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WorksheetsEnvironmental Science Review.
Total questions: 100
Worksheet time: 57mins
Which statement accurately describes effective scientists?
They are willing to believe in ideas, even if there is no supporting evidence.
They usually accept what they hear from others.
They prefer to deal with questions that involve opinions and personal preferences
They are open to results that change and may even refute a previously accepted idea
The easiest component of biodiversity to measure is
ecosystem diversity
species diversity
genetic diversity
ecosystem health
Which is the most direct way in which biodiversity can provide a source of income?
medicines
ecotourism
research
agriculture
If current trends continue, the modern geologic era, known as the Quaternary period, may see the extinction of
almost 20 percent of all species.
more than half of all species.
all species on Earth.
one or two species per century.
The Sikhote-Alin Mountains, and the Siberian tigers living on them, are separated from other mountain regions in which the tigers could live. The mountains are an example of a(n)
mass extirpation.
invasive species.
mass extinction.
habitat fragment.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the Convention on Biological Diversity are examples of
organizations that promote poaching.
polls measuring American opinion about biodiversity.
treaties to protect biodiversity.
laws to increase the number of species.
To manage, protect, and reintroduce threatened and endangered species are the goals of
wildlife corridors.
conservation concessions.
Species Survival Plans.
biodiversity hotspots.
Which of the following is an example of a method for managing whole ecosystems and habitats?
captive breeding
cloning
Species Survival Plans (SSPs)
mapping biodiversity hotspots
Relieving a nation from repaying some of the money it owes other nations in exchange for protecting its biodiversity is called a
debt-for-nature swap.
conservation concession.
Species Survival Plan.
wildlife corridor.
A region that includes tigers, eagles, lizards, fish, rabbits, and many other types of organisms would be described as having a high level of
taxonomic diversity.
genetic diversity.
ecosystem diversity.
species diversity.
Which is the highest level of biodiversity?
general diversity
ecosystem diversity
species diversity
genetic diversity
Which type of organism dwarfs all others in terms of species diversity?
plants
mammals
insects
protists
High levels of biodiversity tend to
have little or no effect on ecosystems
decrease an ecosystem’s resistance
make an ecosystem less resilient
increase the stability of an ecosystem
The disappearance of a particular population from a given area, but not of the entire species globally, is called
extirpation
extinction
poaching
fragmentation
By far, the biggest cause of biodiversity loss today is
climate change
over harvesting
habitat change and fragmentation
pollution
In the United States, what is the major law that protects biodiversity?
Convention on Biological Diversity
Endangered Species Act
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Species Survival Plan
Which of the following represents single-species approaches to protecting biodiversity?
building wildlife corridors
selling conservation concessions
captive breeding and cloning
mapping biodiversity hotspots
Day-to-day conditions in Earth’s atmosphere, such as “sunny and humid,” describe
climate
climatograph
weather
biome
In aquatic ecosystems, net primary productivity is related to
whether the water is fresh water or saltwater
the speed at which the water moves
available sunlight and nutrients
waves and tides
In the graph, the solid line represents precipitation and the dashed line represents temperature. What type of conditions are indicated by the areas of the graph labeled A?
hot
moist
dry
freezing
Which zone of an aquatic ecosystem tends to have more life—both producers and consumers?
aphotic zone
photic zone
benthic zone
All have roughly the same amounts of life
Which ecosystems are considered standing freshwater ecosystems?
lakes
wetlands
ponds
all of the above
Ecologists use similarities between ecosystems to classify them into broad categories called
biomes
littoral zones
estuaries
benthic zones
Which biome would have the lowest net primary production?
tropical rain forest
temperate grassland
coral reef
desert
To help them survive in the tundra, caribou have various adaptations, such as
thin coats of fur to prevent overheating
wide hooves for travel on mud and snow
a diet that consists mostly of deciduous tree leaves
the ability to hibernate
Which zone of an aquatic ecosystem tends to have the highest temperatures?
photic zone
aphotic zone
benthic zone
All have roughly the same temperatures
What is the difference between swamps and freshwater marshes?
