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NC Envirothon Aquatics Review

Total questions: 138

Worksheet time: 1hrs 9mins

Name
Class
Date
1.
Which of these is not an Aquatic Environment?
a)
Oceans
b)
Ponds
c)
Wetlands
d)
Fishing
2.
Humans are made up of ____water by weight and ____water by volume.
a)
40% ,60%
b)
60%, 40%
c)
60%, 70%
d)
70%, 60%
3.

What is the water portion of our planet called?

a)

Lithosphere

b)

Ecosphere

c)

Hydrosphere

d)

Aquasphere

4.

What is the scientific study of inland water bodies including lakes, ponds, streams and rivers and wetlands called?

a)

Oceanography

b)

Detritusology

c)

Limnology

d)

Profundology

5.
What percent of the earth’s water is easily available for use by life forms?
a)
0.01%
b)
0.75%
c)
3%
d)
0.003%
6.
At least Seventy five percent of the earth’s surface is covered by water.  A large part of the total amount of water is contained in oceans and seas.  What percent is fresh water?
a)
1%
b)
2%
c)
3%
d)
4%
7.
Which definition best describes Hydrosphere?
a)
Everything that surrounds an organism
b)
Scientific study of the ocean
c)
The water portion of Earth
d)
Any living things
8.
Which of the following is not part of the water cycle?
a)
Evaporation
b)
Transpiration
c)
Infiltration
d)
Limnation
9.

Some of the water that hits the Earth in the form of precipitation becomes groundwater. This is called:

a)

Runoff

b)

Infiltration

c)

Condensation

d)

Transpiration

10.

When considering the Hydrologic Cycle, which of the following terms is used to describe water changing from a liquid state to a gaseous vapor?

a)

Precipitation

b)

Infiltration

c)

Condensation

d)

Evaporation

11.

In the hydrologic cycle, the process in which water is released through leaf pores of a plant is called________.

a)

groundwater

b)

transpiration

c)

aeration

d)

evaporation

12.

Together the process of evaporation and transpiration are known as:

a)

Evapotranspiration

b)

Transevaporation

c)

Precipitation

d)

Evaporation

13.

Surface waters are divided into drainage basins based on____________.

a)

groundwater storage

b)

topography

c)

percolation rates

d)

county jurisdiction

14.

A watershed is also called ____________.

a)

a shed that holds water

b)

a tank that holds water

c)

a drainage basin.

d)

a drainage drum

15.

How many major river basins are in North Carolina?

a)

15

b)

16

c)

17

d)

12

16.

This is the boundary between the unsaturated upper layer of soil and rock and the saturated or water filled layer beneath.

a)

Zone of infiltration

b)

Water table

c)

Zone of saturation

d)

Recharge area

17.

This is a layer of porous, water-saturated sand, gravel or bedrock through which groundwater flows.

a)

Alluvium

b)

Eluvium

c)

Lithified

d)

Aquifer

18.

What is so unique about the chemical structure of water?

a)

Oxygen bonding and the resulting polarity between water molecules.

b)

Hydrogen bonding and the resulting polarity between molecules.

c)

The incredibly strong bond between water and molecules.

d)

The combination of two oxygen atoms and one hydrogen atom.

19.
If water’s polarity did not exist, how would water’s state change at room temperature?
a)
Water would still be a liquid at room temperature.
b)
Water would become a solid at room temperature.
c)
Water wouldn’t exist at room temperature.
d)
Water would be a gas at room temperature.
20.
_____________ is water that seeps down through the soil, fills voids in the soil and rock and is stored underground.
a)
Rockwater
b)
Groundwater
c)
Pondwater
d)
Acidwater
21.

This is the area of land through which water passes downward or sideways into an aquifer.

a)

Recharge area

b)

Water table

c)

Zone of saturation

d)

Zone of infiltration

22.
The water molecule is created by one oxygen atom combining with two _____atoms to create an asymmetrical bond by sharing electrons.
a)
helium
b)
pure water
c)
hydrogen
d)
nitrogen
23.
All of the following are unique properties of water except:
a)
Strong surface tension
b)
High heat capacity
c)
Low level of heat energy require to change from a gas to liquid
d)
High latent heat capacity
24.

