ECOLOGY TEST 1

In studies of seed production, why is it important to assign plots of land to either the control group or treatment group at random?

Which statement about atmospheric circulation patterns is false?

Which statement best explains why atmospheric pressure declines with altitude?

Which areas of Earth receive the most precipitation on average?

In comparison to deeper waters, surface oceanic waters are....

High productivity in the open ocean would most likely be found in

Which statement about oceanic currents is false?

Vegetation patterns affect the reflectance of solar radiation. The capacity of a land surface to reflect solar radiation is known as its

In which aquatic ecosystems are oxygen concentrations in the water usually highest?

A biome extends across several continents. Parts of the biome on the different continents can be best identified by the

Deciduous trees would most likely be found in which of these forest types?

Which biome contains only 11% of Earth's terrestrial vegetation cover, but is home to about half of Earth's species?

The climate of a certain region is warm to hot, with little seasonal variation in temperature, but with a pronounced dry season. The vegetation is mostly grasses, but there are some shrubs and trees. This region is most likely a

Boreal forests most likely consist of conifers because conifers

Livestock grazing in deserts and desert margins is likely to result in all of these changes to the environment except

A factor that makes temperate grassland biomes particularly well suited for conversion into agricultural land is their

Assuming that the concept of a river continuum is correct, how would a second-, third- , and fourth-order river be ranked, in terms of the importance of terrestrial vegetation as a food source for the organisms within it?

One characteristic of freshwater ecosystems, as compared with terrestrial ecosystems, is that freshwater ecosystems

Animals in the ocean's photic zone are likely to be more abundant and more diverse because of high levels of which factor present at this level?

Which statement about adaptation is true?

Which statement about ecotypes is true?

Which statement best explains why tropical plants may lose function at temperatures as high as 10°C, while alpine plants can function at temperatures close to freezing?

In which environment is transpiration likely to make the greatest contributor to the cooling of a leaf?

Which type of heat transfer is much more common in plants than in animals?

During cold periods, marmots enter a state of torpor in order to alter their lower critical body temperature. In comparison to the body temperature of a bear during its long winter sleep, the temperature of the marmot drops _______, and the duration of the torpor is _______ the bear's period of sleep

The thermoneutral zone is the range of temperatures in which an active endotherm

Compared with large endotherms, small endotherms require _______ feeding rates, partly because they have a _______ surface area-to-volume ratio

Which statement about radiant energy from the sun is false?

Organisms that can convert energy from sunlight or from inorganic compounds in their environment, without having to consume other organisms for their energy needs, are called

Which of these organisms are not heterotrophs?

Which of the following is an example of chemical energy transfer?

An autotrophic organism living in a hydrothermal vent on the bottom of the ocean would be expected to obtain its energy through

The use of specialized bacteria to help break down a toxic organic pesticide spilled during an industrial accident is an example of

One animal species (A) spends 10 minutes finding and obtaining one food item that contains 50 calories. The other animal species (B) spends 1 minute finding and obtaining one food item that contains 0.1 calories. Which statement best describes these animals?

Despite being photosynthetic, mistletoe receives some of its energy from its host plant. Mistletoe is thus an example of a

Which is the correct order of energy per unit mass, from highest to lowest?

An ecologist studying ecosystems would be most interested in which question?

Which statement is least accurate in describing the field of ecology?

Which quality is a biotic feature of the environment?

Which statement about the relationship between consumers and producers is true?

Net primary production (NPP) is the amount of

Ecologists try to reduce the likelihood that variables that are not under the control of the experimenter will unduly influence the results of an experiment by

In equatorial regions, the sun's rays strike Earth's surface at a more _______ angle than they do toward the poles. This means that the same amount of energy is spread over a(n) _______ area in equatorial regions than in polar regions

Compared with land at the same latitude, ocean waters tend to be _______ in the winter and _______ in the summer because water has a _______ heat capacity than land has

A plant has the ability to grow from the base of its leaves, thereby keeping its reproductive buds under the surface and permitting high tolerance of climatic fluctuations. This plant most likely lives in a

Assuming that the body shape of an animal is at least somewhat spherical, a considerable decrease in body size would _______ the surface area-to-volume ratio, and the ability to exchange heat with the environment would _______

Loss of _______ pressure results in wilting of nonwoody plants due to dehydration

Which sequence represents the correct order of levels of biological organization, from largest to smallest?

Which statement about the movement of energy through ecosystems is true?

Characteristics of an animal's digestive tract can impact the efficiency with which nutrients and energy can be absorbed from food. Which individual's digestive system would probably be most efficient?