APES Data and Reading Test

Based upon the data presented in the graph, which of the following best identifies the highest wolf population size? (A) 20 (B) 120 (C) 170 (D) 190

170

Based on the data in the graph, which of the following represents the approximate rate of change in Arctic sea level from 1995 to 2015 ? (A) 60 mm per year (B) 10 mm per year (C) 7 mm per year (D) 3 mm per year

3 mm per year

Based on the diagrams above, what is the percent change in the amount of runoff in urban areas compared to forested areas? (A) 81% decrease (B) 60% decrease (C) 150% increase (D) 450% increase

450% increase

Which of the following strategies has most aided the nesting success of the piping plovers at Old Orchard Beach? (A) Moving the fireworks farther away from the nests (B) Implementation of regulations on fireworks displays on beaches during the holidays (C) An increase in educational outreach to beachgoers (D) Implementation of additional taxes on firework purchases

An increase in educational outreach to beachgoers

Which of the following best identifies the author's claim in the article? (A) Hurricane formation outside of the tropics has become more frequent in recent years. (B) Stratospheric ozone depletion has increased global temperatures along with the average amount of rainfall during tropical storms. (C) A rise in global sea level has led to an increased frequency of hurricanes. (D) Anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions have indirectly increased the amount of precipitation that results from hurricanes.

Anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions have indirectly increased the amount of precipitation that results from hurricanes.

Based on the data in the graph, which location showed an annual average grain yield in 1991-1993 that was approximately times the yield in 1961-1963 ? (A) Africa (B) Latin America (C) Asia (D) Near East

Asia

Which of the following best describes the evidence the author uses to support the claim that fireworks are one of the biggest threats to the plovers on the Fourth of July at Old Orchard Beach? (A) Currently, there are about nesting plover pairs in Maine at Old Orchard Beach. (B) The holiday fireworks attract thousands of tourists, who take newly hatched chicks from nests to have as pets. (C) Piping plover nest destruction increases because the fireworks attract people to the town, which leads to an increase in air pollution. (D) Audubon employees have found plover nests with chicks that died because parents have been scared away by the noise and light of the fireworks.

Audubon employees have found plover nests with chicks that died because parents have been scared away by the noise and light of the fireworks.

Based on the data in the graph, which of the following methods would be used to calculate the percent change of wind energy generated from 2010 to 2015 ?

B 200 wkh -100 wkh/100 wkh x100

Scientists are closely monitoring caribou populations to examine the effect of global climate change on habitat. The maximum population size for a herd of caribou based on the amount of habitat was . A herd of caribou currently has a population size of caribou as a result of habitat loss. Which of the following methods should be used to determine the percent change between the maximum population and the current population for this herd of caribou?

B (198,000 caribou - 500,000 caribou)/500,000 caribou x 100

Which of the following calculation methods would determine the percent change in the crude birth rate from 1994 to 2019 ?

B 11.9-17.6/17.6 x100

Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from the investigation? (A) Carbon monoxide improves oxygen transport in mammals. (B) Oxygen saturation prevents the body from absorbing carbon monoxide from the air. (C) Oxygen saturation enhances the uptake of carbon monoxide from the air. (D) Carbon monoxide impairs the transport of oxygen in the bloodstream.

Carbon monoxide impairs the transport of oxygen in the bloodstream.

Which of the following pieces of evidence presented in the article suggests that extinction rates may continue to increase? (A) Populations are unable to rebound even when environmental stressors are removed. (B) Mammal populations are declining faster than other vertebrate groups. (C) Climate change will exacerbate the primary causes of population decline. (D) Species ranges are expanding as pollution increases in less-developed countries.

