Title: Ecology and the Environment
Course: Question Banks

Q: A(n) ________ is composed of both biotic and abiotic components.
- community (Incorrect. A community is all the species (biotic) living together in a given location.)
- lithosphere (Incorrect. The lithosphere is the crust and mantle (abiotic) of the planet.)
- ecosystem (Correct. An important feature of ecosystems is they are composed of both the biological interactions as well as the non-biological interactions.)
A: ecosystem

Q: A ________ model attempts to quantify all aspects of entire ecosystems in their natural states.
- conceptual (Incorrect. A conceptual model of an ecosystem will consist of flow charts to show interactions of different categories within an ecosystem.)
- simulation (Incorrect. A simulation model is built using computer simulations: these may or may not address all the aspects of an ecosystem.)
- holistic ecosystem (Correct. A holistic ecosystem model strives to quantify dynamics, interactions, and the composition of entire ecosystems.)
A: holistic ecosystem

Q: A ________ re-creates an ecosystem in a controlled environment.
- mesocosm (Incorrect. A mesocosm partitions a part of a natural ecosystem for experimentation.)
- macrocosm (Incorrect. A macrocosm is the whole of a complex structure, such as the whole of the biosphere or the whole of a swamp.)
- microcosm (Correct. A microcosm may be re-created in an indoor or outdoor laboratory setting, but either way it is controlled by the research team.)
A: microcosm

Q: A ________ is the linear path taken by nutrients and energy as they move through different organisms.
- food web (Incorrect. A food web is a graphic look at the non-linear interactions of primary producers, primary consumers, and higher-level consumers within an ecosystem.)
- trophic level (Incorrect. A trophic level is the role an organism fulfills in an ecosystem, such as primary producer or secondary consumer.)
- food chain (Correct. A food chain is a “single path” that nutrients and energy follow as they flow through an ecosystem.)
A: food chain

Q: The organism that contains the least amount of energy in an ecosystem is the ________.
- primary producer (Incorrect. The primary producer will contain the most energy in an ecosystem.)
- tertiary consumer (Incorrect. The tertiary consumer will not necessarily contain the least amount of energy: it depends on the number of levels within an ecosystem.)
- apex consumer (Correct. The apex consumer is the last trophic level in any food chain or ecosystem. Apex consumers, be they secondary, tertiary or higher-level consumers, always contain the least amount of energy.)
A: apex consumer

Q: ________ will cause the most severe effects in the apex predator of a food web.
- Bioremediation (Incorrect. Bioremediation is the use of microbes to clean up environmental contaminants. These organisms can be used because they specifically breakdown toxic substances.)
- Biodilution (Incorrect. Biodilution results in a progressive decrease in the concentration of a toxic substance as it moves up trophic levels. Therefore it will be least severe at the top of the food chain/web.)
- Biomagnification (Correct. Persistent, toxic substances increase in concentration as they move up the trophic levels, because there are fewer organisms in each progressive level. Therefore biomagnification is always most severe in the apex predator/consumer of a food web. Sometimes that is us.)
A: Biomagnification

Q: All ecosystems require ________ to form the foundation of energy flow in a food web.
- heterotrophs (Incorrect. Heterotrophs are not the foundation of energy flow in food webs.)
- detritivores (Incorrect. Detritivores do return important nutrients to ecosystems, but they are not the base of a food web.)
- autotrophs (Correct. Autotrophs are critical for all ecosystems; without them there would be no energy to flow through a food web.)
A: autotrophs

Q: The rate at which photoautotrophs incorporate energy from the sun is the ________ of an ecosystem.
- biomass (Incorrect. Biomass is the total mass of living or previously living organisms within a trophic level.)
- trophic level transfer efficiency (Incorrect. TLTE is the measurement of energy transfer efficiency between two successive trophic levels.)
- gross primary productivity (Correct. This is the overall rate at which photoautotrophs capture energy from the sun.)
A: gross primary productivity

Q: ________ illustrate(s) the relative amounts of energy or biomass across trophic levels.
- Net production efficiency (Incorrect. NPE quantifies how efficiently organisms of a particular trophic level incorporate the energy they receive into biomass.)
- Food webs (Incorrect. A food web is a graphic look at the non-linear interactions of primary producers, primary consumers, and higher-level consumers within an ecosystem.)
- Ecological pyramids (Correct. Ecological pyramids are used to visualize structure and the relative amount of parameters such as number of organisms or biomass across trophic levels within an ecosystem.)
A: Ecological pyramids

