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WorksheetsHuman Impact Test
Total questions: 20
Worksheet time: 2hrs 40mins
Salt water is an abundant resource but unusable for irrigation and drinking. As demands on freshwater sources increase, the use of desalination processes to remove salt from ocean water is increasing. A concern of desalinating water is the large amounts of recovered salts that are returned to the ocean. Which of the following describes the most likely impact of desalination on the surrounding ocean environment?
Methane gas would pollute the ocean environment as shoreline organisms begin to die and decay.
Alteration in ocean salt levels would cause loss of species and unbalanced populations in marine food webs.
Nonrenewable resources in the ocean environment would become depleted and upset the ecosystem's balance.
Increased levels of salts and minerals in the ocean would result in overpopulation of marine bivalves due to strengthened shells.
New fuels are being produced by converting corn and grasses into compounds containing alcohols that can be broken down for energy in various engines. The purpose of this research is to
reduce the use of nonrenewable resources.
increase the rate of air pollution.
reduce the rate of homeostasis in organisms.
cause a loss of biodiversity in the rain forests.
The presence of wastes, such as plastic bags and motor oil, in lakes and streams miles away from developed areas suggests that
ecosystems are interconnected and human action can alter ecosystem equilibrium.
recycling programs have failed to conserve biotic resources.
natural processes can alter ecosystem stability.
direct harvesting practices have led to irreversible destruction of ecosystems.
DDT and other pesticides used over 50 years ago are still affecting the environment today. Scientists have found these substances in recent glacier runoff. Glacier runoff occurs during the summer, when precipitation that has fallen on glaciers during the winter is released. Ice layers from existing glaciers have been analyzed. The results of this analysis show that the concentrations of DDT and other pesticides were highest about 10 years after the use of these substances was banned.
DDT and other pesticides cause glacier runoff during the summer.
it takes humans over 50 years to analyze a glacier.
precipitation helps to break down pesticides.
the decision of one human generation may have an impact on future generations.
The northern elephant seal was almost hunted to extinction in the 1800s. By the late 1890s, approximately one hundred seals were left, reducing the gene pool of the population. What will be the consequence of this reduction?
Competition within the population will increase.
The surviving elephant seals will be better able to adapt.
Inbreeding will be less frequent among the remaining population.
The elephant seals will be more vulnerable to environmental change.
A community is concerned about the water quality of a nearby lake. Increased sedimentation in the lake is endangering the native habitat. The increased sedimentation is most likely caused by which of the following?
trees planted along the shore of the lake
construction of homes along the lake
the amount of sunlight on the lake
the amount of fish in the lake
When fertilizers run off farmland into streams and ponds, the nitrogen content of the water increases. This can lead to rapid growth of algae in a process called eutrophication. How can this process affect other organisms in the water?
Oxygen is used up as algae is decomposed, reducing the amount available to other organisms.
The water becomes better able to support aerobic organisms.
The algae provide food for fishes and other organisms, leading to decreased algae populations.
The extra nitrogen provides additional food for the other organisms, increasing their population.
A strip mining company wants to lease some land that is currently part of a national park. They promise to reclaim the land should any minerals be mined from the area, and they are willing to pay top dollar for the rights. As an ecologist, what factors would you raise with the local government?
the threat to local biodiversity
management of the land after the company leaves
the new jobs that would be created
the increased traffic in the area
Whaling was a very profitable profession until whale populations crashed. The global community came together to enact a ban on whaling. However, Japan and Norway have not agreed to stop whaling. Which of the following is the most likely consequence of their decision?
The whale populations are bouncing back very successfully and are unaffected by Japan and Norway continuing to whale.
The whale populations are not rebounding as quickly as they might if all of the countries agreed not to hunt whales.
The whale populations have mutated into new kinds of organisms.
The whales are getting better at avoiding capture.
According to the graph, what material’s recycling would reduce the largest portion of America’s trash?
Metals
paper
plastics
Yard trimmings
1. Which of the following is not a renewable resource?
coal
wind energy
solar energy
water
1. What does the Endangered Species Act do?
It provides food for endangered species.
It protects organisms that are near extinction and their environments
It protects populations of animals from predators
It protects endangered plant species only.
When human-made chemicals and garbage find their way into nature and harm the air, soil, and water it is called
pollution
habitat destruction
overexploitation
climate change
1. What is one of the greatest threats to biodiversity on Earth?
habitat destruction
loss of drinking water
decrease in food supply
pollution
1. Why might an introduced animal species overrun native species in an ecosystem?
. Its population size is smaller than those of native species.
. It is more energy efficient, so it eats less food.
It is a predator of the native species.
It often has no natural enemies
Which term describes the practice of managing resources so that current needs are met without harming future generations?
species introduction
sustainable development
habitat fragmentation
biomagnification
