Nitrogen is taken from the atmosphere and converted into a form usable by plants through a process called
nitrification
nitrogen fixation
assimilation
ammonification
denitrification
Which of the following is NOT recycled in an ecosystem forever?
carbon
water
energy
nitrogen
phosphorus
An organism's niche includes
what it eats
what kind of environment it lives in
how wet or dry it is
the temperature
all of these
The complex of interconnected food chains in an ecosystem is known as
trophic levels
a food web
a biogeochemical cycle
succession
energy flow
An example of commensalism is
mistletoe living on a host plant
an epiphyte growing on a tree
mycorrhize
ants and flowering vines in Central America
a bacterium living on a dead leaf
A Type III survivorship curve would be observed
in humans
in annual plant populations crowded into a limited space
when mortality is concentrated later in life
in many tree species because many young seedlings die
when the probability of death is equally likely at any age
A goat pulling a plant out of the ground to eat is an example of
parasitism
predation
competition
commensalism
mutualism
Which of the following organisms would be found at the base of a pyramid of energy?
an herbivore
a primary consumer
a secondary consumer
an omnivore
a producer
Which contains the largest number of organisms?
community
ecosystem
population
biosphere
landscape
When you observe the growth rate of a population decreasing to zero, you can conclude that
all individuals in the population have died
the species has become extinct
the growth curve of the population has a J-shape
conditions are optimal
the carrying capacity of the environment has been reached
Herbivores are
primary consumers
secondary consumers
detritivores
omnivores
producers
A plant defense mechanism to escape predation includes
thorns
spines
a thick waxy cuticle
bad tasting chemicals
Two important decomposers are
bacteria and fungi
vultures and snails
snails and clams
bears and pigs
oaks and maples
Intraspecific competition
tends to limit the population size
usually results in one species being eliminated from an area
is not a significant factor in communities
includes predation and parasitism
is the same as predation
Which biome is characterized by thickets of evergreen shrubs and small trees?
chaparral
tropical rain forest
temperate grassland
temperate deciduous forest
temperate rain forest
What is most important for determining a biome's boundaries?
plants
animals
precipitation
temperature
precipitation and temperature
Hot summers and pronounced winters, moderate to high rainfall, and a dense canopy of broad-leaved trees over saplings and shrubs characterize the ____ biome.
savanna
Which biome is characterized by rich topsoil and broadleaf trees that lose their leaves in winter?
boreal forest
Which biome is characterized by permafrost?
taiga
tundra
desert
grassland
High precipitation, cool summers, mild winters, and an evergreen forest characterize the biome.
Mediterranean biome is affected by _________ air currents in summer.
ascending wet
clockwise turning
descending wet
ascending dry
descending dry
Which biome am I? I am found along the northwest coast of North America and have coniferous evergreen trees.
The biome that can have enormous fluctuations of daily and seasonal temperatures is the
savannah
none of these
Which biome is characterized by conifers and extremely cold winters?
Hot summers and cool to cold winters, low to moderate precipitation, and the best agricultural soils in the world characterize the ____ biome.
Which of following statements is correct?
Swamps are fulfilled with grass.
There are a lot of conifers in marshes.
Benthic zone is dominated by zooplanktons in ocean.
Estuaries and delta regions have very high primary productivity.
Rivers are stablized ecosystems.
Which biome am I? The weather is cool, and there is high precipitation and dense fog.
deciduous forest
These two biomes are dominated by conifers:
tundra and taiga
boreal forest and temperate rain forest
temperate rain forest and tropical rain forest
chaparral and savanna
temperate deciduous forest and temperate rain forest
Today, the extinction of most species is due to
the destruction of habitats
pollution
the introduction of foreign species
commercial harvesting
controlling native pests
A threatened species is different from an endangered species in that a threatened species
is composed of individuals that cannot interbreed
is in imminent danger of extinction
is likely to become endangered in the near future
lives outside its range
has already become extinct
By definition, an area providing ecosystem services
is a hotspot
is important to the functioning of the ecosystem as a whole
is an example of in situ conservation
is an example of ex situ conservation
is undergoing restoration ecology
Global warming occurs because greenhouse gases
reflect visible radiation
absorb visible radiation
absorb infrared radiation
absorb carbon dioxide
reflect carbon dioxide
Which of the following statements concerning invasive species is FALSE?
they may compete with native species for resources
they may prey on native species
they may cause economic harm
they usually cause less harm to the native species than natural predators
they may spread to new areas on their own
The most effective way to preserve species is to
divide areas into fragments having separate species
divide areas into fragments that are far apart rather than close together
preserve habitats that have only a few species rather than many species
build roads in order to more easily access species
establish parks and reserves
Species richness is defined as
the number of species
the genetic variety within a population
the genetic variety within a species
the diversity among ecosystems
biodiversity
Increases in the amount of ____ in the atmosphere may be a threat to the world because of the greenhouse effect.
carbonate
carbon dioxide
helium
nitrogen gas
Which of the following is NOT classified as a greenhouse gas?
molecular nitrogen (N2)
surface ozone (O3)
carbon dioxide (CO2)
nitrous oxide (N2O)
methane (CH4)
Which of the following is NOT a probable consequence of global warming?
some species will disperse into new environments
Canada and Russia will decrease their agricultural productivity
some areas will have increased precipitation
some areas will have increased droughts
sea levels will rise
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of endangered species?
they have an extremely localized range
they have low reproductive rates
they have specialized feeding habits
they live on islands
they are not endemic
Ex situ conservation
is the best way to preserve biodiversity
is exemplified by a national park
is exemplified by a national reserve
is exemplified by a marine sanctuary
is exemplified by a botanic guarden
