Exam Review
Approach to introducing new products to market that will result in unsafe products reaching the marketplace
"innocent-until-proven-guilty" approach
What percentage of the Earth's water is fresh and available for drinking?
.01%
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is an aggregation of floating debris and plastic that measures ________ km2.
1.6 million
We get 90% of our food from __________ crops and __________ livestock species.
15; 8
Flood and furrow irrigation accounts for about 90% of irrigation globally, but is inefficient as plants end up using only about ________% of the water applied.
40
What percentage of Earth's surface is ocean?
71%
According to a 2002 study by scientists at the National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA), ________% of U.S. streams contain traces of wastewater contaminants.
80
What percentage of the U.S. population are considered urban-dwellers?
82%
A 2003 study reported that ________% of large-bodied fish and sharks were lost in the first decade of industrialized fishing.
90
Approximately ________% of the world's marine fish populations are either fully exploited or overexploited
90
Paleontologists estimate that ________.
99% of all species that have ever existed are now extinct
________ is a device designed to remove airborne pollutants from smokestack emissions.
A scrubber
________ involves the exceptionally strong warming of the eastern Pacific.
An El Nino event
The __________ Act allowed for the U.S. president to declare national monuments.
Antiquities
Passed in 1906, the ________ gave the president authority to declare selected public lands as national monuments.
Antiquities Act
Which area labeled on the map is experiencing the highest rate of deforestation?
B
__________ is the measurement of ocean depths, and __________ is the physical geography and shape of landforms.
Bathymetry; topography
________ is/are biodegradable and known to have (a) short persistence time(s).
Bt toxin
Which of the following is an ozone-depleting chemical?
CFCs
This figure shows how atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration affects carbonate ion concentration in Earth's oceans. Which of the following represents the carbonate ion?
CO3^2-
________ are substances that cause cancer.
Carcinogens
The world's largest body of fresh water
Caspian Sea
Which of the following pollutants has the longest residence time in the atmosphere?
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
A combination of events and situations, including Los Angeles' smog problem, led to Congress passing the ________ in 1963. This legislation and its major amendments in 1970 and 1990 fund research into pollution control, set standards for air quality, and encourage emissions standards for automobiles and point sources such as industrial plants. They also impose limits on emissions from new sources, fund a national air quality monitoring system, and enable citizens to sue parties that violate the standards.
Clean Air Act
__________ describes the pattern of atmospheric conditions across larger geographic regions over years, decades, or centuries.
Climate
Insecticide used to kill mosquitoes; banned in the United States in 1973 due to its toxicity
DDT
The "dirty dozen" POPs targeted by the Stockholm Convention include ________.
DDT and PCBs
Which of the following is a method that governments use to improve urban transportation?
Designate lanes as carpool-only.
The ________ regulates pesticides in the United States.
EPA
Which of the following U.S. agencies is primarily responsible for addressing issues regarding mercury pollution?
EPA
The main legislation for protecting biodiversity in the United States is the __________.
Endangered Species Act
Which of the following accurately describes a benefit or a drawback of managing an even-aged tree plantation?
Even-aged stands are more vulnerable to bark beetles.
Manages national wildlife refuges that serve as wildlife havens; encourages hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, photography, and environmental education
Fish and Wildlife Service
Agency of the United Nations that monitors the status of global forests
Food and Agriculture Organization
Why are many contaminants found at higher concentrations in polar bears and people living in Greenland than they are in bears and people living in temperate and tropical areas?
Global atmospheric circulation carries airborne toxins toward the poles, where their deposition exceeds evaporation.
__________ pulls gas molecules toward the Earth's surface, causing air to be __________ dense near the surface.
Gravity; more
Convective cells near the equator
Hadley cells
Near the equator, the patterns of convection currents are called ________.
Hadley cells
In the study of urban ecology in Baltimore and Phoenix, how do the two cities differ in their citizens' exposure to toxic chemicals?
In Phoenix, ethnic minorities are more likely to be exposed to such hazards, whereas in Baltimore, those living in working-class white neighborhoods are more likely to be exposed.
Which of the following is TRUE of eutrophication in marine systems?
It can lead to algal blooms and red tides that kill fish
Why was the irrigation of Soviet cotton farming operations a problem?
It drained the Aral Sea and increased the salt content of soils
Which of the following describes the process of biomagnification?
It is the increase in toxicant concentration as it moves up to the top trophic levels in the food chain.
Which of the following is a consequence of acid deposition?
