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WorksheetsFall Semester Review
Total questions: 78
Worksheet time: 1hrs 24mins
Environmental science is the study of the interaction of humans with the environment. Which of these would NOT be included as part of the environment?
What the soil is made of.
Animals and plants in the region and surrounding areas
The average temperature, wind, precipitation, and other climate factors
All of these would be considered part of the environment.
Environmental science is an interdisciplinary field of study. This means that…
It is limited to only one branch of science; ecology
Each environmental issue is specific to only one type of science
Multiple branches of science only (biology, chemistry, etc) are covered
Many science and non-science fields of study, such as economics and politics, are included
Pollution that is ______ will not break down over time. A good example would be __________________.
Biodegradable / A Styrofoam box
Biodegradable / A banana peel
Nonbiodegradable / An aluminum can
Nonbiodegradable / Wood products
Select the most accurate and complete definition of biodiversity
The number of different species within an ecosystem
The total number of animals within an ecosystem
The sum total of every organism in an ecosystem
The amount of a single species of organism within an ecosystem. (e.g. 150 cheetahs)
The Hetch Hetchy dam construction was one of the first debates between the anthropocentrist and ecocentrist environmental philosophies. What decision was eventually made regarding the dam?
A dam was built in another location that was not a National Park.
The dam was built in the Hetch Hetchy valley
A dam was constructed, then later removed
No dam was constructed; San Francisco had to find another source of fresh water
The modern environmentalism movement was sparked in part by the book Silent Spring, which studied the effects of DDT on bird populations. This movement was the first time the public began expressing concerns over which major environmental problem?
Lack of open space.
Loss of biodiversity
Pollution
Unequal distribution of resources between developed and developing countries
Which example best illustrates the point behind the Tragedy of the Commons essay?
Various nations overfishing in international waters, leading to a collapse of fish stocks
A property owner clear-cutting all of the trees on his land to sell for timber
A farmer that overplants his corn one year, leading to a poor harvest
One country declaring war on another
According to the Law of Supply and Demand, if the amount of oil extracted worldwide were to increase and the demand stayed the same, the price of oil should _____________.
Increase
Decrease
Remain stable
Fluctuate randomly
Which of the following statements is true regarding primary succession?
The soil is already present, so pioneer species grow very quickly
Happens after a disturbance to an ecosystem, such as a forest fire or flood
A climax community can be reached in only 150-200 years
This type of succession starts on new land, so it takes much longer to occur
Which type of forest would you expect to see trees turning changing color from green to red, orange, and yellow during the fall?
Deciduous Forest
Tropical Rain Forest
Boreal Forest
This happens in all these forests
Which layer would have shorter plants with wider leaves (like ferms) to gather the 5-10% of sunlight that hasn’t already been captured?
A
B
C
D
Which layer(s) would you expect to see a greater population of decomposers?
A
B
C
D
Why are there so few trees in prairies, or temperate grasslands?
There is not as much precipitation as in the forest biomes
The shifts in temperature from winter to summer are greater than in forest biomes
Prairies are subject to periodic fires. Trees cannot regenerate from fires like grasses can.
All of the above
What is the advantage of trees having needle-shaped leaves?
The leaves are more likely to be eaten by herbivores
The leaves lose water at a greater rate
Needle-shaped leaves do not need to be dropped every winter like broad leaves
Needle-shaped leaves have a greater surface or photosynthesis than broad, flat leaves
What type of forests has a majority of trees with leaves that look like this?
Tropical rain forests
Boreal forests. (Taiga)
Deciduous forests
All of the above
Which would be classified as a polar desert?
The Atacama, 25°S, 65°W
The McMurdo Dry Valleys, 78°S, 162°E
The Sahara, 23°N, 12°E
The Great Sandy Desert, 20°S, 125°E
Based on its geographic coordinates, which of these would be classified as a coastal desert?
The Atacama, 25°S, 68°W
The McMurdo Dry Valleys, 78°S, 162°E
The Sahara, 23°N, 12°E
The Great Sandy Desert, 20°S, 125°
Sustainability is defined as…
Consuming at a rate to satisfy the current generation
Rapidly increasing resource consumption over time
Maintaining a rate of resource consumption that will allow the population to survive indefinitely
Not consuming any resources at all
Which of these statements best describes a hypothesis, compared to a theory?
Broad explanation that covers a lot of ground
Based on many experiments and a high amount of data
A specific prediction that can be tested with a single experiment.
An example would be evolution or plate tectonics
Which of the following is true about scientific theories?
