APES Final Exam Gimme Questions

radon

colourless, odourless gas that is a naturally occurring decay product of uranium

formaldehyde

emitted from most manufactured building materials and furniture

asbestos

composed of fibres 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

zebra mussels

an introduced alien species in the great lakes

erosion & desertification

overgrazing of grasslands can lead to reduced range quality. two major effects are…

nonnative species/exotic species

species that are transported geographically to an unknown area

sick building syndrome

in the workplace, bad air mixed with mold spores leads to…

a deep layer of humus and decayed plant material

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

industry, transportation, energy production

three main anthropogenic sources of gaseous air pollutants in the USA

increasing public awareness of the risks of using pesticides

rachel carson’s contributions to the environmental movement include…

depletion of an aquifer by regional farmers

a given example of tragedy of the commons?

DDT

pesticide that was banned due to its bioaccumulation in wildlife

climax community

when an ecosystem reaches its final stage of balanced species development

O horizon

the soil layer that contributes organic material to topsoil

fuel efficiency

what CAFE standards refer to

carrying capacity

the maximum number of species that can be sustained in an ecosystem

motor vehicle exhaust

primary ground-level ozone emitter in most major US cities

reduction of crop damage to an economically tolerable level

the emphasis of integrated pest management

1/128

the half-life of radon is approximately four days. the fraction of the original amount remaining after four weeks is…

strip mining

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

greenhouse

global warming works a lot like a…

coastal pine forest

community that depends on periodic fires for reproduction

heat-island effect

urban areas trap more heat than rural areas

atmosphere for N and rocks for S

major reserves of nitrogen and sulphur in the biosphere

does not generate greenhouse gases

biggest advantage of nuclear energy generation

uranium

generates nuclear power

the emphasis of a sustainable society

using energy efficiently and reusing and recycling matter

national resource lands

managed on a multiple-use basis

clockwise

the direction that ocean gyres flow in the northern hemisphere

increased water temperature (due to increased sunglight)

effect on local streams of logging in a watershed region

removing the grey wolf from the endangered species list

goal of the programme begun in 1995 to reintroduce the grey wolf into yellowstone national park

cercla

federal law dealing with the cleanup of abandoned hazardous waste sites

second law of thermodynamics

accounts for the losses of usable energy between successive trophic levels in ecosystem

absorption of infrared radiation by atmospheric gases

explanation for the earth’s mean temperature being warm enough to sustain life

genetic variation within each species and number of species present

how to assess the biological diversity of an area?

pollutants to collect

city heat islands cause…

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

when is pollution is considered an external cost?

ecosystem services

e.g. the consumption of mosquitoes by bats; the control of flooding provided by tropical forests in mountainous areas of Central Asia

chlorinated hydrocarbon

controls agricultural insect pests; highly likely to have a negative and persistent impact on an ecosystem

endocrine disruptors

high levels of this dioxin can cause low testosterone levels and failure to reproduce

salmon

the most economically important fish affected by hydroelectric dams

reducing human population size

this practice would have the biggest impact on achieving global sustainability

elephant

this animal is has a late-loss survivorship curve

fertiliser runoff

the primary source of nitrates and phosphates in the wetland

low pH

this is evidence of acid rain

turbidity

measured by the unit JTU

seine net

large net used for catching fish in the wetland