ENV100

If a significant amount of extrusive igneous rock is found in an area, one would expect also to find_____in the area.

- volcanoes o islands o granite o limestone o early life forms such as algal mats (thermophiles)

Which one of the following would not be considered a system?

o a rock o planet Earth o a tree o a pond - All of the above are examples of systems

The process (or set of processes) by which mutualistic bacteria move nitrogen from the atmosphere to soil is called

o denitrification. o decomposition. o respiration. o ammonification. - nitrogen fixation.

Building a large dam can cause

o habitat alteration in the river. o evaporation from the reservoir. o decreased flow downstream. o problems for fisheries. - All of the above answers are correct.

What process is responsible for the movement of continents over the surface of the Earth?

- Plate tectonics o Volcanism o Rifting o IJplifting o Collision

Which of the following types of lakes would be most likely to be naturally eutrophic?

- an old, shallow lake o a young, deep lake o an oxbow lake o a kettle lake o a stratified lake

Acute toxicity is

- exhibited immediately or very shortly after exposure to a toxic substance. o exhibited after many years of exposure to a substance, sometimes at low levels. o toxicity that specifically causes genetic mutations. o always less dangerous than chronic toxicity. o generally much more difficult to detect than chronic toxicity.

Which one of these is the most challenging environmental problem associated with e-waste?

- heavy metals o radioactivity o eutrophication o pathogenicity o acid drainage

Sunlight is best described as a(n)_____resource.

- inexhaustible o extrinsic o replenishable o nonrenewable o critical flow

Secondary extraction of petroleum

- uses solvents, water, or steam to mobilize the oil. o occurs just before primary extraction. o is less expensive than primary extraction. o is used because it causes less environmental damage than primary extraction. o is the only way to extract the natural gas that typically occurs with the oil.

Consider the following list of environmental and social impacts. What type of emerging energy technologies are referred to? • noise • vibration • death of birds and bats • visual disturbance

- wind energy technologies o solar energy technologies o geothermal energy technologies o ocean thermal energy conversion technologies o tidal energy technologies

Shelterbelts are to_____as terraces are to_____.

- wind erosion; water erosion o water erosion; wind erosion o leaching; desertification o stratification; salinization o salinization; chemical weathering

Consider evolution by the mechanism of random genetic drift. Is it more likely to happen in a large population, or a small population?

o Evolution by random drift is much more likely to occur in a large population. - Evolution by random drift is much more likely to occur in a small population. o Evolution by random drift is as likely to occur in a large population as in a small

The answer is, "an area of land in which all of the water that falls as precipitation drains out through one river channel." Which one of the following is the correct question?

o What is the hydrosphere? o What is a recharge zone? - What is a drainage basin or catchment? o What is an aquifer? o What is a discharge zone?

Ocean waters that occur along the coastline are part of the

o abyssal - littoral o limnetic o benthic o aphotic

Which one of the following does not belong with the others?

o littoral zone o coastal zone o intertidal zone o continental shelf - aphotic zone

Which fossil fuel has by far the most abundant remaining reserves, but is the most polluting to use?

o oil - coal o natural gas o oil sands o oil shales

The top surface of the saturated zone is

o soil moisture. o an aquifer. - the water table. o a recharge zone. o the catchment.

The bedrock from which soil is formed is called

o the lithosphere. - parent material. o humus. o the mineral horizon. o the A horizon.

What is the main input of water into most catchments?

o transpiration o cloud formation o groundwater evaporation - precipitation o chemical flux

The mechanism responsible for causing heat to accumulate in the lower part of Earth's atmosphere is called the

o Hadley circulation. o convection cycle. o albedo response. o energy cycle. - greenhouse effect.

One of the characteristics that define a "mineral" is that it has to have a crystal structure. What does this mean?

o It means that it has a specific chemical composition. o It means that its physical properties can vary, but its chemical and atomic properties will always stay the same. o It means that it always forms the same crystal shape. - It means that its constituent atoms are arranged in an orderly manner. o All of the above answers are correct.

What does it mean when a scientist refers to a molecule as "organic"?

o It means that the material is environmentally friendly, or non-toxic. - It means that the molecule is based on carbon and (typically) hydrogen atoms that are bonded together. o It means that the molecule is critically important in the support of life. o It means that the molecule was once part of a living organism. o All of the above answers are correct.

The answer is "hot material rising, losing heat, and then sinking." Which one of the following is the right question?

o What is plate tectonics? o What is volcanism? - What is convection? o What is a positive feedback cycle? o What causes seismic waves?

The answer is "Clayoquot Sound." Which one of the following is the correct question?

o What is the most important example of intact Canadian boreal forest? o What was the location of a globally important fishery that collapsed in the early 1990s, under Canadian control? - Where are some of the largest remaining intact stands of old-growth temperate rainforest in North America? o What is the location of the most important mangrove forest in Canada? o What is the location of the largest flood in Canadian history?

The answer is ''porosity." Which one of the following is the correct question?

o What is the physical characteristic that controls the amount of surface runoff in a stream channel? - What is the tenn for the volume of a rock or sediment that is occupied by open spaces? o What physical property is a measure of the interconnectedness of the spaces in a rock or sediment? o What is the name of the process by which precipitation infiltrates and begins to flow along with groundwater? o What term refers to the degree of water-saturation of an aquifer?

The zone of the atmosphere where most weather-related processes occur is the

o equator. o stratosphere. o jet stream. o polar cell. - troposphere.

Which one of the following is an example of environmental science?

Former U.S. President Al Gore writes a very informative book on climate change, called "An Inconvenient Truth," and a popular and influential film is based on the book. - Researchers investigate the toxicity of BPA, a chemical that is commonly used in making baby bottles and other plastic items used in everyday life. Residents in a suburban neighbourhood form a group to protest the installation of a nearby oil refinery. The Waterkeeper Alliance is a network of environmental organizations that advocates for the protection of rivers and lakes. All of these are examples of environmental science.

The answer is "the Cambrian Explosion." Which one of the following is the right question?

What do scientists call the period of massive meteorite impacts that occurred early in Earth history? What do scientists call the origin of the first photosynthetic organisms? What do scientists call the long-lasting period of active volcanism that occurred early in Earth history, when the surface was almost completely molten? - What is the name given to the time between about 540 and 600 million years ago, when there was a rapid increase in the number, diversity, and complexity of species? What is the name given to an event in Earth history which a very large number of organisms became extinct in a short period of time, including the dinosaurs, possibly as a result of a massive meteorite impact?

To describe the process whereby particles began to stick together in the solar nebular, forming clusters, then larger objects, and eventually asteroids and planets, which one of the following would be the most appropriate scientific term?

fusion - accretion differentiation condensation gravitational collapse

Early Earth (4.5 billion years ago)

had more abundant and complex life forms, compared to today's Earth. was not a very dynamic place. - had virtually no "free" oxygen. had a very similar atmosphere to today's Earth, but had no water. had dangerously high levels of oxygen in the atmosphere.

Some insects are able to walk on water. What property of water enables them to do this?

high heat capacity - strong cohesion, leading to high surface tension polarity of water molecules strong bonding ability of water molecules None of the above is correct; the insects are just really light.

The environment

is a complex system with many interconnected parts and subsystems. includes people and other organisms. encompasses the relationships among organisms and their physical surroundings. is legally defined in most countries, including Canada, for purposes of making and enforcing laws and policies. - All of the above answers are correct.

The hypothesis that life originated in the depths of the ocean, near deep-sea hydrothermal vents, is called the

nebular hypothesis. - chemoautotrophic hypothesis. panspermia hypothesis. heterotrophic hypothesis. stromatolite hypothesis.

Let's say that the Sustainability Office of the University carried out a survey in which participants were asked to comment on how the University could better support students, faulty, and staff who like to ride bicycles to the campus. An example of a participant's response to the survey is, "The University should provide more places on the campus where bikes can be locked up safely." These results are best described as

quantitative, because they can be expressed in numbers. - qualitative, because they are descriptive and expressed in words. hypothetical, because they don't prove anything definitively. graphical, because they can only be illustrated using a drawing. unfalsifiable, because there would be no possible way to replicate the survey.

The process by which planets (including Earth) separate into core-mantle-crust layers is called

segregation. - differentiation. accretion. tectonics. condensation.

Let's say that Professor Murck has submitted a paper to a scientific journal, on the topic of her research on mantle xenoliths. The journal editor has sent the paper to three scientists working in a similar discipline, asking them to read and comment on the paper. This is an example of

the scientific method. - the peer review process. the development and testing of a scientific hypothesis. repeatability and reproducibility in scientific experimentation. controlled experimentation.

The asthenosphere

underlies the cooler, more rigid lithosphere. is partially molten. is a zone of weakness in the upper mantle. is relatively squishy because its rock is near its melting temperature. - All of the above answers are correct.

Crude oil is

- "cracked" and separated into different products during refining. o formed near the surface in swampy, anaerobic environments. o mostly composed of methane, with some other hydrocarbon compounds. o oil that is usable in its raw form, straight from the ground. o All of the above answers are correct.

Here are the basic steps in the formation of the solar system and early Earth, with a few steps missing: 1. Interstellar cloud of gas and dust 2. Gravitational collapse of cloud in one area 3. 4. Nuclear fusion at the centre of the nebula, igniting the Sun 5. Condensation of materials from the nebula 6. 7. 8. Period of heavy meteorite bombardment 9. 10. Which one of the following choices best fits as Step #6 in this sequence?

