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Earth Science Review

Total questions: 65

Worksheet time: 33mins

Name
Class
Date
1.
An area that collects precipitation (rainfall) into streams and rivers and drains the water to the lowest point is called this.
a)
aquifer
b)
divide
c)
water table
d)
watershed 
2.

There are many different watersheds in the United States. The boundaries of a watershed are determined by

a)

number of people in the region

b)

the number of rivers

c)

height of the land

d)

type of weathering

3.

A __________ is where sediments often build up at the mouth of a river, where it enters a larger body of water.

a)

delta

b)

alluvial fan

c)

deposition

d)

topography

4.

Able to allow water to pass through

a)

Impermeable

b)

Runoff

c)

Ground water

d)

Permeable

5.
Most water pollution is the result of __________________.
a)
natural processes
b)
animal waste
c)
human activities
d)
acid rain
6.

Surface runoff in a watershed that empties into the Mississippi river watershed has become polluted by sewage and fertilizers.

Which of the following environments might become polluted as a result?


I. surface water in the watershed

II. the groundwater in the watershed

Ill. the ocean that the Mississippi river flows into

a)

I only

b)

ll only

c)

I and ll

d)

l, ll, and lll

7.

The name of the line that is the upper level of the zone of saturation:

a)

Zone of Saturation

b)

Zone of Aeration

c)

Water Table

8.
What is the water that fills the cracks and spaces in underground soil and rock layers called?
a)
Groundwater
b)
Water Table
c)
Precipitation
d)
Snow
9.
Precipitation that does not soak into the ground is called this.
a)
aquifer
b)
erosion
c)
surface water
d)
water table
10.
How does freezing water cause the weathering of rocks?  The freezing water—
a)
keeps the rocks in place
b)
makes the rocks last longer
c)
expands cracks and breaks rocks
d)
causes rocks to fall in landslides
11.
What type of weathering is it when acid rain breaks down and changes the rock?
a)
chemical weathering 
b)
physical weathering
c)
erosion
12.
Is this an example of mechanical or chemical weathering?
a)
Mechanical weathering
b)
Chemical weathering
c)
It is deposition not weathering
d)
It is erosion not weathering
13.
These rocks were made smooth by wind blowing smaller rock particles across their surface.  This is an example of:
a)
ice wedging
b)
chemical weathering
c)
acid rain
d)
abrasion
14.
How are canyons formed?
a)
Wind blows sand into high piles, which form the canyon walls.
b)
Rivers erode soil and rock over time, leaving behind canyon walls.
c)
Gravity causes rocks to fall from mountain sides onto valley floors.
d)
Ice freezes and thaws in cracks of rocks, and the cracks become canyons.
15.

Watersheds contain both groundwater and surface water. Gravity causes water to seep into the ground or flow downhill to the lowest point. How can groundwater become surface water?

a)

Groundwater cannot flow up against the force of gravity, so ground water cannot become surface water

b)

The surface of the land is below the level of the water table and a stream or lake will form

c)

The rocks become less permeable

d)

That's just crazy talk. Groundwater stays in the ground forever.

16.
Some ecoregions of Texas experience frequent droughts during the hot summer months.  A drought would have which effect on the water table?
a)
The water table would disappear
b)
The water table would rise
c)
The water table remain the same
d)
The water would fall
17.

Laura was creating a Venn diagram to compare an alluvial fan and a delta. Which statement would she place in the center?

a)

Sediments are deposited by water when it slows down

b)

Formed at the base of mountains (dry land)

c)

Formed at the base of rivers when they reach bays, oceans or large lakes

d)

Alluvial fans and deltas have nothing in common.

18.
Water moving over the surface of the earth is the major agent of erosion.  A desert ecoregion does not receive much rain so you could predict that region would have
a)
more soil erosion
b)
less soil erosion
c)
the same amount of soil erosion as any other region of the state
d)
many trees
19.

Wind and rain are major causes of erosion. Which area of Texas would most likely be affected by wind and rains from hurricanes?

a)

Edward's plateau

b)

Gulf coast prairie

c)

Piney Woods of East Texas

d)

Cross timbers

20.

Deltas and alluvial fans are both formed by the deposition of rivers when the water slows down and the sediments fall out of the the water. How is a delta different from an alluvial fan.

a)

A delta is at the base of a mountain and an alluvial fan is at the top of the mountain

b)

An alluvial fan is at the base of a mountain and a delta is where the river empties into a lake, bay or ocean

c)

Deltas and alluvial fans are the same thing

d)

Deltas get larger and turn into alluvial fans.

21.

Succession that occurs in an area with no soil

a)

ecological succession

b)

primary succession

c)

secondary succession

d)

pioneer species

22.

