Question 1

Which statement best describes the interaction of energy and materials,or process of ecosystem function,within an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

A)  Both energy and materials cycle through biotic,but not abiotic,components. 
B)  Energy cycles through biotic components;materials cycle through abiotic components. 
C)  Energy and materials both travel throughout ecosystems,but they follow separate,disconnected routes. 
D)  Energy and materials enter biotic components through primary producers;energy flows one way and materials cycle. 
E)  Materials travel through ecosystems in one direction and are constantly replenished;energy cycles and is used over and over. 
A)  Both energy and materials cycle through biotic,but not abiotic,components. 
B)  Energy cycles through biotic components;materials cycle through abiotic components. 
C)  Energy and materials both travel throughout ecosystems,but they follow separate,disconnected routes. 
D)  Energy and materials enter biotic components through primary producers;energy flows one way and materials cycle. 
E)  Materials travel through ecosystems in one direction and are constantly replenished;energy cycles and is used over and over.

Question 2

Organic materials are converted from a form that is accessible to life to a form that is inaccessible to life by the process of

Accepted Answer

A)  uptake. 
B)  erosion. 
C)  weathering. 
D)  compaction. 
E)  decomposition. 
A)  uptake. 
B)  erosion. 
C)  weathering. 
D)  compaction. 
E)  decomposition.

Question 3

Earth acts as a(n)_______ system in terms of materials and a(n)_______ system in terms of energy.

Accepted Answer

A)  open;open 
B)  open;closed 
C)  open;recycling 
D)  closed;open 
E)  closed;recycling 
A)  open;open 
B)  open;closed 
C)  open;recycling 
D)  closed;open 
E)  closed;recycling

Question 4

The atmospheric pool of carbon will shrink as a result of which process?

Accepted Answer

A)  Wildfires 
B)  Volcanic eruptions 
C)  Plant photosynthesis 
D)  Organism respiration 
E)  Fossil fuel combustion 
A)  Wildfires 
B)  Volcanic eruptions 
C)  Plant photosynthesis 
D)  Organism respiration 
E)  Fossil fuel combustion

Question 5

In 1957,Dave Keeling used new sensitive instruments to begin to

Accepted Answer

A)  measure aspects of the global nitrogen cycle. 
B)  obtain accurate measurements of atmospheric CO2. 
C)  estimate the extent of nitrogen fixation by microbes. 
D)  determine the effects of greenhouse warming on Hadley cells. 
E)  establish the connection between CO2 and the greenhouse effect. 
A)  measure aspects of the global nitrogen cycle. 
B)  obtain accurate measurements of atmospheric CO2. 
C)  estimate the extent of nitrogen fixation by microbes. 
D)  determine the effects of greenhouse warming on Hadley cells. 
E)  establish the connection between CO2 and the greenhouse effect.

Question 6

Refer to the graphs below.Briefly explain the difference in the effects of mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation on NPP,and give one reason for this difference.

Accepted Answer

NPP shows a constant increase as tempera

Question 7

Refer to the diagram below.Explain briefly how nitrogen moves through the various compartments of this generalized biogeochemical cycle.What determines the size of a pool and what are the major accessible and inaccessible pools of nitrogen?

Accepted Answer

The size of a pool depends on the rate a

Question 8

Leaves of most deciduous trees in Mediterranean ecosystems open approximately 16 days earlier and fall approximately 13 days later than they did 50 years ago.This shift is most likely due to

Accepted Answer

A)  longer day lengths. 
B)  shorter day lengths. 
C)  changed behaviors of leaf predators. 
D)  higher average temperatures. 
E)  lower average temperatures. 
A)  longer day lengths. 
B)  shorter day lengths. 
C)  changed behaviors of leaf predators. 
D)  higher average temperatures. 
E)  lower average temperatures.

Question 9

Satellite maps show that NPP,measured as distribution of photosynthetic biomass,varies most clearly with _______.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Satellite maps show that NPP,measured as distribution...

