ENVS 1126 Exam 1

What three things do you need to have to design an experiment?

1. A control 2. Replication 3. Statistics

What are the two laws of thermodynamics?

1. Energy is neither created nor destroyed but may be converted from one form to another 2. Usable energy is lost in any energy conversion (systems will go spontaneously in one direction only toward increasing entrophy)

What are the four hypotheses that try to explain the environmental paradox?

1. Measurements of human well-being are flawed 2. Food production has been enhanced and outweighs the declines on other ecosystem services. 3. Technology makes humans less dependent on ecosystem's service 4. There is a time lag

What are the three unifying themes to environmental issues?

1. Sustainability 2. Stewardship 3. Sound Science

What are three ways to combat controversies?

1. what data underlies the claim 2. does the explanation follow the data 3. who profits

Which of the following represent ecosystems with high average annual net primary productivity?

Algal beds, reefs, tropical rain forests, swamps, and marshes

What are the 3 domains of life?

Bacteria, Archaea, Eukarya

What are the two environmental factors and define them?

Condition - any factor that varies in space and time but is not used up (ex. temperature, wind) Resource - any factor consumed by organisms (ex. food, nutrients, light)

Abandoned agricultural fields in the eastern United States return to deciduous forest. This is an example of primary succession. True or False?

False

What process is used to produce nitrogen fertilizer?

Industrial nitrogen fixation

What is a consequence of niche partitioning by species?

Interspecific competition is decreased

What is the difference between an organic and inorganic molecule?

Organic molecules have carbon bonds, while inorganic don't

Terrestrial biomes are groups of ecosystems characterized by similar types of

Plants and climate

Who wrote "Silent Spring" in 1962 and what was it about?

Rachel Carson; it described the environmental effects of pesticides

West field treated only with water:The number of grasshoppers in the west field doubled after ten weeks. East field treated with water and pesticide Z:The number of grasshoppers in the east field declined by 50% after 10 weeks. Which field was the control group?

The west field was the control group

What are species?

a group of individuals that share certain characteristics

What is entrophy?

a measure of the degree of disorder in a system

In 1910, President Theodore Roosevelt said "I recognize the right and duty of this generation to develop and use the natural resources of our land; but I do not recognize the right to waste them, or to rob, by wasteful use, the generations that come after us." His message best reflects

a plea for good stewardship

Many strategies have been used to control leafy spurge, including the deliberate introduction of different species of flea beetles that feed on leafy spurge. Each flea beetle female may lay about 200 eggs in her only year of life. In places where flea beetle introductions have quickly established large populations that have grown and stabilized, the population growth of these beetles most likely looked like

a straight increasing line.

What is a ecotone?

a transitional region between ecosystems

An average person might consume 2,000 Kilocalories of food in one day. This is enough energy to heat up how many 2-liter bottles of liquid water from 0 degrees Celsius to 100 degrees Celsius (just reaching the boiling point of water, but not turning the water into steam)? Select one: a. 10 2-liter bottles b. 20 2-liter bottles c. 5 2-liter bottles d. 1 2-liter bottle

a. 10 2-liter bottles

Which of the following is a correlation that is causing widespread concern? Select one: a. As levels of carbon dioxide increase, average global temperatures are increasing. b. As atmospheric carbon dioxide levels decline, the ozone layer is being destroyed. c. As atmospheric oxygen levels decline, the ozone layer is being destroyed. d. As levels of methane decline, average global temperatures are increasing.

a. As levels of carbon dioxide increase, average global temperatures are increasing.

Which one of the following terrestrial biomes accounts for the greatest percentage of global surface area? a. Desert b. Tropical rain forest c. Coniferous forest d. Savanna

a. Desert

Which one of the following is not involved in maintaining population equilibrium? a. Drought b. Competition c. Predation d. Food supply

a. Drought

When you exercise, you can feel your body getting warmer, perhaps even starting to sweat. Why does exercise make you warmer? Select one: a. Glucose oxidation speeds up during exercise to power muscular activities, and as a byproduct, extra heat is generated. b. Your body is using fermentation to produce alcohol, which takes heat to break down. c. More glucose is synthesized requiring additional heat. d. Your body is using anaerobic respiration which releases more heat than oxidation.

a. Glucose oxidation speeds up during exercise to power muscular activities, and as a byproduct, extra heat is generated.