- Accretion of material to form clusters o Flattening of rotating cloud to form the solar nebula o Differentiation of large planetary objects o Large planetary objects form by attracting particles gravitationally o Loss of Earth's primordial atmosphere

Let's say that you are a scientist working on ozone depletion and you want to do some field testing in the location where you would expect ozone depletion to be the most severe, and at the time when you would expect it to be the most depleted. Which of the following times and places would you choose for your field study? Note: The term "austral" refers to the Southern Hemisphere, and "boreal" refers to the Northern Hemisphere.

- Antarctica in the austral spring o Antarctica in the austral winter o Antarctica in the boreal spring o North Pole in the boreal spring o North Pole in the boreal winter

If we consider El Nino and La Nina relative to "normal" atmospheric/oceanic conditions, which one of the following statements is correct?

- El Nino is a weakening of normal conditions and La Nina is a strengthening of normal conditions. o El Nino is a strengthening of normal conditions and La Nina is a weakening of normal conditions. o El Nino is a weakening of normal conditions and La Nina is a further weakening of normal conditions. o El Nino is a strengthening of normal conditions and La Nina is a further strengthening of normal conditions. o Both El Nino and La Nina are oscillation conditions and thus are not predictably related to normal conditions.

If we consider El Nino and La Nina relative to "normal" atmospheric/oceanic conditions, which one of the following statements is correct?

- El Niño is a weakening of normal conditions and La Niña is a strengthening of normal conditions. o El Niño is a strengthening of normal conditions and La Niña is a weakening of normal conditions. o El Niño is a weakening of normal conditions and La Niña is a further weakening of normal conditions. o El Niño is a strengthening of normal conditions and La Niña is a further strengthening of normal conditions. o Both El Niño and La Niña are oscillation conditions and thus are not predictably related to normal conditions.

Acidification can have many negative impacts on ecosystems. Which one of the following is not a negative impact that is commonly associated with acidification?

- Eliminates leaching of base cations from soil o Lowers lakes' capacity to neutralize further acids o Hinders plant uptake of water and nutrients o Increases tree mortality o Elevates aluminium levels in surface waters

Which one of the following is an example of a negative feedback loop?

- In a population of birds, parasites are transmitted at a high rate when the bird population is at high density. This lowers the birds' reproductive rate and increases the birds' mortality rate, lowering the population density. o As a population of lizards evolves cryptic colouration, a population of birds that feeds on them evolves sharper eyesight to see the hidden lizards. o Melting Arctic ice reveals dark water, which absorbs heat. This accelerates further loss of ice. o A lack Of rain causes a decrease in soil moisture. This means that less water is returned to the atmosphere via plant transpiration, which leads to even drier conditions. o Stormwater runoff removes vegetation revealing bare soil, which then erodes. This makes it harder to vegetation to take root, leaving additional bare, exposed ground.

Which one of the following statements about "steady state" is not correct?

- In a system at steady state, there are no inputs or outputs. When inputs and outputs are equal and balanced, the system is at steady state. At steady state, the burden of a reservoir is constant. If the influx into a reservoir exceeds the outflux, it is not at steady state. In a reservoir at steady state, sources and sinks are balanced.

Where does most of the primary production occur in tropical rainforests?

- In the canopy o in the sub-canopy o in the understory o on the forest floor o The answer depends on the type of tropical rainforest

Which of the following is not a problem with "country food" for the Indigenous people of the Arctic?

- It's very expensive. o Traditional migratory routes of many animal populations have changed. o Persistent organic pollutants are concentrated in the meat of many animals. o Thinning of sea ice has made it harder to hunt animals on the ice. o All of the above are problems with country food for the Indigenous people of the North.

Which of the following best describes the concept of "character displacement"?

- Natural selection favours those individuals whose characteristics allow them to avoid direct competition. o Successful competitors displace other individuals from a particular resource. o Individuals acquire characteristics that allow them to be successful competitors, o Competition structures communities and leads to displacement Of certain species.

What happens when an oceanic plate and a continental plate converge?

- The oceanic plate slides under the continental plate because the oceanic plate is denser than the continental plate. o The continental plate slides under the oceanic plate because the continental plate is denser than the oceanic plate, o A hot spot is formed in the middle of the oceanic plate. o A hot spot is formed in the middle of the continental plate. o The result is completely unpredictable.

The answer is, "a term that describes substances that break down or degrade very slowly." Which one of the following is the question that best fits the answer?

- What is "persistent"? o What is "teratogenic"? o What is "isotopic"? o What is "radioactive"? o What is "toxic"?

The answer is, "The average time spent by a molecule of the material of interest in a reservoir." Which one of the following is the right question?

- What is residence time? What is turnover time? What is flux? What is homeostasis? What is steady state?

The answer is "soil profile" Which one of the following is the correct question?

- What is the term for a layer of soil that is different from other layers because of its physical properties? o What is the term that refers to the natural variation in soil type from one geographic location or biome to another? o What is the term that describes the zone of accumulation and leaching in a soil section? o What is the term that describes a vertical section of soil that includes all of its horizons? o What is the term applied to the layer of soil that can support rooted plant life?

The answer is "static lifetime." Which one of the following is the correct question?

- What term describes the life expectancy of a known resource at current rates of production and use? o What term describes the amount of time it would take to use up a renewable resource, if all replenishment of stocks were halted? o What term describes the amount of time that a resource, such as a mineral resource, spends in geologic reservoirs before it can be utilized by humans and thus remobilized into the biogeochemical cycle? o What term describes the projected availability of a nonrenewable resource, over the lifetime of a given consumer? o What term describes the turnover time for nonrenewable resources in geologic reservoirs?

Earth emits radiation

- all the time. o only during the daytime. o only over the ocean. o only during the summer, and absorbs it during the winter. o only in the shortwave part of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Sympatric speciation occurs

- between populations in one location without a physical barrier. o between populations that are unrelated. o between populations that have mutated to become more similar. o when a physical boundary divides a population into two, restricting the gene flow between them. o when one population goes extinct and another takes over.

If a child ingests lead on an ongoing basis by eating lead paint or playing in lead-contaminated soil, the lead will build up in the child's body over time, to the point where it may reach a harmful concentration. This build-up process is called

- bioaccumulation. o biodegradation. o toxicity. o mutagenesis. o pathogenicity.

Worldwide, the most-used renewable energy source (by far) is

- biomass. o solar. o wind. o tidal. o geothermal.

Energy is generated in nuclear power plants by

- bombarding fissionable atoms with neutrons. o extraction of energy from the nucleus of cells. o fusion of electrons in the core of an atom. o bombarding radioactive elements with heat. o exposing radioactive materials to a moderating fluid.

"Potential," in the context of greenhouse gases, refers to the

- capacity of a molecule to contribute to atmospheric warming. o effectiveness of a molecule in preventing global warming. o fact that carbon dioxide is the most potent greenhouse gas. o process whereby energy travels back to the surface after being warmed by atmospheric gases. o fact that all gases in the atmosphere have the potential to cause warming.

Which of the following is one of the goals of the "new" coal technologies?

- clean the coal prior to burning, so that it is less environmentally damaging o develop new technologies to speed up the very slow natural processes of formation of coal o prevent the release of gas hydrates frozen into seafloor sediments o replace nuclear energy for electricity generation o develop biofuels, such as ethanol from grains, as alternative energy sources

The environment provides us with both goods and services. Which one of the following is not an example of an environmental "good"?

- climate regulation o plants for food o water o mineral resources o wood for construction

Which of the following problems are the least likely to be associated with strip mines?

- coal dust explosions o acid drainage o groundwater pollution o massive land disruption o habitat loss

Natural gas is

- commonly associated with oil in petroleum deposits. o dirtier (more polluting) to burn, compared to coal. o dirtier (more polluting) to burn, compared to oil. o trapped over some cities for commercial use. o still much more expensive than oil to produce, and therefore not competitive.

Let's say that I am doing a manipulative experiment to investigate fetal exposure to organophosphate flame retardant (OPFR) chemicals and their links with neurological impairment. I'm going to be using groups of mice in a laboratory setting. I will be studying one group of mice that will be born to mothers exposed to OPFRs prenatally, and another group born to mothers that were not exposed. The group that was not exposed is called the

- control group. experimental target population. measurable group. placebo group.

Here's a list: • carbon fixation and sequestration • recharge groundwater • nutrient cycling • erosion control • improve water quality Which one of the following best describes all of the items on this list?

- ecosystem services o carbon cycle o hydrologic cycle o climate system o forests

"The whole is more than the sum of its parts." What does this sentence best describe?

- emergent properties a non-isolated system homeostasis resiliency ecosystem services

Consider the following list of impacts: • habitat disturbance • noise from helicopter fly-overs • road-building in wilderness areas • discharge of contaminants from drilling With which stage of mining is this group of impacts most likely to be associated?

- exploration o mining and milling o post-operational o smelting o refining

Which one of the following climatic features is most characteristic of temperate forests?

- extremely abundant rainfall o seasonal variation o cold o dryness o high level of light penetration

In the North Atlantic, water sinks in a few locations to form North Atlantic Deep Water. The sinking occurs because the water is

- extremely cold and dense. o part of the Gulf Stream current. o fresh, rather than salty. o frozen. o nutrient-rich.

Most of the aerosols in the stratosphere come from

- volcanic sources. o terrestrial sources. o anthropogenic sources. o dust storms. o fires.

Oil typically_____, whereas coal typically_____.

- forms in a shallow marine environment ... consists of the altered remains of land plants from swamps occurs in association with coal ... occurs in association with natural gas occurs in association with peat deposits ... is the "dirtiest" of the fossil fuels is strip-mined ... is mined underground occurs in the form of semi-solid hydrocarbon compounds ... is associated with briny or salty water deposits

Oil typically_____, whereas coal typically_____.