Swamps have deep water, but marshes have shallow water
Swamps have mostly woody shrubs and trees, but marshes have mostly grasses
Swamps usually have saltwater, but marshes have fresh water
Swamps have lots of wildlife, but marshes do not
Where rivers flow into the ocean, mixing freshwater with saltwater, brackish ecosystems occur which are called
bogs
flood plains
estuaries
limnetic zones
In which ocean zones do crabs, mussels, anemone, barnacles, and sea stars live?
neritic
intertidal
open ocean
aphotic
What is the name of the type of large brown algae that grows from the ocean floor of continental shelves, reaching upward toward the sunlit surface?
coral
chiton
kelp
phytoplankton
The basic units of matter, the smallest units that maintain the chemical properties of an element, are called
atoms
lipids
compounds
molecules
Because of their large size, proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and lipids are together called
solutions
elements
hydrocarbons
macromolecules
Why is water often called “the universal solvent”?
It can dissolve many other molecules
Water can turn into a solid form
Water is a type of solution
It solves most of the world’s environmental problems
Which sphere of Earth is made of all the rock above and below Earth's surface?
lithosphere
geosphere
hydrosphere
Atmosphere
The lithosphere is carried on a softer, but still firm, layer of rock called the
geosphere
core
crust
asthenosphere
A change in state in which water returns to Earth's surface and changes from a vapor to a liquid is called
condensation
transpiration
evaporation
recharge
What products are created by the process of photosynthesis?
the sun's light and energy
oxygen and carbohydrates
phosphorus and nitrogen
carbon dioxide and water
The central core of very atom, containing particles called protons and neutrons, is called a(n)
electron
bond
nucleus
compound
Which type of macromolecule is composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sometimes sulfur, and can produce tissues, act as hormones, and serve as enzymes?
proteins
lipids
nucleic acids
carbohydrates
Water molecules are composed of
two oxygen atoms and two hydrogen atoms
one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms
two oxygen atoms and one hydrogen atom
one oxygen atom and one hydrogen atom
The thin layer of rock that forms Earth’s outer skin both on dry land and in the ocean is called Earth’s
core
crust
mantle
asthenosphere
Which of Earth’s spheres consists of the layers of gases surrounding our planet?
geosphere
biosphere
atmosphere
hydrosphere
What function does carbon dioxide play in Earth’s atmosphere?
It provides gas for humans to breathe
It provides a high level of protection from the sun’s radiation
It keeps Earth warm through the greenhouse effect
It provides liquids for animals to drink
Water which returns from the atmosphere to Earth’s surface as rain or snow is called
evaporation
transpiration
condensation
precipitation
What is the term for organisms, including plants and algae, that create their own food?
consumers
producers
legumes
decomposers
In extreme cases, eutrophication can lead to extremely low levels of oxygen in a body of water as decomposers break down all the dead producers, a condition called
hypoxia
nitrogen fixation
respiration
photosynthesis
Which of the following are common sources of phosphorus?
gases in the atmosphere
fertilizer and detergent
snow and rain
volcanoes
During the process of nitrogen fixation, nitrogen gas is converted to
water
phosphorus
ammonia
carbon dioxide
What type of plant is associated with nitrogen-fixing bacteria?
grain crops like wheat and oats
large evergreen trees
legumes, like soybeans
aquatic plants, like algae
A landslide causes part of a mountainside to fall away, leaving bare rock. In the years immediately following the landslide, the area will experience
primary succession
secondary succession
tertiary succession
a climax community
If these are present in a new environment, a species is unlikely to become invasive.
predators, parasites, and competitors
cane toads, kudzu, and zebra mussels
exotic species
symbiotic and commensalist species
A reintroduced population of wolves in a national park is 90 percent grey and 10 percent black, consistent with the wolf population in other regions. After several generations in isolation, the national park’s wolf population is 60 percent grey and 40 percent black. The wolf population has likely experienced
natural selection
genetic drift
mutations
migration
In Madagascar, several species of lemur eat bamboo, but each species specializes in one part of the bamboo—one species eats mature bamboo stalks, one species eats bamboo shoots, and one species eats leaves. This is an example of
speciation
resource partitioning
competition
niche partitioning
When energy is transferred between trophic levels, the amount of available energy lost is about
90 percent
50 percent
25 percent
10 percent
Any being that uses the sun’s energy to create sugars is a
primary producer
secondary producer
primary consumer
secondary consumer
Which best describes evolutionary success?
