/ Session:
Section:
Class Location:
Days / Time: Instructor: / Spring 2009
51569 3 Units
NVC 2240
W 6:00 PM – 8:50 PM
RIDDELL
FNX
Chapter 1: Environmental Science and Sustainability
1.The ability to meet humanity’s current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs is termed:
a) ecology.
b) environmental sustainability.
c) natural balance.
d) synergism.
e) environmental science
2.Non-renewable resource IS TO renewable resource AS;
a) living is to non-living
b) limited supply is to sustainable supply
c) tree is to coal
d) wind energy is to fossil fuel energy
e) conservation is to overexploitation
3.Which of the following represents an idea associated with environmental sustainability?
a) The capacity of the environment to absorb toxins is unlimited.
b) The human population continues to grow.
c) We are using fossil fuels as if they were present in unlimited supply.
d) The Earth's resources are not present in infinite supply
e) None of the above
Chapter 2: Environmental Laws, Economics, and Ethics
4.One approach to pollution control is incentive-based regulation. In this tactic
a) industries adopting specific pollution control methods recommended by the government are rewarded
b) industries are encouraged to emit an amount of pollution that is economically most desirable for that company
c) green taxes are levied on industries that represent an emission charge on polluters
d) pollution control laws establish emission targets and industries are provided enticements to reduce emissions
e) both c and d
5.Pollution is considered an external cost because:
a) it has a harmful effect borne only by people who purchased the product that caused it.
b) its cost to the environment is not reflected in the price of the product that produces it.
c) it has a significant impact on the consumer's decision to buy the product that causes it.
d) it is a hidden cost that would produce increased demand if the consumer were aware of it.
e) it is an advertised cost that may affect consumer demand for a given product.
6.Economic strategies for pollution control include all of the following except:
a) emission charges.
b) emission reduction credits.
c) waste-discharge permits.
d) complete shutdown of a business that is responsible for excess environmental damage.
e) None of the above, all are valid economic strategies
Chapter 3:. Ecosystems and Energy
7.Which of the following is an abiotic factor of the environment?
a) living spaces
b) disease organisms
c) photosynthesis
d) producers
e) detritivores
8.A species is defined as:
a) organisms that live together.
b) organisms that live in the same area at the same time.
c) a group of similar organisms whose members freely interbreed with one another.
d) all of the organisms that live together in an area, plus the physical environment that they live in.
e) all organisms at a given trophic level within a particular community.
9.The crust of our planet that is made of rock and soil is what layer?
a) hydrosphere.
b) ecosphere.
c) biosphere.
d) lithosphere.
e) atmosphere.
10.Which term encompasses the other four?
a) community
b) population
c) species
d) biosphere
e) ecosystem
Chapter 4: Ecosystems and Living Organisms
11.The common way that a species is defined is that a members of a species includes all organisms that are similar enough to
a) fill the same niche
b) occupy the same community
c) live together
d) freely interbreed in the wild
e) be classified in the same kingdom
12.Based on the figure below, as the structural complexity of the vegetation increases, species richness:
a) increases.
b) decreases.
c) remains relatively stable.
d) exponentially oscillates.
e) displays geometric growth.
13.The reason(s) that tropical regions of the world have such high biodiversity is:
a) because they are geologically stable.
b) because they have a high productivity.
c) because there are many ecological niches.
d) All of the above
e) None of the above
Chapter 5: Ecosystems and the Physical Environment
14.Which of the following is a biogeochemical cycle considered of particular importance for
organisms?
a) carbon
b) di-hydrogen oxide
c) nitrogen
d) phosphorus
e) all of the above
15.Approximately what percentage of the atmosphere is N2?
a) 0.001%
b) 0.037%
c) 10%
d) 20%
e) 37.5%
16.The phenomenon in which high levels of carbon dioxide cause global warming is known as:
a) the Gaia theory.
b) acid deposition.
c) the greenhouse effect.
d) global distillation.
e) the El Niño—Southern Oscillation.
Chapter 6: Major Ecosystems of the World
17.Which of the following is characteristic of desert animals?
a) They tend to be quite large in size.
b) They remain inactive during the driest months of the year.
c) They are active throughout the day and night.
d) Rodents are the only group of mammals represented in this biome.
e) Amphibians and reptiles are absent.
18.Chaparral biomes occur:
a) only in the immediate area surrounding the Mediterranean Sea.
b) in regions with low levels of annual precipitation.
c) in areas with very fertile soil and a deep topsoil layer.
d) in areas where fires are almost nonexistent.
e) in regions around the globe with mild, wet winters, followed by hot, dry summers.
