Sample Q4 answers
1. C (see Mackenzie Fig 14.7a) – we did not quite get to this topic, it will not be on Q4
2. A
3. C (formally known as fullerenes, they are also known as “Bucky Balls”)
4. B (about 10% passes on, and about 90% lost)
5. B
6. D
7. C
8. C (Fig. 7.4- technically we did not get to this in lecture, but you are probably ahead in your reading and its sort of like definitions for the water cycle)
9. B
10. D we did not quite get to this topic, it will not be on Q4
11. D- a biofuel
12. C (for temperature effects alone, although cool-season C3 grasses would have advantages with higher CO2 levels)
13. C
14. A
15. A (see Instructor notes for March 27, look at “Global maps” link)
16. C
17. atmosphere, biosphere, oceans, lithosphere (this would include coal, oil, natural gas), soils (Table 7.2; we did not get to this in lecture, but you have probably read ahead, so it is fair game for Q4)
18. Generally it is conversion of natural ecosystems to other uses such as urban areas (urbanization) or transportation (roads) or reservoirs behind dams (energy, water storage, etc) or agriculture. Deforestation would be an example, which involves conversion of land from forest to agriculture or grazing (or maybe even cities). Also natural grasslands may be changed to agriculture. Usually such changes result in loss of carbon from the ecosystems, but in some cases such as the abandonment of farmland carbon can be increased. This will not be on quiz- we did not get close to this)
19. Living and dead organic matter in tropical forest biomes is dominated by living plant parts (roots, stems, trunks, leaves) with a smaller fraction of dry matter in dead material (litter and soil), whereas dry matter in grasslands is overwhelmingly in dead material (in litter and soils), with a small fraction in living plant parts (review “Figure from lecture” link at the end of the March 25 Instructor notes)
20. Competition for light resources tends to be much greater on land than in water, and on land the best way to compete is to grow fast and tall, above you neighbors. Consequently, a very high investment in plant structural components on land is needed (trunks, stems) as wood, compared to marine biosphere where such structural components are not needed.
21. Non-native species that have entered an area (accidentally or purposely) with the result that they become established and compete with (maybe outcompete) native species. See your notes and my Instructor Notes from April 1.
22. Dominance of photosynthesis in spring and summer draws down CO2 from the atmosphere, and dominance of respiration returns CO2 to the atmosphere in Fall and Winter. (“seasonal biosphere” is key to where the effect is greatest, as related to question #1).
23. embayment between river and
open ocean (like Chesapeake Bay and
24. warmer temperatures could promote geographical expansion of malaria, but reduction of precipitation at lower latitudes could inhibit spread of malaria
25. See March 22 and 25 Instructor notes and Mackenzie
26. NPP=GPP-respiration (see your Mar 27 notes and Instructor notes and Mackenzie)
27. C3 grasses are “cool-season” grasses, and C4 grasses are “warm season” grasses. Invasive C3 grasses may gain a competitive advantage as atmospheric CO2 increases. [Note, many plants worldwide such as trees are C3 plants, but they are not grasses]
28. gravitational force (between Moon and Earth, also between Sun and Earth); hint for second question= ‘kinetic energy’
29. melting of ice and thermal expansion of sea water
30. IPCC 2007 indicated about 30-40cm, but dynamic ice process (like ‘calving’) were not fully modeled and therefore the rise might actually be twice as much
31. sequence of trophic levels from broad base occupied by producers (a.k.a. primary producers, autotrophs) to primary consumers (herbivores) to secondary consumers (carnivores) [progressively less biomass in this sequence]
32. I don’t know, what’s a Tuvalu? [actually I do know, and so should you- contact me or TA if you don’t know]