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Environmental Science, 10e (Wright)
Chapter 2 Ecosystems: What They Are
1) Which of the following describes a biotic community?
A) all the plants, animals, and microbes in a geographic area.
B) all the plants and animals in a geographic area.
C) all the species of trees in a forest.
D) all the trees and other plants in a forest.
E) abiotic factors in a geographic area.
Answer: A
Diff: 1
2) A grouping of plants, animals, and other organisms interacting with each other and their
environment in such a way as to perpetuate the grouping more or less indefinitely is called
a/an
A) ecosystem.
B) abiotic community.
C) population.
D) ecotone.
E) species
Answer: A
Diff: 1
3) A grouping of plants, animals, and microbes interacting with each other and their
environment in such a way that the group is sustained is defined as
A) a biosphere.
B) a community.
C) an ecosystem.
D) a species.
E) an association
Answer: C
Diff: 1
4) Which of the following is NOT an abiotic factor?
A) bacteria
B) temperature
C) rainfall
D) salinity
E) pH
Answer: A
Diff: 1
5) Abiotic means
A) toxic.
B) antibiotic.
C) nonliving.
D) desert.
E) microscopic.
Answer: C
Diff: 1
1
6) In most ecosystems, the producers are the
A) green plants.
B) fungi.
C) animals.
D) humans.
E) bacteria
Answer: A
Diff: 1
7) The process that photoautotrophic producers perform that is not performed by other
organisms in most ecosystems is
A) chemosynthesis.
B) metabolism.
C) photosynthesis.
D) cell respiration.
E) reproduction.
Answer: C
Diff: 1
8) The process of photosynthesis does NOT include
A) using carbon dioxide and water.
B) producing sugar (glucose).
C) using light energy.
D) producing organic matter from inorganic raw materials.
E) consuming organic food.
Answer: E
Diff: 1
9) Which of the following is NOT organic?
A) protein
B) water
C) dead leaves
D) animal tissue
E) feces
Answer: B
Diff: 1
10) Which of the following is an organic compound?
A) water.
B) glucose
C) oxygen
D) carbon dioxide
E) nitrogen
Answer: B
Diff: 1
2
11) The important material that producers synthesize and other organism depend upon as a
source of energy is:
A) carbon dioxide.
B) chemical nutrients.
C) energy.
D) organic matter.
E) water.
Answer: D
Diff: 1
12) Light provides plants with
A) chemical nutrients.
B) vitamins.
C) energy.
D) organic matter.
E) carbon dioxide
Answer: C
Diff: 1
13) Minerals in soils provide plant producers with:
A) chemical nutrients
B) energy
C) glucose
D) carbon dioxide
E) water
Answer: A
Diff: 1
14) Those organisms that produce their own organic material from inorganic materials as an
energy source are referred to as
A) heterotrophs.
B) herbivores.
C) decomposers.
D) consumers.
E) autotrophs.
Answer: E
Diff: 1
15) Organisms that feed on other living organisms as a source of their energy and nutrients are
called
A) decomposers.
B) detritus feeders.
C) consumers.
D) autotrophs.
E) producers.
Answer: C
Diff: 1
3
16) Animals that feed directly on green plants are called
A) carnivores.
B) detritus feeders.
C) herbivores.
D) parasites.
E) decomposers.
Answer: C
Diff: 1
17) The relationship between cats and mice is an example of:
A) host-parasite
B) competition
C) mutualism
D) predator-prey
E) symbiosis
Answer: D
Diff: 1
18) Which of the following is NOT a consumer?
A) a deer
B) a fish
C) an insect
D) an oak tree
E) a clam
Answer: D
Diff: 1
19) Which of the following is detritus?
A) soil bacteria and other microbes.
B) fungi.
C) fecal wastes.
D) dead plant and animal material and fecal wastes.
E) dead plants and animals.
Answer: D
Diff: 1
20) Animals such as earthworms, millipedes, and termites which feed on dead organic matter
are
A) herbivores.
