Environment The Science behind the Stories 5th Edition By Withgott - Test Bank

Environment The Science behind the Stories 5th Edition By Withgott – Test Bank

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Sample Questions Are Posted Below

MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.
Use the accompanying figure to answer the following questions.
1) This graph helps to explain ________.
A) why the open ocean is so productive
B) the importance of deserts
C) why we need to be concerned with damage to rainforests and coral reefs
D) why tundra has such high net primary productivity of biomass
E) why cultivated lands are a logical choice to replace rainforests
1)
2) Recall that areas with high net primary productivity not only produce high levels of biomass
rapidly, they also take up large amounts of CO2 and give off large amounts of oxygen. What is the
likely result of the increasing amounts of fertilizers in the major rivers emptying into oceans?
A) Eutrophication, followed by hypoxia, is a likely result, ultimately leading to less CO2 uptake
and less oxygen released.
B) Fisheries will improve as the extra nutrients feed shellfish and fish.
C) Eutrophication, followed by hypoxia, is a likely result, ultimately leading to less CO2 uptake
and more oxygen released.
D) Productivity in these areas will increase permanently, leading to more CO2 uptake and more
oxygen released.
E) Eutrophication, followed by hypoxia, is a likely result, ultimately leading to more CO2
uptake and more oxygen released.
2)
3) Overall, it appears that biomes with more available fresh water ________.
A) don’t differentiate between fresh water as rainfall and fresh water as ice in glaciers
B) tend to have about the same productivity as those without much fresh water
C) tend to have more productivity than those without much fresh water
D) tend to have less productivity than those without much fresh water
E) No real conclusions can be drawn.
3)
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SHORT ANSWER. Write the word or phrase that best completes each statement or answers the question.
Match the following.
A) hydrosphere
B) ecosystem
C) transpiration
D) water table
E) evaporation
F) biosphere
G) atmosphere
H) condensation
I) lithosphere
J) aquifer
K) biomass
L) precipitation
4) Matter contained in living organisms 4)
5) The solid earth beneath our feet 5)
6) The process by which water moves from Earth’s surface (such as in lakes or rivers) to the
atmosphere
6)
7) Release of water vapor by plants through their leaves 7)
8) Upper limit of groundwater in soil or rocks 8)
9) Water returns from the clouds to Earth’s surface as this 9)
MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.
10) ________ is any network of relationships among a group of components, which interact with and
influence one another through the exchange of energy, matter, or information.
A) A system
B) An interchange
C) Hierarchy
D) An ecosystem
E) An environmental collaboration
10)
11) A system stabilized by negative feedback, with opposing processes offsetting each other, is said to
be in ________.
A) normal balance
B) environmental balance
C) harmonic resonance
D) static control
E) dynamic equilibrium
11)
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12) In some areas, cattle on an open range may compact fragile soils while grazing. This can damage
plant roots, leading to fewer, smaller plants, which may in turn cause cattle to graze more and
work harder to obtain food. This is an example of a ________.
A) food web
B) dynamic equilibrium
C) homeostatic system
D) positive feedback loop
E) negative feedback loop
12)
13) The eutrophication that has taken place in Chesapeake Bay, the Gulf of Mexico, and other locations
appears to be due to ________.
A) excess nutrients from fertilizers
B) heavy metals dumped in the sewage
C) weather alone, because it is only obvious in the summer
D) pesticide use along the waterways
E) global warming from human use of fossil fuels
13)
14) What are Earth’s structural spheres?
A) lithosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere
B) centrosphere, geosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere
C) geosphere and atmosphere
D) lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere
E) lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere
14)
15) The majority of Earth’s fresh water exists ________.
A) in the atmosphere
B) in the form of ice
C) in freshwater lakes, streams, and rivers
D) in the oceans
E) in groundwater
15)
16) Containing elements of both forests and coastal marshes, the swamplands of extreme southern
Louisiana would be an example of ________.
A) a superbiome
B) a closed ecosystem
C) an abiotic system
D) an ecotone
E) a dead zone
16)
17) The first essential step in changing atmospheric nitrogen into more usable NH3 is called ________.
A) biogeochemical cycling
B) N-fixation
C) ammonification
D) nitrification
E) denitrification
17)
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18) The biosphere is best defined as ________.
A) all Earth’s organisms and the nonliving environment with which they interact
B) a grouping of plants and animals that interact with one another
C) a regional grouping of plants, animals, and abiotic factors
D) all living and nonliving parts, including the flow of energy and matter
E) all Earth’s organisms and their physical and aquatic environment where energy and matter
are cycled
18)
19) The biosphere consists of the ________.
A) sum of all the planet’s living organisms and the abiotic portions of the environment with
which they interact
B) air surrounding our planet, plus the water we drink
C) saltwater and fresh water in surface bodies and the atmosphere
D) solid earth beneath our feet, plus the air we breathe
E) abiotic portions of the environment
19)
20) Ecotones are the ________.
