Assignment:
Please answer the following:
Burning coal produces a lot of this pollutant. The amount of this air pollutant has dropped sharply in the US since it was banned as an additive to gasoline. This pollutant impairs nerve and brain function. Which conventional air pollutant is it?
Fill in the blank
1. Groundwater is a critical source of freshwater. Groundwater resides in geological layers called ______________. Recharge zones are areas where water filters into ______________, storing water for later use. One of the largest of these is called the Ogallala High Plains Regional ______________. Name this source of groundwater. (The same word is used in all these blanks.)
2. When you see a pond covered with algae and aquatic plants, what pollutant is the most likely causing all of this growth? The accumulation of this pollutant is called eutrophication.
3. Conventional, municipal water treatment removes all of the following from water EXCEPT _____________.
• metals
• nutrients
• pathogens
• pharmaceuticals like antibiotics
• solids
4. The process where better-adapted members of a species gain a survival and reproductive advantage over other members is called ________________.
• adaptation
• artificial selection
• competition
• natural selection
• speciation
5. Red squirrels and fox squirrels both live in my yard and both like to eat the walnuts that fall from the trees along the stream. Even though the red squirrels are smaller, they seem to be the ones chasing the fox squirrels away from the walnuts. These two types of squirrels are engaging in which community interaction?
• commensalism
• competition
• mutualism
• predation
• symbiosis
6. This type of terrestrial biome has precipitation year-round and experiences a winter and a summer. It contains many trees which can either be evergreen or lose their leaves in the winter. Name this biome.
This type of aquatic biome can be damaged as sediment from a river becomes deposited there, disrupting fish reproduction. Rivers also bring other pollutants like nutrients from farm runoff into this biome. This biome is part freshwater and part saltwater. Name this biome.
7. ________________ is the maximum number of individuals that a habitat can support without degradation to that habitat.
• Biotic potential
• Carrying capacity
• Demographic transition
• Fecundity
• Replacement rate
8. Human population growth is considered by many to be the central environmental problem because ...
• more people demand more resources.
• more people generate more waste.
• more people demand more resources and more people generate more waste.
• neither of the above
9. Consider this scenario. There are two wilderness areas that are basically the same shape (rectangular). One is about twice the size of the other. Which one is more likely to have species which prefer dense shade and little disturbance?
• The bigger one because it has more core habitat.
• The bigger one because it has more edge habitat.
• The smaller one because it has less core habitat.
• The smaller one because it has less edge habitat.
10. Strip-farming, terracing, and growing ground covers are all ways to prevent what?
Choose the TWO correct answers. Conventional farming practices are not sustainable because they ...
• are very labor-intensive.
• are very labor-intensive.
• consume large amounts of water.
• consume large amounts of water.
• do not produce enough food per acre.
• do not produce enough food per acre.
• produce large amounts of waste.
• produce large amounts of waste.
11. Choose the TWO correct answers. Which of the following factors limit the food supply available to humans?
• consumption of a plant-based diet
• consumption of a plant-based diet
• improvements in refrigeration and transportation infrastructure
• improvements in refrigeration and transportation infrastructure
• speculation in commodity markets
• speculation in commodity markets
• use of grains for biofuel
• use of grains for biofuel
12. Scores from the Greenland ice sheet contain a record of _____________________________ from the past 800,000 years.
Which statement is TRUE about renewable energy?
• All forms of renewable energy are equal in terms of ecological and social impact.
• Carbon trading and carbon taxes have been very effective at increasing the shift to renewable energy.
• Geothermal energy is not an efficient or renewable form of energy.
• Only wealthy countries are converting to renewable forms of energy.
• We could generate all the electricity the world needs by using only wind, water, and solar energy.
13. Environmental protection has been proven to __________ the number of available jobs because __________.
• decrease; it limits the use of nonrenewable resources
• decrease; it negatively affects economic growth
• increase; labor is usually substituted for natural resources
• stabilize; it limits the use of nonrenewable resources
• stabilize; the use of more renewable resources is offset by let need for less labor
14. Which would NOT be a goal of smart growth?
• housing areas remote from work and shopping areas
• improved communication among members of the community
• increased access to artistic and cultural opportunities
• reduction of noise, air, and water pollution
• reduction of substandard housing
15. This form of economics assumes that natural resources are finite (limited) and exist in fixed amounts.
• classical economics
• ecological economics
• environmental economics
• neoclassical economics
• steady-state economics
16. Renewable resources are those that ...
• can be naturally replenished and renewed if managed responsibly.
• can be renewed through intensive investments of capital and/or labor.
• can be replaced in a very short period of time, but require a lot of energy.
