Salt Marsh, Maritime Forest And Beaches Are Moving Pre-quiz

1. Because it has a wide variety of plants and animal species occupying a large number of niches, the salt marsh community is one of nature's most self-sustaining ecological systems and is a valuable coastal resource. Being a self-sustaining community means:

The marsh community supplies virtually all its own needs rather than being dependent on other communities.

The marsh community is able to provide the nutrients for all other barrier island habitats.

The marsh community is the basis of the barrier island community.

The marsh community is fragile and at risk.

2. What is phytoplankton?

A microscopic plant that organisms feed on and move with tides and currents.

A microscopic animal that moves with currents and large aquatic organisms.

An organism that helps decompose detritus in the marsh.

An organism that scavengers feed on in the marsh.

3. Why are the Outer Banks so far from the mainland coast of North Carolina?

With sea level rise, the mainland coastal plain receded faster than the islands are migrated landward.

The Outer Banks are floating seaward due to migration.

The Outer Banks are returning to their original location further out on the continental shelf.

Sound waters in the basin behind the Outer Banks are filling with sand causing the islands to roll seaward.

4. What is phytoplankton?

A microscopic plant that moves with currents that organisms feed on.

A microscopic animal that moves with currents and larger aquatic organisms feed on.

An organism that helps decompose detritus in the marsh.

An organism that scavengers feed on in the marsh.

5. What does this photo show about a barrier island maritime forest?

That a maritime forest is found in the middle of the widest part of an island.

That barrier islands are long and thin.

That a dune is not found on the sound side of an island.

That the island hasn't much shade from the sun.

6. Spartina alterniflora (marsh cordgrass) is the most abundant and ecologically most important large plant of the marsh. What makes it so important?

Salt tolerant

Grows quickly

Predator tolerant

Wind and wave tolerant

7. Spartina alterniflora (marsh cordgrass) is the most abundant and ecologically most important large plant of the marsh. What makes it so important?

Salt tolerant

Grows quickly

Predator tolerant

Wind and wave tolerant

8. What is projected to occur in the year 2100? North Carolina has been identified as one of the three states with the highest vulnerability to sea level rise. North Carolina has 5900 sq. km of land below 1 meter in elevation, over 300 miles of beaches and more than 4,600 miles of shoreline along our sounds, coastal rivers and wetlands. According to the Calvin Midgett article, sea level rise on North Carolina's gently sloping coastline equals approximately how many feet of shoreline retreat?

1 ft of sea level rise equals between 1,000 and 2,000 feet of shoreline retreat.

1 ft of sea level rise equals 6 feet of shoreline retreat.

1 ft of sea level rise equals 10,000 feet of shoreline retreat.

1 ft of sea level rise equals 4.6 feet of shoreline retreat.

9. Why do marshes have that characteristically rotten egg odor?

10. Why would water temperatures change considerably during a tide cycle in the salt marsh and tidal flats?

Incoming tides flush in cooler ocean waters. Sound waters are shallower and can therefore heat/cool more quickly.

Incoming tides flush in warmer ocean waters. Sound waters are shallower and can therefore heat/cool more quickly.

Incoming tides flush in warm ocean waters. Sound waters are shallower and can therefore warm more quickly.

Incoming tides flush in cooler ocean waters. Sound waters are shallower and can therefore cool more quickly.

11. Phytoplankton is plentiful in the salt marsh because of a the presence of a great amount of inorganic nutrients that sustain this environment. What is the relationship between the presence of inorganic nutrients and the abundance of phytoplankton.