CHAPTER 1—ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS, THEIR CAUSES, AND

SUSTAINABILITY

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. A fictional vision of a more environmentally healthy planet in the future uses which of the following fuels and
renewable energy resources?
a. underground heat only
b. algae only
c. sun and wind only
d. flowing water only
e. underground heat, algae, sun and wind and flowing water

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: CORE CASE STUDY-CHAPTER 1
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

2. Which of the following best describes the areas of study that are important in the discipline of environmental
science?
a. Biology.
b. Chemistry and geology
c. Economics and biology
d. Economics and chemistry
e. Biology, chemistry, geology and economics

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 1-1 WHAT ARE THREE PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

3. Which of the following is a goal of environmental science?

a. Learn how life on earth has thrived and survived.
b. Understand how we interact with the environment.
c. Live more sustainably and find ways to deal with environmental problems.
d. Learn how life on earth has thrived and survived and understand how we interact with the environment.
e. Learn how life on earth has thrived and survived, understand how we interact with the environment, and live
more sustainably and find ways to deal with environmental problems.

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 1-1 WHAT ARE THREE PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

4. Which of the following is a social movement dedicated to the protection of the Earth's natural capital?
a. Ecology
b. environmental science
c. Environmentalism
d. natural science
e. Sustainability

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 1-1 WHAT ARE THREE PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

5. Which of the following terms encompasses all of the others?

a. natural capital
b. natural resources
c. natural services
d. renewable resources
e. nonrenewable resources

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 1-1 WHAT ARE THREE PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

6. Which of the following is a form of natural capital gained directly or indirectly as a result of solar energy?
a. Forests
b. flowing water and wind energy
c. wind energy only
d. coal and oil
e. forests, flowing water, wind energy, coal and oil.

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 1-1 WHAT ARE THREE PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

7. You have decided to install solar collectors on the roof of your home that will cut your use of propane gas to heat
both your hot water tank and the living spaces in your home. In doing so, you are using a ______________resource rather
than a ______________resource.
a. renewable; nonrenewable
b. perpetual; renewable
c. renewable; perpetual
d. nonrenewable; renewable
e. perpetual; nonrenewable

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 1-1 WHAT ARE THE THREE PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

8. One of the reasons biodiversity is such an important aspect of sustainability is the fact that
a. cycling chemicals maintains a ready supply of new materials for water, soil and food
b. it is the ultimate source of energy for plants
c. interactions among species provide population controls that limits ultimate population sizes of many species
d. it provides water purification and topsoil renewable
e. two of these answers are correct

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 1-1WHAT ARE THREE PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

9. Which of the following is best categorized as an example of a natural service?

a. renewable energy
b. nonrenewable energy
c. water purification
d. Oil
e. Soil
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Easy
TOP: 1-1 WHAT ARE THREE PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

10. When we speak of protecting the environment, we are referring to

a. all living things on the planet
b. all non-living things such as air, fresh water, and energy
c. all living and non-living things
d. humans and the living and non-living things that affect them only
e. humans and the living things that affect them only

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 1-1 WHAT ARE THREE PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

11. A group of organisms with a unique set of characteristics that distinguishes them from other organisms, is called a
a. Species
b. Ecosystem
c. sustainable society
d. natural resource
e. Population

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 1-1 WHAT ARE THREE PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

12. Nutrient recycling is a vital natural service carried out by which natural resource?
a. natural gas
b. clean air
c. Topsoil
d. grazing animals such as deer
e. two of these answers

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 1-1 WHAT ARE THREE PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

13. The three principles of sustainability are:

a. solar energy, biodiversity and perpetual energy
b. use of natural capital to support human economies
c. use of renewable resources, but no use of nonrenewable resources
d. solar energy, biodiversity and chemical cycling
e. biodiversity, use of perpetual resources and widespread reduction of use

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderal

TOP: 1-1 WHAT ARE THREE PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

14. Which of the following would best be categorized as a perpetual resource?

a. oil reserves
b. Fisheries
c. solar energy
d. Forests
e. coal reserves
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Easy
TOP: 1-1 WHAT ARE THREE PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

15. What is an essential characteristic that indicates whether a resource should be categorized as a renewable resource?
a. It must be an energy resource.
b. It must be a biological resource.
c. It must be recyclable.
d. It must have the capacity to be replenished within days to several hundred years.
e. It must have the capacity to be utilized for immediate economic benefit.

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 1-1 WHAT ARE THREE PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

16. Select the choice that correctly states the best priority for use of non-renewable resources, such as metals and
plastics, from the environmentally sustainable perspective.
a. recycle, reuse, reduce
b. reuse, reduce, recycle
c. reduce, reuse, recycle
d. reduce, recycle, refuse
e. repurpose, recycle, remake

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 1-1 WHAT ARE THREE PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

17. Which of the following is an example of recycling?

a. collecting and re-melting aluminum beer cans and making them into new cans
b. cleaning and refilling soft-drink bottles
c. selling used clothing at a garage sale
d. saving leftovers in a peanut butter jar
e. using household water to water a garden

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 1-1 WHAT ARE THREE PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

18. Developed countries

a. are high-income
b. are low-income
c. use about 88% of the world’s resources
d. make up about 80% of the world's population
e. Are high-income and use about 88% of the world’s resources

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 1-1 WHAT ARE THREE PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE
19. Which of the following statements about developing countries is true?
a. They are highly industrialized.
b. They have high-average per capita income.
c. They include the United States, Germany, and Japan.
d. They are classified as middle-income or low-income.
e. They have about 85% of the world's wealth and income.

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 1-1 WHAT ARE THREE PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

20. About____ of the world's human population lives in the developing countries.
a. 20%
b. 40%
c. 60%
d. 80%
e. 90%

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 1-WHAT ARE THREE PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

21. All of the following are potentially renewable resources except

a. Groundwater
b. trees in a forest
c. fertile soil
d. Oil
e. fish populations

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 1-1 WHAT ARE THREE PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

22. You generally buy and eat microwave dinners. After dinner, cardboard tops and plastic trays remain. The least
effective way to deal with this type of solid waste problem is to
a. Store leftovers in the plastic trays.
b. Put all of the solid waste in the household trash to be taken to the landfill.
c. Donate the plastic containers to the local nursery schools to use with preschoolers.
d. Recycle the components.
e. Save the containers in a stash in your garage for future use.

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 1-1 WHAT ARE THREE PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

23. Nonrenewable resources include

a. Oil
b. Minerals
c. salt and sand
d. Coal
e. oil, minerals, salt, sand and coal

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 1-1 WHAT ARE THREE PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

24. Sustainable yield is the highest rate at which we can use a(n) _____________without reducing its available supply.
a. renewable resource
b. perpetual resource
c. energy resource
d. mineral resource
e. nonrenewable resource

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 1-1 WHAT ARE THREE PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

25. The tragedy of the commons refers to

a. overuse of privately held resources
b. overuse of shared common resources
c. human deaths from polluted shared resources such as air or water
d. government over-regulation of fresh water use
e. a Shakespeare play

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 1-2 HOW ARE OUR ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINTS AFFECTING THE EARTH?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

26. Evidence that we are living unsustainably includes which of the following?
a. Renewable forests are shrinking.
b. Topsoil is eroding, and the lower atmosphere is warming.
c. Deserts are expanding.
d. Deserts are shrinking.
e. Deserts are expanding, renewable forests are shrinking, topsoil is eroding and the lower atmosphere is
warming.

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 1-2 HOW ARE OUR ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINTS AFFECTING THE EARTH?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

27. Which of the following best describes what is meant by an ecological footprint?
a. It is the average size of the lot on which a family home is built.
b. It is the number of acres necessary to grow enough food to support a family.
c. It is the geographic area in which a person travels during the course of their average daily activities.
d. It is the amount of biologically-productive land and water needed to supply the people in a particular country or
area with the resources they need.
e. It is the amount of tillable agricultural land necessary to supply the food requirements of a nation.

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 1-2 HOW ARE OUR ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINTS AFFECTING THE EARTH?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE
28. If a country’s ecological footprint is larger than its biological capacity to replenish its renewable resources and
absorb the resulting waste and pollution:
a. It is said to have an ecological deficit.
b. It should be supported by other countries with smaller footprints.
c. It is said to be a sustainable society.
d. It is most likely a developing country.
e. More than one of these answers is correct.

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 1-2 HOW ARE OUR ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINTS AFFECTING THE EARTH?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

29. Which of the following best describes the concept of environmental degradation?
a. using solar power at a rapid rate
b. growing crops for food
c. cutting trees for wood products faster than the trees can regrow to maturity
d. letting agricultural runoff cause oxygen depletion and fish kills downstream
e. two of these answers

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 1-2 HOW ARE OUR ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINTS AFFECTING THE EARTH?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

30. The IPAT model states that the key factor in environmental impact in
a. developing countries is resource use
b. developing countries is population size
c. developed countries is resource use
d. developed countries is population size
e. more than one of these answers

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 1-2 HOW ARE OUR ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINTS AFFECTING THE EARTH?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

31. Point sources of pollution

a. enter ecosystems from dispersed and often hard-to-identify sources
b. include runoff of fertilizers and pesticides from farmlands and suburban lawns
c. are cheaper and easier to identify than nonpoint sources
d. are more difficult to control than nonpoint sources
e. are always found in rural areas

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 1-2 HOW ARE OUR ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINTS AFFECTING THE EARTH?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

32. Nonpoint sources of pollution

a. enter ecosystems from single identifiable sources
b. are more difficult to control than point sources
c. include smokestacks and automobile exhaust pipes
d. are cheaper and easier to identify than point sources
e. are always found in rural areas

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 1-2 HOW ARE OUR ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINTS AFFECTING THE EARTH?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

33. The total ecological footprint for humanity is expected to be

a. twice the planet’s ecological capacity by the year 2015
b. 30% higher than the planet’s ecological capacity by the year 2035
c. 60% higher than the planet’s ecological capacity by the year 2035
d. 30% higher than the planet’s ecological capacity by the year 2015
e. twice the planet’s ecological capacity by the year 2035

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 1-2 HOW ARE OUR ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINTS AFFECTING THE EARTH?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

34. Pollution cleanup efforts can be ineffective because

a. They often transfer pollutants from one part of the environment to another.
b. Once pollutants are dispersed, it costs too much to reduce them to acceptable levels.
c. They can be overwhelmed by growth in population and consumption.
d. They often transfer pollutants from part of the environment to another, once they are dispersed it costs too
much to reduce them to acceptable levels, and they can be overwhelmed by growth in population and
consumption.
e. There are not enough people with the necessary technical training to deal with the problems.

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

TOP: 1-2 HOW ARE OUR ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINTS AFFECTING THE EARTH?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

35. China currently

a. has the second largest economy on the planet
b. is the world’s largest producer of wind turbines, and is projected to soon be the largest producer of solar cells
c. is the second largest economy on the planet and is the world’s largest producer and consumer of cars.
d. is the world’s largest producer and consumer of cars, and is the largest producer of solar cells.
e. is the second largest economy on the planet, is the world’s largest producer of wind turbines and cars, and is
projected to soon be the world’s largest producer of solar cells.

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 1-2 HOW ARE OUR ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINTS AFFECTING THE EARTH?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

36. Root causes of unsustainability include all of the following except

a. wasteful use of resources
b. Poverty
c. rapid population growth
d. inclusion of environmental and social costs in market prices
e. widespread recycling programs

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 1-3 WHY DO WE HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

37. Which of the following is an environmental benefit of affluence and wealth?

a. Increasing wealth allows for an increased capacity for resource consumption.
b. Increased wealth provides resources to apply toward the creation of environmentally beneficial technologies.
c. Increasing affluence often leads to a desire to travel widely and frequently in order to see the world.
d. The affluence of developed nations is highly desirable and sought after by citizens of developing nations.
e. The typical consumption patterns of affluent nations leads to beneficial environmental conservation practices.

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 1-3 WHY DO WE HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

38. Which of the following is a major factor contributing to the degradation of natural capital associated with the
pricing of consumable goods?
a. They are priced in such a way that they do not reflect the environmental damage caused by their production.
b. They are priced in such a way as to allow even those in poverty in developing nations to acquire them.
c. They are priced in such a way that only the most affluent purchaser is able to acquire them.
d. Consumers are typically aware of the kinds of environmental damage resulting from the production of the item.
e. It is fashionable in some local cultures to purchase items that are expensive because of the social status it
brings.

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 1-3 WHY DO WE HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

39. The resource consumption of the average person in the United States is about _____ times that of the average
citizen of India, and about _____ times that of the average person in the world’s poorest countries.
a. 2, 10
b. 5, 10
c. 8.6, 15
d. 25, 50
e. 30, 100

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 1-3 WHY DO WE HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

40. A worldview that holds that we can and should manage the Earth for our own benefit but that we also have an
ethical responsibility to be caring stewards is called the
a. planetary management worldview
b. stewardship worldview
c. environmental wisdom worldview
d. socialist worldview
e. monarchy worldview

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 1-3 WHY DO WE HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

41. In 2009, the world population is about

a. 6.0 billion people
b. 2.0 billion people
c. 9.0 billion people
d. 8.0 million people
e. 7.0 billion people

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 1-3 WHY DO WE HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

42. Every day, approximately _____ new people are added to the global population.
a. 53 million
b. 100 million
c. 83 million
d. 153 million
e. 250,000 (a quarter of a million)

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 1-3 WHY DO WE HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

43. The actual cost of gasoline that U.S. consumers purchase for their cars is
a. about $1 per gallon which makes it even more unfair that we are currently paying around $4 per gallon.
b. about $4 per gallon, so the current prices at the pump are right on target.
c. about $6 per gallon which is more in line with fair prices paid in European countries
d. about $14 per gallon when one considers estimated harmful environmental and health costs.
e. it was $2 per gallon until Hurricane Katrina and Deep Horizon oil spill caused increases in production costs and
decreases in availability.

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 1-3 WHY DO WE HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

44. Billions of poverty-stricken people do not have access to basic necessities of life. The lack of which one of the
following basic necessities affects the largest number of people?
a. enough fuel for heating and cooking
b. adequate sanitation facilities
c. clean drinking water
d. adequate housing
e. enough food for good health

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 1-3 WHY DO WE HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

45. With respect to making a shift from unsustainable lifestyles to sustainable lifestyles, it is estimated that we have
about _____________years to accomplish this, but that it takes about _______________per cent of the population to bring
about such major social changes.
a. 50 to 100; 50 to 100
b. 100 to 1,000; 5 to 10
c. 50 to 100; 5 to 10
d. 5 to 10; 50 to 100
e. 75; 75

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 1-4 WHAT IS AN ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE SOCIETY?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

TRUE/FALSE

1. An environmentally sustainable society must be based only on policies that provide for economic growth and
development.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

2. An important goal of environmental science is to learn how life on the earth has thrived and survived.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

3. Recycling nonrenewable metallic resources takes much less energy, water, and other resources and produces less
pollution and environmental degradation than exploiting virgin metallic resources.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

4. Polluting chemicals enter the environment only through human activities.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

5. Natural resources are considered natural capital, but natural services are not..

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

6. The United States has the world's largest per capita ecological footprint.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

7. Government subsidies can actually encourage companies to conduct business in ways that result in environmental
degradation.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

8. In an environmentally sustainable society, most affluent citizens work to decrease their consumption of products.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

9. Pollution cleanup is considered a short-term solution if population and consumption levels grow without
corresponding improvement in pollution control technology.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

10. Rapid population growth and associated poverty are primarily occurring in developing countries and have little
impact on environmental degradation.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

11. In order for the social changes to occur that will produce sustainable economies, fully 50% of the population of a
country must support the change.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

12. We can say that biodiversity is a factor in maintaining life on this planet.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

13. Perpetual resources exist in a fixed quantity or stock in the Earth’s crust.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

14. If industry managers ask the question “How can my company avoid producing polluting air exhaust from my
factory?” they are seeking pollution prevent, which is preferable to pollution cleanup.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

15. The tragedy of the commons is a phenomenon that occurs only when the number of users is small.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

16. One of the ways we can slow population growth is to elevate the status of women.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

17. A massive cloud of air pollution largely generated in China affects only China, but causes serious respiratory
problems there.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

COMPLETION
1. A resource such as solar energy that is renewed continuously is a called a(n) ____________________.