B) carnivores.
C) parasites.
D) detritus feeders.
E) none of the above
Answer: D
Diff: 1
4
21) All primary consumers belong to what feeding level of a web?
A) trophic level one
B) trophic level two
C) trophic level three
D) the biomass
E) the detritus
Answer: B
Diff: 1
22) The FIRST trophic level refers to
A) all animals.
B) all consumers.
C) all herbivores.
D) all green plants.
E) sunlight.
Answer: D
Diff: 1
23) Which of the following statements describes the movement of energy in food chains?
A) energy decreases at higher trophic levels
B) energy increases at higher trophic levels
C) energy is the same at each trophic level
D) energy is not transferred from one trophic level to another
E) energy is recycled at each trophic level
Answer: A
Diff: 1
24) The relationship between two organisms in which they both benefit is called:
A) ecological niche
B) mutualism.
C) parasitism.
D) competition.
E) competitive exclusion
Answer: B
Diff: 1
25) An example of mutualism would be
A) a tick on a dog.
B) mistletoe growing on an oak tree.
C) a caterpillar eating a leaf.
D) a tapeworm in the intestine of a horse.
E) a hummingbird getting nectar from a red flower.
Answer: E
Diff: 1
5
26) Two species of songbirds living in the same habitat can reduce competition and coexist by
foraging for food in different locations. This is an example of:
A) the law of tolerance
B) pyramid of numbers
C) resource partitioning
D) range of tolerance
E) competitive exclusion principle
Answer: C
Diff: 1
27) If 27 degrees C is the optimum temperature for a plant, this means that the plant will do
A) better at higher temperature.
B) better at lower temperature.
C) better at both higher and lower temperatures.
D) less well at both higher and lower temperatures.
E) just as well at lower temperatures.
Answer: D
Diff: 1
28) The point where an organism just barely survives is called
A) optimum.
B) optimal range.
C) limit of tolerance.
D) range of tolerance.
E) intolerable.
Answer: C
Diff: 1
29) Consider a plant growing in an environment where all abiotic factors for growth are ideal
EXCEPT one single factor that is too high (above its limit of tolerance). How would this most
likely affect the plant’s growth?
A) the plant will die.
B) the plant will adapt.
C) since it’s only one factor, it would not affect growth
D) there is no way of predicting what will happen.
E) the plant will become sick and then recover.
Answer: A
Diff: 1
30) The climate of a region refers to its
A) topography.
B) average temperature and precipitation.
C) biota.
D) all abiotic factors.
E) temperature and moisture at a specific location.
Answer: B
Diff: 1
6
31) Subsoil that is permanently frozen is termed
A) ice.
B) frozen ground.
C) icebergs.
D) permafrost.
E) frost line.
Answer: D
Diff: 1
32) The geographic distribution of deserts, forests, and grassland is mainly determined by which
of the following limiting factors?
A) light.
B) precipitation.
C) soil type.
D) temperature.
E) altitude
Answer: B
Diff: 1
33) Microclimate refers to:
A) the climate of a very specific location within a larger system.
B) factors other than temperature and water.
C) the weather over a short period.
D) specific soil factors.
E) the hours of sunlight a location receives
Answer: A
Diff: 1
34) A warm region receiving very little precipitation will have ________ vegetation.
A) tundra
B) forest
C) grassland
D) desert
E) rain forest
Answer: D
Diff: 1
35) The natural ecosystem of a region that has low to moderate rainfall and a temperate climate
will most likely be
A) deciduous forest.
B) a grassland.
C) a desert.
D) a tropical rain forest.
E) There is no way of predicting.
Answer: B
Diff: 1
7
36) Which of the following is NOT a factor in determining climate in a particular geographic
region?
A) soil
B) range of temperature
C) seasonality of temperature
D) amount of precipitation
E) seasonality of precipitation
Answer: A
Diff: 1
37) The long-term average of a region's temperature and precipitation is that area's
A) ecotype.
