Chapter 27

Question 1

Relatively little of the earth’s suitable land has been converted to croplands, pastures, or rangelands.
A) True B) False

Answer 1

B) False

Question 2

Which of the following is a successful piece of environmental legislation enacted by the Congress of the United States?
A) Clean Air Act (1970)
B) Clean Water Act (1972)
C) Endangered Species Act (1973)
D) all of the above

Answer 2

D) all of the above

Question 3

How many nonindigenous species have been introduced to the United States?
A) 50 B) 500 C) 5,000 D) 50,000 E) 500,000

Answer 3

D) 50,000

Question 4

What percentage of species listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act are threatened because of competition, predation, parasitism, and herbivory by introduced species?
A) 5% B) 10% C) 20% D) 40% E) 100%

Answer 4

D) 40%

Question 5

Until Europeans began worldwide colonial activities about 500 years ago, humans had not introduced exotic species anywhere.
A) True B) False

Answer 5

B) False

Question 6

Which of the following countries has a predominantly alien flora and fauna?
A) New Zealand B) United States C) Russia D) Brazil E) Vietnam

Answer 6

A) New Zealand

Question 7

Large, flightless birds called __________ were exterminated from New Zealand by Maori natives before Europeans arrived.
A) dugongs B) dodos C) moas D) boas

Answer 7

C) moas

Question 8

Alien species are most likely to disrupt natural ecosystems when they:
A) are closely related to native species.
B) are similar in appearance to native species.
C) assume ecosystem roles of native species.
D) are larger in size than native species.

Answer 8

C) assume ecosystem roles of native species

Question 9

Introduction of a single exotic predator is most likely to disrupt ecosystem function if the introduced species is a __________ predator.
A) large B) vertebrate C) invertebrate D) keystone

Answer 9

D) keystone

Question 10

What percentage of the earth’s topsoil is lost to erosion each year?
A) 0.1 % B) 1% C) 10% D) 50% E) 100%

Answer 10

B) 1%

Question 11

In which of the following regions has human conversion of natural ecosystems to other uses resulted in severe erosion of soil by wind or water?
A) prairies of North America
B) forests of the Amazon Basin
C) forests of Queensland, Australia
D) all of the above

Answer 11

D) all of the above

Question 12

Which of the following human activities has virtually no impact on natural ecosystems?
A) irrigation of cultivated fields
B) application of fertilizers to cultivated fields
C) shrimp farming along tropical coastlines
D) damming of rivers
E) All of the above activities have potentially serious impacts on natural systems.

Answer 12

E) All of the above activities have potentially serious impacts on natural systems.

Question 13

Which of the following represents a biological consequence of irrigation of agricultural fields?
A) lowered water tables when wells are used
B) introduction of fertilizers and pesticides into the water table
C) transmission of diseases by aquatic organisms
D) accumulation of salt in irrigated soils in arid zones
E) environmental effects of engineered structures (dikes, wells, etc.)

Answer 13

C) transmission of diseases by aquatic organisms

Question 14

Application of fertilizers to aquatic ecosystems stimulates primary production just as it does in agricultural ecosystems. In aquatic ecosystems, the enhanced production can eventually lead to:
A) accumulation of toxic heavy metals.
B) anoxic conditions.
C) conditions more attractive to recreational activities.
D) increase in food web complexity.

Answer 14

B) anoxic conditions.

Question 15

When reduced sulfur compounds associated with coal deposits are exposed to atmospheric oxygen, which kinds of organisms are responsible for conversion of these to sulfate?
A) oligochaete worms
B) bacteria
C) various plants used in reclamation of mining wastes
D) saprophytic fungi
E) all of the above

Answer 15

B) bacteria

Question 16

Why has acidic precipitation been particularly devastating to rivers and lakes in certain regions, such as the northeastern United States, Canada, and Scandinavia?
A) Waters there are oligotrophic and thus lack bases to buffer acid inputs.
B) Waters there are anoxic and thus lack free radicals to inactivate acid inputs.
C) Waters there are colder and thus chemical inactivation of acids proceeds slowly.
D) Waters there harbor populations of aquatic organisms that are unusually sensitive to acidity.

Answer 16

A) Waters there are oligotrophic and thus lack bases to buffer acid inputs.

Question 17

Which of the following is a common source of heavy metals introduced into natural ecosystems?
A) refuse from mining and smelting operations
B) waste products of manufacturing processes
Chapter 27: Economic Development and Global Ecology
Page 280
C) fungicides
D) by-products of burning of leaded fuels
E) all of the above

Answer 17

E) all of the above

Question 18

When fungal populations in soils are reduced as the result of contamination by copper, one consequence is:
A) reduced decomposition of organic matter.
B) substantial change in soil texture.
C) substantial change in soil color.
D) accumulation of fungal toxins.
E) all of the above

Answer 18

A) reduced decomposition of organic matter.

Question 19

The benefits of many pesticides are often short-lived, and their amounts must be increased for continued effectiveness because:
A) they react with their own breakdown products.
B) they select for evolution of resistance in target organisms.
C) they interact with other pesticides already in use.
D) they interact with various fertilizers applied to the same fields

Answer 19

B) they select for evolution of resistance in target organisms.

Question 20

Oil pollution is a serious problem throughout the world. Petroleum kills organisms by:
A) disrupting biological membranes. C) both of the above.
B) coating surfaces of organisms.

