NRES 103 Final Exam
Annual cargo through the seaway peaked in the mid 1970s at around 57 million tons; the seaway was designed to handle
80 million tons
The amount of cargo to pass through the Seaway currently
could be carried by two freight trains per day
Th exorbitantly high cost of pumping water thousands of miles is the thing that prevents it from happening
false
canada is supportive of efforts to close the seaway to ocean going freighters
false
Zebra mussels impact native mussels directly
inhibiting their ability to open their shells
DNA Barcoding
initially used to identify invasive species in ship's ballast
A key difference between non-native (or exotic) species and invasive species is that
invasives tend to cause negative environmental consequences
Compared to point-source pollution, nonpoint pollution
is harder to track, is more difficult to regulate
Phosphorus
is required by every living organism, does not exist naturally in the environemtn
compared to the atlantic, pacific, and gulf coasts, North American's 4th seacoast is unique in that
it has a single entry point for foreign freighters
for a trait to be considered to be an adaptation in an evolutionary sense
it must be favorable to an organism's ability to reproduce, it must be heritable, it much be favorable to an organism's survival
ballast serves a key function on freighters because
it provides stability to an empty ship, it is heavy, readily available and basically free
he lamprey moved slowly through Lake Erie because
it was relatively shallow, warm, it lacked suitable spawning streams
The problem of water pollution was compounded by the huge size of the great lakes because
people didn't think they could have much of an impact on such large bodies of water
The St. Lawrence divide
runs through the western part of chicago, through southern canada, generally more of a hill than a mountain
An extreme form of wave action in the Great Lakes that is associated with rapid changes in wind and barometric pressure is known as a
seiche
The notion of restoring even parts of the Great Lakes region to conditions that existed prior to European settlement is challenging because
so much environmental degradation
Which of the following factors contributes to the uniqueness of the Great Lakes?
they are geographically concentrated, connectivity, the location
one thing that the timber holdings in the upper midwest and the great lakes fisheries had in common was that
they both seemed limitless
at this point the only mandated strategy for ships sailing from foreign ports into the great lakes is
to flush all of their ballast tanks mid-ocean
the Chicago sanitary and ship canal
was the largest earth moving project in North America at the time, helped to sanitize chicago's water, reversed the flow of the chicago river
Turnover of water, or mixing, in lakes is important in terms of maintaining
water quality
In addition to agricultural runoff causing algal blooms in lake erie other major contributions include
NOT Lawn fertilizer, leaky septic fields, inputs from the detroit river
Another ballast hitch hiker, the eurasian ruffe, became a very successful invader in the great lakes largely due to
an extremely high reproductive rate
In the film The St. Lawrence Seaway System, the proposed way to get around the fact that the locks and channels were too small for transoceanic ships was
To unload cargo and put it on smaller ships
Rather than a food chain, it's more accurate to think in terms of a food web because
it focuses on trophic relationships as a network
At one point, the Great Lakes were connected to
atlantic ocean
the listing of the lake sturgeon as endangered illustrates the point that environmental impacts especially impact species that
have a low reproductive rate
Quagga mussels eventually outnumbered zebra mussels by a huge margin because the former
have an even higher rate of reproduction, can tolerate much deeper water, don't need a hard surface to adhere to
Priror to settlement, water flowed clear from the maumee river to lake erie. Now the extensive grid of ditches and tile lines
have increased flows in the river, have made the river more turbid have increased nutrients inputs to the river
The primary mission of the early French explorers of the Great Lakes was
to find a passage to the Great South Sea and Cathay
Annual damage to fisheries and recreational activities cause by invasive mussels in the great lakes is estimated to cost
$200 million
The reported annual cost borne by municipalities and industry in the Great Lakes region to keep pipes free from mussels
$600 million
out of the world's port cities, the great lakes are directly connected to
12%
The last glacier withdrew from North America about
12,000 years ago
Which of the following trends in the Great Lakes is attributed to climate change?
Increase in water temperature
The film clip "The Rise and Fall of the Great Lakes" describes a number of geologic phenomena that have changed the lakes over time. One of these has to do with the transition from a northerly outflow of Great Lakes water to a southerly course. This transition was caused by
Rising land surface after the glacier's retreat
After the trees were cut in the Great Black Swap, roads were built and the ditches were dig the latter was greatly facilitated by
The buckeye traction ditcher
once the salmon and alewife were gone in lake erie
a number of native fish species began to increase in number, fishing towns in michigan along the huron coast lost a lot of revenue, the round goby proved to be a key food source for some native fish species
Compared to the Erie Canal, the Welland Canal
accommodated longer and wider ships
cities tended to be constructed
adjacent to protected harbors and river mouths, near areas preferred by spawning fish and waterfowl
successful invasive species tend to
be very good dispersers, produce a lot of offspring
eventually the round goby
became the dominant forage fish, helped to keep mussel populations in check, depressed populations of sculpins and darters
the EPA exempted the discharge of ballast water from the clean water act
because they thought it was relatively harmless, even though they did not have congressional approval to do so, because doing so would reduce administrative costs
botulism-causing bacteria spread up the food chain after
being ingested by invasive mussels, gobies ate toxic mussels, birds consumed toxic gobies
what is the process by which toxins reach higher levels in species that are higher up in the food chain
bioaccumulation
Unlike the algal blooms in the late 1960s, the blooms in lake erie in the mid 1990s were caused by
blue-green algae, microcystis, cyanobacteria
Most invasive species are introduced
by humans
The effects of lead poisoning
can last for decades, are especially pronounced in children
In the scientific method, predictions are generated from hypotheses, then tested with
data
To help reduce a $25 million budget deficit, the city of flint
decided to temporarily get its water from flint river, decided to build its own water pipeline
Since the mid 1970s the amount of cargo passing through the seaway annually has
declined
Problem with mid-ocean flushing of ballast tanks include
effectiveness is difficult to assess due to the lag time in detection of exotic species, it kills 99% of organisms, but there could still be a lot in there
The west-to-east flow of the Great Lakes is due to differences in
elevation
What is the shallowest of the Great Lakes?