Question 10

Refer to the graphs below representing three computer simulations of Earth's climate between 1850 and 2000.Blue lines represent results of the model;red lines are actual climate data.The graph A model includes only natural factors,such as solar input and volcanic activity.The graph B model includes only human-caused (anthropogenic)factors,such as fossil fuel burning and deforestation.The graph C model includes both natural and anthropogenic factors.Curves are expressed as deviations around 0,which represents the average temperature for the late 1800s.Which graph best fits the actual data? What does a comparison of the three graphs indicate about the causes of global temperature increase?

Accepted Answer

The best fit occurs in graph C,which com

Question 11

Winter moths in the Netherlands are part of a food chain that includes oak trees (which provide food for moth caterpillars)and great tits (which feed nestlings on moth caterpillars).Climate change has caused a disruption in this food chain.What is the major reason for this disruption?

Accepted Answer

A)  Winter moths are adapting to warming temperatures,but oak trees and great tits are not. 
B)  Oak trees are adapting to warming temperatures,but winter moths and great tits are not. 
C)  Oak trees and winter moths are adapting to warming temperatures,but great tits are not. 
D)  None of the species is adapting to warming temperatures,and all are decreasing in viability as a result. 
E)  The three species are adapting to warming temperatures in different ways,causing mismatches in timing of their emergence. 
A)  Winter moths are adapting to warming temperatures,but oak trees and great tits are not. 
B)  Oak trees are adapting to warming temperatures,but winter moths and great tits are not. 
C)  Oak trees and winter moths are adapting to warming temperatures,but great tits are not. 
D)  None of the species is adapting to warming temperatures,and all are decreasing in viability as a result. 
E)  The three species are adapting to warming temperatures in different ways,causing mismatches in timing of their emergence.

Question 12

Nitrogen enters a grassland ecosystem and cycles through the grassland food web.During this process,it undergoes several more transformations.Which transformation does not retain nitrogen within the grassland food web?

Accepted Answer

A)  Denitrification 
B)  Nitrogen fixation 
C)  Dissolving of nitrates and nitrites 
D)  Formation and breakdown of proteins 
E)  Decomposition of dead organic matter 
A)  Denitrification 
B)  Nitrogen fixation 
C)  Dissolving of nitrates and nitrites 
D)  Formation and breakdown of proteins 
E)  Decomposition of dead organic matter

Question 13

In general,how have patterns of precipitation around the globe changed in response to global warming?

Accepted Answer

A)  Precipitation has increased uniformly around the globe. 
B)  Precipitation has decreased uniformly around the globe. 
C)  Precipitation has increased in all mid-latitude areas and decreased in all tropical and polar regions. 
D)  Precipitation has increased in all tropical and polar regions and decreased in all mid-latitude areas. 
E)  Precipitation has increased at high latitudes and some tropical regions,but it has decreased at dry mid-latitudes,with local variations. 
A)  Precipitation has increased uniformly around the globe. 
B)  Precipitation has decreased uniformly around the globe. 
C)  Precipitation has increased in all mid-latitude areas and decreased in all tropical and polar regions. 
D)  Precipitation has increased in all tropical and polar regions and decreased in all mid-latitude areas. 
E)  Precipitation has increased at high latitudes and some tropical regions,but it has decreased at dry mid-latitudes,with local variations.

Question 14

A bird species responds to earlier spring weather in its wintering grounds by flying north several weeks earlier.It arrives at its summer location several weeks before the snow melts.How is this situation likely to affect bird populations?

Accepted Answer

A)  It will have little effect;birds will simply wait for the snow to melt. 
B)  It will have little effect;birds will again fly south to warmer areas. 
C)  It will have a minor effect;it will delay but not inhibit breeding. 
D)  It will have a minor effect;birds will adapt and breed successfully. 
E)  It will have a major effect;many birds may die of starvation before breeding. 
A)  It will have little effect;birds will simply wait for the snow to melt. 
B)  It will have little effect;birds will again fly south to warmer areas. 
C)  It will have a minor effect;it will delay but not inhibit breeding. 
D)  It will have a minor effect;birds will adapt and breed successfully. 
E)  It will have a major effect;many birds may die of starvation before breeding.

