apes mock test #2
The separation of the various components of crude oil in refineries is accomplished primarily by taking advantage of differences in which of the following?
The boiling points of the components
After 200 million years, only 1/16 of the original amount of a particular radioactive waste will remain. The half-life of this radioactive waste is how many million years?
50
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
Is primarily responsible for acid rain in the northeast United States
Coal
Which of the following not only results from green house warming but also contributes to additional warming of earth
Decreased size of snowpack
Which of the following is the best illustration of the tragedy of the commons?
Depletion of fishing stocks in the North Atlantic
Which of the following will result in accelerated eutrophication when introduced into streams , lakes , and bays
Phosphates
Which of the following elements is most likely to limit primary production in freshwater lakes?
Phosphorus
Two major processes involved into the carbon cycle is
Photosynthesis and respiration
The major biological source of dissolved oxygen in the ocean comes from
Photosynthesis by phytoplankton
Which of the following practices would have the biggest impact on achieving global sustainability?
Reducing human population size
Which of the following laws gave the EPA the authority to control hazardous waste from "cradle-to-grave", including the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste?
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
compared with people in developing countries , people in industrialized countries are more likely to eat
beef
Region with the lowest atmospheric pressure
exosphere
which of the following best shows the process of evolution
a population of mosquitoes develop resistance to a pesticide
measured on the pH scale
acidity
All of the following are commonly used to deal with the side effects of eutrophication in lakes EXCEPT
adding nitrates
reasons that human populations historically have settled in floodplains include which of the following 1/the soil is floodplains is usually fertile 2/the terrain in floodplains tends to be flat 3/floodplains are close to rivers for transportation
all 3
which method is used most frequently in the United States today
sanitary landfill
an energy transformation occurs and results in increased disorder
second law of thermodynamics
environmentalists oppose the mining of antarctic mineral resources because
the antarctic environment is fragile and extremely vulnerable to the disturbance that would accompany development
which of the following is most likely to occur in a forested region that has been recently clear cut
the concentration of nitrates in streams running through the region will increase
decreased by the breakdown of organic waste
dissolved oxygen
Which of the following regions of the ocean is LEAST likely to contain photosynthetic organisms?
Abyssal zone
if an incandescent lightbulb used for lighting has an efficiency rating of 5 percent , then for every 1.00 joule of electrical energy consumed by the bulb , which of the following is produced
0.05 joule of light energy
all of the following gases have been implicated in contributing to the increase in global temperatures via the greenhouse effect except
02
The amount of sediment deposited at the mouth of a river system is likely to be increased by the presence upstream of which of the following 1.artificial levees and embankments 2.dams 3.extensive natural wetlands
1
living organism must acquire energy from their environment. ex of adaptions that help organisms acquire this energy include which of the following 1/the dark , heat absorbing coloration of a reptile 2/the fangs and claws of a lion 3/the light coloration of peppered moth
1 and 2
Elements that cycle in the environment and that also have a gaseous phase at some point in their cycle include which of the following ? 1. Carbon 2. Phosphorus 3.sulfur
1&3
The concentration of H+ ions in a solution with a pH value of 4 is how many times as great as the concentration of H+ ions in a solution with a pH value of 7 ?
1000
Approximately what percentage of the water on earth is freshwater ?
2.5%
High rates of species extinctions cause by human activities have taken place at which of the following times in earth history 1.at the end of the Permian period 2.at the end of the Cretaceous period 3.during recent times
3
a sample of radioactive waste has a half life of 10 years and an activity level of 2 curies. after how many years will the activity level of this sample be 0.25 curie
30 yrs
The country of Sudan has an estimated annual growth rate of 2 percent. At this rate of growth, approximately how many years will it take for the population of Sudan to double?
35 years
The atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide increased from 278 ppm in 1790 to 383 ppm in 2007. What is the approximate percent increase in carbon dioxide concentration from 1790 to 2007?
38%
the current world population is closet to which of the following
5 billion
Which of the following is the best description of a population that has a stable age distribution?
A growing population in which the proportions of individuals in the different age classes remain constant
Which of the following is the correct order of soil particles in order of increasing size?
