ENV TEST #1
one member benefits while the other is harmed
exploitation
a population increases by a fixed percent
exponential growth
affect people other than buyers or sellers
external costs
the disappearance of a species from Earth
extinction
a circular process in which a system's output serves as input to that same system
feedback loop
energy can change form but cannot be created or destroyed
first law of thermodynamics
the rate at which materials move between reservoirs
flux
a series of feeding relationships
food chain
a visual map of feeding relationships and energy flow among organisms
food web
an imprint in stone of a dead organism
fossil
the cumulative body of fossils worldwide
fossil record
people are tempted to cheat and not participate in sacrificing to protect the environment
free riders
species with broad niches
generalists
manufactured materials that are bought
goods
from private or government sources
grants and funding
tax environmentally harmful activities and products
green taxes
consumers are misled into thinking companies are acting more sustainably than they are
greenwashing
total amount of chemical energy produced by autotrophs
gross primary production
water found underground beneath layers of soil
groundwater
rate of change in a population's size per unit time
growth rate
the environment where an organism lives
habitat
the process by which organisms actively select habitats in which to live
habitat selection
nonrandom patterns where organisms live
habitat use
animals feed on the tissues of plants
herbivory
organisms that gain energy by feeding on others
heterotrophs
ecosystems whose plants rapidly convert solar energy to biomass
high net primary productivity
anyone could buy or settle on 160 acres of public land
homestead act of 1862
organic compounds that contain only carbon and hydrogen
hydrocarbons
the flow of liquid, gaseous, and solid water through the environment
hydrologic cycle
all water on Earth
hydrosphere
A _______ is a testable statement that attempts to answer a scientific question
hypothesis
a statement that tries to answer the question
hypothesis
targeted, structured research
hypothesis-driven science
the number of individuals present at a given time
population size
a group of individuals of a species that live in the same area
populations
instead of stabilizing a system, it drives it further toward an extreme
positive feedback loop
energy of position
potential energy
rain or snow returns water to Earth's surface
precipitation
process by which individuals of one species (predators) capture, kill, and consume individuals of another species (prey)
predation
A cow eating grass is an example of a _____.
primary consumer
organisms in the second trophic level that consume producers. herbivorous grazing animals. deer & grasshoppers
primary consumers
conversion of solar energy to chemical energy in sugars by autotrophs during photosynthesis
primary production
disturbance removes all vegetation and/or soil life
primary succession
In an ecosystem, phytoplankton are _____.
producers
organisms capture solar energy for photosynthesis to produce sugars
producers or autotrophs
bacteria and archaea
prokaryotes
Which of the following sequences is arranged in proper order from the smaller units to the largest units?
proton, element, molecule, organism
positively charged particles
protons
governmental laws, regulations, orders, incentives, and practices to advance societal welfare
public policy
information expressed by numbers
quantitative data
species that reproduce quickly
r-selected species
Most energy in the majority of ecosystems arrives as ______ and exits in the form of _____.
radiation from the sun, heat
haphazardly located individuals, with no pattern
random
specific rules to achieve objectives of broadly written statutory laws
regulations
ethics varies with social context
relativists
replinished over short periods
renewable natural resources
others try to reproduce the results
repeatability
a community changes in response to a disturbance, but later returns to its original state
resilience
a community resists change and remains stable despite the disturbance
resistance
competing species coexist by specializing
resource partitioning
the science of restoring an area to an earlier (presettlement) condition
restoration ecology
water flows into streams, lakes, rivers, oceans
runoff
Which of the following approaches has encountered the most public resistance in the United States?
"green" taxes to encourage environmentally responsible behavior
Which statement best describes the concept of sustainability?
An example of sustainability may be to collect enough bark in order to make a medicine but not remove so much bark that the tree is harmed.
pH > 7
Basic solutions
an organism's capacity to produce offspring
Biotic potential
links carbon atoms from carbon dioxide into sugar
Calvin Cycle
controversial taxes on gasoline, coal-based electricity, and other fossil fuels
Carbon taxes
include simple sugars and large molecules of simple sugars bonded together
Carboydrates
solar energy splits water and creates high-energy molecules that fuel the Calvin cycle
Chloroplasts
A _____ is an unmanipulated point of comparison for treatments in an experiment
Control
arises from conventions or treaties
Conventional Law
international law arising from long-standing practices or customs held by most cultures
Customary Law
_______ is information obtained from scientific studies
Data
What is a main lesson that can be learned from historians and anthropologists studying Easter Island?
