2020 Practice Exam 2 MCP

Based on the data in the graph, which of the following methods would be used to calculate the percent change of wind energy generated from 2010 to 2015 ?

(200 kWh-10kWh)/(100 KWh) X 100 (percent change)

The graph below shows the experimental data from an investigation testing how carbon monoxide levels in the ambient air alter the amount of oxygen hemoglobin can carry. The experiment was performed with five different laboratory mice. Each mouse was kept in its own habitat under constant conditions of water, food, light, and temperature. Each mouse was exposed to a different concentration of carbon monoxide, and the oxygen saturation level of hemoglobin was measured. Based on the data from the graph, which of the following indicates how much more effective oxygen transport is at the 20 percent carbon monoxide level than the 60 percent carbon monoxide level?

1.9 times more effective

The net primary production of a pine forest on a lava flow on Mount Fuji is about 175,000kcal/m2/yr 175,000kcal/m2/yr, and the plant respiration is estimated to be 115,000kcal/m2/yr 115,000kcal/m^2/yr. What is the total amount of energy transferred during photosynthesis for this ecosystem?

290,000kcal/m2/yr

Based on the data in the graph, which of the following represents the total electricity production in the United States from all energy sources, in billions of kilowatt-hours, in 2017?

3.8×10^12 kWh

Based on the data in the graph, which of the following is closest to the average population growth rate per year from year 4 to year 7 in the rabbit population?

338 rabbits per year

Based on the data in the graph, which of the following illustrates the approximate percent increase in total water withdrawals between 1970 and 2010 ?

56

Which of the following describes an environment where large amounts of oil could form millions of years in the future?

A river delta in a forested region

Which of the following locations would most likely receive acid deposition?

A town downwind from a coal-fired power plant

Which of the following strategies has most aided the nesting success of the piping plovers at Old Orchard Beach?

An increase in educational outreach to beachgoersAn increase in educational outreach to beachgoers

Which of the following is a problem that is associated with a thermal inversion?

An increase in pollutants trapped at Earth's surface, which increases the number of cases of human respiratory problems

The snowshoe hare (a member of the rabbit family) is the primary prey for the Canadian lynx. The Canadian lynx is a wild feline that is slightly larger than a bobcat. Scientists plan to investigate the relative sizes of the hare and the lynx populations over a 3-year period. Based on predator-prey dynamics, which of the following identifies the hypothesis most likely to be supported by the study?

An increase in the lynx population size will lead to a decrease in the hare population size.

Which of the following describes a source of methane in the atmosphere?

Anaerobic breakdown of organic material

Which of the following best describes why aquaculture has grown considerably in several parts of the world?

Aquaculture fisheries provide a larger and more consistent quantity of fish year-round than do wild fisheries.

If the trend in total water withdrawal represented in the graph continues, which of the following is most likely to happen in the future?

Aquifers will be depleted if demand is higher than recharge rate.

Which of the following best describes the evidence the author uses to support the claim that fireworks are one of the biggest threats to the plovers on the Fourth of July at Old Orchard Beach?

Audubon employees have found plover nests with chicks that died because parents have been scared away by the noise and light of the fireworks.

Which of the following will be the most likely consequence from the daily operation of a typical hydroelectric power plant?

Beach erosion will increase where the river meets the ocean downstream from the hydroelectric dam project.

Which of the following equations best represents the chemical changes that occur during ocean acidification?

CH4+2O2→CO2+2H2O

A community located downwind from a coal-fired power plant has seen a recent increase in the number of dead and dying trees. A soil scientist measured values for the following parameters before and after the trees died off. Which of the following soil data should be used to determine if the coal-fired power plant emissions were the cause of the damage to the trees?

Calcium and aluminum levels

The graph below shows the experimental data from an investigation testing how carbon monoxide levels in the ambient air alter the amount of oxygen hemoglobin can carry. The experiment was performed with five different laboratory mice. Each mouse was kept in its own habitat under constant conditions of water, food, light, and temperature. Each mouse was exposed to a different concentration of carbon monoxide, and the oxygen saturation level of hemoglobin was measured. Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from the investigation?

Carbon monoxide impairs the transport of oxygen in the bloodstream.

Increased use of which of the following technologies would cause the greatest reduction in the primary source of photochemical smog?

Carbon sequestration

This pathogen infects the intestine and is spread through contaminated water or food.

Cholera

Based on the data in the age structure diagram, which of the following best describes the population of Country A?

Country A is fairly stable and Birth rates are low

Which process in the nitrogen cycle releases nitrogen gas into the atmosphere?

Denitrification of soil nitrates by bacteria

The diagram below shows the tectonic plate activity on the West Coast of the United States. Which of the following statements correctly explains the tectonic plate activity on the West Coast of the United States?

Earthquakes occur at the San Andreas Fault when stored energy is released from locked plates.

The data table below shows plant biodiversity of different ecosystems in Glacier National Park. In parts of the park, the glacier is receding leading to succession. Based on the data in the table, which ecosystem is in the earliest stages of succession?