Clay—silt—sand
Some solar energy systems produce high- temperature water for industrial applications and produce steam to run turbines that generate electricity.Whattypeofsolarenergysystemis needed for these kinds of applications?
A solar collector system using mirrors or lenses to concentrate sunlight
Which of the following is an environmental problem associated with abandoned coal mines?
Acid drainage due to leaching of spoil heaps by rainwater
The land on a 100 acre farm is equally suited for grazing cattle and growing corn. Of the following ways of distributing land use , which would produce the greatest number of calories for human consumption
Acres for grazing cattle - 0 Acres for growing corn - 100
Which of the following procedures would be best for remediation the effects of soil salinization
Addition of large amounts of water to leach out salts
The largest area of old-growth forest in the United States is located in
Alaska
A field is abandoned, and an invasive plant that can live in nutrient-poor soil moves into the field. If the land is later cleared of this invasive species and it is discovered that the soil has an abundance of nitrogen compounds, what conclusion can best be made?
Bacteria in soil and in root nodules converted free nitrogen into nitrogen compounds.
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
Which of the following is the current recommendation of Congress for the permanent storage of high-level radioactive waste in the United States?
Burial deep underground at sites remote from population centers
A greenhouse gas that is exclusively anthropogenic
CCl2F2
Which of the following are direct products of the use of hydrocarbon fuels in automobile engines?
CO2,NOx,andVOCs
How does the burning of fossil fuels contribute to the net increase in atmospheric carbon?
Carbon that has been sequestered underground is added to the carbon cycling between the atmosphere and the biosphere.
Which of the following best explains why DDT has been found in penguin eggs in the Antarctic
Chemicals used in one region of earths can circulate in the biosphere and affect organisms in a distant region
Which of the following countries has the largest coal reserve
China
Which of the following substances is released by CFC's and catalyze a chain reaction that breaks down ozone in the upper atmosphere
Chlorine
Which of the following federal laws specifically deals with the cleanup of abandoned hazardous waste sites?
ComprehensiveEnvironmental Responsibility Compensation and Liability Act
The primary cause of earths seasons is the
Constant tilt of earths rotational axis with respect to the plane of is orbit around the sun
The process of extracting and separating gold in remoteregionsoftenresultsinenvironmental contamination with which of the following?
Cyanide
In a human population undergoing the demographic transition, which of the following would generally decrease first
Death rate
The main environmental effects of ozone depletion could include all of the following except
Decreased concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere
Particulates can be removed from smokestack emissions by which of the following methods?
Electrostatic precipitators
Of the following , which is the best example of a point source of water pollution
Factory effluent
The most abundant nonanthropogenic greenhouse gas
H2O
The use of nitrogen-based fertilizers in the Midwestern United States is a major contributing factor to which of the following?
Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico
Important factors that contribute to smog formation in the Los Angeles basin include which of the following? I. Ample summer sunshine II. Sea-level elevation III. High concentration of automobiles
I and III only
Defining characteristics of a wetland involve which of the following? I. Hydrology II. Soil type III. Species composition
I,II,and III
The development of dangerous strains of disease organisms represents a significant consequence of which of the following agricultural practices?
Incorporating antibiotics into the feeding regimens of densely concentrated livestock
Which of the following is most likely to be the direct result of lack of genetic diversity in a food crop such as corn
Increased susceptibility to plant disease
Which of the following is the best illustration of the pesticide treadmill?
Increased use of pesticides to eradicate genetically resistant pests
Which of the following best describes the mechanism of the greenhouse effect in earths atmosphere
Infrared radiation from earths surface is absorbed by gases in the atmosphere
Although ozone in the stratosphere has been decreasing in recent years , ozone near earths surface is on the increase. This ozone near the surface is undesirable because
Is a strong oxidant and a respiratory irritant
Which of the following is true of the Clean Air Act?
It established a cap-and-trade program for SO2 in 1990.
In the removal of a pollutant from wastewater , which of the following is true of the cost per unit of pollutant removed
It increases as the concentration of the pollutant decreases
Which of the following lakes contains approximately 20 percent of the world's freshwater?
Lake Baikal
Which of the following correctly orders the methods of souls waste management in terms of energy required ?
