Final Exam Questions with
Correct Answers
Ecology - Correct Answers: study of interaction among organisms and between organisms and their
environment
Species of organisms live in specific places - Correct Answers: -no species is found everywhere on Earth
-evolved with traits that provide advantages in particular environments
Climate - Correct Answers: temperature
water availability
-amount precipitation per year
-seasonality of precipitation
wind
Climate varies with latitude and altitude - Correct Answers: -equator has direct exposure
-poles-light is spread out, goes through more atmosphere
-from equator to poles, see seasonal changes in temperature, consequence of earth's tilt relative to axis
of rotation
High altitude - Correct Answers: -air is less dense, holds less water and is cooler
-provide similar conditions to high latitude
As earth revolves around the sun - Correct Answers: -Northern hemisphere tilts toward sun April-
September
-Southern Hemisphere tilts toward sun September-April
Distinguishing environmentalism from ecology - Correct Answers: environmentalists are concerned with
the state of the environment, usually as altered by humans
-not all ecologists are environmentalists
,-environmental views are informed by ecological considerations
Climate affects winds and precipitation - Correct Answers: warm air holds moisture and rises, cools
-as it cools, moisture precipitates
cool,dry air
-displaced by rising moist air
-sinks: subtropical deserts: warm, dry
Geographical influences on climate - Correct Answers: land near oceans sees milder temperatures
-water has high specific heat
mountain ranges can produce rain shadows
-as air rises up slope, it cools and releases water
-on leeward side, air is dry, creating a desert
Winds - Correct Answers: as earth rotates, air circulates
rotation faster at equator than at poles
prevailing winds move currents
currents can warm high latitudes, cool low latitudes
Biomes - Correct Answers: regional land area, defined by climate and geography (terrestrial)
-characterized by ecologically similar organisms
-vegetation is primary character
Vegetation provides - Correct Answers: food
habitat
-shelter against weather
-protection against predators
-nesting sites for offspring
, Effects of extreme temperatures - Correct Answers: -below 0 degrees Celsius, water freezes and ice
crystals in cells disrupt membranes
-too hot= proteins lose structure, enzymes cannot function
-temperate climates may have these extremes but not for long
Adaptations to specific climates - Correct Answers: -adaptations= specialized traits that allow an
organism to survive otherwise unfavorable conditions
--alaskan frog can by 65% frozen, ice is in extracellular spaces
--some plants and fish maintain high concentrations of compounds that act as antifreeze
Behavioral adaptations - Correct Answers: many species can survive unfavorable conditions by altering
behavior
-hibernation in winter, aestivation in summer
-burrow into protected habitat, slow metabolism
-migration to favorable conditions
Tropical rain forests - Correct Answers: warm, wet
high productivity, high diversits
Deserts: hot or cold - Correct Answers: dry
productivity limited by water
Temperate hardwood woodlands - Correct Answers: seasonal variation in temperature, wet
high productivity
Temperate grasslands - Correct Answers: drier than woodlands
Chaparral - Correct Answers: hot dry summers
cool, wet winters
Correct Answers
Ecology - Correct Answers: study of interaction among organisms and between organisms and their
environment
Species of organisms live in specific places - Correct Answers: -no species is found everywhere on Earth
-evolved with traits that provide advantages in particular environments
Climate - Correct Answers: temperature
water availability
-amount precipitation per year
-seasonality of precipitation
wind
Climate varies with latitude and altitude - Correct Answers: -equator has direct exposure
-poles-light is spread out, goes through more atmosphere
-from equator to poles, see seasonal changes in temperature, consequence of earth's tilt relative to axis
of rotation
High altitude - Correct Answers: -air is less dense, holds less water and is cooler
-provide similar conditions to high latitude
As earth revolves around the sun - Correct Answers: -Northern hemisphere tilts toward sun April-
September
-Southern Hemisphere tilts toward sun September-April
Distinguishing environmentalism from ecology - Correct Answers: environmentalists are concerned with
the state of the environment, usually as altered by humans
-not all ecologists are environmentalists
,-environmental views are informed by ecological considerations
Climate affects winds and precipitation - Correct Answers: warm air holds moisture and rises, cools
-as it cools, moisture precipitates
cool,dry air
-displaced by rising moist air
-sinks: subtropical deserts: warm, dry
Geographical influences on climate - Correct Answers: land near oceans sees milder temperatures
-water has high specific heat
mountain ranges can produce rain shadows
-as air rises up slope, it cools and releases water
-on leeward side, air is dry, creating a desert
Winds - Correct Answers: as earth rotates, air circulates
rotation faster at equator than at poles
prevailing winds move currents
currents can warm high latitudes, cool low latitudes
Biomes - Correct Answers: regional land area, defined by climate and geography (terrestrial)
-characterized by ecologically similar organisms
-vegetation is primary character
Vegetation provides - Correct Answers: food
habitat
-shelter against weather
-protection against predators
-nesting sites for offspring
, Effects of extreme temperatures - Correct Answers: -below 0 degrees Celsius, water freezes and ice
crystals in cells disrupt membranes
-too hot= proteins lose structure, enzymes cannot function
-temperate climates may have these extremes but not for long
Adaptations to specific climates - Correct Answers: -adaptations= specialized traits that allow an
organism to survive otherwise unfavorable conditions
--alaskan frog can by 65% frozen, ice is in extracellular spaces
--some plants and fish maintain high concentrations of compounds that act as antifreeze
Behavioral adaptations - Correct Answers: many species can survive unfavorable conditions by altering
behavior
-hibernation in winter, aestivation in summer
-burrow into protected habitat, slow metabolism
-migration to favorable conditions
Tropical rain forests - Correct Answers: warm, wet
high productivity, high diversits
Deserts: hot or cold - Correct Answers: dry
productivity limited by water
Temperate hardwood woodlands - Correct Answers: seasonal variation in temperature, wet
high productivity
Temperate grasslands - Correct Answers: drier than woodlands
Chaparral - Correct Answers: hot dry summers
cool, wet winters
