NAME:

BIOLOGY 357 EXAM 1 SPRING 2014

FORM A
1. Which of the following is (are) the primary focus of Conservation Ecology:
A. the interaction of plants and animals
B. the study of populations
C. the response(s) of individual organisms to abiotic factors (light, temperature, nutrients, etc.)
D. maintenance of biological diversity
E. A and C
F. B and D
G. All of the above
H. None of the above

2. Which of the following statements are true concerning nitrogen and the nitrogen cycle?
A. mineralization is the process in which bacterial decompose amino acids which are oxidized to
carbon dioxide, water, and ammonia.
B. the atmosphere is composed of approximately 20% nitrogen
C. conversion of forests and grasslands results in a steady decline in nitrogen content of the soil.
D. nitrogen is highly abundant and easily available to all forms of life
E. A and C
F. B and D
G. All of the above
H. None of the above

3. All of the following organisms are important agents of decomposition EXCEPT?

A. soil invertebrate animals
B. plants
C. bacteria
D. fungi
E. A and C
F. B and D
G. All of the above
H. None of the above

4. The fate of incoming solar radiation includes which of the following:

A. reflected by clouds and atmosphere back to space
B. reflected by Earth's surface
C. absorbed by dust, water vapor, CO2
D. absorbed by Earth
E. A and C
F. B and D
G. None of the above
H. All of the above
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5. Biological fixation depends upon what type of organisms:
A. bacteria
B. viruses
C. zooplankton
D. invertebrates
E. A and C
F. B and D
G. None of the above
H. All of the above

6. Which of the following factors affect primary production:

A. amount of precipitation
B. range of temperatures
C. day length
D. availability of nutrients
E. A and C
F. B and D
G. All of the above
H. None of the above

7. Restoration Ecology
A. focuses upon biological diversity
B. is concerned with the restoration and management of disturbed lands
C. is the basis of plant ecology
D. attempts to return a particular habitat or ecosystem to pre-degraded conditions
E. A and C
F. B and D
G. None of the above
H. All of the above

8. Which of the statements is (are) true concerning phosphorus and the phosphorus cycle?
A. available phosphorus generally occurs in minute quantities
B. the main reservoir of phosphorus is in the Earths crust
C. phosphorus is a critical element in living organisms
D. addition of excess phosphorus to lentic ecosystems causes eutrophication
E. A and C
F. B and D
G. None of the above
H. All of the above

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9. The presence of vegetation affects the local climate by:
A. altering wind movement
B. decreasing evaporation
C. increasing moisture content
D. moderating temperatures
E. A and C
F. B and D
G. None of the above
H. All of the above

10. Charles S. Elton was an English ecologist known for his contributions to which of the
following
A. defined the concept of food chains
B. studied the impact of introduced species on natural systems
C. researched animal behavior
D. conservation
E. A and C
F. B and D
G. All of the above
H. None of the above

11. Which of the following situations is an example of the First Law of Thermodynamics as
applied to an ecological setting?
A. as energy is transferred from one organism to another in the form of food, a large part of the
energy is degraded as heat through metabolic activity, with a net increase in entropy.
B. energy transfer increases from one organism to another
C. plants and animals cannot create energy but can convert it from one form to another
D. energy transfer from plants to animals is nearly 100%
E. A and C
F. B and D
G. All of the above
H. None of the above

12. Which of the following statements is true concerning plants and animals in a natural
environment:
A. the efficiency of plants in converting sunlight to primary production is about 1%
B. the efficiency of carnivores in converting animal material to secondary production is
approximately 50%
C. the efficiency of herbivores in converting plant material to secondary production is around
10%
D. the efficiency of plants in converting sunlight to primary production is about 25%
E. A and C
F. B and D
G. All of the above
H. None of the above

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13. Which of the following could be considered definitions of ecology?
A. the scientific study of the distribution and abundance of animals
B. the study of structure and function of nature
C. study of the interactions that determine the distribution and abundance of organisms
D. study of the principles which govern temporal and spatial patterns for assemblages or
organisms
E. A and C
F. B and D
G. All of the above
H. None of the above