A successful organism possesses adaptive traits and is able to pass those traits on to numerous offspring which then reproduce.
A successful organism possesses traits that are different from traits in the rest of the population and that allow the organism to compete more successfully.
A successful organism produces more offspring than others in the population.
A successful organism possesses adaptive traits and produces more offspring than survive.
Around 65 million years ago, 95 percent of the planet’s species were wiped out, and the age of the dinosaurs ended. Which of the following best explains why we still have numerous species today?
The species that exist today were those that were not wiped out when the dinosaurs died.
The species that exist today evolved from surviving species to fill niches left vacant by the dinosaurs.
The species that exist today speciated due to separation among different populations.
The species that exist today have the potential to be as numerous as the ones that went extinct.
In the years immediately after a fire, a forest will experience
primary succession
secondary succession
tertiary succession
a climax community
An interaction in which an individual of one species kills and consumes an individual of another is called
predation
parasitism
herbivory
symbiosis
A beehive depends on pollen from flowers to survive. Flowers depend on bees to pollinate them. Humans tend bee hives, offering the bees a place to live in exchange for some of their honey. The relationship among these three sets of organisms is
parasitic
commensalist
symbiotic
mutualistic
The ultimate source of energy in an ecosystem in which deer eat grass and coyotes eat deer is
the grass
the sun
the deer
chemosynthesis
In a food web that consists of grass, mice, deer, coyotes, and hawks, which species is likely to have the greatest biomass?
grass
mice
coyotes
hawks
A niche restricted by competition is a
fundamental niche
realized niche
resource partitioned niche
displaced niche
In a mass extinction, the rate of extinction exceeds
99%
85%
the rate of environmental change
the rate of background extinction
A deer browsing on a shrub is an example of
predation
parasitism
herbivory
symbiosis
If Earth did not have an atmosphere, most of the energy from the sun would
be reflected back into space
be absorbed by Earth’s oceans
be absorbed by Earth’s landmasses
never reach Earth’s surface
What is the main cause for global wind patterns?
currents in the ocean affect the air above it
unequal heating of different parts of Earth
differences in elevation on different landmasses
greenhouse gases
What happens as a result of the ocean’s absorption of carbon dioxide?
It increases precipitation
It slows down prevailing winds
It causes a cooling effect
It speeds up ocean currents
Global warming refers specifically to an increase in
the number of storms on Earth
precipitation from Earth’s atmosphere
temperatures everywhere on Earth
Earth’s average surface temperature
As a result of global warming, some plant species in the mountains of California have
shifted their locations higher into the mountains
developed shorter root systems
increased the amount of area they cover
become extinct
What is the biggest danger posed by global warming to people living in coastal areas?
increased precipitation
increased acidity of seawater
lack of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
rising sea level
The amount of carbon dioxide emissions for which an individual or group is responsible is known as a
carbon sequestration
carbonic acid
carbon offset
carbon footprint
Which action can reduce the greenhouse gas emissions caused by driving?
taking more trips by car each day
driving gasoline-powered automobiles
using public transportation
living farther from the workplace
How can the planting of new trees help reduce climate change?
