APES Unit 9 Study Set

Increased atmospheric CO2 concentration over the next 50 years is expected to cause which of the following global changes?

A significant loss of biodiversity in the tropics

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

The drop in stratospheric ozone levels in the Southern Hemisphere (the "ozone hole") is most evident during which season?

Antarctic spring (October)

Which of the following represents a positive feedback loop in the Arctic that is associated with anthropogenic climate change?

Arctic Ocean ice melts -> ocean surface water temperature increases -> more ice melts

Many organisms, such as honeybees and livestock, have been domesticated for economic reasons. Which of the following best describes an unintended consequence of this practice?

As humans tamed wild organisms to amplify desired traits, genetic diversity decreased in the organisms' populations.

A greenhouse gas that is exclusively anthropogenic

CCl2F2

Which of the following best identifies the reason that chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were banned in 1996 by the Montreal Protocol?

CFCsCFCs led to the destruction of stratospheric ozone.

Which of the following greenhouse gases has the greatest heat-trapping ability per molecule?

Chlorofluorocarbon

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

Which of the following environmental problems is most directly linked to ocean warming?

Coral bleaching

Which of the following not only results from greenhouse warming but also contributes to additional warming of Earth (i.e., is a positive feedback process)?

Decreased size of snowpack

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.

Which of the following is a major goal of the program begun in 1995 to reintroduce the gray wolf into Yellowstone National Park?

Enable the removal of the gray wolf from the endangered species list

Which of the following would likely reduce the threats posed by exotic species to native species? I. Increasing inspections of goods coming into a country II. Mandating that bilgewater from vessels be emptied in ports instead of in the open ocean III. Enforcing legislation that restricts imported materials such as untreated wooden packing crates

I and III only

Characteristics that tend to increase the risk of a species becoming endangered include which of the following? I. Having a very limited distribution II. Being a specialist at the end of a long food chain III. Having a small population size

I, II, and III

Possible effects of a warmer atmosphere include which of the following? I. Expanded ranges of tropical diseases II. More intense hurricanes and typhoons III. Increased crop damage from pests and diseases

I, II, and III

Which of the following events would most likely lead to a decrease in the pH in the oceans?

Increased burning of fossil fuels in power plants

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

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.

All of the following gases have been implicated in contributing to the increase in global temperature via the greenhouse effect EXCEPT

O2

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

Of the following, which is the best example of reclamation of disturbed lands?

Restoring vegetation to an area that has been mined

Which of the following describes a negative effect of substituting hydrofluorocarbons (HCFCs) for chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in an effort to reduce ozone depletion?

Some type of hydrofluorocarbons are greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change.

Which of the following is true about the region of Earth's atmosphere known as the stratosphere?

The highest concentration of naturally occurring ozone forms in this layer.

Which of the following best describes how ocean acidification affects coral formation?

The increase in hydrogen ions dissolved in the ocean water sequesters available carbonate ions, preventing the use of calcium carbonate for coral skeleton formation.

Many scientists maintain that a rise in sea level has occurred in the last hundred years as a result of global warming. If this is true, which of the following factors best explains such a rise?

Thermal expansion of the ocean

Why do introduced species often become pests?

They displace native species.

All of the following statements about invasive exotic species are true EXCEPT: They may compete with native species for food. They may prey on native species. They are generally introduced by human activity. They may be plant or animal species. They tend to have low reproductive rates.

They tend to have low reproductive rates.

Coral bleaching can be hazardous to some fish species because

coral reefs provide unique habitats for fish

Surface oceanic circulation results most directly in the

distribution of heat from tropical to temperate and polar regions

The factor that likely poses the greatest threat of extinction of species worldwide is

increasing loss of habitat

In models of global warming, the most important factor contributing to an increase in sea level is

thermal expansion of the oceans

The spread of infectious diseases is expected to increase with climate change, mainly because

warmer temperatures allow disease-carrying insects to survive in areas that were once too cold