World Biomes; Weather & Climate; Climate Change

The human population's need for energy is a major threat to biodiversity because the extraction and burning of fossil fuels contributes to _______. a. habitat loss b. pollution c. climate change d. All of the above

d. All of the above

The treeless condition common to grasslands is maintained by? a. Frequent fires b. Seasonal drought c. Grazing by large mammals d. All of the above

d. All of the above

What factors are important in determining the geographical distribution of a particular biome? a. Latitude and elevation b. Annual total and fluctuation of precipitation c. Daily and seasonal temperature variation d. All of the above

d. All of the above

Where do you find the greatest species diversity in the world? a. At high elevations b. At high latitudes c. At medium latitudes d. At low latitudes

d. At low latitudes

Which of the following natural forces is responsible for the release of carbon dioxide and other atmospheric gases? a. the Milankovitch cycles b. volcanoes c. solar intensity d. burning of fossil fuels

b. volcanoes

If the Earth's axis of rotation were perpendicular to the sun's rays and not tilted 23.5 degrees _______. a. there would be no long term climate change b. there would be no seasons c. there would be no temperature gradient from the equator to the poles d. there would be no deserts

b. there would be no seasons

In which part of the world is the tundra biome most likely to be found? a. At high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere b. At high latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere c. At low latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere d. Near the equator

a. At high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere

Which of these human activities has most likely contributed to global warming? a. Burning of coal b. Building greenhouses c. Planting trees d. Development of solar energy

a. Burning of coal

The Gobi Desert of central Asia lies at 45 degrees N latitude, well out of the range of most of the world's great deserts (around 30 degrees latitude). What is a logical hypothesis for this exception to the general rule of where deserts should be in the world? a. It lies in the rain shadow (aka dry shadow) of the Tibetan Plateau. b. Global warming and a hole in the ozone layer have warmed this area exceptionally fast. c. The air from which this area receives its rainfall is from an ocean that is warm. d. Human burning of coal has changed the environment locally to produce a desert.

a. It lies in the rain shadow (aka dry shadow) of the Tibetan Plateau.

Compared to temperate forests, tropical forests have _______. a. more nutrient-rich soils b. less seasonal variation c. lower biodiversity d. less rainfall

b. less seasonal variation

How does deforestation contribute to global warming? a. The loss of trees decreases the amount of carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere by photosynthesis. b. The loss of trees increases the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by photosynthesis. c. The grasses or crops that replace the trees produce more carbon dioxide than the trees they replace. d. Deforestation does not contribute to global warming.

a. The loss of trees decreases the amount of carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere by photosynthesis.

How are grasses well adapted for surviving periodic fires? a. They have well developed root systems that allow them to quickly re-sprout after a fire. b. They contain special chemicals that act as natural fire retardants. c. They lack the woody parts that are necessary to maintain a fire. d. They are not well adapted for surviving periodic fires.

a. They have well developed root systems that allow them to quickly re-sprout after a fire.

How would Earth change if the greenhouse effect didn't exist at all? a. Without the greenhouse effect, Earth would not trap solar radiation and would be much colder. b. All the incoming sunlight energy would be absorbed without the greenhouse effect. c. The result of no greenhouse effect would be an extremely hot planet that never cools down. d. Animals and plants would survive comfortably, and the average temperature would never change if the greenhouse effect did not exist.

a. Without the greenhouse effect, Earth would not trap solar radiation and would be much colder.

Burning of fossil fuels is the major source of human-produced carbon dioxide. But what is the second leading source? a. deforestation b. volcanic activity c. cow flatulence

a. deforestation

The high amounts of rainfall in tropical rain forests is due to _______. a. high amounts of energy causing warm air to rise at the equator, cool, condense, and fall to Earth b. warm air sinking, moving to the equator and raining c. cooling air rising, evaporating, and forming cloud cover d. cool air sinking, condensing, and falling as rain

a. high amounts of energy causing warm air to rise at the equator, cool, condense, and fall to Earth

The lowland along the coast of Southern Chile is relatively cool compared to the warm coastal current and results in _______. a. lots of rain b. a coastal desert c. tropical rain forest d. tundra

a. lots of rain

When a species is endemic, it means that species is _______. a. restricted to one location only b. widespread c. abundant d. rare

a. restricted to one location only

Many of the world's great deserts are found at or near a latitude of a. 0 degrees b. 30 degrees N or S c. 60 degrees N or S d. 90 degrees S

b. 30 degrees N or S

Which of the following is not a characteristic of tundra? a. Short growing season b. High precipitation c. Low species diversity d. Permafrost

b. High precipitation

What makes the Gobi Desert a desert? a. It is hot. b. It is dry. c. Very little seasonal temperature variation. d. A long growing season.

b. It is dry.

Why is the tundra treeless? a. Lack of sufficient water b. Permanently frozen soil c. Winters too harsh d. Too many fires

b. Permanently frozen soil

What effect do plants have on the greenhouse effect? a. They remove methane from the atmosphere during photosynthesis. b. They remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during photosynthesis. c. They add methane to the atmosphere during photosynthesis. d. They add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere during photosynthesis.

b. They remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during photosynthesis.

The high latitude location of Great Britain (54 degrees N) and Norway (62 degrees N) predict they should be colder than they actually are. What is a logical explanation for this regional temperature pattern? a. Warm air originating at the equator descends toward Earth's surface at about 60 degrees north and south. b. This region is warmed by the Gulf Stream which carries water from the tropical Atlantic Ocean to the shores of northern Europe. c. This region has a very low elevation. d. Global warming has affected this area more than others due to extensive deforestation and urbanization.

b. This region is warmed by the Gulf Stream which carries water from the tropical Atlantic Ocean to the shores of northern Europe.