Easter Island was once inhabited by a flourishing civilization that depleted the island's natural resources to the point that the island is now a barren landscape devoid of trees, most wildlife, and arable land.
transitional zones between two ecosystems in which elements of each ecosystem mix
Ecotones
tourists visit protected areas
Ecotourism
an intangible phenomenon that can change the position, physical composition, temperature of matter
Energy
Which of the statements below is the best description of energy?
Energy is the ability to do work.
required for any federal action that might significantly impact the environment
Environmental Impact Statement
To develop an integrated approach to environmental policy
Environmental Protection Agency
seeks to promote Europe's unity and its economic and social progress
European Union
Which best describes the cause for 'dead zones' in the Chesapeake Bay?
Eutrophication.
people could mine on public land for $5/acre with no government oversight
General Mining Act of 1872
regions of DNA that code for proteins that perform certain functions
Genes
the amount of time it takes for one-half of the atoms in a radioisotope to give off radiation and decay
Half-life
In England, dogs with large, floppy ears called hounds were favored for hunting because of their excellent sense of smell. Which statement most accurately represents the process that enabled humans to produce such dog breeds from their wild predecessors?
Humans noticed dogs with large, floppy ears had a better sense of smell and were more effective hunters, thus, they could be valuable to humans during a hunt. By breeding dogs of similar, desirable traits with one another, a new breed of large, floppy-eared dogs was eventually created.
Urbanized society powered by fossil fuels
Industrial revolution
Which of the following is a step that Costa Rica took to conserve its biodiversity?
It opened national parks, encouraged ecotourism, and created protected areas so that close to 25% of its land is protected or reserved.
species with long gestation periods and few offspring
K-selected species
reduces greenhouse gas emissions causing climate change
Kyoto Protocol
Which of the following is the most inclusive of the factors that play into population growth rates?
Limiting factors, along with biotic potential, restrain population growth
Which of the following statements is true?
Living systems tend toward disorder.
reveal causal relationships. the independent variable is manipulated. yields the strongest evidence.
Manipulative experiments
all material in the universe that has mass and occupies space
Matter
a simplified representation of a complicated natural process
Model
160 nations agreed to reduce ozone-depleting chemicals
Montreal Protocol
Which of the following best describes the ideas behind the parable of "The Tragedy of the Commons?"
Motivated by self-interest, resources are overused by some individuals, which leaves less for others.
search for correlations among variables. compare how dependent variables are expressed in different contexts
Natural Tests
Could 235U decay into an isotope of 236Pb?
No, because as uranium decays it will shed subatomic particles not add them.
entities that influence international policy
Nongovernmental Organizations
Addresses U.S.-Mexico issues
North American Free Trade Agreement
described the ecological and health effects of pesticides and chemicals
Rachel Carson's Silent Spring
A leaf falls from a tree and lands on the ground. Through time, decomposers digest the organic materials in the leaf. Which of the following statements regarding this scenario is true?
The decomposer has recycled the organic materials in the leaf and released them back into the soil.
Insects are our #1 competitor for food as they are our primary agricultural pest. Insects are small, extremely mobile, and reproduce rapidly. Which of the following statements is true about such a species?
The insect species is r-selected.
When an increase in the population of prey occurs, which of the following usually occurs in the population of its predator?
The population of the predator increases.
only humans have rights
anthropocentrism
Which statement about the terms theory and hypothesis is correct?
Theories can be used to predict new discoveries by generating new hypotheses from them.
Pick the answer that best evaluates the following statement: "It has been said that land animals can't exist without plants but that plants could exist without animals."
This statement is true because plants are able to convert solar energy into carbohydrates. Animals must get their energy from plants or herbivores, other organisms that eat plants.
encouraged the timber industry to clear-cut ancient trees with little government policy to limit logging or encourage conservation
Timber Culture Act of 1873
unregulated exploitation of public resources leads to depletion and damage
Tragedy of the commons
plays an active role in policy
United Nations
principle holding that the right action is the one that produces the most benefits for the most people
Utility
When a species is moved from its native area to a new area, it can become an invasive species and damage its new ecosystem. What is one reason these species are able to damage an ecosystem?
When a species is transported, it leaves behind its predators and the diseases that previously kept its population in check. Therefore the species is able to grow to large and damaging numbers.
Which of the following statements is correct in determining energy transfer between tropic levels when taking into account the heat given off from cellular respiration?
When organisms use cellular respiration to process energy, only a small amount of energy is transferred to the next trophic level.
one of the largest funding sources for economic development in poor countries
World Bank
has recently acquired the ability to impose fines on nations that trade unfairly, allowing it to enforce fairness among nations in trading practices.
