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Bio Exam 4 Chapter 55
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Questions in this quiz (44)
1If the sun were to suddenly stop providing energy to Earth, most ecosystems would eventually vanish. Which of the following ecosystems would likely survive the longest after this hypothetical disaster?
- AA) pelagic ocean
- BB) tundra
- CC) deep benthic ocean
- DD) a desert spring
2Which of the following terms encompasses all of the others?
- AA) heterotrophs
- BB) herbivores
- CC) carnivores
- DD) primary consumers
3To recycle nutrients, an ecosystem must have, at a minimum, ________.
- AA) producers
- BB) producers and decomposers
- CC) producers, primary consumers, and decomposers
- DD) producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and decomposers
4Which of the following organisms is correctly paired with its trophic level?
- AA) cyanobacterium-primary consumer
- BB) grasshopper-secondary consumer
- CC) phytoplankton-primary producer
- DD) fungus-primary consumer
5Which of the following has the greatest effect on the rate of chemical cycling within an ecosystem?
- AA) the ecosystem's rate of primary production
- BB) the secondary production efficiency of the ecosystem's consumers
- CC) the rate of decomposition in the ecosystem
- DD) the trophic efficiency of the ecosystem
6Matter may be gained by, or lost from, ecosystems. How does this occur?
- AA) Chemoautotrophic organisms can convert matter to energy.
- BB) Matter can move from one ecosystem to another.
- CC) Photosynthetic organisms convert solar energy to sugars.
- DD) Heterotrophs convert heat to energy.
7During a year, plants never use 100% of the incoming solar radiation for photosynthesis. What is a reasonable explanation for this?
- AA) Plants cannot photosynthesize as well in warm temperatures as in cold temperatures.
- BB) Plants do not intercept all incoming light, as some light will strike water, bare soil, or rock.
- CC) The pigments that drive photosynthesis absorb all of the wavelengths of light that are available; however, some of the light is subsequently reflected.
- DD) At least 75% of all incoming light is reflected, absorbed, or scattered back by clouds in the atmosphere.
8You own 300 acres of patchy temperate forest mixed with grassy meadows. Which one of the following actions would increase the net primary productivity of the area the most?
- AA) adding fertilizer to the entire area
- BB) introducing 100 rabbits into the area
- CC) planting 500 new trees
- DD) relocating all of the deer found in the area
9Suppose you are studying the nitrogen cycling between vegetation, sediments, and water in a pond ecosystem over the course of a month. While you are collecting data, a flock of 100 Canada geese lands and spends the night during a fall migration. What could you do to eliminate error in your study as a result of this event?
- AA) Find out how much nitrogen is consumed in plant material by a Canada goose over about a 12-hour period, multiply this number by 100, and add that amount to the total nitrogen in the ecosystem.
- BB) Find out how much nitrogen is eliminated by a Canada goose over about a 12-hour period, multiply this number by 100, and subtract that amount from the total nitrogen in the ecosystem.
- CC) Find out how much nitrogen is consumed from vegetation and eliminated by a Canada goose over about a 12-hour period and multiply this number by 100; enter this +/- value into the nitrogen budget of the ecosystem.
- DD) Put a net over the pond so that no more migrating flocks can land on the pond and alter the nitrogen balance of the pond.
10Many of the organisms in the ocean are nutrient-limited. If you wanted to investigate this phenomenon, one reasonable approach would be to ________.
- AA) observe Antarctic Ocean productivity from year to year to see if it changes
- BB) experimentally enrich some areas of the ocean and compare their productivity to that of untreated areas
- CC) compare nutrient concentrations between the photic zone and the benthic zone in various marine locations
- DD) contrast nutrient uptake by autotrophs in marine locations that are different temperatures
11If you applied a fungicide to a cornfield, what would you expect to happen to the rate of decomposition and net ecosystem production (NEP)?
- AA) Both decomposition rate and NEP would decrease
- BB) Both decomposition rate and NEP would increase.
- CC) Decomposition rate would increase and NEP would decrease.
- DD) Decomposition rate would decrease and NEP would increase.
12Which of the following is an accurate statement regarding mineral nutrients in soils and their implication for primary productivity?
- AA) Globally, phosphorous availability is most limiting to primary productivity.
- BB) Adding a nonlimiting nutrient will stimulate primary productivity.
- CC) Phosphorous is sometimes unavailable to producers due to leaching.
- DD) Alkaline soils are more productive than acidic soils.
13What advantage would there be for an ecosystem ecologist to measure net ecosystem production (NEP) instead of net primary production (NPP)?
- AA) NPP cannot be expressed in energy/unit of area/unit of time.
- BB) NEP can be expressed in terms of carbon fixed by photosynthesis for an entire ecosystem, minus respiration by producers, allowing the measurement of net CO2 flux.
- CC) NEP represents the amount of energy from light converted to chemical energy, minus the energy used by all organisms for cellular respiration, which could indicate whether or not carbon is being stored.
- DD) NPP shows the rate at which the standing crop is utilized by consumers.
14How is net ecosystem production (NEP) typically estimated in ecosystems?