The "greenhouse effect" is caused by ________. a. haze produced by escaping CO2 from vegetation b. accumulating gases in the atmosphere that hinder the escape of more of the sun's energy c. sunspots d. photochemical ozone

b. accumulating gases in the atmosphere that hinder the escape of more of the sun's energy

The colorful wildflowers that pop up in the desert after it rains and quickly produce seeds before they die are an example of a. perennials b. annuals c. succulents d. endemics

b. annuals

The greenhouse effect is most similar to _______. a. warming the air for a hot-air balloon with a propane burner b. heating up the air inside a car by parking it in the sun c. burning kerosene in a heater to warm up the air inside a cold house d. growing plants in your office to reduce indoor air pollution

b. heating up the air inside a car by parking it in the sun

Which of the following is an example of a weather event? a. The hurricane season lasts from June 1 through November 30. b. The amount of atmospheric CO2 has steadily increased during the last century. c. A windstorm blew down trees in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Minnesota on July 4, 1999 d. Deserts are generally dry ecosystems having very little rainfall.

c. A windstorm blew down trees in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Minnesota on July 4, 1999

Why are many of the world's deserts located at latitudes of about 30 degrees north and south? a. Earth is tilted on its axis. b. The greatest amount of solar energy per unit area is absorbed by Earth at about 30 degrees north and south. c. Dry air, originating at the equator, descends toward Earth's surface at about 30 degrees north and south. d. Warm air rises at about 30 degrees north and south and spreads toward the poles and the equator.

c. Dry air, originating at the equator, descends toward Earth's surface at about 30 degrees north and south.

Which of the following is not characteristic of boreal forests? a. Nutrient-poor soils b. Long, cold winters and short, wet summers c. High species diversity d. Cone-bearing trees

c. High species diversity

Which characteristic of temperate grasslands makes them very desirable for agriculture? a. Annual variation in temperature b. Low precipitation c. Nutrient-rich soils d. Frequent fires

c. Nutrient-rich soils

If you are at a place with 20 hours of daylight at Christmas, you must be in _______. a. Northern Russia b. Northwestern Alaska c. Southern Argentina d. Mexico

c. Southern Argentina

Which of the following is NOT a logical explanation for why biodiversity is highest near the equator? a. Habitat heterogeneity is greatest in tropical ecosystems. b. The greater age of tropical ecosystems provides more time for speciation to occur. c. The tropics have greater seasonality, making them less stable. d. The tropics receive more energy from the sun than other parts of the world.

c. The tropics have greater seasonality, making them less stable.

How do savannas differ from temperate grasslands? a. They have fewer trees. b. They have year-round precipitation. c. They have higher temperatures and less seasonal variation in temperature. d. They are not maintained by fires.

c. They have higher temperatures and less seasonal variation in temperature.

A bird watcher is trying to increase the list of bird species she has seen in the world. There are 9,234 species of birds in the world, so where should this bird watcher concentrate her efforts to see the greatest number of species in a lifetime? a. Boreal forest biomes b. Temperate forest biome c. Tropical forest biome d. Grassland biome

c. Tropical forest biome

The grasslands found in central North America are also known as _______. a. savannas b. steppes c. prairies d. taigas

c. prairies

The world's most extensive forest type is _______. a. tropical forests b. temperate forests c. taiga d. deciduous forests

c. taiga

On average, atmospheric carbon dioxide has historically cycled from ______ and ______ every ______. a. 18 ppm, 30 ppm, 500 years b. 18 ppm, 30 ppm, 5,000 years c. 180 ppm, 300 ppm, 5,000 years d. 180 ppm, 300 ppm, 50,000 years

d. 180 ppm, 300 ppm, 50,000 years

Which of these dew points indicates the air is holding the most moisture? a. 4 F b. 32 F c. 0 F d. 55 F

d. 55 F

The North and South Poles are at what latitude? a. 0 degrees b. 23.4 degrees c. 45 degrees d. 90 degrees

d. 90 degrees

Why does air tend to be cooler at higher elevations? a. Higher elevations are farther away from the sun. b. More solar energy is reflected from the surface of the land at higher elevations. c. Higher elevations have more atmospheric pressure which causes the air to retain less heat. d. Higher elevations have less atmospheric pressure which causes the air to retain less heat.

d. Higher elevations have less atmospheric pressure which causes the air to retain less heat.

Which of the following is not characteristic of temperate forests? a. Mostly deciduous trees b. Nutrient-rich soils c. A wide range of temperatures over the course of a year d. Mostly evergreen trees

d. Mostly evergreen trees

Why does the windward side of mountains receive more rainfall than the leeward side of mountains? a. Cold, moist air rises and condenses on the windward side, creating clouds and rain. b. There is more solar radiation on the windward side of mountains. c. Earth's rotation creates seasonal differences in rainfall. d. Warm, moist air rises, cools and drops its moisture as rain on the windward side.

d. Warm, moist air rises, cools and drops its moisture as rain on the windward side.

Many desert plants have no leaves or small leaves, an adaptation that allows the plants to _______. a. increase photosynthesis b. increase water intake c. decrease predation d. decrease water loss

d. decrease water loss

Tropical forests are most often found at _______. a. high latitudes b. high elevations c. medium latitudes d. low latitudes

d. low latitudes