Download study guide

Study Guide for biosphere:
Name:_______________________
1. Kudzu, a vine covering many acres of North Carolina, was introduced to the United States in 1876 to
control erosion. Over the years, scientists found that kudzu creates problems by growing rapidly and
preventing other plants from getting sunlight. Which best describes kudzu? A a noncompetitive species
B an invasive, nonnative species
C an agent of erosion
D an abiotic factor
2. Which could most likely have a lasting negative impact on the biodiversity of an area?
A clear-cutting
B selective cutting
C an increase in plant populations
D a reduction in the use of fertilizers
3. A disease causes the rabbit population to decline
drastically (see the food chain right). How would this
decline in the rabbit population impact the community?
A The mouse population would decrease.
B The owl population would increase.
C The fox population would decrease.
D The bird population would decrease.
4. The biosphere is defined as
a. part of earth where weather occurs
b. all life on earth
c. a sphere of biological warfare
d. part of earth where new crust is formed
a.
b.
c.
d.
5.
Which of these is not a biome/unique area located in North Carolina?
a. Coastal
b. Piedmont
c. Savannah
d. Appalachian Mountains
6.
Why is it important for us to conserve the biodiversity of our planet?
a. To increase the stability of ecosystems during environmental change
b. To decrease the amount of global predator populations
c. To decrease the stability of major global ocean currents
d. To increase the amount of nonrenewable resources located in the lithosphere
7.
The Eastern United States is dominated by temperate forests, which of the following abiotic factors
would have a lasting negative impact on biodiversity in the temperate forest?
a. Clear-cutting
b. A reduction in the use of fertilizers
c. Selective cutting
d. An increase in plant population
8. population density refers to
how stupid (dense) a population is
how many organisms in a particular spot
a factor that is neither biotic nor abiotic
a factor that keeps a population from growing
9. A density dependent factor
a. depends on the number of individuals in a population and includes things like predation, sickness, or
competition
b. does not depend on the number of individuals in a population and includes things like natural disasters,
temperature, sunlight, or human activities
c. is abiotic
d. does not stop a population from growing
10. All of the following are part of an organism’s niche except?
a. location in the environment where the organism lives
b. food it eats
c. where it reproduces
d. where it lives
11. Which of the following leads to a decrease in biodiversity?
a) protection of ecosystems
b) pollution control
c) ecological land use planning
d) introduction of exotic species
e) selective cutting of forests
12. In general, which of the following is the best long-term method of preventing extinctions?
a. Breeding endangered species in captivity.
b. Protecting the habitats of endangered species.
c. Paying people not to kill endangered species.
d. Providing food to endangered species in the wild.
e. Removing predators from areas that contain endangered species.
13. Why do introduced species often become pests?
a. They displace native species.
b. They increase biodiversity.
c. They do not adapt well to local habitats.
d. They contribute to habitat fragmentation.
14. Which of the following identifies the two factors thought to be the most harmful to biodiversity?
a. Acid deposition and increased use of fertilizers for agriculture
b. Depletion of the ozone layer and oil drilling
c. Destruction of habitat and invasion by nonnative species
d. Changes in climate and proliferation of endemic species
15. The number of individuals that a particular place can support indefinitely is called the
a. potential
b. survivorship
c. carrying capacity
d. community
16. All of these factors impact an individual’s ecological footprint except for
a. transportation used
b. amount of air we breathe
c. type of food eaten
d. amount of trash we produce
17 . The term Ecological Footprint refers to
a.
b.
c.
d.
the footprint area left by humans in the Amazon Rainforest
the footprint left by organisms left in any given ecosystem
the amount of land/sea needed to support the lifestyle of humans
the birth/death cycle of living things on Earth
18. What is a consequence of negative human interactions with the environment?
a. Degradation of soils
b. Destruction of animal habitats
c. Depleted population of certain types of fish
d. All of the above
19. What is the best description of the idea of environmental conservation and sustainability?
a. Careful and controlled use of renewable and non-renewable resources
b. Innovating new ways in which humans can store nuclear waste above ground
c. Innovating new ways in which humans can use and consume more fossil fuels
d. Careful and controlled use of renewable resources only
20,
a.
b.
c.
d.