Least energy - most energy Reduce , reuse , recycle
Which of the following is the zone of a pond or lake in which rooted, emergent plants such as cattails and rushes are located?
Littoral
Which of the following is part of a positive feedback mechanism associated with global climate change?
Melting of Arctic sea ice
Road construction, logging , and mining are banned in which of the following federal land
National wilderness preservation areas
Some automobiles in the United States are fueled by natural gas. What is the primary environmental advantage of natural gas relative to gasoline as a transportation fuel?
Natural gas combustion emits fewer pollutants.
Agreenhousegasthat,inthelowertroposphere, is formed by photochemical reactions
O3
Which of the following has most directly resulted in increased skin cancer rates in Australia?
Ozone depletion in the stratosphere
In the US , the largest single component of municipal solid waste is
Paper
There are various stages in the formation of coal as heat and pressure are increased and moisture content is decreased. These stages in order is
Peat , lignite , bituminous, anthracite
Step P. Water is passed through a screen to remove debris. Step Q. Pathogenic organisms are killed by chlorination, UV, or ozone. Step R. Suspended particles clump and settle out. Step S. A floccing agent, such as alum, is added to the water. The processes described above are steps in the purification and treatment of municipal wastewater. The steps are listed in random order. Which of the following lists the steps in the correct sequence?
P→S→R→Q
Waste from which of the following is an example of nonpoint source pollution?
Run off from agricultural fields
Which of the following is the best example of a keystone species?
Sea otter
Which of the following is an appropriate remediation strategy for removing radon gas from the home?
Seal or ventilate places where radon enters the living space.
Which of the following best explains why more contaminants are leached when solid waste is crushed into small particles and put in contact with water than when the particles are large?
Smaller particles have a larger surface area per unit volume than larger particles.
Is renewable
Solar
In contrast to low level radioactive waste , most high level radioactive waste is currently
Stored at reactor sites
Region where the protective ozone layer is located
Stratosphere
Which of the following is an inorganic compound
Table salt
Which of the following has the largest proven coal reserves?
The United States
if the pond is resampled a year later, which of the following would best indicate that the pond had been adversely affected by adjacent development?
The biodiversity of the pond has decreased.
all of the following are considered toxic metal pollutants except
potassium
Biological controls are frequently used to replace persistent chemical pesticides. Which of the following represents the greatest potential risk of using biological controls?
The control agent attacks not only its intended target but also beneficial species.
Which of the following is the best example of an energy storage element in a solar energy system?
The hot water tank in a solar hot water system
Between 1960 and 1970, world oil consumption approximately doubled. Which of the following explanations is consistent with this increase?
The number of cars on the road increased.
Which of the following can be estimated from the sample for the invertebrates in the pond?
The species richness
Which of the following is a true statement about the total fertility of a society?
The total fertility of a society decreases as the society progresses through the demographic transition.
As a country goes through the demographic transition, the greatest rate of population growth takes place during which phase?
The transitional
Which of the following best describes the process known as "mountaintop removal"?
The use of heavy equipment to move overburden downhill during the strip mining of coal
Which of the following statements best describes the concept of phytoremediation?
The use of plants to absorb and accumulate toxic materials from the soil
In the models of global warming , the most important factor contributing to an increase in sea level is
Thermal expansion of the oceans
Which of the following is true of sewage treatment plants in the United States?
They are not designed to remove pharmaceutical chemicals from wastewater.
Which of the following is true of farm-raised salmon?
They are often infected with parasites and sea lice.
Which of the following is generally true of K- strategist species as compared to r-strategist species?
They have longer life spans.
Overgrazing of public land by privately owned livestock in an example of the
Tragedy of the commons
El Niño , a periodic warming of ocean surface waters occur in which of the following regions
Tropical east pacific
Occurs naturally in bedrock and leads to the formation of radon
Uranium-238
Which of the following practices is consistent with the production of organic crops according to the United States Department of Agriculture?
Using chemicals known as pheromones to disrupt insect mating cycles
Which of the following is used to reduce SO2 emissions from coal-burning power plants?
