Bio 121- Ortman Practice tests questions – Flashcards

Unlock all answers in this set

Unlock answers
question
Which of the following is the study of how the natural world works, how our environment affects us, and how we affect our environment?
answer
environmental science
question
Which of the following is an example of a renewable natural resource?
answer
sunlight
question
A(n) __________ expresses environmental impact in terms of the cumulative area of land and water required to provide the resources a person consumes.
answer
ecological footprint
question
Which of the following can be depleted if overused?
answer
fresh water
question
__________ is a social movement dedicated to protecting the natural world from the undesirable changes brought about by human actions.
answer
experimentation
question
If an experiment fails to disprove a hypothesis, then __________.
answer
A hypothesis can be supported by evidence, even strongly supported by multiple rounds of experimentation, but it is never truly "proven."
question
The __________ includes all of the water in the biosphere.
answer
hydrosphere
question
All organic compounds contain __________.
answer
carbon
question
Which of the following is a compound?
answer
c02
question
According to the first law of thermodynamics, the total amount of energy in the universe __________.
answer
remains constant
question
Most energy in the majority of ecosystems arrives as __________ and exits in the form of __________.
answer
radiation from the sun; heat
question
In order for two organisms to belong to the same species, individuals of their species must __________.
answer
be able to reproduce and have fertile offspring
question
Which of the following is an example of selective breeding (artificial selection) by humans?
answer
dog breeds
question
A single, small population that exists only in one place on the planet is considered __________ to that area.
answer
endemic
question
A __________ is defined as the living and nonliving elements in the area around an organism.
answer
habitat
question
__________ is the number of individuals in a population per unit area.
answer
Population density
question
The __________ of a population is the proportion of males to females in the population.
answer
Sex ratio
question
What kind of relationship exists between multiple organisms who seek the same limited resource?
answer
compeition
question
Which organism pollinates 73% of our crops?
answer
bees
question
What two types of relationships exhibit symbiosis?
answer
mutualism and parasitism
question
When an increase in the population of prey occurs, which of the following usually occurs in the population of its predator?
answer
the population of the predator increases.
question
What moves through the community from one trophic level to another as organisms feed on one another?
answer
matter and energy
question
Which is enhanced by decomposers and detritivores as they recycle nutrients?
answer
soil
question
Which of the following are most likely to be keystone species in an ecosystem?
answer
large-bodied, higher-level consumers
question
What two factors exert the greatest influence over a terrestrial biome?
answer
annual average temperature and precipitation
question
Which of the following biomes has the most annual rainfall?
answer
temperate rainforest
question
What is the term that refers to the substances and forces that sustain our society and everyday lives?
answer
Natural resources
question
Which term is used to describe the conversion of natural resources into goods and services in addition to the ongoing trade of such goods and services?
answer
Economy
question
What are ecosystem services?
answer
These are essential processes such as soil formation, nutrient cycles, the pollination of plants, etc.
question
How do economists assess (calculate) the economic health of a nation?
answer
Gross Domestic Product
question
Which of the following groups advocates economies that neither grow nor shrink but remain stable?
answer
ecological economists
question
Which of the following is the main concern of neoclassical economics?
answer
production
question
What is meant by "market failure"?
answer
This occurs when markets do not take into account the environment's positive effects on economies (such as ecosystem services) or when they do not reflect the negative impacts of economic activity on people or the environment (external costs).
question
Pollution changes the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) How does this occur?
answer
GDP goes up when the polluting substance is produced and again when society pays to remove the substance from the environment.
question
What costs are associated with transactions that can result in damage to the environment, human health, and property?
answer
external costs
question
In which of the following ways did neoclassical economics contribute to environmental problems?
answer
by encouraging society to view the supply of resources as infinite
question
What type of economic discipline maintains that society, like natural populations, cannot surpass environmental limitations?
answer
Ecological economics
question
Which of the following correctly illustrate the two ways that economic growth can occur?
answer
increased inputs to the economy and improvements in efficiency through technology
question
Which of the examples below illustrates the economic principle of a negative externality?
answer
cost of rebuilding roads damaged by trucks heavily loaded with goods
question
Which of the following is NOT an external cost that affects people who are not involved in some environmentally damaging transaction?
answer
job security
question
What event is credited with leading to the passage of the Clean Water Act?
answer
the Cuyahoga River catching fire
question
During the second wave of U.S. environmental policy, in 1872, Congress designated Yellowstone as the world's first __________.
answer
national park
question
The role of an administrative agency is that of _______.
answer
enforcement and elaboration of laws passed by Congress
question
What was the main emphasis of the first major era of U.S. environmental policy?
answer
development through management and westward expansion
question
What is the title of the book by Rachel Carson that refers to the absence of birdsongs due to the poisoning of birds by pesticides?
answer
Silent Spring
question
The environmental justice movement started because __________.
answer
people realized that environmental damage is not equally distributed among all classes and racial groups; minority and low-income communities tend to contain a much larger share of the environmental damage (such as landfills, incinerators, toxic waste sites, etc.)
question
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) _________.
answer
gave citizens the right to see and comment on proposed government projects through the creation of environmental impact statements
question
Who signed the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)?
answer
nixon
question
Which of the following was NOT part of public policy during the early years of the United States?
answer
superfun
question
Which of the following organizations is described accurately?
