35

BIOSPHERE
CHAPTER REVIEW
Because the earth is a sphere, the suns rays are vertical only at the equator, and temperature decreases from the equator to the poles. The tilt of the earth on its axis along with the earths rotation about the sun creates the seasons. Because the oceans are warmer at the equator than at the poles, air rises at the equator and moves toward the poles; these air currents in turn cause ocean currents that affect climate about the world. Warm air rising at the equator loses its moisture and then descends at about 30 north and south latitude and so forth to the poles. This movement of air in general accounts for different amounts of rainfall at different latitudes. Topography also plays a role in the distribution of rainfall. Just south of the North Pole, the tundra has cold winters and short summers; the vegetation consists largely of short grasses and sedges and dwarf woody plants. Proceeding southward, the taiga is a coniferous forest, the temperate deciduous forest has seasons, and the tropical rain forest is a broad-leaved evergreen forest. Among grasslands, which have less rainfall than forests, the savanna is a tropical grassland which supports the greatest number of different types of large herbivores. The prairie found in the United States has a limited variety of vegetation and animal life. In deserts some plants, such as cacti, are succulents, and others are shrubs with thick leaves they often lose during dry periods. Among aquatic biomes, freshwater communities include streams, rivers, lakes, and ponds. Lakes experience spring and fall overturns. Lakes and ponds have rooted plants in the littoral zone, plankton and fishes in the sunlit limnetic zone, and bottom-dwelling organisms in the profundal zone. Estuaries near the mouths of rivers are the nurseries of the sea. Marine communities include coastal communities and the oceans. An ocean has a pelagic division (open waters) and benthic division (ocean floor). Coral reefs are productive communities found in shallow tropical waters.

S T U DY E X E R C I S E S
Study the text section by section as you answer the questions that follow.

35.1 CLIMATE

AND THE

BIOSPHERE (P . 718)

Solar radiation provides the energy that drives climate differences in the biosphere. Global air circulation patterns, ocean currents, and physical features produce the various patterns of temperature and rainfall about the globe. 1. Place a check in front of the statements that are true. a. Because the earth is a sphere, solar energy hitting Earth is uniformly distributed. b. The distribution of rainfall is partially due to topography. c. Heat always passes from warm areas to colder areas. d. The great deserts of the world lie at the equator. e. Warm air moves from the equator to the poles. f. Arctic winds across the Great Lakes produce lake-effect snows. g. Rain shadows always form on the leeward side of the mountains.

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35.2 BIOMES

OF THE

WORLD (P . 721)

Ecosystems can be divided into a few major classes of terrestrial and aquatic biomes. 2. Label this diagram that compares the effects of altitude and latitude on vegetation with the following terms (some are used more than once): coniferous forest deciduous forest tropical forest tundra

ice

a.

b.

Increasing Altitude

c.

d. e. f. g.

ice

Increasing Latitude

3. The diagram from question 2 emphasizes that vegetation is determined in part by

b.____________________ also plays a major role and, therefore, tropical rain

a. ____________________.

forests are found at the equator where

both c.____________________ and d.____________________ are maximal. 4. For each biome listed, write a one- or two-word description for the temperature and rainfall.
Biome tundra desert grassland taiga temperate deciduous forest tropical rain forest Temperature Rainfall

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5. Label the soil diagram with the following terms: leaching parent material topsoil subsoil

C Soil Horizons

6. Because of limited leaching (due to limited rainfall), the A horizon is deep in made the prairies of the United States good agricultural lands. Generally, in

a. ____________________,

and this

b.____________________ both the A and B

horizons supply inorganic nutrients for tree root growth. In tropical rain forests, however, because leaching is extensive, there is only a shallow c.____________________ horizon; therefore, these forests (can, cannot) d.____________________ support crops for many years.

35.3 TERRESTRIAL BIOMES (P . 722)

The earths major biomes are forests (broad-leaf and coniferous), scrublands, grasslands (tropical savannah and temperate grasslands), tundra, and deserts. Tundra (p. 722) 7. For each comparison select the one that applies to the tundra. a. lightdark b. coldhot c. short grassestrees d. musk-oxhorses e. epiphytespermafrost Coniferous Forests (p. 723) 8. For each comparison select the one that applies to the taiga. a. broad-leaf treesnarrow-leaf trees b. coldhot c. cool lakespools and mires d. zebrasmoose 9. For each comparison select the one that applies to the temperate rain forest on the west coast of Canada and the United States. a. short treestall trees b. old treesyoung trees c. ferns and mossessedges and grasses

