apes unit 9 test
order of atmospheric layers
1) troposphere 2) ozone layer 3) stratosphere 4) mesosphere 5) thermosphere 6) exosphere
UV-C
100 - 280 nm, which are the most damaging wavelengths.
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
A family of organic compounds whose properties make them ideal for use in refrigeration and air-conditioning.
Which of the following best describes why there has been a reduction in ozone depletion over the last half of the twentieth century?
A global plan to decrease CFC emissions was enacted by signing the Montreal Protocol.
land ice
A layer of perpetual snow that has turned into ice
coral bleaching
A phenomenon in which algae inside corals die, causing the corals to turn white.
Albedo
Ability of a surface to reflect light
Which of the following best describes how ocean acidification harms coral reefs?
Acidification decreases the amount of carbonate ions, which leads to a decline in the formation of reef infrastructure.
Which of the following best describes the effect of increasing global temperature on coral ecosystems?
Algae that live symbiotically with the corals leave the reef, causing coral bleaching.
Montreal Protocol (1987)
An agreement on protection of the ozone layer in which states pledged to reduce and then eliminate use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). It is the most successful environmental treaty to date.
Which of the following changes are linked to an increase in ocean water temperature?
An increase in metabolism in marine species and a decrease in dissolved oxygen in ocean water
thermal expansion
An increase in the size of a substance when the temperature is increased
Which of the following is a likely explanation for the difference shown in the graph for the percent of animals and the percent of plants threatened by transient-human activity?
Animals are mobile and able to avoid trampling, but because plants are stationary, transient-human activity affects a larger percent of plants than of animals.
Many organisms, such as honeybees and livestock, have been domesticated for economic reasons. Which of the following best describes an unintended consequence of this practice?
As humans tamed wild organisms to amplify desired traits, genetic diversity decreased in the organisms' populations; The process of domestication of plants and animals has reduced their genetic diversity relative to their wild ancestors. By breeding for certain traits, other traits are reduced or eliminated in the population.
Which of the following best describes an example of a harmful effect of an invasive species on biodiversity?
Asian carp outcompete native fish species in rivers in the United States.
artificial selection
Breeding organisms with specific traits in order to produce offspring with identical traits.
Causes of Stratospheric Ozone Depletion
CFCs from aerosols and fire suppressants, CFCs from air conditioners, and natural sources like melting of ice crystals
Which of the following best identifies the reason that chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were banned in 1996 by the Montreal Protocol?
CFCs led to the destruction of stratospheric ozone.
Which of the following best identifies the primary cause of increasing acidity in the oceans?
Carbon dioxide emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels
Which of the following best describes why carbon dioxide has a significant effect on global climate change?
Carbon dioxide is the largest contributor to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions.
Examples of greenhouse gases
Carbon dioxide, water vapour, methane, nitrous oxide, tropospheric ozone, CFCs, HFCs
Which of the following is the primary cause of stratospheric ozone depletion?
Chlorine atoms in CFCs
Which of the following gases has the greatest impact on global climate change as a result of having the highest global warming potential (GWP) ?
Chlorofluorocarbons
Which of the following environmental problems is most directly linked to ocean warming?
Coral bleaching
Which of the following best describes an advantage of constructing habitat corridors?
Corridors connect habitats separated by fragmentation and connect wildlife populations.
Which of the following claims about crocodile nests is best supported by the data in the maps?
Crocodiles now nest in areas where they did not nest historically as a result of restoration projects at public beaches, county parks, and other areas.
Sea surface temperatures in the Caribbean Sea have increased over the past 30 years. Which of the following is the most likely cause for the warming trend?
Elevated levels of atmospheric CO2
Which of the following best describes how an anthropogenic activity can increase ocean acidification?
Emissions from power plants that burn fossil fuels increase atmospheric carbon dioxide, which is absorbed by the ocean.
Coastal Inundation
Flooding of normally dry, low-lying coastal land
Based on the data shown in the graph, which of the following is the most plausible hypothesis about the number of glacial periods that occurred in the past 400,000 years?
Four glacial periods occurred in the past 400,000 years.
Which of the following best describes the cause of the greenhouse effect on Earth?
Gases in the atmosphere absorb infrared radiation and radiate the energy back toward Earth's surface.
Which of the following best describes the greenhouse effect on Earth?
Greenhouse gases trap heat near Earth's surface, keeping the average surface temperature constant.
