AP Biology : Ecology
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Biology
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Example Questions
Example Question #11 : Understanding Eco Chemical Cycles
How does carbon return to the atmospheric biosphere from the terrestrial biosphere?
All of these
Soil respiration
Plant respiration
Animal respiration
All of these
Carbon that is contained in the terrestrial biosphere leaves and returns to the atmospheric biosphere through animal, plant, and soil respiration. These terms refer to the process by which food molecules (ie. glucose) are burned and converted to more usable forms of energy. The byproducts are often carbon dioxide, water, and heat. In animal respiration, carbon dioxide is produced during the transition step between glycolysis and Krebs cycle, and twice in the Krebs cycle.
Example Question #12 : Understanding Eco Chemical Cycles
How do plants and animals receive carbon, respectively?
Absorption from the atmosphere
They don't need to receive carbon
Consumption and photosynthesis
Photosynthesis and consumption
Photosynthesis and consumption
Plants and animals receive carbon through photosynthesis and consumption, respectively.
Example Question #12 : Understanding Eco Chemical Cycles
How does carbon from terrestrial organisms enter oceans and bodies of water?
Dead tissue, shells, and dissolution
Respiration and dead tissue
Respiration only
Dead tissue only
Shells only
Dead tissue, shells, and dissolution
Carbon from terrestrial organisms can enter into the oceanic biosphere and bodies of water through dead tissue, dissolution, or in the form of shells as calcium carbonate.
Example Question #13 : Understanding Eco Chemical Cycles
How does burning fossil fuels impact the carbon cycle?
Releases carbon from the geosphere into the atmospheric biosphere
Removes carbon from the cycle altogether
Releases carbon into the geosphere
It doesn't impact the carbon cycle
Releases carbon from the geosphere into the atmospheric biosphere
Industrialization has increased the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal and oil. This releases carbon from the geosphere into the atmosphere, increasing the carbon in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide and methane are big contributors to the greenhouse effect and global warming.
Example Question #14 : Understanding Eco Chemical Cycles
What human activities do not impact the carbon cycle?
Clean energy use
Deforestation
Pollution
Increase in land use
Clean energy use
Modern human activities greatly impact the carbon cycle. Increase in land usage decreases the presence of natural ecosystems and the ability of organisms to remove carbon from the atmosphere. Pollution damages organisms, which reenters the terrestrial biosphere and increases erosion. Deforestation directly removes carbon rom ecosystems and decreases the amount of carbon absorbed from the atmospheric biosphere.
Example Question #1771 : Ap Biology
Which of the following are levels of the carbon cycle?
Atmospheric biosphere
Geosphere
Terrestrial biosphere
All of these
All of these
The carbon cycle includes three levels: the geosphere, the terrestrial biosphere, and the atmospheric biosphere. The geosphere refers to the solid part of the earth, the terrestrial biosphere refers to all the living organisms on the land, and the atmospheric biosphere refers to the living organisms in space between the land and the outer ends of the atmosphere. Carbon is present in all levels and travels throughout the levels through various processes including photosynthesis, dissolution, and decay.
Example Question #1772 : Ap Biology
Which of the following best explains where nitrogen can be found in the terrestrial biosphere?
Decomposing matter
Humus
All of these
Living organisms
All of these
Nitrogen is necessary for all life; therefore, it is present in the territorial biosphere in living organisms, humus, and decomposing matter.
Example Question #1772 : Ap Biology
Which of the following best describes the process of nitrogen fixation?
Nitrates are converted into nitrogen gas by bacteria
Plants absorb nitrogen from the soil
Organic nitrogen is converted into ammonia by bacteria
Bacteria fixes atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia
Bacteria fixes atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia
Nitrogen fixation can be described as the process in the nitrogen cycle in which bacteria “fix” atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia and usable forms of organic nitrogen.
Example Question #1773 : Ap Biology
Which of the following is not true regarding the assimilation stage of the nitrogen cycle?
Atmospheric nitrogen is converted into organic nitrogen
Plants absorb nitrogen from the soil
Symbiotic bacteria may aid with absorption of nitrogen from the soil
Nitrogen is incorporated into plants through roots as nitrate ions, nitrite ions, and ammonium ions
Atmospheric nitrogen is converted into organic nitrogen
In the process of assimilation, organic nitrogen is incorporated into plants through the roots. The type of nitrogen incorporated may be nitrate ions, nitrite ions, or ammonium ions. Symbiotic bacteria may assist this process.
Example Question #1775 : Ap Biology
Bacteria convert dead organic tissue into which of the following forms of nitrogen?
Nitrate
Nitrogen gas
Nitrite
Ammonium
Ammonium
During ammonification, saprobiotic bacteria convert dead organic nitrogen in the soil into ammonium.
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