Biogeography: The Distribution of Life on Earth

Question 1

The process by which organisms better adapt to their environment is known as:

Accepted Answer

Natural selection

Answer

Artificial selection

Answer

Genetic drift

Answer

Mutation

Question 2

Which of the following biomes is characterized by high precipitation, warm temperatures, and lush vegetation?

Accepted Answer

Tropical rainforest

Answer

Temperate deciduous forest

Answer

Desert

Answer

Tundra

Question 3

Species richness is a measure of:

Accepted Answer

The number of different species in a community

Answer

The abundance of a single species

Answer

The geographic range of a species

Answer

The genetic diversity within a species

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT an example of a human-induced factor affecting biogeography?

Accepted Answer

Volcanic eruptions

Answer

Urbanization

Answer

Climate change

Answer

Deforestation

Question 5

Which of the following vegetation types is characteristic of the Mediterranean climate zone?

Accepted Answer

Chaparral

Answer

Savanna

Answer

Taiga

Answer

Temperate deciduous forest

Question 6

Which of the following factors does NOT directly affect the distribution of plants and animals on Earth?

Accepted Answer

Gravitational pull of the moon

Answer

Climate

Answer

Soil type

Answer

Competition between species

Question 7

Which of the following is **not** a primary factor influencing the distribution of plant and animal species?

Accepted Answer

Cultural practices

Answer

Climate

Answer

Soil type

Answer

Competition

Question 8

The term 'endemic' applies to species that:

Accepted Answer

Are found exclusively within a specific geographic region

Answer

Have a broad distribution across different regions

Answer

Are facing a high risk of extinction

Answer

Have been introduced to new environments by humans

Question 9

The study of historical species distributions and environmental changes is known as:

Accepted Answer

Paleoecology

Answer

Ecology

Answer

Biogeography

Answer

Paleontology

Question 10

The distribution of species within a specific habitat is referred to as:

Accepted Answer

Spatial distribution

Answer

Temporal distribution

Answer

Ecological distribution

Answer

Phylogenetic distribution

Question 11

Which factor is the primary determinant of desert distribution worldwide?

Accepted Answer

Water scarcity

Answer

Temperature variations

Answer

Soil properties

Question 12

The process by which new species arise through natural selection and genetic divergence is known as:

Accepted Answer

Speciation

Answer

Adaptation

Answer

Evolution

Answer

Mutation

Question 13

The study of the interactions between living organisms and their environment is referred to as:

Accepted Answer

Ecology

Answer

Biogeography

Answer

Conservation biology

Answer

Environmental science

Question 14

The boundary between two distinct ecological communities or ecosystems is known as a:

Accepted Answer

Ecotone

Answer

Biotic zone

Answer

Habitat

Answer

Successional stage

Question 15

The ecological concept that different species within a community tend to utilize different resources to minimize competition is known as:

Accepted Answer

Resource partitioning

Answer

Ecological niche

Answer

Competitive exclusion

Answer

Symbiosis

Question 16

An example of a keystone species is the:

Accepted Answer

Sea otter

Answer

African lion

Answer

Blue whale

Answer

Polar bear

Question 17

The process by which an organism becomes better adapted to its specific environment is known as:

Accepted Answer

Adaptation

Answer

Natural selection

Answer

Acclimatization

Answer

Evolution

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT a factor that influences the distribution of organisms?

Accepted Answer

Political boundaries

Answer

Soil

Answer

Climate

Answer

Competition

Question 19

The distribution of organisms is primarily influenced by their:

Accepted Answer

Physiological tolerances

Answer

Economic activities

Answer

Cultural practices

Answer

Political borders

Question 20

The scientific field that studies the distribution of plants and animals on Earth is termed:

Accepted Answer

Biogeography

Answer

Ecology

Answer

Zoology

Answer

Botany

Question 21

Which of the following is a fundamental principle of island biogeography?

Accepted Answer

Species-area relationship

Answer

Glacial periods

Answer

Mountain building

Answer

Continental drift

Question 22

The process by which organisms move to new geographic areas is known as:

Accepted Answer

Dispersal

Answer

Speciation

Answer

Migration

Answer

Adaptation

Question 23

The geographic distribution of organisms can provide valuable insights into:

Accepted Answer

Evolutionary history

Answer

Political boundaries

Answer

Cultural practices

Answer

Economic development

Question 24

The study of the past distribution of organisms is known as:

Accepted Answer

Paleobiogeography

Answer

Phytogeography

Answer

Zoogeography

Answer

Ecogeography