19.The biome most suitable for the development of farmland is:
a) taiga.
b) tropical rain forest
c) temperate grassland.
d) chaparral.
e) tundra.
Chapter 7: Human Health and Environmental Toxicology
20.Acute toxicity:
a) is only caused by synthetic chemicals.
b) is poorly understood by toxicologists.
c) may mimic symptoms of chronic diseases.
d) produces an effect within a short period of a single exposure.
e) always results in death.
21.The three leading causes of death in the United States today are cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and:
a) pneumonia.
b).diarrhea.
c) influenza.
d) tuberculosis.
e) cancer
22.A dose that is represented as ED50 is a dose that
a) is administered to 50% of the population.
b) causes 50% of a population to exhibit whatever response is under study.
c) has a threshold response of 50%.
d) kills half of the population of test animals.
e) has an acceptable risk level of 50%.
Chapter 8: Population Change
23.Population density:
a) is a global constant.
b) is constant for a given habitat.
c) may vary for a single habitat, but only due to human impact.
d) varies among different environments.
e) is never determined by external factors in the environment.
24-26.. Population Growth Profiles – Match the Term with the Curves shown below
A. Declining B. Rapid C. Stable
24. / 25. / 26.27.The graph below best illustrates
/ a) logistic growth.b) a population that has reached carrying capacity.
c) exponential growth.
d) linear growth.
e) a population crash.
Chapter 9: The Problems of Overpopulation
28.Which of the following approximates US population as a % of WW population?
a) 45%
b) total number of people
c) 4.5%
d) .45%
e) 44.5%
29.In which of the following countries has the highest average of children born to each woman of reproductive age?
a) Germany (TFR = 1.3)
b) Latin American nations (average TFR = 2.6)
c) Bangladesh (TRF = 3.3)
d) China (TFR = 1.7)
e) Saudi Arabia (TFR = 4.8)
Chapter 10: The Urban World
30.What percentage of the U.S. population lives in regions outside of cities?
a) 25%
b) 50%
c) 75%
d) 85%
e) 100%
31.Urbanization:
a) is growing more quickly in developing countries than in developed countries.
b) currently accounts for housing about 75% of the global population.
c) results in fewer employment opportunities in developed countries as compared to rural areas.
d) refers to the migration of city people to the country to enjoy country living.
e) describes a grouping of 10,000 or more individuals.
Chapter 11: Fossil Fuels
32.The energy consumption of each person in highly developed countries
a) is about the same as each person in developing countries
b) is twice as much as each person in developing countries
c) is four times as much as each person in developing countries
d) is eight times as much as each person in developing countries
e) cannot be compared because people in developing countries don’t use energy
33. Most energy in the United States is used for
a) motor vehicles
b) industries
c) buildings
d) agriculture
e) trains
34. The UScoal reserves could last for possibly another:
a) 20 years
b) 50 years
c) 100 years
d) 200 years
e) 500 years
35.Based on the figure below, which region of the world has the fifth largest oil deposits?
a) North America
b) Africa
c) Asia and Oceania
d) East Europe and former U.S.S.R.
e) South and Central America
Chapter 12: Nuclear Energy
36.Nuclear energy:
a) is released when the chemical bonds that hold atoms together are changed.
b) involves changes within the nuclei of atoms.
c) involves converting a large amount of matter from the nucleus into a small amount of energy.
d) results in the production of greater mass at the end of the energy process.
e) All of the above.
37.Nuclear fusion:
a) produces a product with a larger mass than the starting material.
b) is a form of combustion.
c) involves splitting a large atom into two smaller atoms of different elements.
d) is the rearrangement of electrons that occurs during a chemical reaction.
e) is the process that powers the sun and other stars.
38.Nuclear fission:
a) is a form of combustion.
b) is the blending or "melting together" of two small atoms to form a large atom.
c) is the splitting of a large atom into two smaller atoms of different elements.
d) is the rearrangement of electrons that occurs during a chemical reaction.
e) is the process that powers the sun and other stars.
Chapter 13: Renewable Energy
39.Clusters of non-polluting wind turbines are called:
a) photovoltaic centers.
b) solar wind farms.
c) wind farms.
d) air generating systems.
e) wind electric centers.