A) areas between territories of organisms
B) transitional zones between ecosystems
C) sounds that animal communities make in ecosystems
D) studies of specific biomes by ecologists
E) interactive behaviors leading to communication
20)
21) Biodiversity is partially influenced by net primary productivity. Where can the highest terrestrial
rates of NPP be found?
A) deciduous forests
B) polar regions
C) tundra
D) tropical rainforests
E) deserts
21)
22) Macronutrients ________.
A) are the only nutrients that can be tracked in nutrient cycles
B) are large molecules necessary for making macromolecules
C) are required in large amounts for organisms to survive
D) are what large predators eat
E) can only be taken up by plants from rock cycles
22)
23) Experiments done in Canadian lakes and in coastal regions of the Baltic Sea and Long Island
Sound have demonstrated that ________.
A) the only micronutrient that is important is carbon
B) only one micronutrient, phosphorus (phosphates), limits growth throughout the world
C) various macronutrients appear to limit growth throughout the world
D) only one micronutrient, nitrogen (nitrates), limits growth throughout the world
E) the same few micronutrients limit growth throughout the world
23)
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24) The largest pool of carbon in the carbon cycle is ________.
A) the hydrosphere
B) in plants and animals
C) sedimentary rock
D) the atmosphere
E) the ocean
24)
25) The phosphorus in all biological tissues can traced back to ________.
A) phosphorus dissolved in the ocean and taken up by shellfish
B) phosphorus weathered from rock
C) atmospheric phosphorus gas
D) phosphorus in animal bones
E) volcanic activities
25)
26) Negative feedback processes tend to function within ecosystems to ________.
A) stabilize the ecosystem
B) reinforce harmful changes
C) cause ecological relationships to flourish
D) cause ecological relationships to disintegrate
E) cause further ecological destruction
26)
27) Nitrogen fixation is a process that makes nitrogen available to plants and is carried out by
________.
A) plants during photosynthesis
B) volcanic eruptions
C) nitrogen gas dissolving in fresh water and in the ocean
D) mutualistic and free‑living bacteria
E) parasitic bacteria
27)
28) Humans have dramatically altered the rate of nitrogen fixation into forms usable by autotrophs
________.
A) due to the burning of fossil fuels to meet our energy needs
B) by producing synthetic fertilizers and applying them to crops, lawns, and parks
C) by using antibiotics to reduce the numbers of denitrifying bacteria
D) because of the erosion of farmlands through poor agricultural practices
E) by selectively removing leguminous plants
28)
29) Aquifers are ________.
A) oceans
B) the result of transpiration
C) underground water reservoirs
D) natural ponds and lakes
E) recharge lakes at water quality facilities
29)
30) By damming rivers, we are ________.
A) decreasing evaporation
B) decreasing transpiration
C) increasing transpiration while decreasing evaporation
D) increasing transportation
E) increasing evaporation
30)
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31) Mutualistic relationships between bacteria and certain root nodules play an important role in the
global cycling of ________.
A) nitrogen
B) rock
C) water
D) carbon
E) phosphorus
31)
32) Ecological modeling ________.
A) is a form of ecosystem restoration
B) has so far proven useless in predicting ecological events
C) has been rejected because it requires the dismantling and dissecting of a functioning
ecosystem
D) involves constructing and testing simplified representations of ecological systems
E) is used by evolutionary biologist to predict future evolutionary events
32)
33) Ecological modeling can help us ________ ecosystem services.
A) understand
B) replace destroyed
C) decrease the cost of maintaining
D) create many new
E) control the growth of
33)
34) In an aquatic ecosystem experiencing eutrophication, levels of dissolved macronutrients ________
and dissolved oxygen levels ________.
A) increase; increase
B) increase; decease
C) decrease; decrease
D) remain stable; increase
E) decrease; increase
34)
ESSAY. Write your answer in the space provided or on a separate sheet of paper.
35) Compare and contrast positive and negative feedback loops. Give an example of each and how common each
is in natural systems.
36) Give a brief overview of the carbon cycle. Include the source of carbon that enters ecosystems, how it moves
through ecosystems, what it is used for, and where it is ultimately deposited. What part of this cycle is believed
to contribute to global warming?
37) Human activity has affected every aspect of the nitrogen cycle. List the ways that humans have altered
nitrogen content starting with how nitrogen becomes available to producers, where it goes, and what impacts it
has. What are the ecological concerns regarding the dramatic changes people have made in the global nitrogen
cycle?
38) Human activity has affected every aspect of the water cycle. Identify three ways that humans have altered the
water cycle. What are the major concerns regarding our alteration of the water cycle?
39) Describe the hypotheses and the results obtained in the FACE (Free-Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment) project.