Wet-scrubber units
the national environmental environment policy act of 1969 required all agencies responsible for a major federal project that could significantly affect the quality of the environment to file which of the following
an environmental impact statement
which of the following is most likely to result from destruction of wetlands surrounding a river
an increased frequency of flooding of river valley
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 radiation
which method introduces microorganisms to break down hazardous organic compounds
biological treatment
the source whose use is a direct cause of deforestation
biomass
has a stronger affinity for hemoglobin than oxygen has
carbon monoxide
all of the following substances are derived from petroleum except
cellulose
which method would be best suited for neutralizing the acidic components of waste
chemical treatment
The majority of atmospheric mercury is produced by
coal-burning power plants
exemplified by moss growing on a tree trunk in a forest
commensalism
exemplified by starlings displacing bluebirds from nesting sites
competition
of the following organisms , which occupies the lowest trophic level (66)
deer
the amount of energy is an isolated system stays constant
first law of thermodynamics
of the following , which constitutes the greatest percent of domestic use of water in the US
flushing toilets
In Mediterranean climate regions like portions of California, a wetter-than-normal winter often leads to greater severity of fires the following summer. This seeming paradox occurs because increased rain leads to
greater accumulation of chapparal biomass
measured by the amount of ca2+ and Mg2+
hardness
the presence of high levels of fecal coliform bacteria I a water source indicates that the water
has been contaminated by untreated human or animal waste
energy is transferred from one object to another as the result of a temperature difference
heat flow
which method reduces the volume of waste but could release toxic emissions into the atmosphere
incineration
most data indicate that, during the past 100 years , means global annual temperature has
increased by 0.5 C
matter in motion has energy
kinetic energy
Of the following, which is the primary method of waste disposal in the United States?
landfilling
of the following , which is the most serious immediate problem associated with sanitary landfills
leachate contamination of groundwater
is a flammable gas produced by landfills
methane
. Vegetarianism is often cited as a partial solution to the growing problem of deforestation and other types of habitat destruction as the human population continues to grow. The reason for this is
more people can be fed using less agricultural landbecausevegetarianseatatalower trophic level
exemplified by bees consuming nectar and carrying pollen from one flower to another
mutualism
the most abundant gas in earths atmosphere is
nitrogen
the major reservoirs of nitrogen and sulfur in the biosphere are correctly identified by which of the following
nitrogen / atmosphere sulfur / rocks
the source that IS NOT RENEWABLE
nuclear fission
the source that produces long lived hazardous wastes
nuclear fission
Currently proven global reserves are expected to be largely exhausted within the next 50 years.
oil
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
which of the following elements constitutes the highest percentage of mason earths crust
oxygen
Which of the following is the greatest component (by weight) of municipal solid waste in the United States?
paper
exemplified by ticks feeding on a deer
parasitism
most volcanism in the world is associated with
plate boundaries
in general, which of the following is the best long term method of preventing extinctions
protecting the habitats of endangered species
has been implicated as the cause of as much as 15 percent of lung cancer cases
radon
which of the following action would be the most effective in decreasing acid rain and acid deposition problems
reducing use of fossil fuels
fragmenting one large park or preserve into many small parks with human habitation in between them is most likely to lead to which of the following
reduction in species diversity
which of the following would most likely have the greatest positive impact on the quality of the natural environment worldwide
stabilization or reduction of the size of the human population
is an important precursor to acid rain
sulfur dioxide
the source that is converted directly into electrical energy by photovoltaic cells
sunlight
Population biologists are concerned about introduced species such as the zebra mussel in North America because
the introduced species compete for resources more effectively than native species
It has recently been estimated that the growth in world population has slowed in the past decade. Despite this trend, environmentalists remain concerned about the environmental impact of world population, principally because
the standard of living is increasing in many developing countries, leading to an increased per capita use of natural resources
the ultimate source of energy for terrestrial ecosystem is
the sun
Global climate change occurs because increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in
the troposphere absorb outgoing IR radiation
which of the following best describes soils in many tropical rainforest
they are quickly depleted of nutrients when the forest is removed
Region largely responsible for the weather experienced at the Earth's surface
troposphere
Region that contains the majority of molecules in the atmosphere
troposphere
caused by suspended particulate
turbidity
ozone in the stratosphere is important to organisms at earths surface because ozone molecules are very strong absorbers of
ultraviolet rays
which of the following metals is considered an energy resource
uranium
