Environmental Biology Final Review
The Congressional Research service has estimated that the black market value of illegally traded wildlife is worth __________ each year
$5 billion to $20 billion dollars
Which represents the highest species diversity?
10 species, each equally abundant
Approximately when did humans shift from being a hunting/gathering species to one that is primarily agricultural?
10,000 years ago
When did humans start domesticating food plants and breeding livestock?
10,000 years ago
In what year was the first Earth Day celebration held?
1970
When was thinning of the ozone over the Antarctic first verified?
1985
How much solid waste was generated per person per day in 2013?
2.0 kilograms
How much food do Americans thrown away as waste, according to the National Resources Defense Council?
20%
Approximately _____% of Earth's population relies on groundwater.
25
From 1960 to 2013, the amount of municipal solid waste recycling has increased from 6% to:
25%
Humans have been hunting whales for over ____ years.
3,000
El Niño is a periodic warming of the equatorial Pacific Ocean off the coast of South America that occurs every _____, on average.
3-5 years
What contributed to the 2008 skyrocketing food prices, which led to massive protests and outbreaks of famine in developing countries?
30% of the U.S. corn crop was diverted to ethanol production.
If everyone on Earth lived the way Americans did in 2012, how many Earths would we need to sustain our current population?
4
The United States receives about _____% of the 2.5 million people who migrate from one country to another every year.
40
San Francisco has succeeded in reducing the amount of solid waste ending up in landfills to just _____ of the total generated.
40%
Which of the following statements is NOT true when discussing fisheries regulators?
A "stock" is defined as the total of all subpopulations of a species, regardless of their location.
A decrease in pH from 7 to 6 results in which of the following?
A 10-fold increase in hydrogen ion concentration
Why was the banning of DDT critical to saving North American peregrine falcons from extinction?
A breakdown product of DDT was causing reproductive failure in peregrine falcons
Which of the following describes an example of density-dependent population of regulation?
A disease that spreads easily through a population
Which of the following does not fit the Tragedy of the Commons model?
A family grazing cattle on their own land
Which soil horizon is also called "topsoil," is rich in essential plant nutrients, and is generally dark in color?
A horizon
Which of the following is essential to any scientific investigation?
A hypothesis
Which of the following species would most likely be in danger of extinction?
A rare, geographically restricted species with low genetic diversity
_____ is composed of the layers of rock below the uppermost level of groundwater, in which the pore spaces in the geologic formation are saturated with water.
A saturated zone
Which of the following will likely support the fewest forest interior species?
A small forest fragment far from a large forest
What is the outcome of efforts to control acid rain in the United States?
Acid rain has decreased across the entire United States
What causes a "sea breeze"?
Air flows from higher pressure over the sea to the lower pressure over the land.
What is pollution?
Alteration of the environment that harms living organisms
How do bird deaths due to wind turbines compare to other causes of bird mortality?
Although wind turbines kill fewer birds than cars, pesticides, or cats, they represent a growing threat, as more wind turbines are being built.
A theory, as used by scientists, is best described by which one of the following?
An explanation for a natural phenomenon, widely supported by research results
Which of the following best describes environmental science?
An interdisciplinary field that reaches beyond the natural sciences to address practical environmental problems
Champion racehorses are often selected to breed and produce offspring with the characteristics of speed, agility, muscle structure, and bone structure in the next generation. Selecting individuals to produce descendants with these characteristics is an example of:
Artificial selection
Rank the following countries in order from greatest amount of uranium reserves to least.
Australia, russia, niger, united states
Which of the following is a biotic factor affecting the environment?
Bacteria
Which of the following statements is correct?
Bangladesh has almost 1,000 people on every square kilometer of land, while Australia has 3 people on one square kilometer of land.
Over half of all hazardous waste in the United States is produced by:
Basic chemical manufacturing
Which is the largest source of hazardous waste in the United States?
Basic chemical manufacturing
Why do researchers believe that bats suffer higher mortality around wind farms?
Bats suffer from barotrauma, resulting from a rapid expansion of their lungs as they enter areas of low air pressure near moving turbine blades.
The sex ratio at births (the ratio of male to female newborns) is globally about 103-107 boys for every 100 girls. Why are there naturally more boys born than girls?
Boys are more likely to die from disease and accidents than girls.
Which of the following South American countries has the lowest fertility rate?
Brazil
_____, the second largest producer of biodiesel after Germany, has reduced its rate of deforestation through the creation of indigenous reserves and other protected areas, including some set aside for sustainable use.
Brazil
Which of the following is the best way to protect soil on very steep hills or mountains?
Build terraces
What is one method of harnessing wave energy to produce energy?
Buoys that float on the water surface rise and fall with each wave, driving a pump that produces electricity.
Which of the following is NOT an effect of burning or extracting fossil fuels?
Burning fossil fuel releases carbon dioxide into the air, which decreases the effects of climate change.
Why do tropical areas use the slash-and-burn method to convert forests, instead of harvesting the timber?
Burning the timber releases nutrients into the poor tropical soils, so they can be farmed
How does an ecosystem engineer affect ecosystems?
