Review Questions
4. Which of the following is a biotic factor?
- wind
- disease-causing microbe
- temperature
- soil particle size
5. The study of nutrient cycling though the environment is an example of which of the following?
- organismal ecology
- population ecology
- community ecology
- ecosystem ecology
6. Understory plants in a temperate forest have adaptations to capture limited ________.
- water
- nutrients
- heat
- sunlight
7. An ecologist hiking up a mountain may notice different biomes along the way due to changes in all of the following except:
- elevation
- rainfall
- latitude
- temperature
8. Which of the following biomes is characterized by abundant water resources?
- deserts
- boreal forests
- savannas
- tropical wet forests
9. Which of the following biomes is characterized by short growing seasons?
- deserts
- tropical wet forests
- Arctic tundras
- savannas
10. Where would you expect to find the most photosynthesis in an ocean biome?
- aphotic zone
- abyssal zone
- benthic realm
- intertidal zone
11. A key feature of estuaries is:
- low light conditions and high productivity
- salt water and fresh water
- frequent algal blooms
- little or no vegetation
12. Which of the following is an example of a weather event?
- The hurricane season lasts from June 1 through November 30.
- The amount of atmospheric CO2 has steadily increased during the last century.
- A windstorm blew down trees in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Minnesota on July 4, 1999.
- Deserts are generally dry ecosystems having very little rainfall.
13. Which of the following natural forces is responsible for the release of carbon dioxide and other atmospheric gases?
- the Milankovitch cycles
- volcanoes
- solar intensity
- burning of fossil fuels