Climate change will exacerbate the primary causes of population decline.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has determined that all four pesticides could have negative health consequences to humans if applied at high concentrations and has set a maximum application concentration of . Based on the data in the graph, which pesticide would be the most effective at that concentration? (A) A (B) B (C) C (D) D

D

Based on the article, which of the following best identifies the author's claim? (A) A decrease in available rooftop space in New York City is pushing the city's solar farms to the Midwest. (B) Increased tax breaks and other financial incentives have been an important factor for increasing the number of installations of solar panels on New York City rooftops. (C) Efforts to install solar panels on New York City rooftops should be discontinued because insufficient solar energy is produced. (D) Current projects for installing solar panels on rooftops of apartment buildings in New York City need to be reconsidered because of criticism from apartment residents.

Increased tax breaks and other financial incentives have been an important factor for increasing the number

Which of the following best describes the author's claim? (A) Permafrost melts at a very high rate from natural climate change. (B) Ground sensors are the best way to track permafrost melting in Alaska. (C) Drones could be a valuable and inexpensive way to collect data on methane release. (D) Alaska is the best place to document the loss of permafrost from anthropogenic activities.

Drones could be a valuable and inexpensive way to collect data on methane release.

Based on the information in the article, which of the following is the most practical solution to help conservation efforts for the North Atlantic right whale? (A) Restock Calanus in the habitat areas that have been set aside as right whale conservation areas. (B) Expand the range of conservation areas meant to protect the right whale. (C) Put nets in the Gulf of Maine to stop Calanus from entering the waters. (D) Decrease evaporation rates in the deep waters in the Gulf of Maine to artificially cool down the water.

Expand the range of conservation areas meant to protect the right whale.

Which of the following research methods can best determine the accuracy of the drone's data? (A) Measurements from established sites can be compared to measurements taken by the drones in the same area. (B) Measurements taken inland using the drone can be compared to the measurements taken on the coast. (C) Measurements in areas where erosion has occurred can be compared to measurements without erosion. (D) Measurements in other areas with permafrost can be compared to measurements taken in Alaska.

Measurements from established sites can be compared to measurements taken by the drones in the same area.

Which of the following best describes the author's perspective on the use of solar energy in New York City? (A) The high cost associated with the installation and maintenance of solar panels is barely offset by citywide savings in electricity generation. (B) Since New York City has risen to the position of sixth highest American city for total solar capacity, officials should temporarily limit more solar installations to minimize costs to residents. (C) New York City is behind other major cities in its use of solar energy in electricity generation and should continue efforts to increase its solar capacity. (D) City officials should invest in energy alternatives other than solar power because New York City has some of the highest electricity costs in America.

New York City is behind other major cities in its use of solar energy in electricity generation and should continue efforts to increase its solar capacity.

Which of the following statements best explains why the average temperature of London is warmer than that of Calgary in December? (A) Oceanic currents warm the atmosphere in London. (B) The solar radiation reaching London is more perpendicular than the solar radiation that reaches Calgary in December. (C) London is farther from the North Pole than Calgary is. (D) The Hadley cell converges over London and pushes warm air toward the surface.

Oceanic currents warm the atmosphere in London.

Which of the following modifications would improve the validity of the investigation? (A) Determine the oxygen saturation at carbon monoxide levels higher than 80%. (B) Add a different number of plants to each habitat to add oxygen to the setup. (C) Compare the oxygen saturation of mice at rest to that of mice that are active. (D) Perform the experiment on a larger sample size of mice.

Perform the experiment on a larger sample size of mice.

Other than potential negative health effects on humans, which of the following is a disadvantage of using chemical pesticides to eliminate crop pests? (A) Pesticides may harm organisms other than the target crop pests through biomagnification in the food web. (B) Extensive use of pesticides accelerates the rate at which succession occurs in agricultural areas. (C) Pests and other organisms affected by the pesticide are permanently removed from the area where the pesticide is applied. (D) Crops grow more quickly without pests present, taking up water quickly and leading to salinization of soils.

Pesticides may harm organisms other than the target crop pests through biomagnification in the food web.

