apes final
The graph below shows the average pH of precipitation from several regions of the world. Approximately how many more times acidic, in terms of H+ concentration, is precipitation in the northeastern United States as compared to precipitation in the South Pacific?
10
One benefit of solid waste disposal in landfills is that the methane produced from decomposition can be harnessed for energy. Based on the data in the graph, methane production from waste management most likely peaked during which of the following years?
1990
A scientist investigated the radiation sensitivity of different mammals to x -rays to determine the LD50 within 30 days. Results from the study are included below. Based on the LD50 data in the table, which of the following equations should be used to calculate how many times greater the resistance of a rabbit to x-rays is than that of a dog?
800 / 325
Directions: The following questions(s) refer to the graph below of bird and mammal extinctions over thee centuries Approximately how many more mammal species become extinct in the period 1901-2000 than became extinct in the period 1801-1900?
90
Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following question(s) refer to the locations marked by letters in the world map below. The location where desertification is occurring most rapidly
A
Researchers are evaluating the waste treatment facility located on the Moose River in the northeastern United States. They are sampling the river and its tributaries at several locations, as shown on the map below. Water from which of the following locations on the map would best serve as a control group for the study?
A
The graph below shows the dose response curves for four different chemicals, labeled A — D , in a dose-response study on the effects of the chemicals on mortality in amphibians. All dose experiments began at 0 units of each chemical. Based on the data in the graph, which of the four chemicals is the most toxic to amphibians regardless of dose?
A
Which of the following devices is correctly paired to the air pollutant it would be used to measure?
A - gas sensor, CO2
In addition to a nearby mountain range, which of the following environmental conditions would be required for the process in the diagram to occur?
A cool sea breeze and a high pressure system
A scientist wanted to investigate the effect of tropospheric ozone on the respiratory function of mice. Twenty female mice were placed in one of five different field environments that mimicked the natural habitats of the mice. Each environment had a tube connected to it that would pump in a set level of ozone measured in ppm . In each field environment, the scientist measured the average respiratory output for the twenty mice over a three-month time frame.Which of the following should be added to the study to best serve as the control group?
A group of twenty mice that were not exposed to ozone
A paper company located on the banks of a river discharges its treated wastewater into the river. Which of the following would be the best control group to evaluate the treated wastewater from the paper company?
A sample of water downstream from the same river
If Earth had no atmosphere, the mean surface temperature would be approximately -15°C. With our present atmosphere, Earth's mean surface temperature is approximately +15°C. Which of the following is the best explanation for this difference?
Absorption of infrared radiation by atmospheric gases
Which of the following is an example of a point source of pollution?
Acid mine drainage
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 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 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.
The drop in stratospheric ozone levels in the Southern Hemisphere (the "ozone hole") is most evident during which season?
Antarctic spring (October)
Composed of fibers known to cause lung disease
Asbestos
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.
The LD50 for arsenic in humans is 13mg/kg. Which of the following approaches should be used to calculate the number of grams of arsenic it would take to reach the LD50 in a 140-pound person? [Note: 1kg=2.2pounds]
B
Some toxic compounds are ingested and retained in the tissues. These pollutants pose special risks to humans and other organisms high on the food chain because of which process?
Biomagnification
A biologist is studying a small food web in which phytoplankton are eaten by krill, krill are eaten by fish, and fish are eaten by seals. During their study of the ecosystem, the biologist discovers that PCBs are present in measurable levels in the water and wants to examine how PCBs could vary in different trophic levels. Which of the following best identifies a testable hypothesis for the study?
Biomagnification will cause the seals to have the highest amount of PCBs in their tissues.
The graph below depicts the dose response curves for three common bacteria and a newly discovered bacterium found in streams near certain agricultural properties. An individual is exposed to the water in the stream from which the sample show in the graph was taken. If the individual was exposed to the highest dose of the bacteria, which of the following bacteria would have the lowest probability of causing illness if ingested?
C. jejuni
Which of the following compounds is NOT involved in the depletion of stratospheric ozone?
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide and particulates are emitted by volcanoes. Particulates form stratospheric aerosols that reflect sunlight. Which of the following best describes the impact of atmospheric carbon dioxide and stratospheric aerosols?
Carbon dioxide contributes to global warming, and aerosols cause cooling.
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.
