Ecology L

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?

• Tropical rain forest

• Tundra

• Benthic ocean

• Desert

Which of the following terms encompasses all of the others?

• Heterotrophs

• Herbivores

• Carnivores

• Primary consumers

To recycle nutrients, an ecosystem must have, at a minimum,

• producers

• producers and decomposers

• producers, primary consumers, and decomposers

• producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and decomposers

Which of the following is an example of an ecosystem?

• All of the brook trout in a 500-square-hectare river drainage system

• The plants, animals, and decomposers that inhabit an alpine meadow

• The intricate interactions of the various plant and animal species on a savanna during a drought

• All of the organisms and their physical environment in a tropical rain forest

Which of the following organisms is INCORRECTLY paired with its trophic level?

• Cyanobacterium - primary producer

• Grasshopper - primary consumer

• Zooplankton - primary producer

• Fungus - detritivore

Which of the following has the greatest effect on the rate of chemical cycling in an ecosystem?

• The ecosystem's rate of primary production

• The production efficiency of the ecosytem's consumers

• The rate of decomposition in the ecosystem

• The trophic efficiency of the ecosystem

Matter is gained or lost in ecosystems. How does this occur?

• Chemoautotrophic organisms can convert matter to energy

• Matter can be moved from one ecosystem to another

• Photosynthetic organisms convert solar energy to sugars

• Heterotrophs convert heat to energy

Why is terrestrial productivity higher in equatorial climates?

• Productivity increases with temperature

• Productivity increases with water availability

• Productivity increases with available sunlight

• The answer is likely a combination of the other responses

During a year, plants never use 100% of the incoming solar radiation for photosynthesis. Which of the following are reasonable explanations for this?

• Plants cannot photosynthesize as well during winter (in cold winter climates)

• Plants cannot photosynthesize as well on cloudy days

• The pigments that drive photosynthesis respond to only a fraction of the wavelengths that are available

You own 300 acres of patchy temperate forest. Which one of the following actions would increase the net primary productivity of the area the most?

• Adding fertilizer to the entire area

• Introducing one hundred rabbits into the area

• Planting 500 new trees

• Relocating all of the deer found in the area