- forms in a shallow marine environment ... consists of the altered remains of land plants from swamps o occurs in association with coal ... occurs in association with natural gas o occurs in association with peat deposits ... is the "dirtiest" of the fossil fuels o is strip-mined ... is mined underground o occurs in the form of semi-solid hydrocarbon compounds ... is associated with briny or salty water deposits

Earth's orbital variations, as described by Milankovitch, affect the timing of glacial-interglacial cycles because they

- have an impact on solar insolation. o control the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. o decrease the amount of ozone in the stratosphere. o enhance the filtering capacity of the atmosphere with respect to infrared radiation. o All of the above answers are correct.

Farmer Jan bought a field in which the soil has lots of sand particles. This suggests that the soil will have

- high permeability. o high water content. o high fertility. o high cation exchange capacity. o low permeability and low porosity.

In comparison to wild capture fisheries, aquaculture operations tend to have significantly

- higher yields, in terms of kilograms of fish per square meter, per year. o lower energy intensities. o smaller ecological footprints. o lower inputs of energy such as fossil fuels. o None of the above answers is correct.

Climate models that predict greater precipitation over the poles are particularly significant because

- ice caps grow when snowfall is sufficiently abundant that it does not all melt in one season. o it may have an impact on food security, since the polar regions could be useful for agricultural purposes if they are clear of ice. o precipitation may cause the ice caps to melt more quickly. o it may cause sea ice thicknesses to decrease. o All of the above answers are correct.

The two general approaches used in modern hydroelectric power generation are

- impoundment and run-of-river. o deep-well and surface pumping. o dams and reservoirs. o kinetic and potential. o thermal and hydrological.

The effects of the nuclear accident at Chernobyl

- increased the incidence of cancers in those exposed to the radiation. o increased incidence of black lung and related diseases in those exposed to the radiation. o did not include any fatalities. o were contained within Ukraine. o All of the above answers are correct.

A hormone disruptor is a chemical that can

- interfere with the endocrine system of an organism. o be bioaccumulated in natural ecosystems. o affect brain development in embryos. o be fatal if consumed or absorbed through the skin. o cause genetic mutations.

An experiment

- is designed to test the validity of a prediction that arises from a hypothesis. o should ideally be designed to manipulate as many variables as possible. o does not need to be repeated, as long as it is well designed. o always takes place in a laboratory. o is designed to prove a scientific theory.

From what you know about toxic substances, which one of the following is most likely to be a neurotoxin?

- lead o BPA o radon o asbestos o ozone

Hydrogen fuel cells

- make use of chemical reactions to generate electricity. o are like tiny batteries. o do not generate any atmospheric emissions at all. o will only work when extremely high temperatures and pressures are applied. o can only be used in large, centralized power generating stations rather than smaller, more decentralized or mobile applications.

Please read the following short paragraph: Acid drainage is one of the most significant and prevalent environmental impacts of mining. Mining exposes rock walls to air, and sulphide minerals in the rock react with water and oxygen, forming sulphuric acid. Metals (such as zinc, aluminum, cadmium, and arsenic) are leached from the rock walls by the acidic water, reacting with the sulphuric acid. High concentrations of these dissolved metals can make river and lake water toxic to wildlife, and waterfowl landing at the site are often affected. Another source of acidification is acid rain, which is caused by burning of fossil fuels. Based on what you read in this paragraph above and learned in class about acid mine drainage, you could predict that acid rain

- might be expected to cause an accumulation of toxic metals in fish in rivers and lakes. o would cause metals that had been dissolved in the water to precipitate. o would prevent the leaching of material from exposed rock. o would prevent rocks from reacting chemically with air and water. o All of the above answers are correct.

The major constituent of Earth's atmosphere is

- nitrogen. o oxygen. o carbon dioxide. o water vapour. o aerosols.

Background extinction refers to

- normal extinctions that happen over time as a result of competition and environmental changes. o the loss of much biota over a relatively short period of time. o the five major mass extinctions of Earth history. o the impact of early humans on fauna as a result of over-exploitation. o a "genetic bottleneck."

What is the main energy source for electricity generation in Ontario?

- nuclear o hydro o coal o natural gas o wind, solar, and other renewable alternatives

In January 2013 a landslide occurred in the Maskimo Quarry at Epiphanie, Quebec. Sadly two workers went missing and their bodies were not recovered. The small quarry and landslide are shown in an aerial photo, below. (The dark part on the right is the landslide mass.) What type of mine is this?

- open-pit o solution o subsurface o placer o mountaintop removal

To strip-mine for coal, what must first be removed?

- overburden o tailings o ore o acid drainage o slag

What does the notation "PM2.5" mean?

- particulate matter less than 2.5 μm (microns) in size o partial mass x 2.5 o point-source monitoring every 2.5 hours o particle mass with half-life < 2.5 o pollution mean concentration 2.5 ppm

"Hubbert's Peak"

- refers to the prediction of a peak and subsequent decline in oil production. o is the location where the first oil well was drilled, in Ontario. o is the location where the first commercial oil well was drilled, in Pennsylvania. o is the location where tar sands were first discovered in Alberta. o refers to the massive period of formation of fossil fuels during the Carboniferous Period, about 100 million years ago.

The Coriolis force causes freely moving objects to be deflected from their pathway toward the_____in the Northern Hemisphere and toward the_____in the Southern Hemisphere.

- right ... left o left ... right o east ... west o west ... east o equator ... pole

Let's say that you are the Minister of Environment for Ontario and you want to minimize the impacts of mining and mining-related activities specifically on air quality. Which one of the following mine-related activities will you examine most closely because of its potential for negative impacts on air quality?

- smelting o storage of tailings and rock waste piles o post-operational management of mine sites o underground mining o construction of roads and drill sites for exploration purposes

"New renewables" include

- solar, wind, and geothermal. o hydro and traditional biomass. o tar sands and oil shales. o fission and fusion. o All of the above are "new renewable" energy sources.

Let's say that you are a mine manager and you want to extract salt from a deposit far underground. What do you think would be the best mining approach to use?

- solution mining o strip mining o open-pit mining o placer mining o mountaintop removal mining

Which one of the following is not part of a standard definition of "system"?

- supports life a portion of the universe can be separated from its surroundings by a boundary enables scientists to study changes that occur within it, under changing conditions can consist of interrelated subsystems

When two groups within a population become reproductively isolated within the same geographic area, it may result in

- sympatric speciation. o random drift. o natural selection. o allopatric speciation. o convergent evolution.

GSHPs

- take advantage of the temperature difference between the surface and the subsurface. o can only be used in the tropics, where the air and surface temperatures are very high. o can help to cool buildings in the summer, but are not useful for heating buildings in the winter. o are brand-new technologies that have not been applied yet in a practical context. o are now providing a large portion of the energy for heating and cooling buildings in Canada.

This type of forest is seasonal, but with a wet season and a dry season, rather than winter and summer. The canopy is open, and both plants and animals are adapted to long, dry periods. Which forest type is it?

- temperate deciduous forest o boreal forest o savannah or tropical dry forest o desert o temperate rainforest

This mid-latitude forest has a seasonal climate and is dominated by trees that change colour in the fall, and drop their leaves in the winter. Which forest type is it?

- temperate deciduous forest o boreal forest o tropical rainforest o temperate grassland o savannah woodland

The Southern Oscillation is

- the atmospheric pressure difference that varies back and forth between the eastern and western Pacific. o the cold-warm and salty-fresh variations that drive Earth's deep oceanic circulation. o a wind system that drives surface currents in the Southern Ocean, around Antarctica. o the seasonal melting and accumulation of snow in subtropical glaciers. o an anomalous warming of equatorial ocean water in the Pacific.

Heavy rains and mudslides cause a river to change its course, isolating two groups of lizards from one another. Over a long period of time,

- the groups could become genetically distinct, so that speciation would occur. o one or both groups would likely become invasive species. o both groups would likely become native, or "endemic" species. o one or both groups would have to emigrate. o one group would go extinct because the other would be dominant.

The entire amount of oil in an underground reservoir is usually not extracted, mainly because

- the last bit of oil is usually very difficult to extract, and therefore the cost is high. o it would be too damaging to the environment to leave the reservoir completely depleted. o at that stage the oil is typically too runny to be easily extracted. o only underground mining could access and extract it, which would be very expensive. o it would not be worth as much as the other oil extracted from the well.

The Green Revolution involved

- the specific goal of solving the problem of world hunger. o a move away from chemical pesticides and toward organic farming methods. o less reliance on bioengineered crop types. o the use of more organic and less industrial fertilizers. o All of the above answers are correct.

Peat and other organic-rich soils are of interest in the carbon cycle because

- they represent a very large carbon storage reservoir. o sometimes they release methane (CH4), a potent greenhouse gas. o their response to climatic warming, in terms of the sequestration or release of carbon, is not fully understood. o their cyclical exchange of C02 with the atmosphere is very large. o All of the above answers are correct

It is challenging to classify waste because it is so diverse. It can be very useful to classify waste according to its source, mainly because

- this allows waste managers to regulate the activities that generate waste, and control the amount and type of waste coming from each source. o this tells waste managers the waste is composed of. o this tells waste managers whether the waste requires special handling. o this allows waste managers to determine how harmful the materials in the waste will be for human health and the biosphere. o this tells waste managers what level of government should be in charge of handling the waste treatment process.

As a result of genetic engineering, scientists today have been able to

- transfer one specifically selected gene, instead of thousands, from one organism to another. o make crops permanently resistant to pests. o solve the global problem of food shortages. o exchange genes between different individuals but not between different species. o All of the above answers are correct.

Where, in Earth's atmosphere, does most of the mass of radiatively active gases reside?

