Question 1

The second law of thermodynamics is valid only in a closed system,such as a living organism.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  False

Question 2

Which of the following tree stands would you predict has the highest NPP?

Accepted Answer

A) 0-1 years old 
B) 1-10 years old 
C) 30-60 years old 
D) over 100 years old 
A) 0-1 years old 
B) 1-10 years old 
C) 30-60 years old 
D) over 100 years old C

Question 3

In which situation is the detrital food chain not more dominant than the grazing food chain?

Accepted Answer

A) open-water aquatic ecosystems 
B) kelp forest ecosystems 
C) grassland ecosystems 
D) tropical forest ecosystems 
A) open-water aquatic ecosystems 
B) kelp forest ecosystems 
C) grassland ecosystems 
D) tropical forest ecosystems A

Question 4

In all food chains,the flow of energy is unidirectional from the bottom to the top.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

Where are the areas of highest NPP?

Accepted Answer

A) equator 
B) arctic 
C) temperate region 
D) Saharan desert 
A) equator 
B) arctic 
C) temperate region 
D) Saharan desert

Question 6

The presence of which element is highly correlated with NPP?

Accepted Answer

A) carbon 
B) phosphorus 
C) sodium 
D) hydrogen 
A) carbon 
B) phosphorus 
C) sodium 
D) hydrogen

Question 7

Within any ecosystem,the two major food chains are the ________ food chain and the grazing food chain.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Within any ecosystem,the two major food chains...

Question 8

Primary producers form the base of all food chains.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

Why might secondary production be lower in grasslands than in forests?

Accepted Answer

A) because average temperatures are lower 
B) because average water availability is higher 
C) because primary production is lower 
D) because there is a higher biomass of animals in grasslands 
A) because average temperatures are lower 
B) because average water availability is higher 
C) because primary production is lower 
D) because there is a higher biomass of animals in grasslands

Question 10

Net primary productivity cannot be measured in aquatic ecosystems.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

An ecologist studying productivity in a sample of grasses measures gross primary productivity as 1000 kcal/m2/yr and autotrophic respiration as 100 kcal/m2/yr.Based on these calculations,the net primary productivity would be

Accepted Answer

A) 10 kcal/m2/yr. 
B) 900 kcal/m2/yr. 
C) 1100 kcal/m2/yr. 
D) 10,000 kcal/m2/yr. 
A) 10 kcal/m2/yr. 
B) 900 kcal/m2/yr. 
C) 1100 kcal/m2/yr. 
D) 10,000 kcal/m2/yr.

Question 12

Secondary production is limited primarily by

Accepted Answer

A) water availability. 
B) nutrient availability. 
C) primary production. 
D) light availability. 
A) water availability. 
B) nutrient availability. 
C) primary production. 
D) light availability.

Question 13

Primary productivity in forests often increases during the early stages of stand development and then decreases again as the forest ages and standing biomass increases.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

In all ecosystems,the biomass of primary producers is greater than the biomass of herbivores.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

Estimates of HANPP range around 20 percent,yet what percent of total heterotrophic biomass do humans make up?

Accepted Answer

A) 20 percent 
B) 50 percent 
C) 10 percent 
D) less than 1 percent 
A) 20 percent 
B) 50 percent 
C) 10 percent 
D) less than 1 percent

Question 16

Productivity may be expressed in units of energy per unit area per unit time or in units of dry organic matter per unit area per unit time.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

Net primary productivity is greater in the open ocean than along the coast.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

In a body of water,the depth at which the availability of light is such that the rate of photosynthesis equals the rate of respiration is called the ________ depth.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In a body of water,the depth at...

Question 19

Net primary ________ is the energy available to the heterotrophic component of the ecosystem.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Net primary ________ is the energy available...

Question 20

Which organism is most likely to have the highest assimilation efficiency?

Accepted Answer

A) endothermic carnivore,such as a lion 
B) ectothermic carnivore,such as a snake 
C) endothermic herbivore,such as a deer 
D) ectothermic herbivore,such as a grasshopper 
A) endothermic carnivore,such as a lion 
B) ectothermic carnivore,such as a snake 
C) endothermic herbivore,such as a deer 
D) ectothermic herbivore,such as a grasshopper

Exam 20: Ecosystem Energetics

The second law of thermodynamics is valid only in a closed system,such as a living organism.

Which of the following tree stands would you predict has the highest NPP?

In which situation is the detrital food chain not more dominant than the grazing food chain?

In all food chains,the flow of energy is unidirectional from the bottom to the top.

Where are the areas of highest NPP?

The presence of which element is highly correlated with NPP?

Within any ecosystem,the two major food chains are the ________ food chain and the grazing food chain.

Primary producers form the base of all food chains.

Why might secondary production be lower in grasslands than in forests?

Net primary productivity cannot be measured in aquatic ecosystems.

An ecologist studying productivity in a sample of grasses measures gross primary productivity as 1000 kcal/m2/yr and autotrophic respiration as 100 kcal/m2/yr.Based on these calculations,the net primary productivity would be

Secondary production is limited primarily by

Primary productivity in forests often increases during the early stages of stand development and then decreases again as the forest ages and standing biomass increases.

In all ecosystems,the biomass of primary producers is greater than the biomass of herbivores.

Estimates of HANPP range around 20 percent,yet what percent of total heterotrophic biomass do humans make up?

Productivity may be expressed in units of energy per unit area per unit time or in units of dry organic matter per unit area per unit time.

Net primary productivity is greater in the open ocean than along the coast.

In a body of water,the depth at which the availability of light is such that the rate of photosynthesis equals the rate of respiration is called the ________ depth.

Net primary ________ is the energy available to the heterotrophic component of the ecosystem.

Which organism is most likely to have the highest assimilation efficiency?

The Nature of Ecology

Climate

The Aquatic Environment

The Terrestrial Environment

Adaptation and Natural Selection

Plant Adaptations to the Environment

Animal Adaptations to the Environment

Properties of Populations

Population Growth

Life History

Intraspecific Population Regulation

Species Interactions, population Dynamics, and Natural Selection

Interspecific Competition

Predation

Parasitism and Mutualism

Community Structure

Factors Influencing the Structure of Communities

Community Dynamics

Landscape Dynamics

Decomposition and Nutrient Cycling

Biogeochemical Cycles

Terrestrial Ecosystems

Aquatic Ecosystems

Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems

Large-Scale Patterns of Biological Diversity

The Ecology of Climate Change

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