_____________ describes the land of our Earth.

a)

Geosphere

b)

Hemisphere

c)

Jurrasic Park

d)

Hydrosphere

25.
The movement of water into the atmosphere is called:
a)
Condensation
b)
Evaporation
c)
Infiltration
d)
Upsensation
26.
Where water and air meet is called the __________.
a)
air-water interface
b)
surface tension
c)
liquid
d)
solid
27.

Light is essential for photosynthetic organisms, plants, algae and blue-green bacteria . These forms of life are only possible where light penetrates, and by about ______ feet below the surface, all light has been absorbed.

a)

500

b)

600

c)

900

d)

800

28.
Water acts as a buffer against temperature changes due to its___________.
a)
polarity
b)
latent heat capacity
c)
heat evaporation
d)
capillary action
29.
Water environments provide shielding from damaging __________________for the organisms that make them their home.
a)
winds
b)
pollutants
c)
viscosity
d)
ultraviolet radiation
30.
Under normal conditions, water contains ____ times less oxygen for a given volume than air.
a)
30
b)
50
c)
20
d)
60
31.
Viscosity is the resistance to __________.
a)
freezing
b)
transparency
c)
flow
d)
dissolving
32.
Which definition best fits an ecosystem?
a)
Zone of air, land and water.
b)
Populations of living things in a small area.
c)
All the communities of living things in an area and the abiotic, non-living portions of the environment
d)
All members of one species living in a given area.
33.
Which definition best describes a habitat?
a)
The place or environmental conditions in which particular organisms live.
b)
The zone of air, land and water.
c)
All living things sharing food, water, shelter and space.
d)
None of the above.
34.

Organisms living in saltwater must get rid of excess salts, (minerals). Oceanic birds do this ______________.

a)

through urination

b)

through evaporation through their wings

c)

through a gland below the eyes

d)

by blowing them out through their nose

35.
Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit, _______degrees Celsius.
a)
50
b)
100
c)
150
d)
none of the above
36.
The _____________ is the zone of air, land, and water at Earth’s surface where organisms can live.
a)
biosphere
b)
ecosystem
c)
niche
d)
none of the above
37.

Producers (plants) eaten as dead matter are called __________.

a)

detritivores

b)

decomposers

c)

detritus

d)

none of the above

38.
Which organism is dependent on detritus for their main food source?
a)
Lenticels
b)
Shrimp
c)
Cattails
d)
Cteniod
39.
A few aquatic invertebrates actually eat aquatic _______, not just detritus.
a)
mussels
b)
plants
c)
roast
d)
none of the above
40.
Algae can range from tiny, microscopic floating organisms to the giant ________ forests of    the Pacific Ocean.
a)
pine
b)
fish
c)
kelp
d)
coral
41.
Bacteria and fungi are examples of which of the following:
a)
Decomposers
b)
Scavengers
c)
Producers
d)
Parasites
42.
Organisms within a niche that make their own food using sunlight, carbon dioxide, water and minerals are called_________.
a)
consumers
b)
carnivores
c)
herbivores
d)
producers
43.
Organisms that eat plants and animals are called__________.
a)
carnivores
b)
herbivores
c)
detritivores
d)
omnivores
44.

Partially decomposed bits of leaves and organic matter that has fallen into the stream is known as _______.

a)

drift

b)

vernal

c)

detritus

d)