ANS: perpetual resource

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

2. The three principles of sustainability are chemical cycling, reliance on solar energy, and ____________________.

ANS: biodiversity

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

3. A(n )____________________ is a set of organisms within a defined area or volume that interact with one another
and with their environment of nonliving matter and energy.

ANS: Ecosystem

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

4. ____________________ is the ability of the Earth's various natural systems and human cultural systems and
economies to survive and adapt to changing environmental conditions indefinitely.

ANS: Sustainability

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

5. ____________________ are materials and energy in nature that are essential or useful to humans.

ANS: Natural resources

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

6. A(n) ________________is anything obtained from the environment to meet our needs and wants.

ANS: resource

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

7. The action of processing plastic or aluminum cans into another usable product is called ____________________.

ANS: recycling

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE
8. ____________________ are functions of nature, such as purification of air and water, that support life and human
economies.

ANS: Natural services

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

9. The IPAT model of environmental impact takes into consideration population size, technology, and
____________________.

ANS: affluence

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

10. ____________________ is the contamination of the environment by a chemical or other agent such as noise or
heat to a level that is harmful to the health, survival or activities of humans of other organisms..

ANS: Pollution

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

11. The highest rate at which a renewable resource can be used indefinitely without reducing its available supply is
called its ____________________.

ANS: sustainable yield

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

12. A single, identifiable source of pollution is called a(n) ____________________.

ANS: point source

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

13. Pollution ____________________ is cheaper and more effective than pollution ____________________.

ANS: prevention, cleanup

PTS: 2 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

14. Developing countries can be classified as moderately developed, middle-income, or as ____________________,

least developed.

ANS:
low-income
low income

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE
15. Old drink bottles that are collected, washed, and refilled are an example of ____________________.

ANS: reuse

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

16. Natural capital is comprised of natural resources and natural ____________________.

ANS: services

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

17. When we exceed a renewable resource's natural replacement rate, the available supply begins to shrink through a
process known as ____________________.

ANS: environmental degradation

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

18. Pesticides blown from agricultural lands into the air is an example of ____________________ pollution.

ANS: non-point source

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

19. It has been estimated that humanity's global ecological footprint exceeds the Earth's biological capacity by about
____________________.

ANS: 30%

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

SHORT ANSWER
1. Is India's per capita ecological footprint greater than that of Japan?

ANS:
No, India’s per capita ecological footprint is smaller than Japan’s.

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy OBJ: Critical Thinking

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: ANALYSIS

2. Is India’s total ecological footprint greater than that of Japan?

ANS:
Yes.

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy OBJ: Critical Thinking

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: ANALYSIS

3. What is the significance of this difference between India and Japan?

ANS:
Although the per capita footprint of India is small, its large population size means India’s overall effect on the
environment is greater.

PTS: 3 DIF: Moderate OBJ: Critical Thinking

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLI CATION

4. What can be interpreted about the ecological footprints of the United States from the above graphs?

ANS:
The United States has both the largest per capita ecological footprint on the planet and the largest total ecological
footprint on the planet.

PTS: 3 DIF: Moderate OBJ: Critical Thinking

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: ANALYSIS
5. Compared to other developed countries such as Japan and the European Union countries, how does the per capita
ecological footprint of the United States measure up? Why?

ANS:
The per capita ecological footprint of the United States is double that of the other developed countries. This
reflects the much higher consumption of natural resources in the United States

PTS: 3 DIF: Moderate OBJ: Critical Thinking

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: ANALYSIS

6. What percentage of the world's population does not have adequate sanitation?

ANS:
37%

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy OBJ: Critical Thinking

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: ANALYSIS

7. Identify problems that result from lack of sanitation.

ANS:
-- widespread disease
-- polluted water and air
-- decrease in workforce because of disease, etc.

PTS: 3 DIF: Moderate OBJ: Critical Thinking

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

8. If poverty stricken people in developing countries engage in activities that degrade valuable natural resources,
which two statistics do you think are driving those actions?

ANS:
Lack of enough fuel for heating and cooking, as they harvest wood from forests, and lack of enough food for good
health as they hunt and take fish or wildlife to feed themselves

PTS: 3 DIF: Difficult OBJ: Critical Thinking

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

ESSAY

1. Clearly describe how wealth and affluence can have both harmful and beneficial environmental effects.

ANS:
The typical lifestyles of the citizens of developed nations are built on high levels of consumption and unsustainable
use of natural resources. This type of affluence has an enormously harmful environmental impact.

On the other hand, affluence can lead people to become more educated, environmentally aware, and concerned. It
also provides money for the development of improved technologies that can help to reduce pollution, resource
waste, and environmental degradation.

PTS: 5 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

2. Explain how poverty drives population growth.

ANS:
To many poor people, having more children is a matter of survival. Children are effectively the labor force for a
poor family, helping with crop tending, gathering wood or fuel, hauling water and livestock tending. Additionally,
the children become caretakers of their parents when the parents age. This is very important in poor countries that
do not have social security, health care or retirement funds.

PTS: 5 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

3. Explain how the IPAT model and the ecological footprint model emphasize different aspects of how natural
resources are affected by unsustainable use.

ANS:
The IPAT model includes the per capita use of both renewable and nonrenewable resources, while the ecological
footprint model emphasizes the use of renewable resources.

PTS: 3 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: ANALYSIS

CHAPTER 2—SCIENCE, MATTER, AND ENERGY

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. Which statement best describes the Bormann-Likens controlled experiment in forest valleys in New Hampshire that
compared water flowing out of deforested areas to undisturbed areas?
a. The deforested area was greater in volume by 30 to 40%
b. The deforested area was less in volume by 30 to 40%
c. The deforested area had more soil nutrients dissolved in the water
d. The deforested area was less in volume by 30 to 40% and had fewer soil nutrients dissolved in the water
e. The deforested area was greater in volume by 30 to 40% and had more soil nutrients dissolved in the water
ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate TOP: CORE CASE STUDY
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

2. The Bormann-Likens study in the Hubbard Brooks Experimental Forest in New Hampshire can best be described
as
a. a comparison of a control site with an experimental site in nature
b. what can occur in a forest watershed without plants to absorb water
c. an example of how scientists learn about the effects of our actions on natural systems
d. a comparison of a control site with an experimental site in nature and a study of what can occur in a forest
watershed without plants to absorb and retain water
e. a comparison of a control and an experimental site, a study of what can occur in a forest watershed without
plants to absorb water, and an example of how scientists learn about the effects of our actions on natural
systems.

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate TOP: CORE CASE STUDY

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

3. Science
a. is a study of the history of the natural world
b. attempts to discover order in nature to interpret the past
c. is best described as a random collection of facts
d. is supported by small amounts of evidence
e. is an endeavor to discover how nature works

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 2-1 WHAT DO SCIENTISTS DO?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

4. When scientists are testing ideas to determine facts, they

a. follow a specific set of logical steps
b. report observations to the scientific community without data collection
c. use different steps that are unique to each scientist
d. use only mathematical modeling
e. first ask fellow scientists at annual meetings what steps to take

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 2-1 WHAT DO SCIENTISTS DO?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

5. Scientific hypotheses differ from scientific theories in that they are

a. widely accepted descriptions of what we find happening over and over in nature
b. tentative explanations that need further evaluation
c. not subject to proper investigation and testing
d. arrived at after extensive mathematical modeling
e. tentative explanations that need further evaluation and not subject to proper investigation and testing

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 2-1 WHAT DO SCIENTISTS DO?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

6. A classmate tells you that a statement heard on the news about an environmental process noted in a local ecosystem
cannot be true because it has not been scientifically proven. You realize that
a. this classmate is misinformed because science cannot prove anything, but it can disprove events conclusively.
b. this classmate is misinformed because science can neither prove or disprove anything absolutely.
c. this classmate is misinformed because the process in question actually has been proven scientifically.
d. this classmate is correct.
e. this classmate has confused scientific theories and scientific laws

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 2-1 WHAT DO SCIENTISTS DO?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

7. Which of the following choices best describes the sequence scientists typically use in the beginning stages of their
investigations about how nature works?
a. analyze data -> search literature -> perform experiment -> identify a problem -> ask a question
b. ask a question -> search literature -> perform experiment -> analyze data -> identify a problem
c. search literature -> ask a question -> identify a problem -> analyze data -> perform experiment
d. identify a problem ->search literature -> ask a question -> perform experiment -> analyze data
e. ask a question->search literature -> identify a problem -> perform experiment -> analyze data

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

TOP: 2-1 WHAT DO SCIENTISTS DO?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

8. Which of the following does not characterize frontier science?

a. It often captures news headlines because it is controversial.
b. It may deal with preliminary data.
c. It may eventually be validated.
d. Scientists always agree on the meaning and accuracy of the data involved.
e. It may eventually be discredited.

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 2-1 WHAT DO SCIENTISTS DO?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

A tiny, tawny colored butterfly called the Carson Wandering Skipper was always known for its small and very
localized populations. Typically, it was found along the western Nevada and eastern California high desert areas. It
was always located close to hot springs and other wet areas that supported salt grass, the host plant it depended on.

Recently, the populations went into a steep decline, and a last hold-out area was threatened by imminent
construction of a freeway bypass. Biologists became alarmed and began an intensive search for populations in
locations other than the spot designated for the freeway bypass. They began their search by identifying all known
locations of hot springs, in hopes of finding small populations of the Carson Wandering Skipper close by.

9. The biologists’ observations that the Carson Wandering Skipper populations had declined is an example of
a. data analysis
b. identifying a problem
c. performing an experiment
d. proposing a hypothesis
e. making testable predictions

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

TOP: 2-1 WHAT DO SCIENTISTS DO?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

10. As they searched for previously unknown populations of the Carson Wandering Skipper, biologists wondered if hot
springs were absolutely essential to its survival. This phase of the investigation is
a. finding out what is known and asking a question
b. analyzing data and asking a question
c. Asking a question and testing predictions
d. accepting their hypothesis and analyzing data
e. accepting their hypothesis and asking a question

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

TOP: 2-1 WHAT DO SCIENTISTS DO?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

11. The scientists, with enough data,

a. would be able to prove that there is a correlation between butterfly populations and hot springs
b. would not be able to prove a correlation between the butterfly populations and hot springs, but could disprove it
c. Would be able to prove or disprove a correlation, depending on the numbers
d. would not be able to prove or disprove a correlation between the butterfly populations and hot springs
e. would be able to prove that there is a correlation between the butterfly populations and hot springs, but would
not be able to disprove it

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 2-1 WHAT DO SCIENTISTS DO?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

12. What are the important steps involved in critical thinking?

a. Be skeptical about everything you read or hear and be open to many viewpoints
b. Look at the evidence and evaluate it as well as related information and a variety of opinions.
c. Identify and evaluate your personal beliefs and biases.
d. Identify and evaluate your personal beliefs and biases and be skeptical about everything you read or hear.
e. Look at the evidence and evaluate it as well as related information, identify and evaluate your personal beliefs
and biases, be skeptical about everything you read or hear and be open to many viewpoints.

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 2-1 WHAT DO SCIENTISTS DO?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

13. Scientific theories are

a. frequently overturned and changed because they are, in fact, just theories.
b. overturned on a regular basis at periodic scheduled meetings of the scientific community to evaluate the
validity of all scientific theories.
c. never overturned.
d. rarely overturned unless new evidence discredits them.
e. overturned only as a result of Supreme Court decisions.

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 2-1 WHAT DO SCIENTISTS DO?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

14. Matter is best described as

a. anything that has mass and occupies space
b. something that has the capacity to do work
c. something that can exist as a solid, liquid, or gas
d. something that can produce change
e. is anything that has mass and occupies space and can exist as a solid, liquid, or gas

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 2-2 WHAT IS MATTER AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

15. All of the following are elements except

a. Water
b. Oxygen
c. Nitrogen
d. Hydrogen
e. Carbon

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 2-2 WHAT IS MATTER AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

16. The atomic number is the number of

a. atoms in a molecule
b. protons in an atom
c. nuclei in a molecule
d. electrons in an atom
e. protons and neutrons in an atom

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 2-2 WHAT IS MATTER AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

17. Protons, neutrons, and electrons are all

a. forms of energy
b. equal in mass
c. subatomic particles
d. negative ions
e. charged particles

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 2-2 WHAT IS MATTER AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

18. The atomic mass number is equal to the sum of the

a. neutrons and isotopes
b. neutrons and electrons
c. neutrons and protons
d. protons, neutrons, and electrons
e. protons only

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 2-2 WHAT IS MATTER AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

19. An element
a. is identical to a compound
b. is made up of compounds
c. can combine with one or more other element to make a compound
d. exists only in a pure form as a single element, and never combines with other elements
e. more than one of these answers

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 2-2 WHAT IS MATTER AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

20. The commonest form of the Carbon atom that exists is at times referred to as C . An isotope of this atom is called
12

C . C must have a different number of___________than C .

14 14 12

a. Ions
b. Protons
c. Atoms
d. Neutrons
e. Electrons

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 2-2 WHAT IS MATTER AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

21. Ions are atoms or groups of atoms that have

a. Gained or lost an electron
b. Gained or lost a proton
c. Gained or lost a neutron
d. Gained or lost either an electron or a proton
e. different numbers of protons and neutrons in the same atom

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 2-2 WHAT IS MATTER AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

22. Which list of items contains only ions?

a. CO , H O, Na , H
2 2
+ -

b. Na , H , Pb, Hg
+ -

c. Pb, Hg, CO ,NaCl 2

d. Cl , Na , Ca , NO
- + 2+
3
-

e. NaCl, NO, CO, NaOH

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 2-2 WHAT IS MATTER AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

23. An acidic solution would have

a. more hydroxide ions than hydrogen ions
b. more hydrogen ions than hydroxide ions
c. a pH less than 7
d. a pH greater than 7
e. more hydrogen ions than hydroxide ions and a pH less than 7

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 2-2 WHAT IS MATTER AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

24. All organic compounds are characterized by the presence of

a. Carbon
b. Hydrogen
c. Oxygen
d. Nitrogen
e. Phosphorus

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 2-2 WHAT IS MATTER AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

25. Which of the following sources of iron would be of the highest quality?
a. iron deposits on the ocean floor
b. a field of spinach
c. a large scrap metal junkyard
d. a half-mile deep deposit of iron ore
e. soil that is high in iron content

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

TOP: 2-2 WHAT IS MATTER AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

26. Which of the following contains all of the others?

a. Chromosomes
b. Genes
c. Cells
d. DNA molecules
e. cell nuclei

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 2-2 WHAT IS MATTER AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

27. The smallest functional and structural unit of life is the

a. Ion
b. Atom
c. Compound
d. Molecule
e. Cell

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 2-2 WHAT IS MATTER AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

28. Which organic polymer consists of two or more monomers of simple sugars such as glucose?
a. Lipids
b. Proteins
c. nucleic acids
d. complex carbohydrates
e. nucleic acids and complex carbohydrates

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 2-2 WHAT IS MATTER AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

29. Genetic information is contained in coded units on chromosomes called

a. DNA molecules
b. Genes
c. Macromolecules
d. Nucleotides
e. Proteins

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 2-2 WHAT IS MATTER AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

30. The law of conservation of matter states that

a. Atoms can be created.
b. Atoms can be destroyed.
c. Atoms cannot be created or destroyed.
d. Atoms can be destroyed if we compost them.
e. Atoms can be created through nuclear fission.

