Chapter 7 Review

Identify global patterns of atmospheric movement and explain how they influence local weather.

• Global patterns of atmospheric movement include the jet stream, trade winds, and ocean currents, which influence local weather by distributing heat and moisture around the planet.

• Local weather is influenced by the position of the moon and its gravitational pull on the Earth's atmosphere.

• Atmospheric movement patterns have no significant impact on local weather conditions.

• Local weather is solely determined by human activities and has no relation to global atmospheric patterns.

Answer explanation

The correct choice highlights that global atmospheric patterns, like the jet stream and trade winds, play a crucial role in distributing heat and moisture, directly influencing local weather conditions.

Use scientific evidence to describe how natural events, including volcanic eruptions, meteor impacts, abrupt changes in ocean currents, and the release and absorption of greenhouse gases influence climate.

• Natural events like volcanic eruptions and meteor impacts have no effect on climate.

• Volcanic eruptions, meteor impacts, and changes in ocean currents can influence climate by altering atmospheric and oceanic conditions.

• Only human activities influence climate, not natural events.

• Greenhouse gases are only released by human activities and do not occur naturally.

Answer explanation

Natural events like volcanic eruptions and meteor impacts release ash and gases that can cool the Earth, while changes in ocean currents affect heat distribution. These factors significantly alter climate conditions.

Disruptions such as population changes, natural disasters, and human intervention impact the transfer of energy in food webs in ecosystems by:

• increasing energy flow efficiency

• decreasing energy flow efficiency

• having no effect on energy flow

• completely stopping energy flow

Answer explanation

Disruptions like population changes and natural disasters can lead to imbalances in ecosystems, reducing the efficiency of energy transfer in food webs. This results in decreased energy flow efficiency, making 'decreasing energy flow efficiency' the correct choice.

Discuss how primary and secondary ecological succession contribute to the restoration of ecosystems after they have been disrupted by natural disasters or human interventions.

• Primary succession leads to a gradual increase in species diversity, while secondary succession quickly restores the original species composition.

• Primary succession quickly restores the original species composition, while secondary succession leads to a gradual increase in species diversity.

• Both primary and secondary succession lead to a decrease in species diversity.

• Neither primary nor secondary succession affect species diversity.

Answer explanation

Primary succession occurs on barren land, gradually increasing species diversity over time. In contrast, secondary succession happens in areas where ecosystems have been disturbed, quickly restoring the original species composition.

Biodiversity contributes to the stability and sustainability of an ecosystem and the health of the organisms within the ecosystem by:

• providing a variety of resources and habitats

• increasing competition among species

• reducing the need for adaptation

• limiting the number of species

Answer explanation

Biodiversity enhances ecosystem stability by providing a variety of resources and habitats, which supports diverse species and their interactions, ultimately promoting health and resilience within the ecosystem.

Which population would increase if the blue whale population greatly decreased?

• krill

• crabs

• squid

• leopard seals

Answer explanation

If the blue whale population decreases, their primary food source, krill, would face less predation. This reduction in predation pressure would likely lead to an increase in the krill population.

Which scenario is an example of primary ecological succession?

• A) A glacier retreats, exposing bare rock

• B) A hurricane uproots trees in a forest

• C) A river changes course, leaving a dry riverbed

• D) A landslide covers a meadow with soil

Answer explanation

A glacier retreating exposes bare rock, creating a new habitat for organisms to colonize, which is the hallmark of primary ecological succession. Other options involve disturbances in existing ecosystems, not the creation of new ones.

If each color in the graphs represents a different species, Which ecosystem would be most sustainable if a natural disaster were to affect it?

• 
• 
• 

How would food webs in an ecosystem change if a volcanic eruption caused a large reduction in sunlight for six months?

• All of the populations would decrease in size.

• The populations of producers would increase, but other populations would decrease.

• The populations of producers would decrease, but other populations would stay the same.

• The populations of consumers would decrease, but other populations would stay the same.

Answer explanation

A volcanic eruption reducing sunlight would hinder photosynthesis, leading to a decline in producer populations. This, in turn, would affect consumers reliant on producers, causing all populations to decrease in size.

Which answer choice is NOT correct about producers?

• Producers need sunlight to make food.

• Producers provide energy for first-level consumers.

• Producers need sunlight for energy but consumers do not.

• The energy in most food webs can be traced back to the Sun. Producers need sunlight for energy but consumers do not.

Answer explanation

The correct choice is that producers provide energy for first-level consumers. This statement is true, while the other options incorrectly state that consumers do not need sunlight for energy.