AP Environmental Science - Final Exam Gimme Questions

radon

colorless, odorless gas that is a naturally occurring decay product of uranium

formaldehyde

emitted from most manufactured building materials and furniture

asbestos

composed of fibers known to cause lung disease

lead

found in old plumbing pipes and fixtures and some ceramic glazes

fossil fuels

Solids, liquids, and gases created through the compression of ancient organic plant and animal material in the Earth’s crust are called

zebra mussels

an introduced alien species in the Great Lakes

erosion and desertification

Overgrazing of grasslands can lead to reduced range quality. Two of the major effects of overgrazing are

nonnative species

When species are transported geographically to an unknown area, they are called

sick building syndrome

In the workplace, bad air mixed with mold spores has led to

a deep layer of humus and decayed plant matter

Soils found in mid-latitude grasslands would be most accurately described as having

industry, transportation, and energy production

The three main anthropogenic sources of gaseous air pollutants in the United States are

increasing public awareness of the risks during pesticides

Rachel Carson’s contributions to the environmental movement include which of the following?

depletion of an aquifer by regional farmers

Which demonstrates the concept of tragedy of the commons?

DDTs

Which pesticide was banned due to its bioaccumulation in wildlife?

climax community

When an ecosystem reaches its final stage of balanced species development, it is called a(n)

O horizon

The soil layer that contributes organic material to topsoil is the

fuel efficiency

CAFE standards refer to

carrying capacity

“The maximum number of species that can be sustained in an ecosystem.” This sentence is defined by

motor vehicle exhaust

Ground-level ozone in most major United States cities results primarily from

reduction of crop damage to an economically tolerable level

An integrated pest management approach to pest control emphasizes which of the following?

1/128

The half-life of radon gas is approx. four days. Four weeks after the introduction of radon into a sealed room, the fraction of the original amount remaining is closest to.

strip mining

Prior to mine reclamation laws, mine drainage and acidic runoff from coal tailings were toxic byproducts of

a greenhouse

Global warming works a lot like

coastal pine forest

Which community depends on periodic fires for reproduction?

urban areas trap more heat than rural areas do

Which of the following describes the heat-island effect?

atmosphere for N and rocks for S

The major reserves of nitrogen and sulfur in the biosphere are correctly identified by which of the following?

it doesn’t generate greenhouse gases

The biggest advantage of nuclear energy generation is that

uranium

Nuclear power is commonly generated using the element

using energy efficiently and reusing and recycling matter

A sustainable society would emphasize

national resource lands

Which of the following is managed on a multiple-use basis?

clockwise

In the Northern Hemisphere, ocean gyres flow in which direction?

increased water temperature

When logging is carried out in a watershed, a likely effect on the local streams is

enable the removal of the gray wolf from the endangered species list

Which of the following is a major goal of the program begun in 1995 to reintroduce the gray wolf into Yellowstone National Park?

CERCLA - Comprehensive Environmental Responsibility Compensation and Liability Act (aka Superfund)

Which of the following federal laws specifically deals with the cleanup of abandoned hazardous waste sites?

the second law of thermodynamics

Losses of usable energy between successive trophic levels in an ecosystem are best accounted for by which of the following?

absorption of infrared radiation by atmospheric gases

If the Earth had no atmosphere, the mean surface temperature would be approx. -15 C. With our present atmosphere, Earth’s mean surface temperature is approx. +15 C. Which of the following is the best explanation for this difference?

genetic variation within each species and number of species present

Which of the following can be used to assess the biological diversity of an area?

pollutants to collect

City heat islands cause

the cost to the environment is not reflected in the price of the products that produce the pollution

Pollution is considered an external cost when

ecosystem services

The consumption of mosquitoes by bats and the control of flooding provided by tropical forests in mountainous areas of Central America are examples of

a chlorinated hydrocarbon

The use of which of the following to control agricultural insect pests is most likely to have a negative and persistent impact on an ecosystem?

endocrine disruptors

Alligators in a Florida lake polluted by high levels of dioxins (chlorinated hydrocarbons) had low testosterone levels and failed to reproduce. Scientists came to the conclusion that the dioxins were acting as which of the following?

salmon

The most economically important fish affected by hydroelectric dams is

reducing human population size

Which of the following practices would have the biggest impact on achieving global sustainability?

elephant

Which of the following has a late-loss survivorship curve?

fertilizer runoff

What is the primary source of nitrates and phosphates in the wetland?

low pH

Acid rain would be evidenced by

turbidity

The unit JTU is a measurement of

seine net

The large net used for catching fish in the wetlands is called a