Biochemical Cycles and the Biosphere (Assignment)

Introduction to Geography Biochemical Cycles and the Biosphere MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question. 1) Atmospheric ________ is absorbed by the biosphere during photosynthesis, stored in living organisms and in the soil, and released through respiration. A) water B) carbon C) nitrogen D) hydrogen 2) Photosynthesis A) takes place in green plants. B) requires argon. C) does not occur in bright sunlight. D) occurs independently of the atmosphere. 3) Soil A) is a mixture of mineral particles, organic materials, water, and air. B) is formed through a combination of physical, chemical, and biologic processes. C) is locally variable. D) all of the above 4) The thin layer of living things, of which we are an inseparable part, is the A) lithosphere. B) hydrosphere. C) biosphere. D) troposphere. 5) Water constantly circulates through the A) lithosphere. B) biosphere. C) atmosphere. D) all of the above 6) An interrelated collection of plants and animals and the physical environment with which they react is a(n) A) biome. B) ecosystem. C) biomass. D) biosphere. 7) Small organisms that digest and recycle dead plants and animals are A) producers. B) consumers. C) decomposers. D) herbivores. 8) Meat eating animals are known as A) herbivores. B) carnivores. C) detrivores. D) all of the above 9) Organisms that eat both plants and animals are known as A) herbivores. B) carnivores. C) detrivores. D) omnivores. 10) The only substance that can exist as a gas, liquid, and solid at common Earth temperatures is A) carbon. B) nitrogen. C) water. D) oxygen. 11) Evapotranspiration A) includes the processes of plants. B) takes water vapor from the atmosphere and stores it in the soil. C) decreases immensely in the summer. D) none of the above 12) A large region of Earth's surface characterized by particular plant and animal types is a(n) A) biome. B) ecosystem. C) biosphere. D) biomass. 13) Terrestrial biomes reflect two especially visible features: A) soil and vegetation type. B) climate and vegetation type. C) terrain and climate type. D) none of the above 14) The eastern United States falls under which of the following terrestrial biomes? A) midlatitude grasslands B) temperate rain forest C) midlatitude broadleaf and mixed forest D) needleleaf forest 15) Which of the following would be considered a primary producer in a typical food chain? A) carnivore B) herbivore C) plant D) bacteria 16) In drier areas, such as central Asia, the biome called short-grass prairie is also known as A) tundra. B) savanna. C) steppe. D) boreal. 17) Which of the following would be logical sequential steps for a drop of water in the hydrologic cycle? A) runoff, precipitation, evapotranspiration, storage B) precipitation, runoff, storage, evapotranspiration C) storage, evapotranspiration, runoff, precipitation D) evapotranspiration, storage, runoff, precipitation 18) Which of the following is true? A) Precipitation and evapotranspiration are approximately equal over land areas. B) Precipitation is greater than evapotranspiration over land areas. C) Precipitation is less than evapotranspiration over land areas. D) Precipitation is greater than evapotranspiration over ocean areas. 19) Evapotranspiration occurs faster with A) windy conditions. B) warm conditions. C) dry conditions. D) all of the above 20) If soil is bare or compact, A) more water is stored than normal. B) runoff decreases. C) infiltration is poor. D) all of the above 21) Which of the following measurements would be a correct way to report runoff? A) 30 centimeters per second B) 30 centimeters C) 30 square centimeters D) 30 cubic centimeters per meter 22) Discharge would be measured in which of the following units? A) 4 meters B) 4 cubic meters C) 4 square meters D) 4 cubic meters per second 23) Deforestation (cutting and burning) is known to cause A) long-term storage of carbon in the soil. B) relatively large amounts of carbon to enter the atmosphere. C) a decrease of carbon in the atmosphere. D) both A and B 24) Which of the following determine soil properties? A) parent materials and biological activity B) climate and time C) topography D) all of the above 25) Which of the following components constitute the greatest portion of the soil? A) humus B) air C) rocks and rock particles D) dissolved substances 26) In what form are nutrients available in soil? A) dissolved in soil water B) part of organic matter C) attached to surfaces of mineral grains and in crystalline structure of minerals D) all of the above 27) Which biome includes the eastern United States and much of China? A) mid-latitude broadleaf deciduous forest B) tropical rainforest C) needleleaf forest D) temperate rainforest 28) Which highly diverse biome is dominated by tall, broad-leafed trees that retain their leaves all year? A) mid-latitude broadleaf deciduous forest B) tropical rainforest C) needleleaf forest D) temperate rainforest 29) Water A) is not a very good solvent. B) exists in three different states on Earth. C) requires very little energy to change from one state to another. D) is less abundant on Earth than on Venus. 