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 2-2 WHAT IS MATTER AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

31. If a carbon atom combines with oxygen atoms to form CO , this would be described as a
2

a. Physical change.
b. Chemical change.
c. It is both a physical and chemical change.
d. First, it is a physical change, but then it becomes a chemical change.
e. It is not a physical change or a chemical change. It is scientific change.

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 2-2 WHAT IS MATTER AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

32. Energy can be formally defined as

a. the velocity of any moving object
b. the heat generated by atoms losing electrons
c. the ability to do work or produce heat transfer
d. the displacement of heat from the Sun to the Earth
e. the process of moving objects

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 2-3 WHAT IS ENERGY AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

33. Most forms of energy can be classified as either

a. chemical or physical
b. kinetic or mechanical
c. potential or mechanical
d. chemical or kinetic
e. potential or kinetic

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 2-3 WHAT IS ENERGY AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

34. All of the following are examples of kinetic energy except

a. a speeding bullet
b. a car battery
c. a flow of electric current
d. a falling rock
e. flowing water

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 2-3 WHAT IS ENERGY AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION
35. An example of potential energy is
a. electricity flowing through a wire
b. the chemical energy in a candy bar
c. a bullet fired at high velocity
d. a leaf falling from a tree
e. water flowing

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 2-3 WHAT IS ENERGY AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

36. Which of the following is the best description of the first law of thermodynamics?
a. Atoms cannot be created or destroyed.
b. Energy input always equals energy output.
c. Heat is a form of kinetic energy.
d. Solar energy is converted into chemical energy in living systems.
e. All of these answers apply to the first law of thermodynamics.

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

TOP: 2-3 WHAT IS ENERGY AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

37. Wind farms are viable options for supplying more of our energy needs in the future because:
a. high speed wind is a form of medium-quality energy
b. high speed wind is a form of high-quality energy
c. high speed wind is a form of low-quality energy
d. all speeds of wind are high quality energy
e. wind is not an energy form at all

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 2-3 WHAT IS ENERGY AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

38. The direct input of solar energy produces which of the following forms of renewable (indirect) solar energy?
a. Wind
b. falling and flowing water
c. Biomass
d. wind, falling and flowing water, and biomass
e. only wind and falling and flowing water

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 2-3 WHAT IS ENERGY AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

39. The amount of useful work accomplished by a particular input of energy into a system is
a. Energy quality
b. Energy potential
c. Energy capacity
d. Energy efficiency
e. Energy loss

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 2-3 WHAT IS ENERGY AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

40. Which of the following energy forms is high quality?

a. Coal
b. the heat dispersed in the ocean
c. Electricity
d. Food
e. coal, electricity and food

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

TOP: 2-3 WHAT IS ENERGY AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

41. What percentage of useful energy in the United States is either unavoidably or unnecessarily wasted?
a. 43%
b. 84%
c. 35%
d. 41%
e. Energy in the United States is not wasted.

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 2-3 WHAT IS ENERGY AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

42. Scientists Bormann and Likens demonstrated in their experiment on a clear-cut forest that
a. A cleared forest is more sustainable than an uncleared forest.
b. An uncleared forest is more sustainable than a cleared forest.
c. Cleared and uncleared forests have the same sustainability.
d. Clearing a forest violates the second law of thermodynamics.
e. At least two of these answers are correct.

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 2-3 WHAT IS ENERGY AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

43. A form of kinetic energy that travels in the form of waves as a result of changes in electrical and magnetic fields is
a. Wind
b. electromagnetic radiation
c. Waterfalls
d. Electricity
e. solar radiation

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 2-3 WHAT IS ENERGY AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

44. Which of the following is the best short summary of the law of conservation of matter?
a. There is no away.
b. You cannot get something for nothing.
c. You cannot break even.
d. You can break even, but not get something for nothing.
e. You can get something for nothing, but cannot break even.

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 2-3 WHAT IS ENERGY AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

45. Some forms of electromagnetic radiation with short wavelengths are:

a. Visible light and IR radiation
b. Visible light and x-rays
c. x-rays and IR
d. gamma rays and UV radiation
e. Visible light and gamma rays

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 2-3 WHAT IS ENERGY AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

46. Which of the following are widely used technologies that are responsible for wasting enormous amounts of energy?
a. the compact fluorescent light bulb and the internal combustion engine
b. solar cells and incandescent light bulbs
c. the incandescent light bulb and the internal combustion engine
d. PV cells and the internal combustion engine
e. LED bulbs and the internal combustion engine

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 2-3 WHAT IS ENERGY AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

TRUE/FALSE

1. Since scientific theories are tentative explanations, they should not be taken seriously.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE
2. Scientists analyze data before they take any other steps to investigate natural processes, since that is the only
logical place to start.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

3. The two chemical forms of matter are elements and compounds.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

4. Chemical elements cannot be broken down into simpler substances.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

5. The steps in the scientific investigative process are always followed in the same sequence by every scientist,
without fail.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

6. When matter undergoes physical changes, the chemical composition also changes.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

7. Hydrocarbons are organic compounds.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

8. The very first step in the scientific process is to find out what is known about the problem.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

9. When electrical energy lights an incandescent light bulb, 50 percent of the energy produces light.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

10. When energy changes from one form to another, it always goes from a more useful to a less useful form.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

11. The idea that all elements are made up of molecules is called the atomic theory.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

12. A chemical element cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE
13. Atoms as a whole have no net electrical charge.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

14. The atomic number of an atom designates the number of protons and neutrons found in its nucleus.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

15. In the scientific process, projections are tested with further experiments, models or observations.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

COMPLETION

1. In a scientific investigation, one of the groups involved in the investigation has a chosen variable changed in a
known way. This group is designated as the ____________________group.

ANS: experimental

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

2. If an overwhelming body of observations and measurements supports a scientific hypothesis, it becomes known as
a(n) ____________________.

ANS: scientific theory

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

3. A tentative explanation that needs further investigation is called a(n) ____________________.

ANS: hypothesis

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

4. Matter that is near the Earth's surface, that is highly concentrated, and that has great potential for use as a resource
is referred to as ____________________.

ANS: high quality

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

5. ____________________ consists of elements and compounds.

ANS: Matter

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE
6. A chemical that is a combination of two or more different elements is called a(n) ____________________.

ANS: compound

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

7. An atom or group of atoms with one or more net positive or negative charges is called a(n)
____________________.

ANS: ion

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

8. The pH of a solution is a measure of the ____________________ ions and ____________________ ions.

ANS:
hydrogen, hydroxide
hydroxide, hydrogen

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

9. ________________ ____________occurs when two isotopes of light elements are forced together at extremely
high temperatures until they fuse to form a heavier nucleus.

ANS: nuclear fusion

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

10. ___________________ ______________occurs when the nuclei of certain isotopes with large mass numbers are
split apart into lighter nuclei when struck by a neutron.

ANS: nculear fission

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

11. An ion that is an essential nutrient for plant growth, and which was studied by Bormann and Likens, is the
____________________ ion.

ANS: nitrate

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

12. A simple carbohydrate that plants and animals use to obtain energy is ____________________.

ANS: glucose

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

13. Organic compounds always contain ____________________ atoms.

ANS: carbon

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

14. Genes are segments of ____________________.

ANS: DNA

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

15. Macromolecules formed from a number of monomers are called ____________________.

ANS: polymers

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

MATCHING

Match items with their appropriate chemical description.

a. S g. Na
b. H+ h. nucleus
c. Electron i. mass number
d. Proton j. NO - 3

e. Neutron k. isotopes
f. CO 2

1. The chemical symbol for sodium

2. A subatomic particle with no net electrical charge

3. The nitrate ion

4. The small, dense center of an atom

5. The total number of protons and neutrons in an atom’s nucleus

6. Subatomic particle with a positive charge

7. The chemical symbol for sulfur

8. A compound

9. Atoms with variable numbers of neutrons

10. Subatomic particle with a negative charge

11. Chemical symbol for the hydrogen ion

1. ANS: G PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

2. ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

3. ANS: J PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

4. ANS: H PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

5. ANS: I PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

6. ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

7. ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

8. ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

9. ANS: K PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

10. ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

11. ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

OOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

Match the items below with the correct energy or matter quality below.
a. High-quality matter
b. Low-quality matter
c. High-quality energy
d. Low-quality energy
e. Both high-quality matter and high-quality energy

12. salt

13. coal

14. gasoline

15. aluminum ore

16. salt water

17. heat in oceans

18. oil in barrels

19. automobile emissions

20. nuclear fission

21. concentrated sunlight

12. ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

13. ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

14. ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

15. ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

16. ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

17. ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

18. ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

19. ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

20. ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

21. ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

OOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

Match items a through h with their correct description below.

a. human body d. chromosome pair
b. in all human cells except for red blood cells e. chromosome
c. found in all cell nuclei f. gene

22. contains a long DNA molecule in the form of a double helix

23. contains trillions of cells, each with an identical set of genes

24. chromosomes in pairs

25. cell nuclei

26. segments on chromosomes

27. contains one chromosome from each parent

22. ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

23. ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

24. ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

25. ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

26. ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

27. ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

OOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

SHORT ANSWER

1. Name at least three things you did during the last hour that degraded high-quality energy to low-quality energy.

ANS:
Sample answers:
∙ Drove a gasoline-powered car
∙ Used a computer powered by electricity
∙ Used hot water for a shower, dish washing, or laundry
∙ Used a furnace or air conditioner to adjust room temperature

PTS: 3 DIF: Difficult OBJ: Critical Thinking

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

2. Curiosity and skepticism are important features of the scientific process. Explain how these two attributes in a
scientist come into play during a late phase of scientific investigation called accept or reject the hypothesis.

ANS:
A skeptical and curious scientist will want to know the real reason for why nature works in a certain way. He/she
would not be satisfied until reaching the appropriate conclusion about the investigation being conducted.

PTS: 3 DIF: Difficult

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: ANALYSIS

3. Employing the concepts of high-quality matter and low-quality matter, explain to a friend why recycling aluminum
drink containers is a good idea.

ANS:
The aluminum needed to produce more aluminum products is more easily obtained from the concentrated metal in
a recycled container than by mining aluminum ore from the soil. Aluminum ore is more widely dispersed, difficult
to extract, and ends up being more costly in terms of environmental degradation.

PTS: 3 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: SYNTHESIS

4. What are the physical states and chemical forms of matter?

ANS:
Matter has three physical states: solid, liquid and gas. It has two chemical forms: elements and compounds.

PTS: 2 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

ESSAY

1. Explain why the Bormann-Likens scientific investigation of clear-cutting forest watersheds is considered reliable
science.

ANS:
It has been subjected to peer review, and other scientists have repeated the study and produced similar results.

PTS: 2 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: ANALYSIS

2. List an example of each of the following terms: element, compound, ion, organic molecule, simple carbohydrate.

ANS:
Possible answers:
Element — carbon
Compound — carbon dioxide
Ion — nitrate ion
Organic molecule — hydrocarbons
Simple carbohydrate — glucose

PTS: 3 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

3. Explain how the differences between humans and other living organisms, such as plants or animals, are controlled
and encoded at the cellular level.

ANS:
Within the nucleus of each cell is a set of chromosomes, found in pairs. Each chromosome consists of a long DNA
molecule that contains the coding in sequences called genes. The genes are distinct pieces of genetic information to
make specific proteins that result in specific traits or characteristics.

PTS: 5 DIF: Difficult

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

4. What are some of the ways scientists examine scientific inquiries and studies to determine if the work is reliable or
unreliable?

ANS:
The work is subjected to the following critical thinking questions:

Was the experiment well-designed?

Have the results been reproduced by other scientists?
Does the proposed hypothesis explain the data?
Are there any more reasonable explanations for the data?
Are the investigators unbiased in their interpretation of the results?
Have the data and conclusions been subjected to peer review?
Are the conclusions of the research widely accepted by other experts in the field?

PTS: 4 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

5. Briefly explain how the second law of thermodynamics affects energy changes.

ANS:
When energy changes from one form to another, it always goes from a more useful to a less useful form. In other
words, it goes from a high-quality energy form to a low-quality energy form. The lower-quality energy is usually
given off as heat.

PTS: 5 DIF: Difficult

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

6. Describe three limitations of science in general (as well as environmental science).

ANS:
1. Scientists cannot prove or disprove anything absolutely because there is always some degree of uncertainty in
scientific measurements, observations and models.

2. Scientists are humans and thus are not totally free of bias about their own results and hypotheses.

3. Many systems in the natural world involve a huge number of variables with complex interactions.

PTS: 6 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

CHAPTER 3—ECOSYSTEMS: WHAT ARE THEY AND HOW DO THEY WORK?

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. Tropical rain forests cover about 2% of the Earth’s land surface, and
a. contain about 2% of the Earth’s total biodiversity
b. contain less than 10% of the Earth’s total biodiversity
c. contain no more than one-fourth of the Earth’s total biodiversity
d. contain up to one-half of the Earth’s total biodiversity
e. scientists currently do not know how much of the Earth’s total biodiversity is contained in tropical rainforests,
although they suspect it is very high
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Easy TOP: CORE CASE STUDY
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

2. The tropical rain forests

a. maybe be severely degraded or disappear within your lifetime.
b. are destroyed by humans cutting down trees and growing crops.
c. are destroyed by grazing cattle and human settlements.
d. degradation is increasing
e. are damaged by humans cutting down trees, growing crops and grazing cattle, by building settlements, and
degradation is increasing and they may be severely damaged or disappear within your lifetime,

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy TOP: CORE CASE STUDY

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

3. Which of the following choices best describes how an ecologist would typically study an ecosystem? The ecologist
would study
a. only a single animal or plant
b. an animal or plant, plus other organisms with which it interacts
c. an animal or plant, the organisms it interacts with, and its water supply
d. an animal or plant, plus all the biotic and abiotic aspects of the ecosystem in which it lives
e. the water supply and other non-living aspects of an ecosystem

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate TOP: CORE CASE STUDY

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

4. The innermost layer of the atmosphere is the

a. Troposphere
b. Stratosphere
c. Hydrosphere
d. Geosphere
e. Lithosphere

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 3-1 WHAT KEEPS US AND OTHER ORGANISMS ALIVE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

5. Which of the following is not a greenhouse gas?

a. nitrogen (N )
2

b. carbon dioxide (CO ) 2

c. water vapor (H O) 2

d. methane (CH ) 4

e. two of the listed choices are not greenhouse gases

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 3-1 WHAT KEEPS US AND OTHER ORGANISMS ALIVE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

6. All physical forms of water (solid, liquid, and gas) make up the
a. Atmosphere
b. Geosphere
c. Biosphere
d. Troposphere
e. Hydrosphere

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 3-1 WHAT KEEPS US AND OTHER ORGANISMS ALIVE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

7. Fossil fuels and minerals are found in the

a. Atmosphere
b. Geosphere
c. Biosphere
d. Hydrosphere
e. Troposphere

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 3-1 WHAT KEEPS US AND OTHER ORGANISMS ALIVE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

8. Submarines explore the

a. Atmosphere
b. Geosphere
c. Biosphere
d. Hydrosphere
e. Troposphere

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 3-1 WHAT KEEPS US AND OTHER ORGANISMS ALIVE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

9. Geologists find rock and soil samples in the

a. Atmosphere
b. Geosphere
c. Biosphere
d. Hydrosphere
e. Troposphere

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 3-1 WHAT KEEPS US AND OTHER ORGANISMS ALIVE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

10. Ozone, a gaseous O molecule that filters out harmful UV radiation, is found in the
3

a. Troposphere
b. Geosphere
c. Hydrosphere
d. Stratosphere
e. Biosphere

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 3-1 WHAT KEEPS US AND OTHER ORGANISMS ALIVE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

11. The crust, core, and mantle are all areas located within the
a. Stratosphere
b. Biosphere
c. Geosphere
d. Hydrosphere
e. Atmosphere

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 3-1 WHAT KEEPS US AND OTHER ORGANISMS ALIVE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

12. Which of the following statements is most accurate?

a. Energy cycles, nutrients flow.
b. Nutrients cycle, energy flows.
c. Nutrients flow, energy flows.
d. Nutrients cycle, energy cycles.
e. Nutrients flow and cycle.