Which of the following best describes the advantage of using hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) or hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) to replace chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in industrial processes?
HFCs and HCFCs have lower ozone-depleting potentials than CFCs do.
HIPPCO (the main factors that lead to decreases in biodiversity)
Habitat destruction, Invasive Species, Population growth, Pollution, Climate Change, Overexploitation
Based on the data shown in the graph, which of the following is the most plausible hypothesis for the cause of the trend in CO2 levels from about 5,000 years ago to the present?
Human activity, especially the burning of fossil fuels, has led to an increase in anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. This has caused a doubling in the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere.
Which of the following events would most likely lead to a decrease in the pH in the oceans?
Increased burning of fossil fuels in power plants
Which of the following best describes the primary cause of global ocean warming?
Increased global temperature from an increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
Based on the information in the diagram, which of the following best supports the claim that a change in the duration of warm seasons would result in a higher prevalence of vector-borne diseases?
Increased temperatures provide an expanded breeding range and duration, which will likely increase the size of vector populations.
Which of the following would most likely promote biodiversity in a given area?
Increased use of habitat corridors between fragmented ecosystems
Which of the following types of releases of greenhouse gases from an anthropogenic source is shown in the diagram?
Industrial and agricultural practices releasing CH4 into the atmosphere
ocean conveyor belt
Interconnected flow of currents that redistribute heat throughout the Earth
The data in the graph reflect threats identified in species recovery plans. Based on the data in the graph, altering human activity in which of the following areas will most benefit plant species?
Introduction of invasive species; Invasive species are a threat to nearly 80% of the plant species listed under the Endangered Species Act, which is the highest percent of plants affected by any human activity listed.
HCFCs were originally introduced as a solution to help phase out the use of CFCs. Which of the following most likely contributed to the increased levels of HCFCs in the stratosphere over the past 30 years?
Leaking of refrigeration and air-conditioning units
Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) are human-made chemicals that have been used as temporary replacements for chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in refrigerants because they decompose more readily in the atmosphere and thus pose less of a threat to Earth's protective ozone layer. Levels of HCFCs have been measured in the stratosphere, and the concentrations of many different HCFCs have been steadily increasing since the mid- to late 1990s. HCFCs were originally introduced as a solution to help phase out the use of CFCs. Which of the following most likely contributed to the increased levels of HCFCs in the stratosphere over the past 30 years?
Leaking of refrigeration and air-conditioning units
Which of the following best describes the effect of temperature on the chemical reactions that result in ozone layer depletion?
Low temperatures create polar stratospheric clouds that lead to the production of free radicals of chlorine, which result in the breakdown of ozone at the beginning of the antarctic spring; The decrease in temperature causes ice crystals and polar stratospheric cloud formation. These clouds and crystals provide a place for chlorine compound conversion. In the spring, the heat melts the crystals and allows the harmful chlorine compounds to be released, which increases the depletion of the ozone layer.
Which of the following correctly identifies the three main characteristics associated with the hole in the ozone layer?
Main Chemical Responsible for Causing Ozone Hole Formation Geographic Location of the Ozone Hole Form of Energy Entering Earth due to Ozone Hole Formation CFCs South Pole Ultra Violet
Which of the following could directly lead to a loss of biodiversity as an unintended consequence of human actions?
Mangrove forests are removed as part of a beach development project.
Sixty-five percent of global greenhouse gas emissions are made up of carbon dioxide, while only sixteen percent are made up of methane gas. Which of the following best explains why scientists are increasingly concerned about the effect of methane gas emissions on global climate if they are a relatively small percent of greenhouse gases released?
Methane gas has a higher global warming potential ( GWP ) than carbon dioxide does, so it can trap more heat in the atmosphere.
Based on the data above, which of the following is the most likely conclusion of a study addressing the following scientific question. What will happen to methane levels in the atmosphere at 60°N to 75°N latitude from 2018 to 2027 if the trend from 2011 to 2017 continues?
Methane levels in the atmosphere will increase because melting or thawing permafrost will lead to an increase in the amount of organic matter that will decompose.
greenhouse effect
Natural situation in which heat is retained in Earth's atmosphere by carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, and other gases
Local legislation was passed to protect animal species prone to extinction. The legislation included criminalizing poaching, setting limits on number of fish people can catch, and protecting habitats. Which of the following threats shown in the graph will most likely decrease the most as a result of the legislation?
Overharvesting
Which of the following best describes the importance of ozone in the stratosphere to life on Earth?