30) The carbon cycle A) exists independently of the oxygen cycle. B) involves photosynthesis, but not respiration. C) takes place primarily in the lithosphere. D) is dependent upon the sun's energy. 31) California chaparral A) have no known ecological equivalent any where else in the world. B) are heavily shaded by large trees with deep root systems. C) developed over time to accommodate frequent fires. D) all of the above 32) Which of the following is true? A) Humid tropical soils are resistant to weathering. B) Arid region soils are high in soluble materials. C) Midlatitude humid soils are oxisols and ultisols. D) Midlatitude subhumid soils include mollisols. 33) Average streamflow can be calculated from ________ for a drainage basin. A) evapotranspiration B) the water budget C) runoff D) the carrying capacity 34) What areas have highly weathered soils due to leaching and are usually oxidized? A) humid tropical and subtropical B) arid C) mid-latitude humid D) mid-latitude subhumid 35) Of the four spheres, this one is most important for linking the four together. A) hydrosphere B) lithosphere C) atmosphere D) biosphere 36) A soil's infiltration capacity A) has little effect on POTET. B) typically increases when dense vegetation is present at ground level. C) is a measure of how much sunlight a given type of soil can absorb. D) all of the above TRUE/FALSE. Write 'T' if the statement is true and 'F' if the statement is false. 37) Bacteria and fungi are the primary producers in food chains. Answer: 38) Coniferous forests are the dominant vegetation type in the tundra biome. Answer: 39) Deforestation is most rapid in North America. Answer: 40) Biomagnification is a process by which pollutant concentrations increase as food is passed up the food chain from lower trophic levels to higher ones. Answer: 41) In mid-latitude climates potential evapotranspiration is higher in the warm season than in the cool season. Answer: 42) On average the amount of precipitation on land areas is greater than the amount of evapotranspiration from those areas. Answer: 43) In an arid climate actual evapotranspiration exceeds potential evapotranspiration. Answer: 44) Deforestation is the major cause of the increase in atmospheric CO2 content. Answer: 45) In most soils the O and A horizons contain more organic matter than the B and C horizons. Answer: 46) Soils in mountainous regions generally show less-developed horizons than soils in areas of gentle slopes. Answer: 47) Respiration is a process whereby carbohydrates and water are converted to oxygen and carbon dioxide. Answer: 48) Areas of humid tropical climate generally have higher net primary productivity than areas of semi arid climate. Answer: 49) In California chaparral country, the longer a given region goes without a fire, the more likely the next fire will be large and destructive. Answer: 50) Evapotranspiration has no significant effect on the hydrologic cycle. Answer: 51) POTET never exceeds ACTET. Answer: 52) Trees in rainforests can have a substantial impact on weather. Answer: 66) Summer has been coming earlier to the southern portion of Hudson Bay. Answer: 53) Soils with high infiltration capacities produce less runoff than soils with low infiltration capacities. Answer: 54) It is usually easy for scientists to measure soil fertility. Answer: 55) Large carnivores are not necessary for the maintenance of a food chain. Answer: 56) Desertification is usually accompanied by decreased erosion. Answer: SHORT ANSWER. Write the word or phrase that best completes each statement or answers the question. 57) Rank the following in order of decreasing volume of water in storage at any given time: glaciers ________ oceans ________ rivers ________ underground water ________ Answer: 58) Two different climates have the same amount of precipitation, but one has higher temperatures than the other. Which one has more runoff? Why? Answer: 59) Would one expect to find more soluble materials in the soil of an arid region or the soil of a humid region? Why? Answer : 60) The CO2 content of the atmosphere as measured at Mauna Loa, Hawaii is highest in spring and lowest in autumn. Explain this seasonal pattern. Answer: 61) Name the natural vegetation type one would expect to find in each of the following climates: Humid tropical climate Seasonally dry tropical climate Humid mid-latitude climate Mid-latitude semiarid climate Answer: