Exam 3: The Biosphere

Boreal forests most likely consist of conifers because conifers

In the Amazon rainforest in August 2019, there were 80,000 human-caused fires burning in Brazil, an increase of 80 percent compared to 2018. Around the world, tropical rainforests are rapidly disappearing, as humans cut or burn them to provide lumber and agricultural land. Discuss the relationship of this loss of rainforests to climate change.

Refer to the figure. - According to the climate diagram, the highest temperatures and the most precipitation at this location occur during which months, respectively?

The climate of a certain region is warm to hot, with little seasonal variation in temperature, but with a pronounced dry season. The vegetation is mostly grasses, but there are some shrubs and trees. This region is most likely a

Refer to the figure. - Suppose that growing a plant requires at least 60 mm of precipitation and mean monthly temperatures between 5°C and 30°C. Based on the climate diagram, and assuming that the weather conforms to the long-term average, the plant should be able to grow during how many months of the year?

The Mississippi River flows from its headwaters, Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, to the Mississippi Delta in the Gulf of Mexico. As climate change has progressed, many areas along the river have seen increasingly heavy rainfall, which has increased the flow rate of the river. How would the increased flow rate affect the amounts of detritus and sediment that are carried by the river along its course? How would this change affect river life?

Which organisms can only be found in the photic zone of any aquatic ecosystem?

Refer to the map. The map shows locations of biomes across the world. Going south from the Sahara Desert, you would most likely encounter which biome next?

Using deserts and forests as examples, explain why plant growth forms are better than other factors, such as climate, for characterizing biomes.

Refer to the figure. - Based on the climate diagram, this location is most likely in a

A factor that makes temperate grassland biomes particularly well suited for conversion into agricultural land is their

Compare the surface area-to-volume ratios and the nutrient levels, respectively, in deep lakes as opposed to shallow lakes. a. Deep lakes have lower surface-to-volume ratios and fewer nutrients. b. Deep lakes have lower surface-to-volume ratios and more nutrients. c. Deep lakes have similar surface-to-volume ratios, and fewer nutrients. d. Deep lakes have higher surface-to-volume ratios and more nutrients. Textbook Reference: 3.2 Biological zones in freshwater ecosystems are associated with the velocity, depth, temperature, clarity, and chemistry of the water

Around 12,000 years ago, a sudden extinction occurred on the temperate grasslands of North America, during which most of the diverse large mammal species died out. A corresponding extinction did not occur on the African savanna, also a temperate grassland, and today it still has diverse herds of large mammals. What possible, but controversial, explanation is thought by some people to explain the North American extinction?