chapters 1-8
Which of the following marine systems would experience the greatest daily or weekly changes in salinity in the water (i.e., not the soil or bottom substrate)?
estuaries
Lake Merritt, near Oakland, California, is home to the first official wildlife refuge in the United States. Because it is a place where fresh water and the ocean meet, Lake Merritt should be classified not as a lake, but rather as a(n) _____.
estuary
what does the research on parasites illustrate?
events in the natural world are connected
Which factor most likely prevented the grasslands at the eastern edge of the Great Plains from becoming forest?
frequent fires
what biomes in north america and eurasia appear to have been most affected by human activities
grasslands and deciduous forest biomes
The evolution of endothermy allowed these animals to extend their geographic range into cold climates because:
Endotherms can generate heat and keep their bodies within a suitable range when the environmental temperature drops
In which portion of a stream-river system would you expect rooted aquatic plants to be the most abundant and supply the most energy for stream organisms?
near the point where the river reaches the ocean (highest order)
Nutrients and energy are important to the abundance of organisms in lakes. Given what you have learned about thermal layering from Chapter 2, where and when would you expect phytoplankton to be most abundant in lakes of the temperate zone?
near the surface in the spring and fall when the lake turns over and waters freely mix
Acclimatization to environmental stress may involve which of the following?
-behavior that lowers the exposure of the organism to a stress -a physiological change that lessens the impact of stress
what does the research into the effects of pesticides on frog deformities suggest?
-conditions in field experiments cannot be controlled as precisely as lab experiments -a combo of field and lab experiments provides the best approach for understanding ecological phenomena
the salinity of waters varies overtime and from place to place, as a result of which of the following
-evaporation of water -natural imputs of salts from the breakdown of rock minerals -ag pumping of deep water to the surface in the dry climates
how is the geographic distribution of an organism linked to the physical environment
-extreme weather events can kill organisms -the ability of organisms to obtain energy and resources is determined by the physical environment -negative interaction with other organisms may be more likely in some environments
Closing stomates and thick cuticles on a leaf's surface will _____.
-increase resistance to water loss -decrease the amount of heat loss due to transpiration -decrease photosynthesis rates
which of the following contributes to cooler temperatures in mountains relative to surrounding lowlands
-lower density of air molecules, enabling them to absorb energy radiated from the ground surface -greater mixing of air near the surface with the surrounding atmosphere
which of the following environmental factors control the geographic distribution of biomes across earth
-precipitation and its variation throughout the year -temperature and its variation throughout the year -the periodic and usually regular occurrence of disturbances, such as fire
Why are cold climates difficult for small endotherms?
-small body size limits fur or feather lenght -small body size limits energy storage -high surface area to volume ratio results in high heat loss
As environmental temperatures decrease below the optimum, the functioning of organisms is altered because of which of the following?
-the activity of enzymes decreases -membranes may lose their fluidity, altering their function
which of the following is true with regard to ecological effects of extreme weather events?
-they are as important as the average climate in influencing geographic distributions -they can determine the disappearance of organisms through the effect on mortality
which of the following is true of the prevailing wind patterns at the earth's surface
-they result from differential reception of solar radiation on earth's surface -they are associated with the positions of large high and low pressure cells -they steer the major ocean currents
Which of the following is an example of an animal modifying its energy exchange using conduction?
A lizard lying flat on a cool rock when its body gets too warm
which of the following would be considered an example of adaptation
A population of foxes that inhabits the alpine zone of a mountain has greater seasonal change in fur length than a population of foxes that inhabits a warmer environment at the base of the mountain.
What does the river continuum concept illustrate about the physical and biological characteristics of a stream?
As a stream flows downslope and increases in size, the input of detritus decreases relative to the volume of water, and the particle size in the stream bed decreases, facilitating greater establishment of aquatic plants in the downstream direction.
which is following statements is true of organisms geographic distribution
It is usually narrower than its potential distribution, due to biological interactions with other species and constraints on obtaining energy and nutrients.
which is true of the change in acidity of waters
It occurs naturally, with increases occurring in association with inputs of acidic compounds from chemical reactions and biological sources.
