Geosystems: An Introduction to Physical Geography, 9e (Christopherson)
Chapter 20 Terrestrial Biomes
20.1 Multiple Choice Questions
1) Which of the following is true about the distribution of the Earth’s biodiversity?
A) There is a universally accepted manner to delineate the Earth’s biodiversity.
B) In general, there tends to be greater biodiversity at higher latitudes than lower latitudes.
C) The Earth’s biodiversity is spread unevenly across the planet.
D) The distribution of the Earth’s biodiversity is driven solely by climate.
2) Large, stable communities of plants and animals whose boundaries are closely linked to
climate and soils are called
A) biozones.
B) ecospheres.
C) biomes.
D) biogeographic realms.
3) Distinct regions of broadly similar flora and fauna are called
A) biozones.
B) ecospheres.
C) biomes.
D) biogeographic realms.
4) Trees and shrubs that seasonally loose their leaves are called
A) evergreens.
B) annual herbs.
C) deciduous.
D) bryophytes.
5) Large woody vines that are rooted in the soil and found in the worlds tropical forests are
called
A) understory.
B) lianas.
C) epiphytes.
D) bryophytes.
6) Which of the following is not one of the major groups of terrestrial vegetation biogeographers
often designate?
A) phytoplankton
B) forest
C) grassland
D) desert
7) Which of the following regarding biomes is not true?
A) Biomes are defined by native species to a region.
B) Most biomes have been greatly altered by human intervention.
C) The boundaries between most biomes are sharp and easily delineated.
D) Biomes often reflect potential mature vegetation, rather than actual vegetation of an area.
8) The boundary zone between adjacent biomes in which traits from both biomes may be found
is called the
A) ecotone.
B) boundary layer.
C) edge effect.
D) transitional matrix.
9) Though New Zealand is relatively close to Australia, it’s faunal assemblages are quite
different. For instance, there are no native marsupials in New Zealand. Which of the following
best accounts for these differences?
A) New Zealand experienced a major extinction that wiped out its marsupials and other
Australian fauna.
B) New Zealand was isolated from Australia during critical evolutionary times.
C) The environments of Australia and New Zealand are completely different, despite their close
proximity.
D) New Zealand is an island, whereas Australia is a continent. As such, one wouldn’t expect
them to have the same faunal assemblages.
10) The naturalist and father of zoogeography Alfred Russel Wallace noted a distinct difference
in the fauna between several islands in the Malay Archipelego (present-day Indonesia). He used
these differences to delineate the boundary between the Australian and Oriental biogeographic
realms. Which of the following best describes the reason for these differences?
A) Aboriginal tribes in Australia have greatly altered the fauna of Australia relative to the
Oriental realm.
B) A deep ocean barrier inhibited dispersal between the two realms.
C) The environments of Australia and Asia are completely different, despite their relative close
proximity.
D) Asia and European traders interacted for centuries prior to Wallace’s discovery. Among the
results of this interaction was an exchange of European (Palearctic) fauna and Oriental fauna.
11) Which of the following best describes an invasive species?
A) An invasive species is any non-native introduced species, whether it becomes established or
not.
B) Non-native species become invasive when they become established in a new area, taking over
niches that were already occupied by native species.
C) Dispersal, even if anthropogenic, is a normal biogeographic process and, therefore, no cause
of alarm.
D) Approximately 90% of all introduced non-native species become invasive species.
12) Which of the following best describes an invasive species?
A) An invasive species is any non-native introduced species, whether it becomes established or
not.
B) Non-native species become invasive when they become established in a new area, taking over
niches that were already occupied by native species.
C) Dispersal, even if anthropogenic, is a normal biogeographic process and, therefore, no cause
of alarm.
D) Approximately 90% of all introduced non-native species become invasive species.
13) In which of the following regions would one likely not find a tropical rain forest?