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40) What factors contribute to the “dead zone” in Chesapeake Bay?
41) Define the term emergent properties and give an example from a natural system.
42) Identify the anthropogenic sources of phosphorus, and explain why they are a problem.
43) How and why do ecologists use GIS software?
MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.
Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.
In the early years of the 20th century there were lush stands of tall grasses in the valley on the east side of the Chiricahua
Mountains in Arizona, stretching to Mexico on the south and New Mexico on the east. Dramatic summer rainstorms
dumped huge amounts of water, very quickly, on the rocky upper slopes. The water ran down the slopes and into the
grasslands, where it quickly soaked into the soft, porous soil where prairie dogs were active. Cattle ranching was in full
swing, utilizing the rich grasses, but the ranchers did not appreciate the multitudes of prairie dogs that lived in the
grasslands. Prairie dogs constantly dig through soil, making new burrows and eating grasses, roots and all. It was
commonly believed that cattle would stumble in the prairie dog holes, break legs, and die of starvation. In addition, many
ranchers were convinced that the prairie dogs would destroy the grasses because they directly competed with the cattle for
food. The ranchers had already done away with most predators that might possibly affect cattle, and now they turned their
attention to the prairie dogs. The ranchers became a part of a new federally sponsored movement to poison the grassland
prairie dogs. This movement took root and spread through the 1920s and 1930s.
44) Prairie dog activities probably contribute to ________.
A) the localized extinction of prairie grasses
B) the soil being loose and to nutrient cycling, allowing new grass roots to grow and prosper
C) the grass roots being subject to diseases
D) the soil being loose and to little nutrient cycling, causing grasses to fall over
E) the soil hardening during rains and to little nutrient cycling, causing grasses to die
44)
45) When the rains came down on the rocky mountainsides, the water ran down into the grasslands
where the prairie dogs were active and ________.
A) quickly evaporated, drying the loose soil
B) quickly soaked into the loose soil, watering the grasses
C) quickly ran off the loose soil, eroding the soil
D) gathered atop the loose soil, forming large muddy spots
E) formed ponds
45)
46) In the late 1800s and early 1900s farmers and ranchers slaughtered coyotes, bobcats, wolves,
mountain lions, eagles, and rattlesnakes, trying to protect their cattle. One direct result may have
been ________.
A) a decrease in the prairie dog population
B) an increase in soil quality
C) an increase in the prairie dog population
D) an increase in predation
E) a decrease in soil quality
46)
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47) Once the prairie dogs were poisoned and no longer a part of the ecosystem, which of the following
probably occurred?
A) Soils slowly became looser because of the cattle, so soil moisture increased.
B) Soils slowly became looser because of the cattle, decreasing infiltration of moisture into the
soil.
C) Soils slowly became looser because of the cattle, so fewer nutrients were recycled.
D) Soils slowly compacted because of the cattle, decreasing infiltration of moisture into the soil.
E) Soils slowly compacted because of the cattle, increasing infiltration of moisture into the soil.
47)
48) In a previous chapter you read about “keystone species.” How do the prairie dogs in this story
meet the definition of a keystone species?
A) When the prairie dogs were removed, the cattle declined; this meets the definition of a
keystone species.
B) Their burrows caused cattle to break their legs and die. This made them directly responsible
for the welfare of another species, which meets the definition of a keystone species.
C) Their burrows loosened the soil and served as homes for other species; they helped with
nutrient recycling. They helped water infiltrate into the soil and kept soil loose for grass roots.
When they were removed, the system deteriorated.
D) They don’t meet the definition of a keystone species; the system did fine without them. The
predators turned to cattle, and the grasses did better in the compact soil.
E) The availability of prairie dogs kept the predators in check; when they were removed, the
predator populations grew dramatically. They kept the soil aerated and compact.
48)
49) One of the conclusions that can be drawn from this scenario is that ________.
A) cattle improved the soils, contributing to this ecosystem.
B) prairie dogs were part of a negative feedback loop once they were removed.
C) prairie dogs were unimportant components of this ecosystem; their removal caused no
subsequent problems.
D) predators were unimportant components of this ecosystem; their removal caused no
subsequent problems.
E) once humans change one thing in an ecosystem, they may find unexpected results occurring
elsewhere in the ecosystem.
49)
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Answer Key
Testname: UNTITLED9
1) C
2) A
3) C
4) K
5) I
6) E
7) C
8) D
9) L
10) A
11) E
12) D
13) A
14) E
15) B
16) D
17) B
18) A
19) A
20) B
21) D
22) C
23) E
24) C
25) B
26) A
27) D
28) B
29) C
30) E
31) A
32) D
33) A
34) B
35) A system’s output can serve as input to that same system, a circular process described as a feedback loop. In a
negative feedback loop, output from a system being pushed in one direction acts as input that moves the system in the
opposite direction. The output and input essentially neutralize one another, stabilizing the system. An example would
be the regulation of our body temperature. Negative feedback loops are relatively common in nature. In a positive
feedback loop, inputs don’t stabilize a system but drive them further toward one extreme or another. An example of
this process in natural systems is erosion. These are relatively rare in nature but are common in natural systems
altered by human actions.