Which of the following identifies a claim made by the author in the article? (A) Piping plovers are endangered in Maine because of the loss of wide, open sand and dune grass habitats that the birds use for nesting. (B) The light emitted from the holiday fireworks has led to an increase in plover nests because the plovers need light to lay eggs. (C) An increase in protective nets to protect piping plovers' eggs has led to an increase in the birds being caught in the netting and becoming injured. (D) Maine officials should close Old Orchard Beach during the summer months because large crowds of beachgoers are consistently destroying plover nests.

Piping plovers are endangered in Maine because of the loss of wide, open sand and dune grass habitats that the birds use for nesting.

Based on the passage, which of the following describes the author's perspective on why historical extinction rates were lower than present-day rates? (A) Scientists believe that humans are responsible for the first major mass extinction. (B) Previous research focused only on complete extinctions and did not collect data on imminent extinctions. (C) Habitat destruction occurred only in regions with low biodiversity until the last few decades. (D) Scientists disagree on how to define "extinction."

Previous research focused only on complete extinctions and did not collect data on imminent extinctions.

Which of the following statements best identifies the author's claim about modern species? (A) Reduction in range size is an indicator that populations of many species are declining. (B) Ranges of most species are expanding toward the poles because of climate change. (C) Populations of plants are increasing because of excess in the atmosphere. (D) While most organisms are declining in population size, most mammal populations are actually increasing.

Reduction in range size is an indicator that populations of many species are declining

Scientists want to investigate whether the increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the ocean affects fish survival. Scientists suspect immature fish larvae may be most affected by increased carbon dioxide concentrations. Which of the following best identifies a testable hypothesis for the investigation? (A) The decreasing of the ocean water will decrease the survivorship of fish. (B) The decreasing temperature of the ocean water will increase the survivorship of fish larvae. (C) There will be a greater percentage of fish larvae that survive than mature fish that survive. (D) The increasing carbon dioxide concentrations will increase the density of adult fish skeletons.

The decreasing of the ocean water will decrease the survivorship of fish.

Which of the following pieces of evidence from the article best supports the cause of the decrease in the Calanus population in the Gulf of Maine? (A) The deep-water temperature in the Gulf of Maine has increased by approximately 9 degrees F since 2004. (B) Calanus are getting caught in fishing nets from large-scale commercial fishing vessels. (C) There has been an increased number of North Atlantic right whales feeding in the Gulf of Maine. (D) The North Atlantic right whales are now feasting year-round in preparation for autumn mating season.

The deep-water temperature in the Gulf of Maine has increased by approximately 9 degrees F since 2004.

Which of the following best describes the change in the elk population since the introduction of wolves into Yellowstone in 1995? (A) The elk population steadily increased in numbers. (B) The elk population steadily decreased in numbers. (C) The elk population remained stable, experiencing little changes. (D) The elk population reached carrying capacity and experienced overshoot.

The elk population steadily decreased in numbers.

Which of the following pieces of evidence does the author use to support the claim that the solar panel installation on the StuyTown complex is the largest in Manhattan? (A) The StuyTown project increased the solar capacity of the city to 3.9 megawatts. (B) The installation added 9,000 solar panels to 56 rooftops, effectively doubling the total solar capacity of the surrounding area. (C) New York City now has around 200 megawatts more in total solar capacity than Los Angeles does. (D) After completion of the StuyTown project, the state attributed 70% of its power generation to solar energy.

The installation added 9,000 solar panels to 56 rooftops, effectively doubling the total solar capacity of the surrounding area.

Which of the following best describes the author's claim in the article? (A) North Atlantic right whales are currently being overhunted and are therefore at an increased risk of extinction. (B) The new pattern of North Atlantic right whale migration is primarily from decreased food availability and warming waters. (C) Calanus are moving south to warmer waters where the North Atlantic right whale is not able to travel. (D) The increase in the abundance of Calanus has increased the number of new competitors for the North Atlantic right whale in the Gulf of Maine.

