AP Environmental Science Quiz

What type of interaction is most likely occurring between the invasive fly and the Galápagos tree finches, given that the flies reduce finch mating success?

• Commensalism

• Mutualism

• Parasitism

• Competition

Two bird species feed on insects in different parts of the same tree. This is an example of:

• Predator-prey relationship

• Resource partitioning

• Mutualism

• Parasitism

Which country has the largest temperate deciduous forest area?

• Australia

• Brazil

• Chile

• United States

Where is the majority of Earth's freshwater stored?

• Groundwater

• Ice caps and glaciers

• Lakes

• Oceans

How does burning fossil fuels increase atmospheric carbon?

• It decreases photosynthesis by blocking sunlight.

• It releases sequestered underground carbon into the atmosphere.

• It produces carbon forms that plants cannot absorb.

• It increases carbon absorption by oceans.

Which human activity is the main driver of the rising CO2 levels measured at Mauna Loa?

• Reduction of ozone in the atmosphere

• Melting of polar ice caps

• Increased fossil fuel consumption

• Increased solar energy output

If an invasive plant thrives in poor soil and later the soil shows high nitrogen levels, what process likely occurred?

• Weathering of rocks releasing nitrogen

• Nitrogen fixation by bacteria

• Plants producing nitrogen in leaves

• Phosphorus depletion leaving nitrogen behind

Which process converts nitrate and nitrite ions into nitrogen gas?

• Nitrification

• Denitrification

• Assimilation

• Ammonification

Which of the following elements cycle through the environment with a gaseous phase?

• Carbon only

• Sulfur only

• Carbon and Sulfur

• Carbon, Phosphorus, and Sulfur

In the phosphorus cycle, the largest phosphorus reservoir is:

• Plants

• Sediments

• Soil

• Oceans