Q: The ________ is the area of the planet where water movement and storage occurs.
- waterway (Incorrect. A waterway is a route of travel by water.)
- liquidosphere (Incorrect. There is no liquidosphere.)
- hydrosphere (Correct. The hydrosphere includes liquid water on and beneath the surface as well as frozen water and atmospheric water vapor.)
A: hydrosphere

Q: ________ time is the average time an individual water molecule stays in a reservoir.
- Storage (Incorrect. Storage time is not the correct phrase.)
- Cyclic (Incorrect. Even though water does cycle through different reservoirs, the correct term is not cyclic time.)
- Residence (Correct. Water resides in different reservoirs for relatively standard amounts of time.)
A: Residence

Q: Minerals are cycled from land to water by rain and ________.
- sublimation (Incorrect. Sublimation does not move minerals from land to water.)
- subsurface water flow (Incorrect. Subsurface water flow does not move minerals from land to water.)
- surface runoff (Correct. These two processes have direct impacts on other biogeochemical cycles.)
A: surface runoff

Q: The ________ carbon cycle is the faster movement of carbon through ecosystems.
- biogeochemical (Incorrect. This process is generally slower, as it includes geologic phases such as soil, sediments, fossil fuels, and the Earth’s interior.)
- atmospheric (Incorrect. The atmosphere is simply a carbon reservoir; this carbon moves through both of the interconnected sub-cycles.)
- biological (Correct. Biological carbon exchange is the movement of carbon compounds, mainly in the form of high-energy carbon compounds, through living tissues. This is a relatively rapid process.)
A: biological

Q: The levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are greatly influenced by the ________ carbon reservoir.
- biological (Incorrect. The biological reservoir of carbon (lifeforms) does not have a large impact on the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.)
- terrestrial (Incorrect. Storage of carbon in soils or the land does not have a great impact on atmospheric carbon dioxide.)
- ocean (Correct. The ocean is a large reservoir for carbon; exchange between these two occurs readily.)
A: ocean

Q: The carbon footprint of humanity is largely influenced by ________.
- agricultural practices (Incorrect. This does contribute some to the total carbon footprint of humanity but is not the largest factor.)
- land management (Incorrect. This does contribute some to the total carbon footprint of humanity but is not the largest factor.)
- fossil fuel use (Correct. Fossil fuels are basically highly dense carbon storage; consuming these fuels releases carbon dioxide in large amounts as an inevitable by-product of utilizing this stored energy.)
A: fossil fuel use

Q: The majority of the atmosphere is ________.
- carbon dioxide (Incorrect. Carbon dioxide is found in the atmosphere, in increasing concentrations, but it is not the largest percentage.)
- ozone (Incorrect. Ozone is found in the atmosphere, but it is not the largest percentage.)
- nitrogen (Correct. Nitrogen gas comprises 78 percent of the atmosphere.)
A: nitrogen

Q: Nitrogen ________ must occur before biological organisms can incorporate atmospheric nitrogen into their macromolecules.
- remediation (Incorrect. Nitrogen remediation is not how nitrogen is incorporated into macromolecules in living organisms.)
- denitrification (Incorrect. This is the last step in the return of nitrogen to the atmosphere.)
- fixation (Correct. Bacteria are able to incorporate atmospheric nitrogen into their macromolecules through nitrogen fixation. That nitrogen can then be utilized by other organisms.)
A: fixation

Q: A major impact of human use of nitrogen compounds is ________.
- denitrification (Incorrect. This is the last step in the return of nitrogen to the atmosphere.)
- nitrification (Incorrect. Nitrification is the conversion of ammonia to nitrites.)
- eutrophication (Correct. Overuse of nitrogen fertilizers can result in runoff into waterways; these nutrients may then cause an excess growth of microorganisms.)
A: eutrophication