Trees help create breezes
Trees release moisture that cools the atmosphere
Trees take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during photosynthesis
Trees block the release of greenhouse gases from soil
Gases such as water vapor and carbon dioxide that trap heat near Earth are known as
global gases
greenhouse gases
proxy gases
offset gases
Prevailing winds move
warm air toward the equator
warm air away from the equator
cool air toward the poles
warm air away from the poles
Warm water is drawn away from the equator toward the poles by
El Niño
La Niña
the greenhouse effect
thermohaline circulation
Elevation and the presence of features such as mountains and rivers make up an area’s
topography
thermohaline
sequestration
greenhouse effect
How do volcanic eruptions affect weather?
Eruptions form clouds that drop large amounts of precipitation
Gases and particles may block sunlight and lower temperatures
Vibrations caused by eruptions shift ocean currents, which in turn affect weather
They cause a long-term increase in temperature
What has happened to global precipitation patterns during the last 100 years?
There is less precipitation all around the world
There is more precipitation all around the world
Some parts of the world are seeing more precipitation than ever before while other parts are seeing less
Nothing happened—precipitation patterns are the same today as in the past
Which human activity contributes the most carbon dioxide to the atmosphere?
fishing
breathing
burning fossil fuels
farming
How has global warming made it more difficult for polar bears to hunt the seals they feed on?
The population of seals has declined
Polar bears are forced to swim longer distances between ice sheets
Seals now have more places to hide
Polar bears are now being hunted more by other predators
What killed about 35,000 people in Europe in 2003?
a severe heat wave
lack of food
rapidly spreading disease
rising sea levels
What is the largest source of U.S. greenhouse gases?
agriculture
electricity generation
transportation
deforestation
About what percent of the fuel burned by an automobile actually moves the car down the road?
14 percent
34 percent
64 percent
84 percent
Factory A is allowed to release 100 units of carbon dioxide, but it only needs to release 75 units, so it plans to sell its 25 extra allowances to Factory B. What type of program does this demonstrate?
carbon footprint
carbon sequestration
cap-and-trade
Kyoto Protocol
What percentage of the atmosphere is composed of oxygen?
12 percent
21 percent
58 percent
78 percent
A ratio that compares the amount of water vapor the air contains to the maximum amount that the air could hold at that temperature is
temperature inversion
radiation
relative humidity
convection
What is the source of the energy that drives air movement in the troposphere and influences weather and climate?
ocean
volcanoes
ozone layer
sun
Carbon-containing fuels, or fossil fuels, formed millions of years ago from the remains of
gases in the atmosphere
chlorofluorocarbons
living organisms
volcanic eruptions
How does carbon monoxide affect human health?
It interferes with the body’s ability to deliver oxygen to cells
It irritates the throat and air passages
It helps the respiratory system function more efficiently
It depletes ozone, causing greater exposure to the sun’s rays
Normal precipitation has a pH of about 5.6. What pH might acid precipitation have?
4.6
7
9.6
12.6
Pollutants are removed or changed chemically before they leave factory smokestacks by a(n)
chlorofluorocarbon
scrubber
inversion
catalytic converter
How does the ozone layer benefit living things on Earth?
provides drinking water in the form of rain
protects life from the sun’s ultraviolet rays
is necessary for most living things to breathe
keeps Earth cool enough for life to survive
In which main layer of Earth’s atmosphere does most weather occur?
thermosphere
mesosphere
troposphere
stratosphere
The boundary between air masses that differs in temperature and moisture is called a(n)
front
ozone layer
thermosphere
convection current
Substances, such as smoke and carbon monoxide, released into the air are called
fossil fuels
scrubbers
air masses
emissions
How does carbon monoxide interfere with your body’s ability to deliver oxygen to cells?
It binds to oxygen and removes it from the respiratory system
It binds to hemoglobin, thus depriving cells of oxygen
It causes oxygen to break down in the atmosphere
It enters cells and forms a barrier to oxygen
The pH scale is used to measure
the amount of smog in a particular region
whether solutions are acidic or alkaline
wind speed
air pressure
Which of the following is a provision of the Clean Air Act?
It sets aside funds for research into pollution control
It limits the use of motor vehicles
It lets industries sue people who break the rules
It prevents states and Native American tribes from developing pollution regulations
