Environmental Science for a Changing World Canadian 1st Edition

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Guiding Question 6-1

What is the hierarchy of organization recognized by ecologists and why might it be useful
to recognize such distinctions?

1. Which choice represents the correct hierarchy of organization from largest to smallest?
A) biome  biosphere  community  ecosystem  population  individual
B) biosphere  biome  ecosystem  community  population  individual
C) ecosystem  population  individual  community  biosphere  biome
D) individual  community  population  ecosystem  biome  biosphere
E) None of these is correct.
Ans: B Difficulty level: easy

2. A coral reef community may include all of the following EXCEPT _______.
A) water
B) fish
C) aquatic plants
D) phytoplankton
E) All of the above could be part of a coral reef community.
Ans: A Difficulty level: medium

3. The specific role a species plays in its community is its ___________.

A) habitat B) community C) niche D) physical environment E)
address
Ans: C Difficulty level: easy

4. Which of the following choices includes all of the others?

A) community B) biome C) biosphere D) ecosystem E) population
Ans: C Difficulty level: easy

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5. All of the populations living and interacting in an area is known as a(n) ________.
A) species B) population C) ecosystem D) community E) biome
Ans: D Difficulty level: easy

6. A group of individuals of the same species living and interacting in the same region is
a(n) ____________.
A) community B) population C) cohort D) biome E) ecosystem
Ans: B Difficulty level: easy

7. Which type of scientist best matches the area they would study?
A) botanist; various ecosystems within a tundra biome
B) ecologist; individual animals or plants
C) zoologist; plant community in a tropical rainforest
D) ecologist; ecosystems and the interactions between organisms and their
surroundings
E) All of the above are correct.
Ans: D Difficulty level: hard

8. Refer to Infographic 6.1. Use the Infographic to describe examples of considerations

scientists had to take into account when planning Biosphere 2.
Ans: For each biome, scientists needed to consider how diverse plant and animal
species would interact within and across biomes. In addition, they needed to
examine the nutrient requirements of each organism included. Termites, for
example, would need enough dead wood at the start of the experiment to sustain
them until some of the larger plants died. If termites died, organisms in the soil
would not get enough oxygen because termites stir up the soil and allow air to
penetrate soil particles. Hummingbirds need nectar-filled flowers. Scientists
needed to calculate how many such flowers would be required to support a
hummingbird population.
Difficulty level: hard

Guiding Question 6-2

What are biomes and how do environmental factors affect their distribution and makeup?

9. Which is NOT an example of a terrestrial biome?

A) temperate forest D) savanna
B) open ocean E) desert
C) Mediterranean scrub
Ans: B Difficulty level: easy

10. All of the following can be found in the biosphere EXCEPT ________.
A) the ozone layer D) rocks
B) soil E) All of these are part of the biosphere.
C) fish
Ans: A Difficulty level: easy

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11. Which would be considered to be a part of a lake ecosystem?

A) fish
B) minerals
C) water
D) rocks
E) All of the choices listed above would be a part of a lake ecosystem.
Ans: E Difficulty level: easy

12. The biome that contains the least amount of moisture is __________.
A) savanna D) temperate forest
B) temperate grassland E) tropical scrub
C) mountain
Ans: E Difficulty level: medium

13. Which of the following is NOT an abiotic factor?

A) rock D) bacterium
B) mineral composition of soil E) All of the above are abiotic factors.
C) rainfall
Ans: D Difficulty level: easy

14. Which of the following does NOT characterize a particular biome?

A) distinct climate D) precipitation
B) dominant vegetation E) size
C) temperature
Ans: E Difficulty level: easy

15. Which biome has abundant biodiversity, with warm temperatures and a great deal of
rain?
A) tundra D) tropical rainforest
B) temperate forest E) boreal forest
C) savanna
Ans: D Difficulty level: medium

16. What is a biome? What are the major factors that distinguish one biome from another?
Ans: A biome is one of many distinctive types of ecosystems determined by climate
and identified by the predominant vegetation and organisms that have adapted to
live there. Biomes are specific types of terrestrial ecosystems with characteristic
temperature and precipitation conditions that exert great influence on the
communities that exist there.
Difficulty level: medium

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17. Refer to Infographic 6.4. From the Infographic, which type of biome is mostly found
30° north or south of the equator? What conditions exist there?
Ans: Dry areas exist at those latitudes due to global air circulation patterns. The desert
biome is mostly found there.
Difficulty level: medium

Guiding Question 6-3

What are tolerance limits and how do they affect the distribution of a species within its
ecosystem?

