AP Enviormental Semester 1 Progress Checks

If an average refrigerator uses 500 watts of energy per hour and your energy cost is $0.11 per kWh, approximately how much does the energy used by the refrigerator cost per month?

$40

The European continent and North America are moving away from each other at a rate of 36 mm/year. Which most closely approximates how much farther apart the continents were in 2010 than when Christopher Columbus crossed the Atlantic in 1492?

0.02 km

The graphs show the population size and distribution of beak sizes in a finch population on the island of Daphne Major in the Galapagos in 1976 and 1978. Smaller-beaked finches are better suited for eating grasses and small seeds. Larger-beaked finches are better suited for cracking larger seeds and nuts. In 1977 a drought took place and the vegetation of the island was affected by the lack of rain. Which of the following was the number of finches in the population with a beak size of 10.2 mm in 1978?

12

In a given ecosystem, producers convert solar energy into 15,000kcal of chemical energy stored in organic compounds. Which of the following is the most likely amount of energy available to secondary consumers?

150kcal

A rare rock formation on Continent A is found 300 km from a matching formation on Continent B. Continent A is part of a plate that is moving at a rate of 36 mm/year. How many years ago were the matching formations separated?

8,300,000 years

Which of the following best explains why terrestrial trophic pyramids usually do not have levels higher than tertiary consumers?

A large proportion of energy is lost as heat as it is transferred up the pyramid, so there is not enough energy available to support another level.

Which letter correctly identifies a process of the hydrologic cycle in which the phase of water is changed from a liquid to a gas?

B.

The next question is based on the following table of organisms in an ecological community. The X in a cell indicates that the organism is eaten by the consumer in the first column.Which of the following categories of organisms, which are required for the cycling of matter in an ecosystem, is missing from the table?

Decomposers

Which best describes the theory of plate tectonics?

Earth's lithosphere is divided into plates, which move

Scientists calculated the net primary productivity at two different forest sites. Both forests have the same gross primary productivity. Forest A has a net primary productivity of 1,650kcal/m2/year, and forest B has a net primary productivity of 1,110kcal/m2/year. Which of the following statements is best supported by the data?

Forest A producers have lower rates of cellular respiration than forest B producers.

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?

Habitat loss and degradation?

Why is petroleum the primary fuel used for transportation in the United States? I. It has a high energy value per unit volume. II. It has quick start and stop times for providing energy. III. It produces a low amount of pollution per Joule.

I and II

The ecological consequences of plate movement includeI. speciation.II. extinction.III. alterations in behavior of predators and prey.

I, II and III

Which energy source is considered nonrenewable? I. solar energy II. nuclear energy III. fossil fuel

II and III

Why is a gas water heater more energy efficient overall than an electric water heater when electricity comes from a coal-fired electricity generation plant? I. The electric water heater has a lower direct efficiency. II. The energy efficiency of the coal-fired power plant is low. III. Natural gas does not need to be transported.

II only

Which provided evidence for the change in continent location over time?

Identical rock formations were found on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

The diagrams above show an area that was once a pasture that has since undergone changes to the vegetation over time. Which of the following changes in the hydrologic cycle is most likely to occur as a result of the change in vegetation in the area?

Increased infiltration

Select the correct combination of igneous rock types and conditions under which they form

Obsidian Smoothe?

Which of the following would best describe X in the diagram above?

Phosphorus and nitrogen are both required for plant growth.

Could an earthquake that has a magnitude 5.9 on the Richter scale cause more damage than one that measures 7.5?

Possibly, if nearby construction is not built to withstand earthquakes?

Which of the following correctly describes the disruption of an ecosystem service by an anthropogenic (Man-made) activity?

Provisioning services are disrupted by increased combustion of fossil fuels, which leads to an increase in air pollution.

Which of the following would be categorized as a cultural ecosystem service of forests?

Recreation and scenic areas for tourism

Which is NOT a correct statement about volcanoes?

The Hawaiian Islands were formed by several plates moving over the same hot spot.

Which of the following major storage reservoirs of carbon, stored in the form of carbon dioxide, is not represented in this diagram?

The Ocean

Brown marmorated stink bugs are native to China and Japan. They were identified in Pennsylvania for the first time in 1998 and have since spread across North America, feeding on agricultural crops. Which of the following characteristics of the brown marmorated stink bug has led to them being an invasive species in North America?

They are tolerant of a wide range of environmental conditions

Although oil can be easily transported because it is a liquid, many problems can arise in transport. Which is NOT a consequence of moving oil from its source to its destination?

Transport by train is impossible due to the lack of railroad infrastructure.

A student reads that nanosilver particles are used in cosmetics to allow nutrients to penetrate deeper into the skin. When the cosmetics are washed off, the nanosilver particles can enter freshwater ecosystems. These particles may decrease survival in many aquatic organisms. The student determines that Daphnia magna, a tiny freshwater crustacean widely found in North America, might make a good test subject for an experiment. Which statement below is the most likely testable hypothesis based on the information provided?

When the concentration of nanosilver particles in water is increased, the population of Daphnia magna will decrease

Magma circulates in convection cells in Earth's

asthenosphere

Population biologists are concerned about invasive species such as the zebra mussel in North America because

the invasive species compete for resources more effectively than native species

Cogeneration increases the efficiency of an electricity generation plant by

using the steam generated as a thermal energy source.