Nina got a new baby turtle from a friend and is told to feed it worms. For the first few months, the turtle seemed to grow well. But as time passed, the turtle's shell appeared soft and fragile. Someone suggested that the turtle might not be getting enough calcium in its diet. If this is true for this turtle, dietary calcium is Select one: a. a limiting factor. b. a natural environmental stressor. c. an environmental condition. d. a habitat condition.

a. a limiting factor.

Some birds have been seen to consume certain soils in what is called geophagy. In some cases, the soils help the birds digest toxins that occur in their diets. These birds eating soil represent a member of the Select one: a. biosphere consuming a component of the lithosphere. b. lithosphere consuming a component of the biosphere. c. atmosphere consuming a component of the hydrosphere. d. hydrosphere consuming a component of the atmosphere.

a. biosphere consuming a component of the lithosphere.

On land, the carbon used today in photosynthesis to form carbon atoms of plant tissues is mostly returned to the air because of Select one: a. cellular respiration in plants, animals, and organisms in the soil. b. plate tectonics. c. additional photosynthesis in the same plants. d. erosion, decay, and general weathering.

a. cellular respiration in plants, animals, and organisms in the soil.

Resources for seagulls living along an ocean shore would include Select one: a. nesting sites. b. the strength and direction of the wind. c. ocean temperature. d. shifting tides.

a. nesting sites.

Considerable efforts have been underway to save the California condor from extinction. This effort is an example of Select one: a. preservation. b. conservation. c. productive use and asset management. d. a non-renewable resource.

a. preservation.

The bottom trawling method of fishing Select one: a. results in environmental degradation similar to clear-cutting a forest. b. assures below TAC levels in compliance with the Magnuson Act. c. is an effective way to prevent overharvesting of commercial species. d. reveals a design that is intended to limit bycatch.

a. results in environmental degradation similar to clear-cutting a forest.

What is a biota determined by?

abiotic factors (water, temperature, wind, PH)

What is population?

all the members of a particular species occupying a given area

What is an ecosystem?

an interactive complex of communities and their abiotic environment

What is the Law of Limiting Factors?

any factor outside the optimal range will cause stress and limited growth, reproduction, and survival of a population

The population of game fish in a lake is under heavy fishing pressure. If too many fish are caught, the population will crash and future years of fishing will suffer. The game fish can exhibit logistic growth under certain circumstances. Assuming logistic growth, it would be best to manage this game fish population by permitting the harvesting of just enough fish to keep the game fish population

at 50% its carrying capacity.

Which of the following about the scientific name for the American beaver, Castor canadensis, is true? Select one: a. The Eurasian Beaver, Castor fiber, belongs to the same species. b. Both parts of the name are necessary to designate the American beaver. c. The first part of the name, Castor, is the species name. d. The second part of the name, canadensis, is the genus name of beavers

b. Both parts of the name are necessary to designate the American beaver.

A poacher kills polar bears in Alaska and ships their skins to buyers in Asia. The poacher is most likely in violation of laws that come from the a. Endangered Species Coalition and the Animal Protection Institute. b. Endangered Species Act and Cites. c. World Wildlife Fund and the Alaska Wildlife Alliance. d. National Wildlife Association and Audubon Society.

b. Endangered Species Act and Cites.

Which one of the following least represents ecosystem capital? a. Prairies and forests that reduce erosion b. Introduced species that change ecosystems c. Oil and natural gas reserves buried underground d. Natural populations of salmon in the oceans

b. Introduced species that change ecosystems

Although unusually high, extinction rates may be a. declining because fewer species are becoming threatened worldwide. b. even higher because of the loss of tropical forests. c. declining because of overestimates of some groups in some ecosystems. d. even higher because of intense predation in many grassland ecosystems.

b. even higher because of the loss of tropical forests.

The acronym HIPPO identifies the five major factors contributing to extinction today. These are a. humans, invasive species, periodic climate changes, pollution, and overexploitation. b. habitat destruction, invasive species, pollution, population, and overexploitation. c. housing, immigration, people, pollution, and overproduction. d. hunting, immigration, people, population, and outsourcing.

b. habitat destruction, invasive species, pollution, population, and overexploitation.

