Unit 5: Earth and Human Impact

Which human activity would preserve nonrenewable resources?

• deforestation
• removing carnivores from a forest 
• recycling
• heating homes with fossil fuels  

Which human activity is correctly paired with its likely future consequence?

• overfishing in the Atlantic — increase in supply of flounder and salmon as food for people 
• development of electric cars or hybrid vehicles — increased rate of global warming 
• use of fossil fuels — depletion of underground coal, oil, and natural gas supplies 
• genetically engineering animals — less food available to feed the world’s population

Which human activity would most likely deplete nonrenewable resources?

• use of natural enemies to eliminate insect pests
• development of wildlife refuges 
• governmental restriction of industrial pollution 
• increased use of fossil fuels

Deforestation of areas considered to be rich sources of genetic material could limit future agricultural and medical advances due to

• the maintenance of dynamic equilibrium 
• the loss of biodiversity 
• an increase in the ecosystem’s carrying capacity
• the depletion of the ozone layer

Approximately 75 percent of the Earth's surface is covered in water. So why is water considered such a precious resource?

• The greenhouse effect is causing most of the world's freshwater to be trapped in the atmosphere
• Only a small fraction of the Earth's water is freshwater available for drinking and irrigation
• Each year, more freshwater is being trapped in icecaps located at the North and South Poles
• Global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions will likely cause Earth's oceans to evaporate

Many common products, such as wooden furniture, paper, and books, are made from trees. Which of the following is a likely consequence of humans cutting down a forest in order to make use of the natural resources there? 

• the decrease of chemical runoff into the oceans
• increased acid rain
• the increase of light pollution in cities
• the destruction of habitats

What are renewable resources?

• Resources that are used faster than they form
• a.  Resources that can replenish themselves over time
• a.  Resources that exist only in urban areas
• Resources that exist only in rural areas

Human activities that degrade ecosystems result in a loss of diversity of the living and nonliving environment.  Two ways in which humans frequently harm ecosystems and affect other organisms is through land use and pollution.

How does land use cause a reduction in biodiversity? 

• It decreases the space and resources available to certain species
• It causes herbivores to become carnivorous
• It provides a more hospitable living environment
• It causes all the natural Earth cycles to stop

Which of the following is a renewable resource?

• coal
• solar energy
• natural gas
• oil

The diagram shows the carbon cycle.  If many trees are removed from a forest by logging, what is the most immediate effect on the carbon cycle in that forest?

•  increase in the rates of decomposition
• increase in the rates of atmospheric carbon dioxide
• decreased combustion of fossil fuel
•  increase production of organic compounds