Answer 20

C) both of the above

Question 21

Under some circumstances, natural radioactive substances, such as radon gas, can become concentrated and pose a threat to human health.
A) True B) False

Answer 21

A) True

Question 22

Peaceful uses of nuclear power may eventually be limited by:
A) the risk of criminal or terrorist activities, including theft of fissionable material.
B) the risk of catastrophic accidents, such as the events in Chernobyl, Ukraine, in 1986.
C) the problem of finding a continued source of nuclear fuels.
D) the problem of disposing of nuclear wastes.

Answer 22

D) the problem of disposing of nuclear wastes.

Question 23

The Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone (1985) and the Montreal Protocol (1987) included agreements for the phasing out of:
A) nuclear weapons. C) chlorofluorocarbons.
B) synthetic pesticides. D) emissions of carbon dioxide.
E) smelting of heavy metals.

Answer 23

C) chlorofluorocarbons

Question 24

If you were asked to provide a “ballpark estimate” of global atmospheric CO2 concentrations at the beginning of the industrial revolution, you would choose:
A) 3 ppm. B) 30 ppm. C) 300 ppm. D) 3000 ppm.

Answer 24

C) 300 ppm

Question 25

We are concerned about global warming because we anticipate that global temperatures will become higher than any that have ever occurred on earth.
A) True B) False

Answer 25

B) False

Question 26

We know that the anthropogenic production of CO2 represents the single largest contributor to the greenhouse effect. What is another greenhouse gas that is also increasing as the result of human activities?
A) methane
B) nitrogen oxides
C) chlorinated hydrocarbons
D) ozone
E) all of the above

Answer 26

E) all of the above

Question 27

The oceans represent an important sink for anthropogenic CO2. In what form is the excess carbon stored?
A) as calcium carbonate sediments
B) as solid methane
C) as CO2 dissolved in water
D) as atomic carbon coatings on inorganic particulates
E) none of the above

Answer 27

A) as calcium carbonate sediments

Question 28

How might anthropogenic enhancement of the greenhouse effect result in increased primary production?
A) Warmer temperatures would lengthen the growing season and speed metabolism.
B) Enhanced CO2 concentrations would increase the rate of photosynthesis.
C) both of the above

Answer 28

C) both of the above

Question 29

Not all human activities contribute to heating of the atmosphere. Which of the following has a net effect favoring atmospheric cooling?
A) production of CO2
B) production of methane, nitrogen oxides, and chlorinated hydrocarbons
C) production of ozone
D) effects on albedo of the earth’s surface
E) all of the above

Answer 29

D) effects on albedo of the earth’s surface

Question 30

Which of the following ecosystem services is considered indirect and dependent more on maintenance of intact ecosystems and less on availability of particular species?
A) production of food
B) production of fiber
C) production of medicines
D) production of clean air and water
E) all of the above

Answer 30

D) production of clean air and water

Question 31

Estimates of earth’s carrying capacity for humans vary from about 0.6 billion to several tens of billions.
A) True B) False

Answer 31

A) True

Question 32

In the United States, how many kilojoules of fossil fuel energy are consumed for every kilojoule of food energy we consume?
A) 0.1 B) 1 C) 10 D) 100

Answer 32

C) 10

Question 33

If the present population of the United States had to meet its current energy needs through domestic production of renewable energy (production of ethanol from biomass), would this be possible, given the area of agricultural land suitable for production of crops that could be
converted into ethanol?
A) Yes B) No

Answer 33

B) No

Question 34

Although there is disagreement among ecologists about the carrying capacity of the earth for humans, there does seem to be agreement that the current population of the earth could not live sustainably if each individual had the standard of living currently enjoyed in the United States.
A) True B) False

Answer 34

A) True

Question 35

The greatest human challenge lies ahead. We have succeeded famously in becoming the technological species. Our survival now depends on our becoming the ecological species and taking our proper place in the economy of nature.
A) True B) False

Answer 35

A) True

Question 36

Populations of humpback, right, bowhead, blue, fin, sperm, and sei __________ were each decimated in turn by human hunting.

Answer 36

whales

Question 37

In sub-Saharan Africa, overgrazing and __________ have left little vegetation to support any life whatsoever.

Answer 37

fuelwood gathering

Question 38

Increased production of aquatic ecosystems, stimulated by the unintentional introduction of nutrients by humans, is referred to as cultural __________.

Answer 38

eutrophication

Question 39

__________ can sterilize aquatic environments downstream from coal mining operations.

Answer 39

Acid mine drainage

Question 40

Mercury, arsenic, lead, copper, nickel, and zinc are examples of __________ that can be toxic to
most forms of life.

Answer 40

heavy metals

Question 41

Organomercurials, chlorinated hydrocarbons, organophosphorus compounds, carbamates, and triazines are examples of organic __________.

Answer 41

pesticides

Question 42

DDT, lindane, chlordane, and dieldrin are examples of the class of pesticides referred to as __________.

Answer 42

chlorinated hydrocarbons

Question 43

The use of biological agents, including genetically engineered microorganisms, to clean up toxic materials in the environment is known as __________.

Answer 43

bioremediation

Question 44

Decreases in stratospheric ozone of 50% or more observed at high latitudes in both hemispheres have been termed __________.

Answer 44

ozone holes

Question 45

The __________ proposed by Mathis Wackernagel is a measure of the number of hectares of fertile cropland required to produce sufficient ethanol to meet the energy requirements of an individual human being.

Answer 45

ecological footprint