Q: ________ is often the limiting nutrient in aquatic ecosystems.
- Oxygen (Incorrect. There is usually sufficient oxygen in aquatic ecosystems.)
- Carbon (Incorrect. The ocean in particular is a major carbon reservoir.)
- Phosphorus (Correct. Phosphorus is usually the limiting nutrient that restricts growth in aquatic ecosystems.)
A: Phosphorus

Q: The movement of phosphate from the ocean to the land is ________.
- impossible (Incorrect. Phosphate ions will move from the ocean to the land.)
- extremely rapid (Incorrect. Phosphate has a long residence time in the ocean.)
- extremely slow (Correct. The average residence time of phosphate ions in the ocean is between 20,000 and 100,000 years.)
A: extremely slow

Q: Excess phosphorus and nitrogen in aquatic ecosystems is responsible for ________.
- hotspots (Incorrect. Excess nutrients do not cause ecological hotspots.)
- jubilees (Incorrect. A jubilee is a natural phenomenon in which many deeper water species will suddenly and in large numbers move into shallower coastal waters. This phenomenon has only been regularly documented in the Mobile Bay of Alabama. It is not caused by excess phosphorus and nitrogen.)
- dead zones (Correct. These areas are depleted of their normal flora and fauna; this is due to a eutrophication event that in turn leads to a depletion in dissolved oxygen. This is what kills the normal flora and fauna.)
A: dead zones

Q: Sulfur may move directly from the atmosphere to the land by ________.
- volcanic eruption (Incorrect. This releases sulfur into the atmosphere.)
- weathering (Incorrect. Weathering is the breakdown of sulfur-containing rocks that releases sulfur into the soil.)
- fallout (Correct. During fallout, sulfur will fall directly from the atmosphere to the soil.)
A: fallout

Q: Humans contribute sulfur to the atmosphere through ________.
- agricultural practices (Incorrect. Sulfur is released by the decomposition of organic matter, but agricultural practices do not contribute significant sulfur.)
- land management (Incorrect. This does not contribute much sulfur.)
- fossil fuel use (Correct. Burning fossil fuels releases large amounts of hydrogen sulfide gas into the atmosphere.)
A: fossil fuel use

Q: Atmospheric sulfur is largely ________.
- hydrogen sulfide (Incorrect. Hydrogen sulfide gas is how sulfur moves into the atmosphere, but once there it forms another compound.)
- sulfate (Incorrect. Sulfates are the compounds sulfur forms in marine and soil reservoirs.)
- sulfur dioxide (Correct. While in the atmosphere, sulfur forms a compound with oxygen to generate sulfur dioxide.)
A: sulfur dioxide

Q: ________ is the long-term, predictable atmospheric conditions of a specific area.
- Weather (Incorrect. Weather is a short-term process.)
- Clime (Incorrect. Clime is the weather for a region.)
- Climate (Correct. Climate is a long-term prediction of atmospheric conditions for an area, such as the idea of “summer” in Florida versus “winter” in Alaska.)
A: Climate

Q: Climate change would encompass which of the following?
- An abnormally large and dangerous hurricane (Incorrect. This is a specific weather event.)
- A dry summer within the Amazon rainforest (Incorrect. This does not represent “climate change” if it only happens once without repetition.)
- Two to three years with a shift in temperatures and rainfall for the average summer conditions in New York (Correct. Climate change is a consistent shift outside the normal climate for a location, not a temporary anomaly such as a heat wave that breaks.)
A: Two to three years with a shift in temperatures and rainfall for the average summer conditions in New York

Q: Scientists agree that climate change will ________.
- lead to the extinction of 40 percent of global species (Incorrect. Scientists predict a range of species extinctions as a possible outcome of climate change.)
- increase available freshwater as glaciers melt (Incorrect. Gradual melting and subsequent refreezing of poles, glaciers, and high elevation mountains is predicted to result in an overabundance of salt water, not fresh.)
- alter regional climates, leading to habitat loss (Correct. Regional and long term changes in average weather conditions will make environments less hospitable to the species that live in them.)
A: alter regional climates, leading to habitat loss

Q: ________ provide a key historical evidence of Earth’s past climate.
- Tree rings (Incorrect. Tree rings do not provide global climate data but instead local conditions and events only.)
- Rocks (Incorrect. Rocks are reservoirs of chemicals, but they do not capture changing conditions rapidly enough to serve as evidence for past climate characteristics.)
- Antarctic ice cores (Correct. Ice core samples can provide 400,000 years worth of data.)
A: Antarctic ice cores

