Environmental Science Second Semester Exam Study Guide Answers

Chapter 10 - Biodiversity

  1. Define endangered species – a species that will disappear entirely if actions aren’t taken
  2. The current rate of extinction is the result of _attributable to the actions of humans__.
  3. Why should biodiversity be preserved?
  4. isolating unique genetic material so it can be incorporated into existing crops
  5. increasing the chances of discovering organisms with medicinal value
  6. finding new plants that can supplement the world’s food supply
  7. Which areas of the United States represent ecosystems with high levels of biodiversity? Coastal California, Hawaiian Islands, FloridaEverglades
  8. Where are critical biodiversity hotspots located? Islands, tropical rain forests, and coastal areas
  9. The major human cause of extinctions today is __habitat destruction____.

Chapter 11 - Water

  1. Where is most of Earth’s fresh water found? Trapped in frozen ice caps and glaciers Where is most of the available fresh water found? underground
  2. Earth’s surface water is found in lakes, rivers, and streams.
  3. Name some ways to conserve water in our daily lives. Use a low-flow shower head and take short showers
  4. What is the largest river system in the world? Amazon River System
  5. Distinguish between point-source and nonpoint-source pollution.

Point source pollution - Pollution discharged from a single source

Non-point source pollution – pollution that comes from many different sources that are often difficult to identify

  1. What are the steps of the water cycle? evaporation, condensation, precipitation
  2. The most productive aquifers usually form in __sandstone, limestone, or layers of sand and gravel___.
  3. Some of the world’s most important monuments are being dissolved by _acid precipitation_.
  4. Define the term biomagnification – the accumulation of pollutants at successive levels of the food chain
  5. What did the 1990 Oil Pollution Act say? – all tankers in U.S. waterways must be double hulled by the year 2015

Chapter 12 - Air

  1. Where does most air pollution come from? – fuel burned by automobiles
  2. Burning fossils fuels contributes the most to the formation of acid precipitation.
  3. What are some long-term effects on health that have been linked to air pollution? Emphysema, lung cancer, and heart disease
  4. The Clean Air Act gives _the EPA_ the authority to regulate vehicle emissions in the U.S.
  5. How can industries remove poisonous gases from emissions? Use scrubbers
  6. Why is light pollution a major concern? The amount of energy that is wasted

Chapter 13 – Atmosphere and Climate Change

  1. Define climate – the long-term, prevailing atmospheric conditions
  2. Greenhouse gases trap heat that is radiated upward from Earth.
  3. What is the critical difference between today’s global warming and Earth’s previous climate changes? Global warming may occur much more rapidly than it did during previous climate changes
  4. Why is ultraviolet radiation particularly dangerous? It can damage genetic material in cells
  5. How does latitude influence climate? More solar energy falls on areas that are closer to the equator than to the poles
  6. Why are CFCs significant? How do they damage the ozone layer? Their chlorine atoms can destroy many stratospheric ozone molecules – allows more uv light to be able to reach Earth’s surface
  7. What causes the seasons? The tilt of the Earth affects the angle at which the sun’s rays reach the Earth ex. Summer in the Southern Hemisphere = Winter in the Northern Hemisphere
  8. What is the Kyoto Protocol? An international agreement that seeks to limit CO2 emissions from developed countries that the U.S. did not sign
  9. What are some consequences of global warming? Rising sea level, increased frequency of major storms, increased frequency of major droughts
  10. What happens as the amount of ozone in the stratosphere decreases? More UV radiation reaches Earth’s surface.

Chapter 14 - Land

  1. Deforestation results in the reduction of wildlife habitat, soil erosion, and the loss of topsoil.
  2. Where do most Americans live? (rural or urban areas) urban areas
  3. What important environmental benefits do open or green spaces in cities provide? Improve the air quality as a result of filtering of pollutants by plants
  4. Recognize the differences between clear-cutting and selective-cutting. Selective cutting minimizes the impact on forest ecosystems, more expensive, takes longer

Clear cutting major impact on ecosystems, less expensive, faster

  1. Yellowstone was the 1st national park established in the U.S.
  2. Define arable land – land that can be used to grow crops
  3. What was the National Farmland Protection program designed to do? Protect farmland from being developed
  4. Define urban crisis. – traffic jams, substandard housing, and polluted air and water can be caused by rapid growth in cities
  5. What are some problems associated with deforestation? Rapid loss of nutrients in the soil, habitat destruction, soil erosion
  6. An area prone to landslides is an example of marginal land.
  7. Why are we dependent on rural areas? for resources
  8. When is soil erosion most likely to occur? When soil is bare and exposed to wind and rain
  9. Rural areas should be preserved because they provide ecological services.