Ozone absorbs most of the ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.
photic zone
Portion of the marine biome that is shallow enough for sunlight to penetrate.
Based on the diagram, which of the following best illustrates how the biosphere can affect global climate change?
Producers use solar energy for photosynthesis, decreasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and increasing the amount of carbon sequestered in plant tissue; Warmer temperatures increase the metabolic rates in many plants. This increases the rate of photosynthesis, which converts atmospheric carbon dioxide to organic molecules that contain carbon. Producers (in the biosphere) can help to reduce global climate change.
Which of the following best describes a disadvantage of creating a series of protected habitats in an effort to maintain biodiversity in an area?
Protected habitats often separate species inside the habitat from other populations of the same species living outside the habitat.
Which of the following actions best explains a cause of increasing ocean acidification?
Reliance on fossil fuels for electricity generation emits carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, which is absorbed by the ocean, leading to a decrease in the pHpH in the ocean.
Which of the following describes a negative effect of substituting hydrofluorocarbons (HCFCs) for chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in an effort to reduce ozone depletion?
Some type of hydrofluorocarbons are greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change.
r species
Species that reproduce early in their life span and produce large numbers of usually small and short-lived offspring in a short period.
generalist species
Species with a broad ecological niche. They can live in many different places, eat a variety of foods, and tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions. Examples are flies, cockroaches, mice, rats, and human beings. Compare specialist species.
habitat fragmentation
Splitting of ecosystems into small fragments
The graph above shows CO2 measurements taken from Mauna Loa, Hawaii, and the Vostok ice core, which was drilled from ice sheets in Antarctica.
Temperatures were warmer 125,000 years ago than the average temperature over the past 400,000 years.
The graph above shows CO2 measurements taken from Mauna Loa, Hawaii, and the Vostok ice core, which was drilled from ice sheets in Antarctica. Which of the following hypotheses is best supported by the graph?
Temperatures were warmer 125,000 years ago than the average temperature over the past 400,000 years.
Since 1901, the sea level across the globe has risen over 20cm. The change in sea level can be affected by land movement. Land movement itself can be caused by subsiding coastal lands, oil and water extraction, and plate tectonics. The diagram shows the relative sea level rise at various coastal locations in the United States from 1960 to 2014. Based on the information in the map, which areas in the United States have experienced the greatest sea level rise?
The Northeast and the Gulf of Mexico
The map reflects the difference in annual surface temperature from 2011 to 2017 in relation to 2000 to 2010. The scatterplot reflects the average change in surface temperature by latitude from 2011 to 2017 in relation to 2000 to 2010. Based on the data above, which of the following hypotheses about the future conditions in the Arctic is most plausible if the trend seen from 2011 to 2017 continues?
The albedo will decrease.
resource partitioning
The division of environmental resources by coexisting species such that the niche of each species differs by one or more significant factors from the niches of all coexisting species
Which of the following best describes how ocean acidification affects coral formation?
The increase in hydrogen ions dissolved in the ocean water sequesters available carbonate ions, preventing the use of calcium carbonate for coral skeleton formation; Hydrogen has a higher affinity for carbonate than does calcium. Since calcium carbonate-forming organisms cannot extract carbonate from bicarbonate in any efficient manner, this inhibits calcium carbonate formation and usage in coral reef formation.
American crocodiles thrive in healthy estuaries and are found distributed across southern Florida, the Caribbean islands, and in parts of northern South America. The American crocodile has always been considered rare in the state of Florida, and restoration efforts have been in effect for decades to aid the crocodile in heavily populated coastal areas. Which of the following best describes how the American crocodile has become endangered in the state of Florida?
The increasing use of coastal areas by human has destroyed much of the habitat of the species.
Based on the data above, which of the following best supports the hypothesis that the Arctic (latitudes greater than 66°N) experienced accelerated warming compared to the rest of the planet from 2011 to 2017 ?
The largest areas with surface-temperature changes greater than a 4°C increase are found in the Arctic.
Based on the diagram, which of the following best predicts how an increase in greenhouse gases would affect the ocean?
The oceans would be warmed because of increased solar radiation being absorbed by the water, causing expansion and sea level rise; Increased absorption of solar radiation will warm the oceans. This causes the water molecules to expand (thermal expansion), leading to sea level rise.
Which of the following best describes a likely unintended consequence of the restoration plan based on the data in the map?
There will be an increase in the number of human and crocodile interactions in coastal areas.