Q: The Little Ice Age occurred between ________.
- 900 and 1300 AD (Incorrect. This was the Medieval Climate Anomaly, a warm period.)
- 1750 and the present (Incorrect. The Industrial Revolution began around 1750 and appears to have triggered a major shift in climatic conditions as a result of human activities.)
- 1550 and 1850 AD (Correct. The LIttle Ice Age was a cold period observed in North America and Europe.)
A: 1550 and 1850 AD

Q: Climate evidence shows that since the Industrial Revolution, atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have ________.
- cycled within historical ranges (Incorrect. Climate evidence does not indicate carbon dioxide has stayed within historical levels.)
- dropped below the previously highest levels (Incorrect. Carbon dioxide levels have not dropped below historical high levels.)
- steadily increased from the historically highest levels (Correct. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, atmospheric carbon dioxide levels did not surpass 300 ppm. Since then, the levels have steadily risen above this level.)
A: steadily increased from the historically highest levels

Q: Before the Industrial Era, ________ were a driver of climate change.
- human contributions to greenhouse gases (Incorrect. Humans did not contribute significant greenhouse gases before the Industrial Era began.)
- clathrates (Incorrect. Clathrates are frozen chunks of ice and methane at the ocean’s bottom.)
- Milankovitch cycles (Correct. Milankovitch cycles describe the impact of changes in the Earth’s orbit on climate.)
A: Milankovitch cycles

Q: There is a direct relationship between ________ and temperature.
- solar flares (Incorrect. Solar flares are sudden and temporary releases of energy from the sun’s surface; they do not last long enough to cause temperature shifts.)
- haze-effects (Incorrect. Haze-effects actually have an inverse relationship with temperature.)
- solar intensity (Correct. The more energy the sun emits, the higher temperatures will be.)
A: solar intensity

Q: Melting clathrates release ________, which accumulates in the atmosphere.
- carbon dioxide (Incorrect. Clathrates do not contain carbon dioxide.)
- nitrogen (Incorrect. Clathrates do not contain nitrogen.)
- methane (Correct. Clathrates are frozen ice and methane; when they melt, the methane is free to enter the atmosphere.)
A: methane

Q: Global warming has been associated with the ________ extinction.
- Triassic (Incorrect. The Triassic extinction has not been associated with a specific cause.)
- K-T (Incorrect. The Cretaceous K-Pg extinction (K-T) was caused by a cataclysmic impact of an asteroid.)
- Permian (Correct. A mass extinction occurred toward the end of the Permian period; this is directly linked with an extremely warm period in Earth’s geologic history.)
A: Permian

Q: Glacier recession has been directly observed in ________ National Park.
- Yellowstone (Incorrect. There are no glaciers in Yellowstone.)
- Denali (Incorrect. Denali is not a location with active glacier recession.)
- Glacier (Correct. The glaciers in this park located in Montana are undergoing retreat.)
A: Glacier

Q: The rate of sea level increase ________ between 1993 and 2010.
- remained near 1.8mm/year (Incorrect. This is the average rate of sea level increase, but not what was observed in this time period.)
- slowed to 1–1.8mm/year (Incorrect. The rate of sea level increase did not slow between 1993 and 2010.)
- raised to 2.9–3.4mm/year (Correct. Between 1993 and 2010, sea levels increased at a higher rate than the average of 1.8mm/year previously observed.)
A: raised to 2.9–3.4mm/year

Q: Humans impact from agricultural practices is often much larger in ________ regions.
- wet (Incorrect. Wetter climates often naturally support more life forms, and therefore require slightly less human interference.)
- all regions (Incorrect. Human activities do significantly alter natural systems, but some areas will experience greater negative effects.)
- dry (correct. Human-induced degradation in both land quality and the hydrological conditions is more severe in dry regions, because there is more human “interference” in the natural environment.)
A: dry

