Env Science Tests Study Guide

Ecosystem services

are economically valuable services provided by natural systems

Pablo and Johanna have to do a yearlong study for their biology course. After some discussion, they decide to try comparing their dogs and the diet that they feed them to test their hypothesis that the local veterinarian's special dog food mix will enhance growth and development. Each student adopts a puppy from the local pound. Pablo plans to feed his golden doodle the special diet, while Johanna plans to use generic dry kibble from the supermarket for her bulldog. \n \n \n One dependent variable in this study will be ________.

how much the dogs grow

In a controlled experiment, ____________.

the researcher controls for the effects of all variables except one

An environmental scientist is LEAST likely to be involved with which of the following?

studying X-ray emissions for evidence of black holes

A hypothesis is _______________.

a statement that explains an observed phenomenon or answers a question

Geothermal energy, wind energy, and solar radiation are all examples of _______________.

Renewable environmental resources

After meeting with their instructor, Pablo and Johanna know that they need to change their experimental design. They contact a local puppy farm and arrange to do their study with 3-month-old litters of pups from four Irish setters, for a total of 24 puppies consisting of 12 females and 12 males. \n \n \n In order to have two groups of puppies (control and experimental), Pablo and Johanna should ________.

put 6 males and 6 females in each group, with some from each litter in each group

Nearly 50% of the land on our planet is currently used for agriculture, with very little more agriculturally usable land available. If everyone on the planet had an ecological footprint the size of the average citizen of the United States, then ________.

we would need at least two more planet Earths to feed and support everyone

Roberto lives near a wind farm and is wondering about the environmental effects of the wind turbines. He ________ that the turbines, which sound like faint airplane engines, are scaring off meadowlarks that used to nest in the area.

hypothesizes

When does peer review occur during the scientific process?

After the paper (manuscript) is written and before it is published

The scientific method

results in the proving of a theory

Roberto lives near a wind farm and is wondering about the environmental effects of the wind turbines. He ________ that the turbines make a sound like faint airplane engines and also that there are far fewer meadowlarks living near the wind farm than lived there before the wind farm was built

observes

Which of the following actions would increase the size of a person’s ecological footprint?

moving out of mom and dad’s basement into one’s own house

What type of graph would be best for showing the relationship between two quantitative variables?

scatter plot

Pablo and Johanna have to do a yearlong study for their biology course. After some discussion, they decide to try comparing their dogs and the diet that they feed them to test their hypothesis that the local veterinarian's special dog food mix will enhance growth and development. Each student adopts a puppy from the local pound. Pablo plans to feed his goldendoodle the special diet, while Johanna plans to use generic dry kibble from the supermarket for her bulldog. \n \n \n The independent variable in this study will be ________.

the type of food the dogs receive

Ruben has a new puppy named Paddington and wants to feed him the best possible food. He decides on an experiment where he will feed Paddington the very best canned food plus a dietary supplement of vitamins recommended by a veterinarian. Which of the following best describes Ruben's project?

This is a poorly designed experiment, because there are no control dogs and no treatment replicates

The concept of sustainable development includes __________________.

the needs of future generations

What is a key “take-home message” about Easter Island?

An island population must live as responsible stewards of its resources

After meeting with their instructor, Pablo and Johanna know that they need to change their experimental design. They contact a local puppy farm and arrange to do their study with 3-month-old litters of pups from four Irish setters, for a total of 24 puppies consisting of 12 females and 12 males. \n \n \n Pablo and Johanna should probably run the experiment ________.

for several months, weighing and measuring the pups every week

What type of graph would be best for showing means for several different treatments?

bar graph

Pablo and Johanna have to do a yearlong study for their biology course. After some discussion, they decide to try comparing their dogs and the diet that they feed them to test their hypothesis that the local veterinarian's special dog food mix will enhance growth and development. Each student adopts a puppy from the local pound. Pablo plans to feed his goldendoodle the special diet, while Johanna plans to use generic dry kibble from the supermarket for her bulldog. \n \n \n Pablo and Johanna appear not to have given consideration to the importance of controlling for ________.

possible differences resulting from using two different breeds of dogs

Which of the following terms best describes the practice of environmental science?

integrative and interdisciplinary

Solutions to environmental problems ______________.

should be designed with the goal of sustaining Earth’s natural capital

Which of the following lists the steps of the scientific method in correct order?

Observations → Questions → Hypothesis → Prediction → Test → Results

Which of the following BEST embodies the qualities of a scientific theory?