They are permanent. Once established, they are never changed or altered
They are considered unreliable and not accepted by most scientists
They are a specific, testable prediction made before an experiment begins
a. They are broad explanations based on large amounts of data and research
A new explanation, idea, or claim would probably be considered pseudoscience if…
The results or data claimed were not reproducible
The scientific method was followed exactly
Multiple experiments conducted by many scientists produced similar results
The results have been shared and discussed by other scientists
An experiment is conducted. The researchers perform 3 trials, average the data, then write a conclusion based on their results. A second group of scientists repeats this experiment, however, they conduct 10 trials. Which is likely to have more accurate results?
The first group that conducted 3 trials
The second group that conducted 10 trials
Both are equally accurate
What is the primary reason for scientists across the world working as a community rather than individually?
So that each scientist can work on a separate theory
Sharing equipment costs
Experimental results must be repeatable; Peer review checks for bias and accuracy
To ensure different people are not repeating the same experiment
Everything in the universe is composed of energy and matter. Which one of these examples does not represent matter?
An atom of gold
A lake filled with water
The air in the atmosphere
Heat from the sun
The nucleus of the atom contains…
Protons only
Protons and neutrons
Neutrons only
Electrons, protons, and neutrons
Which of these is not an example of a molecule
Oxygen gas (O2)
Water (H2O)
Carbon (C)
Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)
Which of these makes up the greatest part of air?
Nitrogen
Oxygen
Water
Carbon dioxide
Joseph Priestley performed an experiment where a candle was lit and placed under a sealed jar. The candle eventually went out. What did he discover?
Nitrogen
Oxygen
Water
Carbon Dioxide
A rollercoaster full of people stopped at the top of a large hill has a lot of _________________.
Potential Energy
Kinetic Energy
Both kinetic and potential energy
None of the above; it has no energy
Which of these wavelengths of energy is used by plants to perform photosynthesis?
a. Ultraviolet
a. Infrared
a. Visible – Blue
a. Visible – Green
Which of these organisms is capable of the following reaction:
6 H2O + 6 CO2 + solar energy----->C6H12O6 + 6 O2
Decomposing fungi
Humans
Fish
Grass
What is the explanation for the presence of a rainforest in the Northwest, so far away from the equator?
The forest is on the windward side of the Olympic and Rocky Mountains.
The forest is in the leeward side of the Olympic and Rocky Mountains
The forest has coastal effects of being near the Pacific Ocean
Both A and C are correct
Which statement describes the relationship between altitude and temperature?
As altitude increases, temperature increases.
As altitude increases, temperature decreases.
There is no relationship between latitude and altitude
Which statement describes the relationship between latitude and temperature?
As latitude increases, temperature increases
As latitude increases, temperature decreases
There is no relationship between latitude and temperature
What are the two most significant abiotic factors that influence what type of biome is found in a geographic area? Choose two.
Wind speed
Humidity level
Average temperature
Average precipitation
What is the carrying capacity of this ecosystem?
0.5 million
0.9 million
1.6 million
2.0 million
What year does this population first begin to experience an overshoot?
1825
1845
1860
1875
Which of these would be a density-dependent growth limiting factor that a population might experience as it approaches the carrying capacity of an ecosystem?
Climate change
A natural disaster, such as a hurricane
Greater rates of disease
Populations don’t usually experience limiting factors like this
Which pattern of population growth exceeds the carrying capacity, eventually causing a population crash?
Logistic growth
Exponential growth
Linear growth
None of the above
Which pattern of population growth takes the shape of an “S”, and slows as it reaches the carrying capacity?
Logistic growth
Exponential growth
Linear growth
None of the above
Given the classification information above, what is the correctly formatted scientific name of the cougar
Puma Concolor
felinae concolor
Puma concolor
Felidae concolor
Only about a fifth of the species on Earth have been identified. Most of the species that have not yet been identified are probably…
Insects
Mammals
Birds
Reptiles or Amphibians
Wolves and dogs are very closely related animals. Wolves have certain behaviors and physical adaptations as a result of ___________________. Dogs have different behaviors and physical features due to _____________________.
Natural selection, artificial selection
Artificial selection, natural selection
Divergent speciation, convergent speciation
Convergent speciation, divergent speciation
Flying squirrels and sugar gliders have similar body designs – they both have flaps of skin under their arms and legs to help them glide slowly between trees. However, they live on different continents and are not that closely related. What is this an example of?
Divergent speciation
Convergent speciation
Competition
None of the above
What area on this graph would have the maximum size population?
A
B
C
D
E
Which area is experiencing a zone of physiologic stress, resulting in a decreased population due to too little of the critical factor?
A
B
C
D
E
Imagine you have a seed. That seed is planted and grows into a huge tree weighing thousands of pounds. Where did most of the mass of that adult tree come from?
Hydrogen and oxygen from water
Carbon and oxygen from air
Sunlight
Potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen from the soil
Complete the following statement: “Energy _______________, while matter _____________ through the environment.”
Flows, flows.
Flows, cycles
Cycles, flows.