18. Populations that have a _______ range of tolerance and are _______ genetically diverse
have a greater chance of surviving a change to their environment.
A) narrow; more D) broad; less
B) narrow; less E) small; less
C) broad; more
Ans: C Difficulty level: easy

19. The principal of limiting factors states that the survival, growth, and _______ of a
species in an ecosystem are determined by the critical resource in least supply.
A) maturation B) migration C) diversity D) reproduction E)
development
Ans: D Difficulty level: medium

20. The range, within upper and lower limits, of a limiting factor that allows a species to
survive and reproduce is called the ________.
A) range of tolerance D) range of living
B) range of survivability E) range of life
C) range of adaptation
Ans: A Difficulty level: easy

21. The zone of __________ is the portion of an environmental gradient within which the
species survives, grows, and reproduces the best.
A) intolerance D) physiological stress
B) tolerance E) limiting factors
C) optimum range
Ans: C Difficulty level: medium

22. A(n) ___________ is the one abiotic or biotic factor whose supply determines the
population size of a given species in a given biome.
A) tolerance factor D) finite factor
B) stress factor E) limiting factor
C) intolerance factor
Ans: E Difficulty level: easy

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23. Which of the following could be considered a limiting factor for a species?
A) pH of the soil
B) temperature
C) level of humidity
D) dissolved oxygen levels in water
E) All of the choices listed above could fit the description.
Ans: E Difficulty level: easy

24. A bait shop wants to sell leeches and performs an experiment to determine the water
temperature range of tolerance for them. Which choice best represents this range based
on the data shown below?

A) 5°C to 35°C D) 5°C to 20°C

B) 15°C to 30°C E) 5°C to 25°C
C) 15°C to 20°C
Ans: D Difficulty level: medium

25. In the design of Biosphere 2, which environmental variables could be carefully

controlled and precisely measured?
A) temperature D) proportion of carbon dioxide in air
B) water availability E) All of the above
C) proportion of oxygen in air
Ans: E Difficulty level: medium

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26. Refer to Infographic 6.6. For several years, you have been investigating the effects of a
warmer climate on a butterfly population. Recently, you have noticed that the butterflies
found in what would traditionally be the zone of physiological stress are growing and
breeding more successfully than the butterflies in the zone of optimum range. How do
you explain this shift?
Ans: The butterflies that are found in the zone of physiological stress may have some
genetic differences from the main population that allow them to be more tolerant
of the warming conditions. As climate conditions change, these butterflies in the
zone of physiological stress are better able to survive and reproduce compared to
the rest of the population. Over time, this will cause a directional shift of the zone
of optimum range towards the original zone of physiological stress. Those
individuals that used to make up a smaller percentage of the population will
become the new average.
Difficulty level: medium

27. As you hike up a mountain, you observe that the vegetation changes. What are some of
the limiting factors that are determining what vegetation you observe on the mountain?
Ans: Plants need soil and water to survive. As you move up the mountain, the
availability of water, soil composition and fertility, temperature, and amount of
wind will all play a role in determining the type and amount of vegetation you
will encounter.
Difficulty level: medium

28. Several years ago, you planted a pine tree at the base of a mountain and another on the
summit of the mountain. On a recent hike, you photograph each tree. Do you expect to
see any differences in their appearance? Explain.
Ans: Yes. The two pine trees would have experienced different environmental
conditions during their growth. The pine tree at the base of the mountain may be
growing in its zone of optimum range while the pine tree at the summit may be in
its zone of physiological stress. Additionally, a resource required by the tree may
be abundant in one location but scarce in the other.
Difficulty level: medium

29. Refer to Infographic 6.5. Describe ways that scientists attempted to design Biosphere 2
to minimize the effects of limiting factors and help keep organisms within their zone of
optimum range.
Ans: They selected a combination of soil, plants, and animals that seemed most capable
of working together in balance. A summer-dormant desert was chosen because it
would reduce the desert's carbon dioxide demands when the savanna's
productivity was at its highest. The ocean was situated between the desert and
rainforest so that it could serve as a temperature buffer between the two. Each
biome was created from a carefully selected array of species to optimize the
chances of success.
Difficulty level: hard

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30. Refer to Infographic 6.7. Using the Infographic, describe what limiting factor caused the
human population in Biosphere 2 to become so tired they couldn't work.
Ans: Sufficient oxygen is required to perform cellular respiration. This is the process
organisms use to break down sugar to release its energy. In Biosphere 2, the
oxygen levels had fallen from 21% down to 14%, a level low enough that they
were unable to convert the food they consumed into usable energy.
Difficulty level: medium

Guiding Question 6-4

How do important nutrients like carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycle through
ecosystems?

