2010 AP Environmental Science Test
Contains an amendment that allows private landowners to modify their property under a habitat conservation plan A) Endangered Species Act B) Kyoto Protocol C) Montreal Protocol D) National Environmental Policy Act E) Wilderness Act
A
Converts solar energy directly into electrical energy A) Photovoltaics B) Geothermal C) Biomass D) Hydroelectric E) Hydrogen fuel
A
In a human population, the populaio momentum effect is most likely to occur in cases in which a large percent of people in the population are in which age-group? A) Younger than eighteen years old B) Between thirty and fourty-four years old C) Between fourty-five and fifty-four years old D) Between fifty-five and sixty years old E) Older than sixty-five years old
A
Marine sediments that form limestone are a major sink for this element A) Carbon B) Sodium C) Sulfur D) Phosphorus E) Potassium
A
Recent studies show that the decline of some tree populations in the northeastern United States is due to a combination of factors. Which of the following is the most important factor? A) Toxic metals freed by acid deposition B) Carbon dioxide produced by coal-fueled electric power plants C) Carbon monoxide released in motor wehicle exhaust D) Lead emissions produced by smelters E) Radon produced in the Earth's crust
A
The release of a large amount of sewage and other organic wastes into a river would likely result in a sharp A) increase in the bioogical oxygen demand B) increase in the amount of dissolved oxygen C) increase in the population size of fish that require high levels of oxygen D) decrease in the coliform bacteria counts E) decrease in the temperature of the river water
A
Drawbacks include noise and the release of corrosive chemicals A) Photovoltaics B) Geothermal C) Biomass D) Hydroelectric E) Hydrogen fuel
B
If the populaion of a country is growing at a rate of 1.75 percent per year, the population will double in approximately how many years? A) 30 years B) 40 years C) 50 years D) 70 years E) 140 years
B
Of the following ecosystems, which has the lowest net primary productivity, measured as kilocalories of energy produced per square meter per year? A) Taiga (boreal forest) B) Open ocean C) Temperate grassland D) Estruary E) Agricultural land
B
Switching from customary large-scale agricultural practices to which of the following is most likely to reduce the exposure of farmworkers and nearby residents to toxic chemicals? A) No-till cultivation B) Integrated pest management C) Contour plowing D) Crop dusting E) Use of cover crops
B
Which of the following best describes acid mine drainage? A) Reclamation of mines by removing excess water B) The leakage of water containing toxic materials from coal and metal mines C) The use of acids to leach minerals from rocks to increase smelting efficiency D) Increased water pollution from acid rain entering copper mines E) Acid production by anaerobic bacteria in coal mines
B
Which of the following pairs of statistics would most likely indicate the highest quality of life in a country? A) High rate of teen pregnancy and low gross domestic product B) High life expectancy and low infant mortality C) High crude birth rate and low literacy rate D) High level of exports and low social status of women E) High emigration rate and low total fertility rate
B
Addressed the issue of stratospheric ozone depletion A) Endangered Species Act B) Kyoto Protocol C) Montreal Protocol D) National Environmental Policy Act E) Wilderness Act
C
All the following are likely consequences of indoor air pollution EXCEPT an increase in A) the development and exacerbation of asthma B) the risk of developing lung cancer C) the risk of developing skin cancer D) flulike symptoms, chronic fatigue, and nausea E) respiratory diseases leading to premature death
C
It has been observed that forest fires can produce up to 40 percent of the mean annual global emissions of which of the following gases? A) Methane B) Ozone C) Carbon dioxide D) Sulfur dioxide E) Water vapor
C
More commonly used in the least developed countries than in highly developed countries A) Photovoltaics B) Geothermal C) Biomass D) Hydroelectric E) Hydrogen fuel
C
Guano from fish-eating birds is a commercial source of this element A) Carbon B) Sodium C) Sulfur D) Phosphorus E) Potassium
D
Requires the federal government to produce an environmental impact statement for any construction project funded by the government A) Endangered Species Act B) Kyoto Protocol C) Montreal Protocol D) National Environmental Policy Act E) Wilderness Act
D
A clock draws 2.0 watts of power to operate and is in operation 8,600 hours per year. The energy usage of the clock, in kWh per year, is closest to A) 4,300 B) 1,700 C) 430 D) 170 E) 17
