Environmental science Expert Answers & Study Resources

Guiding Question 8-3 What are biomes, and how do environmental factors affect their distribution and makeup? Multiple Choice 22. Which is NOT an example of a terrestrial biome? A. a temperate forest B. an open ocean C. a Mediterranean scrub D. a savanna E. a desert 23. All of the following can be found in the biosphere EXCEPT ________. A..

Guiding Question 8-5 How do carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycle through ecosystems? How are these cycles being disrupted, and what problems can this disruption cause? Multiple Choice 46. Nutrient cycles, or biogeochemical cycles, refer to ______________. A. energy passed from one organism to another B. plants and organic matter entering and leaving the biosphere C. the.

21. If no new matter enters the system, how can Earth continue to exist?     .

6. What is one negative effect of a low-density population? A. competition for resources B. quick spreading of disease C. inbreeding D. increased fighting E. none of the above 7. Which is the rarest form of population distribution naturally found in nature? A. clumped distribution B. uniform distribution C. random distribution D. irregular distribution E. All types of distribution occur about.

23. Early in the colonization of a new habitat, a population will show _____________, shifting to _____________ as the density of the population increases. A. resistance; biotic potential B. exponential growth; logistic growth C. logistic growth; exponential growth D. biotic potential; overshoot E. None of the above is correct. 24. All populations eventually reach a maximum.

11. Why might a minimum viable population not be an ecologically effective population?     .

44. Refer to Infographic 8.7. Using the infographic, describe what limiting factor caused the human population in Biosphere 2 to become so tired they couldn’t work. 45. Refer to Infographic 8.10. Each year a “dead zone” appears in the Gulf of Mexico when oxygen levels in the water drop to levels.

What is the hierarchy of organization recognized by ecologists, and why might it be useful to recognize such distinctions? Multiple Choice 1. Which choice represents the correct hierarchy of organization from largest to smallest? A. biome ? biosphere ? community ? ecosystem ? population ? individual B. biosphere ? biome ? ecosystem ? community.

24. Refer to Infographic 7.1. The pie chart shows components of U.S. municipal solid waste. For each component, describe what can be done to avoid disposal at a sanitary landfill. 25. Refer to Infographic 7.2. From the diagram of a sanitary landfill, describe potential environmental issues associated with landfills and what.

Short Answer 20. Consider the following scenario: A plant grows in the soil and is eventually eaten by a rabbit. The rabbit is eaten by a hawk. The hawk becomes ill, dies, and falls to the ground. Fungi and bacteria decompose the hawk. How is this scenario an example of both.

51. Nitrogen-rich compounds found in animal waste or the remains of dead plants and animals are converted to ___________ by decomposer bacteria. A. ammonium ions B. protein C. nitrogen gas D. nitrate E. nitrite 52. Biosphere 2 helped scientists realize ____________. A. the complexities of the carbon cycle B. they wasted their money C. humans cannot function without technology D..

Short Answer 63. Certain plants called legumes can fix atmospheric nitrogen thanks to a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria associated with their root systems. How does this relationship benefit the plants? How can humans take advantage of this in agriculture?     .

Guiding Question 7-2 What options do we have for dealing with solid waste, and what are the trade-offs for each option? Multiple Choice 14. One of the cheapest and most common methods of handling solid wastes in developing countries is _________. A. sanitary landfills B. incinerators C. recycling D. open dumps E. composting 15. Sanitary landfills are commonly used.

Guiding Question 9-4 What are the life-history strategies of r- and K-selected species, and how do they relate to population growth patterns and potential? Multiple Choice 36. What are some biological characteristics of a species that determines their life-history strategy? A. maturity rate B. life span C. level of fecundity D. all the above E. none of the.

26. Refer to Infographic7.3. Describe the pros and cons of a waste-to-energy incinerator.     .

Guiding Question 8-2 Why do ecosystems need a constant input of energy? How do they deal with the fact that Earth does not receive appreciable new inputs of matter? Multiple Choice 14. On Earth, all ecosystems function through two fundamental processes, nutrient cycling and energy flow. Which of the following statements is correct? A..

