Geography 130
Introduction to Physical Geography
Exam 2 Review Questions
- What are the dominant life form, life cycle, and leaf type
in the tropical rainforest biome? In the other biomes?
- Why are trees are more effective life forms than shrubs and
herbs? In what environments are trees unable to grow?
- Deciduous trees and shrubs occur in what type of climates?
Why?
- What is the difference between annual and perennial herbs?
- Describe the life cycle of ephemeral herbs. Where are
ephemeral herbs common?
- What is a succulent, and where are they found? What
adaptions do they have to their environment?
- What does the word "disturbance" mean in reference to vegetation
patterns?
Is disturbance good or bad for plants?
- Where do trees and shrubs with sclerophyll leaves occur?
Why do they occur speciifically in this environment?
- Name several characteristics that are commonly found in plants
of the dry climates (Desert, Subtropical Steppe).
- How many different biomes exist within the continental United
States? (consult the world biome map)
- What is a savanna? Describe the life forms and life cycles
found in the Tropical Savanna biome.
- What factors account for the absence of trees from the
Midlatitude Grassland biome?
- What factors account for the absence of trees from the Tundra
biome?
- What is soil texture? What is the dominant texture of
soils on the UNCW campus?
- What does "parent material" mean in terms of soils? What is
the
parent material of soils on the UNCW campus?
- What does the term "loam" refer to? Why is a "loamy"
soil desirable?
- What causes acidity in soils? Why does the area around
Wilmington have such highly acidic soils?
- What is humus? Give two examples of soil properties that
are determined by the amount of humus in the soil.
- What is the difference between the O Horizon and the A Horizon
of a soil?
- What are the basic properties (color, chemistry) of an E
Horizon? In what environments do soils with E Horizons develop?
- Name 3 materials that might accumulate in the B Horizon of
soils. What is the most common color of B horizons?
- What pedogenic regime dominates in wetland environments?
Describe the appearance of a wetland soil.
- What biome is strongly associated with the soil process of
calcification? What are the notable properties of these soils?
- What is the most distinguishing characteristic of desert
soils? How does this characteristic develop?
- Roughly how old is the earth? What is the name of the
oldest era of earth history, and what is known about it?
- What is the name of the most recent era of earth history?
What makes it different from the other eras?
- What environmental characteristics define the Quaternary Period?
When did it occur?
- Define the terms "lithosphere" and "asthenosphere".
Roughly how thick is the lithosphere?
- Name 3 important differences between continental crust and
oceanic crust.
- How do igneous rocks form? Give an example of an intrusive
igneous rock and an extrusive igneous rock.
- How do sedimentary rocks form? Give an example of a
sedimentary rock. What sedimentary environment was it originally
deposited in?
- How do metamorphic rocks form? Name an example of a
metamorphic rock. What type of pre-existing rock is it derived
from?
- What type of rock is most abundant in the earth's crust?
What type of rock is most abundant at the earth's surface?
- What is the ultimate source of energy that drives plate tectonics?
- What is a mid-ocean ridge? Give an example where one
occurs on earth.
- What is a subduction zone? Give an example where one
occurs on earth.
- What is a transform plate boundary? Give an example where
one occurs on earth.
- What is a hot spot? Give an example where one occurs
on earth.
- What sort of landforms occur at ocean-continent convergent
margins?
- What sort of landforms occur at continent-continent convergent
margins?
- What sort of landforms occur at ocean-ocean
convergent margins?
- Name two properties of basaltic magma. What type of
volcanoes are produced by basaltic magma? Give an example of one.
- Name two properties of andesitic magma. What type of
volcanoes are produced by andesitic magma? Give an example of one.
- What are calderas and how do they form? Give an example of
one.
- What is pyroclastic debris? Is pyroclastic debris more
commonly associated with shield volcanoes or composite cone volcanoes?
