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Ecology > Ch 1-8 > Flashcards

Ch 1-8 Flashcards

1
Q

The existence of liquid water on Earth is possible because

A

Earth is neither too close to nor too far from the Sun

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2
Q

The term environment refers to

A

All aspects of our surroundings, whether natural, man-made, physical or social

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3
Q

Which of the following factors best explains the high impact of humans on US land east of the Mississippi?

A

Abundant precipitation there

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4
Q

Which of the following natural resources could be considered inexhaustible?

A

Sunlight

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5
Q

Which of the following resources are considered non-renewable on the scale of human time (1-3 million years)?

A

Petroleum

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6
Q

Of the following, which is not an ecosystem service?

A

Provision of natural gas from underground reservoirs

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7
Q

The concept of the ecological footprint helps us understand that

A

The environmental impact of a society is best measured in per capita terms

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8
Q

The term “overshoot” refers to

A

The difference between our drawdown of the planet’s resources and the planet’s biological capacity

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9
Q

The use of pesticides in agriculture is a good example of the difficulty involved in environmental problems because

A

Although pesticides may increase crop yields, they may also have adverse effects such as elimination of non-target species

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10
Q

What is a necessary condition for a scientific hypothesis to be confirmed?

A

It must be testable in some way

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11
Q

In a natural experiment, the independent variables are

A

Approximately controlled by proper selection of analogous sites with different conditions

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12
Q

Rapa Nui (Easter Island) today has no forests but scientists know that forests were there when humans colonized the island because

A

Sediment cores contain abundant pollen from palm trees

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13
Q

The two principal competing hypotheses for what happened to the original settlers of Easter Island are

A

Either settlers eliminated each other in wars over scarce resources, or settlers were destroyed by a combination of enslavement and disease

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14
Q

The timing of the settlement of Rapa Nui was established by

A

Carbon dating of charcoal in archaeological sites

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15
Q

According to Wackernagel et al. 1999, sustainability is

A

Use of natural capital equal to or less than the planet’s carrying capacity

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16
Q

According to Wackernagel et al. 1999, an ecological footprint is

A

The amount of biologically productive land required to replenish the total natural resources used by a nation

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17
Q

The units of measurement of an ecological footprint, according to Wacernagel et al. 1999 are

A

Hectares per capita

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18
Q

According to Wackernagel et al. 1999, built-up area (urban land) is equivalent to which of the following types of biologically productive area?

A

Arable land

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19
Q

According to Wackernagel et al. 1999, Italy’s ecological deficit is supported by

A

The use of biologically productive area outside of the country

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20
Q

The exponential growth of human population since about 1800 is attributable to

A

The Industrial Revolution

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21
Q

A fundamental unit of material that exhibits unique chemical properties and cannot be further divided by chemical means is called an

A

Element

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22
Q

The principle of mass conservation refers to

A

The theory that mass cannot be created or destroyed

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23
Q

The smallest fundamental unit to display the chemical properties of an element is

A

An atom

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24
Q

Different isotopes of an atom

A

Have the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons

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25
Q

An ion of an atom

A

Has the same number of protons but a different number of electrons

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26
Q

For a soil to be described as basic, it must have

A

A higher concentration of OH- compared to H+ ions

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27
Q

Cesium 137 is a useful isotope for studies of marine radioactivity because

A

Events that add Cesium 137 to the ocean are easy to discern compared to background levels

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28
Q

Water is an effective solvent because

A

It is a dipolar molecule

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29
Q

The most abundant element in Earth’s crust is

A

Oxygen

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30
Q

The first law of thermodynamics says that

A

Energy is always conserved

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31
Q

A material with high specific heat is

A

An effective reservoir for heat

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32
Q

Hydrocarbons are

A

Organic compounds that include the various types of fossil fuels

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33
Q

Burning fossil fuel produces a universal

A

Increase in entropy

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34
Q

The greenhouse effect relies on which of the following Earth processes?

A

Short-wave radiation by the sun is returned to the atmosphere as long-wave radiation

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35
Q

With respect to the amount of energy provided to the base of the food chain, the amount of energy recovered at progressively higher levels is

A

At least an order of magnitude lower than the energy in the next lower level

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36
Q

The 3 million year presence on Earth of our species is about what percent of Earth’s history to date?