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-1 WHAT KEEPS US AND OTHER ORGANISMS ALIVE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

13. As energy flows in ecosystems, it can be said to

a. cycle, as in a round trip
b. flow from high-quality to low-quality energy in a one-way fashion
c. either flow one way or cycle, depending on the type of energy involved
d. flow in a two-directional fashion
e. energy does not flow or cycle

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-1 WHAT KEEPS US AND OTHER ORGANISMS ALIVE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

14. You have decided on a career as an ecologist. Your work could possibly be which of the following assignments?
a. exploring the earth’s crust to locate mineral resources
b. negotiating air quality agreements among different countries
c. studying interactions of wolves and their prey species in Yellowstone National Park
d. studying depletion of large aquifers in the midwestern United States
e. exploring possible wind corridors in the intermountain west for placement of wind farms

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-1 WHAT KEEPS US AND OTHER ORGANISMS ALIVE?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

15. Ecologists study interactions within and among which five levels of organization?
a. cell, organism, atom, ecosystem, and molecule
b. atom, molecule, cell, organism, and population
c. molecule, cell, atom, community, and biosphere
d. organism, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere
e. atom, organism, cell, biosphere, and population

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-2 WHAT ARE THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION
16. Which one of the following contains all of the others?
a. Atom
b. Community
c. Cell
d. Population
e. Molecule

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-2 WHAT ARE THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

17. Ecology is the study of how:

a. Atoms make up the environment.
b. Humans affect the environment.
c. Organisms interact with each other and their nonliving environment.
d. Energy runs the environment.
e. Evolution affects nature.

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 3-2 WHAT ARE THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

18. A group of individuals of the same species living in a particular place is a(n)
a. Species
b. Population
c. Community
d. Organism
e. Biome

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 3-2 WHAT ARE THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

19. A community of different species interacting with one another and the physical and chemical factors of their
nonliving environment is called a(n)
a. Species
b. Ecosystem
c. Population
d. Lithosphere
e. Community

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 3-2 WHAT ARE THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

20. Pronghorn antelope is the only North American antelope. It lives in the high desert of the Great Basin in the
western U.S. Which of the following items are possible abiotic factors that an antelope has to content with?
a. the density of the local population of coyotes
b. extreme maximum and minimum temperatures in the desert
c. competition with wild horses for sparse vegetation for forage
d. lack of available water
e. lack of available water and extreme maximum and minimum temperatures in the desert

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-2 WHAT ARE THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

21. Bacteria and fungi are typically categorized as which of the following ecosystem components?
a. Autotrophs
b. Producers
c. primary consumers
d. tertiary consumers
e. Decomposers

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 3-2 WHAT ARE THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

22. Of the total energy that falls on their leaves, what percent do producers on average convert to chemical energy
through the process of photosynthesis?
a. 0%
b. 1%
c. 10%
d. 25%
e. 50%

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 3-2 WHAT ARE THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

23. Which of the following best represents the process of photosynthesis?

a. Carbon dioxide + Glucose + Solar energy → Water + Oxygen
b. Carbon dioxide + Water + Solar energy → Glucose + Oxygen
c. Oxygen + Glucose + Solar energy → Carbon dioxide + Water
d. Oxygen + Glucose → Solar energy + Carbon dioxide + Water
e. Carbon dioxide + Water → Solar energy + Glucose + Oxygen

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-2 WHAT ARE THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

24. A grizzly bear eating blueberries is best categorized as which of the following?
a. Producer
b. primary consumer
c. tertiary consumer
d. Detritivores
e. Decomposer
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy
TOP: 3-2 WHAT ARE THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

25. Which ecosystem component plays a key role in the recycling of nutrients in the biosphere?
a. Producers
b. primary consumers
c. Herbivores
d. tertiary consumers
e. Decomposers

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 3-2 WHAT ARE THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

26. Phytoplankton in the ocean

a. provide much of the planet’s oxygen
b. provide much of the planet’s carbon dioxide
c. remove much of the planet’s carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
d. remove much of the planet’s oxygen
e. provide much of the planet’s oxygen and remove much of the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-2 WHAT ARE THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

27. What do giraffes and caterpillars have in common?

a. They are both autotrophs.
b. They are both herbivores
c. They are both secondary consumers and herbivores.
d. They are both detritivores
e. Giraffes and caterpillars do not have anything in common.

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-2 WHAT ARE THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

28. An entomologist is a biologist that has special training in the study of insects. Which of the following groups of
detritivores would an entomologist possibly study?
a. Fungi
b. Bacteria
c. Vultures
d. carpenter ants
e. Giraffes

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-2 WHAT ARE THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

29. Photosynthesis
a. converts glucose into energy and water
b. requires the combustion of carbon
c. produces carbon dioxide and oxygen gas
d. yields glucose and oxygen gas as products
e. yields glucose and carbon dioxide as products

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-2 WHAT ARE THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

30. The conversion of solar energy into chemical energy occurs in

a. Photosynthesis
b. food chains
c. Chemosynthesis
d. heterotrophic organisms
e. food webs

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-2 WHAT ARE THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

31. Organisms that feed on both plants and animals are called
a. detritus feeders
b. Omnivores
c. Carnivores
d. herbivores
e. decomposers

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 3-2 WHAT ARE THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

32. Which of the following groups can be called autotrophs?

a. ants, termites and butterflies
b. wolves, coyotes and foxes
c. rabbits, moles and robins
d. daisies, roses and grass
e. mushrooms and fungi

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 3-2 WHAT ARE THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

33. The organisms that are classified as primary consumers are the
a. Detritivores
b. Omnivores
c. Carnivores
d. Decomposers
e. Herbivores
ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy
TOP: 3-2 WHAT ARE THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

34. Organisms that break down bodies of dead plants and animals into nutrients that are released into the soil or water
are called
a. Detritivores
b. detritus feeders
c. Decomposers
d. Scavengers
e. Omnivores

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-2 WHAT ARE THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

35. Earthworms, some insects, and vultures are all examples of

a. primary producers
b. detritus feeders
c. Decomposers
d. Scavengers
e. secondary consumers

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-2 WHAT ARE THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

36. Aerobic respiration requires

a. glucose and carbon dioxide
b. glucose and oxygen
c. oxygen and water
d. carbon dioxide and water
e. carbon dioxide and oxygen

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-2 WHAT ARE THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

A grassy meadow high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains is known to support a variety of organisms. During the
summers when grass is thick and lush, and wildflowers abound, butterflies take advantage of the abundant nectar
source. Bears graze on the berries in shrubs at the edge of the meadow. Deer also forage at the edge of the
meadow. In the early mornings, coyote are known to prey on the squirrel and mouse population that burrow into
the meadow soil. A variety of birds prey on the butterflies and other insects such as bees and wasps.

37. The coyotes would be classified as

a. Producers
b. primary consumers
c. secondary consumers
d. Decomposers
e. tertiary consumers

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 3-2 WHAT ARE THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION
38. The coyotes typically forage on mice and squirrels. However, as members of the canine family, Canidae, they are
known to be able to eat berries and parts of plants as well as small animals. Thus, they would be classified as
a. Herbivores
b. Carnivores
c. Omnivores
d. Detritivores
e. Producers

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-2 WHAT ARE THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

39. If the biomass of flowers that support the butterflies was known to contain 100,000 units of energy, and certain bird
species were eating the butterflies that foraged on the flowers, what amount of energy, on average, could be expected to be
transferred to the birds?
a. 50,000
b. 10,000
c. 1,000
d. 100
e. 10

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-2 WHAT ARE THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

40. A sequence of organisms, each of which serves as a source of nutrients or energy for the next, is called a(n)
a. food web
b. food chain
c. Ecosystem
d. Community
e. food chain and food web (they are interchangeable)

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-3 WHAT HAPPENS TO ENERGY IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

41. Which of the following would be considered a tertiary consumer?

a. Spider
b. Deer
c. Hawk
d. Butterfly
e. Rabbit

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-3 WHAT HAPPENS TO ENERGY IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

42. Complex arrangements of feeding patterns in ecosystems are best described as

a. food webs
b. food chains
c. trophic levels
d. pyramids of energy
e. trophic chains

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 3-3 WHAT HAPPENS TO ENERGY IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

43. If the producers in an ecosystem capture 40,000 units of energy, assuming average efficiency of energy transfer,
how many units of this energy can likely be successfully converted into secondary consumer biomass?
a. 40,000
b. 4,000
c. 400
d. 40
e. 4

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-3 WHAT HAPPENS TO ENERGY IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

44. With regards to productivity of an ecosystem, which of the following statements is accurate?
a. GPP is greater than NPP because of the metabolic process of photosynthesis.
b. GPP is greater than NPP because of the metabolic process of respiration.
c. NPP is greater than GPP because of the metabolic process of photosynthesis.
d. NPP is greater than GPP because of the metabolic process of respiration.
e. There is no significant difference between GPP and NPP.

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

TOP: 3-3 WHAT HAPPENS TO ENERGY IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

45. The aquatic ecosystems with the highest average net primary productivity are
a. Estuaries
b. Lakes
c. Rivers
d. Oceans
e. artic ice shelf

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 3-3 WHAT HAPPENS TO ENERGY IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

46. Net primary productivity

a. is the rate at which producers manufacture chemical energy through photosynthesis
b. is the rate at which producers use chemical energy through respiration
c. is the rate of photosynthesis plus the rate of respiration
d. is the rate at which producers use photosynthesis to produce and store chemical energy
e. is the rate at which producers use photosynthesis to produce and store chemical energy minus the rate at which
they use this energy through aerobic respiration

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

TOP: 3-3 WHAT HAPPENS TO ENERGY IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

47. Which of the following ecosystems has the highest net primary productivity?
a. agricultural land
b. open ocean
c. temperate forest
d. swamps and marshes
e. lakes and streams

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-3 WHAT HAPPENS TO ENERGY IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

48. The portion of the planet that is responsible for the vast majority of the Earth's annual biomass production is/are
a. swamps and marshes
b. temperate forests
c. Estuaries
d. lakes and streams
e. open oceans

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-3 WHAT HAPPENS TO ENERGY IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

49. Over land, about what percent of the water vapor in the atmosphere comes from water that has transpired from the
surface of plants?
a. 40-50%
b. 60%
c. 70%
d. 80%
e. 90%

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 3-4 WHAT HAPPENS TO MATTER IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

50. Nitrogen makes up approximately ____% of the volume of the atmosphere.

a. 25
b. 42
c. 57
d. 78
e. 85

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 3-4 WHAT HAPPENS TO MATTER IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

51. Which of the following biogeochemical cycles does not include the atmosphere as a temporary reservoir?
a. Hydrologic
b. Nitrogen
c. Carbon
d. Phosphorus
e. Sulfur

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 3-4 WHAT HAPPENS TO MATTER IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

52. Where in a mammal would there be the highest concentrations of phosphorous?

a. liver and pancreas
b. muscle tissues
c. bones and teeth
d. central nervous system
e. hair and skin tissues

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-4 WHAT HAPPENS TO MATTER IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

53. The hydrologic cycle refers to the movement of

a. Hydrogen
b. Oxygen
c. Nitrogen
d. Hydrocarbons
e. Water

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-4 WHAT HAPPENS TO MATTER IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

54. Of the following water-cycle processes, the one working against gravity is
a. Percolation
b. Infiltration
c. Runoff
d. Transpiration
e. Precipitation

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-4 WHAT HAPPENS TO MATTER IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

55. The hydrologic cycle is driven primarily by

a. solar energy and gravity
b. solar energy and the moon
c. solar and mechanical energy
d. mechanical and chemical energy
e. chemical energy and the moon
ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
TOP: 3-4 WHAT HAPPENS TO MATTER IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

56. All of the following increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere except
a. Respiration
b. Photosynthesis
c. Combustion
d. Decomposition
e. none of these answers

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

TOP: 3-4 WHAT HAPPENS TO MATTER IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

57. Transfer of carbon among organisms depends primarily on

a. fuel combustion and decomposition
b. photosynthesis and cellular respiration
c. soil bacteria and precipitation
d. volcanic activity and organic decay
e. the rock cycle

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-4 WHAT HAPPENS TO MATTER IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

58. The most common gas in the atmosphere is

a. Nitrogen
b. carbon dioxide
c. Oxygen
d. Hydrogen
e. Methane

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-4 WHAT HAPPENS TO MATTER IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

59. Nitrogen is a major component of all of the following except

a. Proteins
b. Nitrates
c. Ammonia
d. DNA
e. Groundwater

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-4 WHAT HAPPENS TO MATTER IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

60. Nitrogen fixation is accomplished by

a. Legumes
b. Bacteria
c. Algae
d. Protozoa
e. round worms
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy
TOP: 3-4 WHAT HAPPENS TO MATTER IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

61. The form of nitrogen most usable to plants is

a. Ammonia
b. nitrogen gas
c. Proteins
d. Nitrates
e. Methane

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-4 WHAT HAPPENS TO MATTER IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

62. Ammonium ions are converted to nitrite ions and nitrate ions through the process of
a. Nitrification
b. nitrogen fixation
c. Denitrification
d. Assimilation
e. Leaching

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-4 WHAT HAPPENS TO MATTER IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

63. When organisms die, their nitrogenous organic compounds are converted to simpler inorganic compounds such as
ammonia through the process of
a. Nitrification
b. Ammonification
c. Denitrification
d. Assimilation
e. Leaching

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-4 WHAT HAPPENS TO MATTER IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

64. Electrical storms and lightning fix _________into a form that plants and animals can use.
a. Phosphorus
b. Nitrogen
c. Carbon
d. Sulfur
e. Water

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-4 WHAT HAPPENS TO MATTER IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

65. Which of the following choices best describes the common phosphorus reservoirs in the ecosystem?
a. Water
b. water and organisms
c. atmosphere and geosphere
d. rocks and marine sediment
e. water, organisms, rocks and marine sediment
ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
TOP: 3-4 WHAT HAPPENS TO MATTER IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

66. All of the following are sources of phosphorus except

a. inorganic fertilizer
b. runoff of animal wastes from feedlots
c. Detergents
d. acid rain
e. Rocks

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

TOP: 3-4 WHAT HAPPENS TO MATTER IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

67. The major plant nutrient most likely to be a limiting factor is

a. Phosphorous
b. Calcium
c. Nitrogen
d. Potassium
e. Carbon

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-4 WHAT HAPPENS TO MATTER IN AN ECOSYSTEM?