It leaches important minerals from soils.
How does the size of an island generally affect its biodiversity, and why?
Larger islands tend to have higher diversity than smaller islands because larger islands usually have a higher diversity of habitats.
LEED stands for ________.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
How are biosphere reserves different from other protected areas?
Local people are allowed to live in and harvest resources from the outer areas of the reserve.
Which of the following U.S. cities still experiences over 3 months of unhealthy air per year, with air quality index (AQI) values of greater than 100?
Los Angeles
One key contributing factor to the Los Angeles smog problem is the fact that ________.
Los Angeles and its suburbs are all ringed by mountains
Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding the future risks of decadal (11-year) and multi-decadal (35-year) droughts in the southwestern United States and Great Plains?
Models indicate that both regions are more likely to experience decadal and multi-decadal droughts in the latter half of the 21st century than during the latter half of the 20th century.
Which gas makes up 78% of the molecules in the atmosphere?
N2-nitrogen
U.S. legislation mandating sustainable use of national forests
National Forest Management Act
Mission is to protect natural resources for future generations through use restrictions and prohibition of resource extraction, but provides public access for current enjoyment
National Park Service
Private land trust that purchases areas of land to preserve in their natural condition
Nature Conservancy
Roughly 80% of the state of ________ is federally managed.
Nevada
Which of the following statements about ocean water is true?
Oceans have a high heat capacity and change temperature slowly.
The world's largest known aquifer
Ogallala aquifer
________ is a quantitative description of the likelihood of a certain outcome that is used in risk assessment.
Probability
________ is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that may cause lung cancer.
Radon
________ is a naturally occurring substance that is potentially toxic to people.
Radon
Global catalog of species facing a high risk of extinction
Red List
__________ convert or remove airborne pollutants from smokestacks.
Scrubbers
Which important environmental book exposed the hazards of using the insecticide DDT?
Silent Spring
Which of the following would be considered the first line of defense against toxic substances?
Skin, scales, and feathers
Which of the following is a consequence of clearing forests for agriculture purposes?
Soil erosion increases because the tree roots and other vegetation that stabilize the soil have been removed.
________ are substances that cause birth defects.
Teratogens
Which piece of legislation set strict standards for air quality and pollution control?
The Clean Air Act
How have humans influenced the rate of extinction?
The current rate of extinction is between 10 and 100s of times higher than the historical background rate due to human activities.
Which of the following is true about the preservation of land in the United States?
The federal government, state governments, and private groups can all set aside land for preservation.
Which is happening as humans emit more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere?
The oceans are being acidified, and this is harming coral r
Which of the following is true regarding the national wildlife refuges?
The refuges are open for hunting, fishing, education, and other public uses.
What is the main argument against removing O'Shaughnessy Dam in Yosemite National Park?
The reservoir is the main source of drinking water for the city of San Francisco.
Why are underwater areas that have reefs, volcanic activity, or glacial deposits so productive for fishing?
The structures provide shelter and safety for fish.
Why are pristine areas, undisturbed by humans, contaminated with human-generated toxicants?
The toxicants are carried by the wind.
What are the properties of toxicants that are likely to build up in animals through bioaccumulation?
They are nonbiodegradable and lipid soluble.
Why do developing nations impose few or no restrictions on logging?
They do not want to hinder economic development.
What do researchers hope to accomplish by performing genetic analyses on confiscated ivory?
They hope to determine where the elephants were poached.
How do resource managers achieve maximum sustainable yield?
They keep the population at half of the carrying capacity, thus maximizing the growth rate.
How do endocrine disruptors affect human health at very low doses?
They mimic or block hormones that direct reproductive and developmental processes.
The EPA tracks six "criteria" air pollutants. Which of these is true of the criteria air pollutants?
Total emissions of the six have declined greatly since 1970.
Which of the following statements is true regarding toxins?
Toxic exposures can be natural or because of exposure to synthetic chemicals.
Established under the leadership of Gifford Pinchot to manage forests for "the greatest good of the greatest number in the long run"
U.S. Forest Service
Manages world heritage sites, which include sites of cultural and natural importance
UNESCO
Parks and reserves are a concept that was started in ________.
United States
________ are legally binding lines on a map that separate areas zoned to be high density and urban from those areas desired to stay rural.
Urban growth boundaries
Most of the ________ released in the United States is from natural sources such as plants.
VOCs
________ are federal lands that are off-limits to development but are open to hiking, nature study, and other low-impact public recreational activities.