A

0.00066 (.066%)

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37
Q

In subduction zones, the characteristic motion of plates is

A

Convergent

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38
Q

The rigid deformational behavior of plates when subjected to stress is due primarily to

A

The fact that plates are relatively cold compared to Earth’s interior

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39
Q

In general, earthquakes occur on or near plate boundaries

A

true

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40
Q

The most abundant igneous rock in Earth’s crust is

A

Basalt

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41
Q

The motion of lithospheric plates is driven by

A

Convection in the mantle

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42
Q

Very explosive volcanic eruptions can be expected to have what effect on global climate?

A

Decrease global atmospheric temperatures

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43
Q

According to Steffen et al. (2007), the Anthropocene began around

A

1800, with the onset of industrialization

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44
Q

According to Steffen et al. (2007), the term Anthropocene is best defined as

A

A new geological epoch

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45
Q

According to Steffen et al. (2007), human impacts on the planet are best described by the term

A

Global change

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46
Q

According to Seffen et al. (2007), the biggest change in the global terrestrial nitrogen budget since 1890 has been

A

The increase in soil NH from fertilizer

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47
Q

What is the difference between a species and a population?

A

Species are individuals which can interbreed; populations are groups of a species that live in a particular area

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48
Q

Natural selection is a process which

A

Favors the inheritance of genetic traits best suited to a particular environment

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49
Q

Magmatic hotspots are

A

Stationary loci of magmatism that may originate deep in the mantle

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50
Q

Rapid development of soil on the Hawaiian islands is attributable to

A

The combination of high topographic relief, warm and wet climate, and basaltic rock type

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51
Q

Evolution of a high diversity of insects and birds in Hawaii is attributable to the fact that

A

Colonization of the islands was favored for animals that can fly

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52
Q

DNA sequencing distinguishes species by

A

Idenitfying differences in the patterns of nitrogenous bases in an organism’s DNA

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53
Q

Based on the work of Dr. Heather Lerner, it would be reasonable to assume that hot spot magmatism

A

Encouraged speciation among Hawaiian honeycreepers

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54
Q

Paleontologists have determined that the average lifespan of a species is

A

1-10 million years

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55
Q

The vast majority of all species that have existed on Earth

A

Are extinct

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56
Q

The number of major mass extinctions recorded in the fossil record is

A

5

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57
Q

Endemic species are those that

A

Exist within a highly limited geographical range

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58
Q

The study of the relationship between living and non-living components of a system is best described as

A

Ecosystem ecology

59
Q

The difference between a habitat and a niche is

A

A habitat is an organism’s environment; a niche is an organism’s acitivity

60
Q

The number of individuals present at a particular time is called

A

Population size

61
Q

The combination of limiting factors that affect population size is the

A

Carrying capacity

62
Q

The biotic potential of a species refers to its

A

Reproductive strategy

63
Q

According to Elizabeth Kolbert, Georges Cuvier is the father of the theory of

A

Extinction

64
Q

According to Elizabeth Kolbert’s article, Georges Cuvier thought that ancient species discovered from fossil remains

A

Had disappeared due to some kind of natural catastrophe

65
Q

According to Elizabeth Kolbert, the American mastodon disappeared during

A

The Pleistocene megafauna extinction

66
Q

The increasing age of the Hawaiian Islands from southeast to northwest suggests that the Pacific plate is travelling in what direction?

A

Northwest

67
Q

Zebra mussels are a species native to

A

Large bodies of fresh water in western Asia and eastern Europe

68
Q

Zebra mussels survive by

A

Predation

69
Q

The abundance of Zebra mussels has provided a benefit to

A

Benthic organisms

70
Q

In aquatic ecosystems like the Great Lakes, zooplankton occupy which trophic position?