What would best classify a species as an invasive species?
The ability to tolerate a variety of habitat conditions and reproduce rapidly
The ability to only live in aquatic habitats and hardly ever reproduce
The ability to share habitat resources with other species in a habitat
The ability to move into an established habitat without altering the living conditions for other
organisms in that habitat
21. Which of the following examples best describes an abiotic factor that could impact biodiversity in
an ecosystem?
a. An increase in prey can impact the number of predators in an ecosystem
b. The competition for food can impact survival rates between members of the same species in an
ecosystem
c. The increase in the amount of acid rain in an ecosystem can change the pH of the soil
d. The introduction of an invasive species can change available resources in an ecosystem
22. The Eastern United States is dominated by temperate forests, which of the following abiotic factors
would have a lasting negative impact on biodiversity in the temperate forest?
a. Clear-cutting
b . A reduction in the use of fertilizers
c. Selective cutting
d. An increase in plant population
23. Why is it important for us to conserve the biodiversity of our planet?
A, To increase the stability of ecosystems during environmental change
b. To decrease the amount of global predator populations
c. To decrease the stability of major global ocean currents
d. To increase the amount of nonrenewable resources located in the lithosphere
24. Why do green plants require solar energy?
A to produce their own food
B to absorb nitrogen into their roots
C to release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
D to decompose the dead or decaying remains of animals
25 How could the removal of trees and other vegetation impact an environment?
A by increasing oxygen production
B by increasing soil formation
C by increasing transpiration
D by increasing erosion
26. How could the exponential growth of the human population impact regions throughout the world?
A It could lead to a decrease in the amount of pollution in the regions.
B It could lead to an increase in the biodiversity of the regions.
C It could lead to an increase in the demand for food in the regions.
D It could lead to a decrease in the demand for land within the regions.
A.
B
C
D
27. Which best describes the relationship between carrying capacity and Earth’s resources?
A population that is below the carrying capacity will have an increase in contagious diseases.
A population that is above the carrying capacity will have a decrease in natural resources.
A population that is below the carrying capacity will experience a decrease in freshwater resources.
A population that is above the carrying capacity will experience an increase in plant production.
28. How could the introduction of a nonnative species of plant affect an ecosystem in North Carolina?
A It could pollinate the native plant species, producing a disease-resistant species.
B It could reduce the competition for space and light with native plant species.
C It could take over the habitats of the native plant species.
D It could cause some insect species to destroy native plant species.
a.
b.
c.
d.
29. select the correct order from the choices below
ecosystem, population, community, organism
population, organism, ecosystem, community
organism, population, community, ecosystem
community, population, organism, ecosystem
30. Many of the biomes that exist on Earth can be found in the western parts of North Carolina. What is the
primary reason for the existence of such a wide range of biomes in this area?
a. the rivers and lakes in the mountain areas
b. the wide range of altitudes of the mountains
c. they types of rocks that make up the mountains
d. the wind and water erosion of the mountains
32. How is biodiversity essential to the environment?
a. Biodiversity decreases the chance that at least some living things will survive in the face of large changes in
the environment.
b. Biodiversity decreases the stability of the ecosystem.
c. Biodiversity adds to the aesthetical value of the environment and reduces the amount of genetic material in the
environment.
d. Biodiversity adds to the aesthetical value of the environment and increases the amount of genetic material in
the environment.
31. Which human activity would be most destructive to the biodiversity of the biosphere?
a. the burning of wood and coal in rural areas
b. the release of species of freshwater trout in lakes
c. the removal of plants from the food webs they support
d. the removal of erosion barriers from forest boundaries