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

68. You have decided to change your diet to a more sustainable way of eating. One of your choices is to eat only
grass-fed beef. In addition to having healthier meals that benefit you directly, this choice also benefits the planet because
it will help to decrease
a. mining large quantities of phosphate rock
b. atmospheric warming
c. addition of animal wastes from livestock feedlots that interferes with the phosphate cycle in aquatic ecosystems
d. discharge of municipal sewage
e. use of animal by-products in pet food

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-4 WHAT HAPPENS TO MATTER IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

69. Which of the following is NOT a property of water?

a. It expands when it freezes.
b. It contracts when it freezes.
c. It can store large amounts of heat without changing its own temperature.
d. It can adhere to a solid surface.
e. It can exist as a solid, liquid or gas.
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
TOP: 3-4 WHAT HAPPENS TO MATTER IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

70. Ocean sediments and volcanoes are sources of:

a. Nitrogen
b. Oxygen
c. Sulfur
d. Phosphorus
e. both sulfur and nitrogen

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-4 WHAT HAPPENS TO MATTER IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

71. Sulfuric acid and sulfates in the atmosphere are a problem when they
a. are deposited as acid rain
b. are deposited in the soil and incorporated into plants as nutrients
c. are deposited in ocean waters and return to deep ocean sediments
d. are deposited on glaciers in the Arctic
e. They are never a problem.

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 3-4 A WHAT HAPPENS TO MATTER IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

72. All of the following statements describe field research except

a. It involves going into natural settings to observe the structure of ecosystems.
b. It is sometimes called “muddy-boots biology”.
c. It has provided very little in the way of knowledge about ecosystems.
d. Most of what we know about ecosystems has come from such research.
e. It involves measuring the structure of ecosystems and what happens in them.

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-5 HOW DO SCIENTISTS STUDY ECOSYSTEMS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

73. Which statement least characterizes laboratory research?

a. It allows measurement of model ecosystems and populations under controlled conditions.
b. It is faster than similar field research.
c. It is less costly than similar field research.
d. It has been used to develop most of our knowledge about ecosystems.
e. It has supplemented field research since the 1960’s.

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-5 HOW DO SCIENTISTS STUDY ECOSYSTEMS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION
74. Which statement least describes ecosystem modeling?
a. It is typically applied only to very small natural systems, such as a single pond or stream.
b. It has developed since the 1960s.
c. It can be applied to complex systems that cannot be adequately studied in the field or laboratory.
d. It requires input of baseline data from field studies.
e. It requires input of baseline data from laboratory studies.

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-5 HOW DO SCIENTISTS STUDY ECOSYSTEMS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

75. GIS (geographic information systems) software is a new, powerful tool for research on ecosystems. Which of the
following is NOT something that we can rely on GIS data to reveal?
a. geographic and ecological spatial data
b. variation in vegetation in local areas
c. sulfur content of deep ocean sediments
d. local air pollution emissions
e. global variation in vegetation and gross primary productivity

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-5 HOW DO SCIENTISTS STUDY ECOSYSTEMS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

In the Sonoran desert of the southwestern United States, scientists observed that population clusters of a small
cactus were very pronounced around nests of desert woodrats. They began to think the woodrat was somehow
connected to the seeding of these cactus plants.

After years of counting and observing the woodrat nests and cactus plants, they collected the droppings of the
woodrats and took them back to the lab to analyze them to see if they contained seeds of the cactus. They also
collected the droppings and transported them to other areas to see if this would bring about new population clusters
of the cactus.

They also programmed the data they had collected into a computer. The computer program allowed the scientists
to predict that increases in the woodrat population would result in increases in the cactus population, and likewise a
decrease in woodrats would signal an impending decrease in cactus.

76. Which phase of the above-described situation could be called computer simulation?
a. when the scientists gathered woodrat dropping for lab analysis
b. when the scientists learned from the computer that woodrat nest numbers would impact cactus populations
c. when the scientists first observed the proximity of woodrat nests and cactus plants
d. all of these answers
e. none of these answers

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-5 HOW DO SCIENTISTS STUDY ECOSYSTEMS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

77. The study described above is best categorized as

a. field research
b. laboratory research
c. computer modeling
d. a combination of all three types of research
e. a combination of laboratory and field research, but no computer modeling

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-5 HOW DO SCIENTISTS STUDY ECOSYSTEMS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

78. Which of the following best describes the scientists’ initial observations?
a. Woodrat nests had no apparent effect on cactus populations.
b. Cactus plants were less common close to woodrat nests.
c. Cactus plants were more common close to woodrat nests.
d. Cactus plants and woodrat nests were mutually exclusive.
e. The effect of woodrats on cactus plants was different from season to season.

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 3-5 HOW DO SCIENTISTS STUDY ECOSYSTEMS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

TRUE/FALSE

1. Ecology is the study of connections in the natural world.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

2. Populations make up communities.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

3. Ozone gas, a chemical in the atmosphere that helps filter out harmful UV sunlight, is located in the troposphere.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

4. An ecosystem's nutrient cycle cannot be described.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

5. “Muddy boots biology” is actually a description of typical research by geologists

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

6. Increasing levels of carbon dioxide are one of the major contributors to global warming.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

7. Within the ‘levels of organization’, the molecular level contains the smallest of all forms of matter.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

8. Despite the ocean's low NPP, it creates more of the Earth's NPP than any of the other ecosystems.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

9. Detritivores are consumers that release nutrients from the dead bodies of living organisms and return them to the
soil, water, and air.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

10. A deer is both a primary consumer and in the second trophic level.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

11. The mantle and core of the earth are both contained in the geosphere.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

12. Plants utilize a portion of their GPP for respiration.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

13. There are examples of microbial bacteria that are beneficial to humans.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

14. According to the second law of thermodynamics, energy can be recycled.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

15. In terms of inputs of matter, the Earth is a closed system. As a result, nutrients must be recycled to support life.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

16. Green plants undergo aerobic respiration.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

17. The process by which many decomposers are able to convert glucose into useable energy in the absence of oxygen
is known as transpiration.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

18. Given the nature of the carbon cycle, it is possible that a single atom of carbon that is in your skin could have once
been part of your own great grandmother, or even a dinosaur.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

19. Water has the ability to filter out wavelengths of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation that would harm some aquatic
organisms.
ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

20. Lightning is one of the natural mechanisms by which atmospheric nitrogen fixation is accomplished.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

21. Ammonia (NH +) is a form of nitrogen that is readily accessible and useable by plants.
4

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

22. Highly specialized bacteria are an essential component of the phosphorous cycle.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

23. The processes that lead to geological erosion are essential to the movement of phosphorous through the biosphere.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

24. Food chains and food webs are basically the same thing.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

25. A type of acid rain is produced because of sulfur dioxide in the air.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

26. The burning of coal releases sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere. However, smelting is a clean process that does not
deposit sulfur dioxide.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

27. Gravity is one of the three factors that sustain life on Earth.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

28. The nitrogen cycle and the carbon cycle are virtually identical.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

29. Water exists as a liquid over a wide range of temperatures because of the lack of attractive forces between its
molecules.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

30. It can be said that trees can actually produce their own rainfall.
ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

31. Liquid water changes temperature rapidly because it can store a large amount of heat.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

COMPLETION

1. A(n) ____________________ consists of populations of different species living in a particular place and
potentially interacting with each other.

ANS: community

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

2. ____________________ feed on the wastes or dead bodies of other organisms.

ANS:

Detritus feeders

PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

3. The ____________________ involves precipitation, transpiration, evaporation, and condensation.

ANS: hydrologic cycle

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

4. Photosynthesis requires both carbon dioxide and water, but could not occur without the input
of____________ ______________.

ANS: solar energy

PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

5. Another word for consumer is ____________________.

ANS: heterotroph

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

6. Bacteria, deer, humans, and spiders are all examples of ____________________.

ANS: organisms

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION
7. The water cycle, hydrogen cycle, phosphorous cycle, and sulfur cycle are all ____________________.

ANS: nutrient cycles

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

8. CO promotes the ____________________ that warms the troposphere.

2

ANS: greenhouse effect

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

9. Bacteria are more important in the ____________________ than in the carbon or phosphorous cycle.

ANS: nitrogen cycle

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

10. Chemical combinations of two or more atoms of the same or different elements make up _____________.

ANS: molecules

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

11. The ____________________ occupies those parts of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere where life is
found.

ANS: biosphere

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

12. The process by which ____________________ obtain their energy is photosynthesis.

ANS:
autotrophs
producers

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

13. Carnivores such as tigers, hawks and killer whales that feed on the flesh of other carnivores are known as
_______________ consumers.

ANS: tertiary
PTS: 1 DIF: Easy
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

14. The process by which water is evaporated from the surface of plants is called ____________________.

ANS: transpiration

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

15. The metabolic process by which plants are able to draw ____________________ out of the atmosphere is known
as photosynthesis.

ANS: carbon dioxide

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

16. ____________________ is the most abundant element in the Earth's atmosphere.

ANS: Nitrogen

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

17. Phytoplankton in the ocean help to regulate the earth’s temperature by removing some of the
____________ ____________produced when we burn fossil fuels..

ANS: carbon dioxide

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

18. Tropical rainforests typically are found near the Equator, and are considered centers of ____________________.

ANS: biodiversity

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

19. Ecologists study ____________________ in nature.

ANS: connections

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

20. The planet’s NPP ultimately limits the number of _____________that can live on the earth..

ANS: consumers

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION
21. A ____________________ is similar to a food chain, but is much more complex and shows many interconnected
feeding relationships.

ANS: food web

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

22. The planet’s ____________________ ultimately limits the number of consumers that can live on the planet.

ANS:
NPP
net primary productivity

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

23. The aquatic ecosystems that show the highest net primary productivity are ____________________.

ANS: estuaries

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

24. Tropical rainforests cover about__________% of the earth’s surface, but contain about ________% of the earth’s
known terrestrial plant and animal species.

ANS: 2, 50

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

25. The majority of the Earth’s carbon is stored in ____________________.

ANS: marine sediments

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

26. Ammonia that is not taken up by plants may undergo ____________________.

ANS: nitrification

PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

MATCHING

Match the items listed below with the appropriate choice

1. On the figure of the Earth, choose the letter that represents heat added to the atmosphere.

2. On the figure of the Earth, choose the letter that represents the ozone layer.

3. On the figure of the Earth, choose the letter that represents solar radiation.

4. On the figure of the Earth, choose the letter that represents UV radiation.

1. ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate OBJ: Labeling

2. ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Easy OBJ: Labeling

3. ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate OBJ: Labeling

4. ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate OBJ: Labeling

OOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

Match the items listed below with the appropriate choice

5. On the figure of the hydrological cycle, choose the letter that represents precipitation.

6. On the figure of the hydrological cycle, choose the letter that represents runoff.

7. On the figure of the hydrological cycle, choose the letter that represents evaporation.

8. On the figure of the hydrological cycle, choose the letter that represents infiltration.

9. On the figure of the hydrological cycle, choose the letter that represents transpiration.

5. ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate OBJ: Labeling

6. ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate OBJ: Labeling

7. ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult OBJ: Labeling

8. ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate OBJ: Labeling

9. ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult OBJ: Labeling

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

Match the items listed below with the appropriate choice

10. On the generalized structure of the Earth figure, choose the letter of the layer that contains nonrenewable fossil
fuels and minerals.

11. On the generalized structure of the Earth figure, choose the letter of the layer that is comprised of water, ice, and
water vapor.

12. On the generalized structure of the Earth figure, choose the letter of the layer that is made up of the troposphere and
the stratosphere.

13. On the generalized structure of the Earth figure, choose the letter of the layer that is composed of all of the Earth's
ecosystems.

14. On the generalized structure of the Earth figure, choose the letter of the layer that consists of the Earth's crust and
upper mantle.

10. ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy OBJ: Labeling

11. ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy OBJ: Labeling

12. ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Easy OBJ: Labeling

13. ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Easy OBJ: Labeling

14. ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Easy OBJ: Labeling

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

Match the descriptive phrase below with its appropriate cycle.

a. Hydrologic d. phosphorus
b. Carbon e. sulfur
c. Nitrogen

15. Fixation into soil accomplished by bacteria and algae

16. Cycles are slower than others

17. Transpiration from plants

18. Affects global warming

19. Forms acid rain

20. Affected by burning coal

21. Infiltration and percolation into aquifers

22. Electrical storms affect deposition into soil

23. Deposits found in limestone or dolomite

24. Does not cycle through atmosphere

15. ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

16. ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

17. ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

18. ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

19. ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

20. ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

21. ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

22. ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

23. ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

24. ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

SHORT ANSWER

1. In the figure of an ecosystem, choose which of the components are categorized as biotic.

ANS:
Producers
Produce
Secondary consumer (fox)
Primary consumer (rabbit)
Decomposers

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate OBJ: Critical Thinking

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

2. On the figure of an ecosystem, choose which of the components in the figure are categorized as abiotic.

ANS:
Precipitation
Oxygen (O )2

Carbon Dioxide (CO )2

Water
Soluble mineral nutrients
PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate OBJ: Critical Thinking
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

3. What trophic level is occupied by the emperor penguin in the above food web? Briefly state the reason for your
choice.

ANS:
Tertiary and quaternary consumer. The emperor penguin feeds on squid. Squid is a tertiary consumer of
carnivorous plankton and krill and a secondary consumer of herbivorous zooplankton.

PTS: 4 DIF: Difficult OBJ: Critical Thinking

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: ANALYSIS

4. What trophic level does the blue whale occupy in this food web?

ANS:
The blue whale is a secondary and tertiary consumer. It feeds on krill which is a primary consumer of
phytoplankton and a secondary consumer of herbivorous zooplankton.

PTS: 3 DIF: Moderate OBJ: Critical Thinking

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: ANALYSIS

5. Which animal consumes energy from the highest number of links in the food web? Name a possible problem that
this animal could be subjected to that others in the food web do not risk.

ANS:
Killer whales eventually consume energy from every link in the food web except blue whales and sperm whales.
Because of the extensive connection of killer whales to all parts of the food web, problems such as chemical
pollution that affect any link will eventually affect the killer whales.

PTS: 4 DIF: Difficult OBJ: Critical Thinking

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: SYNTHESIS

6. Briefly explain why clearing a rainforest can affect local weather.

ANS:
Because the primary source of rainfall in tropical rainforest areas is the vegetation, with so many plants transpiring
water into the atmosphere, cutting down the forest reduces rainfall.

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

ESSAY

1. Clearly explain the significant differences between UV and infrared radiation and how this relates to the
greenhouse effect.