The first organisms that appear in an ecological community are called

a)

secondary species

b)

primary species

c)

succession species

d)

pioneer species

23.
How do lichens contribute to primary succession?
a)
Lichens decompose organic matter from animals and plants
b)
Lichens begin to break down rock to form soil
c)
Lichens are nitrogen fixing bacteria
24.

Natural disasters such as flooding and tornadoes are linked to ________________.

a)

primary succession

b)

secondary succession

c)

both primary and secondary succession

d)

pioneer species

25.
The final stable community of plants and animals is called:
a)
pioneer community
b)
farmland
c)
climax community
d)
old field
26.
What is Ecological Succession?
a)
Competition between plants in a society
b)
A natural disaster such as a flood or fire
c)
The cycle of a tomato plant
d)
The change an ecosystem experiences over time
27.
A garden was cleared out, but had to be left alone for a month. What would you expect to see?
a)
lichens and mosses
b)
grasses and weeds
c)
a fully blossomed garden
d)
bushes and small trees
28.
What is the order of succession shown in this figure?
a)
A, B, C, D
b)
B, A, D, C
c)
C, D, A, B
d)
D, A, B, C
29.
What type of succession is shown going from figure A to figure B?
a)
primary succession
b)
eutrophication
c)
secondary succession
d)
intermediate
30.

What is the other name given to lichen or algae during primary succession?

a)

pioneer species

b)

volunteer species

c)

founder species

d)

conqueror species

31.

How do lichens break down rock?

a)

With tiny hammers

b)

Chemical weathering, using acids from their roots

c)

lichens produce oxygen that cause oxidation

d)

lichens use root pry followed by ice wedging

32.
After a volcanic eruption, lava covers the land. What is the order that plants grow to repopulate the area?
a)
Lichens → Shrubs → Grasses → Trees
b)
Lichens → tree → shrubs→Grasses
c)
Grasses → Lichens → Shrubs → Trees
d)
Lichens → Grasses → Shrubs → Trees
33.
What is the correct order from oldest (happened first) to youngest (happened last) in this pond succession?
a)
A, B, C, D
b)
D, C, B, A
c)
B, A, D, C
d)
C, D, A, B
34.

Reaches a climax community quicker because soil has already been formed

a)

primary succession

b)

secondary succession

c)

both types of succession

35.
Succession type?
a)
primary succession
b)
secondary succession
c)
tertiary succession
d)
variable succession
36.

During succession, as biodiversity increases ----

a)

consumers enter before producers

b)

producers enter, followed by consumers

c)

only producers develop

d)

only the species of consumers add to the biodiversity as they wait for the plants to grow

37.
How is secondary succession different from primary succession?
a)
Secondary succession occurs after a disturbance in an area that was previously uninhabited.
b)
Secondary succession occurs after a disturbance in an area in which the soil has remained intact.
38.
species diversity eventually increases
a)
primary succession 
b)
secondary succession
c)
both types of succession
39.

As an ecologist, how do you know when the climax community has formed?

a)

There is biodiversity

b)

There is less change in plant and animal species

c)

Equilibrium has been reached

d)

all of the above

40.

Ten years ago in an abandoned lot, there was once only dirt and grass. Now there are many species of plants and animals. What can you infer about the process that happened there?

a)

People came and planted all the plants

b)

People left rocks there so lichens could make more soil

c)

There are more nutrients in the soil as the plants die, decompose and regrow every year.

d)

Animals will dig up the plants.

41.

Why is primary succession so much slower than secondary succession?

a)

It takes hundreds of years to develop soil so that plants can grow

b)

Plants grow slowly in areas of primary succession

c)

Both types of succession take the same amount of time

42.

Many areas of California were destroyed by fire. Those areas will begin the process of succession to restore equilibrium. What would happen to the process if the fires happened annually (every year).?

a)

The areas could never reach the final stage of succession

b)

Fires would burn the soil down to rock

c)

Fires would clear the land and make more room for trees and birds

d)

Water used to fight the fires would decrease the aquifer

43.
How is mechanical weathering different from chemical weathering?
a)
Chemical weathering happens over much shorter time frame than mechanical weathering.
b)
Chemical weathering changes the chemical composition of rocks; mechanical weathering does not.
c)
Chemical weathering occurs only in tropical climates; mechanical weathering occurs only in cool climates.
d)
Chemical weathering occurs only in the mountains; mechanical weathering occurs only on flat land.
44.
The diagrams  shows a natural process that weathers rock.
 Which statement best explains why this process results in weathering?
a)
frozen water acts as a solute
b)
water expands when it freezes
c)
the mass of water increases when it freezes
d)
frozen water dissolves most types of rock
45.