All gases, liquids, and solids consist of atoms

To determine your specific impacts on the environment, you can _______________.

calculate your ecological footprint

In a manipulative experiment __________________.

researchers manipulate the independent variable

The global average footprint per person has increased from 2.2 to 2.7 hectares since 2008, including the footprints of many developing nations such as India and China. This means that ________.

our collective lifestyle is even more unsustainable than before

Pablo and Johanna have to do a yearlong study for their biology course. After some discussion, they decide to try comparing their dogs and the diet that they feed them to test their hypothesis that the local veterinarian's special dog food mix will enhance growth and development. Each student adopts a puppy from the local pound. Pablo plans to feed his goldendoodle the special diet, while Johanna plans to use generic dry kibble from the supermarket for her bulldog. \n \n \n Pablo and Johanna have too many ________.

variables that they didn’t control and not enough replicates

One of many scientific fields of study within the broad scope of environmental science --

ecology

Information expressed with numbers --

Quantitative data

The variable that is manipulated --

independent variable

Expectation of experimental outcome --

prediction

Widely accepted, well-tested explanation of one or more cause-and-effect relationships --

theory

Statement that attempts to explain a phenomenon or answer a scientific question --

hypothesis

The study of human interactions and institutions --

social science

Natural resources are ______________.

the substances and energy sources that we take from the environment

Pablo and Johanna have to do a yearlong study for their biology course. After some discussion, they decide to try comparing their dogs and the diet that they feed them to test their hypothesis that the local veterinarian's special dog food mix will enhance growth and development. Each student adopts a puppy from the local pound. Pablo plans to feed his goldendoodle the special diet, while Johanna plans to use generic dry kibble from the supermarket for her bulldog. \n \n \n When they write up their initial proposal, the instructor will probably ________.

tell them they have some serious problems with the proposal, but it is fixable if they are willing to find more dogs for their study

How many citizens of Haiti does it take to equal the ecological footprint of the average citizen of the United States?

Twelve citizens of Haiti equal the ecological footprint of the average U.S. citizen

All of the following are examples of quantitative data EXCEPT _________________.

the gender of the students in a class

Global population is projected to be about _________________ in 2050.

9 billion

After meeting with their instructor, Pablo and Johanna know that they need to change their experimental design. They contact a local puppy farm and arrange to do their study with 3-month-old litters of pups from four Irish setters, for a total of 24 puppies consisting of 12 females and 12 males. \n \n \n If the puppies in the experimental group gain, on average, 3 pounds more than those in the control group over a 4-month period and seem healthier and more energetic, then ________.

there is a high probability that the veterinary diet is better than kibble for puppies

Which of the following discoveries would be most likely to cause a scientific paradigm shift?

the discovery that excess heat is radiating from the center of the earth and causing global climate change

A study's results are deemed worthy of acceptance into the body of scientific knowledge if they are published in journals which ________.

use the peer review process

The process by which several researchers review another researcher's manuscript prior to publication to ensure research quality is referred to as ________.

peer review

The U.S. average footprint is ________ times larger than the world average footprint.

2\.7

Which biome would be found primarily in the temperate zone?

deciduous forest

A population is ______________.

a group of individuals of a single species that live and interact in one area

The climate diagram depicts _________________.

a biome with plentiful moisture

By definition, herbivores ____________.

consume autotrophs

According to the figure, crocodiles are most likely related to ______________.

snakes and lizards

Detritivores include ___________________.

millipedes and soil insects

__________________ capture solar energy and use photosynthesis to produce sugars.

Producers

Microbes in our digestive tract that help us digest food demonstrate a(n) _________________ association.

symbiotic

Fish that eat zooplankton are ___________________.

secondary consumers

Population distribution describes ________________.

the spatial arrangement of individuals of a single species within a particular area or ecosystem

In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt created the Grand Canyon National Game Preserve on the Kaibab Plateau in northern Arizona. Between 1907 and 1923, cattle grazing was greatly reduced, mule deer hunting was eliminated, and predators were killed. Over 800 cougars, 20 wolves (most had already been killed in the 1800s), and 7000 coyotes were trapped or shot. In response, the mule deer herd began to increase: By 1915, deer numbers were estimated at 25,000; 50,000 by 1920; and 100,000 by 1923. \n \n \n Which of the following is likely to have occurred after 1923?

The deer overgrazed their environment, decreasing the carrying capacity of the habitat

When a population approaches its carrying capacity, its resources __________________.

become more scarce as population growth rate decreases

Scientists often depict their understanding of an organism’s evolutionary ancestry in diagrams called _________________.

phylogenetic trees

A climax community ________.

remains in place until a disturbance restarts succession

Taiga and tundra both ________.

have comparatively low temperatures throughout the year

Many interacting species that live in the same area −

community

Community and the abiotic material with which its members interact −

ecosystem

Specific environment in which an organism lives −

habitat

Number of individuals within a population per unit area −

population density

The process by which unrelated species acquire similar traits −

Convergent evolution

Species occurring in only one area −

endemic

Grazing animals such as deer are ________.

primary consumers

Temperature remains relatively stable through the year in what biome?

tropical rainforest

Because of the rainshadow effect, ________.

a dry region occurs on the downwind side of a mountain

The Everglades restoration project in Florida ________.

is restoring natural levels of water flow by undoing numerous channeling and drainage projects