ANS:
The wavelengths of UV and infrared radiation are very different, the wavelengths of UV being relatively small,
while the wavelengths of infrared radiation being relatively large. The larger wavelength radiation of infrared has
an increasingly difficult time passing back out through the Earth's atmosphere as the concentrations of greenhouse
gases increase.

PTS: 5 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

2. Clearly explain the relationship between the Second Law of Thermodynamics and the typical pyramid of biomass.

ANS:
The second law of thermodynamics indicates that no energy transformation is 100% efficient, and in
transformations there is always a net loss of energy. This idea is appropriately applied to energy transformations as
energy is passed through the food chains of an ecosystem. As a result of the second law of thermodynamics, the
amount of energy that is stored in lower trophic levels is higher than that which can possibly be transferred to
higher trophic levels. This results in an ever-decreasing amount of energy contained with increasing trophic levels
in an ecosystem.
PTS: 5 DIF: Moderate
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: ANALYSIS

3. Why is it that most top predators (e.g., lions, tigers, bears, and wolves) have extremely large territories and are
relatively rare?

ANS:
The second law of thermodynamics, as it applies to ecological pyramids of biomass, means that a substantially
higher amount of ecosystem productivity is required to provide sufficient energy for organisms that feed on a third
or fourth trophic level. This results in a need for a large ecological territory to provide sufficient autotrophic surface
area to convert enough solar energy to provide for the energy required to be passed through three trophic levels. As
a result, an ecosystem can only support a very few of these top predators.

PTS: 4 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

4. Clearly explain the distinction between Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) and Net Primary Productivity (NPP).

ANS:
GPP is the rate at which an ecosystem's producers convert solar energy into chemical energy as biomass. However,
producers must use some of the chemical energy stored in the biomass they make for their own respiration. NPP is
the rate at which producers use photosynthesis to produce and store chemical energy minus the rate at which they
use some of this stored chemical energy through aerobic respiration.

PTS: 4 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: ANALYSIS

5. Given the nature of the phosphorous cycle, what are the long-term impacts on South American soil quality through
the exportation of beef cattle?

ANS:
Beef cattle raised in South America are feeding on grasses grown on South American soils. These plants require
phosphorous resources from the soils in which they grow. As a result, the South American soil phosphorous is
transferred to the beef cattle. If the cattle are then exported to North American consumers, the phosphorous is also
exported. This prevents the phosphorous from being recycled back into the South American soils, as is typical in a
naturally functioning ecosystem. Over long periods, this results in a depletion of South American soil nutrients
(phosphorous).

PTS: 5 DIF: Difficult

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

6. When sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere combines with water in precipitation, sulfuric acid rain is deposited on the
Earth. What human activities contribute to this process?

ANS:
Human activities that release large amounts of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere are burning coal to produce
electricity, refining sulfur-containing petroleum to make gasoline, and converting (smelting) mineral ores into free
metals.

PTS: 3 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

7. A critically important part of the hydrologic cycle is the transpiration of water through plants into the
atmosphere. This water has traveled from the roots up to the top leaves and then moves out as water vapor. In the case of
some plants, such as redwood trees, this can be a distance of hundreds of feet. Explain how it is that water can move up
naturally, when forces of gravity might make one think that this is impossible.

ANS:
The forces of attraction between water molecules allow liquid water to adhere to a solid surface. This enables
narrow columns of liquid water to move up through small vessels inside of plants to the top of the plant, in a
process called capillary action.

PTS: 4 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

CHAPTER 4—BIODIVERSITY AND EVOLUTION

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. For every shark that injures or kills a person every year

a. people kill one shark to even the score
b. people kill about 50,000 sharks, but mainly to be used as food
c. people kill at least 1 million sharks
d. people kill sharks in a ratio of 5:1 for humans deaths
e. people do not kill sharks because we cannot catch them

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate TOP: CORE CASE STUDY

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

2. Which of the following are reasons why sharks should be considered important to humans?
a. They never get cancer, and may provide information about how to prevent this disease.
b. They are an important source of food
c. They are a keystone species
d. They never get cancer and are an important source of food
e. They never get cancer and are a keystone species

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate TOP: CORE CASE STUDY

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

3. Biomes are
a. large aquatic regions of the earth with distinct climate and certain species adapted to them
b. large terrestrial regions of the earth with distinct climate and certain species adapted to them
c. groups of populations living in harmony in a given ecosystem
d. all the biological portions of the planet
e. types of forests that are extensive and widespread on a continent

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 4-1 WHAT IS BIODIVERSITY AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE
4. The variety of genes within a species or population is called the
a. species diversity
b. genetic diversity
c. functional diversity
d. ecological diversity
e. molecular diversity

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 4-1 WHAT IS BIODIVERSITY AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

5. Which of the following statements best describes insect species as a group?

a. They have backbones.
b. About two million species have been identified by scientists.
c. They are resistant to extinction.
d. They have skin or integument similar to mammals.
e. They do not spread human diseases.

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 4-1 WHAT IS BIODIVERSITY AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

6. Deserts, tropical forests, prairie grasslands, and coniferous forests are all examples of
a. different species
b. ecosystems with the highest biodiversity
c. ecosystems with low genetic biodiversity
d. Biomes
e. Populations

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 4-1 WHAT IS BIODIVERSITY AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

7. Which of the following biomes are found along the 39th parallel in the United States?
a. Chaparral
Chaparral and coniferous forest
b.
c. Chaparral, coniferous forest and desert
d. Chaparral, coniferous forest, desert and prairie grassland
e. Chaparral, coniferous forest, desert, prairie grassland and deciduous forest

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 4-1 WHAT IS BIODIVERSITY AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

8. Evidence for the history of life comes from

a. DNA analysis
b. Fossils
c. analysis of glacial ice core and rock samples
d. fossils and analysis of glacial ice core and rock samples
e. ancient sea scrolls

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 4-2 HOW DOES THE EARTH'S LIFE CHANGE OVER TIME?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

9. The fossil record is incomplete because

a. Not all fossils have been found.
b. Some fossils have decomposed.
c. Some life forms left no fossils.
d. Some life forms have left no fossils and some have decomposed
e. Not all fossils have been found, some have decomposted and some life forms have left no fossils.

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 4-2 HOW DOES THE EARTH'S LIFE CHANGE OVER TIME?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

10. Which of the following is true with regard to mutations?

a. Mutations are always harmful.
b. Mutations always provide for beneficial changes in an organism's genetic makeup.
c. Mutations are chosen by the organism to improve their survival.
d. Natural selection determines the types of mutations that survive in a population.
e. Mutations are caused only by harmful chemicals.

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

TOP: 4-2 HOW DOES THE EARTH'S LIFE CHANGE OVER TIME?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

11. A change in the genetic composition of a population is called

a. Emigration
b. Mutation
c. natural selection
d. Evolution
e. genetic drift

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 4-2 HOW DOES THE EARTH'S LIFE CHANGE OVER TIME?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

12. An adaptive trait is

a. any heritable trait.
b. any heritable trait that improves organisms’ chances for survival
c. any heritable trait that improves organisms’ chances for survival and reproduction
d. any heritable trait that improves organisms’ chances for survival and reproduction at higher rates than other
individuals in a population
e. any inheritable trait that improves organisms’ chance for survival and reproduction at lower rates than other
individuals in a population

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 4-2 HOW DOES THE EARTH'S LIFE CHANGE OVER TIME?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE
In a population of wild bees, a mutation resulted in slightly larger wingspan in some of the bees. This larger
wingspan made the bees more efficient in their flights to flowers to collect nectar. Thus, these bees became more
successful. This trait was passed on to offspring, and eventually the larger wingspan variety of bee replaced their
smaller-winged relatives completely.

13. Since the mutation produced a specific wing trait that was passed on, the mutation must have occurred
a. in wing cells
b. in reproductive cells
c. as a result of exposure to a chemical agent
d. as a result of UV light
e. because of the type of pollen the bee collected

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 4-2 HOW DOES THE EARTH'S LIFE CHANGE OVER TIME?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

14. The larger wingspan could be called

a. an adaptive trait
b. genetic variability
c. a heritable trait
d. an adaptive trait and a genetic variability
e. a heritable trait, an adaptive trait and a genetic variability

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 4-2 HOW DOES THE EARTH'S LIFE CHANGE OVER TIME?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

15. It could be said that _____ favored the bee with the larger wingspan, and so the _____ evolved.
a. adaptation, bee
b. evolution, population
c. mutation, bee
d. natural selection, population
e. mutation, population

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

TOP: 4-2 HOW DOES THE EARTH'S LIFE CHANGE OVER TIME?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

16. Which of the following characteristics must be true in order for a trait to be impacted by the forces of natural
selection and then play a role in the process of biological evolution?
a. The trait must be the result of environmental conditions.
b. The trait must be genetically based.
c. The trait must impact the social rank of its possessor.
d. The trait must be a physical characteristic of the organism.
e. The trait must be a behavioral characteristic of the organism.

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

TOP: 4-2 HOW DOES THE EARTH'S LIFE CHANGE OVER TIME?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

17. Which of the following is true of a trait that creates a specific advantage for some organisms in the struggle to
survive?
a. It enables individuals with the trait to leave more offspring than other members of the population leave.
b. It results in greater genetic diversity in the offspring of those organisms that possess it than in those that do not
possess the trait.
c. It causes the ratio of male and female offspring produced to be equal.
d. It results in offspring that are genetically different than the parents.
e. It results in non-heritable traits being passed from parent to offspring.

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 4-2 HOW DOES THE EARTH'S LIFE CHANGE OVER TIME?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

18. Which of the following is/are thought to be in part responsible for the evolutionary success of humans?
a. Humans possess strong opposable thumbs.
b. Humans walk upright.
c. Humans have complex brains, walk upright and have opposable thumbs
d. Humans walk upright and have opposable thumbs
e. Humans walk upright, have opposable thumbs, complex brains and can use tools

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 4-2 HOW DOES THE EARTH'S LIFE CHANGE OVER TIME?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

19. Genetic resistance to antibiotic drugs is an important example of

a. an adaptive trait in humans
b. natural selection
c. a beneficial mutation
d. a harmful mutation
e. Evolution

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 4-2 HOW DOES THE EARTH'S LIFE CHANGE OVER TIME?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

20. How has the geological process of plate tectonics influenced the process of evolution over geologic time?
a. The changing location of the plates across the Earth's surface exposes organisms to differing concentrations of
mutagens, thus increasing or decreasing the rate of evolution.
b. The rate of evolutionary change is directly proportional to the speed with which the Earth's tectonic plates are
moving.
c. The changing location of the plates across the Earth's surface results in changing climatic environmental
conditions for various communities and populations of organisms. This has driven evolutionary change.
d. The movement of the Earth's geologic plates is the source of energy that ultimately drives the process of
evolution.
e. The movement of the Earth's geologic plates further away from the equator resulted in an increase in the
gravitational forces on the planet. This allowed for the initial accumulation of the gases that form the Earth's
atmosphere.

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 4-3 HOW DO GEOLOGICAL PROCESSES AND CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECT EVOLUTION?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION
21. A major factor that allowed species to adapt to new environments and form new species through natural selection
happened
a. because Pangaea began splitting apart about 135 million years ago
b. about 18,000 years ago when South America and North America split apart
c. about 200-250 million years ago when India and Africa split apart
d. happened about 250 million years ago, because Pangaea began splitting apart
e. because Asia and North America split apart 180 million years ago

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 4-3 HOW DO GEOLOGICAL PROCESSES AND CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECT EVOLUTION?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

22. The advance and retreat of ice sheets

a. happened most recently about 18,000 years ago at the lower latitudes
b. happened most recently about 350 million years ago at the lower latitudes
c. happened most recently about 18,000 years ago over much of the northern hemispheres
d. happened most recently about 18,000 years ago over much of the northern hemispheres and caused alternating
periods of heating and cooling
e. ice sheets were very stable throughout geologic time and did not advance or retreat

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 4-3 HOW DO GEOLOGICAL PROCESSES AND CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECT EVOLUTION?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

23. Approximately how long has there been life on planet Earth?
a. 3.5 million years
b. 35 million years
c. 350 million years
d. 3.5 billion years
e. 35 billion years

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 4-3 HOW DO GEOLOGICAL PROCESSES AND CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECT EVOLUTION?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

24. We can say that on a long-term basis, that the _____________principle of sustainability has especially helped life
on earth to adapt to drastic environmental conditions.
a. wise use
b. energy cycling
c. nutrient cycling
d. Energy
e. Biodiversity

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 4-3 HOW DO GEOLOGICAL PROCESSES AND CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECT EVOLUTION?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

25. Which of the following statements is false?

a. In the process called speciation, one species splits into two or more different species.
b. Geographic and reproductive isolation occur in sequence.
c. Sooner or later all species become extinct.
d. By definition, the fittest animals are the largest and strongest animals.
e. Difference environmental conditions lead to different selective pressures.
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult
TOP: 4-4 HOW DO SPECIATION, EXTINCTION, AND HUMAN ACTIVITIES AFFECT BIODIVERSITY?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

26. The process by which members of isolated populations become so different in genetic makeup that they cannot
produce live, fertile offspring if they are rejoined is best described as
a. geographic isolation
b. reproductive isolation
c. evolutionary isolation
d. endemic isolation
e. niche isolation

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 4-4 HOW DO SPECIATION, EXTINCTION, AND HUMAN ACTIVITIES AFFECT BIODIVERSITY?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

27. Which of the following is not true of the process of biological extinction?
a. The extinction of an organism can be reversed if enough government funding is provided.
b. There has always been a certain low-level amount of ongoing background extinction occurring.
c. Completely natural processes can cause population extinctions.
d. Human activities have resulted in population extinctions.
e. a, b and c are all correct, but not d

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 4-4 HOW DO SPECIATION, EXTINCTION, AND HUMAN ACTIVITIES AFFECT BIODIVERSITY?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

28. Geographic isolation may result from

a. a volcanic eruption
b. an earthquake
c. a mountain range
d. all of these answers
e. none of these answers

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 4-4 HOW DO SPECIATION, EXTINCTION, AND HUMAN ACTIVITIES AFFECT BIODIVERSITY?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

29. Which of the following is not true with regards to the concept of niches?
a. A niche is the place where an organism lives.
b. A niche is the general method by which an organism attains its energy.
c. A species that is able to survive in a great range of environmental conditions and utilize a wide variety of food
resources is a generalist species.
d. The giant panda feeds almost exclusively on various types of bamboo. This being the case, these organisms are
said to have a narrow specialized niche.
e. In a rapidly-changing environment it is a great benefit to have a wide niche.