sludge

45.
Organisms which break down dead plant or animal matter are called_______.
a)
producers
b)
decomposers
c)
herbivores
d)
omnivores
46.
A food chain is a very simplified view of feeding relationships.  A more realistic view of what happens within an ecosystem is a food_____.
a)
web
b)
network
c)
system
d)
series
47.
On an average, each organism only receives what percentage of the energy taken in by the organism it eats?
a)
2%
b)
5%
c)
20%
d)
10%
48.
The main energy source used to fuel the energy pyramid is the __________.
a)
earth
b)
nuclear
c)
water
d)
sun
49.
All animals are part of a food chain.  Which of the choices below is a true representation of a food chain going from bottom to top?
a)
Plankton-minnow-largemouth bass-otter-bream.
b)
Otter-largemouth bass-bream-minnows.
c)
Plankton- minnows-bass-mink.
d)
Minnow-bream-largemouth bass.-plankton.
50.
The model of the flow of energy through an ecosystem is called a(n) _______.
a)
water cycle
b)
food chain
c)
energy pyramid
d)
nitrogen cycle
51.
In the aquatic energy pyramid, this is a secondary consumer.
a)
Caddisfly Larva
b)
Green Sunfish
c)
Largemouth bass
d)
Great Blue Heron
52.
This Pyramid shows the relative population size at each trophic level in an ecosystem.
a)
Energy Pyramid
b)
Aquatic Numbers Pyramid
c)
Egyptian Pyramid
d)
None of the above
53.
This Pyramid shows the loss of useful energy at each step of the food chain.
a)
Energy Pyramid
b)
Aquatic Numbers Pyramid
c)
Photosynthesis Pyramid
d)
Egyptian Pyramid
54.
Beavers build their own habitat by creating beaver ponds.  In the process of making their own habitat, beavers are also making habitat for other plants and animals.  Beavers are considered a(n) __________species.
a)
indicator
b)
keystone
c)
important
d)
host
55.
What is the term for a species that has been introduced into another area?
a)
Exotic
b)
Native
c)
Keystone
d)
Predator
56.
A species which is eliminated from a habitat would cause many other species to disappear or be harmed are known as _________ species.
a)
indicator
b)
alien
c)
native
d)
keystone
57.
A species that is a non-native species oftentimes having few natural predators and out competing native species is called ____________ species.
a)
keystone
b)
exotic
c)
biotic
d)
indicator
58.

A mature, or eutrophic pond has all but the following:

a)

Aquatic plants

b)

Thin layer of sediment

c)

Plankton

d)

Invertebrates

59.
The carrying capacity of an ecosystem refers to:
a)
The amount of pollutants an ecosystem can tolerate before it collapses.
b)
The range that an animal or plant can tolerate outside the ecosystem.
c)
The number of species that an ecosystem can support.
d)
The amount of biome an animal has with it on its migration.
60.
Carrying capacity in aquatic ecosystems varies usually by ____________ and food supply.
a)
seasons
b)
food web
c)
symbiosis
d)
biotic interactions
61.
In aquatic ecosystems, sunlight, mineral nutrients and temperature are all examples of _______________ that can determine carrying capacity?
a)
range of tolerance
b)
limiting factors
c)
algal bloom
d)
thermal pollution
62.
__________can be a natural process where decomposing plants cause a decrease in oxygen in the water.
a)
Precipitation
b)
Oxidation
c)
Denitrification
d)
Eutrophication
63.

What is the number one water pollutant in NC streams?

a)

Waste from hog farms.

b)

Chemicals deposited by industries.

c)

Sediment.

d)

Oil and gas that escapes from road and parking lots.

64.

Animals that swim freely through the water, such as fish, squid, turtles, frogs and snakes are categorized as:

a)

Zooplankton

b)

Phytoplankton

c)

Benthos

d)

Nekton

65.
_________________ is the sharp change in temperature that can harm or kill aquatic organisms.
a)
Algae blooming
b)
Thermal shock
c)
Range of tolerance
d)
None of the above
66.

Organisms that passively drift, or are weak swimmers are called_______.

a)

plankton

b)

zooplankton

c)

phytoplankton

d)

all of the above

67.

___________ are organisms that live on the bottom of aquatic environments.

a)

Nekton

b)

Benthos

c)

Aquatic mammals

d)

Plankton

68.

Which vertebrate class listed below is NOT matched with the correct fish?

a)

Agnatha – hag fish

b)

Chondrichthyes – lamprey

c)

Osteichthyes – shortnose sturgeon

d)

Chondrichthyes – stingray

69.

A shark would be an example of this class of fish:

a)

Osteichthyes

b)

Agnatha

c)

Placoid

d)

Condrichthyes

70.
There are approximately ____________ species of cartilaginous fish.
a)
600
b)
500
c)
700
d)
474
71.

Dorsal fins help a fish stay in one place and are located near it’s___________.

a)

sides

b)

tail

c)

belly

d)

back

72.