Question 15

An insect pollinator emerges on May 1,but the plant it pollinates,responding to early warming,begins flowering in mid-April.Both species suffer declines in reproduction,due to this mismatch in _______ of life history events.

Accepted Answer

The answer of An insect pollinator emerges on May 1,but...

Question 16

The Indian pipe plant,Monotropa uniflora,lacks chlorophyll and instead is a parasite of soil fungi.Indian pipes therefore differ from most plants in terms of how they obtain

Accepted Answer

A)  water. 
B)  sulfur. 
C)  carbon. 
D)  nitrogen. 
E)  phosphorus. 
A)  water. 
B)  sulfur. 
C)  carbon. 
D)  nitrogen. 
E)  phosphorus.

Question 17

Most organisms are unable to break down and use atmospheric nitrogen gas because the molecule's two nitrogen atoms are held together by a strong _______ bond.

Accepted Answer

A)  ionic 
B)  double 
C)  triple 
D)  quadruple 
E)  hydrogen 
A)  ionic 
B)  double 
C)  triple 
D)  quadruple 
E)  hydrogen

Question 18

Based on studies of leaf-cutter ants,in which part of the ant colony would you expect to find the highest levels of the enzyme nitrogenase?

Accepted Answer

A)  In leaf refuse 
B)  In fungal gardens 
C)  In leaf-cutter ant workers 
D)  In leaves collected by workers 
E)  In both leaves and leaf refuse 
A)  In leaf refuse 
B)  In fungal gardens 
C)  In leaf-cutter ant workers 
D)  In leaves collected by workers 
E)  In both leaves and leaf refuse

Question 19

Refer to the graph below.The Keeling curve,shown here,provides us with more than a half-century of precise measurements of atmospheric CO2 concentrations over Mauna Loa,Hawaii.Do these data show a trend,and if so,what is the trend?

Accepted Answer

A)  No;the data appear random. 
B)  No;the data show constant variability,not a definite trend. 
C)  Yes;the data show a slight,but insignificant,upward trend. 
D)  Yes;the data show an upward trend,but variability makes it invalid. 
E)  Yes;the data show a definite upward trend with predictable seasonal variations. 
A)  No;the data appear random. 
B)  No;the data show constant variability,not a definite trend. 
C)  Yes;the data show a slight,but insignificant,upward trend. 
D)  Yes;the data show an upward trend,but variability makes it invalid. 
E)  Yes;the data show a definite upward trend with predictable seasonal variations.

Question 20

In general, given sufficient precipitation, what relationship does NPP show to latitude?

Accepted Answer

A)  NPP is highest at low (equatorial) latitudes and decreases at high latitudes. 
B)  NPP is highest at high latitudes and decreases at low (equatorial) latitudes. 
C)  NPP is relatively equal at all latitudes; it varies with nutrients, not latitude. 
D)  NPP is relatively equal at all latitudes; it varies with temperature, not latitude. 
E)  NPP is variable with respect to latitude; high and low NPPs occur at all latitudes. 
A)  NPP is highest at low (equatorial) latitudes and decreases at high latitudes. 
B)  NPP is highest at high latitudes and decreases at low (equatorial) latitudes. 
C)  NPP is relatively equal at all latitudes; it varies with nutrients, not latitude. 
D)  NPP is relatively equal at all latitudes; it varies with temperature, not latitude. 
E)  NPP is variable with respect to latitude; high and low NPPs occur at all latitudes.

Exam 45: The Global Ecosystem

Which statement best describes the interaction of energy and materials,or process of ecosystem function,within an ecosystem?

Organic materials are converted from a form that is accessible to life to a form that is inaccessible to life by the process of

Earth acts as a(n)_______ system in terms of materials and a(n)_______ system in terms of energy.