- AA) by detecting the amount of heat energy released by the ecosystem
- BB) by measuring gas exchange from vegetation as well as estimates of respiration by all other organisms
- CC) by measuring the rate of decomposition by detritivores
- DD) by calculating the annual total of incoming solar radiation per unit of area
15Which of the following ecosystems would likely have the largest net primary productivity per hectare and why?
- AA) open ocean, because of the total biomass of photosynthetic autotrophs
- BB) grassland, because of rapid growth, the small standing crop biomass that results from consumption by herbivores, and rapid decomposition
- CC) tundra, because of the incredibly rapid period of growth during the summer season
- DD) deep ocean, due to the high activity of chemoautotrophs at deep sea vents
16Why is it that satellites, using wavelength reflectance technology, detect variable levels of productivity across Earth's oceans, rather than an increase toward the equator?
- AA) Temperatures at the equator often exceed those which are optimal for primary production.
- BB) Light at the equator is too constant and direct.
- CC) NPP in Earth's open oceans could differ due to variability in depth, the presence of coral reefs, or by ocean currents.
- DD) Satellites detect differences by measuring the amount of water vapor emitted by transpiring producers, and this is a variable measurement in the oceans.
17Which one of the following correctly ranks these organisms in order from lowest to highest percent in production efficiency?
- AA) mammals, fish, insects
- BB) insects, fish, mammals
- CC) fish, insects, mammals
- DD) mammals, insects, fish
18Owls eat rats, mice, shrews, and small birds. Assume that, over a period of time, an owl consumes 5,000 J of animal material. The owl loses 2,300 J in feces and owl pellets and uses 2,500 J for cellular respiration. What is the production efficiency of this owl?
- AA) 8%
- BB) 7.4%
- CC) 2%
- DD) 40%
19How does inefficient transfer of energy among trophic levels result in the typically high endangerment status of many top-level predators?
- AA) Top-level predators are destined to have small populations that are sparsely distributed.
- BB) Predators have relatively large population sizes.
- CC) Predators are more disease-prone than animals at lower trophic levels.
- DD) Top-level predators are more likely to be stricken with parasites.
20Why does a vegetarian leave a smaller ecological footprint than an omnivore?
- AA) Fewer animals are slaughtered for human consumption.
- BB) There is an excess of plant biomass in all terrestrial ecosystems.
- CC) Vegetarians need to ingest less chemical energy than omnivores.
- DD) Eating meat is an inefficient way of acquiring photosynthetic productivity.
21For most terrestrial ecosystems, pyramids composed of species abundances, biomass, and energy are similar in that they have a broad base and a narrow top. The primary reason for this pattern is that ________.
- AA) secondary consumers and top carnivores require less energy than producers
- BB) at each step, energy is lost from the system
- CC) biomagnification of toxic materials limits the secondary consumers and top carnivores
- DD) top carnivores and secondary consumers have a more general diet than primary producers
22Which of the following is primarily responsible for limiting the number of trophic levels in most ecosystems?
- AA) Many primary and higher-order consumers are opportunistic feeders.
- BB) Decomposers compete with higher-order consumers for nutrients and energy.
- CC) Nutrient cycling rates tend to be limited by decomposition.
- DD) Energy transfer between trophic levels is usually less than 20 percent efficient.
23Which trophic level is most vulnerable to extinction?
- AA) producer level
- BB) primary consumer level
- CC) secondary consumer level
- DD) tertiary consumer level
24Which statement best describes what ultimately happens to the chemical energy that is consumed but not used to produce new biomass in the process of energy transfer between trophic levels in an ecosystem?
- AA) It is undigested and winds up in the feces and is not passed on to higher trophic levels.
- BB) It is used by organisms to maintain their life processes through the reactions of cellular respiration.
- CC) Heat produced by cellular respiration is used by heterotrophs for thermoregulation.
- DD) It is eliminated as feces or is dissipated into space as heat as a result of cellular respiration consistent with the second law of thermodynamics.
25Consider the food chain of grass → grasshopper → mouse → snake → hawk. About how much of the chemical energy fixed by photosynthesis of the grass (100 percent) is available to the hawk?
- AA) 0.01%
- BB) 0.1%
- CC) 1%
- DD) 10%
26If the flow of energy in an arctic ecosystem goes through a simple food chain, perhaps involving humans, starting from phytoplankton to zooplankton to fish to seals to polar bears, then which of the following could be accurate?
- AA) Polar bears can provide more food for humans than seals can.
- BB) The total biomass of the fish is lower than that of the seals.
- CC) Seal populations are larger than fish populations.
- DD) Fish can potentially provide more food for humans than seal meat.
27A porcupine eats 3,000 J of plant material. Of this, 2,100 J is indigestible and is eliminated as feces, 800 J are used in cellular respiration, and 100 J are used for growth and reproduction. What is the approximate production efficiency of this animal?
- AA) 0.03%
- BB) 3%
- CC) 11%
- DD) 33%
28Nitrifying bacteria participate in the nitrogen cycle mainly by ________.
- AA) converting nitrogen gas to ammonia
- BB) releasing ammonium from organic compounds, thus returning it to the soil
- CC) converting ammonium to nitrate, which plants absorb
- DD) incorporating nitrogen into amino acids and organic compounds
29The Hubbard Brook watershed deforestation experiment revealed that ________.