E
A cost-benefit analysis done to investigate a proposed mine site would likely take which of the following into account? I. The medical costs of mine worker injuries II. The cost of environmental restoration of the site when it is shut down III. THe value of the ore to be extracted from the mine A) II only B) II only C) I and III only D) II and III only E) I, II, and III
E
All of the following statements about invasive exotic species are true EXCEPT: A) They may compete with native species for food B) They may prey on native species C) They are generally introduced by human activity D) They may be plant or animal species E) They tend to have low reproductive rates
E
Correct statements about the northern spotted owl include which of the following? I. It is a pioneer species that is an opportunistic feeder II. It is dependent on mature, old-growth forest for its habitat III. It is a carnivore at or near te top of the food chain A) I only B) II only C) III only D) I and II only E) II and III only
E
Which of the following best illustrates a mitigation approach to climate change? A) Increasing the proportion of commercial energy that is produced by wind farms B) Increasing the global land area that is devoted to agricultural C) Increasing the global sales of air conditioners D) Decreasing the price of gasoline for automobiles E) Decresing the cost of electricity derived from coal-fired power plants
B
Which of the following ecological concepts includes all of the others? A) Community B) Ecosystem C) Genus D) Population E) Species
B
For a primary producer, the main function of photosynthesis is to manufacture A) oxygen B) carbon dioxide C) glucose D) proteins E) water
C
This element in pyrite contributes to acid mine drainage A) Carbon B) Sodium C) Sulfur D) Phosphorus E) Potassium
C
Which of the following is the most successful solution to the problem of fish mortality caused by dams? A) Placing fish repellents in dam turbines B) Eliminating keystone species above the dam C) Building fish ladders around the dam D) Harvesting the fish before they reach the dam E) Dredging the sediments upstream of the dam
C
The increase in mean global temperature is likely to result in all of the following EXCEPT A) decreased size of the Greenland ice sheet B) increased range of some plant species C) increased populations of insects D) increased ground-level ultraviolet radiation E) increased sea level
D
The crude growth rate, r , of a population is calculated by A) multiplying the existing population size by life expectancy B) dividing the crude birth rate by 2 C) dividing the doubling time by 70 D) adding the crude birth rate to the crude death rate E) subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate
E
Which of the following is the best example of cogeneration? A) A power plant uses both coal and natural gas as fuel B) A trash-to-steam power plant accepts both residential and commercial waste C) Several power plants supply the same city with electrical energy D) Emissions from power plants are captured and stripped of sulfur for commercial sale E) A coal-fired power plant captures waste heat and uses it to heat adjacent buildings
E
Which of the following best describes the process of leaching? A) Water percolating through soil, dissolving some of its material B) The falling of acid precipitation from the atmosphere to Earth's surface C) The use of chemicals to reduce the amount of E. coli in wastewater D) Rocks embedded in a glacier being carried downslope E) The use of drip irrigation on a crop of wheat
A
Which of the following compounds is NOT involved in the depletion of stratospheric ozone? A) Carbon dioxide B) Carbon tetrachloride C) Dichlorodifluromethane D) Methyl bromide E) Trichloromethane
A
Which of the following is a primary air pollutant produced from burning coal? A) Carbon monoxide B) CFCs C) PCBs D) Ozone E) Sulfuric acid
A
Which of the following is an example of an external cost? A) Individuals pay for medical treatment of lund disease aggravated by pollution from a coal-fired power plant B) A gas station goes out of business when gasoline prices go so high that drivers drastically decrease their use of gasoline C) A fish-packing company pays unemployment compensation to workers displaced by automation D) A company that manufactures x-ray machines triples its profits when a new law mandates increased airport security E) A landfill owner buys more land to increase the size and profitability of the landfill
A
Which of the following represents a correct pairing of an agricultural practice with its environmental consequences? A) Paddy rice cultivation and methane emissions B) Plowing under cover crops and nutrient depletion C) Organic corn cultivation and pesticide accumulation D) No-till faming and increased soil erosion E) Planting vegetated buffers on stream banks and increased levels of nonpoint-source pollution