B) weather.
C) climate.
D) ecology.
E) ecotone.
Answer: C
Diff: 1
38) The daily measure of a region's temperature and precipitation is that area's
A) ecotype.
B) weather.
C) climate.
D) ecology.
E) ecotone.
Answer: B
Diff: 1
39) What type of biome would you expect to find in a region where temperatures are moderate
and where significant precipitation occurs year round?
A) tundra
B) tropical rainforest
C) temperate deciduous forest
D) desert
E) savanna
Answer: C
Diff: 1
40) The major natural ecosystem of the central United States (Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska) was
A) coniferous forest.
B) deciduous forest.
C) desert.
D) grassland.
E) tundra.
Answer: D
Diff: 1
8
41) What type of biome would you expect to find in a region where temperatures are warm and
precipitation is abundant year round?
A) tundra
B) tropical rainforest
C) temperate deciduous forest
D) desert
E) savanna
Answer: B
Diff: 1
42) What type of biome would you expect to find in a region where temperatures are low and
precipitation is low?
A) tundra
B) tropical rainforest
C) temperate deciduous forest
D) desert
E) savanna
Answer: A
Diff: 1
43) All of the species on Earth together with their environments collectively compose the
A) atmosphere.
B) biosphere.
C) biome.
D) hydrosphere.
E) lithosphere.
Answer: B
Diff: 2
44) The biological definition of a species is:
A) any group of plants or animals.
B) any group of plants, animals, or microbes.
C) a population of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.
D) all the animals in a geographic area.
E) a biotic community.
Answer: C
Diff: 2
45) All organisms having a similar appearance that can or do mate and produce fertile offspring
make up a/an
A) ecosystem.
B) ecotone.
C) species.
D) community.
E) population.
Answer: C
Diff: 2
9
46) Which term best describes all of the gray squirrels living in an isolated park within a city?
A) ecosystem
B) ecotone
C) species
D) community
E) population
Answer: E
Diff: 2
47) An ecosystem is best defined as
A) a grouping of plants and animals which interact with each other and their environment
in a way such that the entire grouping is perpetuated.
B) any grouping of plants and animals.
C) plants, animals, and environmental factors.
D) abiotic factors affecting plants and animals.
E) all the plants, animals, and microbes in a given area.
Answer: A
Diff: 2
48) Several related ecosystems make up
A) a biotic community.
B) an association.
C) a landscape or biome.
D) the biosphere.
E) an ecotone.
Answer: C
Diff: 2
49) The various habitats that make up a barrier island, saltwater bay, and nearby salt marsh
together make up:
A) an ecosystem
B) a biotic community
C) a population
D) a landscape
E) a biome
Answer: D
Diff: 2
50) Which term best describes the brushy area that separates a backyard lawn from an adjacent
forest?
A) ecosystem
B) ecotone
C) biome
D) biotic community
E) population
Answer: B
Diff: 2
10
51) The three major BIOTIC components of ecosystem structure are
A) producers, herbivores, carnivores.
B) producers, consumers, detritus feeders and decomposers.
C) plants, animals, and climate.
D) consumers, detritus feeders, and decomposers.
E) temperature, moisture, and light.
Answer: B
Diff: 2
52) Which of the following would be considered INORGANIC?
A) complex molecules that make up tissues of living organisms
B) dead organisms
C) living organisms
D) nitrogen, and water
E) wood and leather
Answer: D
Diff: 2
53) Fossil fuels, such as coal and oil are considered organic because:
A) they are derived from carbon containing compounds originally produced by living
organisms.
B) they are found on the earth.
C) they are produced by natural processes in the earth.
D) organic compounds cannot be made by living things.
E) they are not found in living organisms.
Answer: A
Diff: 2
54) Which of the following does not require energy obtained from pre-formed organic
molecules?