- troposphere o mesosphere o stratosphere o ozone layer o asthenosphere

Because of its role in Earth's energy cycle, solar radiation makes several energy sources available to us, aside from solar energy. These include

- wind energy. o tidal energy. o geothermal energy. o nuclear energy. o hydrothermal energy.

Does the Coriolis force influence the flow of ocean water?

- yes o no o only locally o only in the winter o only in the summer

What is the approximate current rate of growth of the global human population?

o -0.2%/yr o 0 - 1.3% to 1.4% per year o 10% o It is impossible to determine.

Which one of the following statements about air masses is incorrect?

o A mass of cool air is denser than an equal volume of warm air. - Fronts are zones where the temperatures to two adjacent air masses merge gradually. o When two air masses of different temperature and density meet, they do not mix easily. o Rising air masses expand and cool, and water (in the form of precipitation and clouds) condenses from them. o Where two air masses meet, it usually leads to active weather conditions.

Which one of the following best represents disruptive selection?

o A population of finches that grows larger over many generations. o A population of finches that adapts to the lack of predators by building nests on the ground instead of in trees. o A population of finches living in North America that develops a long, narrow beak that is very similar to the beak of a population living in Africa, with no contact between the two. - A population of finches that develops over time into several different species with very different beak shapes, in response to the availability of different food resources. o A population of finches that becomes locally extinct (extirpated) as a result of an environmental disruption.

For a number of reasons, it is important to promote forest resilience. What do we mean by resilience in the context of forests?

o A series of changes that would be expected to occur in a forest ecological community as it develops over time. o A property of complex forests, in which the system displays characteristics that are not evident in the component parts individually. - The ability of a forest to change in response to disturbance, but then return to its original state. o The ability of a forest to remain stable and unchanged in the presence of a disturbance. o Measures taken to address the impacts of hazardous events on a community or ecosystem.

Which one of the following best describes what an upwelling is?

o A vertical flow of warm, deep water toward the surface. - A verticalflow of cold, deep water toward the surface. o A vertical flow of cold, shallow water toward the bottom. o A vertical flow of warm, deep water toward the bottom. o Any of these can describe what an upwelling is, depending on the circumstances.

Which one of the following statements about tar sands (oil sands) is not correct? Choose answer E if you think all four statements are correct.

o Canada's tar sands represent a large petroleum resource, even in a global context. o The name "oil sand" is not quite correct, because these deposits actually contain bitumen, a thick, carbon-rich form of petroleum, rather than standard liquid crude oil. o The extraction of oil from tar sands often requires strip-mining or fracking, which can lead to severely negative environmental impacts. o Tar sands have significantly lower EROI compared to traditional oil extraction. - All four of these statements about tar sands are correct.

Why do corals "bleach" and lose their pinkish colour in response to stressful conditions?

o Changes in ocean salinity affect coral polyp metabolism. o Acidification of oceans removes carbonate ions. - Stress causes loss of symbiotic algae that live in coral polyps. o Cyanide and blast fishing causes damage to reefs. o Changes in water temperatures and light levels cause bleaching.

When a site is chosen for a landfill, it is desirable to select a site that is underlain by a layer of clay. Why? What's so special about clay?

o Clay occurs mainly in rural areas, away from population concentrations. - Clay effectively blocks the migration of fluids, and scavenges (or, technically, adsorbs) some contaminants from the leachate. o It is easier to monitor groundwater in a clay-hosted aquifer than in other kinds of aquifers. o Clay occurs only in dry environments, which are more favourable for landfill sites anyway. o All of the above answers are correct.

Which one of the following describes the role of clouds in regulating climate?

o Clouds can block incoming solar radiation, cooling the surface. o Outgoing terrestrial radiation can be blocked by clouds, warming the surface. o The role of clouds varies, depending on their altitude and other characteristics. o The role of clouds is one of the main sources of uncertainty in global climate models. - All of the above answers are correct.

Earth has two different types of crust:_____crust is made of denser basaltic rock, and_____crust is made of less-dense granitic rock.

o Convergent..... divergent o upper mantle ..... lower mantle o lithospheric ..... asthenospheric - oceanic ..... continental o outer ...... inner

Which of the following four properties is not generally characteristic of most biogeochemical cycles?

o Cycling involves transformations to and from inorganic and organic forms. o Residence times vary among reservoirs. o Substances move among biotic and abiotic reservoirs. o Fluxes to and from reservoirs vary within the cycle, both temporally and spatially, - All of the above are generally characteristic of biogeochemical cycles.

A significant soil management problem that is specifically associated with over-irrigation in hot, arid climates is

o less efficient use of the crop's biological productivity for grain production. o gully erosion, - salinization. o decreased resistance of crops to pest infestations. o desertification.

Which one of the following statements about exposure to toxins is incorrect?

o Dose refers to the amount of toxin that actually enters the body, by ingestion (eating), dermal absorption (through the skin), or respiration (breathing). - Children and adults can have the same level of exposure to a toxin in the environment, but the resulting dose will be higher for the adults because they have a higher body mass. o Dose is typically described in terms of the amount of toxin relative to the body weight or mass of the organism. o Exposure refers to the amount or concentration of toxin in the surrounding environment to which the organism is exposed. o Certain substances can be highly toxic at some doses, but not at all harmful - or even beneficial - at other doses and levels of exposure.

The oldest rocks on Earth are about 4 billion years old. Why aren't there many rocks older than this?

o Earth itself is only 4 billion years old, so there can't be any rocks older than this. - The earlier surface of Earth was completely transformed by meteorite impacts, volcanism, and erosion. o Earth's early atmosphere was so acidic that it did not permit any rocks to form. o There was no liquid water on the surface before 4 Ga, so no rocks were deposited there. o Geologists just haven it looked hard enough to find them.

The oldest rocks on Earth are about 4 billion years old. Why aren't there many rocks older than this?

o Earth itself is only 4 billion years old, so there can't be any rocks older than this. - The earlier surface of Earth was completely transformed by meteorite impacts, volcanism, and erosion. o Earth's early atmosphere was so acidic that it did not permit any rocks to form. o There was no liquid water on the surface before 4 Ga, so no rocks were deposited there. o Geologists just haven't looked hard enough to find them.

What is the difference between GPP (gross primary productivity) and NPP (net primary productivity)?

o Energy lost through consumption. - Energy lost through respiration. o One is a rate; one is a total per area. o One is relevant to aquatic systems; the other is relevant to terrestrial systems. o None of the above answers is correct.

Which one of the following statements about world energy use patterns is not correct?

o Energy use has traditionally been strongly correlated with economic development. - Modern industrial societies should be concerned about depleting Earth's energy resources within the next few decades. o A very small percentage of the world's population is responsible for a very large percentage of the world's energy use. o Canada is typically #1 or #2 in per capita energy use, worldwide. o In the past half-century or so, energy use globally has increased at a rate that is considerably faster than the rate of population growth.

Which one of the following statements about modern food production is not correct?

o Farmers produce more than enough calories to feed everyone in the world. o Food distribution problems, not just production-related problems, contribute to global hunger. - Food production overall has increased, but food production per person has decreased dramatically in the past few decades. o Almost a billion people still do not get enough food to eat on a regular basis. o For some people in developed areas of the world, too much food (over-nutrition) is more of a problem than too little food (under-nutrition).

Which one of the following statements about GMOs is correct?

o Genetically engineered foods are common in research laboratories, but still rare on grocery store shelves. - It is highly likely that everyone in our class has eaten foods made from plants whose genes have been intentionally modified. o GMOs will not become common in manufactured food products until the concerns about how to label them have been resolved. o Products that contain GMOs are labelled in North America, but nowhere else in the world. o No correct statements; all of the above statements about GMOs are incorrect.

Which one of the following statements is not correct?

o Global population is increasing, but the rate of population growth is decreasing. o Globally, on average, the per capita ecological footprint (EF) is increasing. - Global biocapacity is increasing dramatically. o The ratio of EF/biocapacity is increasing. o None; all of the above statements are correct.

Which one of the following statements is not correct?

o Good wind resources are not always located near population centres where power is needed. - Wind energy has no environmental impacts worth mentioning. o Wind power has a relatively high EROI, comparable to conventional energy sources. o Wind turbines can be noisy, and may pose a threat to birds and bats. o All of the above statements are correct.

Which one of the following statements about EROI is not correct?

o Higher ratios mean we receive more energy than we invest. o Different energy sources have different EROI. - A higher ratio indicates that the energy source costs more to produce than we get out of it. o Ratios decline when we extract the easiest deposits first and then must work harder to extract the remaining reserves. o All of the above statements are correct.

Which of the following studies would be at the correct spatial scale to be considered an "ecosystem-level" study?

o How bacteria in a small pond affect the movement of nitrogen from the sediment to the water. o How changes in water temperature in a medium-sized lake affect the diversity of fish species. o How contaminants move through a watershed. o How ocean currents affect broad patterns of primary productivity. - All of these are at an appropriate spatial scale to be considered ecosystem-level studies.

Let's say that you've been hired by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources as a Resource Manager. Which one of the following statements would be a correct statement for you to make, in your new position?

o In Ontario we have mainly renewable resources that have to be managed, not so many nonrenewable resources. o Nonrenewable resources must be managed by balancing stocks and flows. o enewable resources are, by definition, "critical flow" resources, and must be managed accordingly. - Nonrenewable resources are, in fact, renewed geologically, but on a time scale that is much too long to be useful for human purposes. o All of the above statements are correct.

Which one of the following best describes competition for a niche?

o In competition, both species get to keep all of their fundamental niche, but only part of their realized niche. o Competition for resources and niches always involves interspecific aggression. o Competition for a niche always results in the disappearance of one of the competing species. - Two species sometimes divide a niche by "resource partitioning." o Members of the same species never directly compete for resources.

