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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Biomes, Habitats, And Niches
Which biome is characterized by hot, dry weather with mild, rainy winters, some vegetation, and occasional fires?
Savanna
Desert
Temperate forest
Chaparral
Temperate grassland
Chaparral
The chaparral biome is known for being rather dry and for having these characteristics. They are different than deserts, as deserts do not have a rainy season. While savannas are often warm, they have a longer 6-8 month rainy season.
Example Question #1 : Ecological Principles
Which of the following is not an abiotic component of an ecosystem?
Temperature
Wind speed
Minerals
Molds
Humidity
Molds
Abiotic factors are non-living and molds are living.
Example Question #1 : Biomes, Habitats, And Niches
An ecosystem includes which of the following?
Biomes, communities, and populations
Populations only
Biomes and populations
Communities only
Communities and populations
Communities and populations
Ecosystems are composed of communities and communities are composed of populations. A biome is a larger unit than an ecosystem, as it includes multiple ecosystems.
Example Question #2 : Biomes, Habitats, And Niches
1. Largest biome in the world
2. Short, wet summers and long, cold winters
3. Flora consists of mostly coniferous trees
The given statements most closely describe which biome?
Tundra
Taiga
Deciduous forest
Chaparral
Alpine
Taiga
The taiga biome is the largest biome in the world and is characterized by short, rainy summers coupled with long, freezing winters. Due to its extremely cold temperatures, the taiga's flora or plant life consists of mostly coniferous trees that can survive on the scarce nutrients available in the cold climate of the biome. In contrast, the tundra is frozen year-round and permafrost prevents any trees from growing. Deciduous forests, as the name suggests, sports mainly deciduous trees as its plant life. The alpine biome consists mostly of the areas right below the snow lines of mountains and is generally dry year-round. The chaparral is a relatively small biome that is characterized as being mostly hot and dry year-round, with mild winters.
Example Question #2 : Biomes, Habitats, And Niches
Which of the following biomes is dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, with some trees and shrubs, and characterized by seasonal rains, a pronounced dry season, and often large migratory mammals?
Savanna
Tropical rainforest
Desert
Temperate deciduous forest
Tundra
Savanna
The characteristics listed describe a savanna. Deserts can also have pronounced periods of rain and dryness but are not dominated by grasses and not populated by large migratory animals. Tropical rainforests and deciduous forests are dominated by trees and tundras tend to be colder and may not receive much rainfall, but often have moist soil due to low evaporation rates.
Example Question #1 : Communities And Populations
R-strategists are known for all of the following except __________.
low parental investment
long gestation
high mortality of young
small body size
large offspring number
long gestation
R-strategists are known for producing large numbers of offspring, though few live to maturity. This is a result of low parental investment, competition, etc. Despite such a large number of offspring, the gestation period for these species is generally shorter than that of K-strategists. For instance, the gestation period of mice is much shorter than the nine months seen in humans.
Example Question #2 : Communities And Populations
Which of the following is not true about an ecosystem?
An ecosystem is made up of interactions between multiple species.
Only internal processes control and impact the ecosystem.
An ecosystem describes the biotic and abiotic factors of the environment interacting.
Ecosystems can be terrestrial or aquatic.
An ecosystem is not static: it can change over time.
Only internal processes control and impact the ecosystem.
External process also affect the ecosystem. For example, climate is a very important external factor that will affect temperature and precipitation within the ecosystem.
Example Question #3 : Communities And Populations
Which of the following is NOT an abiotic factor?
elevation
vegetation
humidity
temperature
precipitation
vegetation
Abiotic factors are the non-living components of an ecosystem. Biotic factors are living things, such as vegetation (the correct answer because it is the only living thing among the answer choices and therefore NOT abiotic).
Example Question #4 : Communities And Populations
Which of the following is not generally a characteristic of an organism that is a k-strategist?
Slow maturation
Large body size
Reproduction at a late age
Short life span
Efficient use of energy
Short life span
"k" and "r" refer to two different reproductive strategies. K-strategists tend to occupy a more stable environment and have a larger body size as adults and at birth, fewer offspring, longer life spans, more efficient use of energy, later age of reproduction, slower maturation, more parental care, and longer gestation times. The question asked which characteristic is not generally true of k-strategists, and the correct answer is "shorter life spans," which describes r-strategists instead.
Example Question #5 : Communities And Populations
Which of the following is NOT an example of a density-dependent factor?
Parasitism
Natural disasters
Competition
Disease
Predation
Natural disasters
Density-dependent factors are factors that affect population growth only when the population reaches a certain level, and are strongest in a large, dense population and weakest in small, scattered populations. Disease, parasitism, competition, and predation all vary with population density. Natural disasters are the one choice that are density-independent, meaning they affect all populations similarly regardless of size/density.
All SAT II Biology E Resources
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