AP Environmental Science Practice Questions 4.1-4.3 and 4.6

Reasons that human populations historically have settled in floodplains include which of the following?

I. The soil in floodplains is usually fertile.

II. The terrain in floodplains tend to be flat.

III. Floodplains are close to rivers for transportation.

I, II, and III

At which of the following sites does seafloor spreading result in rifts and possible volcanoes?

a. A

b. B

c. C

d. D

a. A

At which of the following sites is an earthquake most likely to occur as two plates slide sideways past each other?

a. A

b. B

c. C

d. D

c. C

At which of the following sites would activity result in volcanoes, island arcs, and mountains?

a. A

b. B

c. C

d. D

b. B

Of the following, which has the greatest permeability?

a. Clay

b. Loam

c. Sand

d. Silt

e. Humus

c. Sand

Which of the lettered choices in the soil profile above represents the region with the greatest concentration of organic material?

a. A

b. B

c. C

d. D

e. E

a. A

A student group is involved in a restoration study of a nearby disturbed area. They decide to collect six soil samples and analyze them for carbon (C) and nitrogen (N). Two of the samples are found to be very high in C and N, but the other four samples are low in both. The students also notice that the color of the two soil samples that are high in C and N is very dark. Which of the following is the most likely explanation of the data?

a. Two of the samples were collected from an A horizon, and the others were collected from a B horizon.

b. Two of the samples had more sand and gravel than the other four.

c. Four of the samples were collected from an area that had been restored previously and now has thick vegetation.

d. Four of the samples were collected from an area that had been mulched.

e. Four of the sample sites had been treated recently with a chemical fertilizer.

a. Two of the samples were collected from an A horizon, and the others were collected from a B horizon.

Which of the following is the correct order of soil particles in order of increasing size?

a. Clay-sand-silt

b. Clay-silt-sand

c. Sand-clay-silt

d. Sand-silt-clay

e. Silt-clay-sand

b. Clay-silt-sand

Which of the following properties of the soil sample most influences the flow of water through the sample?

a. Color

b. Fertility

c. Permeability

d. pH

e. Sainity

c. Permeability

Of the following, which is the most likely composition of the soil sample?

a. 50% Clay 40% Silt 10% Sand

b. 40% Clay 50% Silt 10% Sand

c. 30% Clay 40% Silt 30% Sand

d. 10% Clay 10% Silt 80% Sand

d. 10% Clay 10% Silt 80% Sand

Which soil composition would be the best choice for lining a landfill?

a. Point T

b. Point U

c. Point V

d. Point W

e. Point X

d. Point W

What are the proportions of sand, silt, and clay for the soil at point T?

a. 70% Clay 20% Silt 10% Sand

b. 65% Clay 25% Silt 10% Sand

c. 60% Clay 30% Silt 10% Sand

d. 55% Clay 30% Silt 15% Sand

c. 60% Clay 30% Silt 10% Sand

Which soil indicated on the soil triangle above would most likely have the highest water-holding capacity?

a. Soil A

b. Soil B

c. Soil C

d. Soil D

e. Soil E

a. Soil C

Based on the data in the table, which of the countries is most likely located at a subduction zone between an oceanic tectonic plate and a continental tectonic plate?

a. Country A [0 , 0]

b. Country B [4 , 0]

c. Country C [0, 18]

d. Country D [16, 41]

d. Country D [16, 41]

Which of the following best describes why understanding a watershed and its boundaries is important in designing housing developments along a river?

a. The water contained in a watershed is more likely to become polluted if the soil has high permeability, so it is important to locate all point sources to reduce contamination.

b. Watersheds provide habitats for hundreds of marine species, so it is important to protect their feeding and nesting sites when designing housing for humans.

c. Watersheds provide space for cultivating land to produce food and other products, so it is important to avoid locating a housing development on the most fertile land.

d. Surface water and stormwater runoff will drain downstream within the watershed boundaries, so it is important to understand the flow of water through the watershed.

d. Surface water and stormwater runoff will drain downstream within the watershed boundaries, so it is important to understand the flow of water through the watershed.

