/ Session:
Section:
Class Location:
Days / Time: Instructor: / Spring 2011
51569 3 Units
NVC 2240
W 6:00 PM – 8:50 PM
RIDDELL
Mid Term Exam 1 MTX 1
1. Environmental Science and Sustainability
1. As the 21st century began, the global human population reached _____ billion.
a) 3
b) 5
c) 6
d) 8
e) 11
Ans: c
2. The interdisciplinary study of humanity’s relationship with other organisms and the non-living physical environment is termed:
a) ecology.
b) sociology.
c) political science.
d) risk analysis.
e) environmental science.
Ans: e
3. Highly developed countries are characterized by:
a) high rates of population growth
b) high per capita incomes
c) simple agricultural bases
d) 50% of the world’s population
e) Thailand, Mexico and South Africa
Ans: b
4. 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.
Ans: b
5. Examples of non-sustainable human activities or behaviors include:
a) recycling.
b) attempts to limit human population growth.
c) using technology to improve car mileage.
d) use of nonrenewable resources as if they were present in unlimited quantities.
e) conservation practices.
Ans: d
6. What activity/activities contribute(s) to making the human species the most significant agent of environmental change on Earth?
a) continued population growth
b) consuming non-renewable resources
c) eradicating unique species
d) ignoring the environment
e) All of the above.
Ans: e
7. Inductive reasoning begins with
a) generalities and draws conclusions on the basis of similarities to a general rule
b) political action to convince others of specific conclusions
c) public education applied in a democratic manner
d) statement of hypothesis, an educated guess
e) specific examples and seeks to draw a conclusion or discover a unifying rule on the basis of those examples
Ans: e
8. Deductive reasoning:
a) is not particularly useful within the field of science.
b) produces conclusions that are true.
c) provides new insight into possible relationships between data that already exist.
d) reveals general principles from careful examination of specific cases.
e) is used in experimental design to identify the appropriate variables.
Ans: c
9. 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
Ans: b
10. 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
Ans: d
2. Environmental Laws, Economics, and Ethics
11. 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
Ans: e
12. Which of the following statements reflects the Western worldview?
a) All organisms are interdependent
b) Nature should be preserved, not used
c) Humans have the right to modify the environment to benefit their wellbeing and high standard of living
d) Humans and all other species have an equal worth
e) Humans have no right to reduce diversity of life forms except to satisfy vital needs
Ans: c
13. All of the following would contribute to natural capital, except:
a) groundwater.
b) soil.
c) clean air.
d) mineral resources.
e) None of the above, all are natural capital
Ans: e
14. 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.
Ans: b
15. 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
Ans: d
16. The timber industry in the Pacific Northwest was not operating sustainably. Sustainable development, ideally, improves living conditions
a) for a few decades into the future
b) for the entire current political administration
c) as long as resources last
d) for generations in the future
e) for the present generation
Ans: d
3. Ecosystems and Energy
17. Which of the following is an abiotic factor of the environment?
a) living spaces
b) disease organisms
c) photosynthesis
d) producers
e) detritivores
Ans: a
18. 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.
Ans: c
19. Which of the following series is organized according to the levels of organization used by ecologists?
a) population -> ecosystem -> community
b) species -> community -> abiotic factors
c) species -> ecosystem -> population
d) population -> community -> biotic factors
e) population -> community -> ecosystem
Ans: e
20. An ecosystem can be characterized as:
a) populations + community.
b) all species, population, and community interactions for organisms in a given area.
c) the abiotic components of the environment.
d) all of the biological interactions, plus interactions with the abiotic environment, in a given area.
e) interactions between physical processes and the abiotic environment.
Ans: d
21. All of the following are components of the hydrosphere except:
a) sea ice.
b) tropical rainstorms.
c) soil.
d) hail.
e) rivers.
Ans: c
22. 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.
Ans: d
23. A wolf is an example of:
a) a tertiary consumer.
b) an autotroph.
c) a saprotroph.
d) a herbivore.
e) an omnivore.
Ans: a
24. In a pyramid of biomass, the tropic level of which organism would have the LEAST BIOMASS?
Grass, is eaten by grasshoppers, which are eaten by toads, which are eaten by snakes
a) grass
b) grasshoppers
c) toads
d) snakes
e) none of these, all tropic levels would be of equal biomass
Ans: d
25. Which term encompasses the other four?
a) community
b) population
c) species
d) biosphere
e) ecosystem
Ans: d
Refer to the food web above:
26. Which statement best portrays the deer?
a) consumers that eat producers are primary consumers or herbivores
b) secondary consumers eat primary consumers
c) both secondary and tertiary consumers are carnivores
d) tertiary consumers are also called heterotrophs
e) primary consumers are detritus feeders
Ans: a
4. Ecosystems and Living Organisms
27. 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
Ans: d
28. The relationship between a tick and a dog is an example of:
a) parasitism.
b) mutualism.
c) commensalism.
d) an epiphytic organism and its host.
e) predation.