Which one of the following statements about indoor air pollution is not correct?

o Indoor air contains higher concentrations of pollutants than outdoor air. o Indoor air pollution is problematic partly just because of exposure; the average person in North America is indoors most of the day, over their entire lifespan. o "Sick building" syndrome is a relatively new phenomenon, produced by indoor pollution; it can sometimes be resolved by using low-toxicity building materials and good ventilation. o Energy-efficient building design in the 1970s included sealing of ventilation systems and installation of nonopening windows; this actually exacerbated indoor air pollution by trapping pollutants inside buildings. - Indoor air pollution is more of a problem in North America than in the rest of the world.

Which of the following describes a characteristic property of water?

o It changes temperature very rapidly. o It is more dense in solid form than in liquid form. - It dissolves many chemicals that are necessary for life. o It is noncohesive. o It naturally has a high pH.

Which one of the following statements about Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) is correct?

o It is always best to harvest at or above MSY from a fishery. o It is simple to determine the MSY; it's not as simple to achieve it. The MSY, once identified, should not be changed. o The MSY, once identified, should not be changed. - MSY can vary with environmental conditions. o All of the above statements are correct.

What's the big deal about BPA - why worry?

o It is an endocrine-disrupting chemical. o It mimics hormones in the body by interacting with receptor molecules, in place of the actual hormone. o It is used in a lot of common products, such as the linings of food cans, and even in receipt paper. o It is a plastic softener, so it has commonly been used in products such as baby bottles and soft plastic toys, increasing the likelihood of exposure for very young children. - All of the above answers are correct.

What is thought to be the main way in which the polar vortex facilitates ozone depletion, compared with other locations on Earth?

o It provides enough water vapour to facilitate the chemical reactions that lead to ozone depletion. - It provides temperatures that are so cold that tiny ice crystals form, providing nucleation sites for the chemical reactions that lead to ozone depletion. o It provides enough radiatively active gases to facilitate the chemical reactions that lead to ozone depletion. o It provides temperatures warm enough to facilitate the chemical reactions that lead to ozone depletion. o It provides more sunlight than in other locations, which is necessary for ozone-depleting photochemical reactions.

During an El Nino event in the equatorial Pacific, many marine species in the Galapagos Islands suffer greatly, while terrestrial organisms tend to thrive. An exception on land is the giant Opuntia cactus. Why do these very tall cacti often die or suffer damage during El Nino events in the Galapagos?

o It rains a lot on land, making the environment too moist for them. o They absorb too much water. o They sometimes topple over. o They have shallow roots so when they become heavy with absorbed water they can fall over. - All of the above answers are correct.

Which one of the following statements is not correct?

o Natural pesticides can be as toxic as some synthetic pesticides. o Natural toxicants occur in a wide variety of plants, some of which are food crops. - Consumers can avoid ingesting both natural and synthetic toxicants by buying only organically grown foods. o Some scientists think that our consumption of natural toxicants is much greater than our consumption of synthetic toxicants. o All of the above answers are correct.

Why is research into endocrine disrupters controversial?

o Negative findings could be economically damaging. o Some of the research is funded by industry. o The field of research is relatively new. o Some of the scientific findings appear contradictory. - All of the above answers are correct.

In any ecosystem, which one of the following is always the largest value?

o Net Primary Productivity o respiration by autotrophs - Gross Primary Productivity o respiration by consumers o energy content of tertiary consumers

Which one of the following statements about modern pesticide use is not correct?

o Pesticides can affect non-target species, o Pests can develop pesticide resistance, o Herbicides are by far the most common type of pesticide sold in Canada. - Only a few select varieties of pesticide are licensed for use in Canada. o Pesticides are, by definition, designed to be toxic to organisms.

What is the correct name of the ocean's global "conveyor belt" circulation of deep water?

o Southern Oscillation - thermohaline circulation o Coriolis effect o Gulf Stream o El Niño

What is meant by the term "Arctic amplification"?

o Storms and extreme weather phenomena are much more intense in the Arctic than in lower latitudes. o The Coriolis force is greater in the Arctic than in the Antarctic. - Climate warming is occurring faster in the Arctic than in lower latitudes. o Biodiversity loss is occurring at a faster rate in the Arctic than in lower latitudes. o Stratospheric ozone loss is greater in the Arctic than in the Antarctic.

In the Galapagos Islands, the impacts of El Nino are felt most severely by marine organisms, especially marine iguanas, Galapagos penguins, and Galapagos sea lions, as well as some sea birds like flightless cormorants. Why do marine organisms suffer more than terrestrial organisms, in general?

o Terrestrial organisms prefer warm weather, whereas marine organisms prefer cold weather. - The coastal upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich water fails during El Nino, leaving many marine animals without access to their normal food sources. o Marine organisms become so numerous during an El Nino that they become too crowded, with too much competition for food sources as a result. o Terrestrial organisms are generally stronger and more resilient than marine organisms. o Marine organisms cannot reproduce in warm water.

In 2015, Ontario's Air Quality Index was replaced by the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI). Which one of the following statements about the AQHI is not correct?

o The AQHI describes the health risks associated with air pollution. o The switch to the AQHI means that Ontario's daily air quality reports are better harmonized with those of other jurisdictions in Canada. - The AQHI is based on daily measurements of three contaminants:Ground levelOzone (03); Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5); and Airborne Lead (Pb) o The AQHIfor any given day is based on whichever of the three indexed air pollutants is the worst;in Southam Ontario,irs usually ground-levelozone. o The AQHI is based on a scale from 1 (lowest risk) to 10+ (highest risk).

When we carry out scientific research we make several fundamental assumptions about how the universe works. Which one of the following is not one of the fundamental assumptions made by scientists about their work?

o The Universe works according to natural laws. o Events arise from causes, and cause other events. o We can use logic, systematic testing, and our senses to learn about natural laws. - Systematic testing provides definitive answers about the workings of the Universe and our planet. o All of the above are fundamental assumptions that we make when doing scientific research.

What happens when large expanses of ice melt in polar regions?

o The albedo of the planet increases. - Exposed soil and water absorb heat and cause more melting, in a positive feedback. o More ice is delivered to the poles by the thermohaline circulation. o Polar bears learn to adjust to a warmer climate. o All of the above answers are correct.

Which one of the following is the best definition of ED50?

o The dose at which an individual shows 50% of the range of symptoms. o The dose at which there is 50% likelihood of death. - The dose at which 50% of the population exhibits a particular response to a chemical. o The dose at which there is a 50% chance of recovery from the effects of teh chemical o All of the above answers are correct.

How would an ecosystem ecologist figure out the location of the boundaries of the system that he or she is studying?

o The ecologist has to choose or define the boundaries, based on the questions that are being investigated. o The boundaries Of any ecosystem are not pre-determined; the ecologist has to set or define the boundaries. o It will depend on the temporal and spatial scales that are relevant to the ecological questions that are being investigated. o The boundaries can be chosen on the basis of the processes and materials that are relevant to the functioning Of the ecosystem. - All of the above answers are correct.

The "ozone hole," or area of intense depletion of stratospheric ozone, has been observed over Antarctica since the 1980s. The following statements attempt to explain some of the reasons why stratospheric ozone depletion is less intense in the Arctic than in Antarctica. Which one of the statements is incorrect?

o The northern polar vortex is not as well-defined as the southern polar vortex. - CFCs and other ozone-depleting chemicals are selectively concentrated in the stratosphere over Antarctica. o Tiny ice crystals in stratospheric clouds over Antarctica serve as nucleation sites for ozone-depleting reactions. o The stratosphere over Antarctica is extremely cold - colder than the Arctic stratosphere. o The southern polar vortex serves to hold extremely cold air over the South Pole; this effect is not as strong over the North Pole.

How do mycorrhizal fungi profit from their interaction with trees?

o They get protection from pathogens. o They get nitrogen in a bioavailable form. - They get carbohydrates. o They get water. o They get micronutrients.

Which of the following is not a factor explaining why tropical areas are rich in biota?

o They have a long evolutionary history. o They have high primary productivity. o They have a stable, predictable climate. - They are often areas of high deforestation. o All of the above answers are correct.

Two populations of birds are found living on a remote island. Which of the following information is the most important in deciding if the birds belong to a single species, or to two separate species?

o They look similar, and share many physical characteristics. o They are all specialists and prefer similar habitats. o The males all sing very similar songs. - When individuals from different groups mate, the offspring are sterile. o All the birds appear to eat the same types and variety of food.

Which of the following is nat an ecologicalservice provided by mangroves?

o They stabilize sediment. o They protect the shoreline from storm surges. o They provide breeding habitat for many species - They combat ocean acidification. o None of the above is incorrect;allare ecosystem services provided by mangroves.

The answer is "Milankovitch cycles." Which one of the following is the correct question?

o What do scientists call the periodic variation of the seasons as Earth revolves around the Sun? - What do scientists call the cyclical variation in the combined influence of astronomical controls on solar radiation reaching the Earth system? o What causes the seasonal variations in the climatic system that causes the onset of monsoons in south and southeast Asia? o What interrelated set of processes initiates an El Niño? o What do scientists call the seasonal variation in carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere?

The answer is, "a systematic set of procedures for compiling and examining the inputs and outputs of materials and energy and the associated environmental impacts directly attributable to the functioning of a product or service system throughout its life cycle." Which one of the following is the question that best fits the answer?

o What is industrial ecology? o What is source reduction? - What is lifecycle analysis? o What is waste-to-energy? o What is resource recovery?