40. Which of the following is an emerging alternative, renewable resource energy technology? Answer all that apply
a) nuclear energy
b) wind farms
c) alcohol fuels
d) photovoltaic solar cells
e) geothermal energy
41.Which of the following renewable energy sources can be used to produce electricity? Answer all that apply
a) solar heating
b) geothermal
c) biomass conversion
d) photovoltaics
e) wind
42.Which of the following is an example of a renewable energy source that indirectly uses solar power? Answer all that apply
a) wind energy
b) tidal energy
c) biogas
d) ocean waves
e) ethanol and methanol
Chapter 14: Water: A Limited Resource
43. Most fresh water is present in the form of:
a) water in lakes.
b) ice caps and glaciers.
c) water in rivers.
d) groundwater.
e) atmospheric water vapor.
44.The fraction of WW fresh water available for human life is approximately :
a) 5%
b) 3%
c) 1%
d) .3%
e) .03%.
45.The region with highest demand for additional water to support human activities and habitation is/are:
a) arid and semiarid areas.
b) flood plains.
c) wetlands.
d) coastal areas.
e) the upper Colorado watershed.
Chapter 15: Soil
46.Soil is formed from parent material by biological, chemical, and physical:
a) digestion processes.
b) weathering processes.
c) composting.
d) terracing.
e) leaching.
47.In soil formation, the parent material provides:
a) humus.
b) minerals.
c) water-holding capacity.
d) mycorrhizae.
e) detritus.
48.The removal of dissolved minerals from the soil as water moves downward is called:
a) illuviation.
b) leaching.
c) deposition.
d) decomposition.
e) weathering.
Chapter 16: Minerals
49.Which of the following are important minerals? Answer all that apply
a)sulfur
b)nitrogen
c)iron
d)sodium
e)copper
50.Two of the first metals to be used by humans to produce bronze were:
a)copper and iron.
b)iron and gold.
c)copper and tin.
d)iron and sulfur.
e)gold and silver.
51.Which of the following is not a characteristic of metals?
a)all are relatively abundant in the Earth's crust
b)lustrous
c)good conductor of electricity
d)good conductor of heat
e)malleable
Chapter 17: Biodiversity
52.Ecosystem diversity is:
a) variety of interactions among organisms in natural communities.
b) the number of different species in a given area.
c) the variety of abiotic characteristics within a given area.
d) the genetic variety within all populations of a given species.
e) synonymous with ecosystem services.
53.Insects are an important biological resource because they:
a) enrich the soil with nitrogen.
b) help control weeds and insect pests.
c) are involved in the recycling of nutrients.
d) prevent soil erosion.
e) produce antibiotics.
54.Organisms that provide an early warning of environmental damage are:
a) endemic species.
b) endangered species.
c) threatened species.
d) bellwether species.
e) commercial species.
Chapter 18: Land
55.Approximately 55 percent of the land in the United States is owned by:
a)the federal government, as national parks.
b)Native Americans.
c)citizens, corporations, and non-profit organizations.
d)state and local governments.
e)the federal government, as national forests and rangelands.
56.Forests:
a)fix large amounts of oxygen, removing it from the atmosphere.
b)promote soil erosion.
c)maintain watersheds.
d)provide habitat for few animal species.
e)release large amounts of carbon monoxide into the atmosphere.
57.Timber companies prefer to harvest trees by:
a) clearcutting.
b) seed tree cutting.
c) selective cutting.
e) shelterwood cutting.
e) even-age harvesting.
58.Why are tropical rain forests considered so important to global ecology? Answer all that apply
a)they contribute greatly to the world's carbon and oxygen cycles
b)they retard soil erosion
c)they contain much of the world's biodiversity
d)they mitigate floods and droughts
e)they are ancient and self generating
Chapter 19: Food
59.The two areas of the world with the greatest food insecurity are:
a)South America and South Asia.
b)South America and sub-Saharan Africa.
c)China and sub-Saharan Africa.
d)South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
e)the Middle East and South Asia.
60.The average WW adult human consumesthe less than recommended calories per day? An estimate is
a)2000 kilocalories
b)3000 kilocalories for males, 2200 kilocalories for females
c)1500 kilocalories
d)2500 kilocalories for males, 2000 kilocalories for females
e)2300 kilocalories for males, 1800 kilocalories for females
61.Which of the following is a sustainable long-term solution to world food problems? Answer all that apply.
a)overcome cultural barriers to the acceptance of different types of food
b)increase the sustainable production of food
c)assist overall economic development
d)stabilize populations at sustainable levels
e)increase dependence on energy-intensive, high-yield agricultural methods
Chapter 20: Air Pollution
62.The two atmospheric gases most abundant in our atmosphere are :
a)carbon dioxide and oxygen.
b)hydrogen and oxygen.
c)oxygen and argon.
d)oxygen and nitrogen.
e)carbon monoxide and oxygen.