Ans: a
29. The shape of the bill on the bird in the figure below is most likely the result of:
a) coevolution.
b) intraspecific competition.
c) parasitism.
d) natural selection.
e) a and d
Ans: e
30. The associated figure provides support for which of the following processes?
a) secondary succession
b) competitive exclusion
c) coevolution
d) mutualism
e) resource partitioning
Ans: b
31. Based on the figure below, as the structural complexity of the vegetation decreases, species richness:
a) increases.
b) decreases.
c) remains relatively stable.
d) exponentially oscillates.
e) displays geometric growth.
Ans: b
32. 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
Ans: d
Consider species A and B within an ecological community. These species might interact in various ways that represent gains, losses, or no effect to the two species. In the cells below, identify the terms that describe the types of interactions that might be occurring between species A and B in the community.
MATCHING / Classification: Match the CHOICE of terms with the relationship indicated in the table below.
TERM / CHOICE Key 2 / Choice key 133. _____
34. _____
35. _____
36. _____
37. _____
38. _____ / § Commensalism B
§ Competitive Exclusion AB
§ Competitive LIMITED resources A
§ Mutualism AC
§ Predation C
§ Resource partitioning D / § Commensalism B
§ Competitive Exclusion C
§ Competitive LIMITED resources AC
§ Mutualism A
§ Predation AB
§ Resource partitioning D
Species A
Species B / Positive for A / Neutral for A / Negative for A
And Positive for B / A. Mutualism / B. Commensalsim / C. Competitive exclusion of Species
And Neutral for B / D. Resource partitioning
And Negative for B / AB. Predation / AC. Competition of
Limited resources
5. Ecosystems and the Physical Environment
39. Which of the following is not one of the biogeochemical cycles considered of particular importance for
organisms?
a) carbon
b) hydrogen
c) nitrogen
d) phosphorus
e) water
Ans: b
40. In the carbon cycle, carbon can be found in:
a) limestone, animals, and plants.
b) oil, bicarbonate, and sugar.
c) carbon dioxide and coal.
d) the atmosphere.
e) All of the above
Ans: e
41. Approximately what percentage of the atmosphere is CO2?
a) 0.001%
b) 0.037%
c) 10%
d) 30%
e) 75%
Ans: b
42. Which of the following is not a source of carbon for the carbon cycle?
a) shells of marine organisms
b) oil
c) decomposers
d) fertilizer
e) the atmosphere
Ans: d
43. The nitrogen cycle is one of the most important and complex of the biogeochemical cycles. It is important because nitrogen:
a) is a greenhouse gas
b) is an essential part of biological molecules such as proteins and nucleic acids (DNA)
c) is the most toxic element to living organisms
d) dilutes the oxygen in the atmosphere causing respiratory problems
e) is a crucial part of the process of photosynthesis
Ans: b
44. Solar radiation:
a) powers the hydrologic and other biogeochemical cycles.
b) is essential for photosynthesis.
c) is the product of a massive nuclear fusion reaction.
d) is captured by plants and may eventually become the energy available from fossil fuels.
e) All of the above
Ans: e
45. The Earth's atmosphere is important because:
a) it is primarily composed of oxygen, essential for our survival.
b) it is composed of approximately twenty different layers.
c) it protects us from UV radiation and X-rays.
d) it is a stable and unchanging part of our global environment.
e) the most dense outer layer shields the Earth's surface from dangerous forms of energy.
Ans: c
46. 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.
Ans: c
47. Complex horizontal movements of the atmosphere are commonly known as:
a) gyres.
b) wind.
c) climate.
d) The Coriolis effect.
e) upwelling.
Ans: b
48. The Coriolis effect is due to:
a) variations in the amount of solar radiation reaching different locations.
b) seasonal changes in the levels of solar radiation at a given location.
c) The density of the oceans.
d) the Earth's orbit.
e) the Earth's rotation.
Ans: e
49. Which of the following accurately represents a carbon source and the process that releases carbon from that source?
a) fossil fuels, respiration
b) animals, photosynthesis
c) plants, cellular respiration
d) bicarbonate, combustion
e) limestone, combustion
Ans: c
50. El Niño and La Niña are similar in that both events
a) originate in the Atlantic Ocean
b) affect weather patterns
c) are predictable every year
d) cause global cooling
e) are associated with Christmas
Ans: b
Chapter 6 Major Ecosystems of the World
51. 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.
Ans: b
52. 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.