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Biosphere

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1
Which statement best describes the approximate vertical limits of the biosphere?
  • Life extends about 27,000 ft into the atmosphere and 10.4 km into ocean depths.
  • Life ceases beyond 10 km in air and 8 km in ocean trenches.
  • Ocean life ends at an average depth of 4,267 m.
  • Life is limited to 8,000 m above and 11,000 m below sea level.
2
What is the key difference between primary and secondary succession?
  • Primary starts in organic soil;secondary starts on bare rock.
  • Primary reaches climax; secondary stops at shrubs.
  • Secondary has no consumers; primary requires immediate herbivores.
  • Primary starts without soil; secondary occurs where soil remains after disturbance.
3
Which statement best compares terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems?
  • Terrestrial systems cover about 29% and are generally more productive overall.
  • Terrestrial systems cover 71% of Earth and have lower turnover.
  • Aquatic systems cover 29% of Earth and are more productive.
  • Aquatic systems are limited to flowing waters covering under 5%.
4
Which lake zonation term describes shallow shore water where rooted plants grow?
  • Benthic
  • Profundal
  • Limnetic
  • Littoral
5
Two rainforest lizard species share a canopy and prey but coexist. What may explain this?
  • Niche partitioning by space or resource-use behavior
  • Competitive exclusion causing immediate mortality
  • Obligate mutualism causing divergence
  • Intraspecific predation
6
What role does a sea otter play in a kelp forest?
  • Obligate parasite
  • Primary producer
  • Keystone species controlling urchins
  • Secondary consumer whose removal increases kelp
7
Bacteria near hydrothermal vents use hydrogen sulfide to make organic matter. They are:
  • Heterotrophic primary consumers
  • Tertiary consumers using geothermal radiation
  • Chemosynthetic autotrophic producers
  • Mixotrophic detritivores
8
How does an enzyme-secreting organism differ from an earthworm?
  • It is a detritivore; the worm is a saprophyte.
  • It decomposes externally; the worm ingests detritus.
  • It is a scavenger; the worm is a secondary consumer.
  • It is mutualistic; the worm is parasitic.
9
Using the 10% rule, a producer converts 45,000 J into net primary productivity. How much energy reaches a secondary consumer?
  • 450 J
  • 4,500 J
  • 5 J
  • 45 J
10
Why can a marine biomass pyramid be inverted?
  • Phytoplankton reproduce rapidly and turn over quickly, supporting greater consumer standing biomass.
  • Decomposers absorb most energy before primary consumers.
  • Producers have greater mass due to slow turnover.
  • Marine energy transfer exceeds 90%.
11
Who coined the term “ecosystem” in 1935?
  • Gregor Mendel
  • Eugene Odum
  • A. G. Tansley
  • Charles Darwin
12
What distinguishes habitat from ecological niche?
  • Habitat includes biotic factors only; niche includes abiotic factors only.
  • They are synonymous.
  • Habitat is where an organism lives; niche is its role and interactions.
  • Habitat is trophic level; niche is geographic range.
13
A barnacle benefits by attaching to a humpback whale, which is unaffected. What type of relationship is this?
  • Predation
  • Amensalism
  • Mutualism
  • Commensalism
14
Which marine zone extends from the low-tide mark over the shallow continental shelf?
  • Hadal
  • Neritic/coastal
  • Profundal
  • Abyssal
15
What is the primary driver of energy dynamics in the biosphere?
  • Geothermal heat
  • Solar radiation
  • Tides
  • Hydrothermal chemical energy
16
Which statement correctly defines a population?
  • Abiotic and biotic nutrients in a habitat
  • Several species across different regions
  • All organisms in a biome regardless of species
  • Same-species organisms living in a specified area at the same time
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