Wilderness areas
The first national park was ________.
Yellowstone
A low LD50 indicates __________.
a high toxicity
Removal of which of the following species will result in the greatest changes in an ecological system?
a keystone species
A key characteristic of aquatic dead zones is ________.
a low concentration of oxygen
Which of the following best describes a floodplain?
a region of land that is periodically flooded when a river overflows
A biodiversity "hotspot" is __________.
a region where species diversity is high, but threatened by habitat loss
A septic system is ________.
a rural method of processing wastewater
What is a light rail system?
a smaller rail system powered by electricity
An umbrella species is best defined as __________.
a species whose protection will result in the protection of a large number of species that require the same habitat
A marine protected area is __________.
a term to describe any portion of the ocean that is protected from some human activities but may be open to others, such as the laying of cables and some fishing
Curitiba, Brazil, has shown us that ________.
a walkable city center and expanded bus system can solve a large city's traffic congestion
An artesian aquifer occurs where ________.
a water-bearing layer is trapped between two layers that are less permeable
Stratospheric ozone is important to ecosystems because it ________.
absorbs and scatters UV light
Mr. Smith has been hired to manage a swath of land owned by a private company. His goal is to manage the forest in the most sustainable way while still using the land and making a profit. At first, he manages the land using the concept of maximum sustainable yield. After a few years, he realizes that ecosystem-based management is more appropriate for this particular swath of land. Mr. Smith is using __________.
adaptive management
The rapid melting of Greenland's ice cap could disrupt the North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) formation by ________.
adding huge amounts of less dense fresh water to the surface of the North Atlantic
The greatest use of fresh water worldwide is __________.
agricultural
Which of the following is one of the major pollutants of groundwater?
agricultural chemicals
Humans use more fresh water for ________ than for any other purpose.
agricultural irrigation
The development of pharmaceutical products has been __________.
aided by protection of ecosystem diversity
In the United States, which of the following has decreased since 1980?
air pollution emissions
Biological diversity (biodiversity) can be applied at __________ level(s) of biological organization.
all (diversity of species, their genes, their populations, their communities, and their ecosystems)
Infectious disease accounts for ________% of deaths globally.
almost 15
Historically, large cities have tended to develop ________.
along trade routes
Oxbow lakes are always found ________.
alongside a river
The relative humidity is the ________.
amount of water vapor a given volume of air holds compared to the maximum amount it could hold at a given temperature
A resource sink is ________.
an area that produces almost none of the things that it needs
When a water-bearing porous layer of rock, sand, or gravel is trapped between upper and lower layers of less permeable substances, it is __________.
an artesian aquiferan unconfined aquifer
Bisphenol-A is ________.
an estrogen mimic that is used in plastic manufacturing
According to the island biogeography theory, given islands of the same size, which would host the greatest amount of biodiversity?
an island just off the mainland
The IUCN's Red List is ________.
an updated list of species facing unusually high risk of extinction
Scientists are interested in the effects of environmental hazards on wildlife because __________.
animals can serve as an early warning to the damage of environmental toxins
All of the following are true about aquaculture EXCEPT ________.
aquaculture is currently viewed as not being financially feasible
A porous, spongelike layer of rock, sand, or gravel that is capable of holding water
aquifer
Marine reserves ________.
are "no-take" areas in the oceans
Second-growth forests ________.
are forests that establish themselves after old-growth timber has been removed
Synergistic effects of toxicants ________.
are greater than the sum of the effects of the components
Toxicant used as a flame retardant and insulator; a carcinogen and scars the lungs when inhaled
asbestos
Most widely used herbicide in the United States; a probable endocrine disruptor
atrazine
The field of conservation biology ________.
attempts to integrate an understanding of evolution and extinction into their field research
Since being listed as "endangered" under the Endangered Species Act, a species that has recovered and is no longer listed
bald eagle
Since the 1990s, ________ have killed tens of billions of conifers in the western United States.
bark beetles
Animals that are vulnerable to human modification of the environment tend to have all of the following characteristics EXCEPT ________.
being a dietary generalist
Marine ecosystems that occur on the ocean floor are termed __________.
benthic
The deep-seated desire to affiliate with other living things
biophilia
Component of plastics and epoxy resins; possible neurotoxin and estrogen mimic
bisphenol-A
Carbon monoxide ________.
blocks oxygen transport in human blood
Most of the world's forests are __________.
