AP Environmental Science Unit 9

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 pH in the ocean.

The stratospheric ozone layer benefits life on Earth by

absorbing 99% of incoming UV-B and UV-C radiation

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.

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.

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

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.

Which of the following correctly identifies the three main characteristics associated with the hole in the ozone layer?

B

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.

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

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 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

The graph above shows CO2 measurements taken from Mauna Loa, Hawaii, and the Vostok ice core, which was drilled from ice sheets in Antarctica. 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.

The graph above shows CO2 measurements taken from Mauna Loa, Hawaii, and the Vostok ice core, which was drilled from ice sheets in Antarctica. 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

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

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 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.

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

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.

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 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.

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.

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