Oregon State University in the Fall 


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Background Knowledge Survey - Fall 2009
#
Correct
Answer
Explaination
1
FALSE
Coniferous trees, including pines and firs, produce seeds within cones. Spore-producing plants include moss and ferns (week 2)
2
FALSE
Nutrients cycle, but energy does not.  Stored chemical energy is converted to heat, which is lost from organisms (weeks 2 and 6) 
3
FALSE
There are generally more species in a Phylum than in a Family in taxonomic classification (weeks 1 and 5)
4
FALSE
Symbiotic relationships are organisms in close association, sometimes even one living inside of another.  Some of these relationships benefit both participants (mutualism), but some only benefit one organism (commensalism) or even harm one organism (parasitism).  It is still unclear which of these forms of symbiosis is most common (week 3).
5
FALSE
The Northern Hemisphere has generally been warming, shifting some forested areas to grasslands, and some grasslands to deserts (week 8)
6
FALSE
Only about 3% of the Earth's water is freshwater, and that includes glaciers, groundwater, lakes, rivers, and the relatively small amount of water in the atmosphere (week 9).
7
TRUE
Energy is lost from each trophic (feeding level) as not all organisms are consumed and those that are consumed are not completely utilized, as some of the organism remains, some is digested, and some is lost as heat.   So when a human eats an animal, not all of the energy from what that animal ate is transferred to the human, much was already lost (week 2).
8
FALSE
Per capita (per person), the U.S. is still the country that produces the highest quantity of greenhouse gases (week 6).
9
TRUE
Beavers (and other rodents) rule! (week 4)
10
TRUE
Losing habitat means potentially losing food and water sites, the ability to migrate, territory for mating, and other critical resources (week 5)
11
FALSE
Most deserts are located at 30 degree North and South latitudes, Forests are typically located at 45 degree North and South latitudes (week 7).
12
FALSE
Centipedes and millipedes are not insects. Additionally, centipedes and millipedes are different enough from each other in structure and diet that they are not classified together (week 6).
13
FALSE
It is true that there are still many insects, bacteria, and aquatic species being found and indentified, but researchers are also still occasionally locating and identifying reptiles, birds, and mammals (week 10).
14
TRUE
The primary nonliving reservoir of carbon is the sediment, including fossil fuels, and the primary nonliving reservoir of  nitrogen is gas in the atmosphere (week 6).
15
TRUE
Krill, small shrimp-like marine animals, are a critical component of many marine animal diets (week 9).
16
TRUE
Ovules (eggs) are the seeds we eat, and when we eat fruits, we are eating ripened plant ovaries (week 1).
17
FALSE
Ecology is the study of relationships between organisms and their environment. Several fields, including environmental science, investigate reducing the use of resources (weeks 1 and 6).
18
FALSE
Tropical rainforests often have nutrient-poor soils, the high diversity of life is due in part to tight recycling of nutrients between organisms (week 7). 
19
FALSE
The U.S. population size is still increasing (week 5).
20
FALSE
Fungi have distinct structures and ecosystem functions, and are classified in their own Kingdom (weeks 1 and 3). 


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