Exam 24: Terrestrial Ecosystems

Tundra occurs only at high latitudes in polar regions.

Native grasslands of North America,influenced by declining precipitation from east to west,consist of three main types distinguished by the ________ of the dominant species.

Savannas typically occur in

Decomposition rates in the tropical rain forest are

Leaves that live for only a single year or growing season are classified as ________.

Deserts often occur in the rain shadow of mountain ranges.

Classification of the world's major terrestrial biomes is based on the dominant forms of plant life.

Campos,llano,and cerrado are all areas of

Broad categories of vegetation based on physical similarity of appearance were initially called formations.

In temperate deciduous forests,the greatest concentration and diversity of life occur in the canopy.

Plants that root and grow on other plants in the tropical rain forest are called

Tropical savannas typically lack trees or shrubs.

Increases in elevation are accompanied by decreases in temperature.The rate at which temperature drops as elevation increases is referred to as the dry adiabatic lapse rate,which gives a drop in temperature of rising unsaturated air of about 10°C for every 1000 meters.If the temperature is 25°C at the base of the mountain,what temperatures do organisms experience 3000 meters upslope?

Which of the following allocates the greatest amount of biomass to photosynthetic tissue and the least amount to supportive tissue?

Grasslands formerly covered 42 percent of the land surface of the Earth.

The largest and most continuous region of tropical rain forest in the world is in South America.

The independent evolution of a similar characteristic in two species,not derived from a recent,common ancestor,is referred to as