A) the Amazon region in South America
B) equatorial Africa
C) Southeast Asia
D) the Pacific Northwest in the United States
14) Rainforests occupy approximately ________ of the world’s land area, but represent about
________ of Earth’s species.
A) 2%; 12%
B) 7%; 50%
C) 10%; 35%
D) 12%; 65%
15) This biome is characterized by a well-developed vertical structure with three distinct layers:
an overstory, a middle canopy, and understory.
A) midlatitude broadleaf and mixed forest
B) tropical rain forest
C) desert
D) Mediterranean shrubland
16) Despite the high-level of biodiversity, this biome has infertile soils, principally Oxisols, to
which the vegetation has adapted roots systems to capture nutrients from litter decay at the soil
surface.
A) boreal and montane forest
B) temperate rain forest
C) tropical rain forest
D) midlatitude grasslands
17) The flora and fauna of this biome is characterized by high biodiversity, including many
lianas, epiphytes, and arboreal animal species, such as sloths, monkeys, lemurs, and snakes.
A) tropical rain forest
B) boreal and montane forest
C) temperate rain forest
D) Mediterranean shrubland
18) Which of the following best describes the vegetation of the tropical rain forest biome?
A) seasonal deciduous
B) perennial herbaceous
C) broadleaf evergreen
D) sclerophyllous
19) The climate of the tropical rain forest biome is best described as
A) consistently warm, but seasonally dry.
B) having a distinct cold and warm season.
C) mild winter with a very hot summer.
D) consistently warm and wet.
20) This biome occurs in equatorial regions with erratic rainfall and typically occur on the
margins of tropic rainforests.
A) Mediterranean shrubland
B) temperate rain forest
C) tropical savanna
D) tropical seasonal forest and scrub
21) This biome, with some deciduous trees and an open parkland vegetation type, are transitional
between tropical rain forest and grassland.
A) temperate rain forest
B) tropical seasonal forest and scrub
C) Mediterranean shrubland
D) broadleaf and mixed forest
22) Which of the following best describes the vegetation of the tropical seasonal forest and scrub
biome?
A) semideciduous
B) xerophytic
C) broadleaf evergreen
D) sclerophyllous
23) Which of the following best describes the climate characteristics of the tropical seasonal
forest and scrub?
A) consistently warm and wet
B) moderate due to maritime effects
C) low precipitation and exceptionally hot
D) monsoonal rains and always warm
24) Schrub vegetation refers to
A) drought resistent.
B) low shrubs and grasses with some adaptations to semiarid conditions.
C) a plant that survives seasonally unfavorable conditions underground.
D) woody plants with small, leathery evergreen leaves.
25) Local names of this biome include the Chaco, the Caatinga, the brigalow, and the dornveld.
A) tropical rain forest
B) tropical seasonal forest and scrub
C) Mediterranean shrubland
D) Arctic and alpine tundra
26)
Trumpet trees (Tabebuia caraiba), a dry-season deciduous tree would likely be found in which
of the following biomes?
A) tropical seasonal forest and scrub
B) tropical rain forest
C) desert
D) midlatitude grassland
27) This biome consists of large expanses of xerophytic grassland and scattered trees and shrubs
adapted to drought, grazing by large herbivores, and fire.
A) tropical rain forest
B) desert
C) tropical savanna
D) Mediterranean shrubland
28) The largest area of tropical savanna is found in
A) Africa.
B) North America.
C) Asia.
D) Australia.
29) Characteristic fauna of this biome include large ungulates (hooved mammals), such as
giraffe, zebra, buffalo, gazelle, wildebeest, antelope, and rhinoceros.
A) tropical savanna
B) midlatitude broadleaf and mixed forest
C) tropical rain forest
D) midlatitude grassland
30)
The Serengeti in east Africa is an example of which biome?
A) Arctic and alpine tundra
B) desert
C) tropical savanna
D) midlatitude grassland
31) Moist continental climates support several distinct communities of needleleaf, broadleaf, and
mixed forests in this biome found in North America, Europe, and Asia.