Catalytic converters reduce which of the following pairs of pollutants in car exhaust?
Carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons
Which of the following best explains why DDT has been found in penguin eggs in the Antarctic?
Chemicals used in one region of Earth can circulate in the biosphere and affect organisms in a distant region.
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
Mandates the restoration and maintenance of the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters
Clean Water Act
Which of the following is a commercially used method for harvesting trees and is most likely to lead to a fragmented landscape with serious impacts on biodiversity?
Clear-cutting
An alpine area of a national park near a trail is normally covered by plants, but much of the area is now bare soil. Park rangers suspect that trampling by hikers has killed the plants. Which of the following will best test the hypothesis?
Comparing plant survivorship in areas where hikers stay on the trail with plant survivorship in the area where hikers leave the trail
In the figure above, the letters A, B, and C represent the different thermal layers present in an inversion. Which of the following shows the correct sequence of thermal layers as one moves vertically upwards from the surface of Earth?
Cool sea breeze ® Warm ® Cool
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 correctly identifies both a nonpoint source and a point source of pollution?
D
Which of the following points on the graph best illustrates the location where pollutants are most likely to accumulate as a result of a thermal inversion?
D
Which of the following best describes why DDT is classified as a persistent organic pollutant?
DDT is very stable, and as much as 50% of the original concentration can remain in the soil 15 years after the initial application
Which of the following would most likely reduce the concentration of ground-level ozone in the air of a city?
Decrease in the emissions of nitrogen oxides
Which of the following would encourage recycling?
Decreasing taxes on recycled material
Which of the following identifies the two factors thought to be the most harmful to biodiversity?
Destruction of habitat and invasion by nonnative species
Which of the following human activities is most closely associated with depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer?
Disposal of refrigerators and air conditioners
Stratospheric ozone depletion is most likely to result in which of the following?
Disruption of photosynthesis in plants
A scientist wants to study the effect of DDT in a fish-eating bird species. She measures a variety of variables in a population of birds over a period of ten years to determine how levels of DDT affect bird survival and reproduction. Which of the following identifies a scientific question she could ask to best evaluate the effect of DDT on the bird species?
Does the persistence of DDT lead to eggshell thinning or developmental deformities in the bird species?
An experiment to evaluate the efficiency of wet and dry scrubber networks that filter particulate gas at different flow rates was conducted under different flow rate conditions. The results are shown below. Which of the following best describes the efficiency of dry scrubbers at removing particles that are less than 2 micrometers in diameter?
Dry scrubbers are less than 10% efficient at removing particles less than 1µm in size.
At what step in the diagram would wastewater most likely be treated with chlorine or UV light to remove bacteria?
During step D
A point source discharges organic waste into a stream. Which of the following graphs best depicts the expected pattern for dissolved oxygen (DO) in this stream as a function of distance from the discharge point?
E
Particulates can be removed from smokestack emissions by which of the following methods?
Electrostatic precipitators
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.
Contains an amendment that allows private landowners to modify their property under a habitat conservation plan
Endangered Species Act
Alligators in a Florida lake polluted by high levels of dioxins (chlorinated hydrocarbons) had low testosterone levels and failed to reproduce. Scientists came to the conclusion that the dioxins were acting as which of the following?
Endocrine disrupters
Which of the following pollutants would most likely be responsible for gender imbalance in a population of frogs in which all observed frogs are female?
Endocrine disruptors
Based on the pathways shown in the diagram, which of the following best describes how climate change will most likely increase the transmission rates of the Zika virus?
Expanded mosquito ranges will increase human exposure to the virus.
Of the following, which is the best example of a point source of water pollution?
Factory effluent
Based on the data in the graph, which of the following likely occurred from 1960 to 2015 because of changes in solid waste disposal methods?
Fewer natural resources needed to be extracted.
Emitted from most manufactured building materials and furniture
Formaldehyde
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 most abundant nonanthropogenic greenhouse gas
H2O
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.
Endocrine disruptors directly affect which of the following in an organism?
Hormones
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.
True statements about ozone include which of the following? I. It is a pollutant in the troposphere. II. It filters out most of the UVC radiation in the stratosphere. I. Most of it is formed in the stratosphere by reaction between carbon dioxide and free oxygen atoms.
