How do the Taylor Glacier bacteria produce their energy?
A)
photosynthesis
B) heterotrophism
C)
chemoautotrophism
D) thermophobism
E) photoautotrophism
C
In ecosystems, why is the term cycling used to describe material
transfer, whereas the term
flow is used for energy
exchange?
A) Materials are repeatedly used, but energy flows
through and out of ecosystems.
B) Both material and energy are
recycled and are then transferred to other ecosystems as in
a
flow.
C) Materials are cycled into ecosystems from other
ecosystems, but energy constantly flows
within the
ecosystem.
D) Both material and energy flow in a never-ending
stream within an ecosystem.
E) None of the choices is correct.
A
Which statement most accurately describes how matter and energy are
used in ecosystems?
A) Matter flows through ecosystems; energy
cycles within ecosystems.
B) Energy flows through ecosystems;
matter cycles within and through ecosystems.
C) Energy can be
converted into matter; matter cannot be converted into energy.
D)
Matter can be converted into energy; energy cannot be converted into
matter.
E) Matter is used in ecosystems; energy is not.
B
The law of conservation of matter states that matter cannot be
created, yet matter is sometimes
gained or lost to an ecosystem.
What is the reason for this seeming contradiction?
A)
Chemoautotrophic organisms can convert matter to energy.
B)
Ecosystems are open systems; therefore, matter can be moved in/out of
an ecosystem from/to
another ecosystem.
C) Photosynthetic
organisms convert sugars to more complex organic molecules.
D)
Detrivores convert matter to energy.
E) Heterotrophs convert heat
to energy.
B
Photosynthetic organisms are unique to most ecosystems because
they
A) synthesize organic compounds they obtain from decaying
heterotrophs.
B) synthesize inorganic compounds from organic
compounds.
C) use light energy to synthesize organic compounds
from inorganic compounds.
D) use chemical energy to synthesize
organic compounds.
E) convert light energy into matter.
C
A cow's herbivorous diet indicates that it is a(n)
A) primary
consumer.
B) secondary consumer.
C) decomposer.
D)
autotroph.
E) producer.
A
To recycle nutrients, an ecosystem must have, at a minimum,
A)
producers.
B) producers and decomposers.
C) producers,
primary consumers, and decomposers.
D) producers, primary
consumers, secondary consumers, and decomposers.
E) producers,
primary consumers, secondary consumers, top carnivores, and decomposers.
B
Which of the following terms encompasses all of the others?
A)
heterotrophs
B) herbivores
C) carnivores
D) primary
consumers
E) secondary consumers
A
Which of the following is an example of an ecosystem?
A) all of
the brook trout in a 500-square-hectare river drainage system
B)
the plants, animals, and decomposers that inhabit an alpine
meadow
C) a pond and all of the plant and animal species that
live in it
D) the intricate interactions of the various plant and
animal species on a savanna during a
drought
E) all of the
organisms and their physical environment in a tropical rain forest
E
If the sun were to suddenly stop providing energy to Earth, most
ecosystems would vanish.
Which of the following ecosystems would
likely survive the longest after this
hypothetical
disaster?
A) tropical rain forest
B)
tundra
C) deep-sea vent community
D) grassland
E) desert
C
Which of the following is true of detritivores?
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, whereas others are heterotrophic.
C
The major role of detritivores in ecosystems is to
A) provide a
nutritional resource for heterotrophs.
B) recycle chemical
nutrients to a form capable of being used by autotrophs.
C)
prevent the buildup of the organic remains of organisms, feces, and so
on.
D) return energy lost to the ecosystem by other organisms.
B
The major role of detrivores in ecosystems is to
A) provide a
nutritional resource for heterotrophs.
B) recycle chemical
nutrients to a form capable of being used by autotrophs.
C)
prevent the buildup of the inorganic remains of organisms, feces, and
so on.
D) return energy lost to the ecosystem by other organisms.
B
In a typical grassland community, which of the following is the
primary consumer?
A) hawk
B) snake
C) shrew
D)
grasshopper
E) grass
D
Which of the following statements is true?
A) An ecosystem's
trophic structure determines the rate at which energy cycles within
the
system.
B) At any point in time, it is impossible for
consumers to outnumber producers in an ecosystem.
C)
Chemoautotrophic prokaryotes near deep-sea vents are primary
producers.
D) There has been a well-documented increase in
atmospheric nitrogen over the past several
decades.
E) The
reservoir of ecosystem phosphorous is the atmosphere.
