WorksheetsHuman Impact on the Environment
Total questions: 20
Worksheet time: 13mins
Several factors can lead to soil erosion. Which of these human activities is most likely to contribute to soil erosion?
Clearing land for farming
Planting trees and vegetation
Preserving land as a wildlife habitat
Reducing the amount of livestock in an area
Which of the following is one way to preserve land resources?
Reduce urban sprawl
Clear cutting trees to increase land for farming
Only build one park per city
Only build recycling factories in the biggest cities
Reforestation is the planting of trees that have been cut down by loggers and builders. One benefit of reforestation is restoring lost trees, which future generations can use for their wood. Which claim could be made about how reforestation could benefit a community?
It limits the space available for building homes and business
It decreases the chances of a forest fire spreading near people’s homes because of new tree growth
It decreases the land available for growing crops and raising livestock
It rebuilds forests, which provide shelter to animals, plants and other resources
How can ground pollutants affect the local fresh water supply?
The chemicals evaporate underground and come back in the rain water, filling lakes and rivers with toxic chemicals.
Erosion of soil causes those chemicals to leak into the ground water supply and end up in lakes and rivers
The chemicals absorb down their concentration gradient and eventually move to lakes and rivers
When plants are harvested the soil and excess plant parts are dumped into the water supply
Which of the following would be most effective method to slow down destruction of certain species of birds and small mammals from over hunting?
increase the demand for meat and pelts from these animals
Prevent nature documentaries from being made about these animals
Decrease the size of their habitat.
Regulate the number of animals that can be hunted in a certain area at certain times
Which of the following is most likely to cause desertification?
Cows digesting plants and releasing methane to break down ozone
Lack of vegetation causing increased soil erosion, which displaces water from a region
greater human population in a region causing flooding
More traffic in a soil rich region would kick up dust clouds which cause lightning storms
In the 1800s rabbits were introduced for the first time into Australia. Here they had no natural predators and a plentiful food supply. What happened several years after the rabbit was introduced into Australia?
The rabbits began to overpopulate greatly.
Populations of animals competing with rabbits grew.
The rabbit population declined sharply.
New rabbit predators evolved.
A toxin that breaks down slowly is introduced into the environment through the spraying of insecticides. The toxin is very lethal when an organism receives high levels of it. Which organism in the food web is in the most danger?
Grass
Rabbit
Fox
Fish
Poisons such as DDT build up in lakes and streams due to runoff. Then they enter the food chain. Once in living organisms, the poisons are not broken down and their concentrations increase as they are passed along the food chain.
Which term best describes this ecological phenomenon?
global warming
loss of biodiversity
biological magnification
loss of genetic diversity
Which of the following best describes the term biological magnification?
The buildup of non-biodegradable chemicals in consumers as they are passed up the food chain
When members of a crowded population are at odds for food, water, space, and other resources
Using the earth's resources more carefully, and preserving and restoring natural habitats
When food, water, and space are limited, causing carrying capacity to be reached
What are some causes of water pollution?
Chemical fertilizers and pesticides
Accidental oil spills
Sewage and wastewater
Industrial waste
All of the above
Scientists fear that the burning of fossil fuels by humans will disrupt the stability of ecosystems around the world. One of the main concerns regards the production of greenhouse gases which are known to -
decrease the rate of photosynthesis.
emit harmful gamma radiation.
trap heat in the lower atmosphere.
poison the terrestrial biota.
Global warming could cause the polar ice caps to melt increasing the amount of fresh water in the ocean and disrupting the flow of natural currents that cycle heat around the world. This change would most likely result in which of the following?
An increase in climate change
The collision of tectonic plates
An increase in producer populations
The reduction of ocean sediments
The use of fertilizers on farmland can eventually cause an overgrowth of algae to appear in surrounding aquatic ecosystems. What process contributes to the eutrophication (excessive richness of nutrients) of these water sources and the increased growth of algae?
A decreased use of water by animals
An increase in runoff after heavy rains
An increase in the sedimentation of rivers
A decrease in the erosion of creek beds
Which organism shown in the food chain has the highest concentration of pollutants?
plankton
small fish
large fish
shore bird
The gray wolf and mountain lion populations in the United States have sharply declined over the past two centuries. Both of these animals are carnivores, but ecologists have determined that the reduction of these species has caused adverse effects to the community of plants in the forest. What is most likely the reason for these changes to the plant community?
New species of wolves and mountain lions formed which feed on the forest plants
The smaller populations of carnivores have become omnivorous in order to survive
The white-tailed deer population has grown unchecked and reduced forest foliage
The removal of carnivores has increased the decomposition rates of animals and plants
The primary cause of invasive species introduction is
too much food
human actions
weather events
asteroids