By altering the physical environment
Select the correct combination of mega‐cities as they are listed from "smallest" to largest.
Cairo, Egypt/Mexico City, Mexico/Tokyo, Japan
Which of the greenhouse gases appears to act as Earth's "thermostat"?
Carbon dioxide
In animal populations, ____________ is determined by resources such as food supply, number of nesting sites or breeding territories, or access to safe sites from predators.
Carrying capacity
What did Rachel Carson advise regarding the use of chemical pesticides?
Caution in the use of chemical pesticides
Which of the following is a form of potential energy?
Chemical energy
Which of the following countries has the strictest population policies?
China
Which technique for cutting trees is the MOST efficient, and devastating?
Clear-cutting
What does the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 mandate?
Companies must have a program in place to prevent oil spills and a detailed cleanup plan in the event of a significant accident.
Competitive exclusion is most likely to occur under which of the following circumstances?
Competition between two species with nearly identical niches
What are two of the consequences of developing solar energy?
Construction of solar facilities damages habitat and adds to mortality in wildlife populations.
Breweries produce large amounts of wastewater. Which of the following is an innovative way to handle the liquid wastes produced?
Convert part of it to methane gas, which can be burned for electricity
Which Central American country is rapidly approaching Stage 4 of Demographic Transition?
Costa Rica
Humans use the largest fraction of water for:
Crop Irrigation
Farmers realized that using fertilizers reduced the need for:
Crop rotation
Which type of crop plant is least likely to accumulate high concentrations of heavy metals?
Crops producing an edible fruit, such as tomatoes
What does the process of refining petroleum do?
Crude oil is heated, and the various hydrocarbons separate by molecular weight at different temperatures.
Religion, art, tradition, and philosophy are all examples of:
Cultural factors
What does forestry involve?
Cutting and removing trees and other plant material for timber, fuelwood, and paper pulp
Rachel Carson's book "Silent Spring" warned of the dangers of which pesticide?
DDT
A _____ is a structure that blocks the flow of a stream or river.
Dam
In which phase of the nitrogen cycle do specialized bacteria in soil and water convert nitrate ions back into nitrogen gas (N2), which returns to the atmosphere?
Denitrification
Intraspecific competition, predation, parasitism, and disease in a population are all examples of:
Density-dependent factors
What mechanisms have been used to increase recycling rates?
Deposits on beverage containers, laws requiring recycling, and access to recycling bins
Which process removes salts from saltwater to form freshwater?
Desalination
_____ is a process of degradation of once fertile lands, which results in reduced plant cover and primary production.
Desertification
Why did the Kyoto Protocol emphasize the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by developed countries?
Developed countries have historically been the source of most of the greenhouse gas emissions
What produces the differences in temperature among the planets Earth, Mars, and Venus?
Differences in the greenhouse effect account for difference in the climates of Earth, Mars, and Venus
What do the disasters at the Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima nuclear power plants teach us?
Disasters can happen due to equipment failure, flawed reactor designs, or natural disasters.
Which of the following could be considered a point source of pollution?
Discharge of a city sewage treatment plant into a river
Why is the loss of peat wetlands during oil sand mining environmentally significant?
Disturbing them releases carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere, which are major greenhouse gases.
What is the current status of removing the four mainstream hydroelectric facilities on the Klamath River system in Oregon?
Diverse interest groups have agreed to share water to restore salmon runs and protect the interests of farmers, but Congress has not yet authorized removal of the dams.
Genetic diversity in populations is important to which of the following?
Domestication of plants and animals,
Energy from the Sun contributes to all of the following, EXCEPT:
Earth's internal heat, which can be used to generate electricity and heat and cool buildings.
Which of the following is the most inclusive ethical perspective on the environment?
Ecocentric ethics
Your energy company, Oil for All, has been required by the government to install scrubbers on the smokestacks to reduce air pollutants. If your company does not install the scrubbers, you will have to pay a penalty. This is an example of:
Ecological economics
Why do educated women typically have fewer children than uneducated women, regardless of which country they are from?
Educated women marry later, wait longer to have children, and get jobs.
Which one of the following statements about the greenhouse effect is not correct?
Emissions by volcanoes make no contribution to the greenhouse effect
What species are protected by the Endangered Species Act of 1973?
Endangered animals, including invertebrate animals, and plants from anywhere in the world
What is the first step to restoring an aquatic ecosystem that has been degraded?
Ensuring that there is enough water to support populations of aquatic species
What eventually scuttled Benjamin Franklin's attempts to have the tanneries moved from the center of Philadelphia?
Entrenched economic and political interests supporting the tanneries
What is an externality in an open economic model?
Environmental damage due to economic activity
In 1997 the Nuclear Regulatory Commission rejected a request from Louisiana Energy Services to build a uranium processing plant near two minority neighborhoods in northern Louisiana after ruling out any other potential build sites near predominantly white neighborhoods. This is an example of:
Environmental justice
The ideological and social movement advocating protection of the environment from human harm through political action and education is:
Environmentalism
Studies by the United Nations and other organizations predict that:
Europe's population will decline over the next 50 years.
