Environmental Science Ecosystems and Ecology 2

Question 1

Which biome is characterized by permafrost, low precipitation, and very short growing seasons?

Accepted Answer

Tundra

Answer

Taiga

Answer

Temperate deciduous forest

Answer

Grassland

Question 2

What is the term for species that significantly shape their community's structure, often out of proportion to their abundance?

Accepted Answer

Keystone species

Answer

Invasive species

Answer

Endemic species

Answer

Pioneer species

Question 3

Which type of symbiosis benefits one organism while the other is neither harmed nor helped?

Accepted Answer

Commensalism

Answer

Mutualism

Answer

Parasitism

Answer

Competition

Question 4

The gradual process by which a community changes over time toward a stable climax community is called:

Accepted Answer

Ecological succession

Answer

Evolution

Answer

Biotic turnover

Answer

Adaptive radiation

Question 5

What is the zone of an aquatic ecosystem where photosynthesis can occur due to sufficient light penetration?

Accepted Answer

Photic zone

Answer

Benthic zone

Answer

Aphotic zone

Answer

Abyssal zone

Question 6

Which nutrient cycle is most directly affected by combustion of fossil fuels?

Accepted Answer

Carbon cycle

Answer

Nitrogen cycle

Answer

Phosphorus cycle

Answer

Sulfur cycle