A) autotrophs
B) heterotrophs
C) decomposers
D) consumers
E) primary consumers
Answer: A
Diff: 2
55) Which of the following is NOT correctly matched?
A) oak tree - producer
B) squirrel - consumer
C) mushroom - detritus
D) dead leaf - detritus
E) bacteria - decomposer
Answer: C
Diff: 2
11
56) The feeding relationships among plants and animals and among various animals in a biotic
community is called a:
A) niche.
B) food web.
C) trophic level.
D) biomass.
E) symbiosis
Answer: B
Diff: 2
57) In a food chain, the trophic level that has the greatest biomass is the:
A) producer.
B) primary consumer.
C) secondary consumer.
D) third order consumer.
E) predator.
Answer: A
Diff: 2
58) Approximately what percentage of biomass energy will be passed on to the next trophic
level in a typical food chain?
A) 1 percent
B) 10 percent
C) 50 percent
D) 90 percent
E) 100 percent
Answer: B
Diff: 2
59) Abiotic factors refer to
A) physical and chemical factors of the environment.
B) factors which kill organisms, especially bacteria.
C) factors affecting only microbes.
D) factors affecting only plants.
E) factors affecting only detritus feeders and decomposers.
Answer: A
Diff: 2
60) The range or amount of a required factor which is most favorable for an organism's growth
and reproduction is known as the:
A) range of tolerance.
B) limits of tolerance.
C) optimum range.
D) zone of stress
E) pyramid of biomass.
Answer: C
Diff: 2
12
61) The limiting factor which is responsible for the transitions from forests to grasslands to
deserts is
A) water.
B) light.
C) temperature.
D) soil type.
E) altitude.
Answer: A
Diff: 2
62) A south-facing slope may be warmer and drier than a north-facing slope. This is an example
of
A) climate.
B) microclimate.
C) biotic factors.
D) limit of tolerance.
E) optimum range.
Answer: B
Diff: 2
63) What type of biome would you expect to find in a region where temperatures are warm and
precipitation is frequent part of the year and infrequent the remainder of the year?
A) tundra
B) tropical rainforest
C) temperate deciduous forest
D) desert
E) savanna
Answer: E
Diff: 2
64) Species of one continent seldom naturally "invade" an ecosystem of other continents or
islands because they cannot
A) survive the abiotic factors of a different continent or island.
B) survive the biotic factors of a different continent or island.
C) survive the biotic or abiotic factors of a different continent or island.
D) cross the physical barriers that separate continents or islands.
E) find food in the new environment
Answer: D
Diff: 2
65) Permanent agriculture developed in which of the following periods?
A) Paleolithic
B) hunting and gathering period
C) Neolithic
D) Industrial Revolution
E) Environmental Revolution
Answer: C
Diff: 2
13
66) Which of the following best describes the relationship of human systems to natural systems?
A) they depend upon natural systems for goods and services
B) they coexist side-by-side with natural system
C) they have replaced natural systems
D) they model natural systems
E) they operate like ecosytems
Answer: A
Diff: 2
67) A group within a species consisting of individuals occupying a particular area that freely
interbreed is called a/an
A) ecosystem.
B) ecotone.
C) niche
D) community.
E) population.
Answer: E
Diff: 3
68) The transitional region between two ecosystems that contain some of the species and
characteristics of the two adjacent ecosystems but also contain species unique to the
transitional area is called a/an
A) ecosystem.
B) ecotone.
C) species.
D) community.
E) population.
Answer: B
Diff: 3
69) Three features that must be used to define all ecosystems are
A) the biotic community, abiotic factors, and energy flow.
B) the biotic community, ecotones, and population.
C) soils, nutrients, and water.
D) soils, air, and animals.
E) plants, soil, and air.
Answer: A
Diff: 3
70) The major categories of organisms that make up the trophic structure of ecosystems are
A) consumers, producers, detritus feeders, and decomposers.
B) consumers, detritus feeders, and decomposers.
