Chapter 3 Test

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

• A. the method of water transport in a tree
• B. a comparison of muscle cells among birds and reptiles
• C. the circulatory system of earthworms
• D. the interaction between populations of wolves and deer

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

• A. location in the water or out of the water
• B. plant or animal
• C. living or nonliving
• D. food or not food

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

• A. They transmit visible light that enters the atmosphere.
• B. They trap heat that is radiated from the surface.
• C. They reflect heat that enters the atmosphere.
• D. They emit heat when they undergo chemical reactions.

What is the relationship between global winds and global ocean currents?

• A. The pattern of global winds is one of the factors that drives global ocean currents.
• B. The pattern of global ocean currents is one of the factors that drives global winds.
• C. Both are caused by heat from the sun, and they do not affect each other.
• D. Both are caused by Earth's rotation, and they do not affect each other.

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

• A. the same species of grazing animals
• B. the same species of grasses
• C. the same seasonal patterns of temperature and precipitation
• D. the same amount of land that is covered in grasses

A biome's climate can be described by a graph of its average monthly temperature and average monthly precipitation. Which of the following best describes the climate information shown in the graph?

• A. seasonal variation in precipitation; hot temperatures all year long
• B. seasonal variation in temperature; rainy all year long
• C. seasonal variations in temperature and precipitation levels
• D. rainy in warm summers, snowy in cold winters

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

• A. temperate grasslands
• B. desert
• C. tropical dry forest
• D. boreal forest (taiga)

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

• A. a boat trip from the shore to the middle of the ocean
• B. a boat trip from the middle of the ocean to the shore
• C. a submarine dive from the surface into deep ocean water
• D. a walk from the intertidal zone into shallow ocean water

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

• A. pond
• B. estuary
• C. wetland
• D. stream bed

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

• A. loss of spawning and nursery grounds for many fishes and shellfish
• B. death of coral animals and loss of the coral reef ecosystem
• C. reduction of primary productivity for the ocean ecosystem
• D. increased salinity of ocean water