Guiding Questions 9-3 How do density-dependent and density-independent factors affect population growth? Multiple Choice 29. ________ population(s) is(are) more susceptible to the effects of predation. A. A small B. A large C. Neither small nor large D. Both small and large E. A minimum viable 30. Which of the following factors affecting the human population is not density dependent? A..

36. A(n) _________ factor is the one abiotic or biotic factor whose supply determines the population size of a given species in a given biome. A. tolerance B. stress C. intolerance D. finite E. limiting 37. Which of the following could be considered a limiting factor for a species? A. pH of the soil B. temperature C. level of.

6. Which of the following could be defined as an ecosystem? A. the Mojave Desert B. a tide pool C. a coral reef D. a forest E. All of these could be defined as ecosystems. 7. Which factors must be considered to create an ecosystem? A. limiting factors, like organic matter B. animals and plants C. a biotic factors,.

Short Answer 29. What is a biome? What are the major factors that distinguish one biome from another? 30. Refer to Infographic 8.4. From the infographic, which type of biome is mostly found 30° north or south of the equator? What conditions exist there?     .

Matching Questions Please match each term in the left-hand column to the statement that it best exemplifies. 1. biodegradable Everyday garbage or trash (solid waste) produced by individuals or small businesses   2. open dumps Waste that is toxic, flammable, corrosive, explosive, or radioactive   3. incinerators Water that carries solutes (often contaminated) that can percolate through soil   4. refuse Places.

41. As you hike up a mountain, you observe that the vegetation changes. What are some of the limiting factors that are determining what vegetation you observe on the mountain? 42. Several years ago, you planted a pine tree at the base of a mountain and another on the summit of.

56. Which form of nitrogen can be taken up by plant roots? A. N2 B. NH2 C. NO4 D. NH3 E. N3 57. Which of the following is TRUE regarding the nitrogen cycle? A. Microbes convert atmospheric N2 to NH3. B. Lightning converts N2 to NO3. C. Microbes use NO3 and convert it to N2. D. Microbes break down organic.

57. Why is it difficult to determine whether a population’s size is more affected by top-down or bottom-up regulation?     .

Short Answer 40. Refer to Infographic 8.6. For several years, you have been investigating the effects of a warmer climate on a butterfly population. Recently, you have noticed that the butterflies found in what would traditionally be the zone of physiological stress are growing and breeding more successfully than the butterflies.

Guiding Question 8-4 What is a populations’ range of tolerance, and how does it affect the distribution of a population within its ecosystem or its ability to adapt to changing conditions? Multiple Choice 32. Populations that have a _______ range of tolerance and are _______ genetically diverse have a greater chance of surviving.

Short Answer 22. It has been shown that a bottle deposit, a center for returning and recycling bottles and cans, significantly reduces the amount of plastic or glass bottles and aluminum cans that end up in a landfill. Not all states have a bottle deposit. What would be the benefits of.

6. A manufacturer of potato chips claims that its packaging can be broken down by living organisms. This packaging is considered _____________. A. industrial waste B. nondegradable C. biodegradable D. All of the choices listed above fit the description. E. None of the choices listed above fit the description. 7. In the United States, 54% of.

Matching Questions Please match each term in the left-hand column to the statement that it best exemplifies. 1. population The kind of growth in which population size increases rapidly at first but then slows down as the population becomes larger; produces an S curve when plotted over time   2. population dynamics A distribution in which.

64. How have humans impacted the carbon cycle, and how can humans use nature to address this issue?     .

Short Answer 27. A farm field becomes abandoned and milkweed plants grow up in numbers over time. Based on the shape of the graph below, what kind of growth is this population experiencing? Where is the population in its growth, and what does this mean? 28. Several decades ago, around 24rabbits were.