World Trade Organization
Which of the following is an example of kinetic energy?
a rock falling from a cliff
pH < 7
acidic solutions
believed that self-interested behavior could benefit society
adam smith
a trait that promotes reproductive success
adaptive trait
The first major era of U.S. environmental policy _______.
addressed public land management and encouraged western expansion
material goods do not always bring contentment to those who can afford them
affluenza
the relative numbers of organisms of each age in a population
age structure (distribution)
Growing crops and livestock led to sedentary lives
agricultural revolution
species form as a result of physical separation of populations
allopatric speciation
Which of the following would be most likely to be believed by the scientific community?
an experiment that has been replicated 10 times with the same results
underground reservoirs of spongelike regions of rock and soil that hold groundwater
aquifers
The main advantage of observational studies and natural experiments over manipulative studies is that natural experiments ___________.
are able to test hypotheses in the field and with large study areas
Ecosystems that convert solar energy to biomass rapidly ________.
are said to have high primary productivity
the process of selection conducted under human direction
artificial selection
the air surrounding the planet
atmophere
the number of protons
atomic number
the smallest components that maintain an element's chemical properties
atoms
Which of the following would have the largest biomass in any given terrestrial ecosystem?
autotrophs
organisms that use the sun's energy to produce their own food
autotrophs (producers)
In order for two organisms to belong to the same species, individuals of their species must _______.
be able to reproduce and have fertile offspring
certain living things have value
biocentrism
the variety of life across all levels of biological organization
biological diversity (biodiversity)
mass of living matter
biomass
major regional complex of similar communities recognized by: plant type & vegetation structure
biome
the planet's living organisms
biosphere
the total living things on Earth
biosphere
In which of the following ways did neoclassical economics contribute to environmental problems?
by encouraging society to view the supply of resources as infinite
the government sets pollution levels
cap-and-trade emissions trading system
buyers and sellers interact to determine prices and production of goods and services
capitalist market economy
describes carbon's route in the environment
carbon cycle
the maximum population size the environment can sustain
carrying capacity
the most basic unit of organismal organization
cells
the government determines how to allocate resources
centrally planned economy
potential energy held in the bonds between atoms
chemical energy
indicates the type and number of atoms in the molecule
chemical formula
a light-absorbing pigment
chlorophyll
organelles where photosynthesis occurs
chloroplasts
when people pursue economic self-interest in a competitive marketplace
classical economics
a climate diagram showing an area's mean monthly temperature and precipitation
climatographs
remains in place with few changes
climax community
arranged according to resources. most common in nature.
clumped
hosts and parasites become locked in a duel of escalating adaptations
coevolution
Most of the environmental progress made over the past few decades has come about through the _____ approach.
command-and-control
a regulating agency prohibits actions, or sets rules or limits
command-and-control approach
an assemblage of populations of organisms living in the same area at the same time
community
are interested in why species coexist and interact with one another. Communities change, and why these patterns exist
community ecologists
focuses on patterns of species diversity and interactions
community ecology
When multiple organisms seek the same limited resource, each participant exerts a negative effect on the other participants by taking resources the others could have used. This type of relationship is said to be one of ___________.
competition
multiple organisms seek the same limited resource
competition
a molecule composed of atoms of two or more different elements
compound
scientists interact with others
conferences
study the loss, protection, and restoration of biodiversity
conservation biologists
an unmanipulated point of comparison
control
the effects of all variables are controlled
controlled experiment
Which of the examples below illustrates the economic principle of a negative externality?
cost of rebuilding roads damaged by trucks heavily loaded with goods
costs of a proposed action are compared to benefits that result from the action
cost-benefit analysis
atoms without electrical charges "share" electrons
covalent bond
break down leaf litter and other nonliving material
decomposers
convert nitrates in soil or water to gaseous nitrogen, releasing it back into the atmosphere
denitrifying bacteria
limiting factors whose influence is affected by population density
density-dependent factors
limiting factors whose influence is not affected by population density
density-independent factors
A scientist measures the _________ in an experiment
dependent variable
depends on the independent variable
dependent variable
If a scientist travels to the rainforest to observe and catalog new species, he or she would be conducting ___________.
descriptive science
Which list includes biomes in the correct order based on those that have the lowest annual rainfall to those that have the highest?
desert, grassland, temperate deciduous forest, tropical rain forest
An earthworm that feeds on the remains of plants and animals is acting as a _____.
detritivore
scavenge waste products or dead bodies
detritivores
whole ecological systems have value
ecocentrism
tells consumers which brands use environmentally benign processes
ecolabeling
civilizations cannot overcome environmental limitations
ecological economies
A(n) ______ expresses environmental impact in terms of the cumulative area of land and water required to provide the resources a person consumes.