A
Which of tthe following would be the most likely effect of acid deposition on a northern forest? A) Decreased ability of trees to withstand cold weather B) Decreased concentration of H+ ions in the soil C) Decreased levels of light on the forest floor D) Increased buffering capacity of the soil E) Increased rates of photosynthesis in evergreen needles
A
Which of the following is a common component of photochemical smog and is reddish-brown gas with a pungent odor? A) Carbon monoxide B) Nitrogen dioxide C) Ammonia D) Ozone E) Methane
B
Which of the following is the best example of gray water? A) Water that is high in calcium, magnesium, and iron B) Water that has been used for bathing and for washing clothes C) Water from toilets and garbage disposals D) Runoff from parking lots E) Rainwater collected from roofs
B
A farmer observes that increasingly higher concentrations of a particular pesticide have been required each year over the past ten years to achieve the same level of effectiveness on a specific insect pest. Which of the following best helps explain the observation? A) Some individual insects live longer than others and pass on traits acquired during their lives B) Only the most aggresive and territorial insects survive and reproduce C) Some individual insects are more likely than others to survive and reproduce due to their inherited traits D) Some individual insects produce many offspring, and thus their offspring live longer E) Some individual insects reproduce before the pesticife is applied, thereby avoiding its harmful effects
C
In 1986 Country X established regulations to reduce the maximum allowable concentration of chromium in industrial effluents form 37 ppm to 25 ppm. In 1994 government research indicated that a chromium concentration of up to 35 ppm in effluents presented an acceptable risk; in the same year the government also discovered that a certain chemical company had been discharging effluents with chromium concentrations of 32 ppm each year since 1981. Based on this information, which of the following statements is correct? A) 35 ppm of chromium was considered retroactively to be the legal limit for the 1987-1994 period B) 35 ppm f chromium served automatically as the new legal limit post-1994 period C) The chemical company did not violate effluent regulations in the 1982-1985 period, but it violated them at some other time D) The chemical company did not violate effluent regulations in the 1987-1994 period, but did violate them at some other time E) The chemical company never violated effluent regulations for chromium
C
Members of an r-selected species characteristically A) grow slowly B) produce few offspring C) reach sexul maturity quickly D) have long life spans E) are very protective of their offspring
C
Most plastics pose a special problem in the waste stream because they A) decompose readily in water and become a source of water pollution B) decompose to produce methane, which is explosive and creates a significant hazard C) decompose slowly, if at all, and persist as solid waste D) release radioactive iotopes when they decompose E) release ozone when they are recycled
C
Salmon farming threatens the health of wild salmon stocks primarily because A) salmon farming prevents commercial fishing fleets from oversharing wild salmon B) salmon farming prevents interbreeding between domesticated varieties of salmon and their wild counterparts C) farmed salmon can spread parasites and disease to wild salmon D) farmed salmon compete with wild salmon for spawning sites E) farmed salmon can contain more chemicals derived from food additives and antibiotics that may be harmful to human consumers
C
The activity with the health risk most likely to be overestimated by the general public in the United States is A) driving an automobile B) drinking alcohol C) living near a nuclear power plant D) riding a bicycle E) smoking tobacco
C
Which of following is a characteristic of tropical rain forests? A) They rarely receive more than 100 centimeters of rain per year B) Their soils typically have a high pH C) Their soils are relatively poor in nutrients D) They do not exhibit a great deal of species diversity E) They generally occur in the rain shaows of mountain ranges
C
Which of the following air pollutants is correctly paired with one of its major effects? A) Particuates...production of photochemical smog B) Radon..global...climate change C) Sulfur oxides...acid deposition D) Lead...skin cancer E) Carbon oxides...ozone layer depletion
C