Which is not a fish fin?

a)

Dorsal

b)

Placoid

c)

Anal

d)

Caudal

73.
Draining Wetlands is another threat to aquatic ecosystems. This is not a reason why wetlands are drained.
a)
To eliminate the bad smell that comes from them.
b)
To eliminate the insects that come from them.
c)
Change in land use for housing, businesses or farming.
d)
To free captive birds.
74.
During winter the surface water cools below ______, and if it is cold enough, ice forms as the water reaches 0 ° C.
a)
12 ° C
b)
10 ° C
c)
4 ° C
d)
7 ° C
75.

Some fish, such as the rainbow trout, also have a tiny rounded fin between the dorsal fin and the tail fin called a(n) ____________ fin.

a)

denticles

b)

barbels

c)

adipose

d)

elongated

76.
You can tell a fish’s age by studying_____.
a)
a single scale
b)
the size of its eyes
c)
the length of his jawbone
d)
the number of gills
77.

Fish scales have _______, or growth rings, which help determine the age and growth rate.

a)

opercula

b)

gill slits

c)

annuli

d)

barbels

78.
Why are fish scales covered with a slimy coating?
a)
To make it hard for you to grab when catching fish.
b)
To protect them from parasites.
c)
To make it easier for them slip away from sharks.
d)
None of the above.
79.

This body shape of a fish is the most efficient design for continuous fast swimming over long distances but has poor maneuverability.

a)

Fusiform

b)

Streamline

c)

Slender

d)

Elongated

80.

Which type of body shape would allow fish to move quickly throughout the water?

a)

Flattened shaped

b)

Broad shape

c)

Pan shape

d)

Sreamlined shaped

81.

Among the most important internal structures of the fish is the _________, that helps them keep a certain position in the water.

a)

swim bladder

b)

vertebra

c)

brain

d)

kidney

82.
Different aquatic animals without lungs have adapted, in some interesting ways, to obtain oxygen while living in the water.  _______ trap air, carrying their own little air pocket, or “diving bubble” with them.
a)
Mussels
b)
Water spiders
c)
Water scorpions
d)
Diving beetles
83.

The ________ is important to freshwater fish to help rid them of excess water that enters their body.

a)

intestine

b)

liver

c)

kidney

d)

statocysts

84.

Muscle segments, called ___________ allow the fish to swim by contracting and relaxing.

a)

myomeres

b)

liver

c)

statocysts

d)

milt

85.
The type of pollution that can smother fish eggs and kill young aquatic life is called:
a)
Sediment
b)
Acid rain
c)
Industrial
d)
Thermal
86.
Which layer of water allows photosynthesis to take place?
a)
Benthic
b)
Aphotic
c)
Photic
d)
Neutral
87.
Sunlight is a limiting factor in aquatic environments because it only penetrates about 100 feet below the water’s surface.  The zone is called the ______zone
a)
lighting
b)
benthic
c)
eutrophication
d)
photic
88.
Which is true in an aquatic ecosystem?
a)
Carbon dioxide levels are low at deeper depths.
b)
Shallow waters usually lack an adequate supply of nitrogen.
c)
A small change in the water temperature has little effect on fish.
d)
Dissolved oxygen is higher near the surface of the water.
89.
River waters contain an average of 0.01% dissolved salts while sea water contains an average of _____% dissolved salts.
a)
2.5
b)
3.5
c)
3
d)
4
90.
Acid precipitation is a result of ________and nitrogen oxides forming acids when they react with water in the atmosphere.
a)
phosphorous
b)
sulfur
c)
carbon dioxide
d)
carbon monoxide
91.
Crayfish would most likely be found in which habitat or zone in a lake or pond?
a)
Surface film
b)
Benthic
c)
Pelagic
d)
Profundal
92.
Which zone is just below the aphotic light zone?
a)
Benthic
b)
Photic
c)
Abenthic
d)
Submergent
93.
Seawater is usually slightly alkaline, with a pH of _______.
a)
7.9
b)
8
c)
8.1
d)
8.3
94.
Freshwater bodies usually have a pH between ____and____.
a)
5.6 / 7
b)
5.8 / 7
c)
5.7 / 7
d)
5.9 / 9
95.
Bodies of water can be divided into depth zones based largely on the amount of _______ available.
a)
energy
b)
space
c)
sunlight
d)
fish
96.
_____________ waters are freshwater and saltwater mixed.
a)
Pond
b)
Brackish
c)
Hydro
d)
Anaerobic
97.
Which major category of wetlands can be determined by its general location being a fresh  water lake or pond?
a)
Palustrine
b)
Lacustrine
c)
Riverine
d)
Marine
98.
 A wetland is commonly defined by having the 3H’s: Hydrophytic plants, Hydrology and __.
a)
Hydric soils
b)
High grass
c)
Human effects
d)
None of the above
99.
Which of the following is a Lotic ecosystem?
a)
Swamp
b)
Marsh
c)
Upland stream
d)
Lake
100.
Wetland systems associated with rivers and streams are?
a)
Palustrine
b)
Lacustrine
c)
Riverine
d)
Estuarine
101.
One of these is not a category that represents freshwater ecosystems.
a)
Riverine
b)
Palustrine
c)
Lacustrine
d)
Marine
102.
Wetlands are an important part of our planet’s hydrosphere.  All of these facts are benefits  from wetlands except:
a)
They increase water flow improving dissolved oxygen.
b)
They help filter out pollutants.
c)
They are sanctuaries for endangered species.
d)
They help control floods.
103.
Which statement best describes a swamp?
a)
Dominated by woody plants-trees and shrubs.
b)
Characterized by herbaceous plants.
c)
Characterized by evergreen trees.
d)
None of the above.
104.