31. Nutrient cycles, or biogeochemical cycles, refer to ______________.

A) energy passed from one organism to another
B) plants and organic matter entering and leaving the biosphere
C) the movement of life's essential chemicals or nutrients through an ecosystem
D) the sharing of nutrients between a parasite and a host
E) None of the above refers to nutrient cycles.
Ans: C Difficulty level: easy

32. Denitrifying bacteria convert nitrate into ________, thus returning nitrogen to
_________.
A) ammonia; its most stable form D) ammonia; its least stable form
B) nitrogen gas; the atmosphere E) nitrogen gas; the soil
C) proteins; a usable form
Ans: B Difficulty level: medium

33. In the carbon cycle, plants release carbon back to the environment through the process
of _________.
A) photosynthesis D) transpiration
B) cellular respiration E) evaporation
C) oxidation
Ans: B Difficulty level: medium

34. In the carbon cycle, photosynthetic organisms use carbon dioxide to produce _____.
A) sugar molecules D) nucleic acids
B) lipid molecules E) protons
C) protein molecules
Ans: A Difficulty level: medium

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35. In the carbon cycle, plants remove carbon from the atmosphere through the process of
_______.
A) photosynthesis D) transpiration
B) cellular respiration E) evaporation
C) oxidation
Ans: A Difficulty level: easy

36. Nitrogen-rich compounds found in animal waste or the remains of dead plants and
animals are converted to ___________ by decomposer bacteria.
A) ammonium ions B) protein C) nitrogen gas D) nitrate E) nitrite
Ans: A Difficulty level: medium

37. Which nutrient is found only in solid or liquid form on Earth?

A) carbon D) All of the above
B) nitrogen E) None of the above
C) phosphorus
Ans: C Difficulty level: medium

38. Which of the following is NOT a main nutrient cycle?

A) carbon cycle
B) nitrogen cycle
C) phosphorus cycle
D) magnesium cycle
E) All of the above are main nutrient cycles.
Ans: D Difficulty level: easy

39. When an oak tree undergoes photosynthesis, it is essentially __________.

A) adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere
B) removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
C) adding nitrogen to the atmosphere
D) removing nitrogen from the atmosphere
E) All of the above are correct.
Ans: B Difficulty level: easy

40. Which form of nitrogen can be taken up by plant roots?

A) N2 B) NH2 C) NO4 D) NH3 E) N3
Ans: D Difficulty level: medium

41. Which of the following is TRUE regarding the nitrogen cycle?

A) Microbes convert atmospheric N2 to NH3.
B) Lightning converts N2 to NO3.
C) Microbes use NO3 and convert it to N2.
D) Microbes break down organic matter and release NH4.
E) All of the above are true.
Ans: E Difficulty level: medium

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42. Which of the following is known to move in only one direction?

A) biomass
B) nutrient cycles
C) niche
D) energy flow
E) None of the choices above fit the description.
Ans: D Difficulty level: easy

43. Carbon cycles in and out of living things during which process(es)?
A) cellular respiration D) A and B only
B) photosynthesis E) B and C only
C) decomposition
Ans: D Difficulty level: medium

44. Which choice best represents the factor(s) that is/are directly involved in nitrogen
fixation?
A) decomposition D) A and B only
B) bacteria E) B and C only
C) lightning
Ans: E Difficulty level: medium

45. Which nutrient cycle(s) do/does not have a phase in the atmosphere?
A) carbon B) nitrogen C) phosphorus D) A and B only E) B and C
only
Ans: C Difficulty level: easy

