Question 1

Overall, it appears that terrestrial biomes with more available fresh water .

Accepted Answer

A)  tend to have less productivity than those without much fresh water 
B)  don't differentiate between fresh water as rainfall and fresh water as ice in glaciers 
C)  tend to have about the same productivity as those without much fresh water 
D)  tend to have more productivity than those without much fresh water 
E)  No real conclusions can be drawn. 
A)  tend to have less productivity than those without much fresh water 
B)  don't differentiate between fresh water as rainfall and fresh water as ice in glaciers 
C)  tend to have about the same productivity as those without much fresh water 
D)  tend to have more productivity than those without much fresh water 
E)  No real conclusions can be drawn. D

Question 2

Which location on the map has the highest net primary productivity?

Accepted Answer

A)  A 
B)  B 
C)  C 
D)  D 
E)  E 
A)  A 
B)  B 
C)  C 
D)  D 
E)  E B

Question 3

Biodiversity is partially influenced by net primary productivity (NPP). Where can the highest terrestrial rates of NPP be found?

Accepted Answer

A)  polar regions 
B)  tundra 
C)  deserts 
D)  tropical rainforests 
E)  deciduous forests 
A)  polar regions 
B)  tundra 
C)  deserts 
D)  tropical rainforests 
E)  deciduous forests D

Question 4

Nitrogen and phosphorus are referred to as macronutrients because .

Accepted Answer

A)  they are needed to manufacture large biomolecules 
B)  their cycles have larger reservoirs than those of micronutrients 
C)  they are required in large amounts for organisms to survive 
D)  they are needed by large organisms 
E)  they are larger than other nutrients needed by plants 
A)  they are needed to manufacture large biomolecules 
B)  their cycles have larger reservoirs than those of micronutrients 
C)  they are required in large amounts for organisms to survive 
D)  they are needed by large organisms 
E)  they are larger than other nutrients needed by plants

Question 5

-Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from the data shown in the figure?

Accepted Answer

A)  Automobiles do not contribute to nutrient pollution in Chesapeake Bay. 
B)  Agriculture accounts for 77% of the nitrogen and phosphorus entering Chesapeake Bay. 
C)  Full protection of Chesapeake Bay will require consideration of activities within the bay's airshed and not just the bay's watershed. 
D)  Wastewater treatment plants do not contribute significantly to nutrient pollution in Chesapeake Bay. 
E)  Repairing broken septic systems will probably result in a large decrease in phosphorus pollution entering Chesapeake Bay. 
A)  Automobiles do not contribute to nutrient pollution in Chesapeake Bay. 
B)  Agriculture accounts for 77% of the nitrogen and phosphorus entering Chesapeake Bay. 
C)  Full protection of Chesapeake Bay will require consideration of activities within the bay's airshed and not just the bay's watershed. 
D)  Wastewater treatment plants do not contribute significantly to nutrient pollution in Chesapeake Bay. 
E)  Repairing broken septic systems will probably result in a large decrease in phosphorus pollution entering Chesapeake Bay.

Question 6

All of the following are fluxes in the hydrologic cycle EXCEPT .

Accepted Answer

A)  infiltration 
B)  uptake 
C)  transpiration 
D)  evaporation 
E)  fixation 
A)  infiltration 
B)  uptake 
C)  transpiration 
D)  evaporation 
E)  fixation

Question 7

Ecotones are the .

Accepted Answer

A)  areas between territories of organisms 
B)  interactive behaviors leading to communication 
C)  sounds that animal communities make in ecosystems 
D)  studies of specific biomes by ecologists 
E)  transitional zones between ecosystems 
A)  areas between territories of organisms 
B)  interactive behaviors leading to communication 
C)  sounds that animal communities make in ecosystems 
D)  studies of specific biomes by ecologists 
E)  transitional zones between ecosystems

Question 8

The majority of Earth's fresh water exists .

Accepted Answer

A)  in groundwater 
B)  in the form of ice 
C)  in the atmosphere 
D)  in freshwater lakes, streams, and rivers 
E)  in the oceans 
A)  in groundwater 
B)  in the form of ice 
C)  in the atmosphere 
D)  in freshwater lakes, streams, and rivers 
E)  in the oceans

Question 9

All of the following are considered Earth's structural spheres EXCEPT .

