ENV 100T Week 2 WileyPLUS Weekly Exam

In this graded assignment, you are assessed on the content covered in this week’s readings, activities, and assignments. To help you prepare, it is recommended that you first complete this week’s Learning Path and Self-Test Learning Activities prior to completing this exam.

Complete the Week 2 WileyPLUS Weekly Exam covering this week’s assigned readings:

• Ch. 5: How Ecosystems Work
• Ch. 6: Ecosystems and Evolution
• Ch. 7: Human Population Change and the Environment

Note: Work submitted in WileyPLUS does not count toward attendance. Be sure to post at least two times each week in the online classroom to avoid being auto-dropped from the course.

Question 1

Which of the following processes plays an important role in the phosphorus cycle?

erosion

nitrogen fixation

combustion

cellular respiration

Question 2

Your answer is correct.

The nitrogen cycle is one of the most important and complex of the biogeochemical cycles. Why is nitrogen important?

It’s an Ozone depleting gas

It’s an essential part of biological molecules such as proteins and nucleic acids (DNA)

It’s the most toxic element to living organisms

Nitrogen dilutes the oxygen in the atmosphere causing respiratory problems

Question 3

What is landscape ecology?

the study of human-designed communities.

the study of the influences of pollution on natural ecosystems.

a science exclusively concerned with terrestrial ecosystems.

the study of the connections among various ecosystems.

Question 4

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

Predation only favors the predator with the evolution of more efficient ways to catch prey.

Predation only favors the prey with the evolution of more efficient ways to escape predators.

Predation exerts a selective force on the prey, favoring characteristics that reduce the probability of capture.

Predation exerts a selective force on the predator, favoring characteristics that reduce the probability of prey capture.

Question 5

What do we call an area of land that runoff drains into?

watershed

estuary

groundwater

niche

Question 6

How would an ecologist classify both the animals shown below?

decomposers

primary consumers

producers

carnivores

Question 7

Nitrogen gas accounts for what percentage of the atmosphere?

0.03%

1%

approximately 50%

78%

Question 8

What is an organism’s role, or lifestyle, within the structure of an ecosystem called?

habitat.

trophic level.

symbiotic relationship.

ecological niche.

Question 9

What biome is most likely to have the following temperature and rainfall profile?

savanna

boreal forest

tropical rainforest

temperate deciduous forests

Question 10

Which of the following statements about wildfires is TRUE?

They are always damaging for natural environments.

They release nutrient minerals that were locked in dry organic material.

They encourage the growth of shade-resistant plants.

They result in the destruction of the underground stems and buds of grasses.

Question 11

Individuals within a population each have a unique combination of traits, which is known as:

Genetic variation.

Reproductive capacity.

Evolution.

Differential reproductive success.

Question 12

Where would you expect to find the littoral zone of a lake?

Shallow water area along the shore

Open water area farther from shore with enough sunlight for photosynthesis

Deepest known, where light typically does not penetrate effectively

Bottom region where organisms tend to attach themselves to one spot

Question 13

Which of the following biomes has the HIGHEST biodiversity?

boreal forest

temperate grassland

temperate rain forest

tropical rain forest

Question 14

Which of the following organizational hierarchies is correct?

ecosystem landscape community biome

biome community landscape ecosystem

community ecosystem landscape biome

landscape community ecosystem biome

Question 15

Which of the following organisms would be members of a pioneer community on bare rock?

grass

lichens

shrubs

ferns

Question 16

Which of the following does NOT apply to freshwater wetlands?

Anaerobic conditions

Accumulation of organic material

Water-tolerant vegetation

Drought resistant plants

Question 17

What are the three main ecological categories of organisms found in aquatic ecosystems?

plankton, nekton, fish

plankton, benthos, littoral

plankton, nekton, benthos

benthos, mangal, littoral

Question 18

Compact development in urban areas benefits the environment in all of the following ways EXCEPT:

by reversing the trend towards urbanization.

by reducing air pollution.

by preserving rural areas.

by increasing open space.

Question 19

Which factors eventually cause birth rates to decline during a demographic transition?

Birth rates decline due to improved health care and modern medicines.

Birth rates decline due to increased education of women.

Birth rates decline due to increased contraceptive use.

All of these choices ultimately contribute to declining birth rates.

Question 20

How do demographers typically measure mortality (death) rate?

deaths per 1000 persons per year.

deaths per person per year.

the number of children who die per year.

the total number of deaths per generation.

Question 21

Which of the following statements about the graph shown is TRUE?

Only Nigeria’s population growth rate is increasing.

China’s and Brasil’s fertility rate is below replacement level fertility.

Only Egypt’s fertility rate is above replacement level fertility.

Mexico and Brazil are both below replacement level fertility.

Question 22

Why are high fertility rates generally prevalent in developing countries?

Children contribute to the family’s livelihood.

Children must care for aging parents.

Male children are culturally more desirable, so families continue to have children until male children are born.

All of the choices.

Question 23

Which of the following statements about population ecology is TRUE?

Population ecology only deals with declining populations that are in need of intervention in order to survive.

Population ecology focuses on individuals and their interactions, but not the abiotic environment.

Population ecology attempts to explain how and why the number of individuals in a given area changes over time.

Population ecology is not important to scientists in applied disciplines, such as wildlife management.

Question 24

What is the cause of global human population growth over the last 200 years?

Higher birth rate

Higher fecundity rate

Increase in immigration

Lower death rate

Question 25

What can be interpreted for the following two graphs regarding literacy and fertility rates?

In general, there are more illiterate men than women.

The total number of children a woman has during her life is affected by her education – the more educated a woman is, the greater the number of children she has.

Almost 70% of Bangladeshi women and 50% of Bangladeshi men are able to read and write.

Based on the connection between education and fertility rates, one would predict that the fertility rate in Mexico would be lower than the fertility rate in Ethiopia as literacy rates are higher in Mexico.