Exam 17: The Resource Cycle

Almost of the world's land area lies in drainage basins shared by two or more countries.

Resource acquisition and human activities are placing a growing demand on the Earth's water resources. Of the following, which is not adding stress to the water resource?

In the United States, the amount of arable soil lost to __________ at the beginning of the 1990s exceeded the amount of newly formed soil by almost 2 billion metric tons per year.

Over the past 40 or 50 years, modern farming methods have led to an enormous increase in agricultural __________ .

Since the 1920s, modern farming methods have led to an enormous increase in agricultural productivity.

One of the causes of mismanagement of natural resources is

On a global scale, forests harbor only small reserves of biodiversity and do not help to regulate the climate.

Sustainable development is the planned utilization of __________ resources to meet current needs without degrading ecosystems or jeopardizing the future availability of those resources.

Techniques of modern __________ will most likely be capable of producing food resources enough to feed a population of 8 to 10 billion people by the middle of the twenty-first century.

About how many years ago were metals first used?

The anthroposphere comprises the parts of the Earth system that have been modified by human actions.

On a global basis, which of the following areas have the highest water stress?

Clear-cutting is the most economically efficient and constructive way to harvest wood from a forest.

Managed forest plantations can help maintain the stock of forest resources, and they can replace the biodiversity of old-growth forests.