Accepted Answer

A)  geosphere 
B)  lithosphere 
C)  atmosphere 
D)  hydrosphere 
E)  biosphere 
A)  geosphere 
B)  lithosphere 
C)  atmosphere 
D)  hydrosphere 
E)  biosphere

Question 10

The first essential step in changing atmospheric nitrogen into more usable NH3 is called .

Accepted Answer

A)  nitrification 
B)  denitrification 
C)  ammonification 
D)  biogeochemical cycling 
E)  nitrogen fixation 
A)  nitrification 
B)  denitrification 
C)  ammonification 
D)  biogeochemical cycling 
E)  nitrogen fixation

Question 11

Which of the following would reduce nutrient pollution in the Mississippi River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds?

Accepted Answer

A)  removing the "buffers" around streams because they acidify the water 
B)  closing or update sewage treatment plants that lack a process for removing nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater 
C)  removing wetlands that are contaminating the waterways with nutrient pollution from wildlife waste and decaying vegetation such as cattails 
D)  applying fertilizer to lawns and crops just before heavy rainstorms because the fertilizer would then infiltrate the soil rather than staying at the surface, where it can contaminate waterways 
E)  allowing storm runoff from streets and parking lots to enter waterways rather than capturing it in lagoons because the lagoons can contaminate groundwater aquifers 
A)  removing the "buffers" around streams because they acidify the water 
B)  closing or update sewage treatment plants that lack a process for removing nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater 
C)  removing wetlands that are contaminating the waterways with nutrient pollution from wildlife waste and decaying vegetation such as cattails 
D)  applying fertilizer to lawns and crops just before heavy rainstorms because the fertilizer would then infiltrate the soil rather than staying at the surface, where it can contaminate waterways 
E)  allowing storm runoff from streets and parking lots to enter waterways rather than capturing it in lagoons because the lagoons can contaminate groundwater aquifers

Question 12

Which of the following is the best example of an ecosystem service?

Accepted Answer

A)  a park ranger checking fishing licenses 
B)  the regulation of gas prices 
C)  a college environmental club cleaning up the shoulder of a highway 
D)  soil microbes fixing atmospheric nitrogen 
E)  a city cutting down a tree that is dying 
A)  a park ranger checking fishing licenses 
B)  the regulation of gas prices 
C)  a college environmental club cleaning up the shoulder of a highway 
D)  soil microbes fixing atmospheric nitrogen 
E)  a city cutting down a tree that is dying

Question 13

The three largest pools of the carbon cycle, in order, are .

Accepted Answer

A)  sedimentary rock, the atmosphere, and plants 
B)  oceans, sedimentary rock, and respiration 
C)  freshwater streams, the atmosphere, and plants 
D)  fertilizers, plants, and the atmosphere 
E)  sedimentary rock, oceans, and fossil fuels 
A)  sedimentary rock, the atmosphere, and plants 
B)  oceans, sedimentary rock, and respiration 
C)  freshwater streams, the atmosphere, and plants 
D)  fertilizers, plants, and the atmosphere 
E)  sedimentary rock, oceans, and fossil fuels

Question 14

Containing elements of both forests and coastal marshes, the swamplands of extreme southern Louisiana would be an example of .

Accepted Answer

A)  an ecotone 
B)  a closed ecosystem 
C)  a dead zone 
D)  an abiotic system 
E)  a superbiome 
A)  an ecotone 
B)  a closed ecosystem 
C)  a dead zone 
D)  an abiotic system 
E)  a superbiome

Question 15

The largest pool of carbon in the carbon cycle is .

Accepted Answer

A)  the hydrosphere 
B)  in plants and animals 
C)  sedimentary rock 
D)  the ocean 
E)  the atmosphere 
A)  the hydrosphere 
B)  in plants and animals 
C)  sedimentary rock 
D)  the ocean 
E)  the atmosphere

Question 16

The phosphorus in all biological tissues can be traced back to .

Accepted Answer

A)  phosphorus weathered from rock 
B)  phosphorus dissolved in the ocean and taken up by shellfish 
C)  volcanic activities 
D)  atmospheric phosphorus gas 
E)  phosphorus in animal bones 
A)  phosphorus weathered from rock 
B)  phosphorus dissolved in the ocean and taken up by shellfish 
C)  volcanic activities 
D)  atmospheric phosphorus gas 
E)  phosphorus in animal bones

Question 17

By damming rivers and creating reservoirs, we are .