Which of the following statements accurately characterizes the current status of terrestrial biomes?
Most biomes are influenced by human activities, some more than others due primarily to land use change.
ecology
Scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment
coriolis effect
The apparent deflection of air or water currents when viewed from a rotating reference point such as Earth's surface.
Seasonal changes in lakes in the temperate and polar zones influence the transfer of energy and nutrients within the lake and are characterized by which of the following?
The development of thermal layers in the summer that prevent mixing of top and bottom waters, followed by isothermal (i.e., the same temperature throughout the lake) conditions in the fall that allow the layers to mix
which of the following statements about the nature of organismal interactions is true
all organisms interact with features in their environments
which of the following would be considered a climatic phenomenon rather than a weather event
a significant increase in temperature evaluated over three decades
what sequence represents the correct order of levels of biological organization from largest to smallest?
biosphere, landscapes, ecosystem, community, population
Which of the following is not a major terrestrial biome of the temperate zone?
boreal forests
Plants and soil microorganisms that live in salt marshes in zones exposed to daily tidal inundation must overcome the restriction of water supply associated primarily with which of the following?
changes in the osmotic potential of soil
which of the following is used by ecologists to classify terrestrial biomes
dominant (most abundant) plants, which reflect climate zones
the rain shadow effect results in
drier climates on teh east slopes of mountains in the temperate zone
which is true of local wind patterns generated by mountains
east facing slopes receive more solar radiation in the morning resulting in differential heating that creates localized upslope winds
what are the phytoplankton likely to be the most abundant photosynthetic organism
in the surface waters of the pelagic zone
Plant leaves can increase heat loss through which of the following?
increasing transpiration by stomates
Lake Baikal, in Siberia, is 5,200 feet (almost a mile) deep. Lake Erie, one of the U.S. Great Lakes has an average depth of 62 feet, and is 210 feet deep at its deepest point. What is the best comparison of the likely light penetration and nutrient levels in these two lakes?
light will penetrate to the bottom of lake erie only, and nutrient levels will be high in lake erie only
the large seasonal change in temperature in the center of large continents at high latitudes is a result of which of the following?
lower heat capacity of the land, resulting in greater change in temperature per unit of heat absorbed
where in a stream would you expect oxygen concentrations to be the highest
main channel
Seasonal climate change in the tropics is associated primarily with changes in precipitation rather than temperature. For a location at 23.5°N, what seasonal precipitation pattern would you expect?
maximum precipitation during the summer
which of the following influences global temperature patterns
ocean currents, distribution of land and water, and elevation
Over the last century, which cycle has had the greatest effect on cycles of salmon production in the North Pacific?
pacific decadal oscillation
how does the coriolis effect appear to an observer on earth's surface
prevailing winds appear to be deflected to the right (clockwise) in the northern hemisphere and to the left (counterclockwise) in the southern hemisphere
on average and over the course of a year, what is the largest input of heat energy gain at earth's surface?
radiation emitted by greenhouse gases back to earth's surface
the tropical climate zone and deserts to the north and south of the tropics occur as a result of which of the following?
reception of the highest solar radiation near the equator that establishes a circulation cell w low pressure in the tropics and high pressure zones to the north and south
Which of the following is characterized by biological zones composed of both sessile and mobile organisms, and a combination of both terrestrial and marine environments?
rocky intertidal
if climate change causes a tropical rainforest to receive somewhat less rainfall, it will most likely become
savanna
Seagrass beds form underwater meadows that are often closely associated with coral reefs. What is one likely reason for this association?
seagrasses provide food, habitat, and stability for the coral reef ecosystem
Which of the following statements is true of manatees, mammals that inhabit near-shore marine waters?
tend to lose water and gain solutes from ocean water
what causes seasonal changes in temperature in the temperate and polar climate zones
the tilt of the earth on its axis
which of the following statements about species interactions is false
two species may interact directly or indirectly, but not both
what would be the main climatic effect if you were to replace a real forest with plastic trees of the same color, height and shape
warming due to loss of transpirational cooling
In which of the following environments would you expect hypoxia to be the greatest challenge for organisms requiring oxygen for normal metabolism?
waterlogged soil