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 4-5 WHAT ROLES DO SPECIES PLAY IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION
30. Which of the following organisms would best be described as a specialist species?
a. Flies
b. Cockroaches
c. white-tailed deer
d. panda bears
e. Humans

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 4-5 WHAT ROLES DO SPECIES PLAY IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

31. An organism's niche is analogous to its

a. Address
b. way of life
c. food source
d. trash dump
e. all of these answers

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 4-5 WHAT ROLES DO SPECIES PLAY IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

32. Which of the following best describes an organism's habitat?

a. the nutrient relationships with other species
b. the location where a species lives
c. the types of resource requirements
d. the range of tolerance to different physical and chemical conditions
e. the types of competitors

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 4-5 WHAT ROLES DO SPECIES PLAY IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

33. The bird species known to forage in shrublands after they have experienced a wildfire are very different from the
bird species that forage in shrublands that have not burned. In fact, the bird species foraging in burned shrublands are
closely correlated with the age of the burn, or the number of years that have passed since the fire. Certain birds forage at
one-year post fire, different birds forage at three-years post fire, and so on. These birds could be called
a. foundation species
b. keystone species
c. generalist species
d. indicator species
e. newly evolved species

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

TOP: 4-5 WHAT ROLES DO SPECIES PLAY IN AN ECOSYSTEMS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

34. An intertidal species of seastar helps to maintain the diversity of the intertidal region by controlling the mussel
population. Without the seastar, the mussel population would crowd out other species and take over their territory. The
seastar could be called a(n)
a. indicator species
b. keystone species
c. foundation species
d. aggressive species
e. repressor species

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 4-5 WHAT ROLES DO SPECIES PLAY IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

35. Specialist species

a. are very adaptable
b. tolerate a wide range of environments
c. are more likely to become extinct
d. eat a wide variety of food
e. all of these answers

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 4-5 WHAT ROLES DO SPECIES PLAY IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

36. Amphibians are

a. frogs, toads, and salamanders.
b. fish, frogs, and salamanders.
c. salamanders, sea anemone, and frogs
d. clams, oysters, frogs, and toads.
e. toads, sea urchins and frogs

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 4-5 WHAT ROLES DO SPECIES PLAY IN ECOSYSTEMS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

37. Approximately what percentage of amphibian species is threatened with extinction and declining worldwide?
a. 43%
b. 33%
c. 33%, 43%
d. 80%
e. 43%, 53%

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 4-5 WHAT ROLES DO SPECIES PLAY IN ECOSYSTEMS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

38. Which of the following is not a factor that is contributing to the decline in amphibian populations?
a. habitat loss and fragmentation
b. viral and fungal diseases and parasites
c. increase in UV radiation
d. prolonged drought
e. hunting of frogs for froglegs, a delicacy that is served in restaurants
ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy
TOP: 4-5 WHAT ROLES DO SPECIES PLAY IN ECOSYSTEMS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

39. It can be said that amphibian populations are declining worldwide,

a. but only in areas that are greatly disturbed by human activities
b. in all areas except in protected wildlife preserves, where they are increasing somewhat
c. except in the Arctic where they are surviving okay
d. in all areas, even in protected wildlife preserves and parks
e. in all areas, except tropical rainforests where the very large populations can withstand some disturbance

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 4-5 WHAT ROLES DO SPECIES PLAY IN ECOSYSTEMS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

40. Which of the following statements is true regarding keystone species?

a. Animals can be keystone species, but plants cannot.
b. Top predators can be keystone species, but other animals cannot.
c. Insects can never be keystone species because they are pests.
d. Some keystone species are more vulnerable to extinction than other species.
e. A species must have a very large population size in order to be a keystone species.

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 4-5 WHAT ROLES DO SPECIES PLAY IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

TRUE/FALSE

1. When local environmental conditions change, background extinction can cause loss of species.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

2. In speciation, two species interbreed to form one new species.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

3. The size of the planet has significant influences that impact life on the planet.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

4. Houseflies would probably adapt to an environmental change much more quickly than a human.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

5. Extinction results in the permanent loss of genetic diversity.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE
6. One of the reasons that sharks are hunted is for their fins which are widely used as a soup ingredient in Asia.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

7. It is impossible for a shark to drown.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

8. Heritable traits that give an individual some advantage over other individuals in the population are called adaptive
traits.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

9. Genes mutate, individuals are selected and populations evolve.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

10. The biological diversity of the Earth is only a function of the number of species on the Earth.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

11. Organisms develop certain traits because they need them.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

12. The location of continents has greatly influenced the earth’s climate, but the location of oceanic basins has not.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

13. Ice sheets in high latitudes are known to have advanced and retreated over much of the northern hemisphere
throughout the Earth’s long history.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

14. Geographic isolation and reproductive isolation can both lead to speciation.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

15. Sharks are all carnivorous.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

16. Cockroaches have a wide range of tolerance of environmental conditions. They are known as a specialist species.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE
17. Niches are only occupied by native species.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

COMPLETION

1. A(n) ____________________ includes an organism's range of tolerance for physical and chemical conditions.

ANS: niche

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

2. Biological evolution is the process by which the genetic composition of a(n) ____________________ changes over
time.

ANS: population

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

3. Most of the historic evidence that supports the scientific theory of evolution comes from ____________________.

ANS: fossils

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

4. ____________________ are random changes in the structure or number of DNA molecules in a cell.

ANS: Mutations

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

5. If a species of frogs becomes threatened because they can only live in a narrow range of temperatures, they would
be classified as a(n) ____________________.

ANS: specialist species

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

6. Mutations can occur in any cell type, however only those that occur in ____________________ are passed on to
offspring, thus allowing for evolution.

ANS: reproductive cells

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

7. Current environmental conditions will dictate which traits are beneficial, and will ultimately drive evolution
through the process of ____________________.
ANS: natural selection

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

8. The shifting of tectonic plates can cause ____________________.

ANS: earthquakes

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

9. Typically speaking, organisms that are described as ____________________ tend to have broad niches.

ANS: generalist species

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

10. Species that are found in only one area are called ____________________ and are especially vulnerable to
extinction.

ANS: endemic species

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

11. Genes mutate, ____________________ are selected, and populations____________________.

ANS: individuals, evolve

PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

12. A practice that involves cutting off fins of a shark and then returning the shark to the ocean without the fins they
need to survive is called ____________________.

ANS: finning

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

13. Species whose roles have a large effect on the types and abundance of other species in an ecosystem are called
___________ _____________.

ANS: keystone species

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

14. ____________________ is a significant rise in extinction rates above the background level.

ANS: Mass extinction

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE
15. The scientific theory of evolution explains how life on earth changes over time due to changes in the genes
of____________________.

ANS: populations

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

16. In the 1960’s, E.O. Wilson and other scientists developed the theory of
_______________ ____________________.

ANS: island biogeography

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

17. ____________________ occupy narrow niches.

ANS: Specialist species

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

18. Holding the pen or pencil for taking this exam is one of the things you can do as a human because you
have____________ ____________.

ANS: opposable thumbs

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

19. Deserts, forests, and grasslands are all examples of ____________.

ANS: biomes

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

MATCHING

Match the type of diversity with the proper choice below.

a. functional diversity c. ecological diversity
b. genetic diversity d. species diversity

1. Caribbean snails of the same population exhibit a variety of shell colors and banding patterns.

2. Coastal states in the United States typically have more ecosystems than land-locked states.

3. Some tropical forests contain thousands of producer species.

4. Nutrients typically cycle much faster in tropical areas than in polar areas.
5. Estuaries and wetlands have very high primary productivity.

6. Coral reefs are known for their very high number of species.

7. Areas with both mountain ranges and coastal ecosystems have high diversity.

8. An early fox population evolved into the grey fox and arctic fox.

1. ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

2. ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

3. ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

4. ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

5. ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

6. ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

7. ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

8. ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

OOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

SHORT ANSWER

1. Look at all of the bird species shown in the diagram above. What can be said about the birds?

ANS:
They all occupy different ecological niches in the same ecosystem.

PTS: 2 DIF: Moderate OBJ: Critical Thinking

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: ANALYSIS

2. In what way are the birds labeled A, B, C, and D similar?

ANS:
They all occupy specialist niches.

PTS: 2 DIF: Moderate OBJ: Critical Thinking

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: ANALYSIS

3. How does the bird labeled E compare with the birds labeled A, B, C, and D?
ANS:
The bird labeled E occupies a generalist niche.

PTS: 2 DIF: Moderate OBJ: Critical Thinking

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: ANALYSIS

4. Briefly describe the concept of functional diversity.

ANS:
Functional diversity is the variety of processes such as energy flow and matter cycling that occur within ecosystems
as species interact with one another in food chains and webs.

PTS: 3 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

5. What is meant by the term ‘biophilia’ that was coined by Edward O. Wilson?

ANS:
Biophilia, which literally means ‘love of life’, is the hypothesis that humans have a natural affinity for wildlife and
wild places.

PTS: 2 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

ESSAY

1. Clearly explain the relationship between the geologic process of plate tectonics and the biological process of
evolution over geologic time.

ANS:
As the plates that cover the planet have gradually drifted and changed location across the surface of the planet, they
have drifted into locations with significantly different climatic conditions. In order to cope with changing
environmental conditions, organisms that inhabit these locations would have been forced to relocate or to gradually
evolve, developing adaptations more appropriate to the new climatic conditions.

PTS: 3 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: SYNTHESIS

2. Clearly explain how large-scale mass extinctions can actually lead to evolutionary opportunities.

ANS:
In the event of large-scale mass extinctions, an enormous diversity of ecological niches become vacant. These open
niches provide ecological, and therefore evolutionary, opportunities for which organisms can evolve adaptations.

PTS: 2 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: SYNTHESIS

3. Using specific examples, explain why sharks can actually be beneficial to the human population if we change our
view of their role.

ANS:
Most individuals view sharks as predators, and dangerous animals to be avoided. This viewpoint is encouraged by
the popular press, which profits from casting sharks in a negative light.

However, sharks possess some physiological attributes that would benefit humans if we choose to study the
underlying processes. Sharks almost never get cancer. In addition, sharks have highly effective immune systems
that allow their wounds to heal without infection. Cancer and infectious diseases are leading causes of death in the
United States. Drug-resistant strains of bacteria are becoming an increasing concern worldwide.

If we can study the physiology of healthy sharks, much can be gained that would contribute to the well-being of
humans.

PTS: 4 DIF: Difficult

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: EVALUATION

4. In the 1960’s Edward O. Wilson, along with other scientists, developed the theory of island biogeography. Explain
the relevance of this theory in today’s world

ANS:
Island biogeography examines how the species diversity of islands is affected by the size and locations of given
islands. It can also be applied to areas or ecosystems that resemble islands because of their isolation. For example,
a mountain forest that is surrounded by human development could be considered an island. A wildlife preserve that
is surrounded by areas disturbed by human activities could be considered an island.

PTS: 4 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: SYNTHESIS
CHAPTER 5—BIODIVERSITY, SPECIES INTERACTIONS, AND POPULATION CONTROL

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. The southern sea otter population, although hunted to near extinction, recovered during the years
a. 1850 to 1900
b. 1900 to 1938
c. 1938 to 2010
d. 1938 to 1968
e. 1948 to 1988

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Easy TOP: CORE CASE STUDY

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

2. The key reason we should care about recovery of the southern sea otter population is
a. the fact that they are a keystone species
b. their charismatic personality, which makes them pleasant to observe
c. because they are a food source for humans
d. because they are a food source for tuna, which is a food source for humans
e. the fact that they are a keystone species and because they are a food source for tuna

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate TOP: CORE CASE STUDY

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

3. Sea otters play a role in maintaining the biodiversity of which ecosystem?

a. Tidepools
b. coastal kelp forests
c. coastal sandy beaches
d. open ocean areas
e. Estuaries
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy TOP: CORE CASE STUDY
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

4. Which of the following best categorizes the most common form of interspecific species interactions?
a. Competition
b. Mutualism
c. Parasitism
d. Commensalism
e. Predation

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 5-1 HOW DO SPECIES INTERACT?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

5. Hawks typically forage for their rodent prey species during the daytime. While owls may eat similar prey species,
and live in the same area, they forage during the night. This is best described as an example of
a. interspecific competition
b. Mutualism
c. parasitism
d. Predation
e. resource partitioning

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

TOP: 5-1 HOW DO SPECIES INTERACT?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

6. Insect-eating warblers reduce interspecific competition by which of the following?

a. They migrate into the forests at different times of the year, so that they are not present at the same time.
b. They build their nests in different portions of the same trees.
c. They do not utilize the same tree type or habitat type.
d. They spend a significant portion of their time foraging for insects in different parts of the same trees.
e. They hybridize and produce broods of mixed genetic ancestry.

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

TOP: 5-1 HOW DO SPECIES INTERACT?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

7. The obvious relationship demonstrated by a food chain is

a. Competition
b. Predation
c. Parasitism
d. Mutualism
e. Commensalism

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 5-1 HOW DO SPECIES INTERACT?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

8. Prey are least likely to defend themselves against predators by

a. Camouflage
b. acute senses of sight and smell
c. protective shells
d. warning coloration
e. pursuit and ambush

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 5-1 HOW DO SPECIES INTERACT?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

9. You are an evolutionary entomologist. You have observed beetles that can raise their abdomens and give off a
defensive chemical that generally repels predators. You discover a new species of beetle that raises its abdomen in a
threatening way similar to the first species, but no defensive chemical is given off. You are most likely to characterize this
defensive strategy as a form of
a. Camouflage
b. chemical warfare
c. Mimicry
d. flight mechanism
e. warning coloration

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 5-1 HOW DO SPECIES INTERACT?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

10. ____________________are a source of algin, a product that humans use in cosmetics and ice cream.
a. Whales
b. Sharks
c. Sea urchins
d. Kelp forests
e. Honeycombs

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 5-1 HOW DO SPECIES INTERACT?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

11. A relationship in which a member of one species obtains its nourishment by living on, in, or near a member of
another species over an extended time is best labeled
a. Competition
b. Predation
c. Mutualism
d. Parasitism
e. Commensalism

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 5-1 HOW DO SPECIES INTERACT?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

12. A relationship in which one species benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed to any significant degree
is best labeled
a. Competition
b. Predation
c. Commensalism
d. Parasitism
e. Mutualism

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 5-1 HOW DO SPECIES INTERACT?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

13. A relationship in which both species benefit is best labeled

a. Competition
b. Predation
c. Mutualism
d. Parasitism
e. Commensalism

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 5-1 HOW DO SPECIES INTERACT?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

14. All of the following are external parasites except

a. fleas and ticks
b. Mosquitoes
c. Mistletoe
d. Tapeworms
e. athlete's foot fungus

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 5-1 HOW DO SPECIES INTERACT?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

15. All of the following illustrate the relationship of mutualism except

a. oxpeckers and black rhinoceros
b. Epiphytes
c. clownfish and sea anemone
d. bacteria in the digestive system of animals
e. flowering plants and insects

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

TOP: 5-1 HOW DO SPECIES INTERACT?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

16. The relationship between clownfish and sea anemones is

a. Competition
b. Predation
c. Parasitism
d. Mutualism
e. Commensalism

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 5-1 HOW DO SPECIES INTERACT?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE
17. An old elk dies during a snowstorm in Yellowstone National Park. When the storm clears, coyotes forage on the
fresh flesh of the elk. Following this, birds such as vultures forage on the rotting meat. Lastly, insects and worms
consume the last of the fragments of tissue of this once large and magnificent animal. This is an example of
a. Predation
b. Extinction
c. niche modification
d. resource partitioning
e. all of these answers

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 5-1 HOW DO SPECIES INTERACT?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

18. Carrying capacity refers to

a. reproductive rate
b. interaction of natality and mortality
c. the maximum size of population the environment will support
d. the proportion of males to females
e. the intrinsic rate of increase

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 5-2 WHAT LIMITS THE GROWTH OF POPULATIONS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

19. A logistic growth curve depicting a population that is limited by a definite carrying capacity is shaped like the letter
____.
a. J
b. L
c. M
d. S
e. U

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 5-2 WHAT LIMITS THE GROWTH OF POPULATIONS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

20. A human population crash occurred

a. in Ireland in the 1800’s following the destruction of the potato crop
b. in Idaho in the 1800’s following the destruction of the potato crop
c. in Japan in 2011 following the tsunami
d. in the United States in the 1800’s following the Civil War
e. in both Japan and Idaho

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

TOP: 5-2 WHAT LIMITS THE GROWTH OF POPULATIONS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE
21. Factors that act to limit the growth of populations are collectively called
a. carrying capacity
b. Death
c. Emigration
d. environmental resistance
e. environmental capacity

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 5-2 WHAT LIMITS THE GROWTH OF POPULATIONS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

22. In a certain population of rabbits one year, 25 new rabbits are born and 5 move into the population from
surrounding areas. However, 10 rabbits die, and 5 leave the population. What is the population change?
a. 25
b. 10
c. 30
d. 15
e. There is no change because birth and immigration equaled the deaths and emigration.