36) Plants take up CO2 from the atmosphere and then incorporate the carbon into their tissue. Animals then eat plants
and gain carbon. Carbon is used for all the tissues and molecules of living organisms, such as carbohydrates, fats, and
proteins, and as an essential ingredient in DNA. When animals and plants die, their tissues are metabolized by
decomposers and much partially degraded biomass (especially from plants) is then deposited into soils. At each stage
along the way, some carbon is released back to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. The use of fossil fuels (previously
undecomposed organic materials) causes stored CO2 to be released to the atmosphere. This is occurring at very high
rates and is contributing to global warming.
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Answer Key
Testname: UNTITLED9
37) Humans have spent a great deal of money on producing and distributing nitrogen and have doubled the amount of
nitrogen available for use by plants. The Haber-Bosch process allows us to fix nitrogen into usable molecules. We
have increased the amount of nitrogen that makes its way into waterways, mostly as runoff from fertilizer. This has
caused alterations in terrestrial community composition and eutrophication in water systems. We have also increased
the distribution of nitrogen through atmospheric pollution, primarily from nitrogen oxides resulting from burning
fossil fuels, that then comes down as acid rain. Concerns include climate change through increased concentrations of
nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas, depleted nutrients from soils, eutrophication of surface waters, and acidified surface
water and soils.
38) Humans have dammed rivers to create reservoirs, resulting in increased evaporation and infiltration of surface water
into aquifers. We have also removed vegetation from many areas so infiltration into the soil, transpiration, and return
of water to the atmosphere have all slowed, increasing runoff and erosion. Furthermore, our withdrawals of surface
water and groundwater for agriculture, industry, and domestic uses deplete rivers, lakes, and streams and lower
water tables.
One concern for the future will be shortages of potable water. Shortages in specific areas of many countries are
already evident. Groundwater is being removed at high rates due to agriculture and manufacturing in this country.
Water tables in previously plentiful aquifers are dropping at rapid rates and may ultimately limit agricultural
production and manufacturing, as well as the availability of clean, fresh water supplies for people worldwide.
39) This ambitious project was designed to determine whether forests could be a possible factor in removing and
sequestering CO2 in a future challenged by global climate change. To test this hypothesis, forests in several U.S. and
international locations were doused with huge amounts of CO2 which simulated a 50% rise in ambient levels. Some of
the things learned so far are that elevated CO2 levels increase photosynthesis and tree growth but that the rates of
growth eventually slow and level off. The increased biomass still falls to the forest floor where it is metabolized by
decomposers, releasing the fixed carbon back into the atmosphere as CO2. Also, the elevated CO2 levels may delay
leaf aging, resulting in higher tree mortality from frost damage in winter. Finally, in some cases the insect pests of
forest trees tended to increase under experimental conditions.
40) There has been a rapid acceleration of anthropogenic fixing of atmospheric nitrogen and releasing it into the
hydrosphere. This is manifested through fertilizer runoff into the waterways feeding into Chesapeake Bay. There
excess nitrogen and phosphorus, combined with more nutrient loading from sewage discharge, has contributed to a
rise in phytoplankton biomass. The excess biomass is partly eaten by consumers but a large amount sediments out as
dead material and is metabolized by benthic decomposers. All of this increased aerobic metabolism depletes the
waters of essential dissolved oxygen, leading to a hypoxic dead zone.
41) Emergent properties are characteristics of a system that are not evident in the system’s components (the whole is
greater than the sum of its parts). The component parts of a tree (leaves, branches, roots, bole) do not lead to the whole
tree’s emergent properties as a source of shade for understory vegetation, a home for birds and insects, a rich resource
filled with nectar and pollen during flowering season, and/or a source of food for many organisms in the form of fruits
or nuts.
42) The major anthropogenic source of phosphorus is effluent from sewage treatments, which tends to be phosphate rich.
Fertilizers also provide large amounts of anthropogenic phosphorus, and many detergents play a part as well.
Introduction of phosphates from all of these sources into surface waters causes eutrophication and algal growth,
leading to murkier waters, hypoxic zones, and other changes in the structure and function of ecosystems.
43) GIS (geographic information system) software is used by landscape ecologists to analyze and visualize how
geographic elements of a landscape are arrayed spatially. The elements can be arranged as layers to form a composite
map, useful for mapping niches of various species and establishing management strategies for any landscape, natural
or urban.
44) B
45) B
46) C
47) D
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Answer Key
Testname: UNTITLED9
48) C
49) E
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