Deck 16: Physical Cycles and the Biosphere

Question 1

A human's body is approximately _____ percent water.

A) 10
B) 50
C) 65
D) 90

Answer 1

C

Question 2

__________ power(s) the movement of water between reservoirs.

A) Clouds
B) Glaciers
C) Temperature changes
D) The sun

Answer 2

D

Question 3

When a coral reef turns white, it means that the reef is

A) dead.
B) healthy.
C) in a dormant state.
D) spreading.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

With regard to the water cycle, water moves from the ocean to the __________ to the land to the __________ and back to the ocean.

A) atmosphere; clouds
B) atmosphere; freshwater ecosystems
C) clouds; atmosphere
D) freshwater ecosystems; atmosphere

Question 5

The most abundant gas in the atmosphere is

A) carbon dioxide.
B) hydrogen.
C) nitrogen.
D) oxygen.

Question 6

Over the past 50 years, the atmospheric level of carbon dioxide has

A) decreased.
B) increased slightly.
C) more than doubled.
D) stayed the same.

Question 7

When a gas changes from a gas into a liquid, it is called

A) condensation.
B) evaporation.
C) melting.
D) sublimation.

Question 8

The largest reservoir of freshwater is the

A) atmosphere.
B) glaciers.
C) lakes and rivers.
D) ocean.

Question 9

The presence of an El Niño event may produce damaging __________ changes in a coral reef.

A) chemical
B) pH (a measure of acidity)
C) temperature
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 10

Nodules containing nitrogen-fixing bacteria can be located on the roots of

A) beans and corn.
B) beans and peas.
C) beans and wheat.
D) wheat and corn.

Question 11

Polar bears are being affected by temperature changes because

A) these changes reduce their habitat.
B) they have less hunting success.
C) they have less available water.
D) More than one of these answers is correct.

Question 12

The algae that live within the coral reefs exhibit __________ relationship with the coral itself.

A) a parasitic
B) a predator-prey
C) a symbiotic
D) no

Question 13

Which of these categories has the shortest residence time?

A) atmosphere
B) glaciers
C) rivers
D) soil

Question 14

Sublimation refers to the process of converting a

A) gas into a liquid.
B) liquid into a gas.
C) solid into a gas.
D) solid into a liquid.

Question 15

Approximately _____ percent of the Earth's water is salt water.

A) 3
B) 50
C) 65
D) 98

Question 16

Coral reefs consist of __________ polyps, which duplicate via __________ reproduction.

A) identical; asexual
B) identical; sexual
C) unique; asexual
D) unique; sexual

Question 17

The largest reservoir of carbon is

A) living organisms.
B) oceans.
C) sedimentary rocks.
D) the soil.

Question 18

Carbon primarily cycles between

A) animals and plants.
B) animal wastes and rocks.
C) plants and the atmosphere.
D) soil and the atmosphere.

Question 19

The bleaching of a coral reef may be due to

A) exposure to chemicals.
B) human activities.
C) temperature changes.
D) all of these

Question 20

Commercial fertilizers often add _______________ to the soil.

A) carbon and nitrogen
B) carbon and phosphorus
C) nitrogen and phosphorus
D) nitrogen and water

Question 21

Which form(s) of nitrogen is(are) unusable by plants?

A) ammonium
B) nitrates
C) nitrogen gas
D) More than one of these answers is correct.

Question 22

A _______________ is a region where all of the rain eventually flows into a specific river.

A) groundwater region
B) residence time zone
C) sublimation area
D) watershed

Question 23

Heat from the sun allows water to __________ through plant __________.

A) condense; photosynthesis
B) condense; transpiration
C) evaporate; photosynthesis
D) evaporate; transpiration

Question 24

Polar bears are classified as a threatened species because

A) they have reduced hunting success.
B) they have reduced reproductive success.
C) their habitat is decreasing in size.
D) all of these

Question 25

The greenhouse gas that has the longest residence time is

A) carbon dioxide.
B) chlorofluorocarbons.
C) nitrous oxide.
D) water.

Question 26

Photosynthesis utilizes __________, and the burning of fossil fuels generates __________.

A) carbon dioxide; carbon dioxide
B) carbon dioxide; oxygen
C) oxygen; carbon dioxide
D) oxygen; oxygen

Question 27

The primary pathway by which carbon is transferred from nonliving reservoirs to living organisms is

A) nitrification.
B) photosynthesis.
C) transpiration.
D) none of these

Question 28

Since the Industrial Revolution, the amount of methane in the atmosphere has __________, and the amount of nitrous oxide has __________.

A) decreased; decreased
B) decreased; increased
C) increased; decreased
D) increased; increased

Question 29

Which of the following elements cannot be utilized directly from the atmosphere by plants?

A) carbon
B) nitrogen
C) oxygen
D) phosphorus

Question 30

When examining ice cores for seasonal information, the summer layers appear __________ because the ice there is __________ dense.

A) dark; less
B) dark; more
C) light; less
D) light; more

Question 31

Scientists have studied atmospheric conditions over the last century and have noted that the atmospheric carbon dioxide level has __________ and global temperatures have __________.

