Exam 4: Biosphere

________ vegetation is dominated by low, tender-stemmed plants and low, woody shrubs.

The law of conservation of energy states that energy is created or destroyed under ordinary conditions, but it may not be changed from one form to another.

What factors have led to changes in the environment of the Mississippi delta?

Each step in the food chain is called a ________.

Which of the following is true of agricultural land in North America?

Needleleaved trees survive long cold winters, low humidity and frozen soil because the leaves have low surface area in relation to their volume, and they are covered with a waxy coating to reduce water loss.

In the food chain, green plants are examples of ________.

In the carbon cycle, atmospheric carbon dioxide is incorporated into carbohydrates in plant tissues through photosynthesis.

In the winter, when water use is low, precipitation ________ evapotranspiration

About 23 percent of global photosynthesis takes place in agricultural lands.

________ is also added to the atmosphere by the combustion of fossil fuels

Which of the following is true of carbon dioxide concentrations in North America?

Although many processes are involved, clearly combustion of fossil fuels is the most important factor driving the global increase in atmospheric CO₂ and thus global warming.

In photosynthesis, carbohydrates are broken down to CO₂ and water when they combine with atmospheric oxygen.

Excess water evaporated into the atmosphere over the oceans is carried by wind over land areas, where it condenses into clouds and falls as precipitation.

The major storage in the phosphorus cycle is in ________.

In areas of Mediterranean climate we find a mixed woodland and grassland that consists of relatively small trees.

When water vaporizes from a liquid to a gas, the water ________ energy.

Generally, forest and woodland biomes occur in areas of moisture deficit, whereas grasslands, deserts and tundra are found in areas that have significant potential for plant growth.

When forests are cut down, most of this in the trees is released to the atmosphere, through decomposition or perhaps fire.