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Temperate Deciduous Forests (p. 724) 10. For each comparison select the one that applies to temperate deciduous forests. a. conifers onlyoak and maple trees b. flowering shrubsshort grasses c. caribouwhite-tail deer d. rabbits and skunkslemmings and prairie chickens Tropical Forests (p. 726) 11. For each comparison select the one that applies to tropical rain forests. a. deciduous broad-leafed treesevergreen broad-leafed trees b. lianas and epiphytespine needles c. few insectsmany insects d. colorful birdsdrab birds e. horses and zebrasmonkeys and large cats Shrublands (p. 728) 12. For each comparison select the one that applies to shrublands. a. rainfall in summerrainfall in winter b. shrubs with thick rootstrees with shallow roots Grasslands (p. 728) 13. For each comparison select the one that applies to United States prairies. a. rabbitsprairie dogs b. hawksparakeets c. treesgrasses 14. For each comparison select the one that applies to the African savanna a. elephantsmoose b. even rainfallsevere dry season c. herds of herbivoreslarge primates Deserts (p. 730) 15. For each comparison select the one that applies to North American deserts. a. cool dayscool nights b. cacti,broad-leafed evergreen trees c. lizards and snakeselephants and zebras

Hoop Dreams
Each biome is a hoop. The plants and animals are balls. Try to get the balls in the right hoops. Hoops (biomes) desert taiga U.S. prairie temperate deciduous forest tundra African savanna tropical rain forest Plants (balls) lichens spruce trees epiphytes oak trees grasses acacia trees cacti Animals (balls) moose beaver and muskrat lemming monkey lizard buffalo wildebeest

Possible number of baskets is 14. How many baskets did you make? ____________________

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35.4 AQUATIC BIOMES (P . 731)

The earths major aquatic biomes are of two types: freshwater and saltwater (usually marine). 16. Aquatic communities can be divided into two major types: the
a. ____________________ communities that consist

of lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams, and the b.____________________ communities along the coast and in the ocean itself. Lakes (p. 732) 17. Lakes occur as nutrient-poor or spring as it warms, a (an)
a. ____________________ lakes and nutrient-rich

or b.____________________ lakes.

In the temperate zone, deep lakes are stratified. In the fall, as the top layer called c.____________________ cools, and in the
d.____________________ occurs. During this time, a mixing of e.____________________

and f.____________________ take place. 18. List and describe the three life zones of a lake, noting the types of organisms found in each.
a. b.

________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________
c.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________ Coastal Communities (p. 734) 19. Label these statements as true (T) or false (F): _____ a. Salt marshes in the tropics and mangrove swamps in the temperate zone occur at the mouth of a river. b. Estuaries offer protection and nutrients to immature forms of marine life. c. Rocky coasts are protected, but sandy shores are bombarded by the seas as the tides roll in and out. _____ d. There are different types of shelled and algal organisms at the upper, middle, and lower portions of the littoral zone of a rocky coast. Oceans (p. 736) 20. Label each of the following as describing the pelagic divison (P) or the benthic division (B): a. has the sublittoral and abyssal zones b. has the greater overall diversity of organisms c. includes neritic and oceanic provinces d. includes organisms living on the continental shelf and slope e. has organisms that depend on floating debris from above for food f. is penetrated by sunlight 21. Complete the following table by noting the amount of light present (bright/semidark/dark) and the types of organisms found (phytoplankton/strange-looking fish/filter feeders/carnivores/sea urchins) in these ocean zones:
Ocean Zone epipelagic mesopelagic bathypelagic abyssal Amount of Light Organisms

