Practice Test - Miniunit Zeta

  1. Which of the following is an autrotroph?

    a. caribou
    b. deer
    c. mushroom
    d. maple tree
    e. rat

  2. A community of organisms functioning together and interacting with their physical environment through a flow of energy and a cycling of materials.

    a. habitat
    b. community
    c. niche
    d. ecosystem
    e. biosphere

  3. A snake that eats mice is a ________.

    a. primary producer
    b. decomposer
    c. primary consumer
    d. secondary consumer

  4. A measurement of dry weight of organic matter at the various trophic levels is called a pyramid of:

    a. numbers
    b. energy flow
    c. species
    d. biomass (standing crop)

  5. Two usuable forms of nitrogen used commonly by plants are nitrates (NO3) and ammonia (NH3).

    a. true
    b. false

  6. Even though nitrogen gas makes up 78 % of the atmosphere, nitrogen defieiency commonly limits plant growth.

    a. true
    b. false

  7. Nitrogen fixation may be carried out by certain soil bacteria that convert nitrogen gas(N2) in air into ammonia (NH3).

    a. true
    b. false

  8. Zone of maximum organic accumulation (humus):

    a. sand layer
    b. topsoil
    c. clay
    d. bedrock

  9. In which of the following would you expect to find the more fertile soil (rich in organic matter)?

    a. coniferous forest
    b. deciduous forest
    c. grasslands

  10. Complex, interconnected feeding relationships between all the species in a community.

    a. ecosystem
    b. habitat
    c. food web
    d. food chain
    e. niche

  11. When succession occurs on a site previously occupied by vegetation, it is called _____ .

    a. primary succession
    b. secondary succession
    c. ecological succession
    d. climax

  12. Ecosystems become more stable as they mature.

    a. true
    b. false

  13. Which ecosystem is the most stable?

    a. area under intensive agriculture
    b. oak-hickory forest (climax)
    c. cornfield
    d. pasture

  14. The science which seeks to discover how organisms affect and are affected by their environment is known as:

    a. biometry
    b. demography
    c. limnology
    d. ecology
    e. climatology

  15. That place on earth which receives the most energy from the sun is the _______.

    a. northern hemisphere
    b. southern hemisphere
    b. equator
    b. polar region

  16. An increase of carbon dioxide levels inthe atmosphere will cause an increase in the daily average temperature.

    a. true
    b. false

  17. Rates of secondary succession vary widely depending on the amount of disturbance, the climate, and the temperature and the type of climatic community.

    a. true
    b. false

  18. Identify the biome visited from the journal of this famous naturalist: "I perceived trees towering 160 feet form the upper story and below these giants a layer of tall trees (understory) so densely packed that very little light penetrates through t heir canopy. Abundant orchids - I see a jungle cat and a scarlet macaw."

    a. tundra
    b. temperate deciduous forest
    c. temperate grasslands (prarie)
    d. tropical rain forest
    e. savanna

  19. Of what biome does this famous explorer speak? "After working my way up the Missouri River, I set out on horseback heading westward. As I went on, the forest trees receded and the undulating terrain became as level and uneventuful as a table-t op covered with lush grasses which nourished enormous herds of ungainly buffalo and antelope."

    a. tundra
    b. temperature deciduous forest
    c. temperate grassland (prarie)
    d. tropical rain forest
    e. savanna

  20. Soils of tropical rainforest are:

    a. productive of a wide variety of crops for many years
    b. hard clay soils due to high temperature and rainfall lead to rapid decomposition thus preventing build up of organic material in soil-nutrients tied up in living parts
    c. relatively fertile soil high amount of organic material
    d. rich in mineral nutrients

  21. This biome supports the greatest number of different types of large herbivores (giraffe, zebra, elephant) of all the biomes.

    a. deciduous forest
    b. temperate grasslands
    c. savanna
    d. tundra

  22. Shading yourself from the sun by day and shivering from a 30 degree drop in temperature after the sun goes down:

    a. tundra
    b. taiga
    c. pacific coniferous forest
    d. desert
    e. deciduous forest

  23. This biome is characterized by have a very short growing season (50 days). Permafrost present that halts root growth. Relatively few plants and animals.

    a. desert
    b. savanna
    c. tropical rain forest
    d. arctic tundra
    e. temperature grasslands

  24. The characteristic vegetation of the tundra biome is:

    a. maple and basswood
    b. maple and beech
    c. hemlock, white pine
    d. short grasses sedges and lichens due to the prescence of a permafrost

