EHST 2110 Exam 2

What term has been used to describe people who are forced to leave their homeland due to environmental issues such as soil erosion, deforestation, or desertification?

Environmental refugees

On a worldwide basis, what activity is the most significant cause of land degradation?

Overgrazing

What best management practices are recommended by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (once called Soil Conservation Service) to reduce erosion on agricultural lands?

Terraces, Windbreaks, and Grass waterways

What is the single greatest cause of deforestation?

Clearing for agriculture

Which country has lost the highest average amount of forested area per year from 1990 to 2015?

Brazil

Developing nations face an energy crisis, as a result individuals are scavenging for fuel. What environmental issues have occurred as a response to this crisis?

All options are correct:

• Loss of nutrients to the soil by burning leaves and animal waste

• Soil erosion due to lost vegetation

• Increased flooding frequencies in mountainous areas after clear-cutting

Which of the following ecosystems are considered "wetlands"?

Bogs, Ponds, Swamps, and Marshes

Approximately what percentage of America's original wetlands acreage has been lost to development?

50%

Which state has the largest expanse of wetland habitat (most area)?

Alaska

What state lost the greatest percentage of wetland habitat?

California

__________ are species that can proliferate uncontrollably, threaten native ecosystems, and cause economic damages, often because they lack natural predators in new habitats.

Invasive alien species

Which US state has the highest rate of bird and plant extinctions?

Hawaii

What is the single greatest threat to biodiversity today?

Habitat destruction

As of 2018, how many endangered animal species are there?

715

Why was the Asian Carp initially broad into the United States?

Control algae levels in catfish ponds/lakes

What law is the most effective method for ensuring the survival of native plants and animals?

Endangered Species Act

Which of the following statements about ecosystem services provided by wetlands is NOT true:

Wetlands are major sources of pollution

Between 1990 and 2015, which two countries gained the most amount of forest lands?

China and the United States

How does losing topsoil affect soil fertility and crop yields?

There is loss of soil fertility and potential loss of crop yields from lack of healthy soil structure

What is/are the main factor(s) associated with much of the deforestation occurring in Brazil?

Soybean production and Cattle ranching

How many millions of tons of municipal solids waste was generated in 2017?

268

What is the most common method of municipal refuse disposal in the US?

Sanitary landfills

Nationally, what is the recycling rate goal set at?

35%

Which statement about bioreactors is incorrect?

Bioreactors have shorter lifespans than sanitary landfills

Municipal governments may provide _______________ for its citizens to make recycling more convenient and to increase participation

Curbside collection

Which of the following statement about sanitary landfills is incorrect?

Sanitary landfills cause more pollution than open dumping

State and federal governments may adopt 2 approaches to create a market demand for recycled materials. What are these 2 approaches called?

Government Procurement Policies and Recycled Contents Mandates

Which of the following are environmental concerns with waste incineration facilities? Select all that apply.

Potential for explosions and Hazardous emissions

What statement best defines "grass-cycling"?

Leaving grass clippings on the lawn after mowing to reduce amount of yard wastes to landfills

Reuse and donation is often regarded as the most desirable management option for what component of the municipal waste stream?

Computers

What is the fastest growing segment of the North American recycling industry?

Electronic wastes

What major federal environment law was passed in 1976 and greatly progressed US efforts to manage currently generated wastes safely?

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)

What problem did the "Superfund" or the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) intend to address?

Abandoned hazardous waste sites

Which federal agency has the primary responsibility for promulgating rules and regulations to implement the nation's hazardous waste program?

US Environmental Protection Agency

The Public Health Service recommends refuse collection in residential areas on a _______ frequency, and _______ from restaurants, hotels, and large apartment complexes.

Bi-weekly (residential area collection) & daily (bussiness area collection)

If the average American generate 4.5 pounds of waste every day, how many pounds of waste does the average American generate in a month? Round your answer up to the nearest whole digit.

138

__________ forms in land disposal sites when wastes mix with water and can contaminate underlying aquifers or adjacent surface waters.

Leachate

What is/are the environmental concern(s) associated with waste-to-energy facilities?

Toxic air emissions possible

What famous mishandling of hazardous materials shed light on the concerns associated with hazardous wastes and their management?

The Love Canal

What is the best and cheapest way to reduce municipal solid wastes?

Source reduction

A vector is any organism that adversely affects human interests.

False

Resource Competition

Damage to crop, loss of harvest, contamination of food, and/or damage to structure

Discomfort

Itching, sneezing, buzzing, creeping and crawling that physically and/or mentally affects humans

Vector

Spread of disease from pest to human(s)

Which pest is responsible for the most human deaths due to vectors?

Mosquitos

What is the most common route of transmission (vector) of the plague (Black Death)?

Rat fleas

The following diseases are associated with tick bites except: _________.

Dengue fever

Which of the following are considered "general" (not specific compounds) types of pesticides?

All options are correct:

• Termiticides

• Rodenticides

• Herbicides

• Insecticides

• Fungicides

What is the most commonly used type of pesticide?

Herbicides

How do pesticides negatively affect the environment? Select all options that are correct.

• Development of pesticide resistance, requiring more pesticides to be used

• Collateral damage

• Biomagnification up the food chain

• Indirect killing via depletion of food or habitat

In the US, there are approximately how many cases of pesticide poisonings annually?

84,000

What alternative method of pest control is considered as a "balance" between public health and environmental health? This method attempts to find a balance between biological and synthetic pesticides to control pests.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

What is the most preferred method of controlling rodent populations?

Good sanitation

Identify all of the examples of collateral damage below. Select all answers that apply.

• Target pest resurgence

• Secondary pest outbreaks

• Loss of natural pest predators

How many deaths are attributed to pesticide poisonings globally each year?

20,000

Microcephaly is a condition that is associated from exposure to _________.

Zika

___________ is an invasive mosquito species to the US, and is not currently a known vector. US health officials are concerned that it may become one in the future since it acts as a vector in its native habitat.

Aedes albopictus

What mosquito-borne disease is most threatening to the US?

West Nile Virus

Which of the following is the deadliest vector-borne disease that is spread by body lice?

Typhus fever