Ecology quiz 15

Which statement about the rain shadow effect is true?

It results in high precipitation on one side of a mountain and low precipitation on the other.

Use the figure to help you answer the questions below. Which of the following biomes receives the lowest average yearly precipitation?

Temperate grasslands

________ and ________ are the major factors that determine climate

Temperature; precipitation

Every place on earth receives the same number of hours of sunlight each year—an average of 12 hours per day. However, the amount of solar energy received on a given day in a given location differs. What factor accounts for these differences?

The angle of the sunlight is an important determinant of the amount of solar energy received.

Which statement best explains why the temperatures at the equator are warmer than at the North Pole?

The sun shines most directly on the equator and spreads out over a relatively small area.

What is the main reason the tropics are warmer than the poles?

The sun's rays hit the earth directly at the equator but hit the poles at an angle; this concentrates the solar energy over a smaller area at the equator than at the poles.

The figure shows circulating masses of air in which cool air (blue) falls toward the earth's surface and becomes warmer (red). Which of the following is a consequence of this air movement?

The warm air can hold more and more moisture, and there is little rainfall in these areas.

Which of the following statements about topography is false

Topography does not include man-made structures.

Use the figure to help you answer the questions below. Which of the following biomes has the lowest average annual temperature?

Tundra

Latitudinal banding of tropics, deserts, as well as temperate and polar climates is best explained by:

atmospheric circulation patterns.

When defining terrestrial biomes, which of the following information is most useful?

average temperature and rainfall

Hadley cells create ___ at the equator and ___ at the 30 degree marks on the globe.

b. Tropical rainforest; desert

Why are many deserts located on the backside of mountains?

e. Moist air masses are forced to rise over mountains and lose their moisture in the process, resulting in a rain shadow desert on the other side

A driving force behind ocean currents is:

global wind circulation

The circulation of the atmosphere is the result of:

heating of the earth's surface.

Ocean water generally moves:

in the direction of the prevailing winds.

Solar radiation is more concentrated at the equator than at the Poles. This explains why:

it is much colder at the Poles than at the equator.

Uneven heating of the earth's spherical surface by the sun and the tilt of the earth on its axis combine to affect which of the following?

latitudinal variation in climate

The main source of energy that drives global climate is:

solar energy.

The primary factor affecting the climate of an area is:

the amount of solar energy received by the area.

Wind circulation patterns are driven by:

uneven heating of the earth's surface

A rain shadow effect occurs:

when wind from the ocean passes over a coastal mountain to the other side.