ecological footprint
the environmental impact of a person or population
ecological footprint
constructs and tests models to explain and predict how ecological systems work
ecological modeling
actual efforts to restore an area
ecological restoration
study relationships at higher levels
ecologists
studies interactions among organisms
ecology
improved efficiency of production
economic development
essential services support the life that makes economic activities possible
economic services
studies how people use resources to provide goods and services in the face of demand
economics
a social system that converts resources into goods and services
economy
If scientists spend their time studying communities and the nonliving materials that they interact with, they would be called _______.
ecosystem ecologists
studies living and nonliving components of systems to reveal patterns
ecosystem ecology
arise from the normal functioning of natural services and allow us to survive
ecosystem services
essential services provided by healthy, normally functioning ecosystems
ecosystem services
all organisms and nonliving entities occurring and interacting in a particular area
ecosystems
negatively charged particles surrounding the nucleus
electrons
a fundamental type of matter
element
departure of individuals from the population
emigration
A single, small population that only exists in one place on the planet is considered _______ to that area.
endemic
exists only in a certain, specialized area
endemic species
The role of an administrative agency is that of _______.
enforcement and elaboration of laws passed by Congress
an increasing state of disorder
entropy
all the living and nonliving things around us
environment
unsustainable economies have high population growth and inefficient resource use
environmental economics
application of ethical standards to relationships between human and nonhuman entities
environmental ethics
pertains to human interactions with the environment
environmental policy
The triple bottom line seeks to combine ___________.
environmental protection, economic well-being, and social equity
all limiting factors together
environmental resistance
the pursuit of knowledge about the environment and our interactions with it
environmental science
the study of how the natural world works & how the environment affects humans and vice versa
environmental science
a social movement
environmentalism
molecules that promote (catalyze) chemical reactions
enzymes
a water body where fresh river water flows into salt ocean water
estuary
criteria that help differentiate right from wrong
ethical standards
the study of good and bad, right and wrong
ethics
plants, animals, fungi, protists
eukaryotes
the process of nutrient overenrichment, blooms of algae, increased production of organic matter, and ecosystem degradation
eutrophication
conversion of liquid to gaseous water
evaporation
means change over time
evolution
An _____ tests the validity of a hypothesis
experiment
tests the validity of a prediction or hypothesis
experiment
Which of the following sequences involved in getting new environmental policies or legislation best represents the correct order of events?
identifying a problem, identifying a cause, envisioning a solution, and lobbying the government
arrival of individuals from outside the population
immigration
A scientist manipulates the ___________ in an experiment
independent variable
can be manipulated
independent variable
fixes nitrogen on a massive scale
industrial fixation
water soaks down through rock and soil to recharge aquifers
infiltration
lack the carbon-carbon bond
inorganic compounds
between members of different species
interspecific competition
between members of the same species
intraspecific competition
non-native species that spreads widely and become dominant in a community
invasive species
ions of different charges bind together
ionic bonds
atoms that gain or lose electrons
ions
atoms of an element with different numbers of neutrons
isotopes
Ecosystem goods include _______.
items produced by ecosystems that are consumed or used in manufacturing
has a strong or wide-reaching impact
keystone species
energy of motion
kinetic energy
the study of how landscape structure affects the abundance, distribution, and interaction of organisms
landscape ecology
Which of the following are most likely to be keystone species in an ecosystem?
large-bodied, higher level consumers.
matter can be transformed from one type of substance into others
law of conversation of matter
physical, chemical, and biological attributes of the environment limiting population growth
limiting factors
do not dissolve in water
lipids
rock and sediment
lithosphere
large-sized molecules essential to life
macromolecules
occurs when markets ignore the environment's positive impacts on economies & the negative effects of activities on the environment or people
market failure
killed off massive numbers of species at once
mass extinction events
the number of protons + neutrons
mass number
In a subsistence economy, individuals _______.
meet most of their needs from nature and what they can gather or produce on their own or may trade for local goods made by different clans or families.
governments intervene in the market
mixed economy
combinations of two or more atoms
molecules
deaths within the population
mortality
The only process that can add new genes and, therefore, new variations to a species is _______.
mutation
Two examples of symbiotic relationships are ___________.