14. Some characteristics of the sulfur cycle include:

A. a short-term sedimentary phase
B. most sulfur can be found in the oceans
C. sulfur is released naturally through global warming
D. very little sulfur is released by industrial activities and burning coal
E. A and C
F. B and D
G. All of the above
H. None of the above

15. Energy consumed by secondary consumers can be:

A. lost as heat
B. passed as waste
C. used in maintenance
D. used for growth
E. A and C
F. B and D
G. All of the above
H. None of the above

16. Which of the following statements are true concerning acid rain?
A. the main constituent of acid rain is carbon
B. acid rain has only minor affects on forested ecosystems
C. the main components of acid rain are from power plants, industrial complexes, and motor
vehicles
D. acid rain can enhance aquatic ecosystems by making phosphorus more available
E. A and C
F. B and D
G. All of the above
H. None of the above

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17. A hypothesis can be defined as:
A. a statistically valid argument
B. a statement about an observation that can be tested.
C. thermal stratification of an aquatic environment
D. a generalization based upon data

18. Seasonal variation in temperature and day length is due to the

A. tilt of the Earth's axis
B. greenhouse effect
C. latitudinal variation in solar radiation striking the Earth's surface
D. spinning of the Earth on its axis

19. The main reason animals seek shelter from the environment is:
A. to avoid predators
B. to avoid thermal extremes
C. increase mating success
D. to have somewhere to sleep

20. As applied to ecological settings, the Second Law of Thermodynamics predicts that:
A. energy cannot be created or destroyed, but can be converted to other forms.
B. energy transfer increases from one organism to another.
C. as energy is transferred from one organism to another in the form of food, a large part of the
energy is degraded as heat through metabolic activity, with a net increase in entropy.
D. energy transfer from plants to animals is nearly 100%.

21. Which organism is most likely to have the LOWEST assimilation efficiency?
A. an ectothermic carnivore, such as a snake
B. an endothermic herbivore, such as a deer
C. an endothermic carnivore, such as a lion
D. an ectothermic herbivore, such as a grasshopper

22. In the vicinity of the Equator, air typically

A. descends, warms, and precipitates.
B. descends, warms, and is dry.
C. rises, cools, and precipitates.
D. rises, cools, and is dry.

23. Deductive reasoning can be defined as:

A. reasoning which uses physics as a base
B. predictions that can be tested based upon experiments
C. predictions based upon laws
D. a generalization based upon empirical data

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24. Assimilation efficiency is a measure of?
A. the amount of biomass produced in a year.
B. the efficiency of photosynthesis.
C. the efficiency of the consumer at extracting energy from the food source.
D. energy remaining after secondary production.
E. the efficiency of a consumer in incorporating assimilated energy into growth.

25. Some variation in the solar radiation striking the Earth's surface is linked to ________
activity.
A. glacial
B. sunspot
C. La Nia
D. El Nio

26. The English economist who wrote that human population "increases in a geometrical ratio"
and would soon exceed the Earth's capacity to support it was
A. Wallace.
B. Mendel.
C. Hutton.
D. Lyell.
E. Malthus.

27. Which of the following is a measure of the amount of accumulated organic matter found on
a given area at a given time.
A. Net Primary Production
B. Productivity
C. Standing Crop Biomass
D. Gross Primary Production

28. Which of the following gases in the atmosphere is NOT considered a greenhouse gas?
A. water vapor
B. nitrogen
C. ozone
D. carbon dioxide

29. A temperature inversion refers to:

A. a layer of warm air trapped by a layer of even warmer air
B. a layer of warm air trapped above a layer of cool air
C. a layer of warm air trapped between two layers of cooler air
D. a layer of cool air trapped above a layer of warm air

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30. In plants, the absorption of a portion of nutrients from senescing tissues in order to use the
nutrients for production of new tissues is called
A. recycling.
B. leaching.
C. reabsorption.
D. transpiration.

