Exam 52: An Introduction to Ecology and the Biosphere

Suppose that the number of bird species is determined mainly by the number of vertical strata found in the environment. If so, in which of the following biomes would you find the greatest number of bird species?

What would happen to the seasons if Earth were tilted 35 degrees off its orbital plane instead of the usual 23.5 degrees?

Generally speaking, deserts are located in places where air masses are usually ________.

The eight climographs show yearly temperature (line graph and left vertical axis)and precipitation (bar graph and right vertical axis)averages for each month for some locations on Earth. Which climograph shows the climate for location 5?

Suppose that the number of bird species is determined mainly by the number of vertical strata found in the environment. If so, in which of the following biomes would you find the greatest number of bird species?

Subtropical plants are commonplace in Land's End, England, whose latitude is the equivalent of Labrador in coastal Canada, where the local flora is instead subarctic. Which statement best explains why this apparent anomaly exists between North America and Europe?

The eight climographs show yearly temperature (line graph and left vertical axis)and precipitation (bar graph and right vertical axis)averages for each month for some locations on Earth. Which climograph shows the climate for location 2?

Which statements about dispersal are accurate? I.Dispersal is a common component of the life cycles of plants and animals. II.Colonization of devastated areas after floods or volcanic eruptions primarily depends upon climate. III.Seeds are important dispersal stages in the life cycles of most flowering plants. IV.Dispersal occurs only on an evolutionary time scale.

In the region of the Rocky Mountains, imagine that one local variety of Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa)predominantly occurs between 5,000-8,500 feet in elevation, where it can best tolerate temperatures and precipitation. If future climate change in this region causes the temperature to increase and rainfall to decrease, then which of the following changes might an ecologist predict about the variety's range?

Use the following figure to answer the question below. In the figure, which number would designate the arctic tundra biome?

Which of the following biomes spans the largest annual mean temperature range, but the narrowest mean precipitation range?

Which aquatic biome listed here is one of the most productive on Earth, and why?

Which of the following statements regarding turnover in a lake is correct?

In creating global climate patterns, which of the following factors is the primary cause of all of the other factors that are listed?

Generalized global air circulation and precipitation patterns are caused by ________.

The eight climographs show yearly temperature (line graph and left vertical axis)and precipitation (bar graph and right vertical axis)averages for each month for some locations on Earth. What would be the primary factor, other than precipitation or temperature, that could change the description of a site near location 3 from an equatorial (tropical)climate to alpine tundra?

The eight climographs show yearly temperature (line graph and left vertical axis)and precipitation (bar graph and right vertical axis)averages for each month for some locations on Earth. Which climograph shows the climate for location 4?

Which of the following statements best describes the interaction between fire and ecosystems?

A fish swimming into an estuary from a river would have which of the following as its greatest physiological challenge?

The ocean ecosystems affect the biosphere by ________. I.producing a substantial amount of the biosphere's oxygen II.adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere III.being the source of most of Earth's rainfall IV.regulating the pH of freshwater biomes and terrestrial groundwater