66. Describe the two main goals of the Biosphere 2 experiment. Was the experiment a success or a failure?     .

Matching Questions Please match each term in the left-hand column to the statement that it best exemplifies. A. habitat All of the organisms in a given area plus the physical environment in which they interact   B. limiting factor The role a species plays in its community   C. biotic A continuous series of natural processes by which nitrogen.

Short Answer 10. Why would a clumped distribution be an advantage for a bee-pollinated plant?     .

Guiding Question 9-2 What determines a population’s growth rate? Under what conditions do we see exponential population growth? Under what conditions do we see logistic growth? Multiple Choice 13. Subtracting the death rate from the birth rate gives the _____________. A. biotic potential B. carrying capacity C. logistic growth D. population growth rate E. exponential growth 14. Germany currently.

What ecological significance do a population’s size, density, and distribution have? Multiple Choice 1. Which of the following are characteristics of a population? A. all the same species B. interaction between members C. interbreeding D. live in the same geographic area E. all of the above 2. Population density is best defined as _____________. A. the location and spacing.

31. Describe two abiotic factors that influence the distribution and makeup of biomes and how they do this.     .

Short Answer 12. Refer to Infographic 8.1. Use the infographic to describe examples of considerations scientists had to take into account when planning Biosphere 2.     .

60. Refer to Infographic 7.8. What are the three required steps of recycling? Which step drives the entire process and is therefore most important?     .

Short Answer 11. This picture shows people scavenging Cambodia’s municipal garbage dump. What does their presence there imply about what has been thrown away? 12. What is the difference between degradable and biodegradable waste? 13. Even though a banana peel is biodegradable and is typically broken down at rapid rates, if you bury.

18. The term that describes a population growing at its biotic potential is ________________. A. exponential growth B. logistic growth C. carrying capacity D. birth rate <death rate E. birth rate = death rate 19. ____________ population growth produces an S curve when plotted over time. A. Exponential B. Biotic C. Potential D. Logistic E. Resistance 20. Which of the following influences.

Short Answer 34. Why is weather considered to be a density-independent factor? 35. What would happen to a large moose population if wolves were removed from the ecosystem? Explain your answer in terms of density-dependent or density-independent factors.     .

41. Which species’ population size is closer to its carrying capacity at any given time? A. r-selected species B. K-selected species C. Both r-selected species and K-selected species would be able to survive D. Neither r-selected species and K-selected species would survive 42. The current interglacial period (global warming) has allowed humanity to expand in.

65. In terms of the carbon cycle, how is combustion of fossil fuels different from burning biomass (wood) for fuel?     .

13. Why is it difficult or impossible for ecologists to study the biosphere as a whole? Why is it useful to break down the biosphere into sections such as ecosystems, communities, and populations?     .

Short Answer 55. Numerous towns and cities in the United States have a deer population problem due to the removal of predators. How would you explain that top-down regulation would help with the overpopulation problem? In addition, are there any bottom-up regulation strategies you would suggest to the townspeople? 56. How does.

Short Answer 46. How might the fact that a threatened prairie plant you are in charge of managing is an r-selected species influence the way you manage the population? 47. With global warming having increasing effects on the environment, which type of species (r or K) would you think would be better.

12. Why is it ultimately better for a population to have some resistance factors (i.e., factors that reduce a population’s size)?     .

Guiding Question 9-5 What are top-down and bottom-up regulation, and which is most important in determining the size of a population? Multiple Choice 49. What is an example of top-down regulation? A. availability of sunlight B. control of a prey population by a predator C. large amounts of food D. drought killing young willow trees E. none of.

18. Hazardous and nonhazardous wastes in developing countries often end up in open dumps. Which of the following is FALSE regarding open dumps? A. Open dumps attract pests such as flies and rats. B. Leachate from open dumps can contaminate groundwater. C. Sanitary landfills and open dumps are essentially the same thing. D. Open.