erie
the great lake region is uniquely positioned to stop future invasions because
every overseas freighter must pass through the St. Lambert lock
Asian carp possess several of the key attributes that tend to allow species to become invasive, including
extremely high reproduction rate, good dispersers, lack of predators
the zebra mussel, quagga mussel and round goby
first appeared in North America in or near Lake St. Clair, likely reached the Great Lakes in the ballast of a freighter, have their native range in the Black and/or Caspian Seas
when a bighead carp was caught beyond the barrier and just miles from lake michigan
five states took USACE and illinois to court
In the film, saving the great lakes from toxic algae jeff reutters, from stone lab recommends that if we are going to reduce the possibility of poisoned drinking water in the lake erie region, we should first
focus on water treatment plants
The clean water act
focused on point source pollution, ignored nonpoint pollution
In recent decades, what is the primary factor that has led to an exponential increase in the movement of invasive species?
global connectivity
Water levels in the Great Lakes Have always varied, but with climate changes, this variation is expected to be
greater and less predictable
successful invasive species often lack predators in their new environment, and also tend to be
habitat generalists
Of the changes in the Great Lakes associated with climate recreational boating and tourism are most affected by
high water
t this point in time, what is the biggest problem facing the Great Lakes?
human ignorance
the first canal to bridge the chicago portage was
illinois and michigan canal
the second set of barriers funded by congress
included three clusters of electrodes, were more powerful than the original, was not turned on initially out of fear of detonating barges with flammable cargo
In cities surfaces that are impervious to rainfall tend to
increase runoff during storm events
Who eats who in the Great Lakes is not necessarily linear, as exemplified by the lake sturgeon because
it's quite large yet eats small prey items
In 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency agreed to mandate treatment systems for all trans-oceanic ships discharging ballast in U.S. waters, but
it's uncertain as to whether all ships will comply, such systems aren't required until 2021, it's not certain that such systems will be effective against all exotic species
Compared to the Europeans, the Woodland Culture was
lacking in some ways but equal or superior in others
It's thought that lampreys first entered Lake Ontario
lake erie canal
When federal funding was halted for the carp controlling sewage experiment, Arkansas game and fish
let some of them go
Of the changes in the Great Lakes associated with climate the commercial shipping industry is most affected by
low water
Some strategies for getting rid of carp include
making fertilizer from them, making pet food from them, making fish cakes from them
a fundamental principle of environmental justice is that (2)
minority groups should not be disproportionately burdened by environmental harm, people should have a voice in decision that affect them
For four of the five great lakes, the estimated impact of invasion by asian carp is
moderate to high
Increases in high precipitation events is a concern in the Great Lakes because a direct results will be
more runoff from agricultural fields
What prevented water-bound organisms from migrating from the ocean to the upper Great Lakes?
niagara falls
The scientific method is initiated
observations
even through zebra mussels can only move about 14'' an hour using their foot, they can rapidly each new locations because
offspring covered with hairs that help them to catch currents
the alewife came to dominate native fish in the great lakes by
preying on their young outcompeting them for food
In response to the state emergency manager's claim that water from Lake Huron was no safer than that of the flint river, scientists from virginia tech
provided data showing water from the flint river was 19 times more corrosive
once water samples tested positive for carp beyond the electrical barriers, general peabody
refused to close the locks
Which of the following is one of the main focus areas for the great lakes initiative
removal of toxins, invasive species control, nonpoint source pollution control
On an annual basis, the Soo Locks handle more ships and more tonnage
than the Panama and Suez Canals combined
detractors of the St. Lawrence seaway believed
that it would ruin the business of the US ports on the eastern seaboard
A key problem with the st.Lawrence seaway was
the 9 month shipping season, locks and channels were too small
There have been a number of unintended environmental consequences that have adversely affected the Lakes once they were connected to the Atlantic Ocean and connections among the lakes were modified by human activity. A key reason that the consequences were so profound is that
the Lakes are relatively young
Features of zebra mussels that enabled them to be such successful invaders include
the ability of females to produce so many eggs, a lack of native predators in the Great Lakes, their high filtration rate, their ability to reproduce at a young age
vernon applegate was able to help reduce lamprey populations by focusing on
the creeks where lampreys nest
in a sense, it could be said that the clean water act had its orgins in
the cuyahoga river
the deadliest fire in the US history was
the peshtigo fire
Historical racism was reported to contribute to the use of flint river water for drinking because
the residents were mostly poor African American, the residents were not viewed as credible, the complaints of the residents were not taken seriously
Ultimately the federal government charged the state of michigan with a violation og
the safe water drinking act
Which of the following is a Native American tribe that the French did not encounter in the Great Lakes region?