This catastrophic event starts by lightening or a careless human..

a)

Volcano

b)

Tornado

c)

Wildfire

d)

Drought

46.
What catastrophic event is caused by an unusually large amount of water for an area?
a)
Hurricane
b)
Flood
c)
Blizzard
d)
Tsunami 
47.
A long period with no rain is called a...
a)
Earthquake
b)
Wildfire
c)
Drought
d)
Tornado 
48.

Which of these is NOT an impact to the ecosystem after a hurricane?

a)

Fires throughout the area

b)

Poor water quality in the area

c)

Erosion of beaches

d)

Massive flooding

49.
Tornadoes can negatively affect an ecosystem when
a)
the saltwater they bring kills off burrowing insects
b)
their strong winds uproot many of the important plants
c)
the rise in water level they produce introduces harmful salt
d)
they bring higher temperatures favored by birds
50.
Which of the following natural disasters have had the LEAST impact on TEXAS
a)
hurricanes
b)
floods
c)
tornadoes
d)
earthquakes
51.

What catastrophic event could cause plants to die due to salt water invasion?

a)

Hurricane

b)

Tornado

c)

Flood

d)

Wild Fire

52.

What forms at the mouth of a river as it enters the ocean and deposits sediments?

a)

ponds

b)

deltas

c)

tributaries

d)

creeks

53.
What causes damage in a hurricane?
a)
Winds
b)
Flooding
c)
Storm Surge
d)
All of the above
54.

Catastrophic events impact ecosystems as well as people

a)

True

b)

False

55.
Hurricane Katrina had a dramatic affect on many coastal areas along the Gulf of Mexico.  The following pictures show a stretch of beach in Texas before and after the storm made landfall.  What effect will the storms erosive damage most likely have on this section of beach in the future?
a)
The higher ocean level will decrease the amount of sand being brought onto the beach, making the beach smaller.
b)
The loss of vegetation along the coast will increase the amount of beach erosion in the future, making the beach smaller.
c)
The loss of vegetation along the coast will decrease the amount of beach erosion in the future, making the beach bigger.
d)
The higher ocean level will increase the amount of sand being brought onto the beach, making the beach bigger.
56.
John was changing the oil in his truck. He dumped the used oil around a fence post to keep weeds from growing. John didn't know it, but he was hurting the environment because the oil —
a)
rots the base of the fence post and attracts harmful insects
b)
goes deep into the soil and pollutes the groundwater
c)
kills weeds and they are an important part of the environment
d)
attracts more insects that will take over his yard
57.
Plants prevent soil erosion by-
a)
holding dirt in place with their roots
b)
providing food for herbivores
c)
the process of photosynthesis
d)
releasing water into the atmosphere through transpiration
58.

Deltas and alluvial fans are both formed by the deposition of rivers when the water slows down and the sediments fall out of the the water. How is a delta different from an alluvial fan.

a)

A delta is at the base of a mountain and an alluvial fan is at the top of the mountain

b)

An alluvial fan is at the base of a mountain and a delta is where the river empties into a lake, bay or ocean

c)

Deltas and alluvial fans are the same thing

d)

Deltas get larger and turn into alluvial fans.

59.

What is the relationship between ecological succession and equilibrium in an ecosystem?

a)

Ecological succession helps maintain equilibrium in an ecosystem.

b)

Ecological succession prevents ecosystems from ever reaching equilibrium.

c)

There is no relationship between ecological succession and equilibrium.

d)

Ecological succession and equilibrium are the same thing

60.

A hurricane hits a coastal prairie and destroys the habitat. Years later there is an appearance of small plants with rapidly spreading roots on newly formed coastal sand dunes. This vegetation describes--

a)

a microhabitat

b)

primary succession

c)

secondary succession

d)

biodiversity

61.

What is the main difference between primary and secondary succession?

a)

primary begins with soil formation and secondary starts with soil intact

b)

primary is the first stage and secondary is the second stage

c)

primary builds plant communities and secondary builds animal communities

d)

primary occurs after natural disasters and secondary occurs after disturbances to the ecosystem

62.
Stable, final stage of succession
a)
adaptation
b)
pioneer species
c)
niche
d)
climax community
63.
Which catastrophic event would likely result in trees being knocked over and the disappearance of most plants and animals along a narrow path in a forest ecosystem?
a)
Tornado
b)
Volcanic Eruption
c)
Flash Flood
d)
Earthquake
64.

In the process of ecological succession, grasses appear before shrubs because grasses -

a)

loosen the dirt for new trees to take root

b)

provide food for animals returning to the area

c)

require plenty of sunlight to make their own food

d)

can grow rapidly even in areas with shallow soil

65.
Some ecoregions of Texas experience frequent droughts during the hot summer months.  A drought would have which effect on the water table?
a)
The water table would disappear
b)
The water table would rise
c)
The water table remain the same
d)
The water would fall

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