Biology (Raven), 10th Edition

Chapter 57: Dynamics of Ecosystems

Post-Test

1
Which of the following statements about the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles is NOT true?
A)Phosphorus does not cycle through the atmosphere, while nitrogen does.
B)Nitrogen found in urine, which is released by mammals into the soil, has to be converted into a usable form by microbes.
C)Weathering of rocks releases phosphates but not nitrogen-containing compounds into terrestrial environments.
D)Phosphorus exists in a single oxidation state, while nitrogen exists in several different chemical forms.
E)Decomposition of animal and plant tissues releases usable phosphates and nitrogen-containing compounds that plants and algae can use.
2
In terrestrial ecosystems, what is the chief source of moisture in the atmosphere?
A)transpiration by plants
B)photosynthesis by plants
C)exhalation by animals
D)sweating by animals
E)evaporation from lakes and rivers
3
What is the single greatest reservoir for freshwater in the United States?
A)glaciers
B)springs
C)rivers and streams
D)lakes and ponds
E)groundwater
4
What is the most significant carbon-containing compound in the abiotic environment of organisms, from the viewpoint of the daily dynamics of ecosystems?
A)methane
B)carbon monoxide
C)carbon dioxide
D)bicarbonate ions
E)No choice is correct.
5
In many ecosystems which element is in shortest supply with respect to the needs of organisms?
A)carbon
B)oxygen
C)nitrogen
D)phosphorus
E)iron
6
Approximately what percentage of the Earth's atmosphere is made up of nitrogen gas?
A)0%
B)0.03%
C)10%
D)52%
E)78%
7
Why is the nitrogen cycle particularly complicated?
A)It involves more steps than the other cycles.
B)Nitrogen is used in so many compounds in animal bodies.
C)Because bacteria are involved in some stages.
D)Because it involves multiple changes in the chemical form of nitrogen.
E)All choices are correct.
8
How is it possible to get an inverted pyramid of biomass, for example biomass of copepods greater than that of algae?
A)It is not possible.
B)It's possible if each individual primary producer is very rich in energy.
C)It's possible if the primary producer is very productive and is consumed as it is produced.
D)It is possible if the copepods consume very rapidly.
E)While possible, this phenomenon has not yet been explained.
9
How could increasing the amount of sunlight increase carnivore biomass?
A)By helping carnivores see their prey better.
B)By increasing the amount of energy and therefore the amount of biomass in the system available to the carnivore to consume.
C)There will be a smaller percentage of energy wasted in the system, making more available to the carnivore.
D)More than one of these is correct.
10
Using the theory of island biogeography, predict the relative number of species on a small island near the mainland versus the number of species on a large island far from the mainland.
A)The large island would have more species.
B)The small island would have more species.
C)They would both have approximately the same number of species.
D)It would depend on the actual sizes of the islands and their actual distances from the mainland.
E)No choice is correct.
11
Consider the biogeochemical cycle of water. Because water is a compound and not an element, what two processes should be in approximate balance to give a relatively constant amount of water in the biosphere?
A)transpiration/condensation
B)evaporation/precipitation
C)photosynthesis/cellular respiration
D)photosynthesis/transpiration
E)precipitation/condensation
12
Why is some energy always lost as it passes through the various trophic levels (e.g. primary producer -> herbivore -> carnivore)?
A)The digestion of food requires energy.
B)Not all of the food consumed is digested.
C)More than one of these is correct.
D)Chemical reactions produce heat that cannot be used.
E)No choice is correct.
13
Algal biomass was monitored in an experiment where brown trout (invertebrate predators) were either excluded in one enclosure or included in another enclosure - both enclosures were in a stream. What would you predict the algal biomass to be in the two enclosures?
A)the same in both
B)greater without trout
C)greater with trout
D)impossible to predict
E)No choice is correct.
14
Tropical regions have greater biodiversity than temperate regions. What hypothesis could account for this?
A)Tropics have greater overall productivity due to more solar energy.
B)Tropics have more stable conditions.
C)Tropics have more intense predation leading to less competition.
D)Tropics have many complex microhabitats.
E)All are plausible.
15
According to the principle of island biogeography, from what does the species richness of an island result?
A)the size of the island
B)the equilibrium between extinction and colonization
C)the distance of the island from the mainland
D)the type of organism
E)the latitude of the island
16
Which factor is NOT known or hypothesized to affect species richness in a community?
A)primary productivity
B)habitat heterogeneity
C)climate
D)presence of predators
E)No choice is NOT correct.
17
True or false: Long-term experimental studies are suggesting that the island equilibrium model of Wilson and MacArthur may not predict species turnover correctly.
A)true
B)false
18
In a study of the energetics in Cayuga Lake in upstate New York, researchers calculated that 1000 calories of chemical-bond energy were captured by primary producers and available to herbivores. In this lake, smelt were the primary carnivores and trout were the secondary ones. If humans ate the smelt, they would consume ____ calories of the original 1000 and if they ate trout they would consume _____calories.
A)30; 6
B)30; 1.2
C)6;30
D)6; 1.2
E)No choice is correct.
19
Which of the following is NOT a known fate of chemical-bond energy ingested by a herbivorous insect?
A)50 percent feces
B)33 percent cellular respiration
C)17 percent growth
D)insect dies before being eaten
E)All choices are correct.
20
Which of the following is NOT the proper name of a trophic level?
A)primary producers
B)secondary carnivores
C)herbivores
D)detritivore
E)All choices are correct.
21
Which element is the limiting nutrient in about two-thirds of the oceans and in many terrestrial ecosystems?
A)sulfur
B)iron
C)phosphorus
D)nitrogen
E)No choice is correct.
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