answer
The World Trade Organization has recently acquired the ability to impose fines on nations that trade unfairly. These actions can then have effects that worsen or improve the environment.
question
Which statement is correct concerning international law?
answer
An example of customary law is the idea that no nation should use its resources in ways that adversely affect its neighbors.
question
During what century did consumption of natural resources and pollution increase dramatically for the first time in human history?
answer
19
question
Which type of advertising assists consumers in choosing products that are grown or manufactured with environmentally friendly methods?
answer
Ecolabeling
question
Which of the following acts to discourage unsustainable activities?
answer
green tax
question
Most of the environmental progress made over the past few decades has come about through __________ methods.
answer
command and control
question
While in the grocery store, Maria chooses to purchase the soy milk produced from non-genetically modified soybeans over the brand grown conventionally. Maria has made use of __________ for her decision.
answer
ecolabeling
question
A company that produces household cleaners decides to produce a "green" version of its products, even though the formulas are virtually unchanged compared to the original formulas. This is an example of __________.
answer
greenwashing
question
What is sustainable development?
answer
promoting a viable economy while maintaining a viable environment and meeting social needs
question
Which kind of development would be promoted if a government worked on finding a balance between economic security, environmental protection, and social equity?
answer
sustainable
question
Which of the following statements about growth rate and population size is true?
answer
If the growth rate remains steady, population size will continue to increase by greater increments with each generation.
question
__________ death rates and __________ infant mortality rates are due in large part to technological advances, improved sanitation, and better medical care in developed countries.
answer
lower lower
question
Which was Thomas Malthus's argument?
answer
He argued that if there was no control over population growth, then the population would come under check because of war, disease, and starvation.
question
When birth rates decline, what happens to a given population?
answer
The average age of the population grows older.
question
What does the S that is sometimes included in the I = PAT equation stand for?
answer
sensitivity, to denote how sensitive a given environment is to these pressures that cause more damage for sensitive habitats
question
Why do we study demography?
answer
Demography investigates the relationship between population ecology and population changes.
question
What keeps a population size stable?
answer
replacement fertility
question
How do women cause a reduction in the TFR?
answer
hrough empowerment, personal choice and education
question
Which statement about food production since 1960 is true?
answer
During this time our food production has grown even faster than our population.
question
Which of the following is a living museum of genetic crop diversity?
answer
seed banks
question
Which of the following would be considered a monoculture?
answer
a 100-acre field, all of which is planted with the same variety of corn
question
When decomposers break down organic molecules, a crumbly organic material called __________ that improves soil quality is formed.
answer
humus
question
The process of soil quality declining in productivity is called __________.
answer
soil degradation
question
Which of the following contributed to the Dust Bowl of the 1930s?
answer
The removal of native prairie plants.
question
Desertification of soil __________.
answer
overgrazing
question
Which process not only controls erosion, but can also help to replenish soil nutrients?
answer
crop rotation
question
Which of the following soil conservation strategies prevents erosion by using furrows plowed sideways across a hill, perpendicular to the slope of land?
answer
contour farming
question
All of the following practices are used to control soil erosion EXCEPT __________.
answer
industrial monoculture agriculture
question
How does the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) try to protect soil for future agriculture?
answer
The CRP pays farmers not to grow crops on land that is not well suited for crop production.
question
Which of the following can be caused by irrigation of cropland?
answer
salization
question
The use of biocontrol runs the risk of __________.
answer
the control agent negatively impacting other species besides the species needing to be controlled
question
Over time, pesticides become less effective. This is because __________.
answer
pests can evolve defenses against pesticides
question
The practice of integrating biocontrol, crop rotation, alternative tillage methods, and chemical use is called __________.
answer
integrated pest management
question
Which of the following is an example of the use of a biological control?
answer
hese weevils are a biological control agent.
question
__________ comprises half of the word's genetically modified crops.
answer
soybeans
question
What is the name given to the idea that we should not market genetically modified organisms until their environmental and human health effects are well documented?
answer
precautionary principle
question
What is the status of GM products in the United States?
answer
: U.S. citizens have largely accepted the GM crops on the market.
question
Recombinant DNA technology is used for which of the following purposes?
answer
genetically modifying plants
question
We will be able to support more people with the same amount of food supply if most people eat which of the following types of diet?
answer
a vegetarian diet
question
Which of the following are farms that concentrate on raising large numbers of animals of all the same type in a small area?
answer
feedlots
question
In regard to energy efficiency, aquaculture is __________.
answer
ncredibly energy-efficient compared to harvesting fish from open waters
question
Which of the following describes a community-supported agriculture program?
answer
In a CSA program, farmers get a guaranteed income up front that they can use to invest in their crops.
question
Organic agriculture implies farming techniques that use NO __________.
answer
synthetic fertilizers, insecticides, or herbicides
question
Most of the world's forests are __________.
answer
boreal forests
question
With very few exceptions, what sort of forest is in the United States?
answer
secondary
question
Which of the following harvesting methods is the most cost-efficient but has the greatest ecological impacts?
answer
clear cutting
question
Approximately what areal percentage of the world's lands are designated as parks, reserves, and protected areas?
answer
12
question
are organizations that purchase land to preserve it in its natural condition.
answer
land trusts
Get an explanation on any task
Get unstuck with the help of our AI assistant in seconds
New