APES Human Impacts on Ecosystems (Unit 8)

Which of the following characteristically produces non-point-source pollution?

Erosion from agricultural land

Of the following, which is the best example of a point source of water pollution?

Factory effluent

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.

Three common methods employed in the cleanup of oil spills are

large floating booms, skimmer boats, and genetically engineered bacteria

Which of the following is most likely to result from destruction of wetlands surrounding a river?

An increased frequency of flooding of the river valley

Mandates the restoration and maintenance of the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters

Clean Water Act

Which of the following is the most likely route for mercury to enter the food web?

Coal-burning emissions → deposition → ocean → plankton → fishes

The use of nitrogen-based fertilizers in the Midwestern United States is a major contributing factor to which of the following?

Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico

The dangers of disposing of toxic chemicals underground came to public attention in which of the following locations?

Love Canal, NY

Significant increases in water temperature can drastically change dissolved oxygen (DO) levels in a lake. Why does the combined effect of these two environmental changes result in algal blooms?

Low dissolved oxygen leads to death for aerobic organisms, like fish, whose decomposition provides an overabundance of nutrients for the algae, resulting in the large blooms.

Which of the following is a point source pollutant that would likely affect the ecosystem health of a coral reef?

Oil released from the broken hull of a shipwrecked tank

Which of the following solutions would best address the issues of greatest concern in the community?

Planting mangrove forests

A massive bluegill fish kill was observed in a lake near a power plant during the winter months. It was determined that the plant was releasing large amounts of hot water into the lake. Which of the following explains what likely caused the death of so many bluegills in the lake?

The influx of warmer water caused an unexpected increase in the metabolic rate of the bluegills, which led to increased physiological stress from limited resource availability.