Ecology Ch. 23

Put the following components of earth’s atmosphere (at the surface) in order from most abundant to least abundant. (Not all components of the atmosphere are listed). Nitrogen; oxygen; argon; carbon dioxide; ozone

The Great Salt Lake basin experienced 2 increases in precipitation due to El Ninos in the 1980s

Edge effects: occur when a forest tract is cut; reduce habitat area; isolate previously contiguous populations

Most infrared radiation from the earth’s surface is absorbed by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere

In North and South America, La Nina drought conditions are more prevalent than during El Nino

During La Ninas, the northern United States, Canada, and Alaska typically experience colder than average temperatures

Human activities have had a great impact on which of the atmospheric gases listed? Oxygen; methane; carbon dioxide

Put the following layers of earth’s atmosphere in order from closest to earth’s surface to farthest away from earth’s surface. Troposphere; stratosphere; mesosphere; thermosphere

Vitousek estimated that nitrogen-fixing crops, such as alfalfa and soybeans, fix about 30 Tg of nitrogen per year

Earth’s atmosphere traps some radiation, allowing the surface of the earth to stay warm. This phenomenon is called the greenhouse effect

Which is correct concerning stratospheric ozone? It absorbs radiation associated with damaging living tissues; it absorbs ultraviolet light; it absorbs UV-B radiation

World War I is associated with an increase in the burning of fossil fuel and corresponding increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. FALSE

The typical salinity of the Great Salt lake: limits the zooplankton species richness

Which of the following is true concerning the mature phase of El Nino? Droughts are common in the western Pacific; droughts may occur in Australia; barometric pressure decreases in the eastern Pacific

Physical changes due to forest fragmentation include a decrease in animal diversity, including monkeys, birds, bees, carrion and dung beetles

Reduced atmospheric 14C levels that result from the burning of fossil fuels is called the Suess effect

Which of the following is NOT true concerning changes that occur due to tropical forest fragmentation? Temperatures along forest edges become cooler

TRUE: forest edges are exposed to higher winds; forest edges are exposed to greater solar radiation; areas along the forest edges are drier

Which of the following were used to determine historic atmospheric carbon dioxide levels over the past 1000 years? Mauna Loa direct measurements; siple ice core; south pole ice core

In the absence of human influences, nitrogen fixation is carried out by free-living bacteria and actinomycete fungi

Which of the following is NOT a greenhouse gas? Nitrogen

IS: carbon dioxide; water vapor; chlorofluocarbons (CFCs); methane

Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels: were relatively unchanging from 1000 – mid 1700s

Which of the following are sources of increased nitrogen fixation in the nitrogen cycle? Planting of legumes; fertilization of agricultural land; burning of fossil fuels

Energy absorbed by the atmosphere or the earth’s surface can be reemitted as infrared radiation

Tropical forest fragmentation decreases the forest overstory and increases the thickness of the understory

During La Nina: the western Pacific contains warmer than average seawater

When a small fragment of tropical forest is cut, the newly exposed edges are subject to higher levels of solar radiation and wind

Rotating crops such as soybeans with grains increases crop yields due to increased nitrogen fixation

Which of the following is NOT true concerning the nitrogen cycle in the absence of human manipulation? Lightening has no effect on nitrogen fixation rates

TRUE: nitrogen fixation occurs in both the terrestrial and marine environments; nitrogen fixation is performed by bacteria and some fungi; the amount of total fixed nitrogen is about 130 Tg per year

CFCs: broken down in the atmosphere ultimately cause ozone depletion; contain carbon, chlorine, and fluorine; were historically used as refrigerants

Greenhouse gases absorb infrared radiation and radiate it back to earth

Chlorine released by the breakdown of CFC molecules results in the depletion of the ozone layer

How does Keeling’s data from Mauna Loa complement data from earlier ice core data on changes in carbon dioxide levels? Data gathered from the Siple ice core and Mauna Loa independently established nearly identical CO2 levels; two of the measurements Keeling’s group made overlap the data gathered from the Siple ice core

The 1982 – 1983 El Nino increased precipitation levels in the Great Salt Lake basin

Which of the following are characteristics of the red kangaroo? It is the largest herbivore in Australia; their reproductive cycle is tied to environmental conditions; they occupy land in Australia that has occasional west periods that alternate with severe drought