I and II only
Defining characteristics of a wetland involve which of the following? I. Hydrology II. Soil type III. Species composition
I, II, and III
Reasons that the population size of an exotic species often grows rapidly when the species is introduced in a new environment include which of the following? I. The exotic species is resistant to pesticides. II. There is a large, underutilized food source in the new environment. I. The exotic species has few natural predators in the new environment.
II and III only
Scientists have observed that the health of people living in moderately developed regions, which have developed transportation and industry but lack environmental control measures, is more likely to be affected by urban outdoor pollution than by indoor air pollution. Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from the data presented in the graph?
In moderately developed regions such as China and Latin America, an individual's health is more or as likely to be affected by urban outdoor pollution than by indoor pollution.
Which of the following describes a potential human health effect most likely to be associated with a thermal inversion?
Increase in respiratory irritation due to increased levels of fine airborne particulates
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 data in the graph, which of the following solutions most likely led to the decrease in the amount of waste sent to landfills from 1990 to 2015 ?
Increased recycling of waste
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 is an example of an external cost?
Individuals pay for medical treatment of lung disease aggravated by pollution from a coal- fired power plant.q
Which of the following best describes the mechanism of the greenhouse effect in Earth's atmosphere?
Infrared radiation from Earth's surface is absorbed by gases in the atmosphere
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
The graph shows the average distance traveled by individuals in a population in an urban area in the southwestern United States. Based on the data, which of the following months most likely experiences the highest levels of photochemical smog?
July
Of the following, which is the primary method of waste disposal in the United States?
Landfilling
Found in old plumbing pipes and fixtures and some ceramic glazes
Lead
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 process shown in the diagram?
Less-dense, warm air creates a temperature inversion between more-dense layers, trapping pollutants near the ground.
Which of the following strategies will best help to protect mangrove habitats?
Limiting coastal development and maintain a shoreline buffer zone
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the United States recommends taking corrective measures to reduce exposure to radon gas. The EPA has set an action level of 4 pCi/L for radon gas. The graph below shows radon samples taken from seventeen buildings in California. The radon samples were taken from the air inside the buildings, and the uranium concentrations were sampled from the soil under the buildings. Data points from four of the seventeen building locations are labeled A-D. Which of the following conclusions can best be drawn from the data in the graph?
Location A has the greatest need for remediation because the radon levels in the building are the highest and exceed the EPA action level.
Of the following cities, which regularly experiences the worst levels of photochemical smog that is enhanced by thermal inversions?
Los Angeles, California
Which of the following best describes how a scientist could accurately study the effects of soil buffering on plant growth in a region that is affected by acid deposition downwind of a coal-burning power plant?
Measure the changes in plant height over a year in two different groups of trees the same distance from the power plant; one group is in topsoil and one group is in topsoil with limestone added.
Poses a health risk to humans who eat large quantities of marine fish such as swordfish and tuna
Mercury
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.
Atmospheric deposition is receiving increased attention in the scientific community, and has become the subject of a specific research area in the environmental sciences. Acid rain is detrimental to our ecosystems and can be measured in several ways.Which of the following methods would best identify changes from acid deposition in an area over time?
Monitoring the long-term chemical and biological parameters of an ecosystem
Addressed the issue of stratospheric ozone depletion
Montreal Protocol
The following questions(s) refer to the diagram below, which depicts the concentrations of various gases in the air over a city on a typical smoggy day. Which of the following best explains the pattern in NO concentration?
NO is produced by rush-hour traffic and is quickly oxidized in the atmosphere
Road construction, logging, and mining are banned in which of the following federal lands?
National wilderness preservation area
All of the following gases have been implicated in contributing to the increase in global temperature via the greenhouse effect EXCEPT
O2
A greenhouse gas that, in the lower troposphere, is formed by photochemical reactions
O3
Considered harmful in the troposphere but beneficial in the stratosphere
Ozone
Which of the following has most directly resulted in increased skin cancer rates in Australia?
Ozone depletion in the stratosphere
Scientists have discovered that Volatile Organic Compounds ( VOCs ) emitted from trees can contribute to photochemical smog formation. Data in the table above were collected in 2006 and 2014 in Berlin, Germany. Isoprene is a VOC released by some tree species. Impact factor refers to the percentage of ozone attributed to the isoprene.Which of the following best describes the relationship between variables in the data table?