A

Primary consumers

71
Q

The principal controls on the character of a biome are

A

Temperature and precipitation

72
Q

The relationship between humans and bacteria which live in their guts is

A

Mutualism

73
Q

When two species compete for the same resource, the result is

A

Negative for both species

74
Q

A keystone species has

A

A high impact on its ecosystem, disproportionate to population size

75
Q

A species’ fundamental niche is

A

The maximum theoretical use it can make of an ecosystem

76
Q

An autotroph survives by

A

Making its own food

77
Q

Generally speaking, the higher the trophic level, the

A

Fewer the number of organisms occupying that level

78
Q

The difference between a food web and a food chain is

A

A food chain shows energy flows in a single direction; a food web shows energy flows in multiple directions

79
Q

The eruption of Mt. St. Helens in 1980 gave scientists an opportunity to observe

A

Primary succession

80
Q

The most effective method for control of invasive species is

A

Preventing the introduction of invaders to a community

81
Q

A biome which experiences relatively constant temperatures and precipitation throughout the year is

A

Tropical rain forest

82
Q

According to Pace et al. (2010)

A

The biomass of certain zooplankton returned to pre-invasion levels between 2005 and 2008

83
Q

According to Pace et al. (2010), the efficacy of Zebra mussel water filtration rates is most influenced by

A

The percentage of large mussels in the population

84
Q

According to Pace et al. (2010), which of the following organisms did not show recovery?

A

Claderocans

85
Q

According to Pace et al. (2010), Zebra mussels eat their young

A

true

86
Q

According to Pace et al. (2010), Zebra mussel population density during recovery years was

A

The same as in post-invasion years

87
Q

The boundaries of an ecosystem are

A

Arbitrary, but must distinguish it spatially from its surroundings

88
Q

Ecosystems can exchange with their surroundings

A

Mass and energy

89
Q

Restoration of oyster populations in Chesapeake Bay is dependent upon

A

Raising oyster beds to a sufficient height off the bay bottom

90
Q

In an ecosystem,

A

Mass is recycled; energy has unidirectional flow

91
Q

Estuarine dead zones are difficult to eradicate because

A

Surface water is prevented from mixing with deep water by stratification of the water column

92
Q

Compared to nitrogen, the annual flux of phosphorus into Chesapeake Bay is about

A

One order of magnitude smaller

93
Q

The net primary productivity of estaurine ecosystems is just about the same as that of

A

Tropical seasonal forest

94
Q

Phosphorus is a limiting factor in the primary productivity of

A

Lakes

95
Q

The largest reservoir of water on Earth is

A

Oceans

96
Q

The largest reservoir for carbon on Earth is

A

Sedimentary rock

97
Q

Climate change is causing ocean acidification because

A

Increased atmospheric CO2 causes increased concentrations of H2CO3 in the ocean

98
Q

The Haber-Bosch process is dependent upon which of the following gaseous reactants?

A

Hydrogen

99
Q

The least expensive method for reducing N and P pollution, in $/lb. is

A

Oyster aquaculture

100
Q

According to Vitousek et al. (1997), nitrogen is a key element affecting which kind of ecosystem?

A

All the above

Freshwater, Marine, Terrestrial

101
Q

According to Vitousek et al. (1997), humans have had what effect on the terrestrial nitrogen cycle?

A

Doubled the nitrogen flux

102
Q

According to Vitousek et al. (1997), combustion of fossil fuel causes which compound to increase in the atmosphere?

A

NO

103
Q

According to Vitousek et al. (1997), nitrogen has what relationship with the “missing sink” in the global carbon cycle?

A

Is probably making some terrestrial ecosystems more effective at storing carbon

104
Q

According to Vitousek et al. (1997), increased nitrogen flux causes loss of biodiversity because

A

Species adapted to low fixed N conditions die out

105
Q

The reforestation of Costa Rica is significant because it demonstrates

A

That it is possible to evaluate the importance of healthy ecosystems

106
Q

Scientific studies have shown that monetary payments to landholders in exchange for not clearing forest land were

A

Probably unnecessary, in view of decreasing deforestation prior to establishment of the payment program

107
Q

In Costa Rica, forest preservation produced which ecosystem services that benefitted people outside of the country?

A

Biodiversity and carbon storage

108
Q

The idea that ethics vary amongst cultures is described by the term

A

Ethical relativism

109
Q

Which of the following environmental movements is based on the ethical principle that the natural world has inherent value?