Which of the following best characterizes a population that is growing exponentially with time? A) Equal increases in number over equal increments over time B) Controlled growth over a finite time C) Doubling in size over equal increments of time D) Reaching a maximum then experiencing a rapid decline E) Growing at a rate proportional to the square root of time
C
Which of the following best explains why decomposers in soils and water are important to ecosystems? A) They remove heavy metals B) They store carbon dioxide C) They recycle nutrients D) They neutralize acid deposition E) THey produce more oxygen than they consume
C
A laboratory studyusing rats showed a steady increase in physical effects as the concentration of a toxic substance in their food was increased. This suggests that A) tolerance increases with dosage B) there is a threshold dosage C) there are no chronic effects of the toxin D) the dose-response relationship is linear E) the substance is safe to use as a rat poison
D
A small developing country with negligible rates of immigration and emigration is going through a demographic change. Thirty years ago the crude birth rate was 44 per 1000 per year and the crude death rate was 17 per thousand per year. Now the crude birth rate is 16 per 1000 per year and the crude death rate is 5 per 1000 per year. Which of the following statements about the country now is most likely to be true? A) The population is decreasing B) The growth rate of the population is increasing C) The country is at the preindustrial stage of the demographic transition D) The country is at the industrial stage of the demographic transition E) The country is at the postindustrial stage of the demographic transition
D
Biological control methods for managing insect pests are effective for reasons that include which of the following? I. They promote genetic resistance in the target species, resulting in a population explosion of the target species II. They generally focus on one target insect to ensure that the target insect population remains low III. They can lead to a self-perpetuating population of a control species A) I only B) II only C) I and III only D) II and III only E) I, II, and III only
D
Factors that increase the spread of infectious diseases include all of the following EXCEPT A) flooding, which contaminates water supplies with raw sewage B) global warming, which can transfer carriers of disease from tropical to temperate areas C) introduction of insect vectors, which transmit disease D) exposure to neurotoxins, which affect the endocrine system E) rural poverty, which causes people to move to urban areas
D
In North America, native pollinators often increase the quantity and quality of crops of native plants that are insect pollinated effectively than European honeybees do. The most likely reason for the phenomenon is that native pollinators A) are unaffected by commercial pesticides B) are uniformly smaller than European honeybees C) have no known native predators D) have coevolved with native plant species E) mature quickly without undergoing metamorphasis
D
Many synthetic chemicals, such as PCBs, act as estrogen mimics. In an ecosystem, these persistent chemicals would have the greatest effect on which of the following? A) Decomposers B) Primary producers C) Parasites D) Secondary consumers E) Autotrophs
D
Small populations of animals, such as those typically found on islands, are prone to extinction because A) they contain a high degree of genetic variability B) they tend to have more predators C) their habitats are more stable D) they are more vulnerable to unpredictable events E) they are usually generalist species
D
The great grasslands of the world have which of the following primary characteristics in common? A) They are restricted in occurence to the region between 30 north latitude and 30 south latitude B) Due to high humidity, fires are uncommon and rarely affect large areas C) They are typically created by overgrazing by livestock D) Seasonal cycles of temperature and precipitation produce abundant vegetative growth E) High winds blow seeds of trees away such that only grasses exist
D
The risk that many cancer-causing chemicals pose to humans can be estimated using laboratory tests on rats. A significant scientific limitation of such tests is that A) they reqyire thousands of rats B) they take several decades to conduct C) they are banned in the United States D) animal models may not reflect human responses E) the test animals may be killed as a result of the tests
D
True statements about ozone include which of the following? I. Ozone is a precursor of acid rain II. Contact with ozone can be injurious III. Ozone absorbs some wavelengths of ultraviolet radiation A) II only B) III only C) I and III only D) II and III only E) I II, and III