Ozone maximum is correlated to average and maximum temperature.
In the stratosphere, which of the following increases Earth's albedo by reflecting solar energy back into space?
PANs
An engineer is assigned the task of reducing the air pollutants being released from a power plant that generates electricity by burning coal. The engineer performs a variety of computer simulations to determine which techniques and methods would be most effective at reducing air pollution generated by the plant.The air pollutant that computer simulations would likely show as being the most reduced by the installation of baghouse filters in exhaust systems
Particulate matter
Is the major pollutant that electrostatic precipitators are designed to remove from power-plant smokestack emissions
Particulates (PM10)
Scientists have been monitoring CO2 in the atmosphere from Mauna Loa in Hawaii since 1958. Which of the following units is used by scientists to measure CO2 in the atmosphere?
Parts per million
Implicated in human neurological damage
Pb
Which of the following will result in accelerated eutrophication when introduced into streams, lakes, and bays?
Phosphates
Which of the following correctly identifies an example of an endocrine disruptor and the effect it might have on the human body?
Phthalates in cosmetics and shampoos reduce fertility.
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.
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 is the most likely reason for the trend shown in the graph of fluctuating indoor radon levels over the course of a year?
Radon levels tend to increase in the colder months because of the difference in temperature inside and outside the home, which creates a vacuum pulling radon into the home at a higher rate.
Red pine trees are currently found growing in only the cool northernmost areas of the central and eastern United States. Climate change is expected to have an impact on the distribution of the species. Which of the following describes the most likely change to the distribution of red pine over the next 200 years?
Red pine distribution will shift northward into Canada.
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.
Which of the following actions would reduce global greenhouse emissions?
Replacing coal-burning power plants with wind farms
Of the following, which is the best example of reclamation of disturbed lands?
Restoring vegetation to an area that has been mined
Cholera is an acute infection of the digestive system that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Infected individuals can experience a range of symptoms, including diarrhea, vomiting, muscle cramps, low blood pressure, rapid heart rate, and extreme thirst. If symptoms persist and severe dehydration results, an infected individual can die within hours of symptom onset. The diagram below shows how cholera is transmitted. Based on the diagram, which of the following is the most likely reason that a community with good sanitation could still have individuals who contract cholera?
Runoff from a nearby agricultural field pollutes a reservoir used for drinking water.
Waste from which of the following is an example of nonpoint source pollution?
Runoff from agricultural fields
Requires minimum safety standards for community water supplies
Safe Drinking Water Act
The graph below depicts the dose response curves for three common bacteria and a newly discovered bacterium found in streams near certain agricultural properties. If all four of the bacteria species shown in the graph are equally likely to contaminate agricultural products at a dose of 102 CFU, regulating which of the following species would have the greatest effect in reducing the likelihood of illness in humans?
Salmonella spp.
Long Island Sound is a body of water off the northeast coast of the United States. Over nine million people live in the small watershed area that feeds into the sound. To determine the effect of the population density on the watershed, scientists measured the oxygen content of bottom waters in the sound. The data from late summer 2013 are displayed in the map below. Which of the following factors would most likely contribute to the conditions observed in the Long Island Sound?
Sewage treatment
Based on the data table above for a stream in Illinois, which site most likely has a construction site immediately upstream from it?
Site C
Until 2005 the entire Postawko Creek Watershed in Fremont County consisted of a national forest interspersed with hay meadows and houses on lots with a minimum size of five acres. In 2005 Farmer Cobb opened a dairy farm in the watershed, and the citizens of Fremont County became concerned that the runoff from the dairy farm would negatively impact the water quality of the watershed. Scientists employed by the county collected water quality data at five sites in the watershed; some of the data are compiled in the table above. Based on these data, which site is most likely immediately downstream from the dairy farm?
Site C
Based on the diagram, organic solids that have settled to the bottom of the treatment tanks in step B are transferred to which of the following for further processing?
Sludge treatment tanks
Which of the following best illustrates point-source pollution?
Smokestack emissions from a large smelting company
Of the following, which is true of noise pollution?
Sudden or persistent noise may lead to permanent hearing loss.
Which of the following statements best describes how the Clean Water Act legislation aims to protect wetlands from being lost?
The Clean Water Act requires wetlands to be constructed to mitigate the effect of newly drained wetlands.
