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Biogeography First Exam Study Guide
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Questions in this quiz (32)
1Earth's tilt is nearly
- A15.5º
- B20º
- C23.5º
- D30º
2Water's high _________________ allows it to store a lot of energy.
- Astorage potential
- Bheat capacity
- Cpotential gradient
- Dsolar capacity
3Global physical gradients on Earth arise from all of the following except
- AEarth's spin
- BLatitude
- CPrecipitation
- DEarth's orbit around the Sun
- EEarth's tilt
4You would probably find the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) where near the summer solstice?
- AThe Tropic of Capricorn (23.5º S)
- BThe South Pole (90ºS)
- CThe Equator (0º)
- DThe Tropic of Cancer (23.5º N)
5Warm currents are most often found on __________ ocean boundaries.
- ANorthern
- BSouthern
- CWestern
- DEastern
6Short-term global cycles like El Nino involve periodic variations in what?
- ASea-surface temperatures
- BWind patterns
- CAtmospheric circulation cells
- DSea-surface temperatures and wind patterns
- EWind patterns and atmospheric circulation cells
7Glacial climates in the Pleistocene tended to be...
- ACool and dry
- BCool and wet
- CWarm and dry
- DWarm and wet
8During the *initial* cycles of glaciation and melting in the Pleistocene, extinctions were more common in...
- AAnimals
- BPlants
- CBoth
- DNeither
9A planet with a greater tilt than Earth's would most likely have what kind of seasons?
- AMilder
- BStronger
- CAbout the same as Earth's
- DNo seasons at all
10Humid air _________ dry air.
- Ais heavier than
- Bis lighter than
- Cweighs the same as
11Global precipitation patterns are driven by all of the following except
- Atemperature
- Bocean currents
- Clocal topography
- Dwind patterns
12Topography and global precipitation patterns together determine
- Aregional climate
- Bsurface energy input
- Crate of continental drift
- Dthe degree of Earth's tilt
13Alexander von Humboldt was one of the first to note the abiding biogeographic principle that elevational gradients are analogous to
- Aaltitudinal gradients
- Blatitudinal gradients
- Clongitudinal gradients
14The theory of island biogeography would consider all of the following except
- AAn island in the ocean
- BA mountain range surrounded by lowlands
- CA series of low, grassy hills
- DA city surrounded by forest
15Plants can move sap (and the nutrients within it) against the pull of gravity in part because of water's
- Ahigh surface tension
- Bhigh heat capacity
- Chigh heat conduction
16How much of Earth's global water is freshwater?
- AAbout 10%
- BAbout 5.5%
- CAbout 2.5%
- DAbout 1%
17Infiltration is
- Athe movement of aboveground water belowground
- Bthe movement of belowground water aboveground
- Cthe movement of water on the Earth's surface
- Dthe emptying of rivers and streams into the ocean
18All of these affect water's ability to infiltrate except
- Asoil saturation
- Bland cover
- Csoil characteristics
- Dland shape
19What is the primary driver of Earth's water cycle?
- AHadley cells
- Bthe intertropical convergence zone
- Cevaporation
- Dglobal climate
20Transpiration occurs when plants lose water in the form of
- Awater vapor
- Bliquid water
- Cfrozen water
21_____________ is responsible for cloud formation
- AInfiltration
- BPrecipitation
- CCondensation
- DTranspiration
22Why are arid environments likely to occur on the leeward slopes of near-ocean mountain ranges?
- AThe rain shadow effect
- BThose mountains are most often at 30º N and S
- CThe spin of the Earth
- DEcoregion gradients
23Seeds that exhibit serotiny only germinate when
- Athey "know" the Earth's tilt has changed
- Bthey're triggered by some external factor
- Cthey are affected by the Coriolis effect
24The only mass extinction for which science is pretty sure it knows the cause is
- Athe end-Ordovician
- Bthe end-Triassic
- Cthe end-Cretaceous
- Dthe end-Permian
25Our class definition of biogeography includes all of the following except
- A...the study of distributions...
- B...of biodiversity...
- C...globally...
- D...over space and time...
26When it comes to biogeographic patterns, this scale is most important
- Aglobal
- Blocal
- Cregional
- Dall scales are important to biogeographic patterns
27The lithosphere includes
- Aall of Earth's water, including oceans, freshwater, and the water cycle
- Bthe layers of gases that surround the Earth's surface
- Cthe Earth's rocky crust, including the geographic template
- Dthe zone of life on Earth
28In the Greek tradition, which of these might we call the central question of biogeography?
- AHow are organisms distributed around the world?
- BDo organisms change over time?
- CAre organisms at certain latitudes the same as organisms at certain altitudes?
29Charles Darwin based his theory of evolution by means of natural selection on several key pieces of evidence. Which of these were not included?
- AComparison of fossils with existing, similarly-shaped organisms
- BStudying finches and tortoises in the Galapagos
- CObserving giraffes in African savannas
30Wegener's theory of continental drift relies on all of the following pieces of evidence except
- ALandmasses fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.
- BGeological similarity between matching sides of continents.
- CElevational similarities in mountain ranges between continents that appear to fit together.
- DFossil similarities between matching sides of continents.
31Plants that colonize new land that may one day be a new ecosystem require all of the following except
- ACarbon
- BHerbivores
- CNutrients
- DWater
32Sky islands and tepuis are both types of
- Amainland islands
- Bexterior islands
- Cisolation islands
- Dendemic islands
Information
- Description
- First exam study guide for fall 2016 Biogeography course at the University of Arizona.
- Author
- Tony Colella
- Language
- English
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