A

Preservation

110
Q

In economics, externalities are

A

Both of the above

(Costs imposed upon people without their agreement to pay)

(Benefits conferred upon people without their agreement to pay)

111
Q

In Adam Smith’s formulation, the “invisible hand” was

A

The benefits conferred upon society by the pursuit of individual self-interest

112
Q

In Neoclassical economics, the more of a specific good is produced

A

The higher its marginal cost

113
Q

Neoclassical economics is based on the idea of completely free markets. Free markets

A

Are an ideal but don’t actually exist

114
Q

Cassandrans and Cornucopians differ in their worldviews in that

A

Cassandrans believe there are finite limits to Earth’s ability to support life

115
Q

Costanza et al. (1997) analyzed data to evaluate the annual contribution of ecosystem services to the world economy. Their study showed this contribution to be

A

More than global GNP

116
Q

Biodiversity was not among the ecosystem services evaluated by Costanza et al. (1997) because

A

There was no data available on which to base an evaluation

117
Q

The concept of discounting in making economic forecasts involves

A

Valuing the future cost of goods and services at a lower rate than today’s

118
Q

The Stern Report to the British government predicted that baseline climate change would have what effect on global GDP by the year 2200?

A

Decrease GDP by about 5%

119
Q

Projections of population based on status quo environmental policies worldwide show what trend between now and 2100?

A

Rapid growth followed by sharp decline

120
Q

Contingent valuation evaluates ecosystem services based on

A

Surveys asking people what they would be willing to pay for them

121
Q

The GDP employs full cost accounting

A

False

122
Q

Sustainable development is

A

A global movement based on meshing environmental, economic and social goals of nations

123
Q

According to your text, the labeling of many bottled waters is an example of

A

Corporate “greenwashing”

124
Q

The Happy Planet Index suggests that

A

Increases in ecological footprints are strongly correlated with increases in well-being, but only for nations whose ecological footprints are small to begin with

125
Q

Shale is a

A

Fine grained sedimentary rock

126
Q

The Marcellus shale was made from sediments derived from the erosion of which mountains?

A

The Acadian

127
Q

The preservation of organic carbon in black shales like the Marcellus depends upon a depositional environment which is poor in which element?

A

Oxygen

128
Q

Contamination of shallow aquifers by methane associated with hydrofracking operations
most likely occurred because of

A

Migration of the methane from leaks in well casings at shallow depths

129
Q

Data from Considine et al. (2012) showing that environmental violations from Pennsylvania
drilling operations decreased even though the number of wells increased was discredited
because

A

The research was not peer­reviewed

130
Q

Hydraulic facturing (hydrofracking) is

A

Exempt from several major federal environmental laws

131
Q

US Government environmental policy is formulated and managed exclusively by the
Environmental Protection Agency

A

False

132
Q

. Garret Hardin’s 1968 essay, “The Tragedy of the Commons,” suggests that when a
community is in possession of a common good, that good will inevitably be

A

Competitively exploited for personal benefit by individuals in the community

133
Q

The term “vested interests” describes

A

Standing to gain financially by a change in public policy

134
Q

The primary federal law pertaining to the disposal of solid and hazardous waste is

A

The comprehensive environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act

135
Q

The Kyoto Protocol is an example of

A

International conventional law

136
Q

Cost­benefit analyses of command and control regulation, conducted by the Office of
Management and Budget, have repeatedly shown that

A

Benefits of regulation exceed costs

137
Q

Between 2002 and 2008, the highest level of US government subsidies were provided to
which of the following sources of energy?

A

Corn ethanol

138
Q

Mining companies in the US extract $500M­-$1B in minerals from public lands. In return,
the companies are required to pay what amount in royalties to the US government?

A

Zero

139
Q

The permit trading program for SO2 established by the US government in 1994
demonstrates that

A

Permit trading is effective in reducing emissions below the mandated cap

140
Q

Governmental policy must be guided by scientific data

A

False

141
Q

A “regulatory taking” is

A

A regulation issued by an administrative agency which is considered to interfere with an
individual’s property rights

142
Q

So long as any potentially hazardous compound in fracking fluid comprises less that
0.01% of the total by weight, it does not present a public health risk.

A

False

143
Q

The World Trade Organization is

A

An international group dedicated to the promotion of free trade

144
Q

Green taxes are

A

Taxes assessed on environmentally harmful activities

Ecology (2 decks)

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