apes practice exam
The net primary production of a pine forest on a lava flow on Mount Fuji is about 175,000 kcal/m^2/yr, and the plant respiration is estimated to be 115,000 kcal/m^2/yr. What is the total amount of energy transferred during photosynthesis for this ecosystem?
290,000 kcal/m^2/yr
Which of the following describes an environment where large amounts of oil could form millions of years in the future?
A river delta in a forested region
Which of the following locations would most likely receive acid deposition?
A town downwind from a coal-fired power plant
Which of the following is a problem that is associated with a thermal inversion?
An increase in pollutants trapped at earth's surface, which increases the number of cases of human respiratory problems
The snowshoe hare is the primary prey for the canadian lynx. the canadian lynx is a wild feline that is slightly larger than a bobcat. scientists plan to investigate the relative sizes of the hare and the lynx populations over a 3-year period. Based on predator-prey dynamics, which of the following identifies the hypothesis most likely to be supported by the study?
An increase in the lynx population size will lead to a decrease in the hare population size.
Which of the following describes a source of methane in the atmosphere?
Anaerobic breakdown of organic material
Which of the following best describes why aquaculture has grown considerably in several parts of the world?
Aquaculture fisheries provide a larger and more consistent quantity of fish year-round than do wild fisheries
Which of the following will be the most likely consequence from the daily operation of a typical hydroelectric power plant?
Beach erosion will increase where the river meets the ocean downstream from the hydroelectric dam project
Which of the following equations best represents the chemical changes that occur during ocean acidification?
CO2 + H2O --> 2H^+ + CO3^2-
Increased use of which of the following technologies would cause the greatest reduction in the primary source of photochemical smog?
Catalytic Converter
This pathogen infects the intestine and is spread through contaminated water of food
Cholera
Which process in the nitrogen cycle releases nitrogen gas into the atmosphere?
Denitrification of soil nitrates by bacteria
Which sequence of events best explains the interaction between the components of the arctic ecosystem feedback loop?
Global temperature increases --> permafrost thickness decreases --> methane increases --> global temperature increases
Which of the following most likely had a direct influence on the trend shown in the graph for the electricity generation from wind?
Increased subsidies for renewable energy
The many finch species of the galapagos islands evolved from a single species that immigrated to the islands from the coast of South America. These species differ from primarily in beak shape, which is closely related to the type of food each species specializes in eating. Which of the following best explains why each of the finch species on the Galapagos Islands evolved to be specialists?
Islands have limited food resources, forcing species to feed on a small range of food items.
A team at a university in Pennsylvania has concerns about the health of streams in a watershed because of the various land uses in the area. There has been an increase in road repair work, and the area has many dairy farms. Which of the following would be most effective at preventing sediment runoff into the streams of the watershed?
Maintain zones of grass at least 100m wide on the sides of streams in the area
This pathogen is primarily transmitted by mosquitos and is found most often in sub-saharan Africa
Malaria
Scientists are looking for new locations to generate electricity using geothermal energy. Which of the following locations would be the best choice for a geothermal energy generating plant?
Near tectonic plate boundaries
Which of the following methods will give the best prediction for how long it will take the human population to double if the global growth rate is 1.09 percent?
Number of years = 70/1.09
Which of the following environmental problems is most often linked to the combustion of fossil fuels?
Photochemical smog formation in the troposphere
Which of the following best explains the impact of climate change on polar regions?
Polar regions are warming more quickly than other regions because warming decreases the coverage of high-albedo ground cover like ice and snow
Which of the following is most likely the source of the radon found in a house?
Radon gas found in bedrock and soil leaked into the home through cracks in the foundation
The cretaceous-tertiary extinction event was caused when an asteroid impacted earth approximately 66 million years ago, near what is now the gulf of mexico. The indirect effects of the impact affected the entire globe. The event resulted in the extinction of nearly 75 percent of all plant and animal species on earth, including the majority of dinosaur species. Which of the following likely best describes why most of these species went extinct?
Rapid climate and habitat change
Which of the following strategies could be used to reduce soil erosion during surface mining of coal?
Replanting vegetation
The excessive pumping of groundwater from wells can influence the water levels below ground. Which of the following is more likely to occur in aquifers in coastal areas than in aquifers in other regions?
Saltwater intrusion into the aquifers
Corn is a crop that grows best in soil that drains well. Which of the following soils is best suited to grow corn?
Sandy loam because it has large amounts of sand and less than 20% clay
Which of the following best describes why secondary succession generally occurs more quickly than primary succession?
Secondary succession takes place in areas that already have soil and nutrients in place, whereas primary succession occurs in areas that lack soil
Which of the following best achieves the goal of providing wood products for humans while preserving biodiversity?
Selective cutting of large areas of old-growth forest
Which of the following is the primary energy source for producers in near-surface marine communities?
Solar energy from the sun
This layer of earth's atmosphere contains the ozone layer that absorbs the sun's ultraviolet rays
Stratosphere
Which of the following is the most likely unintended consequence of using pesticides in agriculture?
The continual use of pesticides can cause organisms to build a resistance through genetic mutation that then requires more or stronger pesticides
Which of the following is a negative consequence associated with photovoltaic cells?
The manufacture of photovoltaic solar cells involves toxic metals that can be released into the environment.
Which of the following biogeochemical cycles is correctly paired with its major reservoir?
The nitrogen cycle and the atmosphere
This layer of earth's atmosphere contains the fewest molecules of the layers shown, and the low density of gas leads to very few molecules transferring heat to an object. In this layer, ultraviolet radiation causes photodissociation of molecules, creating ions
Thermosphere
Brown marmorated stink bugs are native to China and Japan. They were identified in Pennsylvania for the first time in 1998 and have since spread across North America, feeding on agricultural crops. Which of the following characteristics of the brown marmorated stink bug has led to them being an invasive species in North America?
They are tolerant of a wide range of environmental conditions.
This layer of the earth's atmosphere has the highest density of any atmospheric layer and contains most of the water vapor in the atmosphere
Troposphere
This pathogen infects the respiratory system, typically the lungs, and can spread through the air when a person coughs, sneezes, or talks
Tuberculosis
Which of the following agricultural practices would most likely lead to improved water quality in nearby streams and rivers?
Using crop rotation in fields
Which of the following scenarios is an example of cogeneration?
Using the steam given off from a coal-fired electrical generation plant to heat nearby buildings
Which of the following is a primary cause of El Nino climate variations?
Warmer surface waters in the pacific ocean
Which of the following environmental greenhouse gases does not contribute significantly to global climate change because it has a short residence time in the atmosphere?
Water vapor
Which of the following identifies an unintended result from recycling programs?
When items are placed in recycling that cannot be recycled, the cost of recycling increases
A community located downwind from a coal-fired power plant has seen a recent increase in the number of dead and dying trees. A soil scientist measured values for the following parameters before and after the trees died off. Which of the following soil data should be used to determine if the coal-fired power plant emissions were the cause of the damage to the trees?
calcium and aluminum levels
Which of the following techniques is a realistic solution for farmers to decrease the amount of fertilizer and sediment runoff into aquatic ecosystems ?
practicing crop rotation