Which one of the following is characteristic of a K-selected species?

b. large body size

The total allowable catch of a marine fish used for human food would be determined by calculating the Select one: a. carrying capacity of all species in the environment. b. maximum sustainable yield. c. maximum consumptive use. d. minimum sustainable yield.

b. maximum sustainable yield.

In general, humans can harvest renewable resources of plants and animals at sustainable levels because Select one: a. ecosystems continue to change with new species replacing those that have been harvested. b. organisms naturally produce many more offspring than are needed to maintain their populations. c. people naturally harvest organisms only after they have had a chance to reproduce. d. new species are always evolving to take the place of those that are harvested.

b. organisms naturally produce many more offspring than are needed to maintain their populations.

When completed, the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan will Select one: a. increase the flow of water through the Everglades in the summer. b. redirect much of the water flow southward. c. increase the amount of water available for crop irrigation. d. restore much of the region to sugar cane production.

b. redirect much of the water flow southward.

Which of the following represents a resilience mechanism? a. soil erosion resulting from burned soil washing away from a forest floor b. the emergence of a meadow in a recently burned forest c. burned trees accumulating on a forest floor after a fire d. crown fires resulting from many years of fire suppression

b. the emergence of a meadow in a recently burned forest

When a single species evolves into two species, the new species must

be reproductively isolated

RESULTS West field treated only with water:The number of grasshoppers in the west field doubled after ten weeks. East field treated with water and pesticide Z:The number of grasshoppers in the east field declined by 50% after 10 weeks. Based on the result of the experiment, which of the following is the most accurate conclusion? Select one: a. East fields are more likely than west fields to have problems with grasshoppers eating corn crops. b. Pesticide Z is unable to kill grasshoppers and is not suitable for the use in modern agriculture. c. If a cornfield is sprayed with pesticide Z, it will have fewer grasshoppers 10 weeks later. d. Pesticide Z is a good way to control most insect infestations on fields of corn, wheat, or oats.

c. If a cornfield is sprayed with pesticide Z, it will have fewer grasshoppers 10 weeks later.

Which of the following terms best describes the practice of environmental science? a. Theoretical. b. Abstract. c. Integrative and interdisciplinary. d. Highly specialized.

c. Integrative and interdisciplinary.

Passed in 1900, the most significant legislation to protect wildlife from illegal killing or sale is the a. Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act. b. CITES. c. Lacey Act. d. Endangered Species Act.

c. Lacey Act.

Which one of the following statements is true? a. R-strategists have low biotic potential and poor recruitment most of the time b. R-strategists have low biotic potential and good recruitment most of the time c. R-strategists have high biotic potential and poor recruitment most of the time d. R-strategists have high biotic potential and good recruitment most of the time

c. R-strategists have high biotic potential and poor recruitment most of the time

Climate moderation is an example of which one of the following kinds of ecosystem services? Select one: a. Supporting b. Provisioning c. Regulating d. Cultural

c. Regulating

Over the past 40 years, human well-being has been steadily improving, while natural ecosystems, from which we derive many goods and services, have been declining. Which one of the following does not help to explain this so-called environmentalist's paradox? a. There is a time lag between ecosystem decline and human well-being; the worst is yet to come. b. Human technology, such as irrigation and synthetic fertilizers, makes us less dependent on ecosystem services. c. The measurements of human well-being have been flawed; it is actually declining. d. Food production, a crucial ecosystem service that has been enhanced, outweighs the effects of declines in other ecosystem services.

c. The measurements of human well-being have been flawed; it is actually declining.

Many Thailand shrimp farms have been built in mangrove wetlands. Therefore, overall, the ecosystem capital in this particular region has a. decreased because on average, the shrimp farm provides more valuable services than the original wetland for only 50 years. b. increased because the shrimp farm decreases the need to harvest wild populations of shrimp. c. decreased because the value of the shrimp farm is less than 10% of the value of services provided by the intact mangrove wetland. d. increased because of the investment in this shrimp industry.

c. decreased because the value of the shrimp farm is less than 10% of the value of services provided by the intact mangrove wetland.

The most productive systems on land are Select one: a. natural prairies. b. tundra. c. forests. d. grasslands.

c. forests.

