RR120

About how much municipal solid waste is generated, per person, in the United States?

4.5lbs per day a person

The problematic thing about invasive species is that they

All of the above

What discipline(s) will be important to solving our problems with renewable natural resources in the future?

All of the above

Where are riparian buffer strips located?

Alongside a stream or lake

Which city in the U.S. was one of the first to derive part of its electrical energy needs from MSW (municipal solid waste)?

Ames, IA

Which of the following statements is most true about the amount of waste each person in the United States produces on average each day:

Declined slightly over the past 20 years

Which of these is NOT an example of an ecosystem management technique for farmland

Extra depth plowing to mix soil profiles evenly

True of False: The U.S. leads the world in solar energy production.

False

True or False: urban and rural areas are separate ecosystems that have little effect on each other?

False

Where does most solid waste from Ames end up?

Incinerator here in ames where made to electricity

We discussed three approaches to preserve biodiversity and prevent extinction: the species approach, the zoo-botanical garden approach, and the ecosystem approach. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the Zoo-Botanical Garden approach:

It focuses mostly on restoring habitat function and land health

The gopher tortoise is a good example of a ________. Its removal can shake up an entire food web.

Keystone species

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a land set-aside program of the USDA that temporarily retires sensitive lands from farming for both erosion and wildlife benefits. Which of the following is true about this program in Iowa:

Largest number of farms in CRP

Several lines of evidence show that the Earth's surface temperature has been rising and that climate is changing. Which of the below is NOT on that list?

Less severe hurricanes

In the lecture on Air Pollution, we showed a pie chart of the types of conventional air pollutants. Which of the following is NOT a conventional air pollutant (hint: but it is a greenhouse gas):

Methane

In looking at solid waste overall, across all sectors, which type of waste is the largest (most tons of waste).

Municipal solid waste

Which of the following is TRUE about Prairie Strips?

Prairie strips are intentionally placed to cross a field

Which of the following statements about the current Paris Climate Accord is most correct? As of today,

The U.S. has announced it is withdrawing from the agreement, but all other countries have now signed on, leaving only the U.S. opposed

True or False: a federal tax reform plan passed by the U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C. could have local impacts on the wind energy industry here in Iowa.

True

True or False: the last 4 years (2014-2017) were the hottest 4 years on record for the planet so far.

True

What did the example of elephants and the Amboseli ecosystem of southern Kenya illustrate?

While Amboseli National Park

Planning for ecosystem management is best done on what scale (size of area)?

Whole watersheds

Which of the following designs would make the best windbreak?

a mix of shrubs, evergreens, and deciduous trees

In general, what is the best definition of a renewable resource?

a resource that replenishes

Biomass energy includes which of the following.

all of the above

Why do perennial plants have a higher energy output-to-input ratio than corn for biofuels production?

all of the above

A way to remove nutrients in the tile drainage from farms is the construction of a:

both A and B

Invasive species arrived in North America

both of the above

What is currently our least expensive way of generating electricity?

coal

Which of the following is a concern with hydropower?

disruption of fish habitat

Which of the following is a NON-renewable resource (meaning it could be exhausted in your lifetime)?

fossil fuels

Oil production in the United States started to rise again around 2008 as a result of ________.

fracking tech

Ethanol can be produced from either corn kernels (starch ethanol) or from agricultural residues (cellulosic ethanol). Which of the following is a benefit of cellulosic ethanol.

it can turn waste, not food, into ethanol

In response to climate change, animals and plants are __________ in elevation and latitude.

moving up

Which of the following is NOT a renewable energy source?

natural gas

The city of Los Angeles is a classic example of this air quality problem, which happens mostly in summer around mid-day:

photochemical smog

The concept of "applying chemicals only where needed and only the amounts needed" (to reduce both cost and negative environmental effects) is called what?

precision farming

Which part of the globe seems to be changing most quickly, and is of particular concern to scientists thinking about global warming?

the Artic

Which of these is NOT a possible fate for municipal solid waste in the United States?

these are all possible fates for municipal solid waste

Considering both the source of emissions and wind patterns, which of the following areas is most affected by acid deposition ("acid rain")?

upper New York & Eastern Canada

The largest source of carbon monoxide and NOx in the atmosphere is from:

vehicles

One major problem with nuclear power is ________.

what to do with the waste materials

Which of the following is a characteristic of many invasive species?

wide habitat and feeding niches (generalists)

We discussed a number of different alternative crops for biomass production. Which of the following is an SRWC (a short-rotation woody crop) with a very high energy out:in ratio (at least 10:1).

willows

Which resource could theoretically supply all our electric energy needs in Iowa? Iowa is already the #2 state in total production of this energy source.

wind

Ecosystem management involves all of the following EXCEPT:

working only within the boundaries of federally owned land

Several international agreements (Montreal & Copenhagen) have been signed with the intent of reducing the world production of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) to stop ozone depletion. What has been the outcome of these agreements?

worldwide CFC production has greatly reduced

A good example of an invasive species is one that was brought into the Great Lakes by ocean tankers, spread throughout the Mississippi River system, and now impacts native species. That species is __________.

zebra mussels (polymorpha)