Which of the following are placed in the correct order from lowest to highest projected population growth rates occurring between 2009 and 2050?
Europe/Latin America/Oceana/North Africa
Where does much of the snow and rain on land originate from?
Evaporation of moisture from soils, and loss of water from trees and other plants
True or False? Although the United States currently boasts some of the best-managed fisheries in the world, it is clear that sustainability in fisheries cannot be achieved.
False
True or False? Aquaculture does not pose a significant source of water pollution.
False
True or False? Because the global population growth rate is declining, the total number of humans will also decline.
False
True or False? It is always necessary to build a dam to harness the kinetic energy of a river.
False
True or False? One major strength of renewable energy is that different regions will generally use the same or similar approaches, regardless of their costs and local geography.
False
True or False? Renewable energy development reduces mining impacts, produces fewer greenhouse gases, and releases less hazardous waste. In fact, renewable energy resources do not deplete any natural resources, destroy wildlife habitat, or burn any fossil fuels.
False
True or False? The modern high rates of population growth are nothing new; the human population has always grown rapidly.
False
True or False? Water is so vital to our survival that it has been included in a right in most international conventions on human rights.
False
Why are fish populations decimated during an El Niño event?
Fish starve to death.
The _____ of water among reservoirs describes the rate of flow of water across a given area, and is the basis of the hydrologic cycle.
Flux
According to the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act, which is the correct procedure to restore a prairie that has been strip-mined?
Following coal extraction, the lower layers of overburden are replaced, and the topsoil is then spread across the site, followed by reseeding and planting of native vegetation.
In the United States, what type of waste accounts for more than 20% of the waste stream?
Food
Where are constructed wetlands likely to be most useful for treating wastewater?
For treating farm wastes in sparsely populated rural areas
How do arid and semi-arid regions get much of their water supply?
From dams
Which of the following is "organic" waste, according to the World Bank?
Garden waste
Facial variations and differences in DNA causing disease resistance or tolerance to extreme temperature among humans and animals is caused by:
Genetic diversity
Which country leads the world in photovoltaic energy production?
Germany
_____ is water found in pore spaces beneath rock and sediments beneath Earth's surface and feeds wells and springs.
Groundwater
Which of the following is considered to be the greatest threat to the existence of species?
Habitat destruction
Many of the components of electronic waste are considered as which type of waste?
Hazardous
What is the main difference between landfills for municipal solid waste and hazardous waste landfills?
Hazardous waste landfills must have double liners; a single linder is required for municipal landfills
What life history characteristics make r-selected species good pioneer species?
High dispersal rates
What produced biodiversity hotspots?
Higher species immigration and speciation rates and lower extinction rates
Which of the following is NOT included in the environmental and social costs of pesticides?
Honeybees and other pollinators are generally immune to the harmful effects of pesticides
The process by which Earth's water moves among the oceans, atmosphere, terrestrial and freshwater environments, and back to the ocean is called the:
Hydrologic cycle
What is the correct order of the following layers in a sanitary landfill, from top to bottom? I. Packed clay II. Porous gravel or sand III. Tough plastic liner IV. Alternating layers of waste and soil
IV-II-III-I
Which of the following has the greatest potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the United States in the near term?
Improving the energy efficiency of buildings
How can problems of the Green Revolution be decreased?
Incorporate crop rotation and increase crop diversity
Mulch is a natural or synthetic covering to the soil surface that does all the following EXCEPT:
Increase weed growth
The collapse of the cod fishery in the northwest Atlantic Ocean caused several ecosystem-wide effects. Which of the following was not an effect of the fishery collapse?
Increased phytoplankton populations increased the nutrient content of the water.
How does supply and demand influence the price of a product?
Increased supply will lead to decreased price
_____ is perceived as heat, accounts for most of the light energy outside the visible range, and is very important in Earth's heat balance.
Infared Light
The term _____ describes the use of water such as dilution of sewage and recreational fishing that result from water flowing in river or stream channels.
Instream
Which policies will most likely secure a protected area over the long term?
Integrating management with the local community and providing direct economic benefits
What was the central idea behind the Green Revolution?
Intensive agriculture
Which technique involves growing two or more crops in the same field?
Intercropping
Which was not an impediment to developing the nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain?
International pressures
The brown tree snake, cane toad, saltcedar and kudzu are all examples of __________ species.
Invasive
The climate of Earth _______?
Is changing rapidly mainly due to increases in greenhouse gases as a result of human activity
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) was passed by Congress in October 1976. What does this act govern?
It banned open dumping of wastes and set standards for solid waste landfills
What happens to phosphorus once it is released through feces, urine, or decomposition?
It can be either taken up by plants or exported to the ocean by rivers and wind.
What is the purpose of an algae bioreactor?
It grows algae, and helps filter wastewater before it enters the environment.
What is one advantage of the Westinghouse AP1000, the first nuclear plant that will be built in the United States since 1996?
It has a much simpler structure than earlier plants.