Endemic species are a. secure groups that show the least risk of extinction. b. widely distributed, found especially on large continents. c. limited to just one habitat. d. usually the dominant species within an ecosystem.

c. limited to just one habitat.

A shrimp farm in Thailand results in a. long term gains by a regional shrimp farmer. b. the short-term loss of natural services. c. specific gains to the shrimp farmer. d. the local loss of natural services.

c. specific gains to the shrimp farmer.

What are the 6 key compounds that make up an organism's body?

carbon hydrogen oxygen nitrogen phosphorus sulfur

With few exceptions, inorganic compounds do not have

carbon-hydrogen bonds or carbon-carbon bonds

Over the past 12,000 years, the greatest loss of biological wealth has resulted from the

conversion of natural ecosystems to modern agriculture.

Which one of the following best illustrates consumptive use of a resource? Select one: a. A fishing vessel hauls in 100 tons of tuna for sale on the open market. b. A farmer raises 1,000 acres of soybeans in Illinois. c. A shrimp farm in Thailand raises shrimp to sell in China. d. A farmer in Indiana shoots a wild turkey for his Thanksgiving dinner.

d. A farmer in Indiana shoots a wild turkey for his Thanksgiving dinner.

Which one of the following is the broadest scope of ecological study? Select one: a. Population ecology b. Ecosystem ecology c. Community ecology d. Landscape ecology

d. Landscape ecology

Which of the following is an example of natural goods from an ecosystem? a. Pollination b. Control of pest populations c. Carbon sequestration d. Ocean fish netted for food

d. Ocean fish netted for food

Regulating and cultural services provided by natural ecosystems a. include goods such as fresh water, wild foods, and livestock. b. typically have the highest economic value of any components of ecosystems. c. are public goods usually provided by markets. d. are essential but more difficult to value in monetary terms.

d. are essential but more difficult to value in monetary terms.

In general, a. food chains consist of many interrelated food webs. b. food webs consist of either consumers or producers. c. food webs usually consists of 8-10 trophic levels. d. food chains are interconnected to form food webs.

d. food chains are interconnected to form food webs

Anaerobic respiration a. is a type of photosynthesis that does not require carbon dioxide. b. produces oxygen, which is used to break down glucose and other plant sugars. c. typically results in major increases of biomass. d. occurs without oxygen and may produce methane gas or ethanol.

d. occurs without oxygen and may produce methane gas or ethanol.

Which of the following are products of photosynthesis? Select one: a. water and oxygen b. carbon dioxide and water c. light and heat d. oxygen and sugar

d. oxygen and sugar

American beavers, Castor canadensis, are widespread in North America. Those American beavers living around lakes in northern Minnesota and that can potentially interbreed Select one: a. are probably another beaver species. b. likely look much different than beavers in Wisconsin. c. belong to the same family but not the same genus as other beavers. d. represent one population of American beavers.

d. represent one population of American beavers.

In the state of Arizona, the use of groundwater has been aggressively managed since about 1980. Before that time, agricultural, commercial, and private demands for water were growing at levels that were not sustainable. Before water regulation of any sort, demand for water in all its forms in the state of Arizona illustrated the Select one: a. need for agreements such as CITES. b. use of a nonrenewable resource. c. need for the preservation but not conservation of a resource. d. tragedy of the commons.

d. tragedy of the commons.

Cattle and termites both have symbiotic microorganisms living in their digestive tracts that help these animals by

digesting cellulose

On a vacation, you spend much of the day walking along the water's edge on an ocean beach soaking up the sun. The place where you are walking is a good example of a(n )

ecotone

Plants such as leafy spurge can double their population size every year in part because of their efficient production of large amounts of seeds. Populations that can double every year, such as leafy spurge,

exhibit exponential growth as they spread to new regions.

Some beetles escape from a ship and fly to a small island covered with grass but with no trees or beetle predators. As the beetles feed, they destroy all the grasses. But with abundant food, the beetle population soars, doubling in size every month. After about a year, the population crashes as thousands of beetles have destroyed almost all of the plants and there is little left to feed the large population. This scenario best illustrates

exponential growth followed by a population crash

What are synergistic effects?

factors that interact to cause a greater effect than expected

What are species grouped into?

genera, which are then grouped into families, orders, classes, phyla, kingdoms, and domains

All scientific investigations are initially founded upon

good observations.