Based on the information in the map, which of the following is a likely consequence for the human population if the sea level continues to change in the same pattern?
There will be in an increase in the number of individuals who live in flood prone regions, and there will be an increase in the number of properties at risk of flooding.
Since 1901, the sea level across the globe has risen over 20cm. The change in sea level can be affected by land movement. Land movement itself can be caused by subsiding coastal lands, oil and water extraction, and plate tectonics. The diagram shows the relative sea level rise at various coastal locations in the United States from 1960 to 2014. Based on the information in the map, which of the following is a likely consequence for the human population if the sea level continues to change in the same pattern
There will be in an increase in the number of individuals who live in flood prone regions, and there will be an increase in the number of properties at risk of flooding.
Which of the following best describes why water vapor, a greenhouse gas, is not considered a significant contributor to global climate change?
Water vapor has a relatively short residence time in the atmosphere.
The stratospheric ozone layer benefits life on Earth by
absorbing 99% of incoming UV-B and UV-C radiation
Stratospheric ozone ( O3 ) is essential for life to exist on Earth because it
absorbs incoming solar UV-C radiation, preventing exposure to dangerous radiation from the Sun
HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons)
alternative to CFC's that damage the ozone layer. Have a long atmospheric lifetime.
Hydrochlorofluorocarbons ( HCFCs ) are human-made chemicals that have been used as temporary replacements for chlorofluorocarbons ( CFCs ) in refrigerants because they decompose more readily in the atmosphere and thus pose less of a threat to Earth's protective ozone layer. Levels of HCFCs have been measured in the stratosphere, and the concentrations of many different HCFCs have been steadily increasing since the mid- to late 1990s. One important drawback of the use of HCFCs as a replacement for CFCs is that HCFCs
are greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change
Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) are human-made chemicals that have been used as temporary replacements for chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in refrigerants because they decompose more readily in the atmosphere and thus pose less of a threat to Earth's protective ozone layer. Levels of HCFCs have been measured in the stratosphere, and the concentrations of many different HCFCs have been steadily increasing since the mid- to late 1990s. One important drawback of the use of HCFCs as a replacement for CFCs is that HCFCs
are greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change
Stratospheric ozone depletion
caused by ozone-depleting chemicals (ODCs) such as CFCs, methyl chloroform or trichloromethane (CHCl3), carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), halon (haloalkanes), methyl bromide (CH3Br)— all of which attack stratospheric ozone. The Cl or Br atoms "attack" the ozone molecules and cause the thinning of this layer. Global Agreement to decrease ODC - Montreal Protocol (1987)
which component of cfcs catalyzes the conversion of ozone into the atmosphere
chlorine
Coral bleaching can be hazardous to some fish species because
coral reefs provide unique habitats for fish
ocean acidification
decreasing pH of ocean waters due to absorption of excess atmospheric CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels
invasive species tend to be
generalist, r-species
drawbacks of sea level rising
impacts organisms that will not longer be in the photic zone
UV-A
longest wavelength, lowest energy, least damaging
Melting permafrost releases
methane gas, driving a positive feedback warming loop
lower ph
more acidic
higher pH
more basic
benefits of sea level rising
new marine habitat createdd
Why does pH matter?
nutrient availability and disease suppression
Permafrost
permanently frozen layer of soil beneath the surface of the ground
ice cores
pieces of ice used to track earths past weather
habitat corridors
protected strips of land that allow the migration of organisms from one wilderness area to another
GWP (global warming potential)
relative measure of how much heat a known mass of a GHG traps over a number of years compared to the same mass of carbon dioxide
catalyst
substance that speeds up the rate of a chemical reaction
effects of stratospheric ozone depletion
sunburns, cancer, degradation of plastics and other items, disrupts photosynthesis
ocean circulation
the large scale movement of waters in the ocean basins. Winds drive surface circulation, and the cooling and sinking of waters in the polar regions drive deep circulation.
Domestication
the taming of animals for human use, such as work or as food
Effects of ozone depletion
thinning of ozone layers, disruption of photosynthesis, disruption of food chains/webs, impacts populations of some organisms like amphibians, impacts human health: skin cancer, cataracts
Atmospheric Layers
troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere
UV-B
wavelength of ultraviolet radiation that is known to cause skin cancer and cataracts as well as harm to plant cells and their ability to photosynthesize upon exposure
selective pressure
when the environment pushes an individual or population to adapt or evolve