The answer is "critical-flow resources." Which one of the following is the correct question?

o What is the term for resources that are nonrenewable? - What is the term for resources in which the rate of withdrawal exceeds the rate of renewal or replenishment? o What is the term for inexhaustible resources that have run out? o What is the term for resources that are managed by recycling? What is a common property resource?

"Every time I ride on the subway, I get a cold.' This is

o a hypothesis about subways and colds. - an observation about subways and colds. o a theory about the relationship between subways and colds. o the result of a controlled experiment involving colds and people on subways. o part of a scientific study about how people get colds.

In which of the following forest types would you be most likely to find epiphytes?

o a mature deciduous forest - a closed tropical forest o an early successional forest o a managed coniferous forest o a Ponderosa pine forest

Which one of the following ecosystem types would be the most likely to have a relatively high number of trophic levels?

o a productive, unstable system with high physical complexity - a productive, stable system with high physical complexity o a less productive, stable system with low physical complexity o a less productive, unstable system with low physical complexity

Canada's forests are mostly owned by

o logging companies. o private individuals. o foreign investors. - provincial and territorial governments. o municipalities.

Not all of the impacts of global climatic change are negative. One possible beneficial impact of global warming is

o a reduction in carbon dioxide and methane emissions from both natural and industrial sources. o improvements in global health. - a fertilizing effect on plant growth as a result of increased availability of carbon dioxide. o the melting of ice caps, leading to "fresher" (less saline) ocean water. o warmer and therefore less extreme weather conditions.

Which one of the following is a point source of pollution?

o agricultural runoff o urban runoff - leakage of effluents from a landfill site o automobile exhaust in a city with many highways o pollutants transported by wind from an industrial area

Evolution is termed a "theory" because

o all of the important scientific questions about the process of evolution have been answered. o it is an educated guess about how the natural world works. - it has been repeatedly shown to be broadly applicable, and the weight of a great deal of scientific evidence and testing supports it. o it cannot be tested, verified, or falsified. o All of the above answers are correct.

Evolution is termed a "theory" because

o all of the important scientific questions about the process of evolution have been answered. o it is an educated guess about how the natural world works. - it has been repeatedly shown to be broadly applicable, and the weight of a great deal of scientific evidence and testing supports it. o it cannot be tested, verified, or falsified. o All of the above answers are correct.

Hydropower, nuclear energy, and traditional biomass are called "conventional" energy alternatives because they

o already play a substantial role in the world's energy mix today. o are widely-used alternatives to fossil fuels. o are more fully developed as energy sources than the "new" alternatives, such as tidal energy. o are well-established in the energy and electricity budgets of many nations. - All of the above answers are correct.

Which one of the following would be most likely to have a high betadiversity?

o an area that has high annual productivity - an area that includes many different habitats o an area with a long evolutionary history o an area with low gamma diversity o All of the above are likely to have high beta-diversity.

Consider a population of coyotes in Southern Ontario. Which of the following factors affecting the growth rate of the population is a density-dependent factor?

o an unusually cold winter that negatively affects survival of pups o an agricultural pesticide in the food chain that kills coyotes o increased traffic on rural roads, resulting in high levels of roadkill - a parasite that is passed among individual coyotes o a forest fire that kills many young coyotes

The so-called Criteria Air Contaminants

o are common, as well as being harmful. o are identified by Environment Canada as being of special concern. o include sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, and ammonia, as well as ground-level ozone. o are monitored at air quality stations across Canada. - All of the above answers are correct.

Secondary pollutants

o are generally less harmful to human health than primary pollutants. o typically come from non-point sources, whereas primary pollutants come mainly from point sources. o are those which are identified as being of "greatest concern" in the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). - are formed by reactions between primary pollutants, or between primary pollutants and constituents of the atmosphere. o All of the above answers are correct.

Autotrophs

o are self-feeders. o make carbohydrates. o transform energy and components of the surrounding environment into organic matter. o store energy from sunlight, if they are photoautotrophs. - All of the above answers are correct.

Positive feedbacks

o are self-limiting. o occur when an increase in input leads to a decrease in output. - are self-perpetuating. o are not homeostatic. o are generally better for the environment than negative feedback cycles.

Negative feedbacks

o are self-limiting. o occur when an increase in input leads to a decrease in output. o are self-regulating. o are homeostatic. - All of the above answers are correct.

Which one of the following would be an anthropogenic cause of eutrophication of a surface water body?

o automobile emissions o acid rain o bioaccumulation of toxins - excess nutrients from fertilizer runoff o All of the above are anthropogenic causes of eutrophication.

Which one of the following would be an anthropogenic cause of eutrophication of a surface water body?

o automobile emissions o acid rain o bioaccumulation of toxins - excess nutrients from fertilizer runoff o All of the above are anthropogenic causes of o eutrophication.

For a natural process to be useful as a climate proxy, it must

o be controlled by or mimic some aspect of climate, such as temperature or precipitation. o provide an internal record of date or age. o respond to variations in climate with regularly recorded changes, such as differences in composition or the width of an annual or seasonal growth band. o record and preserve climate-controlled variations for later analysis. Correct! - All of the above answers are correct.

In the past 100 years, packaging has

o become much less voluminous. o become more easily biodegraded. - incorporated more synthetic materials. o become less important in terms of the proportion of landfilled waste. o All of the above answers are correct.

Which one of the following best describes the transitional stage in the demographic transition model?

o birth and death rates are high o birth and death rates are low - birth rate is high and steady; death rates are falling o birth rate is falling; death rate is high and steady o death rates are low, and birth rates are even lower

Which one of the following forest types is the least resilient to deforestation?

o boreal forest o temperate deciduous forest o temperate rainforest o Ponderosa pine forest - Tropical rainforect

Isotopic studies help scientists understand more about ancient processes in the environment because stable isotopes of common elements

o break down chemically over time. - are segregated or fractionated by natural processes such as precipitation and evaporation. o are heavy, so they accumulate at the bottom of each geological layer. o are radioactive. o All of the above answers are correct.

Intervention is one category of possible responses to global warming. Which one of the following would constitute an intervention approach to climate change?

o building a seawall - placing enormous reflecting mirrors into orbit o lowering carbon dioxide emissions o carbon tax or emissions trading o switching to energy sources that are not based on fossil fuels

For which biogeochemical cycle is the atmospheric reservoir the least important?

o carbon o nitrogen o water - phosphorus o sulphur

Of the greenhouse gases listed below, which one is entirely anthropogenic in origin?

o carbon dioxide o methane o water vapour o nitrous oxide - chlorofluorocarbon

Convection is

o caused by volcanic eruptions. o thought to have been responsible for the origin of life on this planet. o caused by earthquake activity along plate boundaries. - the driving force for plate tectonic motion. o caused by subduction.

Consider a population of fish living on a coral reef. There is natural variation in their colour, ranging from dark blue to light blue. A predator population arrives at the reef, and these predators hunt by sight. The lightest-coloured fish can hide on the sandy bottom, and the darkest can hide in the crevices of the coral, but the intermediate-coloured fish are more likely to be seen and eaten. As a result, over time, the intermediate-coloured fish become less abundant. What is this an example of?

o character displacement o artificial selection o convergent evolution - disruptive selection o niche partitioning

Wind energy is

o closely linked with tidal energy. - a secondary expression of solar energy. o likely to become significant as a replacement for oil in industrial applications, in the near future. o nonrenewable, but available almost everywhere. o All of the above answers are correct.

Leachate is

o collected at landfill sites, reprocessed, and recycling for drinking water purposes. o mainly a problem in the driest environments. - produced when water percolates through a pile of solid waste and picks up soluble materials. o best managed by channeling it toward the nearest swiftly-flowing river. o All of the above answers are correct.

Have a look at this figure, which illustrates how grazing cattle can have a negative impact on soil quality. Let's imagine that there are lots of prairie dogs in this pasture, and they burrow underground, making numerous holes and turning over the soil. This activity would most likely

o compress and compact the topsoil, therefore increasing soil losses on account of erosion. o worsen the effects of overgrazing by cattle. o improve the soil by limiting aeration and decreasing water infiltration. - counteract some of the negative effects of overgrazing, such as compaction, by aerating the soil. o neither improve nor worsen the condition of the soil.

Why was there so much pressure on the government of Ontario to phase out coal-fired power plants?

o cost o impacts on natural ecosystems - impacts on human health o the power plants are all getting old and wearing down o lack of demand for electricity

Which of the following are documented negative effects of large hydroelectric dams?

o decreased rainfall locally o acid deposition o increased CFC emissions - alteration of river flow and sedimentation o All of the above are documented negative effects of large hydroelectric dams.

A farmer has a nitrogen-depleted field. To address this shortage, she plants beans to take advantage of the ability of leguminous plants to carry out

o denitrification. o cation exchange. - nitrogen fixation. o nitrogen defixation. o the Haber-Bosch reaction.

Rock that occurs at Earth's surface, in the crust, is generally_____rock in the mantle.

o denser than - less dense than o about the same density as o the same composition as o under greater pressure than

Disruptive selection would most likely to result in

o dogs with black coats evolving whiter coats in colder areas. o red and white flowers interbreeding, producing pink flowers. o fish evolving bigger eyes as the water gets muddier. - different populations of birds, some with thick beaks for eating seeds, and others with thin beaks for eating small insects. o giraffes evolving longer necks for eating from the tops of trees.

If you were on a sailing ship trying to get from Europe to Canada, you would want to be in the

o doldrums. - trade winds. o westerlies. o polar cells. o extratropicalcyclone.

The scientific method is designed to

o eliminate questions and uncertainty about the natural world. - enable scientists to undertake critical analysis of observations and evidence. o help scientists publish as many research papers as possible. o minimize debate and uncertainty in the scientific process. o All of the above answers are correct.

