STAAR Biology - 12D - 12F

In recent years humans have interfered with the natural balance within deer populations in various ecosystems. The interference includes eliminating predators of the deer. Which of the following statements correctly describes the long-term outcome of this interference?

• The deer that are the fastest and most agile will survive and reproduce.
• The deer population will be too large to be supported by producers.
• Other browsing species will thrive and out compete the deer.
• The producers will evolve into species that are less palatable to the deer.

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The carbon cycle includes processes that release carbon into the atmosphere and places that act as carbon reservoirs. The diagram below shows both major processes that release carbon and major carbon reservoirs.
Which of these disruptions would cause an excess output in the carbon cycle?

• The destruction of terrestrial biota
• Increases in marine biota
• A reduction in the use of fossil fuels
• A thickening of ocean sediments

The diagram below represents the nitrogen cycle in a student’s aquarium. Ammonia, nitrites, and, to a lesser degree, nitrates can be harmful to fish. The student wants to keep the nitrogen in this aquarium cycling normally without having to continually change the water.
Which of the following should the student add more of to help remove nitrates and improve the natural cycling of nitrogen in this aquarium?

• Fish
• Plants
• Nitrobacter
• Water

The diagram shows the flow of organic molecules through an ecosystem. One process that occurs in this ecosystem is labeled X, and another process that occurs is labeled Y.
Which two processes are identified by the labels X and Y?

• X: Respiration
  Y: Predation
• X: Adaptation
  Y: Decomposition
• X: Fermentation
  Y: Nitrogen fixation
• X: Decomposition
  Y:Respiration

The overgrowth of algae poses a major problem for coral reefs. Intensive fishing is one factor that contributes to algae overgrowth because it does which of the following?

• Allows more sunlight to be available to algae
• Inhibits the spread of pathogens in algae colonies
• Reduces the number of organisms that feed on algae
• Increases the competition between different algae species

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The Nile River flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Aswan High Dam contains the flow of water from the river and reduces the annual fall flooding. The floodwater is trapped behind the huge dam, allowing irrigation for agriculture. Sediments that would be washed away by the annual floods are also trapped behind the dam. The graph shows the water flow from the Nile that enters the Mediterranean Sea.
How has this dam most likely affected the Mediterranean Sea ecosystem?

• Reduced nutrients from the land support fewer producers in the sea.
• Water trapped behind the dam causes the marine ecosystem to move inland.
• The flooding in August through November causes marine life to be destroyed.
• The water temperature of the sea has increased.

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Dead zones are low-oxygen areas that develop on the seafloor. Scientists hypothesize that phytoplankton blooms cause these dead zones. Phytoplankton blooms occur when excess nutrients are introduced by pollution from fertilizers, sewage plants, and the burning of fossil fuels. Which of the following would most likely cause an increase in these contributors to dead zones?

• Rainfall patterns that increase freshwater runoff from terrestrial ecosystems
• Replacing coal-fired power plants with windmills
• Farming practices that reduce nitrate and phosphate applications
• Constructing efficient water-recovery and treatment plants

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Amphibians are dying in large numbers after being infected by an aquatic fungus called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. The origin of this fungus is unknown, but scientists suspect that humans are helping spread it. More than 350 amphibian species have been affected, and at least 200 species of frogs have suffered serious reductions in population or become extinct. The map below shows the worldwide distribution of B. dendrobatidis.
What will be the most likely impact of the decline in frog populations resulting from the fungal infection?

• New species of frogs that feed on both the fungus and the infected species of frogs will evolve.
• Plants will no longer frow in the waters of the affected ecosystems, and fish species will increase.
• The fungus will move on land and destroy reptile and mammal populations in tropical ecosystems.
• Populations of algae and mosquitoes will increase, leading to fish die-offs and potential increases in human malaria cases.

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On March 24, 1989, an oil tanker ran aground on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska, and spilled millions of liters of crude oil. The graph shows pink salmon populations in Prince William Sound from 1970 to 1999.
What do these data suggest about the effect the oil spill had on pink salmon?

• Pink salmon were nearly eliminated after the oil spill
• Pink salmon populations steadily declined in the 10 years following the spill
• Pink salmon populations declined and never fully recovered
• Pink salmon populations seemed to be minimally affected

In dry desert areas poor drainage can lead to a buildup of salt in water supplies. A student performed an investigation to study the effects of salinity on the germination rates of seeds. The student placed seeds in several solutions containing 0% to 3% salt. The length of the radicle, which is the root of the germinating seed, ranged from 49 mm in the 0% salt solution to 0 mm in the 3% salt solution. The data from this investigation suggest that increased salinity in more areas may lead to a decrease in which of the following?

• Air population
• Food production
• Oceanic evaporation
• Nonrenewable resources

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