the sioux
According to the film "What's So Great About the Great Lakes", of the five lakes, Superior is not
the stormiest
All energy is derived from
the sun
whitefish were ultimately able to switch to invasive mussels as a good source because
their stomachs began to enlarge
the zebra mussel could not have walked across the atlantic ocean to reach the great lakes, even over many generations, because
they could not have survived the oceans salinity or depth
The drought in Cali is a national problem because
they grow 90% of the nations produce
Whitefish were never a consumer of fish probably because
they had no teeth
Once the Great Black Swamp was cleared and drained, the people there found
they had the most productive land in the country, the soils were incredibly rich
one way that gobies can gain a numerical advantage on native fish is that
they spawn up to three times per summer, they are voracious egg eaters, they drive other fish from their spawning beds
invasive mussels were able to virtually take over lake med's bed and canyon walls below the water line in only 2 years because
they were able to reproduce rapidly in the warm climate
There was a mistake made in naming Lakes Michigan and Huron. What was it?
they're actually one lake
A key commercial use of the Great Lakes ever since the days of La Salle involves
transportation
The concept of a food chain is all about what type of relationships?
trophic
predicting which species are likely to become invasive is
very difficult to do
If ballast control systems are installed on all freighters entering the great lakes, the probability of more invasive species showing up there is
very high
here were fewer alewives in Lake Erie because, compared to the other upper Lakes, it is
warmer shallower
fisheries managers were surprised to learn that chinook salmon
were reproducing in the wild in prodigious numbers
On lands near Lake Erie's western basin, there is a large emphasis in ecological restoration of
wetland
the diet of round goby includes
young zebra and quagga mussels, zooplankton, young of larger fish, eggs of other fish
Currently, the average number of trans-oceanic ships passing through the Seaway each day is
2
How much of the planet's available freshwater is found in the Great Lakes
20%
of the world's port cities, what percentage are within two stops of a great lakes port?
99%
The first European to explore the St. Lawrence River was Jacques Cartier, but after 1000 miles he had to turn back because his party
Encountered impassible rapids
According to the Film Great Lakes Water level changes, the three major factors in the Great Lakes water budget include
Evaporation from the lakes, precipitation directly on the lakes, run off into the lakes
Most foreign freighters sail out of the great lakes carrying grain totaling what percentage of total grain exports for the U.S. and Canada?
Less than 2
Native mussels in the great lakes helped to maintain water clarity
Filtering organic material from the water column, eating algae
Eutrophication
Is characterized by an abundance of dissolved nutrients, is characterized by a high level of oxygen depletion
the round goby is considered a generalist species because
It can live in freshwater or saltwater, it has a diverse diet
invasive mussels were able to colonize isolated land lakes by (2)
Taking refuge in any damp spot on a boat out of water, being able to live on a boat outside of water for days
A Key Question in ecological restoration globally and especially applicable to the Great Lakes has to do with
Target Conditions
Which of the following does not serve as an example of the dynamic nature of the Great Lakes over geographic time?
The salt concentration of Lake Michigan has been steadily increasing over the last 1000 years
In reality, wetland serve many useful purposes. For example (3),
They slow water down, allowing contaminants to settle out, they provide valuable habitat for waterfowl, they filter the water
the st. lawrence seaway was constructed
To allow ocean-going freighters access to the Great Lakes, because the U.S. President saw strategic value there during the Cold War with the USSR
The sanitary and ship canal was
an early, successful water grab from the great lakes, essentially a back door to the great lakes, another example of people trying to engineer nature to suit their needs
Since the Great Lakes have been connected to the Atlantic Ocean, the number of forage fish species has
decreased
Which of the following is not a feature that the Great Lakes share with the oceans?
downdrafts
in nature ecosystems are
dynamic, unpredictable, difficult for humans to control
Alewives became the primary food source of lake trout, but also
harmed the reproductive potential of the trout.
The same process causing massive algal blooms in lake erie
has created a dead zone in the gulf of mexico, has resulted in dead zones around the world
Rain, snow, and surface runoff from streams and rivers add water to the Great Lakes, but this is offset by
outflow
which river is one of the worst in place pollutant problems in the great lakes system
the detroit
the film clip invasive species, asian carp, Kay Nelson, who represents an array of industries on the southern shores of Lake michigan expresses concern about the idea of constructing a permanent barrier in the sanitary and ship canal because
the general public has the impression this is a quick fix
the supreme court rejected missouri's lawsuit, even though the number of typhoid cases in st. louis had increased four-fold since the opening of the chicago sanitary and ship canal because
the illinois river appeared to be relatively clean compared to what it was
the food chain is lake powell
was very simple