C) producers and consumers.
D) fungi, bacteria, and decomposers.
E) autotrophs, chemosynthetic organisms, and photosynthetic organisms.
Answer: A
Diff: 3
14
71) Green plants and chemoautotrophic organisms are classified as producers because they:
A) use the energy of sunlight to manufacture organic molecules.
B) use the energy of sunlight or inorganic chemicals to manufacture organic molecules.
C) do not need energy to manufacture organic molecules
D) can produce their own energy from organic molecules
E) need organic molecules as a source of energy
Answer: B
Diff: 3
72) Which of the following statements concerning limiting factors is correct?
A) a species may have narrow ranges of tolerance for some factors and broad ranges of
tolerance for others.
B) a species’ range of tolerance is about the same for all environmental factors.
C) a species cannot have a narrow range of tolerance for one factor and a broad range for
another.
D) species in the same ecological community have similar ranges of tolerance.
E) limiting factors will affect all species in an ecological community in the same way.
Answer: A
Diff: 3
73) Two or more factors that interact to cause an effect greater than one would expect from the
effects of the two acting separately is called
A) biomagnification.
B) increased energy use.
C) Liebig's Law of Limiting Factors.
D) symbiosis.
E) synergism.
Answer: E
Diff: 3
74) Which of the following would be affected by limiting factors?
A) growth, reproduction, and population density.
B) growth but not reproduction or population density
C) growth and reproduction but not population density.
D) population density but not growth or reproduction.
E) reproduction and population density but not growth.
Answer: A
Diff: 3
75) Which of the following best characterizes the changes in our relationship to the Earth as a
result of the Industrial revolution?
A) increased use of energy and natural resources
B) permanent human settlements
C) more reliable food production
D) a shift from warm and wet to cooler and drier, climatic conditions
E) a decline in population
Answer: A
Diff: 3
76) The biosphere consists of a multitude of mutually dependent and supportive
interrelationships among all living organisms
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
15
77) Despite the diversity of ecosystems in the world, all have a similar trophic structure.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
78) Parasites may live either inside or outside their hosts.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
79) Nearly all food chains and webs begin with green plants.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
80) The long term survival of all species depends on maintaining the ecosystem in which they
exist.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
81) The range of tolerance for each species of an ecosystem is the same.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1
82) Where two species do compete directly for all factors necessary for life, one of the two
generally perishes in the competition.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
83) Climate of a region is mainly determined by precipitation and temperature and their
changes during a year.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
84) The level of any single environmental factor being outside of the optimal range for that
factor will cause stress and restrict the growth and development of the organism.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
85) Primary consumers are called herbivores.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
86) Secondary consumers feed on primary consumers.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
87) Omnivores consume both producers and consumers.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
88) Detritivores are very important for nutrient cycling among all trophic levels.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
89) Barrier Islands separate the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico from the Pacific Ocean.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1
16
90) Most decomposition is caused by bacteria and fungi.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
91) Large organisms like eagles, lions, or salmon are primary consumers of energy while small
organisms like mice, rabbits, and sparrows are secondary consumers.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
92) Niche refers to the kind of place where a species lives and thrives.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
93) Habitat and niche refer to the same thing.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
94) Producers are always autotrophic.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
95) Consumers are always heterotrophic.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
96) Abiotic means ________.
Answer: nonliving
Diff: 1
97) Animals that feed directly on green plants are called ________.
Answer: herbivores
Diff: 1
98) The complex of all feeding relationships among plants and animals is best defined as a
________.
Answer: food web
Diff: 1
99) Animals that eat only other animals are called ________.
Answer: carnivores
Diff: 1
100) The set of conditions which describe where a species lives is its ________.
Answer: habitat
Diff: 1
101) The system on the surface of our planet which includes living things interacting with their
environments is the ________.
Answer: biosphere
Diff: 2
102) The major functional units of the biosphere that perpetuate themselves are large ecosystems
called ________.