A) decreased; decreased
B) decreased; increased
C) increased; decreased
D) increased; increased

Question 32

Greenhouse gases cause an increased temperature on the Earth's surface because they

A) absorb solar radiation.
B) help bounce long-wave radiation off of the Earth's surface.
C) trap heat in the atmosphere.
D) More than one of these answers is correct.

Question 33

An overgrowth of algae is often directly the result of

A) fertilizer run off.
B) too little rainfall.
C) too little sunlight.
D) too much sunlight.

Question 34

The term weather differs from climate because

A) climate includes the barometric pressure, whereas weather does not.
B) climate includes the dew point readings, whereas weather does not.
C) climate includes both the barometric pressure and dew point readings, whereas weather does not.
D) climate represents weather over time.

Question 35

Fossil fuels are primarily the result of

A) animal bones.
B) animal wastes.
C) decaying plants.
D) worn-away rocks.

Question 36

Of the following carbon reservoirs, which contains the lowest mass of carbon?

A) atmosphere
B) oceans
C) sedimentary rock
D) soil

Question 37

The backbone of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins is

A) carbon.
B) nitrogen.
C) oxygen.
D) water.

Question 38

Since the Industrial Revolution, the pH of the oceans has __________, making the water more __________.

A) decreased; acidic
B) decreased; basic
C) increased; acidic
D) increased; basic

Question 39

Two-thirds of the available freshwater is

A) used as drinking water for animals.
B) used as drinking water for humans.
C) used for irrigation.
D) wasted.

Question 40

The water from rivers eventually flows into

A) aquifers.
B) groundwater.
C) oceans.
D) surface water runoff.

Question 41

Some people say that China's number one export is air pollution. This is because

A) large countries have a higher population, and therefore, more cars and machinery to produce pollutants.
B) many countries do not have monitored emission standards.
C) wind patterns bring smog from China to the West Coast of the United States.
D) all of these

Question 42

Chapter 16 mentioned that less than 3 percent of the water on Earth is freshwater. There are organisms that have adjusted to the salinity of the oceans, but humans are not among them. Therefore, scientists are working on various desalination procedures-methods of removing the salt from ocean water. These desalination procedures are quite expensive and require advanced technology. Aside from the cost, what do you see as other potential drawbacks of performing desalination on a large scale?

Question 43

As you have learned in Chapter 16, global warming is taking place. Some sources estimate that the temperature on Earth will increase about 0.5 degrees Celsius over a 100-year period. Although scientists do not agree on the amount of increase, let's presume that this will result in an approximate seven-inch rise in sea level. Assuming that global warming continues at this pace, when approximately would a town located at 10 feet above sea level be submerged?

A) in 600 years
B) in 1700 years
C) in 2100 years
D) in 3000 years

Question 44

As you have learned in Chapter 16, global warming is taking place. Some sources estimate that the temperature on Earth will increase about 0.5 degrees Celsius over a 100-year period. Although scientists do not agree on the amount of increase, let's presume that this will result in an approximate seven-inch rise in sea level. If a national park is located at twenty inches above sea level, when approximately will it be fully submerged?

A) in 100 years
B) in 200 years
C) in 300 years
D) in 400 years

Question 45

Why do environmentalists ask inhabitants of waterfront properties to reduce their use of plant fertilizers?

A) The fertilizers may be toxic to microbes.
B) The fertilizers may encourage soil erosion.
C) The plants may start using more water.
D) The runoff from plants may bring about an algal bloom.

Question 46

People often talk about each of our "carbon footprints." What do you think that means?

A) how much carbon dioxide we exhale
B) how much carbon dioxide we inhale
C) how much carbon dioxide is generated from photosynthesis
D) how much carbon dioxide is generated from the burning of fossil fuels to sustain one's lifestyle

Question 47

Which of the following events could occur if global warming continues at a rapid rate?

A) Low-lying land areas may be submerged.
B) Tropical diseases may spread north.
C) Tropical species may be able to survive in more northern climates.
D) all of these

Question 48

As you have learned in Chapter 16, global warming is taking place. Some sources estimate that the temperature on Earth will increase about 0.5 degrees Celsius over a 100-year period. Although scientists do not agree on the amount of increase, let's presume that this will result in an approximate seven-inch rise in sea level. When a national park (located at twenty inches above sea level) is initially submerged, how much would you expect the temperature to have increased?

A) 0.8 degrees Celsius
B) 1.0 degrees Celsius
C) 1.5 degrees Celsius
D) 2.0 degrees Celsius

Question 49

As you have learned in Chapter 16, global warming is taking place. Some sources estimate that the temperature on Earth will increase about 0.5 degrees Celsius over a 100-year period. Although scientists do not agree on the amount of increase, let's presume that this will result in an approximate seven-inch rise in sea level. Let's look at town A that has an average nightly temperature of 22 degrees Celsius. Some species of pythons have been released by overwhelmed owners and are breeding in more southern locations. These snakes require a nighttime temperature no lower than 25 degrees Celsius. In how many years will the pythons be able to survive in town A?

A) in 60 years
B) in 600 years
C) in 1200 years
D) in 1500 years

Question 50

From 1980 to 2000, the global temperature

A) stayed the same.
B) increased less than 0.5 degrees.
C) increased exactly 0.5 degrees.
D) increased more than 0.5 degrees.