mastering environmental science: environment sustainability and science

Which of the following is true in the Florida Keys?

Ecologists are concerned that worm snails will colonize the artificial reefs.

Which of the following choices embodies the concepts of the 3 P's in environmental sustainability?

Environmental, social, and economic

What prediction(s) can researchers make based on the egg-viability hypothesis? Select all that apply.

- The probability of hatching failure will be lower at higher latitudes. - The probability of hatching failure will be higher in large clutches. - The probability of hatching failure will be higher later in the spring season.

While Rachel Carson was writing Silent Spring, a picture of how DDT influences bird populations was emerging. Scientists hypothesized that DDT was causing the observed decline in fish-eating bird populations. The assumptions and connections underlying this hypothesis were complex. In this activity, you will reconstruct those connections. Drag each description to the appropriate step in the figure below.

1. Farmers use DDT on their crops to kill insect pests 2. DDT enters nearby waterways via runoff 3. Small aquatic invertebrates absorb the DDT 4. Fish eat the DDT-contaminated invertebrates 5. Birds eat the DDT-contaminated fish 6. Birds with DDT in their bodies lay eggs with DDT and weak shells 7. Few baby birds hatch, and the entire population declines

Torres-Porras supported his hypothesis that the tragedy of the commons is influencing populations of red deer. His results showed the predicted demographic differences between the fenced and unfenced populations of red deer. Recall that underlying his hypothesis is the assumption that hunter behavior differs between fenced and unfenced estates. Differences in hunting behavior would affect red deer population demographics. If Torres-Porras could show evidence that hunters do behave differently in fenced estates versus unfenced states, that would provide further support for his hypothesis that the tragedy of the commons is influencing the populations. Suppose that Torres-Porras decides to perform a second study where he will survey hunters to assess their behavior. He wrote 8 survey questions, but he wants you to select the 4 best questions. (The survey should be short so that hunters will be more likely to take it.) Select the 4 best questions to include in the survey.

1. On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is very unlikely and 10 is very likely, how likely are you to harvest a male deer with short antlers when you encounter one? 2. On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is very little control and 10 is a great deal of control, how much control do you feel you have over the population of deer where you hunt? 3. On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is very unlikely and 10 is very likely, how likely are you to harvest a male deer with long antlers when you encounter one? 4. On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is very unlikely and 10 is very likely, how likely are you to harvest a female deer when you encounter one?

Does a higher per capita GDP correlate to a higher EPI? Or does a country's per capita GDP have nothing to do with its EPI? Choose the graph that best represents your hypothesis about how a nation's EPI score is related to its per capita GDP.

A positive, non-linear correlation: as GDP per capita increases, the EPI score increases at a decelerating rate

Three classes of environmental ethics are: anthropocentric ethics, biocentric ethics, and ecocentric ethics. Sort each action to the class of environmental ethics it most closely represents.

Anthropocentric ethics: - In Mauritania, agricultural water use is reduced to help maintain the drinking water supply. - In Venezuela, some farmers are replacing rainforests with farmland. Biocentric ethics: - In Colombia, a species of mushroom is listed as endangered because there is only one small population remaining. - In Australia, testing on rabbits in a lab is halted because of animal rights concerns. Ecocentric ethics: - In Saudi Arabia, some people purchase hybrid vehicles with good fuel efficiency to help minimize their carbon footprint. - In Mongolia, some land managers are learning about fire management to preserve their grassland landscapes and maintain ecosystem function.

Imagine that it is 1960, and the scientists have asked you to help them select the species of bird for use in their research. They have narrowed their options down to 6 species. Drag a check mark to species that would be good to use in the study; there may be more than one. Drag an X to species that would not be good for the study.

Bald eagle: X American goldfinch: X Brown pelican: ✓ Osprey: ✓ Secretary bird: X Emperor penguin: X

You create an artificial habitat for worm snails in a lab for further study. Which of the following will you need to provide as a food source?

Microorganisms

Which of the following represents a biotic component of a hardwood forest in Pennsylvania?

Mushrooms under some leaves

Which of the following best illustrates the open nature of ecosystems?

Nitrogen is transported from fertilized agricultural fields into streams and, eventually, into the ocean.

A researcher wants to determine if water runoff from farm fields sprayed with herbicides affects the hatching success of frog eggs in nearby ponds. What experiment could the researcher conduct to address her question? Drag each statement under the correct step in the scientific method.

