Earth Science Unit 6: Biosphere Review4

1. Biomes include both biotic and abiotic elements. Which set includes both biotic and abiotic elements of an estuary? (4.1)

• cordgrass, water salinity, great blue herons
• ospreys, oysters, black needle rush
• silt, air temperature, tidal pattern
• periwinkles, bats, egrets

2. Which ecosystem typically absorbs the most carbon from the atmosphere? (4.2)

• desert
• forest
• grassland
• tundra

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3. Of the three biomes, why would you expect tundra to have the fewest number of animals in each population? (4.1 & 4.5)

• It has the shortest plants.
• It has the least amount of food.
• It has the fewest trees for shelter.
• It has the coldest temperature.

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4. Which of these is a threat to the survival of an ecosystem? (4.5)

• predator-prey population cycles
• less biomass at higher levels of the food web
• a shrinking variety of animal and plant species
• competition among some consumer populations

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5. Biodiversity can include genetic diversity within a population or variation of populations within an ecosystem. Given this information, which of the following is likely to have the most biodiversity? (4.5)

• a tropical forest
• an arctic tundra
• a deciduous forest
• a residential backyard

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6. Nonnative flathead catfish that prey on smaller fish were accidentally introduced into the Yadkin River in North Carolina. What is the most likely effect these catfish could have on the ecology of the Yadkin River? (4.4)

• They could increase pollution in the water.
• They could damage streambeds and shoreline.
• They could decrease water flow in the river.
• They could reduce native fish populations.

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7. What will most likely happen to a stable ecosystem when a population of animals exceeds the ecosystem’s carrying capacity? (4.4)

• The ecosystem will improve.
• The ecosystem will degrade.
• The ecosystem will change type.
• The ecosystem will remain unchanged.

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8. What is the carrying capacity of an ecosystem? (4.1)

• the total number of organisms alive at the same time in an ecosystem
• the minimum number of individuals needed to have balance in an ecosystem
• the total number of individuals, living and dead, that have been supported by an ecosystem
• the maximum number of individuals that an ecosystem can support without harming the ecosystem

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9. Sweet potatoes grow best in sandy, well-drained soil. In which North Carolina ecological region would you most likely grow sweet potatoes? (4.1)

• piedmont
• tidewater
• coastal plain
• mountain

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10. Which interaction of a biotic and an abiotic factor can help stabilize a forest area in North Carolina? (4.4)

• decreased water salinity, reducing biodiversity of animals in the area
• increased precipitation, reducing soil erosion in the area
• decreased number of predators, allowing the number of prey to increase in the area
• increased decaying organic material, adding nutrients to soil in the area

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