Chapter 3: biosphere study guide

Which of these subjects is MOST LIKELY to be studied in ecology?

• the method of water transport in a tree

• .a comparison of muscle cells among birds and reptiles

• .the circulatory system of earthworms

• the interaction between populations of wolves and deer

A heron is affected by many factors in its environment. What distinguishes the biotic factors from the abiotic factors?

• location in the water or out of the water

• plant or animal

• living or nonliving

• food or not food

Which data are MOST useful for analyzing the climate of the region?

• average time of sunrise and sunset in July

• the highest and the lowest daily rainfall in July of this year

• the daily high temperature for every day in July of this year

• average temperatures for July, measured over 30 years

Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide and methane. How do greenhouse gases act to increase air temperatures near Earth's surface?

• .They transmit visible light that enters the atmosphere.

• They trap heat that is radiated from the surface.

• They reflect heat that enters the atmosphere.

• They emit heat when they undergo chemical reactions.

The temperate grasslands biome includes regions of several continents. What do all of the regions have in common?

• .the same species of grazing animals

• the same species of grasses

• the same seasonal patterns of temperature and precipitation

• the same amount of land that is covered in grasses

As a team of explorers travels southward from the North Pole into Canada, they encounter a dense forest of pines and other coniferous evergreens. They leave the forest before the winter, which is long and cold. Which of these biomes has the team visited?

• temperate grasslands

• Northwest coniferous forest

• tropical dry forest

• boreal forest (taiga)

Jorge is exploring the ocean. On which of these journeys is he MOST LIKELY to pass from the photic zone into the aphotic zone?

• a boat trip from the shore to the middle of the ocean

• a boat trip from the middle of the ocean to the shore

• a submarine dive from the surface into deep ocean water

• a walk from the intertidal zone into shallow ocean water

A local ecosystem includes a variety of grasses that grow on spongy soil. In spring, heavy rainfall and melted snow cover the soil in a few inches of water. The ecosystem dries up by late summer. What term BEST describes this ecosystem?

• pond

• estuary

• wetland

• stream bed

A developer proposes to drain an estuary, and then use the land to build an ocean-side hotel, houses, and parking lots. Which would be the MOST LIKELY effect of the new development on the local ecosystem?

• loss of spawning and nursery grounds for many fishes and shellfish

• death of coral animals and loss of the coral reef ecosystem

• reduction of primary productivity for the ocean ecosystem

• increased salinity of ocean water

Dr. Simeon and her team are studying global climate change. They develop a set of mathematical equations that relate climate data gathered over the past 100 years. Then, with the aid of a computer, they use the equations to predict climate change in the future. The team's use of mathematical equations and computers is an example of which science process?

• observation

• gathering evidence

• .experimentation

• modeling