Which one of the following terms doesn't belong with the others?

o eutrophication o nutrient over-enrichment - acidification o hypoxia o algal blooms

The forests that are most typical of high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere are

o evergreen, o coniferous. o boreal. o seasonal with cold winters, warmer summers, and periodic forest fires. - All of the above answers are correct

Consider the following list of impacts: • discharge of contaminants to surface waters • leftover equipment • ground subsidence • "ghost" towns With which stage of mining is this group of impacts most likely to be associated?

o exploration o mining and milling - post-operational o smelting o refining

Compared to temperate forests, the cycling of nutrients by trees in tropical rainforests typically

o extends to much greater depths. o leads to the development of much more fertile soil. - is much shallower, because of the shallower root systems of trees. o is very slow, because the rate of decay of organic material is much slower in the tropics. o All of the above answers are correct.

Which of the following types of species often benefit from habitat fragmentation?

o genetically diverse species o isolated species o specialist species - invasive species o migratory species

Adaptation is one category of possible responses to global warming. Which one of the following would constitute an adaptation approach to climate change?

o geo-engineering of the climate system, such as installing orbiting reflecting mirrors - building a seawall o lowering carbon dioxide emissions o carbon tax or emissions trading o carbon capture-and-storage

Mitigation is one category of possible responses to global warming. Which of the following would constitute a mitigation approach to climate change?

o geo-engineering of the climate system, such as installing orbiting reflecting mirrors o building a seawall - lowering carbon dioxide emissions o developing new, drought-resistant and heat-resistant crop varieties o All of the above answers are correct.

Why was there so much pressure on the Province of Ontario to phase out coal-fired power plants?

o high cost of coal o impacts on habitat and natural ecosystems o the coal-fired power plants were all old and in need of repair - negative impacts on air quality and human health o lack of demand for the electricity they produced

Why was there so much pressure on the Province of Ontario to phase out coal-fired power plants?

o high cost of coal o impacts on habitat and natural ecosystems o the coal-fired power plants were all old and in need of repair - negative impacts on air quality and human health o lack of demand for the electricity they produced

Which one of the following is an example of a non-metallic mineral resource?

o hosphate fertilizers o salt o building stone o gemstones - All of the above are examples of non-metallic mineral resources. o None of the above are examples of non-metallic mineral resources.

Which one of the following still carries a relatively high degree of scientific uncertainty?

o how the greenhouse effect warms Earth's surface o how radiatively active gases behave in the atmosphere o how the chemistry of the atmosphere has changed over the past few decades - how the polar ice caps will respond to global warming o how the burning of fossil fuels generates carbon dioxide

Which one of the following is not an important "root" cause or driver of global environmental problems?

o human population growth o over-consumption of resources o poverty o impacts of polluting technologies - All of the above are important root causes of global environmental problems.

Municipal waste

o includes "household" waste only; it does not include any commercial, institutional, or industrial waste. o is the most challenging category of solid waste to deal with safely. - basically includes anything that is picked up by a truck from the curb on garbage day. o is typically managed in "secure" landfills, because of the presence of household toxins. o is now mostly recycled or composted; very little finds its way to landfill sites.

Earth's climate system is in a state of dynamic equilibrium. This implies that

o incoming radiation is balanced by outgoing radiation. o heat must leave the Earth system offset the addition of heat from solar and geothermal sources, or the planet would warm up over time. o there are positive and negative forcing factors, but overall there is no net increase or decrease of energy by the system. o there may be variations in energy inputs and outputs, but they tend to balance each other. Correct! - All of the above answers are correct.

On a weather map, as the spacing between the isobars gets farther apart, the horizontal pressure gradient force

o increases, and so does the wind speed. - decreases, and so does the wind speed. o increases, causing the wind speed to decrease. o decreases, causing the wind speed to increase. o becomes more and more vertical.

A "proxy climate indicator" is

o indirect evidence. -indirect evidence that substitutes for direct observational or measured evidence. o direct instrumental measurements of climatic indicators such as temperature. o direct instrumental measurements of climatic indicators, such as temperature, that substitute for indirect evidence. o an indicator of climate that is measured by nature, not by humans.

Which one of the following represents the largest source of unregulated hazardous waste?

o industry - households o farms o utilities (i.e., power plants) o mines

A paradigm

o is a group of several hypotheses that can be tested together. - is a dominant view in science or society. o can only be based on qualitative data. o is synonymous with the scientific method. o can only be based on quantitative data

El Nino

o is a type of massive cyclonic storm that originates in regions of atmospheric instability in middle latitudes. o is an atmospheric low-pressure system that gives rise to circular, inward spiraling wind motion. o leads to lower-than-normal sea surface temperatures across the equatorial Pacific Ocean, and the related global weather impacts. - involves anomalous warming of surface waters in the eastern equatorial Pacific, and weakening or reversalof the trade winds. o None of the above answers is correct.

The eye of a hurricane

o is a very high-pressure zone, with intense winds. o is the region of the storm in which the most intense rainfall occurs. o grows bigger and bigger as the storm intensifies. - is an extremely low-pressure zone at the centre of a cyclonic wind system. o All of the above answers are correct.

Tidal energy

o is most easily exploited in a long, narrow, deep bay with a large tidal range. o is currently used to generate electricity at power stations in the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia. o can be used to generate electricity in a manner that is similar to that used in traditional hydropower, where water runs through an opening in a dam. o has some environmental impacts, including disruption of currents. - All of the above answers are correct.

The theory of island biogeography is based on the concept that

o islands close to a shoreline will have greater out-migration of species. o islands far from the mainland will support fewer species. o habitat fragmentation is bad for species diversity. - a stable number of species is reached when immigration balances extinction. o species are lost through speciation.

Fluxes are commonly measured in terms of

o kilometers per square meter per year. - units of mass (or volume) per unit of time. o concentration x mass of the physical unit. o total concentration of the substance of interest within the physical reservoir. o Any of the above would be possible units of measure for a flux.

Which of the following substances is most likely to show a "U"-shaped dose-response curve for humans, indicating that a very high dose can be harmful but a deficiency also can be harmful?

o lead o BPA - Vitamin A o asbestos o All of the above are likely to show a U-shaped dose-response curve.

Which of the following is the greatest concern with the drying of Northern peatlands?

o loss of biodiversity o loss of recharging of aquifers o loss of nutrient cycling - loss of carbon sequestration o All of the above answers are correct.

Earth's mantle is primarily made of

o magma. - rock. o crustal material. o green cheese. o iron-nickel metal.

Precipitation is the deposition of water droplets or ice particles that form in the atmosphere and collect by attaching themselves to a condensation nucleus, until the droplet is of sufficient mass to return to the surface by

o mass balance. - gravitational settling. o infiltration. o evaporation. o condensation.

In a closed system,

o matter can be exchanged between the system and its surroundings. - energy can be exchanged between the system and its surroundings. o neither matter nor energy can be exchanged between the system and its surroundings. o both matter and energy can be exchanged between the system and its surroundings. o environmental media facilitate the transfer of materials and energy into and out of the system.

In an open system,

o matter can be exchanged between the system and its surroundings. o energy can be exchanged between the system and its surroundings. o neither matter nor energy can be exchanged between the system and its surroundings. - both matter and energy can be exchanged between the system and its surroundings. o there is always a state of homeostasis.

Which one of the following processes would likely contribute the least to sea-level rise?

o melting of glaciers in Greenland o melting of the Antarctic ice cap - melting of Arctic sea ice o thermal expansion of sea water o All of these processes are expected to contribute the same amount to sea level rise.

Which of the following processes is not part of a positive feedback loop related to climate change in the Arctic?

o melting of polar ice and snow, revealing underlying land surfaces - the northward movement of the treeline o release of carbon-bearing soil gases from the melting of permafrost o the release of methane gas hydrates from sea ice and frozen sea-floor sediments o None of the above are involved in positive feedback loops that influence climate in the Arctic.

Which one of the following items would not be considered a hazardous waste?

o nail polish o empty paint can o used-up battery o old bottle of prescription medicine - All of these are hazardous wastes.

Phosphorus and potassium, two important plant nutrients, are

o naturally found in organic matter in soils. o produced industrially from the mining of ores of these elements. o mixed in various proportions with nitrogen and sold as fertilizer. o sometimes limiting nutrients for plant growth. - All of the above answers are correct.

According to the equilibrium theory of island biogeography, the number of species on an island or in a fragment of habitat is dependent upon a balance between the rates of_____and_____.

o net productivity.......gross productivity - immigration..........extinction o extinction.........extirpation o respiration........photosynthesis o births........deaths

Which of the following sets of processes are most commonly involved in soil formation?

o nitrogen-fixing by bacteria; grazing by herbivores; deep tillage o erosion; level terrain; absence of rooted vegetation - weathering of parent material; aeration by burrowing organisms; growth of tree roots o tropical climate; acid precipitation; frequent wildfires o deposition of sediment; intercropping; gully erosion

ß-diversity ("beta" diversity) refers to the

o number of species in a local area of homogeneous habitat. o number of species in a large geographic area of diverse habitat. - turnover in species from one local area to another, based on differences in habitat. o relative numbers of specialists and generalists in any given area. o All of the above answers are correct.

γ-diversity ("gamma" diversity) refers to the

o number of species in a local area of homogeneous habitat. - number of species in a large geographic area of diverse habitat. o turnover in species from one local area to another, based on differences in habitat. o relative numbers of specialists and generalists in any given area. o All of the above answers are correct.

Biomes

o of a particular type tend to occur at similar latitudes and altitudes. o are major regional ecosystem types. o of a particular type display similar characteristics, even if they occur in different locations. o on land are mainly defined by plant communities and structures, as determined by climatic and geographic factors. - All of the above answers are correct.

