Chapter 48

What is the approximate size of the human population today?

7 billion

What are the consequences of increasing crop yields to feed a growing human population?

-loss of biodiversity through conversion of forests and grasslands to agricultural fields -eutrophication and dead zones resulting from increased use of fertilizer -greater input of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels -decreased biological storage of carbon through deforestation

Which of the following professionals would provide evidence that the world is changing as a result of human activities?

A researcher studying the acidity of seawater. A doctor treating patients with antibiotic-resistant M. tuberculosis. A botanist studying the flowering times of plants. A researcher assessing methane levels in the atmosphere.

We often think that biologists are primarily responsible for coming up with solutions to climate change. How could engineers also help to reduce atmospheric CO2 levels?

By developing new strategies to ship food products, effectively increasing crop yield. By developing new ways to harness "alternative energy," such as developing smaller or more efficient wind turbines By developing more efficient gas-powered engines, limiting our consumption of fossil fuels By developing better ways to heat or cool our homes, creating more "energy-efficient" houses.

Which of the following statements about the concept of an ecological footprint is false?

Countries with the largest population sizes have the largest ecological footprints.

Which of the following statements about ocean acidification is false?

Ocean acidification increases the availability of carbonate ions in seawater.

Why would a pharmaceutical company be concerned about species loss, especially in areas where species composition and diversity are not completely characterized?

Species loss could result in the extinction of plants from which medicinal compounds could be derived (consider quinine).

Which of the following statements about invasive species is false?

The effect of invasive species on natural communities is always a reduction in diversity.

Imagine that you are a doctor at a local hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. How would climate change impact your work?

You may notice the occurrence of diseases that are not normally observed in New England (e.g. malaria -You may notice that some of your new patients have parasites not normally observed in New England

If we examine the standard of living in Australia, Saudi Arabia, and India, we find that Australia has the highest standard of living, India has the lowest standard of living, and Saudi Arabia has an intermediate standard of living. Based on this information, which of following shows the correct listing of these countries from largest to smallest in terms of ecological footprint?

australia, saudi arabia, india

Which of the following statements about agricultural fertilizers is false?

global nitrate and phosphate resources are in decline

How can crop yields be increased?

converting more land to agricultural fields increasing the use of fertilizers to replenish nutrient-depleted soil increasing the use of machinery to harvest crops using genetically modified crops that are more resistant to disease

Increased phosphate levels in the Everglades has led to:

displacement of native plants by phosphate-loving introduced plants.

Nothing can be done to alter the impact of future human activity on the environment.

false

In response to global climate change, it is likely that some plant species will survive while others will go extinct. All of the following are explanations of this pattern except:

greenhouse gases are toxic, so increasing levels of these gases will cause some plants to go extinct.

Which of the following is responsible for the loss of amphibian populations around the world?

herbicide fundal disease habitat loss pesticides

Which of the following statements about global warming is correct?

higher altitudes have warmed more than equatorial regions

The results of the coccolithophorid experiment done by Riebesell and colleagues showed that:

increasing CO2 levels lead to incomplete coccolithophorids.

Which country currently has the largest ecological footprint?

kuwait

Which of the following statements about the physiological responses of plants to increasing temperatures and carbon dioxide levels is false?

many plants devote more resources to reproduction under these conditions

Approximately how long did it take for the human population to reach 1 billion?

more than 100, 000 million years

Which of the following nutrients is responsible for eutrophication in the Gulf of Mexico?

nitrogen

Which of the following does not contribute to the formation of dead zones?

ocean acidification

As amphibians have been called the environment's "canaries in a coal mine," a researcher has decided to go around to different ponds in his town and evaluate the effects of a specific pesticide on frog survival. This scientist would most likely refer to himself as a(n):

physiologist

An individual's ecological footprint is equivalent to:

the amount of land required to provide all the resources used that individual

Which of the following statements is false?

the use if antibiotics causes in bacteria for antibiotic resistance

Which feature of amphibians makes them more susceptible to environmental toxins and pollutants than other animals?

thin permeable skin

In addition to carbon dioxide, which of the following are also considered to be greenhouse gases?

water vapor and methane