Cycles, cycles
The Earth is a closed system to…
Water
Carbon
Nitrogen
All of the above
Assume that an ecosystem has 5,000 kcal worth of producers growing it in at any given time. Approximately how many calories would be available to a primary consumer, such as a caterpillar?
5,000 kcal
500 kcal
50 kcal
5 kcal
Which type of ecosystem would you expect to have the smallest and simplest web?
A harsh, dry desert
A lush tropical rainforest
A dense broadleaf forest
A coral reef.
Which animal represents a secondary consumer?
Trees
Grasshopper
Bird
Snake
If you did a complete population count of all the animals and plants in this ecosystem, what would you expect to see the least of?
Trees
Birds
Snakes
Grasshoppers
Most cars on the road today are 25-30% efficient. Someone claims to have invented a car that can take the potential energy within gasoline and convert 100% of it into kinetic motion without waste. What law of thermodynamics does this violate?
First Law: Energy cannot be created or destroyed, it only changes form
Second Law: During each transformation, some energy is given off in the form of heat
Both laws are violated
Neither law is violated
If you were going to set up an aquarium to grow the greatest amount of plankton and algae possible, which of these conditions would be a good idea?
Keeping the water as cold as possible (without freezing it)
Covering the aquarium so sunlight cannot get in.
Providing extra nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous in the water.
You would want to do all of these to achieve maximum plankton growth.
Which ecosystem has no photosynthesis, with organisms relying instead on decomposing matter called “marine snow”?
Coastal Zone
Benthic Zone
Open Ocean
Tidal Zone
Which ecosystem is sometimes referred to as a “marine desert,” due to its lack of life?
Coastal Zone
Benthic Zone
Open Ocean
Tidal Zone
This is the most productive ecosystem in the ocean. It is formed as the result of a tiny animal and algae living in a mutualistic relationship.
Mudflat
Sandy Shore
Rocky Shore
Coral Reef
The change in sea level from high to low tide is the result of…
The gravitational effects of the sun.
The gravitational effects of both the moon and the sun.
Wind
Small earthquakes on the ocean floor.
Benefits of wetlands include…
Increased levels of biodiversity.
Flood control; absorbing excess water.
Naturally removing sediment and pollution.
All of the above
What are the two most important abiotic factors in determining the productivity, or amount of life in different areas of the ocean? Choose two.
Amount of sunlight
Wind and wave speed
Nutrient levels in the water
Amount of dissolved oxygen in the water
Of the three types of inland freshwater wetlands, which one would you expect to find no trees, and a normal pH level?
Swamp
Marsh
Bog
All of the above
If you wanted to sample for phytoplankton and zooplankton, which section of the river would you expect to find the most?
Source
Transition Zone
Mouth/Delta
Course
Which sample came from the source of the river?
A
B
C
D
Which sample came from the mouth or the delta?
A
B
C
D
Driving home, you pass through a warmer area with a lot of farm land. You notice a pond near the road that is thick with coating of green algae. This is a ______________ pond.
Oligotrophic
Eutrophic
Mesotrophic
Of the three zones in the pond shown, which would you expect to see little or no photosynthesis, and a greater population of decomposers?
A
B
C
Which zone in the pond would you expect the greatest amount of biological diversity
A
B
C
Classify each of the following organisms as: plankton (A), nekton (B), benthos (C), or decomposers (D).
Diatoms, a type of green algae.
A
B
C
D
Classify each of the following organisms as: plankton (A), nekton (B), benthos (C), or decomposers (D).
Bacteria
A
B
C
D
Classify each of the following organisms as: plankton (A), nekton (B), benthos (C), or decomposers (D).
Clams
A
B
C
D
Classify each of the following organisms as: plankton (A), nekton (B), benthos (C), or decomposers (D).
Blue Fin Tuna
A
B
C
D
What University is Coach Savoy's favorite?
University of Texas
Texas A&M University
University of North Carolina
Sam Houston State University
Match the abiotic factors in ecosystems with the correct definition:
Tends to be higher in cold waters near the source of a river.
Dissolved Oxygen
Salinity
Turbidity
Nutrients
Match the definition in ecosystems with the correct abiotic factor:
Cloudiness of the water.
Dissolved Oxygen
Salinity
Turbidity
Nutrient Levels
Match the definition in ecosystems with the correct abiotic factor:
Dissolve in water from land. Examples are nitrates and phosphates.
Dissolved Oxygen
Salinity
Turbidity
Nutrients
Match the definition in ecosystems with the correct abiotic factor:
Dissolved salt in the water.
Dissolved Oxygen
Salinity
Turbidity
Nutrients
Match the definition in ecosystems with the correct abiotic factor:
Amount of heat energy in the water.
Dissolved Oxygen
Turbidity
Salinity
Temperature