Accepted Answer

A)  decreasing evaporation 
B)  increasing transportation 
C)  decreasing transpiration 
D)  increasing transpiration while decreasing evaporation 
E)  increasing evaporation 
A)  decreasing evaporation 
B)  increasing transportation 
C)  decreasing transpiration 
D)  increasing transpiration while decreasing evaporation 
E)  increasing evaporation

Question 18

In an aquatic ecosystem experiencing eutrophication, levels of dissolved macronutrients and dissolved oxygen levels .

Accepted Answer

A)  increase; increase 
B)  remain stable; increase 
C)  increase; decease 
D)  decrease; increase 
E)  decrease; decrease 
A)  increase; increase 
B)  remain stable; increase 
C)  increase; decease 
D)  decrease; increase 
E)  decrease; decrease

Question 19

Humans have dramatically altered the rate of nitrogen fixation into forms usable by autotrophs by .

Accepted Answer

A)  selectively removing leguminous plants 
B)  using antibiotics to reduce the numbers of denitrifying bacteria 
C)  burning of fossil fuels to meet our energy needs 
D)  increasing the erosion of farmlands through poor agricultural practices 
E)  producing synthetic fertilizers and applying them to crops, lawns, and parks 
A)  selectively removing leguminous plants 
B)  using antibiotics to reduce the numbers of denitrifying bacteria 
C)  burning of fossil fuels to meet our energy needs 
D)  increasing the erosion of farmlands through poor agricultural practices 
E)  producing synthetic fertilizers and applying them to crops, lawns, and parks

Question 20

Mutualistic relationships between bacteria and certain root nodules play an important role in the global cycling of .

Accepted Answer

A)  carbon 
B)  water 
C)  rock 
D)  phosphorus 
E)  nitrogen 
A)  carbon 
B)  water 
C)  rock 
D)  phosphorus 
E)  nitrogen

Exam 5: Economics, Policy, and Sustainable Development

Overall, it appears that terrestrial biomes with more available fresh water .

Which location on the map has the highest net primary productivity?

Biodiversity is partially influenced by net primary productivity (NPP). Where can the highest terrestrial rates of NPP be found?

Nitrogen and phosphorus are referred to as macronutrients because .

-Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from the data shown in the figure?

All of the following are fluxes in the hydrologic cycle EXCEPT .

Ecotones are the .

The majority of Earth's fresh water exists .

All of the following are considered Earth's structural spheres EXCEPT .

The first essential step in changing atmospheric nitrogen into more usable NH3 is called .

Which of the following would reduce nutrient pollution in the Mississippi River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds?

Which of the following is the best example of an ecosystem service?

The three largest pools of the carbon cycle, in order, are .

Containing elements of both forests and coastal marshes, the swamplands of extreme southern Louisiana would be an example of .

The largest pool of carbon in the carbon cycle is .

The phosphorus in all biological tissues can be traced back to .

By damming rivers and creating reservoirs, we are .

In an aquatic ecosystem experiencing eutrophication, levels of dissolved macronutrients and dissolved oxygen levels .

Humans have dramatically altered the rate of nitrogen fixation into forms usable by autotrophs by .

Mutualistic relationships between bacteria and certain root nodules play an important role in the global cycling of .

Science and Sustainability: an Introduction to Environmental Science

Environmental Systems: Matter, Energy, and Ecosystems

Evolution, Biodiversity, and Population Ecology

Species Interactions and Community Ecology

Human Population

Soil, Agriculture, and the Future of Food

Biodiversity and Conservation Biology

Forests, Forest Management, and Protected Areas

Environmental Health and Toxicology

Geology, Minerals, and Mining

Fresh Water, Oceans, and Coasts

Atmospheric Science, Air Quality, and Pollution Control

Global Climate Change

Nonrenewable Energy Sources, Their Impacts, and Energy Conservation

Renewable Energy Alternatives

Managing Our Waste

The Urban Environment: Creating Sustainable Cities

Sustainable Solutions

Answers to Data Analysis Questions

How to Interpret Graphs

Metric System

Periodic Table of the Elements

Geologic Time Scale Glossary Credits Index

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