Ecosystem B

Based on the information in the article, which of the following is the most practical solution to help conservation efforts for the North Atlantic right whale?

Expand the range of conservation areas meant to protect the right whale.

The diagram shows a power plant designed to generate electricity for a nearby city. Based on the diagram, which processes would provide the energy used to generate electricity at the power plant?

Fission in radioactive fuel

Which sequence of events best explains the interaction between the components of the Arctic ecosystem feedback loop?

Global temperature increases → permafrost thickness decreases → methane increases → global temperature increases

Based on the data in the graph, which of the following proposed solutions would have the greatest effect on reducing global water withdrawals?

Government grants to assist farmers with the up-front installation costs of drip irrigation systems.

Which of the following most likely had a direct influence on the trend shown in the graph for the electricity generation from wind?

Increased subsidies for renewable energy

The many finch species of the Galápagos Islands evolved from a single species that immigrated to the islands from the coast of South America. These species differ primarily in beak shape, which is closely related to the type of food each species specializes in eating. Which of the following best explains why each of the finch species on the Galápagos Islands evolved to be specialists?

Islands have limited food resources, forcing species to feed on a small range of food items.

A team at a university in Pennsylvania has concerns about the health of streams in a watershed because of the various land uses in the area. There has been an increase in road repair work, and the area has many dairy farms. Which of the following would be most effective at preventing sediment runoff into the streams of the watershed?

Maintain zones of grass at least 100m wide on the sides of streams in the area.

This pathogen is primarily transmitted by mosquitoes and is found most often in sub-Saharan Africa.

Malaria

Scientists are looking for new locations to generate electricity using geothermal energy. Which of the following locations would be the best choice for a geothermal energy generating plant?

Near tectonic plate boundaries

Which of the following methods will give the best prediction for how long it will take the human population to double if the global growth rate is 1.09 percent?

Number of years = 70/1.09

The graph below shows the experimental data from an investigation testing how carbon monoxide levels in the ambient air alter the amount of oxygen hemoglobin can carry. The experiment was performed with five different laboratory mice. Each mouse was kept in its own habitat under constant conditions of water, food, light, and temperature. Each mouse was exposed to a different concentration of carbon monoxide, and the oxygen saturation level of hemoglobin was measured. Which of the following modifications would improve the validity of the investigation?

Perform the experiment on a larger sample size of mice.

Which of the following environmental problems is most often linked to the combustion of fossil fuels?

Photochemical smog formation in the troposphere

Which of the following identifies a claim made by the author in the article?

Piping plovers are endangered in Maine because of the loss of wide, open sand and dune grass habitats that the birds use for nesting.

On the coast of Oregon, mussels cover most of the rocky shoreline. Two mussel predators include Pisaster (ochre stars) and Nucella (whelks). A sixty-day removal study was conducted, and the results are presented in the graph. Which of the following conclusions is best supported by the data in the graph?

Pisaster is a keystone species, because when Nucella was removed the proportion of live mussels was similar to the control.

Which of the following best explains the impact of climate change on polar regions?

Polar regions are warming more quickly than other regions because warming decreases the coverage of high-albedo ground cover like ice and snow.

Which of the following techniques is a realistic solution for farmers to decrease the amount of fertilizer and sediment runoff into aquatic ecosystems?

Practicing crop rotation

The diagram illustrates a sewage treatment plant. The different processes at the plant are labeled A to D. Large objects, such as sticks and rocks, are screened out and removed during this process.

Process A

The diagram illustrates a sewage treatment plant. The different processes at the plant are labeled A to D. This process results in the biological breakdown of most of the organic matter in the sewage.

Process C

The diagram illustrates a sewage treatment plant. The different processes at the plant are labeled A to D. This process uses chlorine, ultraviolet radiation, or ozone as part of the disinfection of wastewater.

Process D

Which of the following is most likely the source of the radon found in a house?

Radon gas found in bedrock and soil leaked into the home through cracks in the foundation.

The Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event was caused when an asteroid impacted Earth approximately 66 million years ago, near what is now the Gulf of Mexico. The indirect effects of the impact affected the entire globe. The event resulted in the extinction of nearly 75 percent of all plant and animal species on Earth, including the majority of dinosaur species. Which of the following likely best describes why most of these species went extinct?

Rapid climate and habitat change

The following data table shows the percentage of United States energy consumption by energy source for 2010 and 2017. Based on the provided data, which of the following best explains the change in energy resource use?

Renewable sources replaced nonrenewable sources for electricity generation but not for transportation.

Which of the following strategies could be used to reduce soil erosion during surface mining of coal?

Replanting Vegetation

The shaded regions in the diagram below show where different species of warblers, a type of bird, hunt for insects in the same tree. Which of the following interactions between the warbler species is shown in the diagram?

Resource partitioning

The excessive pumping of groundwater from wells can influence the water levels below ground. Which of the following is more likely to occur in aquifers in coastal areas than in aquifers in other regions?

