Biogeography: Distribution of Plants and Animals Quiz

Question 1

The process by which species gradually adapt to their environment through natural selection is known as:

Accepted Answer

Evolution

Answer

Adaptation

Answer

Acclimatization

Answer

Mutation

Question 2

The field of study that examines human-environment interactions and their geographic dimensions is known as:

Accepted Answer

Anthropogeography

Answer

Human biogeography

Answer

Environmental sociology

Answer

Cultural geography

Question 3

Which of the following characteristics is typically associated with a species occupying a narrow ecological niche?

Accepted Answer

Specialized habitat requirements

Answer

High dispersal ability

Answer

Wide geographic range

Answer

High tolerance to environmental variation

Question 4

The term used to describe the non-random distribution of species along an environmental gradient is:

Accepted Answer

Zonation

Answer

Clumped distribution

Answer

Uniform distribution

Answer

Random distribution

Question 5

How are biomes and ecosystems different in scale?

Accepted Answer

A biome is a larger-scale ecological community, while an ecosystem is a smaller, localized community.

Answer

An ecosystem is a larger-scale ecological community, while a biome is a smaller, localized community.

Answer

Biomes and ecosystems are interchangeable terms.

Answer

There is no difference between a biome and an ecosystem.

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the tundra biome?

Accepted Answer

Abundant vegetation

Answer

Cold temperatures

Answer

Permafrost

Answer

Sparse precipitation

Question 7

What is the term for a species that is found in a wide variety of habitats around the world?

Accepted Answer

Cosmopolitan

Answer

Endemic

Answer

Relict

Answer

Pioneer

Question 8

Which of the following is a key abiotic factor that influences species distribution?

Accepted Answer

Temperature

Answer

Competition

Answer

Predator-prey relationships

Answer

Mutualism

Question 9

The process by which new populations are established in new areas is known as:

Accepted Answer

Colonization

Answer

Emigration

Answer

Dispersal

Answer

Migration

Question 10

Identify the factor that is NOT a key determinant in shaping species distribution patterns.

Accepted Answer

Moral values

Answer

Climatic conditions

Answer

Geographic features

Answer

Historical events

Question 11

Identify the major biome characterized by frigid temperatures and minimal precipitation.

Accepted Answer

Tundra

Answer

Temperate forest

Answer

Tropical savanna

Answer

Mediterranean scrubland

Question 12

According to the species-area relationship, what is the observed pattern between species richness and habitat size?

Accepted Answer

Species richness increases with increasing habitat size.

Answer

Species richness decreases with increasing habitat size.

Answer

Species richness remains constant regardless of habitat size.

Answer

The relationship between species richness and habitat size is unpredictable.

Question 13

Identify the evolutionary process where unrelated species develop similar traits in response to similar environmental pressures.

Accepted Answer

Convergent evolution

Answer

Divergent evolution

Answer

Coevolution

Answer

Adaptive radiation

Question 14

The concept of a 'biodiversity hotspot' refers to:

Accepted Answer

Regions with a high concentration of endemic species

Answer

Regions with low species diversity

Answer

Regions with rapidly expanding economies

Answer

Regions with extensive deforestation

Question 15

Identify the tool commonly used to visually represent species distributions and prioritize areas for conservation action.

Accepted Answer

Geographical Information Systems (GIS)

Answer

Species distribution modeling

Answer

Remote sensing

Answer

Random sampling

Question 16

Which of the following is NOT a primary factor affecting the distribution of plants and animals?

Accepted Answer

Political boundaries

Answer

Climate

Answer

Soil conditions

Answer

Evolutionary history

Question 17

The process by which populations of a species adapt to their specific environmental conditions through natural selection is known as:

Accepted Answer

Adaptation

Answer

Gene flow

Answer

Genetic drift

Answer

Mutation

Question 18

A species that is confined to a particular geographic area, not found elsewhere on Earth, is referred to as:

Accepted Answer

Endemic

Answer

Exotic

Answer

Cosmopolitan

Answer

Indigenous

Question 19

The study of the distribution patterns and relationships between plant communities is called:

Accepted Answer

Phytogeography

Answer

Zoogeography

Answer

Ecosystem ecology

Answer

Community ecology

Question 20

Which of the following techniques utilizes biological data, such as pollen records, to reconstruct past environmental conditions?