boreal forests
Recent research that analyzed the content of commercial bottled water indicates that ________.
bottled water is no safer or purer than most samples of tap water
Which of the following fishing methods involves dragging weighted nets across the ocean floor in an attempt to catch groundfish?
bottom-trawling
The introduction of ________ onto the island of Guam has resulted in the extinction of most of the endemic forest bird species on the island.
brown tree snakes
Which of the following consume the bulk of the electricity used in the United States?
buildings
Most of the indoor air pollution in developing countries comes from __________.
burning fuelwood
Part complete Which is the correct term to describe fish and other ocean organisms that are caught accidentally along with the targeted fish?
bycatch
Artificial wetlands ________.
can help purify water and also provide wildlife habitat
Which term describes a type of toxicant that can cause cancer?
carcinogen
The leading cause of death in the world today is _________.
cardiovascular disease
A person is more likely to die of ________ than any other cause.
cardiovascular diseases
In the western United States, bark beetle outbreaks have become much worse than in the past for all of the following reasons EXCEPT ________.
catastrophic wildfires have resulted in the increased growth of the kinds of trees that the bark beetles prefer
Lead pollution is a problem because lead (Pb) ________.
causes central nervous system damage in humans
Bacteria and fungal spores are potential ________.
causes of "sick building syndrome"
The ozone hole is largely a consequence of the use of __________.
chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants
Contact with low amounts of a chemical over long periods of time is called __________.
chronic exposure
Worldwide, the fastest growing cities today are mostly ________.
cities in developing nations, such as Delhi, India
What type of specialist has the job of advising policy makers on development, transportation, and parks?
city planners
The role of zoning is to ________.
classify areas for different types of urban development and land use
The pattern of atmospheric conditions found across a relatively large geographic region over a long period of time is __________.
climate
In the 1970s, sources of CFC pollution in the United States. included all of the following EXCEPT ________.
coal-burning power plants
The right to extract a resource (usually by a corporation) is termed a ________.
concession
What portion of the ocean contains the highest biodiversity and the greatest productivity?
continental she
The ________ is the gently sloping area that underlies the shallow water bordering continents.
continental shelf
Which type of ocean community is found in the subtidal zone?
coral reefs
Any obstruction placed in a river or stream to block flow
dam
What is the greatest contributing factor in the loss of polar bears in arctic areas?
decline in sea ice
As water warms, it ________.
decreases in density
About 80% of the ocean's water is found in the ________.
deep zone
The UN FAO's Global Forest Resources Assessment of 2015 concluded that ________.
deforestation has slowed, but we still lose forests at a rapid rate
Biome that generally occurs around 30 degrees north and south of the equator
desert
What drives the move to the suburbs from cities?
desire to live in less crowded, more peaceful conditions
What is the major factor driving the move to the suburbs from cities?
desire to live in less crowded, more peaceful conditions
The new urbanism tries to ________.
develop walkable neighborhoods, with homes and businesses close together
Seasons are a result of ________.
differences in the amount and intensity of sunlight brought about by the tilt of Earth's axis
What type of irrigation method wastes as little as 10% of the water applied to the plants?
drip irrigation
The causes of the current (sixth) mass extinction include all of the following EXCEPT ________.
earthquakes, tsunamis, and forest fires
Environmental health advocates criticize the process of risk management, saying that it gives too much weight to __________.
economic interests
When an ecosystem provides a benefit to humans free of charge, it is called __________.
ecosystem service
Water leaving a wastewater treatment plant
effluent
Which of the following is the name for water that has been used by humans and then treated for release back into the environment?
effluent
Most of the precipitation that falls onto Earth's surface ________.
either runs off to form rivers or filters down into underground aquifers
Red tides are caused by ________.
elevated nutrient levels
The first goal of the Stockholm Convention is to ________.
end the use and release of 12 POPs shown to be the most dangerous
Vulnerable to extinction in the near future
endangered
BPA and phthalates are known _________.
endocrine disruptors
The worldwide drop in sperm counts among men has been attributed to ________.
endocrine disruptors
Which of the following types of plants grow on top of other plants?
epiphytes
Which coastal habitat is a mixing place of fresh and saltwater?
estuary
Sinkholes can occur when ________.
excessive water use lowers a water table and weakens the substrate
The loss of species from the planet
extinction
The loss of a particular population from a given area (but not the entire species globally) is called ________.
extirpation
Commuter towns, generally populated by affluent individuals, lying some distance from a central city
exurbs
Approximately half of all vertebrate species on Earth are ________.