C
Approximately 1% of the solar radiation that strikes a plant is
converted into the chemical
bond energy of sugars. Why is this
amount so low?
A) Approximately 99% of the solar radiation is
converted to heat energy.
B) Only 1% of the wavelengths of
visible light is absorbed by photosynthetic pigments.
C) Most
solar energy strikes water and land surfaces.
D) Approximately
99% of the solar radiation is reflected.
E) Only the green
wavelengths are absorbed by plants for photosynthesis.
B
What percentage of solar radiation striking a plant is converted into
chemical energy?
A) 1%
B) 10%
C) 25%
D)
50%
E) 100%
A
Subtraction of which of the following will convert gross primary
productivity into net
primary productivity?
A) the energy
contained in the standing crop
B) the energy used by heterotrophs
in respiration
C) the energy used by autotrophs in
respiration
D) the energy fixed by photosynthesis
E) all
solar energy
C
Which of these ecosystems accounts for the largest amount of Earth's
net primary
productivity?
A) tundra
B) savanna
C)
salt marsh
D) open ocean
E) tropical rain forest
D
Which of these ecosystems has the highest net primary productivity
per square meter
annually?
A) savanna
B) open
ocean
C) boreal forest
D) tropical rain forest
E)
temperate forest
D
Which of the following is a true statement regarding mineral
nutrients in soils and their
implication for primary
productivity?
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.
D
The total biomass of photosynthetic autotrophs present in an
ecosystem is known as
A) gross primary productivity.
B)
standing crop.
C) net primary productivity.
D) secondary
productivity.
E) trophic efficiency.
B
How is it that the open ocean produces the highest net primary
productivity of Earth's
ecosystems, yet net primary productivity
per square meter is relatively low?
A) Oceans contain greater
concentrations of nutrients compared to other ecosystems.
B)
Oceans receive a lesser amount of solar energy per unit area.
C)
Oceans have the largest area of all the ecosystems on Earth.
D)
Ocean ecosystems have less species diversity.
E) Oceanic
producers are generally much smaller than oceanic consumers.
C
Why is net primary production (NPP) a more useful measurement to an
ecosystem ecologist
than gross primary production (GPP)?
A)
NPP can be expressed in energy/unit of area/unit of time.
B) NPP
can be expressed in terms of carbon fixed by photosynthesis for an
entire ecosystem.
C) NPP represents the stored chemical energy
that will be available to consumers in the
ecosystem.
D) NPP
is the same as the standing crop.
E) NPP shows the rate at which
the standing crop is utilized by consumers.
C
How is net ecosystem production (NEP) typically estimated in
ecosystems?
A) the ratio of producers to consumers
B) the
amount of heat energy released by the ecosystem
C) the net flux
of CO2 or O2 in or out of an ecosystem
D) the rate of
decomposition by detritivores
E) the annual total of incoming
solar radiation per unit of area
C
Aquatic primary productivity is most limited by which of the
following?
A) light and nutrient availability
B) predation
by primary consumers
C) increased pressure with depth
D)
pollution
E) temperature
A
Aquatic ecosystems are most likely to be limited by which of the
following nutrients?
A) nitrogen
B) carbon
C)
potassium
D) iron
E) zinc
A
What is the primary limiting factor for aquatic productivity?
A)
pressure
B) lack of nutrients
C) light availability
D)
herbivores
E) competition
B
Which of the following ecosystems would likely have a larger net
primary
productivity/hectare, and why?
A) open ocean because
of the total biomass of photosynthetic autotrophs
B) a temperate
grassland because of the small standing crop biomass that results
from
consumption by herbivores and rapid decomposition
C)
tropical rain forest because of the high species diversity
D)
cave due to the lack of photosynthetic autotrophs
E) tundra
because of the incredibly rapid period of growth during the summer season
C
How is it that satellites can detect differences in primary
productivity on Earth?
A) Photosynthetic organisms absorb more
visible light in the 350-750 wavelengths.
B) Satellite
instruments can detect reflectance patterns of the photosynthetic
organisms of
different ecosystems.
C) Sensitive satellite
instruments can measure the amount of NADPH produced in
the
summative light reactions of different ecosystems.
D)
Satellites detect differences by comparing the wavelengths of light
captured and reflected by
photoautotrophs to the amount of light
reaching different ecosystems.
E) Satellites detect differences
by measuring the amount of water vapor emitted by transpiring
producers.
D
Which of the following lists of organisms is ranked in correct order
from lowest to highest
percent in production efficiency?