Answer: biomes
Diff: 2
17
103) All members of a population which do or can interbreed and produce viable offspring are
defined as a ________.
Answer: species
Diff: 2
104) A grouping of plants, animals, and microbes, interacting with each other and their
environment in such a way that the group is sustained is defined as an ________.
Answer: ecosystem
Diff: 2
105) The chemical process that photoautotrophic producers perform that is not performed by
other organisms in the ecosystem is ________.
Answer: photosynthesis
Diff: 2
106) Those organisms that produce their own organic material from inorganic materials and an
external energy source are referred to as ________.
Answer: autotrophs
Diff: 2
107) Dead plant and animal material and fecal wastes are referred to as ________.
Answer: detritus
Diff: 2
108) The number of individuals per unit area of a species is called its ________.
Answer: population density
Diff: 2
109) The mutually harmful interaction between individuals that use the same resources at the
same place and time is called ________.
Answer: competition
Diff: 2
110) All of the biomes of the Earth make up the ________.
Answer: biosphere
Diff: 3
18
Match the correct word(s) with the phrase.
A. plant population
B. biota
C. heterotrophs
D. ecosphere
E. ecotone
F. detritus
G. decomposer
H. plant community
I. chlorophyll
J. biosphere
K. omnivore
L. trophic levels
M. food web
N. autotrophs
O. biome
111) Grouping of associated different plants
Answer: H. plant community
Diff: 1
112) All living organisms
Answer: B. biota
Diff: 1
113) Feeding on plants and animals
Answer: K. omnivore
Diff: 1
114) Dead and waste plant and animal material
Answer: F. detritus
Diff: 1
115) Causes decay or decay causing organisms
Answer: G. decomposer
Diff: 1
116) Organisms that make their own organic matter
Answer: N. autotrophs
Diff: 1
117) Where physical factors and biota interact
Answer: J. biosphere
Diff: 2
118) Number of closely related ecosystems
Answer: O. biome
Diff: 2
119) Transition region
Answer: E. ecotone
Diff: 2
19
120) Captures light energy
Answer: I. chlorophyll
Diff: 2
121) Feeding on others
Answer: C. heterotrophs
Diff: 2
122) Complex interconnecting food chains
Answer: M. food web
Diff: 2
123) Parts of the universe habitable by living organisms
Answer: D. ecosphere
Diff: 2
124) Energy hierarchy of food chains
Answer: L. trophic levels
Diff: 2
125) Localized group of interbreeding plants
Answer: A. plant population
Diff: 2
126) Describe the differences between niche and habitat.
Answer:
Diff: 1
127) A sign on the back of an automobile was observed to read: "Have you thanked a green plant
lately?" What might this mean?
Answer:
Diff: 2
128) Is it possible for the human ecosystem to be the same as the natural ecosystems?
Answer:
Diff: 2
129) Are limiting factors really necessary for the healthy maintenance of natural ecosystems?
Explain your answer.
Answer:
Diff: 2
130) Name and briefly describe three different symbiotic relationships emphasizing the long-term
benefits on the participants in each symbiosis.
Answer:
Diff: 2
131) How did development of agriculture change human settlement patterns and the impact of
human societies on natural environments?
Answer:
Diff: 2
20
132) How do human systems differ from natural ecosystems with respect to food chains, use of
energy, and fate of wastes?
Answer:
Diff: 2
133) A person was observed to say to a news reporter: "If you stop the killing of wolves, in a short
time the wolf will multiply and kill all the deer and game in an area." Is this statement true
or false? Why?
Answer:
Diff: 3
134) Assuming typical efficiency of energy transfer from one trophic level to the next, describe
how 1000 calories of producer biomass might be converted to carnivores.
Answer:
Diff: 3
135) Draw a tolerance curve for temperature. Label the axes of your graph and identify zones of
stress and limits of the range of tolerance.
Answer:
Diff: 3
21