal species became extinct in the period 1901-2000 than became extinct in the period 1801-1900?

90

Damaging tornadoes occur most frequently in this area.

A

What percentage of the world's population depend on mountain systems for all or some of their water?

59%

Forests, both natural and planted, occupy how much of the earth's land surface, other than Greenland and Antarctica?

30%

At which time after clear-cutting does the ecosystem exhibit the greatest species richness?

100 years

Which of the following is not an example of a specialization that plants in the desert may have?

All of these are adaptations of plant living in desert conditions

On a straight line from Washington, DC to San Francisco, one finds natural ecosystems consisting of deserts, grasslands, and forests. This difference is primarily the result of different

Amount of rainfall

Which of the following represents a positive feedback loop in the Arctic that is associated with anthropogenic climate change?

Arctic Ocean ice melts then ocean surface water temperature increases then more ice melts.

Fragmentation of tropical forests due to human activities is leading to a significant loss of biodiversity in this area.

B

Which environment is characterized by the highest diversity of tree species?

B

which of the following world regions contain the greatest area of rainforest?

Brazil and Indonesia

Which environment is most likely to be characterized by dry scrub with frequent fires?

C

which of the following best exemplifies global collaboration for protecting biodiversity?

CITES

The direction of the rotation of large cyclones-winds around the center of a cyclone rotate clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere- is due to the

Coriolis effect

Large quantities of methane hydrates are located in this region and if released will contribute significantly to global climate change.

D

This region of the world is currently experiencing the largest average annual temperature increase because of anthropogenic climate change.

D

Which of the following is an example of a carbon sink?

Deposition of organic matter on the deep ocean floor.

Surface oceanic circulation results most directly in the

Distribution of heat from tropical to temperate and polar regions

This region has been the largest petroleum exporter for the past four decades.

E

Which latitude shown in Figure 1 experiences 24 hours of daylight on December 21?

E

The high sea surface temperature in 1998 was most likely due to

El Nino

Which of the following does not cycle repeatedly through the Earth's ecosystems?

Energy

The terrestrial biomes shown in the diagram vary in net primary productivity. The explanation for the variation includes which of the following? I.Temperature II.Precipitation III.Longitude

I and II only

Which of the following is the most likely reason that the greatest number of extinctions of bird species occurred in the period 1901-2000?

Increased environmental disturbances from human activities altered bird habitats.

which of the following best illustrates a food chain found in a tundra ecosystem?

Lichen -> lemmings (rodents) -> foxes -> wolves

A North Carolina timber company proposes to clear cut 45 hectares of oak-hickory deciduous forest in the Appalachian Mountains. The company has said that the forest will regrow naturally, and 50 years after the clear cutting the company plans to harvest again, cutting all the oaks and hickories that have at least a 40 centimeter diameter. A local citizens' group claims that this is not a realistic plan. Which of the following, if true, best supports the claim of the citizens' group?

Oak and hickory are late-successional species; pioneer species will dominate for many decades before the oaks and hickories are reestablished.

Of the following ecosystems, which has the lowest net primary productivity, measured as kilocalories of energy produced per square meter per year?

Open ocean

Red pine trees are currently found growing in only the cool northernmost areas of the central and eastern United States. Climate change is expected to have an impact on the distribution of the species. Which of the following describes the most likely change to the distribution of red pine over the next 200 years?

Red pine distribution will shift northward into Canada.

The low anchovy catch in 1998 was most likely the result of

Reduced ocean upwelling along the coast.

When the Mount St. Helens volcano erupted in the forest, the blast covered much of the surrounding area with ash. Based on the diagram, which list shows the sequence of succession that followed that eruption?

Z, X, Y, W

Typically, large urban cities are a few degrees warmer than their surrounding suburbs. This is an example of

a microclimate

According to the theory of island biogeography, all of the following contribute to greater species diversity on an island EXCEPT

a relatively recent formation of the island

which factor may affect species richness on islands?

all the answers are correct

Recently scientists have found increasing cases of malaria in geographic area that have not previously shown any cases of the disease. This is most likely due to

an increase in global temperature, making new areas suitable for the mosquito that carries the disease to live in

As one travels from the tropical rainforests near the equator to the frozen tundra, one passes through a variety of biomes including deserts, temperate, and deciduous forests, etc. The primary reason for the change in vegetation is due to

changes in temperature and amount of rainfall

This ecosystem is characterized by long, hot summers and moderate, moist winters. It supports many small mammals and most vegetation germinates after a period exposed to fire. It is mostly found along coastal areas such as the Pacific coast of North America, southern Texas and Mexico, and the coastal hills of Chile and the Mediterranean.

chaparral

whether a land area supports a deciduous forest or grassland depends primarily on

consistency of rainfall from year to year and the effect that it has on fires

The primary reason for most recent extinction of plant and animal species is

destruction of natural habitat

The rain shadow effect refers to

drier conditions on the leeward side of mountain ranges

Overgrazing of grasslands can lead to reduced range quality. Two of the major effects of overgrazing are

erosion and desertification

Deciduous forests

have trees that shed their leaves seasonally

The Amazon Basin, in South America, is the world's largest tropical rainforest. Forest cover in the "Arc of Deforestation" in the southern region of the basin is rapidly decreasing due to logging and conversion of forests to agricultural lands. Scientists estimate that if this trend continues it will reduce the forest coverage to only 20% of its original size by the year 2016. The loss of forested land would most likely

increase the amount of total atmospheric carbon dioxide

The biggest threat to a species is

loss of habitat