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 5-2 WHAT LIMITS THE GROWTH OF POPULATIONS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: ANALYSIS

23. Which reproductive pattern is most common, if one considers patterns seen in all animals?
a. Producing large numbers of offspring at short intervals, and providing no parental care or protection.
b. Producing few offspring later in life, and providing extensive parental care and protection.
c. A reproductive pattern that is somewhere between the two extremes described in a and b.
d. Most living organisms actually switch between the two patterns described in a and b.
e. No such patterns have ever been observed in nature.

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

TOP: 5-2 WHAT LIMITS THE GROWTH OF POPULATIONS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

24. An exponential growth curve depicting an ever-growing population is shaped like the letter ____.
a. J
b. L
c. M
d. S
e. U

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 5-2 WHAT LIMITS THE GROWTH OF POPULATIONS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE
25. A population crash occurs when
a. A population approaches its carrying capacity.
b. Environmental resistance comes into play gradually.
c. Resources are essentially unlimited.
d. A population greatly overshoots carrying capacity, and resulting environmental pressures cause effects.
e. The population growth rate slows.

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 5-2 WHAT LIMITS THE GROWTH OF POPULATIONS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

26. Which of the following is characteristic of the reproductive pattern of most animals such as whales and elephants?
a. tend to produce high numbers of offspring
b. give very little parental care
c. low survival rate of offspring
d. long gestation periods
e. high offspring mortality

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 5-2 WHAT LIMITS THE GROWTH OF POPULATIONS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

27. Which of the following terms best describe the ability of a living system to repair damage after an external
disturbance?
a. Inertia
b. Persistence
c. Constancy
d. Resilience
e. Diversity

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 5-3 HOW DO COMMUNITIES AND ECOSYSTEMS RESPOND TO CHANGING ENVIRONMENTAL
CONDITIONS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

28. Which of the following would exhibit primary succession?

a. rock exposed by a retreating glacier
b. an abandoned farm
c. a forest that has been clear-cut
d. newly flooded land to create a reservoir
e. a forest that has been burned

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 5-3 HOW DO COMMUNITIES AND ECOSYSTEMS RESPOND TO CHANGING ENVIRONMENTAL
CONDITIONS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION
29. Which of the following would undergo secondary succession?
a. cooled volcanic lava
b. an abandoned parking lot
c. a heavily polluted stream that has been cleaned up
d. a bare rock outcrop
e. a newly created shallow pond

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 5-3 HOW DO COMMUNITIES AND ECOSYSTEMS RESPOND TO CHANGING ENVIRONMENTAL
CONDITIONS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

30. A climax community is a(n)

a. community in primary succession
b. community in secondary succession
c. mature community
d. immature community
e. balanced community

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 5-3 HOW DO COMMUNITIES AND ECOSYSTEMS RESPOND TO CHANGING ENVIRONMENTAL
CONDITIONS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

31. Which of the following is accurate with regards to the balance of nature hypothesis?
a. It is currently viewed as the most accurate description of how ecological succession can arise at a climax
community.
b. It is the historically held equilibrium model of succession in which, once achieved, a climax community will be
dominated by a few long-lived plant species.
c. It suggests that there are always an appropriate number and diversity of producers to allow an ever-increasing
number of primary consumers to inhabit a changing community.
d. It suggests that the pathway of ecological succession is not predictable.
e. It is an example of something that scientists were able to disprove conclusively.

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

TOP: 5-3 HOW DO COMMUNITIES AND ECOSYSTEMS RESPOND TO CHANGING ENVIRONMENTAL
CONDITIONS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

32. Which of the following best describes the two important aspects needed to stabilize living systems?
a. resilience and flexibility
b. inertia and resilience
c. environmental resistance and persistence
d. persistence and inertia
e. persistence and flexibility

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 5-3 HOW DO COMMUNITIES AND ECOSYSTEMS RESPOND TO CHANGING ENVIRONMENTAL
CONDITIONS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

33. A large mountain just south of Reno, Nevada, is called Slide Mountain. This name refers to the fact that in the early
1980s, after weeks of heavy precipitation, a large section of this mountain became a destructive mudslide that slid down
the east slopes and destroyed the vegetation and homes in its path. In the decades since the mudslide, the vegetation has
completely regrown, and the slide area is no longer visible. This is an example of
a. Primary succession.
b. Secondary succession.
c. During the first 10 years following the mudslide it was primary succession, and after that it was secondary
succession.
d. Tertiary succession.
e. Inertia.

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 5-3 HOW DO COMMUNITIES AND ECOSYSTEMS RESPOND TO CHANGING ENVIRONMENTAL
CONDITIONS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

34. Inertia could also be called

a. Resilience
b. Persistence
c. a lack of ecological succession
d. persistance and resilience
e. a faster rate of ecological succession

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 5-3 HOW DO COMMUNITIES AND ECOSYSTEMS RESPOND TO CHANGING ENVIRONMENTAL
CONDITIONS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

35. Which of the following is NOT one of the chapter’s three big ideas?
a. There are always limits to population growth in nature.
b. Certain interactions among species affects their use of resources and their population sizes.
c. The balance of nature theory only.
d. The balance of nature theory and the concept of restoration of ecosystems by humans.
e. Changes in environmental conditions cause communities and ecosystems to gradually alter their species
composition and population sizes.

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

TOP: 5-3 HOW DO COMMUNITIES AND ECOSYSTEMS RESPOND TO CHANGING ENVIRONMENTAL
CONDITIONS?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

TRUE/FALSE

1. The southern sea otter is a keystone species because it is a top predator.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

2. Predation and parasitism are examples of ecological interactions in which one species takes advantage of another
species.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

3. One of the reasons sharks are especially vulnerable to over fishing is because they grow slowly, mature late, and
have only a few young each generation.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

4. An area in primary ecological succession would be a suitable habitat for a population of hardwoods because of the
availability of resources.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

5. Limiting factors are physical or chemical factors that can determine the numbers of organisms in a population.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

6. A population's growth rate will increase as the population reaches its carrying capacity.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

7. The human population can maintain an exponential growth rate indefinitely because of technology.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

8. Carrying capacity is the population size (or density) at which the environment is saturated.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

9. The process of secondary succession would typically follow a forest fire.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

10. The most common interaction between species is intraspecific competition.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

11. Births and deaths are the only two factors that determine population sizes.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

12. There is a general tendency for succession to lead to more complex and stable ecosystems.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

13. The interaction of two species with each can actually affect the evolution of those species.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

14. Permanent equilibrium is a condition that most ecologists now recognize as existing in mature, late-successional
ecosystems.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION
15. Inertia is not a feature of grassland ecosystems, but resilience is.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

16. The terms inertia and stability, with respect to ecosystems, are mutually exclusive.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

17. Parasitism occurs when one species feeds on another organism.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

COMPLETION

1. A common tick is an example of a(n) ____________________.

ANS: parasite

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

2. Many large mammal species that have long generation times and low reproductive rates are prone to
____________________.

ANS: extinction

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

3. The relationship between a lion and a zebra is said to be that of a(n) ____________________.

ANS: predator-prey relationship

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

4. The interaction between a lion and a hyena fighting over a dead zebra on the African Savannah is best described as
____________________.

ANS: interspecific competition

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

5. Specialized traits or behaviors that allow a reduction of interspecific competition through species specialization in
resource use, allow for ____________________.

ANS: resource partitioning

PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION
6. The ecological process that would result in a localized change in species composition following a severe volcanic
eruption would best be described as ____________________.

ANS: primary succession

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

7. ____________________ is the combination of all factors that act to limit the growth of a population.

ANS: Environmental resistance

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

8. The cattle egret is a large North American bird that commonly sits on the backs of grazing cattle and eats insects
that pester the cattle. This is an example of ____________________.

ANS: mutualism

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

9. Cowbirds are so named because they followed the large herds of cows that were driven throughout the American
west before large tracts of land were fenced. Cowbirds consumed the insects that invariably followed the herds. There was
no obvious benefit or other effect on the herds. This is an example of ____________________.

ANS: commensalism

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

10. Some predators hide in plain sight before ambushing their prey by virtue of their____________.

ANS: camouflage

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

11. When populations of two different species interact over time in a way that drives changes in their gene pools, it can
be said that __________________ occurs.

ANS: co-evolution

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

12. Mistletoe is an example of a(n) _____________________.

ANS: parasite

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

13. There are ____________________ limits to population growth in nature.

ANS: always

PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

14. ____________________ starts slowly but then accelerates as the population increases.

ANS: Exponential growth

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

15. Sea otters are considered a ____________________ species.

ANS: keystone

PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE

16. The non-poisonous viceroy butterfly gains protection by looking and acting like the poisonous monarch. This
adaptation is called______________.

ANS: mimicry

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

MATCHING

Match the items listed below with the appropriate choice

1. On the ecological succession figure, choose the letter that represents the step in which shrubs grow.

2. On the ecological succession figure, choose the letter that represents the initiation of secondary ecological
succession.

3. On the ecological succession figure, choose the letter that represents a mature forest of hardwoods.
4. On the ecological succession figure, choose the letter that represents the step in which perennial weeds and grasses
are plentiful.

5. On the ecological succession figure, choose the letter that represents the stage in which the land can support trees,
shrubs, weeds, and grasses.

1. ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate OBJ: Labeling

2. ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate OBJ: Labeling

3. ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate OBJ: Labeling

4. ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate OBJ: Labeling

5. ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate OBJ: Labeling

OOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

Match the items listed below with the appropriate choice

a. interspecific competition d. mutualism
b. Predation e. commensalism
c. Parasitism f. mimicry

6. A tiny fish called a wrasse lives in and around the mouth of sharks. It cleans up the debris left after the shark eats
flesh, and it gains protection by living in the shark’s mouth.

7. Epiphytes are plants that live on the branches or trunks of trees in the tropics. The epiphyte gains access to water
and sunlight, but does not hurt or help the tree.

8. Fleas live in and on household pets.

9. A kestrel (small hawk) and red-tailed hawk hunt for rodents in the same grassy meadow.

10. Your housecat kills the mice in your yard and around your house.

11. The Owl Butterfly is native to Costa Rica. Its hindwings have patterns in the shape and size of the eyes of a large
owl.

12. Clownfish live amongst the stinging tentacles of sea anemone. They keep the sea anemone tentacles clean by eating
the debris, and they gain protection from other animals by living in the tentacles.

13. Sea lampreys attach themselves to fish such as trout.

6. ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

7. ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

8. ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

9. ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

10. ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

11. ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

12. ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

13. ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

OOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION

SHORT ANSWER
1. As indicated in this image, when different species of warblers inhabit the same area, is food competition reduced?

ANS:
Yes.

PTS: 1 DIF: Easy OBJ: Critical Thinking

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: ANALYSIS

2. How is food competition reduced based on this image?

ANS:
Each species eats somewhat different insect species and in a distinct part of the tree.

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate OBJ: Critical Thinking

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: ANALYSIS

The three graphs above represent the niches of three different species of mammal on the African Savannah.

3. Which of the following is accurate based on the graphs represented?

a. Lions and hyenas have a great deal of niche overlap.
b. Hyenas and bat eared foxes have no niche overlap.
c. Lions frequently steal food from bat eared foxes.
d. Lions are more successful hunters than are hyenas.
e. Two of the above are true.

ANS:
A

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate OBJ: Critical Thinking

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: ANALYSIS

4. Which of the following combinations likely has the highest level of interspecific competition?
a. hyenas competing with hyenas
b. lions competing with hyenas
c. hyenas competing with bat-eared foxes
d. lions competing with bat-eared foxes
e. bat eared foxes competing with bat-eared foxes

ANS:
B

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate OBJ: Critical Thinking

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: ANALYSIS

The graph above shows the census count for two animal species, A and B, over a 31 year period. Animal
A and animal B have a predator-prey relationship.

5. For the graph shown above of animal species A and animal species B, which animal is the predator and which
animal is the prey species?

ANS:
Animal A is the prey species and animal B is the predator species.

PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult OBJ: Critical Thinking

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: ANALYSIS
6. What description would apply to the predator species in the graph above if the prey species were its only source of
food? What assumptions could we make about that predator species if this were the case?

ANS:
The predator species would be described as a specialist. The specialist predator would be more prone to extinction
than a generalist predator that relied on several sources of food.

PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate OBJ: Critical Thinking

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: SYNTHESIS

7. Briefly state why cat litter is a problem for sea otters.

ANS:
Parasites that breed in cats may be harmful to sea otters. Some coastal cat-owners flush feces-laden cat litter down
their toilets, and this passes into coastal waters where sea otters live. Parasites then infect the sea otters and can kill
them.

PTS: 2 DIF: Easy

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

ESSAY

1. Clearly describe in what ways predation is actually beneficial to the prey population.

ANS:
Those individuals that are typically removed from a population through predation tend to be those that are sick or
weak. The pressures of predation remove the least fit individual from the population. The end result is to improve
the overall health and fitness of the prey population through the process of natural selection.

PTS: 3 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

2. Compare and contrast primary succession and secondary succession.

ANS:
Primary succession can also be described as bare rock succession, and is the extremely gradual process by which
bare rock is broken down and converted into soil. This is accomplished through the processes of weathering and
biological activities of early successional pioneer organisms, such as lichens and mosses. As soils develop, the
community can gradually change over time.

Secondary succession is the gradual ecological change in species composition of a community after some kind of
ecological disturbance that does not result in the destruction or removal of the soil. With soil resources still in
place, there is an ability for plant communities to gradually return to the disturbed area.

PTS: 4 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: ANALYSIS

3. You are visiting a nature preserve in Costa Rica with a classmate. Your companion comments on the bright colors
and beauty of many species of frogs and insects that you encounter on your excursion. Explain to this person the function
that the bright colors serve in the context of ecosystem functioning.

ANS:
Brightly colored prey species are utilizing warning coloration as a way to fend off potential predators. The bright
colors inform predators that the prey species either tastes very bad or can actually poison or kill a predator that eats
them.

PTS: 3 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: SYNTHESIS

4. Clearly explain the current view of succession in ecosystems.

ANS:
Scientists now believe that succession does not occur in an orderly sequence along an expected path. Rather, the
path cannot be predicted or viewed as an inevitable progression toward an ideally adapted climax community. Late-
succession ecosystems are not in a state of permanent equilibrium, but are in a continual state of disturbance and
change.

PTS: 4 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION

5. State briefly the known threats to kelp forests.

ANS:
1. Sea urchin populations are increasing because sea otters (their predators) are declining.
2. Runoff of water that is contaminated with pesticdes, herbicides and fertilizers.
3. The warming of the world’s oceans because kelp forests require fairly cool water.

PTS: 6 DIF: Moderate

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION