Land: Public & Private

Which of the following is not an example of the tragedy of the commons?

• Overgrazing by sheep on community-owned pastures

• Depletion of fish stocks in international waters

• Automobile congestion in Yellowstone National Park

• Depletion of soil minerals by farmers on private land

• Tropical deforestation due to clearing land for agriculture and then moving on to another location.

In the graph of population growth of the common pheasant, one of the world’s most hunted birds, X represents

• carrying capacity.

• maximum sustainable yield.

• resource depletion.

• endangered species designation.

• population overshoot.

Under the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which of the following would require the preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS)?

• The construction of a house on privately owned land

• The paving of a parking lot for a local business

• The expansion of an interstate highway

• The planting of trees in front of City Hall

• The revision of local zoning ordinances

Federally owned land in the United States can best be described as

• 25 percent of all land, with the majority of it in the west.

• 42 percent of all land, with the majority of it in the east.

• 28 percent of all land, with most of it in Texas.

• 20 percent of all land, with 10 percent of it in the west.

• 35 percent of all land, with the majority of it in the east.

The four major public land management agencies in the United States operate under the principle of multiple use. Which of the following uses is common to all four agencies' lands?

• Hunting

• Mining

• Grazing

• Timber harvesting

• Recreation

When we purchase an item, we are charged for the labor and supply costs of producing that item. However, we are not charged for the costs of any environmental damage that occurred in manufacturing that item. Those costs are known as

• externalities.

• the tragedy of the commons.

• the maximum sustainable yield.

• marginal costs.

• economic cost-benefit analysis.

Which of the following are environmental impacts of urban sprawl?

I Greater reliance on the automobile and increased fossil fuel consumption

II Increased consumption of land for housing and highway construction

III Loss of valuable farmlands

• I only

• II only

• I and II only

• II and III only

• I, II, and III

Which of the following was a significant cause of urban sprawl over the past 50 years?

• Migration of people from rural areas to large central cities

• Increased availability of public transportation

• Lower property taxes in urban areas

• Use of the federal gasoline tax to construct and maintain highways

• Improved infrastructure and reduced crime rates in urban areas

Which of the following is not an environmental benefit of smart growth?

• Reduced flooding

• Increased impervious surfaces

• Reduced fossil fuel consumption

• Increased open space

• Decreased water pollution

The tendency of a shared, limited resource to become depleted because people act out of self-interest for short-term gain is generally referred to as

• Capitalism

• Communism

• The invisible hand

• The tragedy of the commons

• The Hardin effect