If you were sampling a freshwater wetland that was along a lakeshore, how would you categorize it?

a)

Palustrine

b)

Estuarine

c)

Lacustrine

d)

Marine

105.
Which statement best describes the marsh ecosystem?
a)
Dominated by woody plants-trees and shrubs.
b)
Characterized by herbaceous plants such as cattails.
c)
Characterized by evergreen trees and shrubs.
d)
Deepest standing water.
106.
Which of the following is NOT an example of a lentic ecosystem?
a)
Upland stream
b)
Marsh
c)
Bog
d)
Swamp
107.
Which statement best describes the standing water ecosystem Pocosin?
a)
Characterized by evergreen trees and shrubs.
b)
Smaller, shallower version of a lake.
c)
Boggy shrub wetland with spongy ground
d)
Deepest type of standing water.
108.
Meanders, riffles, drift, floodplain, and detritus and flowing are all words associated with which type of water?
a)
Saltwater
b)
Lotic
c)
Groundwater
d)
Lentic
109.
Main consumers in marshes include all but the following:
a)
Ducks
b)
Muskrat
c)
Crocodile
d)
People
110.
What is the greatest threat to upland streams?
a)
Development
b)
Farming
c)
Pesticides
d)
Sediment
111.

A meander in a river may curve so much that it loops back on itself and cuts a new straighter channel. This may create a crescent shaped lake that becomes cut off from the river. These new lakes are often called________.

a)

meandering loops

b)

oxbow

c)

morphing

d)