Q: Invasive species can cause genetic changes in native fauna by ________.
- triggering rapid mutation events (Incorrect. Invasive species do not alter the rate at which DNA mutations.)
- extreme competition for resources (Incorrect. While invasive species can often out-compete native fauna, this does not usually result in genetic changes. It can result in species loss.)
- interbreeding (Correct. When interbreeding occurs between invasive species and native fauna, genetic changes will absolutely occur. The impact of these changes cannot always be predicted.)
A: interbreeding

Q: Global transportation has its most significant environmental impact because it ________.
- produces the most air pollution (Incorrect. Vehicles are a major source of air pollutants, but this is not the most significant environmental impact of transportation.)
- alters habitats through road construction (Incorrect. There is absolutely an impact from major thoroughfare construction, but this is not the largest environmental impact from transportation.)
- burns most of the world’s oil (Correct. Transportation requires a lot of energy, nearly all of which comes from petroleum derivatives. Even electric cars have to be charged somehow.)
A: burns most of the world’s oil

Q: ________ diversity is the raw material that generates adaptation in species.
- General (Incorrect. General diversity assesses the number and kinds of species in an area. This is not the basis of species adaptation.)
- Ecosystem (Incorrect. Ecosystem diversity looks at the number of different ecosystems in the study area; this is not the basis of specie adaptation.)
- Genetic (Correct. Genetic diversity encompasses differences at the level of DNA; these differences are the foundation of how organisms adapt.)
A: Genetic

Q: ________ species are found in only a single location.
- Invasive (Incorrect. Invasive species are those that are found in a non-native environment.)
- Native (Incorrect. A native species is simply one found in a location in which it originally evolved.)
- Endemic (Correct. Especially when that location is small in area, endemic species are a key component of biodiversity at the local and global level.)
A: Endemic

Q: Biodiversity ________ at higher latitudes.
- is the same (Incorrect. Biodiversity is not the same across the latitudes.)
- increases (Incorrect. Biodiversity does not increase closer to the planet’s poles.)
- decreases (Correct. Biodiversity decreases near the poles; it is highest at the equator.)
A: decreases

Q: The K-T extinction is directly linked with ________.
- several possible causes (Incorrect. The Triassic extinction has not been associated with a specific cause.)
- global warming (Incorrect. The Permian mass extinction is directly linked with an extremely warm period in Earth’s geologic history.)
- a cataclysmic asteroid (Correct. The Cretaceous K-Pg extinction (K-T) was caused by a cataclysmic impact of an asteroid.)
A: a cataclysmic asteroid

Q: The largest mass extinction ever has been linked with ________.
- glaciation followed by warming (Incorrect. This caused the Ordovician-Silurian extinction, the second largest mass extinction.)
- an asteroid strike (Incorrect. The K-T extinction is linked to an asteroid strike; this was not the largest but since it killed the dinosaurs, it is perhaps the most recognized.)
- global warming (Correct. The Permian mass extinction is directly linked with an extremely warm period in Earth’s geologic history.)
A: global warming

Q: Since 1500 AD, ________ species have been driven to extinction by overhunting or overfishing.
- 380 (Incorrect. This is the number of species that have become extinction in this time; not all of these were caused by overfishing or overhunting.)
- no (Incorrect. Human overhunting and overfishing has definitely destroyed some species since 1500 AD.)
- 86 (Correct. The IUCN estimates that 86 out of 380 extinctions since 1500 AD were directly caused by overfishing or overhunting.)
A: 86

Q: Biodiversity plays a key role in identification of new ________.
- species (Incorrect. Species, known and unknown, are biodiversity. Whether or not we know about those species doesn’t change that.)
- colors (Incorrect. Colors can be developed by humans; biodiversity could possibly provide new dyes for achieving those colors but that is not a major factor.)
- medicines (Correct. Many organisms provide secondary compounds that have beneficial impacts on human health when used as therapeutics.)
A: medicines

Q: Humans have directly contributed to increased biodiversity through our ________.
- use of fossil fuels (Incorrect. Fossil fuel use corresponds to increased levels of greenhouse gases, which have an impact on global temperatures. Associated ecosystem changes reduces biodiversity.)
- hunting and fishing practices (Incorrect. A number of species have been overhunted or overfished to extinction: this decreases biodiversity.)
- agricultural efforts (Correct. Humans have increased biodiversity through our cultivation and selective breeding of agricultural species, including plants and animals.)
A: agricultural efforts