The new pattern of North Atlantic right whale migration is primarily from decreased food availability and warming waters.

Based on the passage, which of the following pieces of evidence is used by the author to support the claim about hurricanes and climate change? (A) Nine percent of hurricanes make landfall in urban areas. (B) The traditional Atlantic hurricane season stretches from June 1 through November 30 . (C) The oceans have absorbed 90% of the heat caused by human-generated greenhouse gases. (D) Hurricanes typically bring about 50 inches of rain to an area.

The oceans have absorbed 90% of the heat caused by human-generated greenhouse gases.

Which of the following best interprets the results in the graph in relation to the given hypothesis? (A) The results support the researchers' hypothesis because there is a greater biodiversity at sites with cane toads. (B) The results support the researchers' hypothesis because there is a greater biodiversity at sites without cane toads. (C) The results do not support the researchers' hypothesis because there is less biodiversity at sites with cane toads. (D) The results do not support the researchers' hypothesis because there is less biodiversity at sites without cane toads

The results support the researchers' hypothesis because there is a greater biodiversity at sites without cane toads.

Based on the data in the graphs, which of the following best describes the relationship between concentration and Antarctic temperature? (A) A decrease in concentration preceded an increase in Antarctic temperature. (B) An increase in Antarctic temperature preceded a decrease in concentration. (C) There is a direct relationship between concentration and Antarctic temperature, but causality cannot be determined. (D) There is an inverse relationship between concentration and Antarctic temperature, but causality cannot be determined.

There is a direct relationship between concentration and Antarctic temperature, but causality cannot be determined.

Based on the passage, which of the following best describes the author's perspective on the relationship between urbanization and hurricanes? (A) Increasing the size of cities will provide better protection against severe hurricanes by providing shelter for more people. (B) Urban infrastructure promotes runoff, which can increase the damage associated with hurricanes and other tropical storms. (C) Urban temperature hot spots increase the intensity and therefore the amount of rainfall from hurricanes and tropical storms. (D) There will be a decrease in flooding from hurricanes and tropical storms if climate model simulations are used in urban planning.

Urban infrastructure promotes runoff, which can increase the damage associated with hurricanes and other tropical storms.

Based on the article, what is one assumption that can be made about the benefits of using drones to collect data on methane and melting permafrost? (A) While drones are very versatile, they are limited in their scope, so satellite imagery remains the standard method for tracking the loss of permafrost. (B) Using drones can help to predict erosion hotspots can reduce the impact on coastal villages and wildlife habitat. (C) Using drones will decrease carbon dioxide emissions because drones are smaller than the ground sensors presently used. (D) Drones will be used to sample all atmospheric gases and improve the ability to identify the composition of air.

Using drones can help to predict erosion hotspots can reduce the impact on coastal villages and wildlife habitat.

Which of the following best describes the relationship between the variables shown in the graphs? (A) concentrations and Antarctic temperatures have steadily decreased from 800,000 years ago, and present-day values for both variables are the lowest they have been in 800,000 years. (B) concentrations and Antarctic temperatures have steadily increased from 800,000 years ago, and the present-day value for concentration is the lowest it has been in 800,000 years. (C) concentrations and Antarctic temperatures have cycled approximately every 50,000 years, and the present-day value for concentration is the highest it has been in 800,000 years. (D) concentrations and Antarctic temperatures have cycled approximately every 50,000 years, and present-day values for both variables are the highest they have been in 800,000 years.

concentrations and Antarctic temperatures have cycled approximately every 50,000 years, and the present-day value for concentration is the highest it has been in 800,000 years.

The author assumes that the group is mostly concerned about canceling the fireworks displays at Old Orchard Beach because (A) jobs will be lost in the fireworks manufacturing industry in Maine (B) revenue will be lost from tourists attracted by the firework displays (C) the organization bought the fireworks and would not know what to do with them (D) the number of piping plover nests could decrease

revenue will be lost from tourists attracted by the firework displays