How does rotating crops after several years of planting help the crops?
It helps maintain soil fertility
Why was access to large areas with varying local climates critical to sustaining the traditional cattle-based economy of the Maasai?
It included grazing lands that remained productive during droughts
Why is it important to know the "life expectancy at birth" of a country or region?
It is a good indicator of the state of health of a region.
Why is the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska one of the most controversial oil-free zones in the United States?
It is the largest protected wilderness in the United States, but contains billions of barrels of oil.
The Kalaloch Lodge in the Olympic National Park in Washington set a goal of reducing its water use by 40%. Which of the following was the major reason the Lodge produced a 46% reduction in water use?
It issued a 5-minute shower challenge to guests
Which statement about mountaintop removal mining is NOT correct?
It occurs mainly in the Rocky Mountains in the United States, since they contain the highest concentration of coal in North America.
What happens to dead organic matter in the ocean?
It sinks through the water, carrying nitrogen, phosphorus, and iron to the ocean's bottom.
How is a combined cycle power plant more sustainable than a traditional power plant?
It takes advantage of the potentially wasted heat of combustion to boil water to spin an independent steam turbine.
What effects did the Green Revolution have on agriculture?
It used high-yielding crops that were resistant to diseases to increase food production
Why is groundwater called "fossil" water?
It was deposited long ago, and will take thousands of years to replenish
Who would most strongly advocate preserving an unspoiled forest area in its original state?
John Muir
The law that forbids trade in illegally harvested plants and animals is the:
Lacy Act
Which of the following describes a loophole in the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977?
Land must be restored to a natural condition or to an economically useful condition.
Which of the following statements about land-based aquaculture systems is NOT correct?
Land-based aquaculture systems are much less likely to produce pollution than marine-based aquaculture systems.
Characteristics of a species, such as the age at which individuals begin reproducing, reproductive rate, length of life and population stability are known as a species:
Life history
On average, countries with _____ income level produce the lowest amount of municipal solid waste.
Low
Which terrestrial biome, found in California, Italy, and Spain, is limited in size and location, and is used to grow orchard and vineyard crops, and has some mixed livestock farming?
Mediterranean scrub
Which of the following likely motivates current efforts by the EPA to reduce mercury pollution by coal-fired power plants in the United States?
Mercury is a potent neurotoxin, mercury contamination of soils is difficult to clean up, and fish & food crops accumulate mercury in their tissues
Which of the following countries does NOT have fertility rates at or below replacement level (2.1 children per woman)?
Mexico
What are some of the costs of air pollution?
Millions of premature deaths, deteriorating infrastructure, and reduced ecosystem production
What are the harmful effects of pesticides in developing countries?
More than 200,000 deaths occur each year and 3 million are hospitalized yearly by pesticides
Which is true of waste produced by society today?
Much of the waste cannot be naturally recycled by ecosystems
What is the main difference between natural and cultural eutrophication of lakes?
Natural eutrophication is a more gradual process
What is the approximate global value of ecosystem services?
Nearly twice the total gross product of the globe
The amount of food energy available to other organisms that feed on primary producers is:
Net primary production
A woman in which of the following countries typically has more than seven children?
Niger
In which phase of the nitrogen cycle do plants incorporate nitrate and ammonium into essential nitrogen-containing organic compounds?
Nitrogen assimilation
In which phase of the nitrogen cycle is atmospheric nitrogen (N2) incorporated into nitrogen-containing compounds by bacteria, living in association with plants, or free living?
Nitrogen fixation
One of the challenges of creating a solution for nuclear waste storage is:
No community wants the waste stored near them
In the United States, which of the following inputs is acceptable if a farmer wants his or her crops to be certified as organic?
None can be used if the farmer wants the crops to be labeled as organic
Which of these coastlines has a well-deserved reputation as a place with strong waves, which generate a lot of wave energy?
North Atlantic Coast
Which of these is NOT a reason a country would vote against recognizing the human right to water and sanitation?
Not all of the water will be sanitary or drinkable
Which one of the following is not a form of research misconduct?
Not ordering sufficient research supplies for a particular experiment
Qualitative or quantitative information gathered systematically from the natural world defines:
Observation
Which is the largest of Earth's reservoirs, containing 97% of all water?
Oceans
What is the major economic reason to reduce our reliance on oil?
Oil prices can rapidly increase.
Which of the following has NOT been a consequence of building 256 dams greater than 5 meters tall on the Colorado River?
Only about 20% Colorado River is still wild
A country with a high income level would most likely produce the least amount of ______ solid waste.
Organic
Under the World Bank's classification, which category would waste such as food scraps, yard clippings, and wood fall under?
Organic
What do critics say about organic farming?
Organic Crops are lower yielding because of losses to pests or decreased productivity
Which of the following is a consequence of the second law of thermodynamics?
Organisms expend energy for maintenance
Because the ratio of boys to girls is unnaturally high in certain countries (China, India and South Korea), governments have taken steps to remedy the situation. Which of the following is NOT one of these steps?