fishes
In the past 500 million years there have been ________ mass extinction events.
five
"Edge effects" are a problem particularly when ________.
formerly large habitats are reduced to small fragments
Salt marshes are ________.
found in temperate intertidal zones
Maintaining biodiversity can benefit human medical advances because ________.
future medicines and compounds can be discovered
In 1970, the source of most of the airborne lead emissions in the United States was ________.
gasoline
The program Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) ________.
gives wealthy nations carbon offsets if they pay poorer nations to conserve forests
Oceanographers are studying the thermohaline currents to determine whether ________.
global climate change may slow or alter their path
The Coriolis effect contributes to ________.
global wind patterns
Dose-response curves are developed by __________.
graphing the response of model systems or organisms to specific doses of toxicants
The effect of a toxicant on fetuses and young children tends to be ________.
greater than it would be on adults
American cities in the northern United States, such as Chicago, Philadelphia, and Detroit, ________.
grew very rapidly in the 19th and early 20th centuries
One-fifth of Earth's total freshwater supply is in ________.
groundwater
A recent study has revealed that chlorinated solvents, gasoline, and radioactive compounds have become significant pollutants in ________ from ________.
groundwater; leaking storage tanks
The world's urban populations are ________.
growing at a faster rate than the global population as a whole
The greatest cause of the worldwide loss of species is ________.
habitat destruction
The main environmental problem caused by harvesting bottom-dwelling mollusks is ________.
habitat destruction
The SLOSS debate involves issues relating to ________.
habitat fragmentation and preserve design
The largest source of biodiversity loss for birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians is ________.
habitat loss
What is the greatest known cause of global amphibian declines?
habitat loss
Why is grain production in the Great Plains considered largely unsustainable?
he Ogallala aquifer is being depleted for irrigation water.
Temperature increases with altitude through most of the stratosphere because ________.
heat is released when oxygen and ozone absorb the sun's UV radiation
The urban heat island effect is caused by ________.
heat-generating buildings and dark, heat-absorbing surfaces
Horizontal movement of water across the ocean's surface __________.
helps to redistribute energy (in the form of heat) from warm areas to colder areas
All of the following are issues related to the harvesting of orange roughy EXCEPT ________.
high bycatch
Areas of ocean upwellings are often the sites of ________.
high primary productivity
A system containing cool air that spreads outward as it descends
high-pressure system
A __________ LD50 indicates low toxicity, while a __________ LD50 indicates high toxicity.
high; low
An area that supports an especially great diversity of endemic species
hotspot
Two components of sprawl are __________.
human population growth and per capita land consumption
Water is renewed naturally by Earth as it moves through the __________.
hydrologic cycle
The European Union's experience with polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) has shown that ________.
if the toxin is removed from the environment, concentrations in human tissues fall
The Convention on Biological Diversity has goals that ________.
include using biodiversity in a sustainable manner
In 2010, Metro Portland made a historic agreement between landowners and citizens which ________.
included a regional plan to identify exactly where urban growth would be allowed
Urban sprawl typically results in
increased commuting distances.
Which was the result of salt marshes being lost due to engineering of the Mississippi River and subsidence from oil and gas drilling?
increased flooding during Hurricane Katrina
One consequence of CFC pollution damage to the atmosphere is ________.
increased rates of skin cancer in humans
Suburban living encourages ________.
increased use of automobiles
Any consideration of the true costs of sprawl must include ________.
increased use of fossil fuels
Cigarette smoke and radon are two of the most common __________ hazards.
indoor
The Toxic Substances Control Act regulates ________.
industrial chemicals
The greatest species diversity is found in which of the following groups?
insects
Which group of organisms is the most important in terms of contributing the most species to global biodiversity?
insects
What is the main way that humans use water in a consumptive fashion?
irrigation
Biodiversity enhances human food security because it ________.
is a potential source of new food items or new genetic varieties of existing foods
The Coriolis effect ________.
is caused by Earth's rotation
Photochemical smog differs from industrial smog in that it ________.
is formed only in the presence of sunlight
The sixth mass extinction event __________.
is ongoing and has been caused by human disturbance
A greenway ________.
is the link that provides pathways for wildlife to travel between parks and preserves
Contrary to popular belief, the Endangered Species Act allows ________.
landowners to harm a protected species if they improve habitat for it through a permit process
All of the following are landscaping features of green buildings EXCEPT ________.