What does it mean if a system has sustainability?

if it can continue indefinitely without depleting material or energy resources

Someone who argues that every species has a right to exist, undisturbed, on this planet is arguing for the

intrinsic value of life

When a windmill turns to generate electricity, the amount of kinetic energy input in the process

is more than the amount of electrical energy produced.

What does the Human Development Index do?

it assesses the human well-being of a nation (health, education, basic living standards)

What is stewardship?

it deals with how to achieve sustainability; guides actions benefitting the natural world.

What did "Silent Spring" accomplish?

it initiated environmental awareness and the modern environment movement

What does the global nitrogen cycle impact?

it involves different groups of bacteria; only certain types of bacteria

The information of an energy pyramid reveals that for human food choices,

it is more expensive and less efficient to get most of your dietary calories from meats

As global climate change warms certain mountain ranges, the temperature optima for the insect species living on the mountain is causing these insects to

move farther up the mountain.

What is performed by bacteria producers to turn nitrogen gas into ammonia?

nitrogen fixation

The greatest biodiversity would be an ecosystem with the same number of species as other ecosystems but which has

no dominant species

What is cellular respiration?

organic molecules are broken down inside each cell; releases CO2

What is the environmentalist's paradox?

over the past 40 years, human well-being has increased but natural well-being has decreased.

Natural organic compounds typically consist of some combination of carbon, hydrogen, and

oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and/or sulfur

What is denitrification?

performed by bacteria and fungi and break down nitrates in soil to release nitrogen in atmosphere. (certain microbes use nitrate as a substitute for oxygen)

Researchers wanted to determine if pesticide Z was effective at killing grasshoppers that typically invade cornfields. Two ten-acre cornfields located 1 mile apart were chosen. The cornfield to the west was sprayed only with water. The cornfield on the east received the same amount of water with a 10% solution of pesticide Z. Samples of the numbers of grasshoppers in the field were made every week for 10 weeks. Results: West field treated only with water: The number of grasshoppers in the west field doubled after ten weeks. East field treated with water and pesticide Z: The number of grasshoppers in the east field declined by 50% after 10 weeks. What was the experimental variable in the above experiment?

pesticide Z

Resource partitioning...

reduces interspecific competition and increases species diversity.

Deep in the ocean off the shore of Japan are communities nestled around hydrothermal vents, where super-heated water springs from the bottom of the ocean. No sunlight ever penetrates to these deep regions. In these communities, bacteria have special enzymes that allow them to form organic matter by chemosynthesis. These communities frequently have giant tube worms, clams, shrimp, and many other organisms clustered together. In a system, fish feed on shrimp that feed on the bacteria. This food chain represents a

second order consumer eating a first order consumer, which then eats a producer

What once was an open pasture on a long abandoned farm has changed over time without the direct influence of humans. After the cattle had been removed, shrubs and bushes could be seen dotting the grass-covered hillsides. A few years later, small pine trees and then larger deciduous trees appeared. Now, there are so many trees and shaded regions it is difficult to tell that this was once a field. These ecological changes in the abandoned pasture represent

secondary succession.

What is the lithosphere?

site of all elements in rocks and minerals

A form of a biome is largely predicted by its

temperature and rainfall

Organisms with a very broad range of temperature tolerance would most likely occur in

the Midwestern United States

What is a biota?

the grouping of populations in an area. This includes all vegetation, animals, and microscopic organisms

Invasive species are dangerous because

the native species have not evolved with these organisms.

The concept of sustainable development includes

the needs of future generations

What is Sound Science in base terms?

the scientific method

What is the hydrosphere?

the source of hydrogen

Deep in the ocean off the shore of Japan are communities nestled around hydrothermal vents, where super-heated water springs from the bottom of the ocean. No sunlight ever penetrates to these deep regions. In these communities, bacteria have special enzymes that allow them to form organic matter by chemosynthesis. These communities frequently have giant tube worms, clams, shrimp, and many other organisms clustered together. In hydrothermal vent communities,

there is no photosynthesis, but heat drives chemosynthetic producers

What is the atmosphere?

thin layer of gases separating Earth from outer space

Where does the global phosphorus cycle take place?

within the soil and rocks in the form of phosphate