Observation: "I've seen that frog eggs in ponds that receive runoff..." Hypothesis: "The hatching success of frog eggs..." Prediction: "If frog eggs are exposed to elevated levels of herbicides..." Test (experiment): In the laboratory, raise frog eggs in pond water... Results: Analysis of experimental data concludes that...

Imagine that Torres-Porras conducted the survey with 100 hunters—50 from fenced estates and 50 from unfenced estates. To help deal with situations in which tragedy of the commons is occurring, governments enact laws. For example, during a drought, governments may limit the amount of water that individuals can use. Would government regulation help with the red deer populations in Spain? How can these survey results inform lawmakers? Given these results, what is the best hunting regulation the government could enact in order to increase the harvest of male red deer with long antlers in unfenced populations?

Pass a law that restricts harvesting young male deer.

Which of the following do worm snails use to excrete their slime?

Tentacles

Which of the following is likely the best place to find adult worm snails?

Stuck on an oil rig

Which of the following best illustrates sustainability?

Using solar panels on rooftops to generate electricity

Which of the following best illustrates an example of ecosystem integrity?

Within two years after the devastating Yellowstone National Park wildfires of 1988, the burnt forest floor was covered in new grasses, flowers, and young trees, which took advantage of the open regions and enriched soil.

How are worm snails different from most other snails?

Worm snails are stationary, most other snails are mobile.

A review process is in place to make sure that no ______ has skewed the results of an experiment.

bias

Graph C shows that the probability of hatching failure is highest for ______ clutch sizes. The data ______ Prediction #3.

both the largest and the smallest, do not support

A scientific experiment often involves both a treatment and a ______, which are alike except for the variable that the experiment is designed to test.

control

A ______ is a quantitative relationship between variables.

correlation

Graph B shows that the probability of hatching failure ______ at higher latitudes. The data ______ Prediction #1.

decreases, suppot

A ______ is a testable statement that proposes an explanation for a set of observations. It leads to predictions that can be tested by an experiment.

hypothesis

Graph A shows that the probability of hatching failure _______ later in the season. The data _______ Prediction #2.

increases, support

Researchers were unable to test Prediction #4. This is because it was too difficult for volunteers to collect data on which eggs were ______

laid earliest

A dog pants as it lies in the hot summer sun, releasing excess body heat to the environment and lowering its body temperature to its stable state.

negative feedback

When blood sugar levels rise after eating a meal, the pancreas releases the hormone insulin, stimulating cells to take up sugar from the blood. When blood sugar levels drop, the pancreas releases another hormone to stop sugar uptake by cells.

negative feedback

A bull on the edge of a herd of cattle panics when it hears a loud noise and begins to run. Five nearby cattle sense the panic and also begin to run. This causes another 15 cattle to panic. Eventually, all 100 cattle in the herd panic and stampede.

positive feedback

A snowball rolling down a hill accumulates snow and becomes larger, which increases its speed, causing it to increase its size and speed even more.

positive feedback

Increasing air temperatures from global warming speed up the melting of glaciers, exposing darker rocks underneath the ice. The dark surfaces absorb more sunlight, causing further increases in temperature and accelerated glacier melting.

positive feedback

You invest $1,000 in a savings account and reinvest the 5% interest you earn. The interest makes the amount of money in the account larger, so it earns even more interest. After 20 years, the account contains more than $2,600 and is still growing.

positive feedback

A ______ describes specific results that can be expected if a hypothesis is true.

prediction

Rank the chemicals according to how much they influence egg shell thickness.

ranked from least to greatest influence on egg shell thickness: DDT, dieldrin, mercury, PCBs, DDE

The graph below shows how EPI changes with GDP based on worldwide data. If you chose the positive non-linear correlation, you were correct. Next to the graph is a map showing per capita GDP of nations around the world. Rank the nations from lowest predicted EPI to highest predicted EPI based on their per capita GDP.

ranked from lowest to highest predicted EPI: Mauritania, Mongolia, Colombia, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Australia

Scientists use a general process known as the ______ to ask and answer questions about natural phenomena.

scientific method

A ______ is broader in scope than a hypothesis, is supported by a large body of evidence, and generates many new hypotheses.

theory

A ______ is a factor that is either manipulated or measured in an experiment.

variable