46. Certain plants called legumes can fix atmospheric nitrogen thanks to a symbiotic
relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria associated with their root systems. How does
this relationship benefit the plants? How can humans take advantage of this in
agriculture?
Ans: Plants need nitrogen to survive and grow, but they lack the ability to capture
nitrogen directly from the atmosphere. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria can change
nitrogen gas into a form usable by plants. By having this close relationship with
bacteria, the plant has an available source of nitrogen. For humans, this
relationship reduces fertilizer costs for growing legumes. Also, in crop rotation, a
legume such as soy beans that restores nitrogen levels to the soil can alternate
with a crop such as corn that uses up considerable nitrogen from the soil.
Difficulty level: hard

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47. How have humans impacted the carbon cycle, and how can humans use nature to
address this issue?
Ans: Humans combust fossil fuels which releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
that had been stored underground for millions of years. Also, human activity has
led to massive deforestation around the world. Producers act as a reservoir or sink
for carbon dioxide, taking it out of the atmosphere. These two human activities
have led to the highest level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere in hundreds of
thousands of years. To address this, humans need to shift away from fossil fuel
energy sources to renewable sources. In addition, by slowing deforestation and
increasing the planting of trees, less carbon dioxide will be released to the
atmosphere and more will be taken in by plant life.
Difficulty level: medium

48. In terms of the carbon cycle, how is combustion of fossil fuels different from burning
biomass (wood) for fuel?
Ans: Fossil fuels such as coal are the result of ancient photosynthesis. Plants millions of
years ago took in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. They died, were buried,
and were turned into fossil fuels by temperature, pressure, and time. When we
burn coal for energy, the carbon that was stored underground for millions of years
is rapidly being emitted into the atmosphere. In contrast, biomass sources such as
wood for fuel are the result of recent photosynthesis. Carbon dioxide that was
recently taken in by those living plants is being returned to the atmosphere so
there is little net change.
Difficulty level: hard

Guiding Question 6-5

What factors must be considered in order to create or restore an ecosystem?

49. Learning how ecosystems function can ______________.

A) help us protect current ecosystems
B) help us restore already damaged ecosystems
C) help scientists learn about the complexities of biomes
D) help humans and other species continue to live and thrive on Earth
E) All of the above
Ans: E Difficulty level: easy

50. Biosphere 2 helped scientists realize ____________.

A) the complexities of the carbon cycle
B) they wasted their money
C) humans cannot function without technology
D) ecosystems are simpler than originally thought
E) All of the above
Ans: A Difficulty level: easy

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51. Which factors must be considered to create an ecosystem?

A) limiting factors, like organic matter D) All of the above
B) animals and plants E) None of the above
C) abiotic factors, like streams and soil
Ans: D Difficulty level: easy

52. How is Biosphere 2 useful today?

A) People still live in the humanmade biosphere.
B) Farmers use it to graze cattle.
C) It allows scientists to study the consequences of high CO2 levels.
D) Biosphere 2 no longer exists.
E) It is used to train astronauts.
Ans: C Difficulty level: easy

53. How can humans help protect ecosystems and the environment?
A) Reduce fossil fuel use.
B) Compost food scraps and yard waste.
C) Plant trees.
D) Conserve energy and water.
E) All of the above
Ans: E Difficulty level: easy

54. An organism's habitat can be considered its _________, while its niche can be viewed as
its ___________.
A) address; profession
B) profession; address
C) place where it reproduces; place where it lives
D) life requirements; physical environment
E) role in a community; energy source
Ans: A Difficulty level: medium

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55. Describe the two main goals of the Biosphere 2 experiment. Was the experiment a
success or a failure?
Ans: The Biosphere 2 experiment had two main goals. First, scientists wanted to
demonstrate that an entirely self-contained humanmade system could sustain life
for potential application in Moon or Mars colonization. Second, they hoped to
gain a better understanding of Earth's delicate balance and learn how best to
protect it. At the experiment's end, more than one-third of the flora and fauna had
become extinct. Certain species such as morning glory vines became invasive.
The biospherians suffered from too little oxygen and limited food supplies. The
integrity of the closed-system experiment was compromised by pumping outside
air into the biosphere as well as sneaking in food supplies. This result showed that
Biosphere 2 was inadequate as a model for life on the Moon. The experiment did
succeed in demonstrating that our current lack of knowledge of how ecosystems
work prohibits the recreation of a functional biosphere. However, it did allow for
controlled studying of how increased levels of carbon dioxide affect ecosystems
(for example, coral reefs), with applications to global climate change.
Difficulty level: hard

