Q: Which equation best represents Net Primary Productivity (NPP) in a terrestrial biome?

$$\text{NPP} = \text{Gross Primary Productivity} - \text{Respiration}$$

Question 1

Which of the following best describes the main difference between abiotic and biotic factors affecting the distribution of organisms?

Accepted Answer

Abiotic factors are non-living components like temperature and salinity, while biotic factors are living components such as competition and predation.

Question 2

The distribution of cattle and tsetse flies in Africa shows little overlap. What is the most likely explanation for this pattern?

Accepted Answer

Tsetse flies transmit diseases that are harmful to cattle, limiting cattle distribution where tsetse flies are abundant.

Question 3

Which of the following is a direct consequence of the formation of the Isthmus of Panama 3 million years ago?

Accepted Answer

The Great American Biotic Exchange, allowing species to disperse between North and South America.

Question 4

Which equation best represents Net Primary Productivity (NPP) in a terrestrial biome?

Accepted Answer

$$	ext{NPP} = 	ext{Gross Primary Productivity} - 	ext{Respiration}$$

Question 5

Why are tropical wet forests able to sustain high species diversity compared to subtropical deserts?

Accepted Answer

Tropical wet forests have high average temperatures and high precipitation, leading to high NPP.

Question 6

Which factor is most responsible for the existence of rain shadows on the eastern side of mountain ranges?

Accepted Answer

Moist air rises and cools over mountains, dropping rain on the windward side, leaving dry air to descend on the leeward side.

Question 7

What is the primary reason the tropics are warmer than the poles?

Accepted Answer

The tropics receive sunlight at a higher angle, resulting in more energy per unit area.

Question 8

Which of the following best explains the effect of Hadley cells on global climate patterns?

Accepted Answer

Hadley cells create wet conditions at the equator and dry conditions at 30° latitude by circulating warm, moist air upward and cool, dry air downward.

Question 9

Which scenario best illustrates the interaction of abiotic and biotic factors in determining species distribution, as shown in the Argentine ant case study?

Accepted Answer

Argentine ants are more successful in irrigated plots where native ants are removed, showing both soil moisture and competition affect their distribution.

Question 10

Which of the following is a characteristic that distinguishes aquatic biomes from terrestrial biomes?

Accepted Answer

Salinity, water depth, water flow, and nutrient availability.

Question 11

If the Earth did not tilt on its axis, which of the following would be true?

Accepted Answer

There would be no seasons, and the equator would always face the sun directly.

Question 12

Which of the following is a plausible reason for the increase in altitude of Hawaiian songbirds over the past few decades?

Accepted Answer

Abiotic factors such as temperature and humidity have remained constant, so biotic factors like predation or disease likely forced songbirds to higher altitudes.

Question 13

Which of the following best describes the Wallace Line?

Accepted Answer

A boundary separating Asian and Australian species due to an ocean trench that prevented dispersal.

Question 14

Which of the following is a real-world example of human impact on species dispersal?

Accepted Answer

House sparrows and European starlings were introduced to North America, becoming invasive species.

Question 15

Which biome is characterized by high average temperature, very high annual precipitation, and very low variation in temperature?

Accepted Answer

Tropical wet forest

Question 16

Which of the following would most likely result in decreased species diversity in terrestrial biomes due to climate change?

Accepted Answer

Increasing variability and extremes in temperature and precipitation.

Question 17

Which factor is most likely to limit the distribution of the açaí palm according to niche models of heat tolerance?

Accepted Answer

Açaí palms have a narrower tolerance for high temperatures compared to coconut palms.

Question 18

Which of the following is a multi-step problem involving biogeography and speciation?

Accepted Answer

Geographic formations such as rivers and mountains can divide populations, leading to speciation by limiting gene flow and creating isolated populations.

Ecology: Levels of Study, Distribution, Climate, and Biomes

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