Accepted Answer

Paleoecology

Answer

Phylogeography

Answer

Molecular ecology

Answer

Landscape ecology

Question 21

The formation of new, reproductively isolated species from a single ancestral species is known as:

Accepted Answer

Speciation

Answer

Natural selection

Answer

Genetic drift

Answer

Adaptation

Question 22

The concept of ecological niches refers to the:

Accepted Answer

Specific environmental conditions a species requires to survive and reproduce

Answer

Physical space occupied by a species

Answer

Trophic level of a species in a food chain

Answer

Competitive interactions among species

Question 23

The concept of a biome refers to which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A large-scale ecological community with distinct plant and animal life

Answer

A specific type of vegetation found in a particular region

Answer

A transitional zone between two different biomes

Answer

An area with an insignificant ecological community

Question 24

The study of interactions between organisms and their physical environment is known as:

Accepted Answer

Ecology

Answer

Zoology

Answer

Botany

Answer

Biogeography

Question 25

In biogeography, the term 'range' refers to:

Accepted Answer

The geographic area where a species is found

Answer

The genetic variation within a species

Answer

The population size of a species

Answer

The ecological niche of a species

Question 26

The examination of past species distributions is called:

Accepted Answer

Paleobiogeography

Answer

Historical ecology

Answer

Phylogeography

Answer

Comparative biogeography

Question 27

What does the concept of a 'biogeographic realm' encompass?

Accepted Answer

A broad-scale region with distinct assemblages of plants and animals

Answer

A specific type of ecosystem found in a particular region

Answer

A transition zone between two different biogeographic realms

Answer

An area with no significant biogeographic distinctiveness

Question 28

What is the term for the boundary between two distinct biomes?

Accepted Answer

Ecotone

Answer

Seral stage

Answer

Climax community

Answer

Ecological succession

Question 29

Which factor does NOT directly influence plant distribution?

Accepted Answer

Wind direction

Answer

Temperature

Answer

Precipitation

Answer

Soil conditions

Question 30

Which mechanism describes the transport of organisms by wind?

Accepted Answer

Anemochory

Answer

Hydrochory

Answer

Ornithochory

Answer

Zoochory

Question 31

Which theory of island biogeography focuses on the relationship between island size and species richness?

Accepted Answer

MacArthur-Wilson model

Answer

Equilibrium theory

Answer

Island hopping

Answer

Vicariance biogeography

Question 32

Which characteristic is attributed to a climax community?

Accepted Answer

Stable species composition

Answer

High species diversity

Answer

Low species turnover

Answer

Rapid ecosystem development

Question 33

What term refers to the study of animal distribution?

Accepted Answer

Zoogeography

Answer

Biogeography

Answer

Ecology

Answer

Population ecology

Question 34

Which type of species interaction involves both species benefiting from the association?

Accepted Answer

Mutualism

Answer

Competition

Answer

Predation

Answer

Parasitism

Question 35

The theory that suggests that the range of a species is limited by their specific resource requirements is known as the:

Accepted Answer

Habitat limitation theory

Answer

Island biogeography theory

Answer

Species-area relationship

Answer

MacArthur-Wilson equilibrium theory

Question 36

The biogeographic realm that encompasses the Amazon rainforest is known as the:

Accepted Answer

Neotropical

Answer

Afrotropical

Answer

Nearctic

Answer

Palearctic

Question 37

The formation of new species due to the geographic separation of populations is referred to as:

Accepted Answer

Allopatric speciation

Answer

Sympatric speciation

Answer

Hybrid speciation

Answer

Parapatric speciation

Question 38

Which of the following marine organisms exhibits a cosmopolitan distribution due to its ability to disperse across vast distances?

Accepted Answer

Jellyfish

Answer

Kelp forests

Answer

Sea urchins

Answer

Coral reefs

Question 39

The term 'endemism' refers to:

Accepted Answer

Species that are confined to a specific geographic region

Answer

Species that have recently become extinct in other regions

Answer

Species that are found in high numbers in a particular region

Answer

Species that prefer to live in isolation

Question 40

The discipline that explores the historical changes in the distribution of species and ecosystems is known as:

Accepted Answer

Paleobiogeography

Answer

Conservation biology

Answer

Historical ecology

Answer

Biostratigraphy