landscaping with AstroTurf in dry environments
In the United States, ambient air concentrations of which of the following have declined the most since 1980 compared to its health and safety standard?
lead
Toxicant present in old paint and pipes; damages the brain, liver, kidney, and stomach when ingested
lead
One of the ongoing problems for wild California condors is that ________.
lead shot is still used for hunting, and the lead can build up in a condor's system because condors eat dead animals that have been shot
Residence time is the ________.
length of time a pollutant spends in the environment
In thermohaline circulation systems, surface water is ________.
less salty, less dense, and warmer
In a municipal wastewater treatment plant, the primary treatment step includes ________.
letting sewage sit in large settling tanks so suspended solids can settle out
A long, raised mound of earth used to control flooding along a river
levee
Endemic species are ________.
limited to just one location, such as an island
Emergent vegetation such as cattails and reeds grow in the ________ zone of a lake.
littoral
The edge of a lake that is nutrient-rich and with large amount of plants and invertebrates is termed the ________ zone.
littoral
The region of a lake where plants are able to attach to the bottom and still reach above the surface is known as the __________.
littoral zone
Sprawl is the spread of __________ urban or suburban development outward from an urban center.
low-density
Studies of endocrine disruptors have shown that they are closely associated with all of the following EXCEPT ________.
lung cancer
Ecotourism ________.
maintains biodiversity by providing income to areas that might otherwise be destroyed
Risk __________ includes decisions and strategies that will minimize risk.
management
All of the following statements about mangroves are true EXCEPT ________.
mangroves and kelp are usually found growing in the same area
Which types of experiments are needed to establish that a certain toxicant actually causes a particular disease?
manipulative
Which of the following ocean areas would be a true protected area, free of fishing?
marine reserves
People who live entirely within an urban environment ________.
may become disconnected from nature and from the true costs of their needs and activities
Neurotoxin that magnifies within food webs; typically found in polluted bodies of water; poisoned thousands of people when it was dumped into a Japanese bay
mercury
Which ocean pollutant can enter the tissues of marine organisms and make fish and shellfish unsafe for us to eat?
mercury
The Los Angeles smog problem is made much worse by ________.
nearby mountains and the warm sunshine, which cause inversion layers
Designing neighborhoods on a walkable scale
new urbanism
Blue-baby" syndrome is a consequence of excess ________ in the water supply.
nitrates
What gas comprises the largest portion of Earth's atmosphere?
nitrogen
Earth's atmosphere is composed mostly of ________.
nitrogen and oxygen
Using water to power electric generators in a dam is a ________ use of water.
nonconsumptive
Gray water can ________.
often be used for irrigation and watering lawns
In 1992, the Canadian government ________.
ordered a ban on cod fishing
What caused the Aral Sea, the fourth largest lake on Earth, to lose four-fifths of its volume in 40 years?
overconsumption by cotton farmers
Sinkholes can result from ________.
overconsumption of water from aquifers
Currently, the greatest ecological crisis facing marine organisms and food webs is ________.
overharvesting
Which of the following is a secondary air pollutant that can be formed in urban smog?
ozone
Oregon's strong policy of enforcing UGBs (urban growth boundaries) to create livable cities has been exemplary for many years, but between 2004 and 2007, voters ________.
passed a bill giving property owners some exceptions from UGB rules
In 2006, Congress ________ to address the issue of solid wastes in oceans.
passed the Marine Debris Research, Prevention and Reduction Act.
Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring focuses primarily on the environmental problems associated with ________.
pesticide toxicity
Excessive nutrient concentrations in the oceans give rise to population explosions of __________.
phytoplankton
Wildlife in the Serengeti is currently threatened by ________.
plans to build a highway that passes through the park
Xeriscaping can save water by ________.
planting native or drought-resistant landscaping plants
If an evaluating committee places the burden of proof of the safety of a new chemical on the manufacturer of the chemical, then the committee is using the __________.
precautionary principle
When a new substance enters the market, there are two main approaches: the "innocent-until-proven-guilty" approach, with limited testing, and the "________" approach, in which rigorous testing occurs before products are released.
precautionary principle
The "precautionary principle approach" to chemical testing __________.
prevents products from entering the marketplace until they are well tested
A __________ pollutant interacts with a part of the atmosphere and becomes a __________ pollutant.
primary; secondary
Land trusts are ________.
private nonprofit groups
Risk is determined using the statistical description called __________, which helps us to determine the likelihood of a certain even occurring.
