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AP Environmental Science Practice Quiz: Terrestrial Biomes

Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: June 2026

Test your understanding with short quizzes. This quiz has 11 questions to check your progress.

Question 1 of 11

Which of the following best defines a biome according to the provided text?

All Questions (11)

Which of the following best defines a biome according to the provided text?

A) A community of plants and animals adapted to a specific climate.

B) The global distribution of nonmineral resources like water and trees.

C) A geographical area defined by its latitude and altitude.

D) A dynamic system that is resistant to global climate changes.

Correct Answer: A

The provided content states, 'A biome contains characteristic communities of plants and animals that result from, and are adapted to, its climate.' This directly matches option A.

The uneven global distribution of natural resources such as lumber is attributed to a combination of factors. Which of the following factors is explicitly mentioned in the text?

A) Human economic activity

B) Tectonic plate movement

C) Latitude and altitude

D) Animal migration patterns

Correct Answer: C

The text states that the distribution of nonmineral terrestrial natural resources varies because of 'some combination of climate, geography, latitude and altitude, nutrient availability, and soil.' Latitude and altitude are explicitly listed.

Based on the provided list, which of the following is considered a major terrestrial biome?

A) Coral Reef

B) Estuary

C) Open Ocean

D) Temperate Grassland

Correct Answer: D

The content provides a list of major terrestrial biomes that includes 'temperate grassland'. The other options are aquatic biomes and are not mentioned in the text.

What does the text suggest about the future distribution of the world's biomes, such as the tundra or tropical rainforests?

A) Their distribution is static and will remain unchanged.

B) Their distribution may shift as a result of global climate changes.

C) Their distribution is determined solely by nutrient availability and soil type.

D) Their distribution has changed in the past but has now stabilized.

Correct Answer: B

The text explicitly states, 'The worldwide distribution of biomes is dynamic; the distribution has changed in the past and may again shift as a result of global climate changes.'

The presence of characteristic plant communities in a biome, such as coniferous trees in a taiga, is primarily a result of the plants being adapted to the biome's what?

A) Geography

B) Climate

C) Nutrient availability

D) Soil composition

Correct Answer: B

According to the text, a biome's 'characteristic communities of plants and animals... result from, and are adapted to, its climate.'

A scientist studying a region on the border of a savanna and a desert notes that the desert area has expanded over the last 50 years. This observation supports which concept from the text?

A) The distribution of biomes is dynamic and can be altered by climate change.

B) Savannas and deserts are defined by their nonmineral resources.

C) The principal environmental aspects of a biome are static.

D) Animal communities are the primary drivers of biome location.

Correct Answer: A

This scenario is a practical example of the principle that 'The worldwide distribution of biomes is dynamic; the distribution has changed in the past and may again shift as a result of global climate changes.'

Which of the following is NOT listed as a major terrestrial biome in the provided content?

A) Taiga

B) Shrubland

C) Mangrove Forest

D) Temperate seasonal forest

Correct Answer: C

The text lists taiga, temperate rainforests, temperate seasonal forests, tropical rainforests, shrubland, temperate grassland, savanna, desert, and tundra as major terrestrial biomes. Mangrove Forest is not on this list.

The ability of a specific geographic area to support a temperate rainforest, which provides resources like trees for lumber, depends on what?

A) Only the types of animals that have adapted to live there.

B) The historical distribution of biomes from millions of years ago.

C) A combination of factors including climate, geography, and soil.

D) The biome's resistance to global climate change.

Correct Answer: C

The text states that the distribution of nonmineral resources like 'trees for lumber' varies due to a 'combination of climate, geography, latitude and altitude, nutrient availability, and soil.' This makes C the most comprehensive and correct answer.

If a temperate seasonal forest experiences a long-term shift in climate to significantly warmer and drier conditions, the principles in the text suggest the area would most likely transition towards which biome?

A) Taiga

B) Tundra

C) Tropical rainforest

D) Temperate grassland or shrubland

Correct Answer: D

Based on the principles that biomes are adapted to climate and that their distribution can shift, a warmer and drier climate would favor a transition to a biome suited for those conditions. Among the choices listed in the text, temperate grassland or shrubland are adapted to drier conditions than a temperate seasonal forest.

The text describes the global distribution and principal environmental aspects of which of the following?

A) Aquatic ecosystems

B) Urban environments

C) Terrestrial biomes

D) Mineral resource deposits

Correct Answer: C

The first point of the provided content is to 'Describe the global distribution and principal environmental aspects of terrestrial biomes.' The entire text focuses on this topic.

The text specifies that the distribution of certain natural resources varies. What type of resources are explicitly mentioned as an example?

A) Mineral resources like iron and copper

B) Fossil fuels like coal and oil

C) Aquatic resources like fish stocks

D) Nonmineral terrestrial resources like water and trees

Correct Answer: D

Point 4 of the content specifically discusses the 'global distribution of nonmineral terrestrial natural resources, such as water and trees for lumber.'