63.The stratospheric chemical that prevents much of the solar ultraviolet radiation from penetrating to Earth's surface is:
a)carbon dioxide.
b)water vapor.
c)ozone.
d)particulate matter.
e)nitrogen oxides.
64.All of the following ecosystem services are performed by the atmosphere except:
a)redistributing water in the hydrologic cycle.
b)providing a source of oxygen for cellular respiration in plants and animals.
c)blocking much of the ultraviolet radiation coming from the sun.
d)converting nitrate to nitrogen gas (the process of denitrification).
e)moderating the climate.
65.Which of the following air pollutants is correctly paired with one of its major effects?
a)sulfur oxides — acid precipitation
b)carbon oxides — corrosion of metal
c)hydrocarbons — reduced visibility
d)nitrogen oxides — blocks UV radiation
e)particulate matter — production of photochemical smog
Chapter 21: Regional and Global Atmospheric Changes
66. Which of the following is not a greenhouse gas?
a)carbon dioxide
b)methane
c)water vapor
d)chlorofluorocarbons
e)sulfur oxide
67.The greenhouse effect occurs because:
a)greenhouse gases released interact chemically to produce excess heat.
b)there are too many greenhouses scattered across the Earth's surface.
c)carbon dioxide and other trace gases trap infrared radiation in the Earth's atmosphere.
d)sulfur emissions from smokestacks and volcanoes continue to occur.
e)the gases produced by human activities allow significantly more heat to pass out of the Earth's atmosphere.
68.UV-B radiation:
a)has been shown to be lethal to wheat.
b)represents the UV band with the longest wavelength and the lowest energy.
c)is completely absorbed by the ozone in the stratosphere.
d)can cause mutations in the DNA residing in skin cells.
e)levels have been decreasing by 5% per year for the past decade.
Chapter 22: Water Pollution
69.One major problem with sewage is that it adds which of the following to water?
a)sodium chloride and dissolved oxygen
b)carbon dioxide and nitrogen
c)nitrogen and phosphorus
d)human wastes and heavy metals
e)soil and microorganisms
70.Escherichia coli:
a)is a deadly virus found in sewage.
b)is an infectious protozoan.
c)is a good indicator of the amount of sewage in the water.
d)cannot be transmitted through water.
e)was responsible for a large outbreak of diarrhea in Milwaukee in 1993.
71.In a water treatment plant, only chlorination:
a)removes suspended particles.
b)uses aerobic microorganisms to decompose organic wastes.
c)removes phosphorus and nitrogen.
d)involves the anaerobic digestion of organic wastes.
e)kills disease-causing organisms.
72.Which statement is true about organic compounds? Answer all that apply
a)They contain carbon.
b)They can be pesticides, solvents, or plastics.
c)They come from industries, homes, and farms.
d)The human body makes some organic compounds.
e)None of the above, all are true statements about organic compounds
Chapter 23: The Pesticide Dilemma
73.One benefit of using a machine like the "bug vac" to remove pests from crop plants is:
a) it targets specific pest species.
b)one treatment per season is sufficient for pest control.
c)it is safer for farm workers than pesticides.
d)it is much cheaper to use than pesticides.
e)All of the above.
74.A pesticide used to kill plants is a/an:
a)fungicide.
b)herbicide.
c)insecticide.
d)botanical.
e)rodenticide.
75.Pesticides are effective: Answer all that apply
a)at reducing crop productivity due to competition with weeds.
b)for controlling some organisms that cause diseases in humans.
c)at decreasing the amount of crop damage due to insects.
d)at controlling insects and weeds, but ineffective against plant pathogens.
e)at increasing the farmer's cost for a particular crop.
76.The techniques of using naturally occurring disease organisms, parasites, or predators to control pests is called:
a)biological control.
b)biological magnification.
c)biological amplification.
d)bioaccumulation.
e)genetic control.
77.Genetically modified, pest-resistant crops: Answer all that apply
a)may contain new and different gens outside of the normal genome for that species.
b)have been shown to be completely safe for non-pest insect species, such as the monarch butterfly.
c)have not yet been developed.