Themes of Environmental Science Quiz

Hunter Gatherers

People who get food by gathering plants, hunting wild animals, or eating their remains

Limiting factors

are conditions or resources that can restrict the growth, abundance, or distribution of an organism or population in an ecosystem.

Natural Resources

are any natural materials that are used by humans, such as: water, petroleum, minerals, forests, and animals.

Renewable Resources

can be replenished or used for a very long time.

Non-renewable Resources

cannot be replenished/will eventually run out.

Biodegradable pollutants

Biodegradable pollutants, which can be broken down by natural processes.

Nondegradable pollutants

which cannot be broken down by natural processes. Ex: plastic

Biodiversity

is the variety of organisms (plants and animals) in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

Supply and Demand

is a law of economics that states as the demand for a good or service increases, the value of the good or service also increases.

Carbon Footprint

are calculations that show the area of Earth needed to support one person in a particular country.

Sustainability

is the condition in which human needs are met so that a human population can survive indefinitely.

Agricultural Revolution and Industrial Revolution (and their impact on the environment)

the raising of crops and livestock for food.

Many habitats were destroyed as grasslands, forests, and wetlands were replaced with farmland.

involved a shift from energy sources like animals and running water to fossil fuels (coal and oil)

introduced many new environmental problems such as pollution and habitat loss

Describe what the Great Smog of London was all about

When over 12,000 people were killed because of the dangerous mix of chemicals and fog over the course of 5-days

It helped the world realize how big pollution really was.

How do limiting factors affect population growth

It affects population growth because they’re all things that we rely on and need to live/make our lives easier. 

Examples: Sunlight: Lack of sunlight can limit photosynthesis in plants.

Water availability: Too little or too much water limits plant and animal life.

Identify examples of point source and non point source pollution

A type of pollution that can be traced to its source.
Examples: Factories, power plants, municipal wastewater treatment plants, specific sewer drain

A type of pollution that is released in a wide area without a known source.
Examples: Runoff from streets which makes its way into rivers, an oil spill on the street

Explain the “Tragedy of the Commons” theory

can be applied to our modern commons: natural resources.

Example: If a fish pond has about 20 fish all fishermen can take 1 so there’s enough fish to reproduce. 

Developed vs. Developing Countries

have higher incomes, slower population growth, diverse industrial economies, and stronger social support.

have lower average incomes, simple agriculture-based communities, and rapid population growth.

What was the main goal of the Kyoto Protocol and why was it important?

To get developed countries to stop using majority of the Earth’s resources though their population is less because there needs to be enough resources for everyone in the world.

How did the Paris Agreement different from the Kyoto Protocol

You could leave the agreement any time you wanted to, not all developed countries had to sign, and you could make your own goal towards it.

Ways to reduce your Carbon Footprint.

You could start using renewable resources, turn off lights and running appliances, keeping track of how much gas or other nonrenewable resources you are using, and etc.

How did Koalas dying in Australian fires have limiting factors?

Food resources would go down because of soil fertility, habitats would be hard to find, biodiversity would go down, overpopulation because the food they eat would increase.