quarter moon loops

112.
Factors that impact the velocity of a stream is______.
a)
gradient
b)
size
c)
discharge
d)
all of the above
113.
The _______ of North Carolina and Virginia has bald cypress mixed with other swamp hardwoods.
a)
Okefenokee Swamp
b)
Barley Barber Swamp
c)
Honey Island Swamp
d)
Dismal Swamp
114.
___________is when an excess of nutrients causes a large increase in plant growth, but then when the nutrients are gone, the plants die and the bacteria use most of the waters oxygen.
a)
Eutrophication
b)
Pond succession
c)
Catadromous
d)
None of the above
115.
Which source of pollution cannot be identified?
a)
Point source pollution
b)
Non-point source pollution
116.
How many stages are there in Pond Succession?
a)
3
b)
5
c)
7
d)
10
117.
Beavers were trapped for their fur, and by what year were they extinct in North Carolina?
a)
1910
b)
1920
c)
1930
d)
1900
118.
What year were beavers reintroduced to N.C.?
a)
1919
b)
1929
c)
1939
d)
1909
119.
Lakes in the latter stages are called________.
a)
eutrophic lakes
b)
mesotrophic lakes
c)
oligotrophic lakes
d)
none of the above
120.
Beaver ponds have their own __________ cycle.
a)
water
b)
life
c)
thermal
d)
eating
121.
The boundary between the warmer water near the surface and the colder water below is called __________________________
a)
metalimnion
b)
epilimnion
c)
thermocline
d)
hypolimnion
122.
Which one of these is not a temperature layer in a lake.
a)
Epilimnion
b)
Hydromnion
c)
Hypolimnion
d)
Metalimnion
123.
Which type of wetland is one of the most distinctive type of wetland?
a)
Marsh
b)
Swamp
c)
Bog
d)
Bays
124.
Why is it easy to recognize a marsh?
a)
Dominated by herbaceous plants.
b)
Dominated by evergreens.
c)
Full of ball cypress trees.
d)
None of the above.
125.
These are depressions that are filled with rainwater part of the year, usually in winter and spring and are dry the remainder of the year.
a)
Bogs
b)
Vernal pools
c)
Pocosins
d)
Prairie pot holes
126.

The open ocean zone is the expanse of the open waters of our oceans. This zone is also called the _______zone.

a)

bathyal

b)

pelagic

c)

abyssal

d)

euphotic

127.
 The Federal Water Pollution Control Act was passed in 1972 and was renamed the Clean Water Act in 1977.  The main goal of the act was to:
a)
Make all US surface water safe for fishing and swimming.
b)
Restore the physical, biological, and chemical integrity of the waters.
c)
Control non-point source pollution.
d)
All of the above.
128.
Policy setting national standards for seven outdoor pollutants, including sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides.
a)
The Nitrogen Policy
b)
The Clean Air Act
c)
The Wetland Policy
d)
The Water Cycle Act
129.
Nitrogen and phosphorus are two common sources of nutrient pollution that enters bodies of water by leaching and direct runoff.  Choose the most likely source of these nutrient pollutions.
a)
Decomposing vegetation
b)
Cars and other vehicles
c)
Plastic litter
d)
Commercial fertilizers
130.
What chemicals entering the atmosphere from a coal fired power plant result in acid deposition?
a)
Hydrogen sulfate and nitrogen oxides.
b)
Sulfur and nitrogen oxides.
c)
Calcium carbonate and sulfur oxides.
d)
Phosphorous and nitrogen.
131.
Best management practices for effectively controlling nutrient pollution include all BUT:
a)
Clear cutting of old growth forests.
b)
Fertilizer management.
c)
Use of riparian areas and buffers.
d)
Storage of animal waste and calculated application rates.
132.
An example of a water quality chemical test to determine if excess nutrients are present is:
a)
Dissolved Oxygen
b)
pH
c)
Turbidity
d)
Nitrates
133.
 Water temperature can impact all of the following, EXCEPT:
a)
Dissolved oxygen levels.
b)
Amount of soil runoff into a body of water.h 3
c)
Rate of plant growth.
d)
Metabolic rate of an organism.
134.

Which is true about this piece of equipment?

a)

It is used to collect bacteriological samples.

b)

It is used to collect invertebrates in less than one foot of water.

c)

It is used to collect plankton.

d)

It is used to collect aquatic invertebrates in moving water.

135.

What is the Secchi Disc used for?

a)

Determine the photic zone, or depth to which light penetrates.

b)

Collect samples of fish and other organisms.

c)

Used for scooping up or collecting benthic invertebrates.

d)

Used to gather samples of insects.

136.

What is the Surber Sampler used for?

a)

Determine the photic zone, or depth to which light penetrates.

b)

Collect samples of fish and other organisms.

c)

Used for scooping up or collecting benthic invertebrates.

d)

Used to gather samples of insects, larvae and other aquatic life in shallow streams (less than 1 foot deep).

137.

Which macroinvertebrate would NOT be found in taxa group #1?

a)

Mayflies

b)

Stoneflies

c)

Gilled snails

d)

Damselflies

138.

Which taxa group would you find water pennies?

a)

Group 1

b)

Group 2

c)

Group 3

d)

Group 4