probability
Which term quantitatively describes the likelihood that you would have an effect from exposure to an environmental toxin?
probability
El Nino and La Nina events ________.
produce changes of opposite direction in temperature and precipitation patterns
Which of the following are indoor chemical hazards?
radon and asbestos
In industrialized nations, the two most deadly sources of indoor pollution are ________.
radon and cigarette smoke
Which is not one of the ten principles of "smart growth"?
redevelop farmland and open space into infrastructure
Research has suggested that sprawl may impact human health because of ________.
reduced physical activity
Broad land use studies that may include several cities and adjoining non urban areas
regional planning
In captive breeding programs, organisms are bred with the intent to __________.
release them to the wild
Air travel, the Internet, cheap fossil fuels, and television all have allowed people to ________.
remain connected while living in less centralized communities
Clear-cutting ________.
removes all trees from an area
Louis Guillette is well known for his studies of ________ in Florida.
reproductive and developmental abnormalities in alligators
The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 ________.
required that by 2015 all oil tankers in U.S. water be double hulled
Dams create a __________ from which we can get water for human use.
reservoir
From where does New York City get its drinking water?
reservoirs far to the northwest of the city
The Montreal Protocol ________.
resulted in significant reduction in the production of CFCs by signatory nations
Methods for desalinating sea water to produce fresh water include ________.
reverse osmosis and distillation
In developing nations such as India and Nigeria, ________.
rural people are moving to the cities in large numbers
Some of the devastating effects of hurricane Katrina occurred because the natural __________ in the area vanished as a result of human activity.
salt marshes
Overpumping groundwater in coastal areas can cause ________ to move into aquifers, making the water undrinkable.
saltwater
Reverse osmosis is a process that converts __________.
saltwater into fresh water
Aerobic bacteria break down organic materials during this stage of wastewater treatment −
secondary treatment
The ________ system of timber harvesting involves leaving small numbers of mature trees in place to provide shelter for seedlings as they grow.
shelterwood
What type of farming has led to the destruction of mangroves?
shrimp
Farm-raised shrimp are NOT a good environmental seafood choice because ________.
shrimp farms are often associated with reduction in mangrove forest habitat
Which of the following follows the philosophy of "building up, not out"?
smart growth
Which of the following is an unhealthy mixture of pollutants that forms over cities?
smog
Which of the following is an example of a cultural hazard?
smoking cigarettes
If forests are strictly managed according to the maximum sustainable yield model, some biodiversity would still be lost because ________.
species whose habitat depends on mature trees in the top canopy layer will be excluded
Point sources of air pollution are __________.
specific spots-such as a factory's smokestacks-where large quantities of pollution are discharged
The spread of low-density urban or suburban development outward from an urban center
sprawl
The layer of Earth's atmosphere containing the "ozone layer"
stratosphere
The ozone layer that limits damaging solar radiation striking the Earth is found in the __________.
stratosphere
Sinkholes are an extreme and rapid form of ________.
subsidence
A serious problem that results from excessive water withdrawn from aquifers is that ________.
subsidence can occur, reducing the size of the aquifer
Residential/commercial communities that ring cities just outside city limits
suburban communities
In his 2005 book, Richard Louv maintains that today's children ________.
suffer psychologically and emotionally from "nature deficit disorder"
In order to deal with our water problems, we can either increase __________ or reduce __________.
supply; demand
Zooxanthellae are ________.
symbiotic algae that provide corals with energy via their photosynthetic activity
Mass-transit systems include all of the following EXCEPT ________.
taxicabs
Nicotine and alcohol have been shown to be harmful to a fetus in the womb in that they can lead to birth defects. Nicotine and alcohol are therefore potential __________.
teratogens
Used as a sleeping pill for pregnant women; teratogen that now is banned
thalidomide
Prescribed burns would be used in forests ________.
that are subject to severe wildfires to remove fuel load and stimulate new growth
The greatest general problem with suburbs is ________.
that they spread environmental impact over a larger area
Which of the following is a large body of water that is dying because of years of improper irrigation practices?
the Aral Sea
A watershed is ________
the area of land that drains into a river or lake
This is the uppermost area of branches and tree tops in a forest where arboreal creatures live.
the canopy
A 2009 study found that one-third of the world's 925 major rivers experienced reduced flow from 1948 to 2004, with the majority of the reduction attributed to ________.
the effects of climate change
This figure shows the population of Portland, Oregon, from 1850 to 2015. What is the explanation for the population trend from 1950 to 1980?