Keeling and colleagues took measurements of present day carbon dioxide levels in the state of Hawaii that complement ice core data used to address changes in these levels

Which of the following are correct concerning the effects of the 1982 – 1983 El Nino on the Great Salt Lake? Predaceous corixid bugs moved into the limnetic zone; grazing zooplankton numbers declined resulting in a reduced grazing rate

The seabird populations of the Galapagos islands experienced drastic declines in reproduction AND migrated north and south along South America in response to the El Nino of 1982 – 1983

Landsat high-resolution images of the Amazon Basin were analyzed by Skole and Tucker to estimate deforestation rates

Scientists have reconstructed historic concentrations of CO2 in earth’s atmosphere by analyzing: air bubbles trapped in ice

When Cairns and Grigg quantified how rainfall in souther Australia affected red kangaroo populations, they found an increase in population size associated with abundant rainfall that occurred from 1988 to 1989 as a result of La Nina

What was the purpose of the Montreal Protocol? Reduce and eliminate human-generated ozone-depleting chemicals

When the barometric pressure in the western Pacific Ocean increases, the pressure in the eastern Pacific Ocean decreases. This is an example of the phenomenon known as the Southern Oscillation

Phytoplankton biomass shifted to the east of the Galapagos islands in response to the 1982 – 1983 El Nino

During wet years, female red kangaroos will often have a joey following her, a younger offspring in her pouch, and an embryo that will enter the pouch once it is vacated

The ozone hole over the Antartic, since its discovery in 1985: reached its maximum size in 2000

Which of the following is NOT true? Severe deforestation has only occurred in tropical forests

TRUE: temperate forest regions of Europe, eastern China, Japan and North America are densely populated; old growth temperate forests in northwestern North American have been greatly cut down; Boreal forests in Russia and Canada have been affected by deforestation

The Vostok ice core from around 160,000 years ago corresponds to an ice age, a period of low planetary temperatures

Any negative values on the Southern Oscillation Index indicates: lower barometric pressure in the eastern Pacific Ocean

Results of Skole and Tucker’s work in the Amazon Basin estimated that deforestation occurred at a rate of 15,000 km2 per year from 1978 – 1988

The amount of 14C in fossil fuels is: low

What occurred in the Great Salt Lake from 1987 – 1990? Phytoplankton biomass decreased

Nevill Nicholls suggested that red kangaroos reproduce large numbers of offspring under favorable conditions. This leads to an increase in the size of the adult populations at the onset of El Ninos

When El Ninos decrease upwelling of nutrients, primary production decreases

Much of the forested area in eastern North America was cut down by mid-1800s

The Walker circulation pattern is associated with: warm air from the western Pacific rising and flowing eastward in the upper atmosphere

After the discovery of the hole in the ozone layer in 1985 and changes to environmental policy, it is estimated that recovery of the stratospheric ozone layer will likely take another: 50 years or more

During El Nino, the normally cool waters off the coast of South America become warmer

As a result of the Montreal Protocol, global emissions of CFCs have been reduced from 1 million tons annually to less than 50,000 tons in 2003

Jacob Bjerknes is credited for connecting the Southern Oscillation with El Nino, giving a global perspective on weather patterns

In a study of the effects of fragmentation in the Amazon Basin, researchers worked with ranchers to develop fragmented tracts of forests and unfragmented tracts of forest of the same size to use as a comparison or control

Seventy-five percent of the world’s tropical forests occur in 10 countries. The largest single tract of tropical forest is in the country of Brazil

Graham Harrington’s study of soil moisture and the survival of the narrow-leaf hopbush in Australia showed that survival: increased with the La Nina side of the Southern Oscillation

The British mathematician who identified the relationship between barometric pressure in the Pacific Ocean and monsoon rainfall in Asia is named Gilbert Walker

75% of tropical deforestation occurs in Brazil, while 25% occurs outside of Brazil. FALSE

Over the past 100 years or so, human contributions to the global nitrogen cycle have become stable and unchanging. FALSE

Brazil’s National Institute for Research in Amazonia and World Wildlife Fund are responsible for a long-term study of forest fragmentation

Which country has the highest rate of tropical deforestation? Brazil

Gilbert Walker is credited for the identification of: the Southern Oscillation

After 1980 (late 20^th century), human sources of fixed nitrogen: exceeded nonhuman sources for the first time

A Brazilian law requires that 50% of land developed in the Amazon Basin remains forested