Question 1

Photosynthetic organisms are unique to most ecosystems because they

Accepted Answer

A)  synthesize organic compounds they obtain from decaying heterotrophs.
B)  synthesize inorganic compounds from organic compounds.
C)  use light energy to synthesize organic compounds.
D)  use chemical energy to synthesize organic compounds.
E)  convert light energy into matter.F) All of the above
G) B) and D)

Question 2

Nitrogen is available to plants only in the form of

Accepted Answer

A)  N₂ in the atmosphere.
B)  nitrite ions in the soil.
C)  uric acid from animal excretions.
D)  amino acids from decomposing plant and animal proteins.
E)  nitrate ions in the soil.F) None of the above
G) C) and E)

Question 3

As big as it is,the ocean is nutrient-limited.If you wanted to investigate this,one reasonable approach would be to

Accepted Answer

A)  follow whale migrations in order to determine where most nutrients are located.
B)  observe Antarctic Ocean productivity from year to year to see if it changes.
C)  experimentally enrich some areas of the ocean and compare their productivity to that of untreated areas.
D)  compare nutrient concentrations between the photic zone and the benthic zone in various marine locations.
E)  contrast nutrient uptake by autotrophs in marine locations that are different temperatures.F) D) and E)
G) None of the above

Question 4

Which of the following organisms is incorrectly paired with its trophic level?

Accepted Answer

A)  some prokaryotes - detritivores
B)  rabbits - primary consumers
C)  zooplankton - primary consumers
D)  phytoplankton - primary producers
E)  great white shark - secondary consumerF) A) and B)
G) None of the above E

Question 5

Use the following food web to answer the questions below.
  
Food web for a particular terrestrial ecosystem (arrows represent energy flow and letters represent species) 
-Examine this food web for a particular terrestrial ecosystem.Which species is autotrophic?

Accepted Answer

A)  A
B)  B
C)  C
D)  D
E)  EF) D) and E)
G) A) and D)

Question 6

Use the following figure to answer the questions below.
 
-On the diagram of the nitrogen cycle,which number represents nitrogen-fixing bacteria?

Accepted Answer

A)  5
B)  6
C)  7D) A) and B)
E) B) and C)

Question 7

Which trophic level is most vulnerable to extinction?

Accepted Answer

A)  producer level
B)  primary consumer level
C)  secondary consumer level
D)  tertiary consumer level
E)  decomposer levelF) A) and D)
G) C) and D)

Question 8

How do the Taylor Glacier bacteria produce their energy?

Accepted Answer

A)  photosynthesis
B)  heterotrophism
C)  chemoautotrophism
D)  thermophobism
E)  chemosynthesisF) B) and C)
G) A) and B)

Question 9

Which of the following ecosystems would likely have a larger net primary productivity/hectare and why?

Accepted Answer

A)  open ocean because of the total biomass of photosynthetic autotrophs
B)  grassland because of the small standing crop biomass that results from consumption by herbivores and rapid decomposition
C)  tropical rain forest because of the massive standing crop biomass and species diversity
D)  cave due to the lack of photosynthetic autotrophs
E)  tundra because of the incredibly rapid period of growth during the summer seasonF) None of the above
G) C) and D)

Question 10

Which of the following statements is correct about biogeochemical cycling?

Accepted Answer

A)  The phosphorus cycle involves the recycling of atmospheric phosphorus.
B)  The phosphorus cycle involves the weathering of rocks.
C)  The carbon cycle is a localized cycle that primarily involves the burning of fossil fuels.
D)  The carbon cycle has maintained a constant atmospheric concentration of CO₂ for the past million years.
E)  The nitrogen cycle involves movement of diatomic nitrogen between the biotic and abiotic components of the ecosystem.F) A) and E)
G) A) and D) B

Question 11

Which of the following is true of detrivores?

Accepted Answer

A)  They recycle chemical elements directly back to primary consumers.
B)  They synthesize organic molecules that are used by primary producers.
C)  They convert organic materials from all trophic levels to inorganic compounds usable by primary producers.
D)  They secrete enzymes that convert the organic molecules of detritus into CO₂ and H₂O.
E)  Some species are autotrophic, while others are heterotrophic.F) A) and B)
G) None of the above

Question 12

In terms of nutrient cycling,why does timber harvesting in a temperate forest cause less ecological devastation than timber harvesting in tropical rain forests?

Accepted Answer

A)  Trees are generally less numerous in temperate forests, so fewer nutrients will be removed from the temperate forest ecosystem during a harvest.
B)  Temperate forest tree species require fewer nutrients to survive than their tropical counterpart species, so a harvest removes fewer nutrients from the temperate ecosystem.
C)  The warmer temperatures in the tropics influence rain forest species to assimilate nutrients more slowly, so tropical nutrient absorption is much slower than in temperate forests.
D)  There are far fewer decomposers in tropical rain forests, so turning organic matter into usable nutrients is a slower process than in temperate forest ecosystems.
E)  Typical harvests remove up to 75% of the nutrients in the woody trunks of tropical rain forest trees, leaving nutrient-impoverished soils behind.F) C) and D)
G) C) and E)

Question 13

Why does a vegetarian leave a smaller ecological footprint than an omnivore?