mutualism and parasitism
births within the population
natality
the accumulated wealth of Earth's resources
natural capital
substances and energy sources we need for survival
natural resources
examine the natural world
natural sciences
: The process whereby inherited characteristics that enhance survival and reproduction
natural selection
output resulting from a system moving in one direction acts as an input that moves the system in the other direction
negative feedback loop
energy remaining after respiration
net primary production
pH: 7
neutral solutions
lacking electric charge
neutrons
an organism's use of resources
niche
bacteria then convert ammonium ions first into nitrite ions then into nitrate ions
nitrification
describes the routes of nitrogen through the environment
nitrogen cycle
nitrogen-fixing soil bacteria or lightning "fixes" nitrogen gas into ammonium
nitrogen fixation
values (e.g., ecological, cultural, spiritual) not included in the price of a good or service
nonmarket values
unavailable after depletion
nonrenewable natural resources
long chains of nucleotides that contain sugar, phosphate, and a nitrogen base
nucleic acids
the movement of nutrients through ecosystems
nutrient (biogeochemical) cycle
elements needed in large amounts by organisms
nutrients
The following statement is an example of a(n) _____: "People in Japan eat more fish on average than people of other countries."
observation
information is gathered about organisms, systems, processes, etc.
observational (descriptive) science
If a human consumes both plant and animal products then he or she is considered a(n) _____.
omnivore
carbon atoms bonded together
organic compounds
Along with population growth, which of the following is a major root of the environmental problems caused by humans?
our exploitation and consumption of resources
humans have surpassed Earth's capacity to sustainably support us
overshoot
When scientists determined that the Earth was round rather than flat, this was a ___________.
paradigm shift
a new dominant view replaces the old
paradigm shifts
insects that parasitize other insects
parasitoids
a relationship in which one organism (parasite) depends on another (host)
paratism
Which of the following is a typical K-selected species' adaptation?
parental care of the young
ecosystems, communities or habitat form the landscape and are distributed in complex patterns
patches
other scientists judge the work
peer review
a government-created market in permits for an environmentally harmful activity
permit trading
the overall character of the community fundamentally changes
phase shift
describes the routes that phosphorus takes through the environment
phosphorous cycle
the process of turning the sun's light energy into high-quality chemical energy
photosynthesis
a branching diagram used to illustrate a scientist's hypothesis about how divergence took place among evolutionary lines.
phylogenetic tree
branching diagrams show relationships among species, groups, genes, etc.
phylogenetic trees
the first species to arrive in a primary succession area
pioneer species
a formal set of general plans and principles to address problems and guide decision making
policy
: bees, bats, birds, and others transfer pollen from one flower to another, fertilizing its eggs
pollination
the party that pollutes is held responsible for covering the costs of its impacts
polluter-pays principle
long chains of repeated organic compounds
polymers
a location where nutrients remain for varying amounts of time
pool (reservoir)
the number of individuals in a population per unit area
population density
spatial arrangement of organisms
population distribution (dispersion)
investigates population changes
population ecology
a systematic process for learning about the world and testing our understanding of it
science
energy changes from a more-ordered to a less-ordered state
second law of thermodynamics
When a human eats a steak, the human is acting as a _____.
secondary consumer
organisms in the third trophic level that prey on primary consumers. wolves, rodents, birds
secondary consumers
a disturbance has removed much, but not all, of the biotic community
secondary succession
work done for others as a form of business
services
proportion of males to females
sex ratio
a reservoir that accepts more than it releases
sink
examine human interactions and institutions
social sciences
electrons, molecules and compounds come together with no chemical bonding
solutions
a reservoir releases more materials than it accepts
source
have narrow niches and specific needs
specialists
a population or group of populations
species
Economies that mirror natural ecological system, they don't grow nor shrink but stay stable
steady state economies
a government giveaway of cash or resources to encourage a particular industry or activity
subsidy
people get their daily needs directly from nature or their own production
subsistence economy
Net primary production in an ecosystem can be calculated by ______.
subtracting respiration from gross primary production
the predictable series of changes in a community
succession
living within our planet's means
sustainability
a relationship in which the organisms live in close physical contact
symbiosis
a network of relationships among components that interact with and influence one another
system
helps an entity by relieving its tax burden
tax break
A seal that just ate a clam is eaten by a shark. The shark is acting as a _____.
tertiary consumer
organisms in the fourth trophic level that are predators. hawks & owls
tertiary consumers
a well-tested and widely accepted explanation
theory
If an experiment fails to disprove a hypothesis, then ___________.
this lends support to the hypothesis but does not prove it is correct
commonly held resources will become overused and degraded
tragedy of the commons
release of water vapor by plants
transpiration
a manipulated point of comparison
treatment
predators at high trophic levels indirectly promote populations at low trophic levels
trophic cascade
rank in the feeding hierarchy
trophic levels
evenly spaced individuals
uniform
notions of right and wrong remain the same across cultures and situations
universalists
A condition in an experiment that can change is called a(n)_____
variable
conditions that can change or be manipulated
variables
the uppermost level of groundwater held in an aquifer
water table
the land area that drains water into a river
watershed
