Environmental Science Final Exam Review

Front

What are the characteristics that define a mineral?

Back

A mineral has a definite chemical composition, crystal structure, and is naturally occurring.

Front

Which organism's extinction would likely have the MOST effect on the food web?

Back

Grains.

Front

What is the term for the regrowth of a forest after a devastating forest fire?

Back

Secondary succession.

Front

What does the graph indicate about the earth's temperature since 1960?

Back

The earth's temperature has steadily risen since the 1960s.

Front

From which organisms does the owl receive energy?

Back

Mouse and rabbit.

Front

Define primary succession.

Back

Primary succession is the process of ecological change that occurs in an area where no soil exists, such as after a volcanic eruption.

Front

What is secondary succession?

Back

Secondary succession is the process of ecological change that occurs in an area where a disturbance has destroyed an existing ecosystem but left the soil intact.

Front

What is the significance of keystone species in an ecosystem?

Back

Keystone species have a disproportionately large impact on their environment relative to their abundance, helping to maintain the structure of the ecosystem.

Front

Explain the concept of biodiversity.

Back

Biodiversity refers to the variety of life in a particular habitat or ecosystem, including the number of different species, genetic diversity, and ecosystem diversity.

Front

What is the greenhouse effect?

Back

The greenhouse effect is the warming of the Earth's surface due to the trapping of heat by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.