World Geo Ch13
The _____ equation summarizes the different factors influencing the degree of human impact on the environment.
IPAT
Where does water quality rank worldwide in terms of the negative impacts on humans with regards to issues with fresh water?
It is the top problem.
Which of the following is not one of the six primary air pollutants emitted in large quantities?
Mercury
_____ contributes to contamination of the water supply through the waste it generates, typically in the form of large heaps of waste rock through which water seeps, leaching metals and transporting them to rivers and aquifers.
Mining
______ are the minerals and other elements that organisms need for growth.
Nutrients
Which of the following is not a natural air pollutant?
Oil seeps
______ are a family of related chemicals used as lubricants in pipelines and in a variety of electrical devices. They are linked to liver disease, birth defects, and cancer.
PCBs
Which of these are examples of African animals threatened by hunting?
-African elephant -Hippopotamus -Black rhinoceros -Gorilla
Select all that statements are true about the dumping of mining waste.
-Chemicals from the heap piles can leach into nearby water. -It can caused dust pollution.
How does the return of heated wastewater to the environment affect the ecosystem?
-Disrupts growth, reproduction, and migration of fish -Lowers oxygen levels of the water
What are the three main types of pollutants carried into streams by agriculture?
-Fertilizers -Animal wastes -Biocides
Which of these are transboundary rivers where water conflict is a distinct possibility?
-Ganges (India-Bangladesh) -Colorado River (United States-Mexico) -Nile (Ethiopia-Egypt)
Which of the following are characteristics exhibited by species that have a greater probability than others of becoming extinct?
-Highly specialized -Low reproductive rates -Live in a small geographic area -Small populations of dispersed individuals
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are known to cause what health effects in humans?
-Liver disease -Cancer -Birth defects
Which of the following two chemical groups, when added to water by the use of fertilizers in agriculture, contribute to the process of eutrophication?
-Nitrates -Phosphates
The four major contributors to water pollution by humans are ______.
-agriculture -mining -industry -municipalities
Air pollution tends to increase with ______.
-degree of industrialization -degree of urbanization -population density
Where water scarcity exists, it is generally due to ______.
-water quality -reliability of water supplies -geographic distribution of water
The current extinction rate is estimated to be how many times higher than the natural background extinction rate?
1,000 to 10,000
What proportion of lakes and reservoirs in North America is estimated to be affected by accelerated eutrophication?
50%
What natural source of air pollution has the ability to quickly and completely disrupt large portions of the atmosphere?
A large volcanic eruption
_____ _____ is the term used for precipitation that has an unusually low pH. It is caused by the reaction of sulfur and nitrogen oxides emitted by industry with water in the atmosphere.
Acid rain
Which human activity accounts for the greatest amount of freshwater use (about 80%)?
Agriculture
_____ are substances used in agriculture to protect crops from damage by things such as pests, weeds, and fungal infestations.
Biocides
Which primary pollutant is formed mainly from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels?
Carbon monoxide
_____ is the modification of rivers through the construction of embankments, straightening, widening, or deepening to control floodwaters or control navigation.
Channelization
The primary objective of the ______ of 1972 was "to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters." It has led to impressive water quality improvements for U.S. rivers and lakes.
Clean Water Act
What toxic substance is used in the heap-leaching process of gold and copper mining?
Cyanide
_____ are an essential component of the cycle of life. They convert organic matter into nutrients that can be reused by plants and animals.
Decomposers
_____ is the study of how organisms interact with one another and with their physical environment.
Ecology
_____ are self-sustaining units of the biosphere that consist of all the organisms and physical features existing together in a particular area.
Ecosystems
What is believed to be the main cause of ozone layer depletion?
Emission of chlorofluorocarbons
_____ is the enrichment of waters by nutrients. It can be accelerated by the contribution of excess nutrients by agriculture.
Eutrophication
Which of these is not a symptom of accelerated eutrophication?
Extremely high oxygen levels
True or false: Once it is polluted, a river or lake can never recover.
False
True or false: Population growth has resulted in a global shortage of water.
False
True or false: Water pollution is a term used to refer to the decrease in water quality caused directly by human activities.
False
How can the impact of the Clean Water Act of 1972 be best described?
Gains in water quality improvement have been impressive.
Which of these is not a problem associated with water scarcity?
Glacial advancement
_____ _____ is created when nitrogen dioxide, in the presence of sunlight, reacts with hydrocarbons to form ozone.
Photochemical smog
Which of these is not an example of urban water pollution?
Smog
Which statement is true about the Clean Air Acts?
The Clean Air Acts were passed between 1963 and 1990.
What important concept of ecology is illustrated here?
The food chain
True or false: More than 90% of sewage in the developing world is discharged into waterways without treatment of any kind.