The atmospheric pool of carbon will shrink as a result of which process?

In 1957,Dave Keeling used new sensitive instruments to begin to

Refer to the graphs below.Briefly explain the difference in the effects of mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation on NPP,and give one reason for this difference.

Refer to the diagram below.Explain briefly how nitrogen moves through the various compartments of this generalized biogeochemical cycle.What determines the size of a pool and what are the major accessible and inaccessible pools of nitrogen?

Leaves of most deciduous trees in Mediterranean ecosystems open approximately 16 days earlier and fall approximately 13 days later than they did 50 years ago.This shift is most likely due to

Satellite maps show that NPP,measured as distribution of photosynthetic biomass,varies most clearly with _______.

Winter moths in the Netherlands are part of a food chain that includes oak trees (which provide food for moth caterpillars)and great tits (which feed nestlings on moth caterpillars).Climate change has caused a disruption in this food chain.What is the major reason for this disruption?

Nitrogen enters a grassland ecosystem and cycles through the grassland food web.During this process,it undergoes several more transformations.Which transformation does not retain nitrogen within the grassland food web?

In general,how have patterns of precipitation around the globe changed in response to global warming?

A bird species responds to earlier spring weather in its wintering grounds by flying north several weeks earlier.It arrives at its summer location several weeks before the snow melts.How is this situation likely to affect bird populations?

An insect pollinator emerges on May 1,but the plant it pollinates,responding to early warming,begins flowering in mid-April.Both species suffer declines in reproduction,due to this mismatch in _______ of life history events.

The Indian pipe plant,Monotropa uniflora,lacks chlorophyll and instead is a parasite of soil fungi.Indian pipes therefore differ from most plants in terms of how they obtain

Most organisms are unable to break down and use atmospheric nitrogen gas because the molecule's two nitrogen atoms are held together by a strong _______ bond.

Based on studies of leaf-cutter ants,in which part of the ant colony would you expect to find the highest levels of the enzyme nitrogenase?

Refer to the graph below.The Keeling curve,shown here,provides us with more than a half-century of precise measurements of atmospheric CO2 concentrations over Mauna Loa,Hawaii.Do these data show a trend,and if so,what is the trend?

In general, given sufficient precipitation, what relationship does NPP show to latitude?

Introduction

The Chemistry and Energy of Life

Nucleic Acids, Proteins, and Enzymes

Cells: the Working Units of Life

Cell Membranes and Signaling

Pathways That Harvest and Store Chemical Energy

The Cell Cycle and Cell Division

Inheritance, Genes, and Chromosomes

DNA and Its Role in Heredity

From Dna to Protein: Gene Expression

Regulation of Gene Expression

Genomes

Biotechnology

Genes, Development, and Evolution

Processes of Evolution

Reconstructing and Using Phylogenies

Speciation

The History of Life on Earth

Bacteria, Archaea, and Viruses

The Origin and Diversification of Eukaryotes

The Evolution of Plants

The Evolution and Diversity of Fungi

Animal Origins and Diversity

The Plant Body

Plant Nutrition and Transport

Plant Growth and Development

Reproduction of Flowering Plants

Plants in the Environment

Fundamentals of Animal Function

Nutrition and Digestion

Breathing

Circulation

Muscle and Movement

Neurons, Sense Organs, and Nervous Systems

Nervous and Endocrine Control

Water and Salts: Excretion

Animal Reproduction

Animal Development

Immunology: Animal Defense Systems

Animal Behavior

The Distribution of Earths Ecological Systems

Populations

Ecological and Evolutionary Consequences of Interactions Within and Among Species

Ecological Communities

Filters

Earth acts as a(n)_ system in terms of materials and a(n)_ system in terms of energy.

Refer to the graph below.The Keeling curve,shown here,provides us with more than a half-century of precise measurements of atmospheric CO₂ concentrations over Mauna Loa,Hawaii.Do these data show a trend,and if so,what is the trend?