Q: The main source of animal protein from the wild are ________ populations.
- cows (Incorrect. There are very few wild populations of cows; most are farm-raised livestock.)
- reindeer (Incorrect. Some limited populations obtain most of their animal protein from reindeer herds but globally this is not a major source.)
- fish (Correct. Wild sources of animal proteins are often fish; nearly 1 billion people use aquatic resources for their primary source of animal proteins.)
A: fish

Q: Fundamentally, ________ are the current largest threat to global biodiversity.
- habitat losses (Incorrect. This is just one of the threats to biodiversity, but not the core threat.)
- changes in climate patterns (Incorrect. To date climate change has not had a large impact on biodiversity, though it is predicted to.)
- humans (Correct. The heart of most current threats to biodiversity are human activities, including resource exploitation and growth.)
A: humans

Q: Habitat loss in the tropics often directly correlates with species extinction due to ________.
- high density of species (Incorrect. High density of species correlates with a greater impact on biodiversity, but not necessarily extinctions.)
- low biodiversity (Incorrect. The tropics are extremely biodiverse.)
- high levels of endemic species (Correct. Many tropical species are endemic; therefore habitat loss can and will wipe out an entire species.)
A: high levels of endemic species

Q: ________ are particularly vulnerable to extinctions caused by invasive species.
- Urban areas (Incorrect. Urban areas are often full of introduced species but the act of urbanizing has already shifted the species composition to those that thrive in human-created environments.)
- Caves and forests (Incorrect. Caves and forests are not particularly vulnerable to invasive species-caused extinction events.)
- Lakes and islands (Correct. Lakes and islands are usually isolated habitats; therefore the impact of invasive species is more detrimental and native organisms cannot readily escape or move.)
A: Lakes and islands

Q: To date, ________ of eukaryotic species have been identified and named.
- about half (Incorrect. Half of all eukaryotic species have not been named.)
- more than 75 percent (Incorrect. Scientists have not identified nearly this many eukaryotic species.)
- less than 20 percent (Correct. Scientists have named 1.5 million species of eukaryotes, but predict there are many more million eukaryotic species globally.)
A: less than 20 percent

Q: Biological ________ are areas with high numbers of endemic species.
- hot zones (Incorrect. These areas are not described as hot zones.)
- reservoirs (Incorrect. These areas are not described as reservoirs.)
- hotspots (Correct. Areas particularly rich in endemic species are known as biological hotspots.)
A: hotspots

Q: There are 34 areas with high numbers of endemic species identified; these areas contain ________ of Earth’s endemic plants.
- less than 20 percent (Incorrect. Hotspots must include at least 1500 endemic plant species, so these 34 sites contain more than 20 percent of the endemic plants.)
- more than 75 percent (Incorrect. Current estimates are not this high.)
- about half (Correct. There are now 34 recognized hotspots, which contain about half of all the endemic plants on the planet.)
A: about half

Q: ________ is one method for recognizing existing biodiversity.
- Species counts (Incorrect. Species counts cannot accurately measure biodiversity; many species are not “obviously” different in appearance.)
- Examining museum specimens (Incorrect. Museum species, unfortunately, frequently identify species that have already gone extinct.)
- DNA barcoding (Correct. DNA barcoding is a molecular technique that allows scientists to rapidly characterize large numbers of eukaryotes, except plants.)
A: DNA barcoding

Q: One of the key tools in conservation efforts is ________.
- DNA barcoding (Incorrect. DNA barcoding helps us recognize biodiversity so we know what to protect, but is not conservation itself.)
- complete ban on hunting (Incorrect. Absolute bans on hunting of animals can offer protection for some species, but not all.)
- establishment of preserves (Correct. Preserves are set aside with some level of protection for the organisms that exist within that area.)
A: establishment of preserves

Q: Biodiversity can often be restored and maintained through ________.
- bans on hunting (Incorrect. Absolute bans on hunting of animals can offer protection for some species, but not all.)
- genetic engineering (Incorrect. While there have been proposals to “bring back” extinct species like the woolly mammoth, to date this is not used as a tool to restore and maintain biodiversity.)
- habitat restoration (Correct. Restoring natural habitats will help to maintain, and allow recovery of, biodiversity.)
A: habitat restoration