the exodus of residents to the suburbs
In the 1950s, Los Angeles became famous for its smog. Which of the following contributed to the smog problem?
the increase in the number of automobiles
In 1958 trash collection programs were established, and backyard incinerators were banned in the hope of reducing smog. However, it was estimated that massive amounts of gasoline were evaporating from storage tanks, fuel pump nozzles, and delivery trucks. This was also considered a serious contributor to smog, and over the next 20 years several new rules, and several new devices, were put in place to alleviate it. Despite the changes, there was still a great deal of photochemical smog. The major remaining problem was ________.
the large distances driven daily by solitary commuters
A city undergoing gentrification is experiencing ________.
the loss of working-class people from traditional neighborhoods as housing prices become too expensive
Species richness is affected by many variables. As one travels to higher latitudes, one would generally find ________.
the number of species to decrease
The resource allocation of the Colorado River's water is being complicated by ________.
the rapid growth of Las Vegas
Part of the reason that people's eyes would sting was ________.
the smoke and particulates from the burning trash
Which of the following layers of the atmosphere is providing the air that we breathe?
the troposphere
Which of the following is a problem that occurs within cities because of the concentrated use of energy in buildings and vehicles and the large number of dark surfaces that absorb solar energy?
the urban heat island effect
LEED-certified buildings could be described in all of the following ways, except ________.
their construction costs much less than for conventional buildings
Carcinogens may be difficult to identify because ________.
there is a long lag time between exposure to the agent and disease
Reversal of normal vertical temperature distribution in the lower region of the atmosphere
thermal inversion
The pollution that occurs when human activities raise water temperatures is called
thermal pollution
The highest level of our atmosphere, with relatively few molecules per unit area
thermosphere
All of the following are true of ocean currents EXCEPT ________.
they are always rapid and powerful
Which term describes the process of the ocean's height increasing and decreasing periodically?
tides
Levees are used ________.
to prevent flooding and facilitate shipping
The bald eagle and peregrine falcon are ________.
top consumers susceptible to eggshell damage caused by DDT
Fire history in an open pine woodland ecosystem would be best determined by ________.
tree ring burn marks
Many environmental advocates believe that biofuel made from palm oil is NOT an appropriate replacement for fossil fuels such as petroleum because ________.
tropical forests must be cleared to plant oil palms
Which of the following should be avoided because of PCB contamination?
tuna
A measure of the density of suspended particles (lack of clarity) in a water sample
turbidity
Animals, such as tigers, that need large amounts of land and whose protection provides protection for many other species
umbrella species
The shaded lower level of the forest is termed the ________.
understory
Which of the following is the most similar to a natural forest?
uneven-aged stands
Most of the productivity of the ocean occurs in (on) the __________.
uppermost layer of the ocean called the photic zone
What does UGB stand for?
urban growth boundary
Since 2009, for the first time ever, more people in the world were living in __________ areas than __________ areas.
urban; rural
The shift from rural to urban living
urbanization
Urban sustainability advocates urge us to ________.
use renewable energy sources and recycle materials
"Biosolids" produced at a wastewater treatment plant are often ________.
used as crop fertilizer
Which of the following forestry practices would best conserve biodiversity?
using a selection system to get uneven-aged stands
What are groundfish?
various species that live in benthic habitats, such as halibut and flounder
Initiated in 2007, the REACH program ________.
was passed by the European Union to protect its citizens from unsafe chemicals
The book Our Stolen Future was important because it ________.
was the first book to focus on the impacts of endocrine-disrupting chemicals
Which of the following will contribute to water conservation?
watering lawns at night, using low-flow faucets, and landscaping with native plants
An area that is drained by a river system is called its __________.
watershed
Water in the surface zone of the ocean is, for the most part, ________.
well mixed
The huge dust storms that took place in the United States in the 1930s ________.
were the result of poor farming techniques
Ocean areas of high productivity are often found __________.
where nutrient-rich water from the ocean depths wells up along coasts
Ocean water is saltiest ________.
where there is high evaporation and low precipitation
Dam removal in the United States ________.
will probably continue because the environmental impacts of dams are reviewed periodically
Most present-day fisheries managers ________.
wish to set aside areas of ocean where systems can function without human interference
More and more people in the United States are practicing ______________, a type of landscaping that uses plants adapted to arid conditions.
xeriscaping
The practice of classifying areas for different types of development and land use
zoning
