Chapter 15

Which of the following biomes is characterized by hot temperatures and

strong seasonality, having distinct wet seasons and dry seasons? Savanna
A rain shadow: All of the above are correct EXCEPT for the fourth choice.
Which of the following is NOT a component of a food web? All of the above
are components of a food web.
In a commensal relationship: one species benefits while the other neither
benefits nor is harmed.
In experiments on prairie and rocky seashore communities, scientists have
learned that bison and starfish are: keystone species.
Earth's largest ecosystems, biomes, are defined primarily by: All of the
above.
Which of the following statements most directly explains the presence of
deserts such as the Mojave in California? A chain of mountains create a rain
shadow.
Nitrogen enters the food chain: primarily through soil-dwelling bacteria that
"fix" it by attaching it to other atoms.
Coevolution: All of the above are correct.
Keystone species: play an unusually important role in determining the species
composition in a habitat.
Which of the following is NOT a part of an organisms' habitat? living
organisms in the area
Why do beaches on the west coast of the United States have colder water
than beaches on the east coast? The ocean currents in the northern hemisphere
rotate in a clockwise direction, so water off the coast of California has just come
from the cold north, while water off the coast of New York has just come from the
warm south.
Which statement about the 10% rule of energy conversion efficiency is
NOT true? It suggests that 10% of what an organism eats is used in cellular
respiration or is lost as feces.
Which of the following is NOT included in the definition of a niche? the
specific geographical location where an organism lives
Which of the following is most likely to lead to the highest levels of
biodiversity? the presence of a keystone species
Which of the following is NOT an example of a biome? None; all of the above
are biomes.
Which of the following correctly orders the events that occur during an El
Nio year in the Pacific Ocean? South America to Southeast Asia winds ease >
warm water flows toward South America, warming the air, causing rain > upwelling

Chapter 15
of nutrient rich water ceases along the west coast of South America leading to fish
deaths > unusually dry weather occurs in Australia and Indonesia
Which of the following best explains why it is colder at the Poles than at
the equator? The angle at which sunlight hits the earth leads to a given amount of
solar energy being spread over a larger area at the poles than at the equator.
Which of the following statements is TRUE about the weather on earth?
Rising hot air cools down, forming clouds and rain.
What do the following organisms all have in common: vultures, worms,
and some arthropods? They are detritivores.
The great blue fin tuna prefers to live in deep, salt water. In which of the
aquatic biomes would you expect to find great blue fin tuna? open ocean
A tropical savanna is characterized by: grasses and grasslike plants with
scattered trees.
A farmer notices that the corn in her fields is growing slowly. So she adds
twice the normal amount of fertilizer to each field. Soon after, dead fish
begin to turn up in the lake adjacent to her property. What is the probable
explanation? Nutrients in the fertilizer runoff encouraged the growth of algae and
aquatic plants, which starved the lake of oxygen.
Which is TRUE about bacteria in an ecosystem? They have a function similar
to detritivores.
If there is a large biomass of consumers found in a rain forest, which of
the following pyramids would best demonstrate the primary productivity?
large-based