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
Which of the following is the best description of bioaccumulation?
The absorption of a substance by an organism at a rate greater than the rate of elimination
Based on the diagram, which of the following processes most likely caused the bottom-dwelling plants in the lake to die?
The algal bloom prevented sunlight from reaching the bottom-dwelling plants, which reduced the rates of photosynthesis.
Consumers who get their electricity from coal-fired power plants are not paying the true cost of energy production in their monthly utility bills. Which of the following is true about utility bills for these consumers?
The bills do not include public health costs, such as those associated with air pollution.
Scientists want to examine the effects of a coal-burning power plant on the pH of a lake that is downwind of the power plant. They take samples from a lake that is not downwind of the power plant to serve as a control. However, they did not realize that the lake they chose as a control group was a geothermal hot spring with acidic water .Which of the following best describes how their choice of control group could affect the results of their experiment?
The coal-burning power plant would not appear to have a large impact because the pH levels of the two lakes would be similar.
The following questions(s) refer to the diagram below, which depicts the concentrations of various gases in the air over a city on a typical smoggy day. If technology that reduces the hydrocarbon concentration had been utilized, which of the following would have been the most likely result?
The concentration of O3 would have been lower.
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.
A massive bluegill fish kill was observed in a lake near a power plant during the winter months. It was determined that the plant was releasing large amounts of hot water into the lake. Which of the following explains what likely caused the death of so many bluegills in the lake?
The influx of warmer water caused an unexpected increase in the metabolic rate of the bluegills, which led to increased physiological stress from limited resource availability.
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 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.
The graph below depicts the dose response curves for three common bacteria and a newly discovered bacterium found in streams near certain agricultural properties. Some drinking water standards allow bacteria in water at dosages up to the 10% probability of illness. Which of the following statements is best supported by the data in the graph?
The newly discovered bacterium would have the lowest allowable dosage to meet the drinking water standards.
Acid deposition would most likely result in which of the following?
The release of aluminum ions from soil
Which of the following will occur if the trend of global temperature increase continues?
The troposphere will contain more water vapor.
A small lake, located downstream of a power plant, recently experienced a die-off of multiple aquatic species. Environmentalists had been monitoring the temperature of the lake for several months prior to the die-off and noticed a significant spike in the temperature of the lake immediately preceding the die-off event.Which of the following best explains why the die-off event occurred in the lake following the increased water temperature?
The warm water decreased the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water, which led to an increase in the respiration rate of the aquatic organisms.
Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following question(s) refer to the figure below, which depicts the observed relation between dietary fat intake and rate of death from breast cancer in different countries. Which of the following statements is best supported by the data?
There is a positive correlation between breast cancer and dietary fate intake
A student is setting up a model to study the carbon cycle and natural sources of carbon dioxide. They create a microenvironment that contains soil, leaf debris, an earthworm, heterotrophic bacteria, and a sun lamp. What natural source of carbon dioxide and major metabolic process was left out of the model?
There is no representation of photosynthesis in the model environment.
Air pollution from a power plant is being monitored for levels of nitrogen dioxide and ground-level ozone. The levels are measured daily at the same time. Which of the following best predicts the impact of a dark and cloudy day on the readings for the levels of air pollutants measured?
There will be an increase in the level of nitrogen dioxide and a decrease in the level of ground-level ozone.
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.
Why do introduced species often become pests?
They displace native species.
All of the following statements about invasive exotic species are true EXCEPT:
They tend to have low reproductive rates.
Which of the following is an appropriate remediation strategy for removing radon gas from the home?
Use filtered water for drinking and bathing.
Which of the following sources should be examined in a study to determine the impact of a geologic source on levels of CO2 in the atmosphere?
Volcanoes
Which of the following best describes how thermal pollution from power plants can affect aquatic ecosystems?
Warm water discharged into rivers and streams decreases the oxygen content of the water, which reduces the number of fish species.
An experiment to evaluate the efficiency of wet and dry scrubber networks that filter particulate gas at different flow rates was conducted under different flow rate conditions. The results are shown below. Based on the data in the graph, which of the following methods would be most effective at removing the greatest amount of particulate matter from coal-burning power plant emissions?
Wet scrubbers using a flow rate of 450 L/min are best suited to remove large particles.
