Concepts of Biology

Samantha Fowler, Rebecca Roush, James Wise

Chapter 20

Ecosystems and the Biosphere - all with Video Answers

Educators

Chapter Questions

Problem 1

Which of the following statements about the nitrogen cycle is false?
a. Ammonification converts organic nitrogenous matter from living organisms into ammonium (NH_4^ ).
b. Denitrification by bacteria converts nitrates (NO3) to nitrogen gas (N2).
C. Nitrification by bacteria converts nitrates (NO_3) to nitrites (NO_2).
d. Nitrogen fixing bacteria convert nitrogen gas (N2) into organic compounds.

Billy Huggins

Billy Huggins

Numerade Educator

Problem 2

In which of the following regions would you expect to find photosynthetic organisms?
a. The aphotic zone, the neritic zone, the oceanic zone, and the benthic realm.
b. The photic zone, the intertidal zone, the neritic zone, and the oceanic zone.
C. The photic zone, the abyssal zone, the neritic zone, and the oceanic zone.
d. The pelagic realm, the aphotic zone, the neritic zone, and the oceanic zone.

Billy Huggins

Numerade Educator

Problem 3

Decomposers are associated with which class of food web?
a. grazing
b. detrital
c. inverted
d. aquatic

Billy Huggins

Numerade Educator

Problem 4

The producer in an ocean grazing food web is usually a ________.
a. plant
b. animal
C. fungi
d. plankton

Billy Huggins

Numerade Educator

Problem 5

Which term describes the process whereby toxic substances increase along trophic levels of
an ecosystem?
a. biomassification
b. biomagnification
C. bioentropy
d. heterotrophy

Billy Huggins

Numerade Educator

Problem 6

The majority of the water found on Earth is:
a. ice
b. water vapor
c. fresh water
d. salt water

Billy Huggins

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Problem 7

The process whereby oxygen is depleted by the growth of microorganisms due to excess nutrients in aquatic systems is called________.
a. dead zoning
b. eutrophication
C. retrophication
d. depletion

Billy Huggins

Numerade Educator

Problem 8

Certain species of parrot cannot be brought to the United States to be sold as pets. What is the name of the legislation that makes this illegal?
a. Red List
b. Migratory Bird Act
c. CITES
d. Endangered Species Act (ESA)

Billy Huggins

Numerade Educator

Problem 9

What is the name of the first international agreement on climate change?
a. Red List
b. Montreal Protocol
c. International Union for the Conservation
of Nature (IUCN)
d. Kyoto Protocol

Billy Huggins

Numerade Educator

Problem 10

Explain how biodiversity loss can impact crop diversity.

Billy Huggins

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Problem 11

Describe two types of compounds from living things that are used as medications.

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Problem 12

Describe the mechanisms by which human population growth and resource use causes
increased extinction rates.

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Problem 13

Compare grazing and detrital food webs. Why would they both be present in the same ecosystem?

Billy Huggins

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Problem 14

Why are drinking water supplies still a major concern for many countries?

Billy Huggins

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Problem 15

The extremely low precipitation of subtropical desert biomes might lead one to expect fire to be a major disturbance factor; however, fire is more common in the temperate grassland biome than in the subtropical desert biome. Why is this?

Cody Delk

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Problem 16

In what ways are the subtropical desert and the Arctic tundra similar?

Billy Huggins

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Problem 17

Describe the conditions and challenges facing organisms living in the intertidal zone.

Billy Huggins

Numerade Educator