APES Exam Review 2017

Species diversity can be quantified by using which of the following sets of data about an ecosystem?

• The number of species and the area

• The number of individuals of each species and the net primary productivity

• The number of species and the number of individuals of each species

• The number of individuals of each species and the area

The goals of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act include which of the following?

• To prevent the unsafe disposal of high-level radioactive wastes at sea
• To prevent the illegal disposal of hospital waste contaminated with infectious agents
• To prevent the unsafe disposal of hazardous wastes on land
• To clean up abandoned hazardous waste sites

A scientist wishes to test the effects of different amounts of water and fertilizer on yields of corn. In a series of experimental fields, she varies the supply of water and the amount of fertilizer applied to a given strain of corn and measures the yield of the crop that results. In this experiment, which is/are the dependent variable(s)?

• Corn yield and the variety of corn
• Corn yield
• Water supply
• Amount of fertilizer and variety of corn strain

A fig tree that provides shelter and fruit that are essential to the survival of numerous other species is an example of

• A keystone species
• An exotic species
• An indicator species
• An endemic species

Which of the following would decrease one’s ecological footprint?

• Eating more meat
• Walking to school rather than driving
• Eating more processed and packaged food
• Purchasing a larger home

Fishing licenses are a legislative attempt to avoid which of the following?

• A tragedy of the commons
• A cost-benefit analysis
• The enforcement of the Endangered Species Act
• A negative feedback loop

Which of the following does NOT emit greenhouse gases?

• The decomposition of animal waste
• The burning of biomass
• The photosynthesis of oceanic phytoplankton
• The production of photovoltaic cells

It is determined that a soil sample is composed of 42% sand, 15% clay, and 43% silt. According to the soil triangle, which of the following is the soil texture of the soil?

• Loam
• Clay
• Silt loam
• Sandy loam

Of the following, the largest storage reservoir of the world’s freshwater is

• The atmosphere
• Lakes
• Groundwater
• Living organisms

The U.S. law that requires developers to study the environmental impact of projects funded by the federal government is

• RCRA
• NEPA
• CITES
• ENSO