Organized tours to neighboring countries to select a wife have been outlawed.
When were some of the earliest observations of human environmental impact recorded in writing?
Over 2,000 years ago
Which of the following describes the movement of people from Mexico into the United States?
People emigrate out of Mexico and immigrate into the United States.
Which of the following is part of the environment experienced by humans?
Physical, Chemical, and Cultural factors
Which of the following is NOT a problem with food waste in developing countries?
Poor transportation systems cause food to spoil before it reaches consumers
Why do high amounts of runoff occur in areas with few plants and animals, such as deserts?
Precipitation rates exceed the rates of infiltration
Which of these statements is true of energy flow through an ecosystem?
Primary production exceeds production at higher trophic levels
What is the main way that habitat corridors improve the functioning of protected areas?
Promote the movement of individuals through protected areas
The _____ is the deepest soil layer and consists of lightly weathered parent material.
R horizon
What happens to soil when people cut forests, plow soils, or build roads?
Rates of erosion skyrocket
Unstable substances that readily undergo a violent chemical change when in contact with other substances, especially water, would be classified as:
Reactive
How can businesses help reduce the amount of material entering the waste stream?
Reduce weight of packaging
Invasive species can have which of the following impacts?
Reduced river flows, more frequent wildfires, and extinctions of native species
Once an area is logged, which of the following is the key to reducing erosion on logged landscapes?
Removing logging roads and restore nature contours of the landscape
Which factor causes the concentration of water vapor in the atmosphere to increase?
Rising temperatures
Why do areas with more plants have higher primary production levels?
Root systems of different species can take up nutrients and moisture from different parts of the soil column
Precipitation that does not infiltrate the soil or evaporate into the air moves across the land as _____.
Runoff
Which island's electrical grid is 100% powered by renewable energy, and shows that it is possible for people to have a high standard of living while reducing their environmental impact?
Samsø, Denmark
Which of the following is NOT one of the three main ways used for hazardous waste disposal?
Sanitary landfill
What aquatic pest most notably harms salmon?
Sea lice
Which of the following characterizes integrated multi-trophic aquaculture?
Several species of aquatic organisms with complementary feeding habits are raised together.
What key observation inspired the economist Elinor Ostrom to challenge Hardin's Tragedy of the Commons model?
She observed that many local communities have managed common-pool resources for centuries without outside regulation
Which method of timber harvesting removes the tallest trees in a series of partial cuts, leaving behind enough of a forest canopy to provide shelter for speedy regrowth of shade-tolerant trees?
Shelterwood harvesting
K-selected species are least likely to have which of the following qualities?
Short average life span
Why did the Republic of Singapore focus its efforts on conserving water?
Singapore has to buy the majority of their water supply from Malaysia.
What is the relationship between growth rate, doubling time, and population growth?
Slow growth rate leads to increased doubling time and slower population growth.
What is a negative consequence of using solar power?
Solar power plants generally operate in arid regions where water is scarce.
Why does replacement-level fertility tend to be slightly higher than 2?
Some children die before reaching the reproductive age
In the United States, nation parks and forests, wild game animals, and navigable rivers are all examples of:
State property
_____ is a settling or sudden sinking of land as a result of overpumping of groundwater.
Subsidence
Using resources wisely to ensure that we and future generations can endure and live healthy lives is considered:
Sustainable
The Human Development Index (HDI) ranges from 0 to 1. Which country would be most likely to have a HDI of 0.9?
Sweden
Which activity does NOT contribute to 75% of hotel water use?
Swimming Pools
According to the IPAT equation, which of the following shows the process and products that need energy and resources?
T
Which of the following is NOT part of India's National Population Policy?
Taxes are raised for families having more than two children.
Which biome, with its moderate climates and fertile soils, can generally support intensive agriculture?
Temperate Forests
The state of Kentucky turned a former mountaintop mining site into a habitat suitable for elk. What is a major consequence of reintroducing elk into the area?
The 10,000 elk are the focus of hunting in the region.
How do ocean currents influence regional climates?
The Gulf Stream in the Atlantic Ocean moves heat from the tropics to Europe, which extends temperate climates further north.
Which country is the world's largest producer of nuclear power?
The United States
What is one of the clearest conclusions we can draw when comparing the ecological footprints between different countries?
The United States and Europe have a much higher total impact on the environment than most other regions.
Which of the following describes wheat production in Mexico during the Green Revolution?
The average wheat yield increased four-fold
How can ecological succession affect the management of protected areas?
The effects of succession on management depends on the purpose of the protected area
What factor increased the share of U.S. corn going into ethanol production to 40% in 2011?
The federal government has programs that provide subsidies to farmers growing corn for ethanol production.
What has the United States done about drilling for oil in deep water as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill?
The federal government has redoubled its drilling efforts, and reopened the Eastern Seaboard to offshore oil exploration.
Even though growth in global per capita waste production is slowing, why has growth in total waste production not slowed?
The global population is growing
Why is it so important to limit "bycatch" when fishing?
The loss of these nontarget organisms affects aquatic components of the marine food web.