Human activities, including fossil fuel combustion, farming, and deforestation, are known to increase the levels of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxides in our atmosphere. Measurable warming of Earth due to these greenhouse gases can alter ecosystem dynamics. In addition to the direct climatic effects on organisms within biomes, warming can lower levels of sea ice and increase precipitation in Arctic areas. Global warming can also melt permafrost in the tundra and increase sea surface temperatures, which could increase the intensity of hurricanes in vulnerable areas. Within communities, climatic change can shift interdependent species "out of sync," potentially causing indirect loss of species. For example, if pollinators and the plants they pollinate become out of synch, the pollinators may not be able to switch to a different food source, and the plants may not be able to reproduce. \n \n \n The relationship between flowering plants and bees is best described as ________.

mutualism

Human activities, including fossil fuel combustion, farming, and deforestation, are known to increase the levels of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxides in our atmosphere. Measurable warming of Earth due to these greenhouse gases can alter ecosystem dynamics. In addition to the direct climatic effects on organisms within biomes, warming can lower levels of sea ice and increase precipitation in Arctic areas. Global warming can also melt permafrost in the tundra and increase sea surface temperatures, which could increase the intensity of hurricanes in vulnerable areas. Within communities, climatic change can shift interdependent species "out of sync," potentially causing indirect loss of species. For example, if pollinators and the plants they pollinate become out of synch, the pollinators may not be able to switch to a different food source, and the plants may not be able to reproduce. \n \n \n If the climate warms significantly, tundra permafrost may melt, which may lead to ________ the community.

succession occurring in

High population density can ____________.

increase the incidence of disease transmission

Quagga mussels _______________.

are invasive mussels that are replacing zebra mussels in many areas

Given the ratio shown in the figure, approximately how many hawks would be sustained by a large grassland that contains 100,000 grasshoppers?

1,000

Kelp ______________.

suffers intense herbivory from sea urchins

By definition, parasites ________ their host

get nourishment from and harm

Describes biome in the eastern United States, north central Europe, and eastern China; characterized by stable precipitation and seasonal temperature variation −

temperate deciduous forest

Describes the region between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains, characterized by limited precipitation, thick organic soils, and extreme temperature variation between winter and summer −

temperate grassland

Describes the Pacific Northwest of the United States and Nagasaki, Japan; characterized by heavy rainfall and moderate temperature variation between winter and summer −

temperate rainforest

Describes the terrestrial biome bordering the Mediterranean Sea; characterized by wet winters and warm dry summers −

chaparral

Describes an equatorial zone with moderate precipitation that fluctuates seasonally; characterized by warm temperatures year round −

tropical dry forest

Describes Cairo, Egypt, and northwest Mexico; characterized by sparse rainfall and much variation in temperature −

desert

Generally the coldest of the biomes listed 

boreal forest

Secondary succession ______________.

occurs after a fire or flood

Dogs breeds are a classic example of artificial selection. Which of the following is another example of artificial selection?

breeding wild cabbage to create broccoli and cauliflower

A coyote can alter its diet to match seasonal abundance of plants, fruits, or small animals, and would therefore be considered ________.

a generalist

Which of the following are pioneer species?

lichens

Species that produce few offspring, such as gray whales, ________.

are K-selected

Which of the following are the major factors that determine a population's growth rate?

birth rate, death rate, emigration, immigration

Benthic organisms in the Great Lakes ____________.

benefit from the presence of zebra mussels

Which of the following has been an effect of ecotourism in Hawaii?

Conservation efforts have become more financially feasible because of increased tourist dollars

Which of the following is TRUE about top predators?

They are often keystone species

Which of the following is an example of an ecosystem?

a colony of leafcutter ants, the leaves they harvest, the fungi that they cultivate and tend to, and the soil nutrients and moisture needed for their garden

Human activities, including fossil fuel combustion, farming, and deforestation, are known to increase the levels of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxides in our atmosphere. Measurable warming of Earth due to these greenhouse gases can alter ecosystem dynamics. In addition to the direct climatic effects on organisms within biomes, warming can lower levels of sea ice and increase precipitation in Arctic areas. Global warming can also melt permafrost in the tundra and increase sea surface temperatures, which could increase the intensity of hurricanes in vulnerable areas. Within communities, climatic change can shift interdependent species "out of sync," potentially causing indirect loss of species. For example, if pollinators and the plants they pollinate become out of synch, the pollinators may not be able to switch to a different food source, and the plants may not be able to reproduce. \n \n \n Intense hurricanes resulting from global warming can directly lead to ________ within communities.

secondary succession

Blight fungus kills U.S. chestnut trees because the trees ________.

have no coevolved with the fungus

Which of the following biomes is experiencing the greatest temperature increases resulting from global climate change?

Arctic tundra

The energy content and biomass of ________ is lowest in a terrestrial food web.

top carnivores

The carrying capacity is the _____________.

maximum sustainable population that a given environment can support