Saltwater intrusion into the aquifers

Based on the soil texture triangle, which of the following would describe soil that was 25% clay, 25%silt, and 50% sand?

Sandy clay loam

Corn is a crop that grows best in soil that drains well. Which of the following soils is best suited to grow corn?

Sandy loam because it has large amounts of sand and less than 20% clay.

Which of the following best describes why secondary succession generally occurs more quickly than primary succession?

Secondary succession takes place in areas that already have soil and nutrients in place, whereas primary succession occurs in areas that lack soil.

Which of the following best achieves the goal of providing wood products for humans while preserving biodiversity?

Selective cutting of large areas of old-growth forest

Which of the following is a negative consequence associated with photovoltaic solar cells?

Smog and ground-level ozone can be created from pollutants released from photovoltaic solar cells during electricity generation.

Which of the following is the primary energy source for producers in near-surface marine communities?

Solar energy from the sun

The diagram shows a power plant designed to generate electricity for a nearby city. Which of the following environmental problems is most often associated with electricity generation in the type of power plant illustrated in the diagram?

Spent fuel rods are radioactive and must be disposed of properly.

Which stage of the demographic transition has birth and death rates that are approximately equal, low death rates influenced by improvements in health care, food production, and a stable living environment?

Stage 4

This layer of Earth's atmosphere contains the ozone layer that absorbs the sun's ultraviolet rays.

Stratosphere

Which of the age structure diagrams would best correspond to a rapidly growing country?

The age structure diagram will be a pyramid

Which of the following is the most likely unintended consequence of using pesticides in agriculture?

The continual use of pesticides can cause organisms to build a resistance through genetic mutation that then requires more or stronger pesticides.

Which of the following pieces of evidence from the article best supports the cause of the decrease in the Calanus population in the Gulf of Maine?

The deep-water temperature in the Gulf of Maine has increased by approximately 9°F since 2004.

In 1960, an invasive fly was introduced to the Galapagos islands. To understand the relationship between the invasive fly and the tree finches that live on the island, researchers examined the mating success of two species of finches. Some finches had nests with flies and some did not. The data from the study are in the table. Based on the table, which of the following claims about the relationship between the tree finch and the invasive fly is best supported?

The flies and finches have a parasitic relationship; the finches provide a home for the fly, and the fly decreases the breeding success of the finches.

Which of the following biogeochemical cycles is correctly paired with its largest reservoir?

The main reservoir for nitrogen is the atmosphere

Which of the following best describes the author's claim in the article?

The new pattern of North Atlantic right whale migration is primarily from decreased food availability and warming waters.

Which of the following hypotheses is best supported by the trends shown in this graph?

The number of acres burned and the number of wildfires have decreased since 1930 because of more large-scale fire suppression interventions such as prescribed burns.

The diagram shows a power plant designed to generate electricity for a nearby city. The water used in this type of power plant is often released back into a reservoir. Which of the following effects could this released water have on the reservoir?

The temperature of the released water causes a decrease in the amount of dissolved oxygen in the reservoir.

This layer of Earth's atmosphere contains the fewest molecules of the layers shown, and the low density of gas leads to very few molecules transferring heat to an object. In this layer, ultraviolet radiation causes photodissociation of molecules, creating ions.

Thermosphere

Brown marmorated stink bugs are native to China and Japan. They were identified in Pennsylvania for the first time in 1998 and have since spread across North America, feeding on agricultural crops. Which of the following characteristics of the brown marmorated stink bug has led to them being an invasive species in North America?

They are tolerant of a wide range of environmental conditions.

This pathogen infects the respiratory system, typically the lungs, and can spread through the air when a person coughs, sneezes, or talks.

Tuberculosis

Which of the following agricultural practices would most likely lead to improved water quality in nearby streams and rivers?

Using crop rotation in fields

Which of the following scenarios is an example of cogeneration?

Using the steam given off from a coal-fired electrical generation plant to heat nearby buildings

Which of the following is a primary cause of El Niño climate variations?

Warmer surface waters in the Pacific Ocean

Which of the following greenhouse gases does not contribute significantly to global climate change because it has a short residence time in the atmosphere?

Water vapor

Which of the following identifies an unintended result from recycling programs

When items are placed in recycling that cannot be recycled, the cost of recycling increases.

Based on the data in the graph, which of the following best describes the reproductive strategy of rabbits?

r -selected species

The author assumes that the OOB365 OOB365 group is mostly concerned about canceling the fireworks displays at Old Orchard Beach because

revenue will be lost from tourists attracted by the firework displays

Which stage has both high birth rates and high death rates but low overall population growth in part from high incidences of disease and famine

stage 1

Which stage has high birth rates and rapidly decreasing death rates as a result of improved access to health care?

stage 2

This layer of Earth's atmosphere has the highest density of any atmosphere in layer and contains most of the water vapor in the atmosphere?

troposphere