D
West Nile virus was identified in the Western Hemisphere during the summer of 1999 and was associated with human, equine, and avian deaths. This virus is acquired by A) ingesting certain imported foods B) coming in contact with polluted water C) coming in contact with a sick horse or bird D) being bitten by an infected mosquito E) inhaling contaminated airborne droplets
D
Which of the following characteristically produces non-point-source pollution? A) Seepage from a landfill B) Industrial effluent C) Testing of nuclear weapons D) Erosion from agricultural land E) Overflow from a sewage treatment plant
D
Which of the following is a greenhouse gas that comes only from human sources? A) Nitrous oxide B) Carbon dioxide C) Methane D) Chloroflurocarbons E) Carbon monoxide
D
Which of the following is most likely to reduce the united States contribution to the icnrease in concentration of atmospheric CO2? A) Requiring all farming practices to be organic B) Stopping logging in United States forests C) Switching fuel use for residential heating from oil to coal D) Switching from cars and trucks to rail for mass transit and freight movement E) Preventing depletion of stratospheric ozone
D
Which of the following is true about the region of Earth's atmosphere known as the stratosphere? A) It is the warmest layer of the atmosphere because it is the closest to the sun B) Most of the atmospheric water vapor is found in this layer C) It is the layer of the atmosphere in which nearly all weather takes place D) The highest concentration of naturally occuring ozone forms in this layer E) It is characterized by steadly decreasing temperature with altitude
D
Which of the following problems is best addressed with contour plowing? A) Eutrophication B) Denitrification C) The pesticide treadmill D) Soil erosion E) Soil salinization
D
In the stratosphere, which of the following increases Earth's albedo by reflecting solar energy back into space? A) Carbon monoxide B) Carbon dioxide C) Nitrogen dioxide D) Peroxyacyl nitrates (PANs) E) Sulfate aerosols
E
Many environmentalists consider Egypt's Aswan High Dam on the Nile River to be an ecological disaster. Which of the following is the best evidence to support this viewpoint? A) Creation of the dam flooded important archaeological sites B) Sardine populations near the Nile delta increased exponentially as a result of decreased annual rates of water flow C) The Aswan High Dam supplies one-third of the electrical power used in Egypt D) Some countries upstream from the dam have diverted Nile River water for their own projects E) Most of the nutrient-rich silt that the Nile annually deposited downstream is now deposited behind the dam
E
The danger from radon gas would most likely be greatest in A) airplanes at high altitudes B) areas with a high density of automobiles C) crop-dusted agricultural fields D) high-rise office buildings E) well-insulated homes
E
Which of the following actions would be most likely to increase the protection of ecological systems in national forests? A) Encourage timber harvesting of old-growth forests within national parks B) Allow national forest managers to use revenues from timber sales as they see fit C) Encourage the building of new roads in national forests and improve existing roads D) Make the growing, jarvesting, and sale of timber the primary use of national forests E) Mandate that the government sale of logging rights in national forests be at fair market value
E
Which of the following does NOT exert a majo influence on Earth's overall climate? A) The annual amount of solar radiation that reaches Earth's surface B) The concentrations of the specific gases in Earth's atmosphere C) The distribution of land masses and oceans. in combination with Earth's topography D) The daily rotation of Earth on its axis. and its annual revolution around the sun E) The seasonal development of temperature inversions in geographical basins
E
Which of the following is NOT a property of water? A) Its melting point is 0C at one atmosphere of pressure B) Its boiling point is 100C at one atmosphere of pressure C) It is usedin liquid form by most living organisms D) It is denser at 4C than at 20C E) It absorbs relatively little heat as it vaporizes
E
Which of the following is the best example of an economic incentive that could be used to improve environmental qualiyu and reduce resource waste? A) Charging fewer fees for extracting lumber from national forests B) Requiring a pollution prevention bond for building a new landfill C) Charging user fees or livestock grazing on public lands D) Levying taxes on companies that discharge pollution into air and water E) Providing tax breaks for companies that use recycled materials
E