Accepted Answer

A)  Fewer animals are slaughtered for human consumption.
B)  There is an excess of plant biomass in all terrestrial ecosystems.
C)  Vegetarians need to ingest less chemical energy than omnivores.
D)  Vegetarians require less protein than do omnivores.
E)  Eating meat is an inefficient way of acquiring photosynthetic productivity.F) B) and C)
G) B) and E)

Question 14

Use the following food web to answer the questions below.
  
Food web for a particular terrestrial ecosystem (arrows represent energy flow and letters represent species) 
-Examine this food web for a particular terrestrial ecosystem.Which species is most likely a decomposer on this food web?

Accepted Answer

A)  A
B)  B
C)  C
D)  D
E)  EF) B) and C)
G) A) and B)

Question 15

Which of the following is a true statement regarding mineral nutrients in soils and their implication for primary productivity?

Accepted Answer

A)  Globally, phosphorous availability is most limiting to primary productivity.
B)  Adding a nonlimiting nutrient will stimulate primary productivity.
C)  Adding more of a limiting nutrient will increase primary productivity, indefinitely.
D)  Phosphorous is sometimes unavailable to producers due to leaching.
E)  Alkaline soils are more productive than acidic soils.F) A) and E)
G) B) and E) D

Question 16

Why do logged tropical rain forest soils typically have nutrient-poor soils?

Accepted Answer

A)  Tropical bedrock contains little phosphorous.
B)  Logging results in soil temperatures that are lethal to nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
C)  Most of the nutrients in the ecosystem are removed in the harvested timber.
D)  The cation exchange capacity of the soil is reversed as a result of logging.
E)  Nutrients evaporate easily into the atmosphere in the post-logged forest.F) C) and D)
G) C) and E)

Question 17

A cow's herbivorous diet indicates that it is a(n)

Accepted Answer

A)  primary consumer.
B)  secondary consumer.
C)  decomposer.
D)  autotroph.
E)  producer.F) A) and E)
G) B) and E)

Question 18

Owls eat rats,mice,shrews,and small birds.Assume that,over a period of time,an owl consumes 5000 J of animal material.The owl loses 2300 J in feces and owl pellets and uses 2500 J for cellular respiration.What is the primary efficiency of this owl?

Accepted Answer

A)  0) 02%
B)  1%
C)  4%
D)  10%
E)  40%F) C) and D)
G) B) and D)

Question 19

Trophic efficiency is

Accepted Answer

A)  the ratio of net secondary production to assimilation of primary production.
B)  the percentage of production transferred from one trophic level to the next.
C)  a measure of how nutrients are cycled from one trophic level to the next.
D)  usually greater than production efficiencies.
E)  about 90% in most ecosystems.F) A) and E)
G) A) and B)

Question 20

How does phosphorus normally enter ecosystems?

Accepted Answer

A)  cellular respiration
B)  photosynthesis
C)  rock weathering
D)  vulcanism
E)  atmospheric phosphorous gasF) A) and B)
G) B) and D)

Exam 55: Ecosystems and Restoration Ecology

Photosynthetic organisms are unique to most ecosystems because they

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Nitrogen is available to plants only in the form of

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

As big as it is,the ocean is nutrient-limited.If you wanted to investigate this,one reasonable approach would be to

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following organisms is incorrectly paired with its trophic level?

Correct AnswerverifiedE

Use the following food web to answer the questions below. Food web for a particular terrestrial ecosystem (arrows represent energy flow and letters represent species) -Examine this food web for a particular terrestrial ecosystem.Which species is autotrophic?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Use the following figure to answer the questions below. -On the diagram of the nitrogen cycle,which number represents nitrogen-fixing bacteria?

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Which trophic level is most vulnerable to extinction?

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How do the Taylor Glacier bacteria produce their energy?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following ecosystems would likely have a larger net primary productivity/hectare and why?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following statements is correct about biogeochemical cycling?

Correct AnswerverifiedB

Which of the following is true of detrivores?

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In terms of nutrient cycling,why does timber harvesting in a temperate forest cause less ecological devastation than timber harvesting in tropical rain forests?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Why does a vegetarian leave a smaller ecological footprint than an omnivore?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Use the following food web to answer the questions below. Food web for a particular terrestrial ecosystem (arrows represent energy flow and letters represent species) -Examine this food web for a particular terrestrial ecosystem.Which species is most likely a decomposer on this food web?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following is a true statement regarding mineral nutrients in soils and their implication for primary productivity?

Correct AnswerverifiedD

Why do logged tropical rain forest soils typically have nutrient-poor soils?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A cow's herbivorous diet indicates that it is a(n)

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Owls eat rats,mice,shrews,and small birds.Assume that,over a period of time,an owl consumes 5000 J of animal material.The owl loses 2300 J in feces and owl pellets and uses 2500 J for cellular respiration.What is the primary efficiency of this owl?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Trophic efficiency is

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

How does phosphorus normally enter ecosystems?

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E

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B

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D

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