Environmental Science Quiz

How can fertilizers used to improve lawns and gardens interfere with the equilibrium of an ecosystem?

• cause mutations in all plants

• cannot be absorbed by roots

• can be carried into local water supplies

• cause atmospheric pollution

Dumping raw sewage into a river will lead to a reduction in dissolved oxygen in the water. What will this reduction most likely cause?

• an increase in fish populations

• a decrease in most aquatic animal populations

• an increase in acid rain

• a decrease in water temperature

Many governments are limiting the use of toxic pesticides and enforcing stricter hunting and fishing laws. These efforts are attempts to

• produce nonbiodegradable pollutants

• prevent species extinction

• develop new farming techniques

• increase importation of organisms

Recycling solid wastes is an example of

• utilizing cover cropping techniques

• preventing erosion in landfills

• eliminating sulfur pollutants from the atmosphere

• conserving natural resources without harming the environment

Which negative human environmental influence is matched with the positive influence that has helped to correct it?

• overhunting – pollution controls

• disposal problems – species preservation

• importation of organisms – energy conservation

• pesticide use – biological control of insects

By causing atmospheric changes through activities such as polluting and careless harvesting, humans have

• caused the destruction of habitats

• affected global stability in a positive way

• established equilibrium in ecosystems

• replaced nonrenewable resources

Changes in the chemical composition of the atmosphere that may produce acid rain are most closely associated with

• insects that excrete acids

• runoff from acidic soils

• industrial smoke stack emissions

• flocks of migrating birds

The increased growth of the human population over the past 300 years is most likely due to

• a decrease in pesticide use

• the removal of natural checks on the population

• a decrease in the amount of farmland

• the elimination of predator populations

Which human activity would most likely deplete finite resources?

• use of natural enemies to eliminate insect pests

• development of wildlife refuges

• governmental restriction of industrial pollution

• uncontrolled population growth

The increased use of wind turbines and solar collectors to generate electric power will

• negatively affect ecosystems by increasing biodiversity

• negatively alter the chemical composition of soil and water

• reduce the amount of pollution that comes from the burning of fossil fuels

• increase oil consumption for business and industry