In food webs and trophic levels, carnivores will always be less abundant than prey species in part because of:
The second law of thermodynamics
What can be said about our understanding of the status and biology of commercially important fish populations?
The status of a significant percent of fish stocks worldwide are uncertain or undetermined
Plastic waste in the Pacific Ocean threatens marine life. How does it potentially impact humans?
The toxic chemicals leaching from the plastics have contaminated seafood
What has happened to pumping of water from the Ogallala Aquifer since the 1940s?
The yearly withdrawal has increased significantly
Which of the following is NOT a negative aspect of dam construction?
There is an overpopulation of undesirable fish species.
Why has the partial recovery of the Atlantic cod fishery created a sense of cautious hope for the eventual recovery of other collapsed fish populations?
These results suggest that the radical change in ecosystem structure following the collapse of the cod industry might be reversing itself.
What happens to sage grouse when tall structures are built near their mating areas?
They abandon the mating areas, which will increase their risk of extinction.
What was the rationale for choosing the so-called criteria pollutants?
They are common pollutants that are hazardous to human health
Why are coal, oil, and natural gas called fossil fuels?
They are the fossilized remains of ancient photosynthetic organisms that lived millions of years ago.
What did Bright Source Energy, a company developing solar energy in California, do to protect desert tortoises from being killed at their solar facility?
They built an 80-kilometer-long tortoises-proof fence to prevent return of tortoises, which were removed and relocated.
Which of the following is NOT a way that dams damage the environment and wildlife?
They can expose fish to harsh currents
What role did the business community play in the campaign to reduce production of CFCs?
They first resisted regulation, but became supportive once alternatives were developed
What did Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, do to obtain water when local water supplies started to dry up in the 1960s?
They turned to water reclamation and recycling
How is the law of conservation of matter related to waste management?
This law of physics reminds us that waste matter may change form but does not go away
How do hydroelectric installations impact local populations of people?
Thousands, even millions, of people are displaced when reservoirs fill up.
What was the main purpose of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)?
To set standards for solid waste landfills
What happens to the trade winds under typical conditions in the Pacific Ocean?
Trade winds blow from the east, pushing warm surface water westward
The collapse of the commercial whaling industry can most accurately be described as a representation of the:
Tragedy of the Commons.
Why is reforestation in tropical biomes a frustratingly slow process that makes sustainable farming difficult?
Tropical soils are old, highly oxidized, and have had the nutrients washed away by the abundant rains
True or False? Another way to reduce water consumption by solar generation is to move from concentrating solar generation to photovoltaic generation.
True
True or False? Biodiversity, in terms of higher genetic and species diversity, leads to higher stability in the face of disturbance and faster recovery following disturbance.
True
True or False? Building dams on rivers can stabilize water supplies and protect people and infrastructure from flooding.
True
True or False? China's Three Gorges Dam flooded thousands of villages, so millions of people had to be relocated to other areas.
True
True or False? Due to the dramatic changes brought about by the collapse of the cod fishery, recovery of apex predators like the cod might not be possible for a very long time.
True
True or False? Generally speaking, the average level of resource consumption increases with increased affluence within a country.
True
True or False? Globally, about one third of mangrove forests have been cleared.
True
True or False? High rates of immigration have been associated with political and social conflict.
True
True or False? In some Asian countries, the sex ratio of boys to girls is highly biased toward male babies as a result of sex screening technologies and sex selective abortions (which are, ironically, outlawed in China and India).
True
True or False? Most of the yearly evaporation from the oceans falls back into the oceans as precipitation.
True
True or False? On those wind farms where wind turbines are of newer design, rates of mortality for raptors are about 60% lower than on older wind farms.
True
True or False? Population doubling time is an effective means to show the increasing rate of human population growth.
True
True or False? The Mississippi River watershed is the fourth largest in the world, and includes parts of 31 states and 2 Canadian provinces.
True
True or False? When contraceptive use goes up, fertility rates decline.
True
True or False? Wind velocities are higher over the ocean than over land.
True
Which of the following statements about matter is false?
Two bound oxygen atoms are a compound
Which country uses the MOST water per person per day?
United States
Which of the following countries or regions have the highest rate of contraceptive use?
United States
Which of the following is an INCORRECT correlation with respect to policies that are encouraged by each country's or region's governments?
United States/increase fertility rates
How does landfill gas differ from the natural gas extracted from deep wells in gas and oil fields?
Unrefined landfill gas has lower energy content
Why do the highest levels of marine primary production occur along the margins of continents?
Upwelling brings nitrogen and phosphorus-rich deep waters to the surface euphotic zone.
In 1995, Vice President Ismail Serageldin of the World Bank declared, "The wars of the next century will be over ____."
Water
_____ uses treated wastewater for beneficial purposes, including irrigation and recharging groundwater.
Water Recycling
Although the total amount of freshwater should be enough to meet our needs, much of it is not practical to use, for all of these reasons EXCEPT:
Water caught by dams is often too polluted to use
How does groundwater get recharged?