Which of the following should be included in a watershed map to best determine the non-point source of a pollutant, such as fertilizer, found in a river?

a. The total volume of groundwater in the aquifer

b. The total area and the average yearly precipitation of the watershed

c. The land use upstream of the river and water quality indicators in streams that run downstream into the river

d. The total volume of surface water of the river and the land use downstream of the river

c. The land use upstream of the river and water quality indicators in streams that run downstream into the river

The location where one tectonic plate is being forced beneath another, creating a volcanic arc.

a. A

b. B

c. C

d. D

e. E

e. E

The location where new crust is being created at a divergent plate boundary

a. A

b. B

c. C

d. D

e. E

c. C

The intraplate location where hot-spot volcanism is occurring

a. A

b. B

c. C

d. D

a. A

Most volcanism in the world is associated with

a. plate boundaries

b. mid continental hotspots

c. faulting

d. aquifer depletion

e. desertification

a. plate boundaries

Hoover Dam is the largest dam in the United States, built on the Colorado River to supply hydroelectric power and flood control. Which of the following best describes a downstream environmental effect of Hoover Dam on the Colorado River watershed?

a. The supply of inexpensive electricity led to population growth and industrial development in cities such as Phoenix and Los Angeles.

b. The Lake Mead Recreation Area, formed by the reservoir behind Hoover Dam, is a popular tourist attraction for fishing, swimming, and boating.

c. The drainage basin of the Colorado River includes 246,000 square miles and serves as a source of drinking water for over 40 million people.

d. The damming of the Colorado River led to a change in stream flow, preventing river water and sediments from reaching the delta area.

d. The damming of the Colorado River led to a change in stream flow, preventing river water and sediments from reaching the delta area.

Which of the following best describes why the engineer chose to calculate the permeability of the soil sample in the experimental design in order to evaluate a natural containment system to protect groundwater?

a. Soils that have high permeability would best help protect groundwater because they would allow for faster recharge of the aquifer.

b. Soils that have high permeability would best help protect groundwater because they have higher rates of nutrient and pesticide leaching.

c. Soils that have low permeability would best help protect groundwater because the soil traps pollutants so that chemical and biological breakdown can occur.

d. Soils that have low permeability would best help protect groundwater because the large pore spaces would provide space for pollutants to attach and would have rapid percolation of water.

c. Soils that have low permeability would best help protect groundwater because the soil traps pollutants so that chemical and biological breakdown can occur.

An environmental engineer wants to examine the permeability of different soils to determine the best natural containment system to protect groundwater from pollutants. The engineer tests four different soil samples, places them into a wet column, and pours 50mL of water over each sample. The engineer records the total amount of water that moves through the column as well as the total amount of time for the water to fully percolate through the soil. The data from the study are shown below.

Which of the following best describes the independent variable in this research design?

a. The sample of material chosen as the potential container material is the variable being tested, so it is the independent variable.

b. The flow time, which is related to the porosity of each sample, is the variable that is measured, so it is the independent variable.

c. The total volume of water recovered is most likely to be affected by hu

a. The sample of material chosen as the potential container material is the variable being tested, so it is the independent variable.

The water-holding capacity of soil is LEAST likely to be affected by the addition of which of the following?

a. Clay

b. Humus

c. Manure

d. Pesticide

e. Sand

d. Pesticide

Area that exhibits island arcs

a. A

b. B

c. C

d. D

e. E

e. E

Area that exhibits a growing nonvolcanic mountain chain due to uplift

a. A

b. B

c. C

d. D

e. E

c. C

Area where new crust is being created at a divergent plate boundary

a. A

b. B

c. C

d. D

e. E

b. B

The rapid rate of this process in tropical forests results in low-nutrient soils

a. Photosynthesis

b. Eutrophication

c. Denitrification

d. Decomposition

e. Transpiration

d. Decomposition

Students want to determine the impact of soil erosion from the development of new housing. They plan to measure the density of a species of algae growing along the bottom of a river that flows through their town. The town is built in a heavily forested area, but a large area of trees along the river was recently clear-cut to allow for the construction of a new housing development, which has caused exposed soil to wash into the river. The river flows north to south through the town and is still forested both up- and downstream of the town.

Which of the following is the dependent variable in the study?

A sample of water collected just downstream of the northern forest

Which of the following explains the variable that would be the best for students to measure to determine the direct impact of soil erosion caused by the construction project on the river?

Turbidity, because a decrease in water clarity would indicate an increase in soil erosion.

Based on the data in the table above, which of the following samples would be the most prone to becoming waterlogged?

a. Sample A

b. Sample B

c. Sample C

d. Sample D

d. Sample D