I) deforestation increased water runoff
II) nitrate concentration in waters draining the deforested area became dangerously high
III) calcium levels remained high in the soil of deforested areas- AA) only I
- BB) only II
- CC) only III
- DD) only I and II
30Why do logged tropical rain forest soils typically have nutrient-poor soils?
- AA) Tropical bedrock contains little phosphorous.
- BB) Logging results in soil temperatures that are lethal to nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
- CC) Most of the nutrients in the ecosystem are removed in the harvested timber.
- DD) The cation exchange capacity of the soil is reversed as a result of logging.
31How can biodiversity affect the way we decontaminate industrial sites?
I) Bacteria have been found to be able to detoxify certain chemicals; perhaps there are more.
II) Trees produce sawdust, which can be used to soak up chemicals.
III) Species evolving in contaminated areas could adapt and detoxify the area.- AA) only I
- BB) only II
- CC) only III
- DD) only II and III
32The first step in ecosystem restoration is to ________.
- AA) restore the physical structure
- BB) restore native species that have been extirpated due to disturbance
- CC) remove competitive invasive species
- DD) remove toxic pollutants
33The goal of restoration ecology is to ________.
- AA) replace a ruined ecosystem with a more suitable ecosystem for that area
- BB) return degraded ecosystems to a more natural state
- CC) manage competition among species in human-altered ecosystems
- DD) prevent further degradation by protecting an area with park status
34The discipline that applies ecological principles to returning degraded ecosystems to a more natural state is known as ________.
- AA) landscape ecology
- BB) conservation ecology
- CC) restoration ecology
- DD) resource conservation
35Which of the following would be considered an example of bioremediation?
- AA) adding nitrogen-fixing microorganisms to a degraded ecosystem to increase nitrogen availability
- BB) using a bulldozer to regrade a strip mine
- CC) dredging a river bottom to remove contaminated sediments
- DD) adding fertilizer to soil poor in nutrients to increase plant growth
36Acid precipitation lowered the pH of soil in a terrestrial ecosystem that supported a diverse community of plants and animals. The decrease in pH eliminated all nitrogen-fixing bacteria populations in the area. Which prediction most accurately reflects the impact this will have on the community?
- AA) Since phosphorus can replace nitrogen as an essential nutrient, the impact will be minimal.
- BB) Plants can obtain the nitrogen necessary for growth from the atmosphere, but bacterial communities will be negatively impacted.
- CC) Primary producers will suffer from nitrogen deficiency and the entire community will experience a decrease in carrying capacity.
- DD) The decrease in pH actually increases the availability of soil nutrients, so other nutrients that were less available cause an increase in primary production and an increase in biomass at other trophic levels.
37Which of the following organisms is incorrectly paired with its trophic level?
- AA) cyanobacterium-primary producer
- BB) grasshopper-primary consumer
- CC) zooplankton-primary producer
- DD) fungus-detritivore
38Which of these ecosystems has the lowest net primary production per square meter?
- AA) a salt marsh
- BB) an open ocean
- CC) a coral reef
- DD) a tropical rain forest
39The discipline that applies ecological principles to returning degraded ecosystems to a more natural state is known as
- AA) restoration ecology.
- BB) thermodynamics.
- CC) eutrophication.
- DD) biogeochemistry.
40Nitrifying bacteria participate in the nitrogen cycle mainly by
- AA) converting nitrogen gas to ammonia.
- BB) releasing ammonium from organic compounds, thus returning it to the soil.
- CC) converting ammonium to nitrate, which plants absorb.
- DD) incorporating nitrogen into amino acids and organic compounds.
41Which of the following has the greatest effect on the rate of chemical cycling in an ecosystem?
- AA) the rate of decomposition in the ecosystem
- BB) the production efficiency of the ecosystem's consumers
- CC) the trophic efficiency of the ecosystem
- DD) the location of the nutrient reservoirs in the ecosystem
42The Hubbard Brook watershed deforestation experiment yielded all of the following results except which of the following?
- AA) Most minerals were recycled within a forest ecosystem.
- BB) Calcium levels remained high in the soil of deforested areas.
- CC) Deforestation increased water runoff.
- DD) The nitrate concentration in waters draining the deforested area became dangerously high.
43Which of the following would be considered an example of bioremediation?
- AA) adding nitrogen-fixing microorganisms to a degraded ecosystem to increase nitrogen availability
- BB) using a bulldozer to regrade a strip mine
- CC) reconfiguring the channel of a river
- DD) adding seeds of a chromium-accumulating plant to soil contaminated by chromium
44If you applied a fungicide to a cornfield, what would you expect to happen to the rate of decomposition and net ecosystem production (NEP)?
- AA) Both decomposition rate and NEP would decrease.
- BB) Neither would change.
- CC) Decomposition rate would increase and NEP would decrease.
- DD) Decomposition rate would decrease and NEP would increase.
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- Biology Quiz on Bio Exam 4 Chapter 55, created by Hannah Moore on 16/04/2018.
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- Hannah Moore
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