True
_____ species have decreasing populations and are likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future.
Vulnerable
The damage to this statue was caused by ______.
acid rain
In the United States, ______ is estimated to be responsible for about two-thirds of stream pollution.
agriculture
Humans have affected plant and animal life by poisoning and contamination. One particular problem is our use of _____, chemicals intended to protect crops from disease and pests.
biocides
The name of the sphere used for the thin film of air, water, and earth within which all organisms live is the _____.
biosphere
The modification of the path of this river is an example of ______.
channelization
The process of _____ involves changing seawater to freshwater and could provide a technological solution to water scarcity.
desalination
The ______ is thought to be causing the extinction of hundreds of species of plants and animals every year.
destruction of rain forests
A plant or animal that has been released into an ecosystem in which it did not evolve is referred to as a(n) _____ _____.
exotic species
A _____ _____ is a sequence of organisms through which energy and materials move within an ecosystem.
food chain
In the recent past, the main cause of extinction has been ______.
habitat alteration or loss
The normal custom is to dump waste from mines in ______.
huge heaps near the mine
The decline of marine fisheries is primarily due to ______.
more efficient fishing methods
Within an ecosystem, each organism occupies a specific ______.
niche
Air pollution can be a problem in locations far away from the source of pollutants due to ______.
prevailing wind directions
The most useful strategy for controlling water pollution is ______.
reduction of the release of pollutants into the environment
Tensions over water supplies are exacerbated in _____ river basins, areas where two or more countries share a river system.
transboundary
Smog tends to be a problem in ______.
urban areas
Mexico City is subsiding due to the removal of ______ from beneath its surface.
water
The system by which water is continuously circulated through the biosphere is called the _____ _____.
water cycle
What pollutants are released from incinerators that lack electrostatic precipitators?
-Arsenic -Lead -Mercury
Which of the following statements about smog is true?
-Children are more negatively affected by smog than adults. -Smog seems to increase the incidence of pneumonia.
Which of the following are problems associated with the use of biocides?
-Die-off of aquatic birds, fish, and plants from runoff -Long-term residence in aquifers -Lack of governmental oversight
What are the two major problems with incineration of solid waste?
-Incinerators emit toxic pollutants into the atmosphere. -The ash residue of incinerators is highly toxic.
Which statements accurately describe DDT?
-It is one of the oldest and most dangerous pesticides. -It was designed to clear malaria-bearing mosquitoes.
Why doesn't the U.S. recycle as much of its waste as some other countries?
-Low-cost energy allows for manufacture of goods from raw materials. -The high cost of collecting recyclable waste -Lack of markets for recycled material
Why are plants and animals on islands, such as the islands of Hawaii, more susceptible to extinction, particularly through the introduction of exotic species?
-Native species evolved in isolation with few diseases or predators. -Populations of species are limited in their aerial extent.
In a sign that the environmental justice movement has a long way to go, what two groups are most burdened with pollution in developed and developing countries?
-Poor communities -Minority communities
Which of these are examples of successful efforts to control air pollution?
-Reduction of sulfur dioxide emissions and thus acid rain -Reduction of CFC emissions -Elimination of leaded gasoline in many countries
In the United States, spent fuel rods from nuclear power plants are mostly disposed of in which two ways?
-Sealed in containers and stored outside -Stored in containment pools until they have cooled
Identify nongovernmental organizations (NGOS) working to preserve biodiversity.
-The Nature Conservancy -The World Wildlife Fund
What are the three interrelated parts of the biosphere?
-The troposphere -The hydrosphere -The lithosphere
High-level radioactive waste is divided into two main categories: _____ waste from nuclear power plants and _____ waste from the manufacture of nuclear weapons.
-civilian -military
In the United States, the three main methods of solid waste disposal are ______.
-incineration -landfills -recycling
Low-level radioactive waste is material whose radioactivity will decay to safe levels in _____ years or less.
100
If acid rain has a measured pH of 3.6, it is _____ times more acidic than normal rain, which has an average pH of 5.6.
100 or 100x
What proportion of U.S. trash is disposed of by incineration?
13%
If biomagnification occurs for a chemical, which animal listed from the same food chain would likely have the largest concentration of that chemical?
A fish-eating eagle
Which of these is not one of the major producers of hazardous waste?
Agriculture
What tends to contribute to air pollution in less urbanized regions during winter?
Burning wood for home heating
_____ is the term used for species unintentionally netted by vessels fishing for other species. For example, it is estimated that about 60,000 dolphins, porpoises, and whales drown each year after becoming entangled in nets.
Bycatch
The ______ has led to a rise in elephant populations in Botswana and South Africa.
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
_____ _____ species are those that are at high risk of extinction in the wild.
Critically endangered
Which pesticide, commonly used in the 1950s, was discovered to be harmful to birds and other wildlife and almost caused the extinction of bald eagles and brown pelicans before being banned in 1972?
DDT
The _____ _____ Act of 1973 is the most significant piece of biodiversity legislation passed in the United States, regulating hunting, commercial harvesting, and habitat use to protect plants and animals that are threatened.
Endangered Species
_____ is the burning of waste, now often done in facilities that convert the waste to energy.
Incineration
What sector uses about 20% of the freshwater used worldwide in a given year?
Industry
How well does biological control tend to work?
Introducing a foreign species to solve a problem tends to cause more problems than it solves.