A large forested area is fragmented into small forest tracts separated by agricultural areas. This change will most likely lead to
a decrease in the gene flow within species of the original forest
Smoke from forest fires is most likely to affect air quality over larger areas for many days when
a persistent atmospheric inversion exists in the region
All of the following are commonly used to deal with the side effects of eutrophication in lakes EXCEPT
adding nitrates
Which of the following could directly lead to a loss of biodiversity as an unintended consequence of human actions?
angrove forests are removed as part of a beach development project.
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
Although levels of CFCs in the atmosphere are much lower than those of CO2, CFCs are still potent greenhouse gases because they
are much more efficient at absorbing thermal radiatio
Has a stronger affinity for hemoglobin than oxygen has
carbon monoxide
Which type of electricity-generating power plant releases radioactive materials as well as toxic metals such as lead and arsenic under normal operating conditions?
coal-burning
Major anthropogenic sources of nitrogen pollution include commercial fertilizers, vehicle exhaust, industrial air pollution, and
discharge of sewage to surface waters
Directions: Each of the questions or incomplete statements below is followed by five suggested answers or completions. Select the one that is best in each case.The following questions refer to the graph below showing the relationship between the induction of cancer in breast cells and the concentration of anastrozole. Toxicologists say, "the dose makes the poison," meaning that most substances are harmful in high enough concentrations. The data for anastrozole
does not support this concept because as concentration increases, response decreases
The release of a large amount of sewage and other organic wastes into a river would likely result in a sharp
increase in the biological oxygen demand
When logging is carried out in a watershed, a likely effect on the local streams is
increased water temperature
The three main anthropogenic sources of gaseous air pollutants in the United States are
industry, transportation, and energy production
In the United States, most municipal solid waste is disposed of by
landfilling
The activity with the health risk most likely to be overestimated by the general public in the United States is
living near a nuclear power plant
The major human health problem related to radon accumulation is
lung cancer
A state highway was constructed over wetlands. The state obtained a permit to fill the existing wetlands in accordance with the provisions of the Clean Water Act in 1972, and agreed to create another wetland. This trade-off approach to addressing an environmental issue is known as
mitigation
Ground-level ozone in most major United States cities results primarily from
motor-vehicle exhaust
Which of the following is the best example of a point source pollutant?
oil tanker spill
Although the use of DDT was banned in the United States in 1972, a test of the body tissue of an average United States resident today would most likely reveal the presence of DDT because
other countries that export produce to the United States still use DDT
A researcher wants to determine if ponds and lakes downwind of a coal-burning power plant are affected by the plant's emissions. Which of the following would be the best parameter from the water in the ponds and lakes to measure in order to determine the effect of the plant's emissions on the aquatic ecosystems?
pH
In the United States, the largest single component of municipal solid waste is
paper
A gaseous decay product of uranium that is found in rocks
radon
A leading cause of lung cancer in the United States
radon
Colorless, odorless gas that is a naturally occurring decay product of uranium
radon
Has been implicated as the cause of as much as 15 percent of lung cancer cases
radon
A paper company located on the banks of a river discharges its treated wastewater into the river.Which of the following water quality indicators should be measured to best determine if the wastewater is increasing the acidity of the river?
the amount of hydrogen ions
Of the phenomena that correlate with the data above, the one that is the most direct consequence of the trend in air travel is
the increase in the spread of infectious diseases
All of the following are likely consequences of indoor air pollution EXCEPT an increase in
the risk of developing skin cancer
The major source of radon in houses in the United States is
the underlying bedrock
Ozone in the stratosphere is most important to life at Earth's surface because it absorbs
ultraviolet light
If the air layers in the diagram were relabeled to illustrate normal atmospheric conditions, the correct labeling from the air layer closest to the Earth's surface to the one farthest from the Earth's surface would be
warm air, cool air, cooler air
The danger from radon gas would most likely be greatest in
well-insulated homes
An air pollution expert set up a monitoring program to determine the amount of particulate matter ( PM ) leaving a farmer's field after crops were harvested and the soil was bare. She set up high-volume air samplers 10 meters from each edge of the square field and collected samples weekly for two months. When she looked at her data, she was surprised by how much the PM levels varied, both from site to site on a given date and over time at each site. Which of the following parameters would have been best to measure to help explain the variation in her results?
wind direction and speed