A)
mammals, fish, insects
B) insects, fish, mammals
C) fish,
insects, mammals
D) insects, mammals, fish
E) mammals,
insects, fish
A
A 3-hectare lake in the American Midwest suddenly has succumbed to an
algal bloom. What
is the likely cause of eutrophication in
freshwater ecosystems, such as this one?
A) increased solar
radiation
B) introduction of non-native tertiary consumer
fish
C) nutrient-rich runoff
D) accidental introduction of a
prolific culture of algae
E) iron dust blowing into the lake
C
Approximately how many kg of carnivore biomass can be supported by a
field plot
containing 1,000 kg of plant material?
A)
10,000
B) 1,000
C) 100
D) 10
E) 1
D
The amount of chemical energy in a consumer's food that is converted
to its own new
biomass during a given time period is known as
which of the following?
A) biomass
B) standing crop
C)
biomagnification
D) primary production
E) secondary production
E
What is secondary production?
A) energy converted by secondary
consumers from primary consumers
B) solar energy that is
converted to chemical energy by photosynthesis
C) food that is
converted to new biomass by consumers
D) energy that is not used
by consumers for growth and reproduction
E) growth that takes
place during the second year of life in consumers
C
How does inefficient transfer of energy among trophic levels result
in the typically high
endangerment status of many top-level
predators?
A) Top-level predators are destined to have small
populations that are sparsely distributed.
B) Predators have
relatively large population sizes.
C) Predators are more
disease-prone than animals at lower trophic levels.
D) Predators
have short life spans and short reproductive periods.
E)
Top-level predators are more likely to be stricken with parasites.
A
Trophic efficiency is
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.
B
Owls eat rats, mice, shrews, and small birds. Assume that, over a
period of time, an owl
consumes 5,000 J of animal material. The
owl loses 2,300 J in feces and owl pellets and uses
2,600 J for
cellular respiration. What is the production efficiency of this
owl?
A) 0.02%
B) 1%
C) 4%
D) 10%
E) 40%
C
Why does a vegetarian leave a smaller ecological footprint than an
omnivore?
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.
E
For most terrestrial ecosystems, pyramids composed of species
abundances, biomass, and
energy are similar in that they have a
broad base and a narrow top. The primary reason for this
pattern
is that
A) secondary consumers and top carnivores require less
energy than producers.
B) at each step, energy is lost from the
system because of the second law of thermodynamics.
C) as matter
passes through ecosystems, some of it is lost to the
environment.
D) biomagnification of toxic materials limits the
secondary consumers and top carnivores.
E) top carnivores and
secondary consumers have a more general diet than primary producers.
B
Which of the following is primarily responsible for limiting the
number of trophic levels in
most ecosystems?
A) Many primary
and higher-order consumers are opportunistic feeders.
B)
Decomposers compete with higher-order consumers for nutrients and
energy.
C) Nutrient cycles involve both abiotic and biotic
components of ecosystems.
D) Nutrient cycling rates tend to be
limited by decomposition.
E) Energy transfer between trophic
levels is almost always less than 20% efficient.
E
Which trophic level is most vulnerable to extinction?
A)
producer level
B) primary consumer level
C) secondary
consumer level
D) tertiary consumer level
E) decomposer level
D
Which statement best describes what ultimately happens to the
chemical energy that is not
converted to new biomass in the
process of energy transfer between trophic levels in
an
ecosystem?
A) It is undigested and winds up in the feces
and is not passed on to higher trophic levels.
B) It is used by
organisms to maintain their life processes through the reactions of
cellular
respiration.
C) Heat produced by cellular
respiration is used by heterotrophs to thermoregulate.
D) It is
eliminated as feces or is dissipated into space as heat in accordance
with the second law
of thermodynamics.
E) It is recycled by
decomposers to a form that is once again usable by primary producers.
D
Consider the food chain grass → grasshopper → mouse → snake → hawk.
How much of the
chemical energy fixed by photosynthesis of the
grass (100%) is available to the hawk?
A) 0.01%
B)
0.1%
C) 1%
D) 10%
E) 60%
A
If the flow of energy in an arctic ecosystem goes through a simple
food chain, perhaps
involving humans, starting from phytoplankton
to zooplankton to fish to seals to polar bears,
then which of the
following could be true?
A) Polar bears can provide more food for
humans than seals can.
B) The total biomass of the fish is lower
than that of the seals.
C) Seal meat probably contains the
highest concentrations of fat-soluble toxins.
D) Seal populations
are larger than fish populations.
E) The fish can potentially
provide more food for humans than the seal meat can.
E