Biology Test Biology Ecology & Environmental Interactions 4

Question 1

Which of the following gases released by decomposition contributes most to the greenhouse effect?

Accepted Answer

Methane (CH4)

Answer

Methane produced by decomposers in anaerobic environments is a potent greenhouse gas, trapping far more heat per molecule than CO2.

Question 2

A population grows exponentially when

Accepted Answer

Resources are unlimited and there are no limiting factors

Answer

Exponential (J-curve) growth occurs when birth rates exceed death rates with no resource constraints, resulting in rapid, accelerating population increase.

Question 3

Which of the following best explains why tropical rainforests have such high biodiversity?

Accepted Answer

Stable, warm, wet climate over millions of years permitted species diversification

Answer

Tropical rainforests' consistent climate over geological time allowed extensive evolutionary diversification and accumulation of species.

Question 4

An invasive species typically threatens native biodiversity because it

Accepted Answer

Lacks natural predators in the new environment, allowing unchecked population growth

Answer

Without co-evolved predators, parasites, or competitors, invasive species can rapidly outcompete and displace native species.

Question 5

In the phosphorus cycle, unlike the carbon and nitrogen cycles, phosphorus

Accepted Answer

Is primarily cycled through weathering of rocks without a significant gas phase

Answer

Phosphorus lacks a significant atmospheric phase; it cycles through the weathering of rocks, uptake by plants, and eventual return to sediments.

Biology Practice Test

Biology Practice Test

Biology Test Biology Ecology & Environmental Interactions 4