A) tropical savanna
B) midlatitude broadleaf and mixed forest
C) tropical rain forest
D) midlatitude grassland
32) Representative animals in this biome include red fox, white-tailed deer, southern flying
squirrel, opossum, bear, and a great variety of birds.
A) tropical savanna
B) desert
C) midlatitude broadleaf and mixed forest
D) arctic and alpine tundra
33) This biome occupies large portions of the eastern United States, central Europe, and Asia.
A) temperate rain forest.
B) midlatitude broadleaf and mixed forest
C) boreal and montane forest
D) tropical savanna
34) Which of the following climate types is associated with the midlatitude broadleaf and mixed
forest biome?
A) marine west coast
B) humid subtropical (warm summer)
C) humid continental (cool summer)
D) Mediterranean
35) This extensive biome stretches from the east coast of Canada to the Canadian Rockies, as
well as across the entire extent of Russia to the European Plain and at high elevations at lower
latitudes.
A) midlatitude broadleaf and mixed forest
B) boreal and montane forest
C) desert
D) arctic and alpine tundra
36)
This extensive biome is dominated by evergreen needleleaf forests.
A) boreal and montane forest
B) midlatitude broadleaf and mixed forest
C) tropical seasonal forest and scrub
D) temperate rain forest
37) The Earth’s largest living organism in terms of biomass is the
A) baobab (Adansonia digitata).
B) giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum).
C) bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva).
D) sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis).
38) The soils of the boreal forest acidic and leached of humus and clays, belonging to the
________ soil order.
A) Oxisols
B) Andisols
C) Spodosols
D) Entisols
39) In which of the following biomes would one likely find wolf, elk, moose, bear, lynx, beaver,
wolverine, and a number of migratory birds?
A) tropical rain forest
B) tropical savanna
C) desert
D) boreal and montane forest
40) This biome is typically found in areas with marine west coast climates, characterized by high
precipitation, moderate air temperatures, summer fog, and an overall maritime influence.
A) boreal and montane forest
B) tropical savanna
C) temperate rain forest
D) midlatitude grassland
41) The Earth’s tallest trees are the
A) coast douglas fir (Pseudotsunga menziessii).
B) coast redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens).
C) giant ash (Eucalyptus regnans).
D) sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis).
42) Home to the endangered Northern Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis caurina), this biome is
now characterized by anthropogenic disturbance and mostly secondary-growth forest.
A) midlatitude grassland
B) temperate rain forest
C) Arctic and alpine tundra
D) desert
43) Dry summers and winter precipitation maxima characterize this small biome is located in 5
disparate locations, typically on the west coast of continents between 30° and 40° latitude.
A) midlatitude grassland
B) tropical savanna
C) Mediterranean shrubland
D) midlatitude broadleaf and mixed forest
44) Which of the following best describes the vegetation of the Mediterranean shrubland biome?
A) semideciduous
B) broadleaf deciduous
C) needleleaf evergreen
D) sclerophyllous
45) Which of the following is not a regional name for the Mediterranean shrubland biome?
A) chaparral
B) maquis
C) taiga
D) mattoral
46) Of all the natural biomes, this one is most modified by human activity.
A) midlatitude grassland
B) tropical savanna
C) tropical rainforest
D) midlatitude broadleaf and mixed forest
47) The 98th meridian marks an important biophysical mark in North America for this biome
where increasing aridity produces vegetation of a distinctly different stature.
A) midlatitude broadleaf and mixed forest
B) desert
C) Mediterranean shrubland
D) midlatitude grassland
48)
The near annihilation of the American bison (Bison bison) has restricted its occurrence to a few
protected remnants and preserves in this biome.
A) midlatitude broadleaf and mixed forest
B) tropical savanna
C) boreal and montane forest
D) midlatitude grassland