31. The concept developed by V.E. Shelford that species distributions are limited by an ability
to cope with local environmental conditions is known as the:
A. Law of the minimum
B. Law of tolerance
C. Law of the maximum
D. None of the above

32. During El Nio conditions

A. trade winds across the Pacific Ocean are strong.
B. less rainfall occurs in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
C. surface water temperatures are warmer in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
D. increased upwelling of nutrient-rich water occurs in the eastern Pacific Ocean

33. The process of conversion of nutrients from an organic form into an inorganic form that
plants can use is called
A. immobilization.
B. respiration.
C. mineralization.
D. transpiration.
E. photosynthesis

34. The greatest relative pool of carbon is located in:

A. Terrestrial ecosystems
B. Atmosphere
C. Deep ocean
D. Fossil fuels

35. Without the greenhouse effect, the Earth would

A. be much warmer than it currently is.
B. be much colder than it currently is.
C. have constant sunlight.
D. have uniform temperatures and would lack seasons.

36. Physiological Ecology can be defined as the study of:

A. the interaction of plants and animals
B. populations
C. the response(s) of individual organisms to abiotic factors (light, temperature, nutrients, etc.)
D. model building

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37. Which of the following nutrients is most closely linked to the energy cycle in ecosystems?
A. lead
B. carbon
C. nitrogen
D. sulfur
E. phosphorus

38. All of the following statements about energy flow are correct EXCEPT:
A. Secondary productivity declines with each trophic level
B. Only net primary productivity is available to consumers
C. About 90% of the energy at one trophic level does not appear at the next
D. Eating meat is probably the most efficient way of acquiring the energy of photosynthetic
productivity
E. Only about 1/1000th of the chemical energy fixed by photosynthesis actually reaches a
tertiary-level consumer

39. The fundamental difference between materials and energy is that

A. materials are cycled through ecosystems; energy is not
B. energy is cycled through ecosystems; materials are not
C. energy can be converted into materials; materials cannot be converted into energy
D. materials can be converted into energy; energy cannot be converted into materials
E. ecosystems are much more efficient in their transfer of energy than in their transfer of
materials

40. The earth is generally hotter at the equator because

A. the earth's rotation on a tilted axis creates more atmospheric friction at the equator.
B. the natural curve of the earth places the equator nearer the Sun.
C. the sun shines over the equator more hours in the day.
D. there are large oceans near the equator to absorb large amounts of heat.
E. the sun's rays strike the earth at nearly a right angle at the equator.

41. Who contributed to our first understanding of genetic inheritance of traits through
experimental crosses of pea plants?
A. Frederick Clements
B. Charles Elton
C. G.H. Hardy
D. Gregor Mendel

42. Rising air ________; this causes water vapor to ________.

A. heats; evaporate
B. heats; condense
C. cools; evaporate
D. cools; condense
E. changes in composition, but not in temperature; condense

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43. The measure of efficiency with which an organism incorporates assimilated energy into
growth is known as the:
A. Production to consumption index
B. Production efficiency
C. Assimilation efficiency
D. Incorporation efficiency

44. During winter (cold season) in the Southern Hemisphere, the intertropical convergence zone
(ITCZ)
A. is shifted into the southern latitudes.
B. sits directly over the equator.
C. does not exist.
D. is shifted into the northern latitudes.

45. The prevailing winds in the Glacier Park area of Montana are from the west. Which side of
this mountainous region receives the most rain and snow?
A. east
B. west
C. north
D. south
E. There is insufficient information to answer this question.

46. Which of the following is NOT a major reservoir for phosphorus?

A. natural phosphate deposits
B. the atmosphere
C. minerals
D. rocks

47. Organisms in which of the following taxa are responsible for most of the conversion of
organic materials into inorganic compounds that can be utilized in primary production?
A. autotrophs
B. bacteria
C. fungi
D. all of the above
E. B and C

48. A property of chlorinated hydrocarbons that contributes to biological amplification is what?

A. Worldwide use
B. Often take particulate form
C. Nerve agents
D. Solubility and storage in lipids

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49. Net Primary Production can be defined as:
A. the total amount of energy fixed by photosynthesis
B. the total amount of energy consumed by autotrophs
C. the total amount of energy fixed by autotrophs
D. the total amount of energy fixed by photosynthesis minus energy required for growth and
maintenance

50. What property of oxygen makes its cycling complex?

A. Reactivity
B. Scarcity
C. Abundance
D. None of the above

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