______ is the waste generated by communities, including newspapers, beer cans, electronics, and food packaging.
Municipal waste
The Nature Conservancy, the World Wildlife Fund, and numerous zoos are examples of ______ that work to preserve and protect species and slow the accelerating rate of species extinction.
NGOs
______ are the largest producers of low-level radioactive waste.
Nuclear power plants
_____ is the recovery of used materials and their reprocessing into new products.
Recycling
_____ _____ is the general term used for resource exploitation methods involving the removal of vegetation, topsoil, and rocks from the Earth's surface in order to get at the resources underneath.
Surface mining
Which component of the IPAT equation (I=PAT) does not necessarily increase the impact on the environment as it increases?
Technology
What habitat area of the United States has been the most negatively affected by the recent warming trend?
The Arctic region in Alaska
What control measure was passed to reduce the release of ozone-depleting substances?
The Montreal Protocol
Which statement about environmental racism is accurate?
The harm can be intentional or unintentional.
What is the main factor blocking extensive use of desalination of seawater to provide more freshwater to areas experiencing water shortfalls?
The high cost of the process
What is the major problem or worry about burying radioactive waste in storage tanks?
The tanks will leak.
_____ pollution of water occurs when water that has been heated during its use as a coolant in industrial processes is returned to the environment.
Thermal
How have coastal communities in developing states historically dealt with their solid waste?
They loaded waste on barges and then dumped the waste into the ocean.
Which of the following is not one of the major provisions of the Clean Air Act?
To increase the number of trees planted per year
_____ waste is a relatively narrow term used specifically for substances that are poisonous and can cause death or serious injury to humans and other organisms.
Toxic
What is the name of the lowermost layer of the atmosphere?
Troposphere
While scientists believe that deep geologic burial is the safest way to permanently dispose of long-lived radioactive waste, the United States has halted construction of its first deep repository at _____ _____ in Nevada.
Yucca Mountain
The concentration of toxins in organisms that consume them but can't excrete them is called _____.
bioaccumulation
The introduction of tilapia, a weed-eating fish, to combat the spread of invasive hydrilla in Florida is an example of ______.
biological control
The main method for disposing of animal waste from intensive livestock farming locations is ______.
conversion to fertilizer
The study of ______ is critically important in understanding environmental problems, which usually arise from a disturbance to natural systems.
ecology
Zebra mussels, which have spread to hundreds of inland lakes in the United States and are competing with local mussels for habitat, are an example of a(n) ______ species.
exotic
In the United States, the second-largest cause of species endangerment is ______.
exotic species
The main source of agricultural chemical pollution from animal wastes is ______.
factory farming
Because most hazardous waste is disposed of by dumping or burial on land, the natural environment at greatest risk of contamination is ______.
groundwater
The term _____ waste refers to all wastes that pose an immediate or long-term human health risk or that endanger the environment.
hazardous
When unregulated, the _____ of wildlife can lead to the extinction or near-extinction of animal species. For example, buffalo and beaver in the United States were brought to the brink of extinction by this practice.
hunting
The movement that seeks the fair treatment of all people with regards to environmental issues is environmental _____.
justice
Modern landfills are required to have a clay or plastic liner to prevent pollution of groundwater by _____, chemically contaminated drainage formed when rainwater interacts with the waste materials.
leachate
This image shows an example of ______, which can cause considerable damage to the environment.
open-pit mining
The _____ _____ is a broad area of low ozone concentrations as big as the continental United States over Antarctica.
ozone hole
The _____ _____ of the atmosphere serves as a protective blanket, shielding us from overexposure to UV radiation from the sun.
ozone layer
Environmental _____ is the introduction into the biosphere of wastes that, because of their volume and/or composition, cannot be readily disposed of by natural recycling processes.
pollution
Water ______ exists when the water composition has been so modified by the presence of one or more substances that the water either cannot be used for a specific purpose or is less suitable than when it was in its natural state.
pollution
Any policy or practice that differentially affects or harms individuals, groups, or communities because of their race or color with regard to environmental issues is known as environmental _____.
racism
Most U.S. solid waste is disposed of in _____ _____, where each day's waste is deposited in a depression, compacted, and covered with a layer of soil.
sanitary landfill
About 2 billion people live in regions facing water _____, lacking sufficient water to meet demand.
scarcity or shortages
A depleted ozone layer increases the risk of ______ due to increased exposure to UV radiation.
skin cancer
Exposure to _____ is believed to increase the incidence of respiratory illnesses such as asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, and emphysema.
smog
In the United States, the second-largest expenditure of most local governments is ______.
solid waste disposal
The excavation of material from beneath the ground can lead to _____, the settling or sinking of a portion of the land surface.
subsidence
The primary source of acid rain is ______.
sulfur dioxide
Air pollution can be exacerbated by the formation of a(n) _____ _____, which traps cooler air near the surface and prevents the normal rising and mixing of air.
temperature inversion
The whooping crane has been virtually eliminated in the United States by the disruption and loss of ______ habitat.
tidal marsh
The _____ is the lowermost level of the atmosphere and contains all of the air that we breathe.
troposphere
The primary adverse human impact on water is felt in the area of ______.
water quality