  25. The deciduous forest is characterized by its trees dropping its leaves seasonally due to the prevention of a loss of water during the dry or cold season.

    a. true
    b. false

  26. Lakes and ponds can be divided into life zones: firstly, the ______, shallow area along the waters edge.

    a. profundal zone
    b. littoral zone
    c. aphotic zone
    d. photic zone

  27. Highly fertile with deep black topsoil(humus):

    a. coniferous forest
    b. deciduous forest
    c. grassland

  28. The greatest concentration of marine life inhabits the shallow coastal waters or _______ zone.

    a. euphotic
    b. plankton
    c. neritic
    d. benthic

  29. The sun powers the biosphere. Approximately what percent of the energy is used by the producers?

    a. less than 2%
    b. 10%
    c. 70%
    d. greater than 80%

  30. Which molecules found in the atmosphere are responsible for heat retention?

    a. CO2 ,H2O
    b. O2, N2
    c. H2O, O2
    d. N2, H2

  31. Biomes are large collections of communities.

    a. true
    b. false

  32. Which of the following is not true for a 'tropical rain forest'?

    a. Plants compete for light
    b. Constant daylength throughout the year
    c. Contain more species of plants and animals than do all other biomes
    d. Very little light penetrates the canopy.
    e. Rate of decomposition slow.

  33. Which of the following is not true concerning the savanna?

    a. grassland with scattered individual trees
    b. three distinct seasons(cool/dry,hot/dry,wet/hot)
    c. large herbivores present
    d. conifers present in large numbers

  34. In the savanna, an increase in rainfall will cause an increase in A and a decrease of B.

    a. (A) tree number (B) grasses
    b. (A) grasses (B) tree number
    c. (A) tree number (B) animal species
    d. (A) animal species (B) grasses

  35. Grasslands occur where rainfall is greater than 20 cm but insufficient to support trees.

    a. true
    b. false

  36. Which biome is characteristic in supporting plants which store water in juicy stems, long roots,modified leaves called spines.

    a. Temperate deciduous forest
    b. Chaparral
    c. Grasslands
    d. Desert

    Questions 37-39: Choose the correct statement from the list below which matches with the correct biome.

  37. Tundra:

    a. Enormous stretches of coniferous trees
    b. Virtually a treeless vegetation dominated with grasses, sedges, and lichens (permafrost)
    c. Plankton present in large amounts
    d. Sessile animals such as sponges present
    e. Cold weather does not impose limits on the vegetation (grasses) but the lack of water does

  38. Taiga (Coniferous forest):

    a. Enormous stretches of coniferous trees
    b. Virtually a treeless vegetation dominated with grasses, sedges, and lichens (permafrost)
    c. Plankton present in large amounts
    d. Sessile animals such as sponges present
    e. Cold weather does not impose limits on the vegetation (grasses) but the lack of water does

  39. Savannas:

    a. Enormous stretches of coniferous trees
    b. Virtually a treeless vegetation dominated with grasses, sedges, and lichens (permafrost)
    c. Plankton present in large amounts
    d. Sessile animals such as sponges present
    e. Cold weather does not impose limits on the vegetation (grasses) but the lack of water does

  40. Autotrophs are organisms which are usually photosynthetic.

    a. true
    b. false

  41. The first trophic level of a food level is occupied by ____.

    a. consumers
    b. producers
    c. decomposers

  42. Elemental atmospheric nitrogen N2 can be directly used to synthesize amino acids.

    a. true
    b. false

  43. Which of the following systems will support the larger number of consumers?

    a. desert
    b. warm tidal marsh

  44. Snakes belong to which tropic level?

    a. producers
    b. secondary consumers
    c. primary consumers

  45. In a food web the number of heterotrophs must equal the number of autotrophs.

    a. true
    b. false

  46. Which of the following is not a principal stage of the nitrogen cycle?

    a. nitrification
    b. ammonification
    c. nitrogen fixation
    d. condensation synthesis

  47. What process fixes carbon dioxide which is released during the burning of fossil fuels into macromolecules?

    a. respiration
    b. carbonization
    c. photosynthesis
    d. carbonate synthesis

  48. When succession ceases in an area, or slows down the stable mature community is called the ____ community.

    a. final
    b. successive
    c. climax
    d. high turnover

  49. The functional role of an organism in the ecosystem is termed:

    a. ecological niche
    b. ecological pyramid
    c. habitat
    d. biome

  50. Nitrogen fixation is part of the nitrogen cycle.

    a. true
    b. false

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Last modified October 27, 1997.