Chapter 15 – Food and Agriculture

  1. Products obtained from livestock include leather, wool, eggs, meat, and manure.
  2. What is malnutrition? When people don’t consume enough calories or don’t eat a sufficient variety of foods
  3. Define pesticide resistance. How can it be avoided?The ability to survive exposure to a particular pesticide - Alternating pesticides
  4. What was the green revolution? (pros and cons) con: use of pesticides and fertilizers increased the risk of pollution

Chapter 16 – Mining and Mineral Resources

  1. Define reclamation–The process of returning land to its original or better condition after mining is completed
  2. What are some of the impacts of mining - air and noise pollution, water contamination, displacement of wildlife, erosion, sedimentation, soil degradation, and subsidence
  3. Who is responsible for regulating mines in the U.S.? federal and state government agencies

Chapter 17 & 18 – Renewable and Nonrenewable Energy Resources

  1. What is the majority of petroleum used for in the U.S.? transportation
  2. Why is coal considered a nonrenewable resource? It takes so long to form
  3. What is the main use of coal in the U.S. today? Production of electricity
  4. Give some examples of renewable energy sources. Wind power, solar energy, hydroelectricity, and geothermal energy
  5. Define renewable energy - Energy from sources that are constantly being formed
  6. What is the Strategic Petroleum Reserve? The 3-month supply of oil that is only to be used during an energy emergency – established by the U.S. in 1975
  7. Nuclear energy
  8. Passive and active solar energy
  9. Alternative energy

The SLO should not cover material from Chapters 19 – 21.

Chapter 19 – Waste

  1. Which items make up the largest percentage of waste produced by households and businesses? Paper products
  2. Define the term biodegradable. Be familiar with characteristics of biodegradable plastics. Can be broken down by biological processes – some deteriorate when exposed to sunlight, may contain sugars that can be broken down by soil bacteria, break down into smaller pieces of plastic
  3. What does the Superfund Act do? Allowed the EPA to sue companies that dump hazardous waste illegally, force owners to pay for the cleanup of sites, created a fund to pay for cleaning up abandoned sites
  4. What is the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act? Requires the producers of hazardous waste to keep records of how their wastes are handled from production to disposal
  5. Making products from recycled materials often saves energy and other resources during the manufacturing process.
  6. What are some problems associated with landfills? Leachate and methane production
  7. Ash from materials that have been incinerated is typically more _toxic__ than the original materials.
  8. We can reduce solid waste by recycling, composting, and buying items that last longer.
  9. Wastes containing toxic, corrosive, or explosive materials are considered ___hazardous_____.

Chapter 20 – The Environment and Human Health

  1. Name some natural causes of pollution. When do naturally occurring pollutants become hazardous to health? Dust storms, volcanoes, and wildfires – above normal levels or concentrations
  2. Worldwide, nearly ¾ of infectious diseases are transmitted through __water__.
  3. Why is human immune deficiency virus (HIV) considered an emerging virus? It was previously unknown
  4. Define particulates. Where can particulate matter be found? Particles in the air that are small enough to breathe into the lungs - vehicle exhaust, burning waste, fires, and tobacco smoke
  5. Name two diseases that are caused directly by pollution. Lead poisoning and lung cancer
  6. Define the term vector an organism that transmits a disease
  7. Define toxicology the study of the harmful effects of substances on organisms
  8. People’s actions cause some disease-causing bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics. Resistant to antibiotics
  9. Define the term risk assessment–an estimate of the probability of a negative effect caused by a substance
  10. Define pathogen - an organism that causes a disease
  11. Data regarding how the environment affects human health is collected by the _WHO – World Health Organization__.

Chapter 21

  1. Define the term sustainability – the condition in which human society can go on indefinitely and future generations can have a standard of living as high as our own