Water from rain or melting snow infiltrates the ground and descends under the force of gravity into the water table
Which is the most abundant greenhouse gas in Earth's atmosphere?
Water vapor
Applying a large amount of water to an agricultural field faster than it can drain produces:
Waterlogged soil
How does hydrokinetic power generate power?
Waterwheels harness the kinetic energy in rivers and tidal channels.
Which is the best way to reduce the impact of the oil industry on the environment?
We as consumers must reduce our consumption of oil and oil products.
What does the collapse of the Peruvian anchovy, blue walleye, and Atlantic cod fisheries within the past few decades show us?
We have the technical capacity to deplete resources that were once thought to be inexhaustible.
The first law of thermodynamics states:
When one form of energy is transformed into another form, the total amount of energy remains the same
The greatest opposition from the livestock ranchers to the reintroduction of the North American grey wolf in the areas surrounding Yellowstone was the:
Wolves introduce disease that may harm the cattle
Does saving endangered species have any potential positive economic consequences?
Yes, since plants, animals, and insects make a broad range of contributions to the economy
What is fly ash?
a by-product of coal burning, which is stored in open ponds and landfills
Due to modern whaling methods, blue and fin whale populations declined from 400,000 in 1920 to around _____by 1960.
a few thousand
What is primary energy?
a form of energy that requires only extraction or capture for use
What is an oxbow lake?
a lake formed on a river's floodplain by rerouting the main river channel
A generator is a device capable of producing electricity and has two basic components:
a magnet that creates a magnetic field, and a conductor, usually made of copper wire that contains a flow of electrons.
To conserve water, New York City implemented all of the following EXCEPT:
a series of fines that got larger as more water was used
Which term describes how many males and females there are at different ages in a particular population, region, or country?
age structure
The highest human population densities are typically found:
along river valleys and coastlines.
What would be an ideal location in the United States to install wind turbines?
any disturbed land with a low conservation value
The large fish we prize in the developed world, such as cod, salmon, and tuna, are usually _____ predators that feed at or near the top of the food web.
apex
Which form of food production has grown the most over the past three decades?
aquaculture
There are several places to develop geothermal energy, which include all of the following, EXCEPT:
areas where tectonic plates are stable.
Why was natural gas associated with cured oil deposits and coal beds once considered hazardous?
because it could explode during drilling
Significant deposits of natural gas occur beneath a(n) _____, an impermeable structure that traps the gas over a crude oil deposit.
cap rock
In some fisheries, quotas called _____ are granted to individual fishers, fishing cooperatives, or communities, which guarantees a certain portion of the catch to the holder of the quota.
catch shares
Phosphorus is an important element in the production of:
cell membranes, nucleic acids, and the energy-bearing molecule ATP.
Milankovitch Cycles ______?
change the shape of Earth's orbit, tilt in its axis, and precession of the equinoxes that produce variation in Earth's climate
In 2015, the Bureau of Land Management released new rules governing fracking on federal public land and Native American tribal lands that mandated all of the following, EXCEPT:
companies must limit drilling on federal land to wells already constructed or under construction in 2015.
Which of the following is the best way to sustainably treat wastewater from freshwater aquaculture in areas where natural wetlands do not occur?
constructed wetland
Salmon populations in the Columbia River are considered threatened or endangered due to:
construction of over 100 large hydroelectric dams.
Any strong acids or bases capable of damaging a variety of surfaces permanently would be classified as:
corrosive
Which of the following is NOT an environmental impact of fracking?
deforestation of boreal forests
Solar energy developments in the deserts of the United States involve vehicle traffic, heavy equipment, and building roads, which have a particularly negative effect on:
desert tortoises, desert mule deer, and desert bighorn sheep.
What factors can offset some of the declines in oil production?
discoveries of new oil fields and improved methods of extraction
Which of the following is a chemical that thins and dissolves thick, crude oil that has spilled into water?
dispersant
Which of the following is an approach to management of natural resources that considers the entire ecosystem—a departure from earlier, single-species approaches to natural resource management?
ecosystem-based management
What is one of the common biofuels that is widely used as a gasoline additive?
ethanol
Which of the following species can be raised using aquaculture?
fish, crabs, oysters, mussels, and shrimp
The goal of _____ managers is to estimate how much we can harvest from a fish stock while still keeping it productive.
fisheries
Which of the following is the most familiar use for petroleum?
for transportation fuels as gasoline and diesel
After years of dependence on foreign oil, the United States is experiencing a resurgence of cheap energy through a boom in _____, which extracts oil or natural gas, and poses new threats to the environment.
fracking
Which type of fishing involves placing a net with large mesh in the water column to selectively catch fish, including salmon?
gillnetting
The _____ whale population in the eastern Pacific Ocean has rebounded to about 20,000 individuals, which is the estimated historical population size; these whales have been removed from the endangered species list.
gray
Which of the following is NOT included in human demography?
impacts of humans on climate change
The lowest human population densities are found:
in low-altitude deserts.