• cycle between the living and nonliving parts of the ecosystem.
• will not run out.
Please answer the following:
1. The concept of resource consumption equaling replacement through natural processes is called ____________.
• conservation
• ecosystem control
• recycling
• restoration
• sustainability
2. Which of these is an example of an ecosystem service?
• all the plants, animals, bacteria, and water in a forest
• forests are found in temperate areas with moderate temperature and rainfall
• forests have a high biodiversity
• forests hold and filter water
• trees compete with other plants in the forest for light
3. Which major piece of US environmental legislation addresses hazardous waste pollution and its cleanup?
By definition, systems ...
Multiple Choice
• are groups of structures that function as a whole.
• can be isolated for observation and study.
• can occur at scales ranging from small to large.
• All of these are characteristics of systems.
4. Systems function in cycles and consist of _________ that increase a process or component, and __________ that diminish a process or component.
• balances; imbalances
• open systems; closed systems
• positive feedbacks; closed systems
• positive feedbacks; negative feedbacks
• throughputs; thresholds
5. How are photosynthesis and respiration related to each other?
• Photosynthesis takes in carbon dioxide and respiration releases carbon dioxide.
• Photosynthesis releases nitrogen and respiration takes in nitrogen.
• Photosynthesis releases energy and respiration uses energy.
• Respiration takes in carbon dioxide and photosynthesis releases carbon dioxide.
• Respiration releases nitrogen and photosynthesis takes in nitrogen.
6. Consider this food chain: alfalfa → mouse → snake → hawk
Which organism is a producer?
• alfalfa
• mouse
• snake
• hawk
7. ___________ describes the place and/or set of environmental conditions in which a particular organism lives and interacts with other organisms.
• Adaptation
• Habitat
• Niche
• Resource partition
• Tolerance range
8. What unit would I use to describe how much electricity my laptop used in the last 24 hours?
• watts (W)
• kilowatts (kW)
• gigawatts (gW)
• megawatts (mW)
• kilowatt hours (kWh)
9. The primary reason that renewable energy sources like solar and wind are so important for preventing climate change is because they do not release ________________ like fossil fuels do.
• carbon dioxide
• heat
• methane
• ozone
• particulates
10. Which one of the following is NOT a mineral resource?
• coal
• diamonds
• gravel
• iron
• rock salt
• sand
11. Earthquakes take place where ...
• divergence is occurring.
• subduction is occurring.
• tectonic plates meet.
• divergence is occurring and tectonic plates meet.
• subduction is occurring and tectonic plates meet.
12. A _______________ is an industrial or commercial site, often found in large cities, which has been abandoned because it has become contaminated by hazardous waste. Cleaning up such a site can reclaim valuable urban land.
Composting is a waste disposal method that ...
• is more environmentally costly than landfilling.
• is not realistic for college students.
• is technologically complex.
• is useful only for single households.
• vastly reduces total waste volumes.
13. Fish in many lakes and streams contain small amounts of toxins in their bodies. Seagulls, which eat a lot of fish, can have 200 times the amount of the same toxins in their bodies. This increase in toxin amounts in the seagulls is an example of this process: ____________________.
What term do we use to describe a toxin that causes abnormalities in a growing fetus?
• carcinogen
• endocrine disruptor
• mutagen
• neurotoxin
• teratogen
14. This compound is one of the six conventional pollutants according to the Clean Air Act. While it is a pollutant near the ground (in the troposphere), it is a critically important component higher up in the atmosphere (stratosphere). Which pollutant is it?
In the atmosphere, this pollutant can combine with water vapor to produce acid precipitation. Which conventional air pollutant is it?
Only 2 or 3 sentences in each question.
Please answer the following:
1.Name two methods of electricity generation which use a spinning turbine to convert the energy into electricity.
2.How are the geologic processes of erosion and sedimentation related to water quality?
3.What is the most effective method for reducing the amount of waste that end up in landfills?
4.State one advantage and one disadvantage of using an incinerator to burn municipal waste.
5.Populations can experience two types of growth: exponential or logistic. What conditions must be present for a population to exhibit exponential growth?
6.What is it about invasive species that make them a threat to biodiversity?
7.Research shows that one of the most effective ways to stabilize human population growth, particularly in developing countries, is to do what?
8. True or False. Explain your answer to receive credit.
The trees in forests (both temperate and tropical) release a lot of moisture into the air, thus reducing local rainfall.
9. In addition to hanging up a sign labeled "Park" or "Preserve," what else is needed for an area to truly be protected?
10. In the Midwest, the winter of 2020/2021 was particularly cold. Does this mean that climate change is not taking place? Explain your answer.