22. What supports life in the epipelagic zone? What supports life in the abyssal zone? 304

a. ____________________

b.____________________

CHAPTER TEST
OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS
Do not refer to the text when taking this test. For questions 110, indicate whether the statements are true (T) or false (F). 1. Climate determines the geographic location of a biome. 2. Grasslands usually receive a greater annual rainfall than deserts. 3. The taiga is the northernmost forested biome. 4. Temperate deciduous forests show the greatest species diversity of all forested biomes. 5. The leaves of tropical rain forest evergreen trees are needlelike. 6. The profundal zone of a lake is the zone closest to the shore. 7. An estuary acts as a nutrient trap, existing where a large river flows into an ocean. 8. The solid part of a coral reef consists of the skeletons of dead coral. 9. A food chain in the pelagic division could be: phytoplankton, zooplankton, small fish, herring. 10. The benthic division receives less light penetration than the pelagic division. 11. Which of the following phrases is NOT true of the tundra? a. low-lying vegetation b. northernmost biome c. few large mammals d. short growing season e. many different types of species 12. A temperate deciduous forest will a. be warm and moist. b. be hot and dry. c. be cold and have limited rain. d. have moderate temperatures and moderate rain. e. have moderate temperatures and little rain. 13. A tropical rain forest will typically a. be warm and moist. b. be hot and dry. c. be cold and have limited rain. d. be moderate temperatures and moderate rain. e. be moderate temperatures and little rain. 14. A desert will typically a. be warm and moist. b. be hot and dry. c. be cold and have limited rain. d. have moderate temperatures and moderate rain. e. have moderate temperatures and little rain. 15. The biome that best supports grazing animals is a. a tropical rain forest. b. a coniferous forest. c. a grassland. d. a desert. 16. Which biome has most of the animals living in trees? a. taiga b. temperate deciduous forest c. tropical rain forest d. savanna e. grassland 17. Which type of biome has succulent, leafless plants that have stems that store water and roots that can absorb great quantities of water in a brief period of time? a. tropical rain forest b. tundra c. temperate deciduous forest d. desert e. savanna 18. Large grazing animals are most numerous in which biome? a. tundra b. grassland c. coniferous forest d. deciduous forest e. tropical rain forest 19. Which zone of the ocean is the deepest? a. epipelagic b. mesopelagic c. bathypelagic d. abyssal e. estuarial 20. Which zone in the ocean receives the most sunlight? a. epipelagic b. mesopelagic c. bathypelagic d. abyssal e. estuarial

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THOUGHT QUESTIONS
Answer in complete sentences. 21. Both the temperate rain forest and the chaparral occur in California. Explain various differences in climate and vegetation.

22. Explain why estuaries are the nurseries of the sea.

Test Results: _______ Number right 22 = _______ 100 = _______ %

ANSWER KEY
STUDY EXERCISES
1. b, c, e, f, g 2. See Figure 35.5, page 721, in text. 3. a. temperature b. Rainfall c. temperature d. rainfall 4.
Temperature cold hot moderate cool moderate hot Rainfall little little bright limited semidark moderate dark rather high dark high filter feeders and sea urchins strange-looking carnivores carnivores phytoplankton

water 17. a. oligotrophic b. eutrophic c. epilimnion d. overturn e. oxygen f. nutrients 18. shoreaquatic plants, microscopic organisms b. limnetic zone, sunlit main bodysome surface organisms and plankton c. profundal zone, depths where sunlight does not reachmollusks, crustacea, worms 19. a. F b. T c. F d. T 20. a. B b. P c. P d. B e. B f. P 21.
Amount of Light Organisms

5. a. topsoil, leaching b. subsoil c. parent material 6. a. temperate grasslands b. forests c. A d. cannot 7. a. dark b. cold c. short grasses d. musk-ox e. permafrost 8. a. narrow-leaf trees b. cold c. cool lakes d. moose 9. a. tall trees b. old trees c. ferns and mosses 10. a. oak and maple trees b. flowering shrubs c. white-tail deer d. rabbits and skunks 11. a. evergreen broad-leafed trees b. lianas and epiphytes c. many insects d. colorful birds e. monkeys and large cats 12. a. rainfall in winter b. shrubs with thick roots 13. a. prairie dogs b. hawks c. grasses 14. a. elephants b. severe dry season c. herds of herbivores 15. a. cool nights b. cacti c. lizards and snakes Hoop Dreams desert: cacti, lizard; taiga: spruce trees, moose; U.S. prairie: grasses, buffalo; temperate deciduous forest: oak trees, beaver and muskrat; tundra: lichens, lemming; African savanna: acacia trees, wildebeest; tropical rain forest: epiphytes, monkey 16. a. freshwater b. salt-

22. a. photosynthesis by algae b. debris floating down from above

CHAPTER TEST
1. T 2. T 3. T 4. F 5. F 6. F 7. T 8. T 9. T 10. T 11. e 12. d 13. a 14. b 15. c 16. c 17. d 18. a 19. d 20. a 21. The temperate rain forest lies along the coast and has much rainfall; the old trees are covered by ferns and mosses and grow very tall. The chaparral occurs among hills, has limited rainfall, and the shrubs that occur there are adapted to arid consditions and regrowth after fire. 22. An estuary which is a partially enclosed body of water where freshwater and seawater meet is a nutrient trap. Estuaries offer a protective environment where larval marine forms can mature before moving out to other coastal areas and the open sea.

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