Assignment

kkuu.docx

Please answer the following in 50min:

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

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.)

Fill in the blank

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.

Fill in the blank

Conventional, municipal water treatment removes all of the following from water EXCEPT _____________.

Multiple Choice

· metals

· nutrients

· pathogens

· pharmaceuticals like antibiotics

· solids

The process where better-adapted members of a species gain a survival and reproductive advantage over other members is called ________________.

Multiple Choice

· adaptation

· artificial selection

· competition

· natural selection

· speciation

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?

Multiple Choice

· commensalism

· competition

· mutualism

· predation

· symbiosis

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.

Fill in the blank

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.

Fill in the blank

________________ is the maximum number of individuals that a habitat can support without degradation to that habitat.

Multiple Choice

· Biotic potential

· Carrying capacity

· Demographic transition

· Fecundity

· Replacement rate

Human population growth is considered by many to be the central environmental problem because ...

Multiple Choice

· 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

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?

Multiple Choice

· 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.

Strip-farming, terracing, and growing ground covers are all ways to prevent what?

Fill in the blank

Choose the TWO correct answers. Conventional farming practices are not sustainable because they ...

Check All That Apply

· are very labor-intensive.

· consume large amounts of water.

· do not produce enough food per acre.

· produce large amounts of waste.

Choose the TWO correct answers. Which of the following factors limit the food supply available to humans?

Check All That Apply

· consumption of a plant-based diet

· improvements in refrigeration and transportation infrastructure

· speculation in commodity markets

· use of grains for biofuel

ce cores from the Greenland ice sheet contain a record of _____________________________ from the past 800,000 years.

Fill in the blank

Which statement is TRUE about renewable energy?

Multiple Choice

· 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.

Environmental protection has been proven to __________ the number of available jobs because __________.

Multiple Choice

· 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

Which would NOT be a goal of smart growth?

Multiple Choice

· 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

This form of economics assumes that natural resources are finite (limited) and exist in fixed amounts.

Multiple Choice

· classical economics

· ecological economics

· environmental economics

· neoclassical economics

· steady-state economics

Renewable resources are those that ...

Multiple Choice

· 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 in 50min:

The concept of resource consumption equaling replacement through natural processes is called ____________.

Multiple Choice

· conservation

· ecosystem control

· recycling

· restoration

· sustainability

Which of these is an example of an ecosystem service?

Multiple Choice

· 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

Which major piece of US environmental legislation addresses hazardous waste pollution and its cleanup?

Fill in the blank

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.

Systems function in cycles and consist of _________ that increase a process or component, and __________ that diminish a process or component.

Multiple Choice

· balances; imbalances

· open systems; closed systems

· positive feedbacks; closed systems

· positive feedbacks; negative feedbacks

· throughputs; thresholds

How are photosynthesis and respiration related to each other?

Multiple Choice

· 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.

Consider this food chain: alfalfa → mouse → snake → hawk

Which organism is a producer?

Multiple Choice

· alfalfa

· mouse

· snake

· hawk

___________ describes the place and/or set of environmental conditions in which a particular organism lives and interacts with other organisms.

Multiple Choice

· Adaptation

· Habitat

· Niche

· Resource partition

· Tolerance range

What unit would I use to describe how much electricity my laptop used in the last 24 hours?

Multiple Choice

· watts (W)

· kilowatts (kW)

· gigawatts (gW)

· megawatts (mW)

· kilowatt hours (kWh)

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.

Multiple Choice

· carbon dioxide

· heat

· methane

· ozone

· particulates

Which one of the following is NOT a mineral resource?

Multiple Choice

· coal

· diamonds

· gravel

· iron

· rock salt

· sand

Earthquakes take place where ...

Multiple Choice

· divergence is occurring.

· subduction is occurring.

· tectonic plates meet.

· divergence is occurring and tectonic plates meet.

· subduction is occurring and tectonic plates meet.

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.

Fill in the blank

Composting is a waste disposal method that ...

Multiple Choice

· 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.

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: ____________________.

Fill in the blank

What term do we use to describe a toxin that causes abnormalities in a growing fetus?

Multiple Choice

· carcinogen

· endocrine disruptor

· mutagen

· neurotoxin

· teratogen

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?

Fill in the blank

In the atmosphere, this pollutant can combine with water vapor to produce acid precipitation. Which conventional air pollutant is it?

Fill in the blank

Only 2 or 3 sentences in each question.

Please answer the following in 50min:

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.rue 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.