Which one of the following atmospheric components is the most variable in its concentration?

o oxygen o nitrogen - water vapour o carbon dioxide o argon

"Stratospheric ozone acts as an atmospheric blind in the ultraviolet region of the electromagnetic spectrum." This means that

o ozone in the stratosphere blocks incoming light, making it darker on the surface of the planet, and thus more difficult to see. o ozone in the stratosphere selectively allows only ultraviolet radiation to filter through. o there is a thin layer of pure ozone in the stratosphere, which block incoming ultraviolet radiation. o ozone is a different chemical substance in the stratosphere than it is in the troposphere. - ozone in the stratosphere selectively absorbs ultraviolet radiation.

Any of these problems can be associated with municipal sewage outfalls. Which one is the most widespread and problematic?

o pathogens (infectious diseases) - eutrophication o toxins in the sludge o thermal pollution o heavy metals in the sludge

A "flux" is a

o place within a system or cycle where matter (or energy) resides for a period of time. - flow of matter (or energy) between or among reservoirs. o process that causes matter to move from one reservoir to another within a cycle. o set of two or more interconnected reservoirs. o balance or dynamic equilibrium between incoming and outgoing matter within a cycle.

"Absolute" population refers to

o population pressure in a given area. o population density. o the population growth rate. o the carrying capacity of an area. - the actual number in a given population.

Carrying capacity is a characteristic of a particular

o population. - environment. o species. o community. o niche

Which of the following is not a role played by autotrophs in an ecosystem?

o primary production o base of the trophic pyramid o transfer solar energy into the ecosystem - release carbon stored in animals and plant bodies o All of the above are roles played by autotrophs in an ecosystem.

"Emergent properties" are

o properties displayed by vegetation that emerges during the growing season. o characteristics that are displayed by organisms, little by little, as they mature. o evolutionary changes observed in organisms over geologic time. - properties of a system that are not present in the individual components of the system. o trees that stick out over the top of a forest canopy.

The role of the federal government in waste management is to

o provide drop-off sites for hazardous waste. o license sanitary landfill sites. - regulate the transboundary movement of materials and enter into international agreements. o collect and dispose of solid waste. o provide guidelines for the siting of landfills.

The role of provincial and territorial governments in waste management is to

o provide drop-off sites for household hazardous waste. - license sanitary and secure landfill sites, and regulate site selection for disposal facilities. o regulate the transboundary movement of materials. o collect, divert, and dispose of solid waste. o enter into international agreements about waste management.

Data on the carbon dioxide and methane composition of air dating back hundreds of thousands of years comes primarily from analyses of

o proxies in ice cores. o tree rings and sediment layers. - air bubbles trapped in polar ice. o dust layers in ice cores from polar regions. o None of the above answers is correct.

Which one of the following would be an ex situ approach to management and conservation of species?

o purposeful introduction of a species in order to control another species that is problematic o creation of wildlife refuges and reserves o preservation of habitat that is required by specialist species - raising and breeding endangered animals in a zoo o All of the above answers are correct.

Radiation emitted from Earth's surface is concentrated in the_____portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

o radio o visible o gamma ray - infrared o ultraviolet

Essential services, such as water purification, nutrient cycling, and plant pollination are all examples of Earth's

o renewable resources. - ecosystem services. o resource base. o nonrenewable resources. o ecological footprint.

In an area with a cool, dry climate it may take_____for the formation of a topsoil horizon capable of supporting substantial plant life or crops.

o several seasons o several years o decades - thousands of years o millions of years

Which one of the following is not likely to be a consequence of global warming?

o shifts in atmospheric and oceanic circulation o thermal expansion of seawater - formation of methane gas hydrates deep in the ocean o changes in habitat for plants and animals o All of the above are likely to be consequences of global warming.

Which one of the following is not a common consequence of deforestation, as noted in class and in the textbook?

o soil loss o siltation of streams o warming of streams - increase in soil pathogens o All of the above are common consequences of deforestation

Organic plant matter that is broken down anaerobically, compressed, and partially de-watered in a near-surface environment is called

o soil. o fertilizer. o kerogen. o coal. - peat.

Which one of the following is not an example of a climate forcing (or radiative forcing) process?

o solar variability o changes in Earth's orbit o eruption of volcanic aerosols into the stratosphere o variations in greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere - All of these are examples of climate forcing processes.

As a cloud drifts northward from the equator, steadily losing moisture through precipitation on its journey, the 18O/16O ratio of the precipitation from the cloud would most likely

o stay about the same. o gradually increase. - gradually decrease. o approach one. o approach zero.

A "cultivar" is a(n)

o subsistence farmer. - variety of plant that is maintained by cultivation. o accidental hybrid of wild, naturally occurring plants. o crop that can be made to grow, with the addition of agro-chemicals, on land that was previously considered to be degraded. o plant or animal domesticated at a very early stage in any given location.

This type of forest is typically aseasonal, with high precipitation, a multi-layered closed canopy, and diverse flora and fauna. Which forest type is it?

o temperate deciduous forest o boreal forest - tropical rainforest o temperate grassland o savanna

Here are some words and phrases that describe a group of planets in our solar system. Which one does not belong with the others?

o terrestrial o inner o relatively small o rocky and metallic - low-density

Where does primary productivity occur outside of the photic zone?

o the benthic zone o the continental shelf - around hydrothermalvents o the abyssal plains o No primary productivity occurs outside of the photic zone.

"Benthic" refers to

o the deepest part of a water body. - the bottom of a water body. o the coastal zone. o open ocean water. o the zone in a water body where light does not o o penetrate.

Internal radiative forcing refers to

o the greenhouse effect. o anything within the Earth system that causes a change in net irradiance. o the filtering effect of Earth's atmosphere on electromagnetic radiation, contributing to changes in the energy balance. o processes within the Earth system that contribute to cooling or warming of the climate. - All of the above answers are correct.

Which one of the following would typically not be considered part of the science of hydrology?

o the occurrence of water on or beneath Earth's surface o water's relationship to the biotic and abiotic components of the environment - the role of water vapour as a greenhouse gas in the atmosphere o the properties and behaviour of liquid water o the flow and movement of water in soil and rock

Methane gas is naturally emitted from landfills because

o the overlying impermeable cap placed on the landfill puts pressure on the underlying waste. - the gas is generated during the process of biodegradation of organic matter. o hazardous waste materials are present. o the waste in the landfill is in the process of being converted into petroleum. o All of the above answers are correct.

The field of environmental science is uniquely suited to understanding and solving environmental problems in modern society because

o the people who are involved are not paid but care about the causes they support. o environmental science does not involve problem solving, o it is a social science field that has many people who can spread the word. o it endeavours to remain a single, cohesive field without interference from other sciences. - It is a multifaceted field that calls on expertise from many disciplines.

Let's say that Professor Murck has submitted a paper to a scientific journal, on the topic of her research on mantle xenoliths. The journal editor has sent the paper to three scientists working in a similar discipline, asking them to read and comment on the paper. This is an example of

o the scientific method. - the peer review process. o the development and testing of a scientific hypothesis. o repeatability and reproducibility in scientific experimentation. o controlled experimentation.

In the process of bioaccumulation,

o the smaller the organism, the higher will be the concentration of the contaminant. o the younger the organism, the higher will be the concentration of the contaminant. o the lower an organism is eating on the food chain, the more at-risk the organism will be. - an organism takes up a contaminant at a rate that is higher than the rate at which it can excrete the contaminant. o the dose of a contaminant exceeds the exposure.

Which one of these is not a passive solar approach?

o the use of a thermal mass to store heat o installing flat-plate solar collectors that simply heat water and have no electrical or mechanical components o designing low, south-facing windows that maximize capture of sunlight in the winter o strategic planting of trees - All of these can be considered passive, rather than active, solar approaches.

Which of these is not a passive solar technique?

o the use of a thermal mass to store heat - installing flat-plate solar collectors o designing low, south-facing windows that maximize sunlight capture in winter o using strategically planted vegetation o All of the above are passive solar techniques.

Before the Green Revolution, large increases in crop production mainly resulted from

o the use of chemical fertilizers. - expansion of the area of cultivated land. o improvements in the types and quantity of pesticides used. o biotechnology. o large-scale mechanization of farming ("factory farming").

Before the Green Revolution, large increases in crop production mainly resulted from

o the use of chemical fertilizers. - expansion of the area of cultivated land. o improvements in the types and quantity of pesticides used. o biotechnology. o large-scale mechanization of farming ("factory farming").

The water table is

o the volume of groundwater contained in an aquifer. - the surface that separates the saturated and unsaturated zones. o a geological formation that stores and transmits water o a porous and permeable rock unit that holds water. o All of the above answers are correct.

Early life on this planet was

o thermophilic. o anaerobic. o probably chemosynthetic, rather than photosynthetic. o microbial. - All of the above answers are correct.

Offshore locations for wind farms are considered to be desirable, mainly because

o they are more aesthetically pleasing. o there are fewer birds to fly into the blades. - wind speeds are higher and turbulence is lower than on land. o it avoids the NIMBY syndrome. o maintenance costs are cheaper than on land.

The Himalaya mountain range is a modern-day example of a

o transform plate boundary. - continental collision zone. o subduction zone. o continental rift zone. o divergent plate boundary.

What defines the "point of crisis" in Malthus' Basic Theory?

o when population size > resources - when population size = resources o when population size < resources o when population size is increasing but resources are decreasing o None of the above answers is correct.

Which one of the following is not a "traditional" biomass fuel?

o wood. o manure. o charcoal. o crop waste. - landfill gas.