Where is the rate of soil formation the MOST rapid?
in the warm, humid tropics
Which of the following will NOT occur if corn and other biofuel crops around the world are increased?
increased biodiversity, because farmers will convert lands that were set aside for conservation to intense agriculture
One of the most effective ways to encourage fishers to follow management guidelines and adhere to management goals is to:
involve them in the gathering of scientific information.
In 1989, the Exxon Valdez oil tanker ran aground in Alaska, spilling 11 million gallons of petroleum into the marine environment. What part of the cleanup process was the most critical?
laying out floating booms and other barriers to contain the oil slicks and prevent them from entering sensitive coastal areas
Coal was formed from the fossilized remains of:
leaves, branches, and trunks of ancient plants buried in the sediments of ancient swamps.
Which of the following will support the highest biomass of fish and shellfish?
marine areas of highest primary production, such as the west coast of North America
Which of the following is NOT a factor determining the population density of a region?
marriage rates
The worst type of accident that can happen at a nuclear power plant is called a(n):
meltdown
The number of bats killed by wind turbines is highest during _____ in late summer and fall.
migration
Which of the following, usually consisting of pressurized water, reduces the speed at which neutrons in a nuclear reactor travel?
moderator
The layers of some semiconductors have different numbers of electrons. In a silicon-based semiconductor, phosphorus is placed onto the _____ to make it negative, while boron is placed in a layer of silicon to produce the _____ layer, making it positive.
n-layer, p-layer
China's population policies include all the following EXCEPT:
one child per household, no exceptions.
The collapse of the cod fishery in the northwest Atlantic is an example of:
overfishing of the historically dominant fish predators
What do the latest nuclear power plant designs rely more on for safety?
passive safety systems that use natural forces like gravity and heat convection
In 2011, the U.S. Department of Energy provided loan guarantees to support the installation of which type of solar energy source?
photovoltaic-generating solar panels on rooftops
Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture is one of the most effective ways to:
reduce pollution.
Carbon capture and sequestration is a technology that _________?
reduces additions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases to the atmosphere by collecting them at the point of emission and storing them in a place or removing them from active circulation in the carbon cycle
Reservoirs built for dams can negatively impact water quality in all the following ways, EXCEPT:
reservoirs with low oxygen levels absorb huge amounts of climate-altering greenhouse gases.
One of the products of ecosystem-level thinking about fisheries problems has been growing interest in the use of marine protected areas, where:
resource use is restricted to help sustain fisheries stocks and to protect entire marine ecosystems and safeguard their many services.
A hydroelectric system that provides little or no water storage in a reservoir, but diverts a portion of river flow through pipes that pass directly through a turbine is a:
run-of-the-river power plant.
Rather than using oil to store heat, the Gemasolar plant in Seville, Spain, heats _____ to its molten state and then stores it in insulated tanks, which can be used to produce steam.
salt
List in order of farthest underground to closest to the surface.
saturated zone, water table, unsaturated zone
Mangrove forests are being cut down to make room for _____ farms.
shrimp
Which of the following is NOT a solution to preventing bird and bat mortality from wind turbines or transmission lines?
spreading the turbines out so that there is less of a chance of flying into one
In contrast to _____ fishing, where people catch only enough for themselves and their families, _____ fishing involves catching fish for profit.
subsistence; commercial
Which of these marine environments contain kelp forests, and abundant pelagic and bottom fish?
temperate marine
Which of the following statements is NOT true? Countries with low fertility rates:
tend to use fewer resources.
How does wind occur?
the Sun's uneven heating of the atmosphere
On a per capita basis, people in _____ are by far the heaviest users of energy.
the United States
What caused the banning of whale hunting in 1982?
the collapse of many whale populations
What was the first, most immediate impact of the Exxon Valdez oil spill?
the deaths of thousands of sea birds, sea otters, seals, and killer whales
Fisheries managers generally manage fish populations according to the maximum sustained yield, which is defined as:
the maximum harvest of a renewable natural resource that does not reduce future yields.
There are several issues associated with developing large-scale solar power installations including all of the following EXCEPT:
they only work during the night.
What is the only way to guarantee that an oil spill is NOT going to occur in a particular region?
to ban oil exploration altogether
Geothermal energy is used:
to heat buildings and produce electricity.
Why are many shrimp ponds now being built behind mangrove forests?
to protect the shrimp ponds from being damaged by storms
Which term denotes an estimate of the average number of children that a woman in a population gives birth to during her lifetime?
total fertility rate
This type of bat is most vulnerable to dying from wind farms:
tree-roosting migratory bats.
Which of these marine environments contains coral reefs, mangrove forests, and whale calving grounds?
tropical marine
True or False? An indirect benefit of rights-based fishing is that fishers are encouraged to favor management decisions that will increase fish populations and thereby avoid a Tragedy of the Commons.
true
The geothermal energy produced in the Earth's core is produced by the radioactive decay of elements such as:
uranium.
Solar power plants in the arid southwestern United States need water, so they:
use water-saving technology, such as air-cooling, or water- and air-cooling hybrid systems
In the Great Plains, research shows that _____ have lower bird diversity and density.
wind-generation facilities