APES Unit 5 FRQ's

(C) Describe one environmental impact that the sulfur content of the remaining coal and the tailings would have on the reclamation process and suggest a possible remedy. (2 points)

a. Impacts: Sulfur in the coal and tailings may dissolve in water that percolates through them to form sulfuric acid which results in i. Acidification of the surrounding soil b. Remedy: Bioremediation by sulfur-removing bacteria

(B) Explain why the restoration of the land would likely be more difficult in an arid climate (one with less than 10 inches of precipitation per year). (2 points)

a. It may be difficult to re-establish vegetation due to i. Low precipitation b. As a consequence of the slow growth of vegetation the reclamation may be prolonged because of i. Runoff

(E) Explain why per capita coal consumption in the United States is likely to increase (2 points)

a. Lower overall cost compared to other energy sources b. One point is earned for connecting an increased per capita demand for energy due to increased affluence of the U.S. population

(B) Assume that the maximum arable land area on Earth is 4.00 billion hectares. Using the smooth curve that you created above, determine the year in which the human population is likely to run out of arable land for agriculture. (1 point)

a. One point for consistent guess (about 2048)

(C) Soil quality is a critical factor in agriculture. Identify TWO physical and/or chemical properties of soils and describe the role of each property in determining soil quality. (4 points)

a. Property: porosity/ pore size i. Role: pores allow space for oxygen needed by plant roots/ soil organisms for respiration/survival b. Property: water-holding capacity i. Role: water is needed by plants for survival/ growth

(A) Describe the steps that should be taken to restore the land after the overburden has been replaced. (3 points)

a. Recontouring/ Regrading the land to its original topography b. Replacing and/or adding topsoil and/or nutrients as needed to improve soil quality or structure c. Replanting with native vegetation/fast growing species/early successional species

(E) One problem that can result from agriculture is salinization (2 points). i. Describe how salinization occurs ii. Describe one method to prevent or remediate soil salinization

a. Salinization can occur when irrigation water evaporates, leaving the salts behind in the soil b. Method: avoid planting crops until the salt has been flushed from the soil.

(D) Other than mining and reclamation, describe TWO environmental impacts of using coal for energy. (2 points)

a. Thermal pollution b. Global climate change (global warming) as a result of the increased release of greenhouse gases from combustion into the atmosphere

(D) Describe TWO viable strategies for reducing the amount of land needed for agriculture. (2 points)

a. Use of (more effective) pesticides/ fertilizers could increase crop yield b. Switching from cotton to hemp for textiles would provide more material per acre