ENVS 1126 - Chapter 5

The roots of plants accelerate the weathering (chemical breakdown) of rocks by releasing _________ . strong bases a) weak bases b) strong acids c) weak acids

c) weak acids

Which one of the following are the first organisms to colonize solid rock? a) Lichens b) Algae c) Grasses d) Mosses

a) Lichens

In regions where various types of vegetation coexist and compete, periodic fires do not tip the balance in favor of a) Oak trees b) Grasses c) Redwood trees d) Pine trees

a) Oak trees

Which one of the following is not one of the three main trophic categories? a) Consumer b) Producer c) Transformer d) Decomposer

c) Transformer

Which of the following types of organisms are both consumers? a) Plants and herbivores b) Herbivores and carnivores c) Carnivores and chemosynthetic bacteria d) Chemosynthetic bacteria and plants

b) Herbivores and carnivores

Terrestrial biomes are groups of ecosystems characterized by similar types of...? a) Herbivores and plants b) Plants and climate c) Climate and carnivores d) Carnivores and herbivores

b) Plants and climate

An Artesian aquifer can be contaminated by a) an unlined lagoon used for disposal of wastewater b) a leak in a pipe used for deep well injection of liquid wastes c) overflow from a cesspool that is not pumped out on a regular basis d) a leaky underground sewer line

b) a leak in a pipe used for deep well injection of liquid wastes

The value of the ecosystem services provided by natural ecosystems has been estimated to be about ___________ . a) $40 million b) $40 billion c) $40 trillion d) $40 quadrillion

c) $40 trillion

Which of the following are autotrophic organisms? a) Herbivores and omnivores b) Omnivores and plants c) Plants and chemosynthetic bacteria d) Chemosynthetic bacteria and herbivores

c) Plants and chemosynthetic bacteria

Which one of the following statements about eutrophication is false? a) Eutrophication is a natural process that can be accelerated by human activities b) Eutrophication eventually results in the transformation of freshwater lakes to dry land c) Eutrophication is caused by the natural tendency of freshwater lakes to accumulate nutrients and organic matter d) Eutrophication occurs because of the natural tendency for the consumption of organic matter to exceed its production in freshwater lakes

d) Eutrophication occurs because of the natural tendency for the consumption of organic matter to exceed its production in freshwater lakes

Which one of the following is an example of primary succession? a) After a forest fire, pine trees grow from seeds that were protected beneath pine needles b) Grasses emerge from the soil after saltwater from a tsunami kills all above-ground vegetation in a meadow c) Trees reappear on the slopes of Mount St. Helens after the fallout of volcanic ash kills all the above-ground vegetation d) Lichens appear on basalt rock 50 years after a volcanic eruption on the Big Island of Hawaii

d) Lichens appear on basalt rock 50 years after a volcanic eruption on the Big Island of Hawaii