56. To create an ecosystem, it is important for participants to agree beforehand on clear

objectives and how the project is to be carried out. How did this become a problem for
the scientists involved with the Biosphere 2 project?
Ans: As the experiment unfolded, changes were made to the project, including the
pumping in of outside air, which violated the original plan to create a materially
closed system. The biospherians split into two groups, with one faction arguing
for importation of food so the experiments could continue, while the other group
argued that the closed system was the most important aspect of the project. To
compromise that goal would mean the experiment was a failure and should end.
Further complicating the situation, developments were not made transparent,
another violation of the scientific process. If observations are not made
scientifically, any conclusions drawn are suspect. The clash between rigorous
science and the project's financial backers contributed to this problem. Scientific
advisors concerned about limited sunlight and high levels of organic matter in soil
were overruled.
Difficulty level: hard

57. Describe four factors in the design of Biosphere 2 that caused problems for the success
of the project.
Ans: The glazed glass of the dome admitted less sunlight than had been anticipated.
This meant less biomass production and thus less food. Mites and disease cut crop
production further. The small size of the Biosphere precluded the use of pesticides
and herbicides to remedy this. The soil contained too much organic matter. When
soil microbes decomposed the organic matter, they used up oxygen and generated
carbon dioxide. Lastly, concrete used to build parts of Biosphere 2 trapped some
carbon dioxide and oxygen in an unexpected sink.
Difficulty level: hard

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58. You are designing a biospheric system for long-duration space habitation. You need it to
be a closed-system design and perform the same ecosystem services seen in the
Biosphere 2 experiment. Critics of your project note the lack of oxygen in the Biosphere
2 experiment (down to 14% in the second year) and predict similar results with your
project. How can you convince them that oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange should
not be a problem for your project?
Ans: In the Biosphere 2 experiment, the glazed glass of the dome admitted less sunlight
than had been anticipated. Also, more cloud cover than normal for the region
prevented adequate sunlight from reaching the vegetation inside. You can assure
your critics that in space, the continuous sunshine of orbit, with mirror controls to
optimize conditions, will allow for optimal photosynthesis (vegetation taking in
carbon dioxide and generating oxygen) within the system. In addition, the
increased sunlight will allow for greater food self-sufficiency.
Difficulty level: hard

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59. Please match each term in the left-hand column to the statement that it best exemplifies.

A. habitat All of the organisms in a given area plus the physical

environment in which they interact
B. limiting factor The role a species plays in its community
C. biotic The living (organic) components of an ecosystem, such as the
plants and animals and their waste
D. producer The critical resource whose supply determines the population
size of a given species in a given biome
E. biosphere Abiotic or biotic components of the environment that serves
as a storage place for cycling nutrients
F. biomass The physical environment in which individuals of a particular
species can be found
G. species An organism that obtains energy and nutrients by feeding on
another organism
H. reservoirs (or sinks) The sum total of all of Earth's ecosystems
I. ecosystem The nonliving components of an ecosystem, such as rainfall
and mineral composition of the soil
J. consumer An organism that converts solar energy to chemical energy
via photosynthesis
K. niche A group of plants or animals that have a high degree of
similarity and can generally only interbreed among
themselves
L. abiotic The sum of all organic material—plant and animal
matter—that make up an ecosystem
Ans: A. habitat All of the organisms in a given area plus the physical
environment in which they interact
(I)
B. limiting factor The role a species plays in its community
(K)
C. biotic The living (organic) components of an ecosystem, such as the
plants and animals and their waste
(C)
D. producer The critical resource whose supply determines the population
size of a given species in a given biome
(B)
E. biosphere Abiotic or biotic components of the environment that serves
as a storage place for cycling nutrients
(H)
F. biomass The physical environment in which individuals of a particular
species can be found
(A)
G. species An organism that obtains energy and nutrients by feeding on
another organism
(J)

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H. reservoirs (or sinks) The sum total of all of Earth's ecosystems

(E)
I. ecosystem The nonliving components of an ecosystem, such as rainfall
and mineral composition of the soil
(L)
J. consumer An organism that converts solar energy to chemical energy
via photosynthesis
(D)
K. niche A group of plants or animals that have a high degree of
similarity and can generally only interbreed among
themselves
(G)
L. abiotic The sum of all organic material—plant and animal
matter—that make up an ecosystem
(F)

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