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envs 1126 final > exam 1 > Flashcards

exam 1 Flashcards

1
Q

The grasshopper population in a prairie is limited in large part by the number of birds in the region. Following a terrible storm that killed many of the birds, the grasshopper population exhibits exponential growth. This happens because
a) a steady biotic potential and increased environmental resistance.

b) a steady biotic potential but decreased environmental resistance.

c) a new biotic potential with decreased environmental resistance.

d) a new biotic potential with steady environmental resistance.

A

b) a steady biotic potential but decreased environmental resistance.

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2
Q

Consider the following statements: (I) In any energy conversion, some of the usable energy is always lost (II) Energy is neither created nor destroyed, but it may be converted from one form to another, (III) Systems will go spontaneously in one direction only, toward increasing entropy. Which of these are statements of the second law of thermodynamics?
a) I and II

b) II and III

c) I, II, and III

d) I and III

A

d) I and III

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3
Q

An average person might consume 2,000 Kilocalories of food in one day. This is enough energy to heat up how many 2-liter bottles of liquid water from 0 degrees Celsius to 100 degrees Celsius (just reaching the boiling point of water, but not turning the water into steam)?
a.
1 2-liter bottle

b.
5 2-liter bottles

c.
10 2-liter bottles

d.
20 2-liter bottles

A

c.
10 2-liter bottles

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4
Q

The population of game fish in a lake is under heavy fishing pressure. If too many fish are caught, the population will crash and future years of fishing will suffer. The game fish can exhibit logistic growth under certain circumstances. Assuming logistic growth, it would be best to manage this game fish population by permitting the harvesting of just enough fish to keep the game fish population
a.
at 10% of its carrying capacity.

b.
above its carrying capacity.

c.
at 50% its carrying capacity.

d.
at its full carrying capacity.

A

c.
at 50% its carrying capacity.

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5
Q

A population is growing exponentially with a doubling time of 1year. If the size of the population now is 100, what will be the size of the population 3 years from now?
a.
300

b.
200

c.
800

d.
400

A

c.
800

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6
Q

Which one of the following terrestrial biomes accounts for the greatest percentage of global surface area?
a.
Desert

b.
Tropical rain forest

c.
Coniferous forest

d.
Savanna

A

a.
Desert

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7
Q

The information of an energy pyramid reveals that if the sun’s energy could be measured in units like money, __________ would be the most expensive.
a.
Sunflower

b.
Mushroom

c.
Fox

d.
Squirrel

A

c.
Fox

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8
Q

Which of the following is an example of a Provisioning Ecosystem Service?
a.
Timber

b.
Photosynthesis

c.
Climate moderation

d.
Pest regulation

A

a.
Timber

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9
Q

According to this graph, which area has gone from being a net loser of forests to having a net gain of forests from 1990 to 2010?
(Q.9 - Change in forest area by region)
a.
Australia

b.
South America

c.
Africa

d.
Europe

e.
China

A

e.
China

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10
Q

The total allowable catch of a marine fish used for human food would be determined by calculating the
a.
minimum sustainable yield.

b.
maximum sustainable yield.

c.
carrying capacity of all species in the environment.

d.
maximum consumptive use.

A

b.
maximum sustainable yield.

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11
Q

Which one of the following is a proper scientific name of an organism?

a.
White oak tree

b.
American alligator

c.
Vibrio vulnificus

d.
Giant panda

A

c.
Vibrio vulnificus

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12
Q

Anaerobic respiration

a.
is a type of photosynthesis that does not require carbon dioxide.

b.
produces oxygen, which is used to break down glucose and other sugars.

c.
occurs without oxygen and may produce methane gas or ethanol.

d.
typically results in major increases of biomass.
Feedback

A

c.
occurs without oxygen and may produce methane gas or ethanol.

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13
Q

You watched a video on American Alligator in the Florida Everglades in your envs1126 class. The alligators play a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of the Everglades. For this reason, the American alligator is considered a ______species.

a.
invasive species

b.
keystone species

c.
endangered species

d.
introduced species

A

b.
keystone species

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14
Q

The muddy Mississippi River, transporting soils that have eroded from farm fields, represents a mixing of the

a.
hydrosphere and biosphere.

b.
biosphere and atmosphere.

c.
atmosphere and lithosphere.

d.
lithosphere and hydrosphere.

A

d.
lithosphere and hydrosphere.

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15
Q

Which one of the following represents the process of cellular respiration?

a.
2NO3- + 10e- + 12H+ ==> N2+ 6H2O

b.
6CO2 + 6H2O ==> C6H12O6 + 6O2

c.
N2+ 3H2 ==> 2NH3

d.
C6H12O6+ 6O2 ==> 6CO2 +6H2O

A

d.
C6H12O6+ 6O2 ==> 6CO2 +6H2O

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16
Q

In a chemical reaction,

a.
atoms are rearranged to form different kinds of matter.

b.
new atoms are formed.

c.
atoms are destroyed.

d.
new elements are formed.

A

a.
atoms are rearranged to form different kinds of matter.

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17
Q

The maximum population of a particular species that an ecosystem can support without that ecosystem being negatively impacted, such as the maximum number of rabbits that can live in a forest without a massive loss of vegetation, is known as the __________ of that ecosystem.

a.
carrying capacity

b.
critical number

c.
maximum sustainable yield

d.
tipping point

A

a.
carrying capacity

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18
Q

Hardening of urban streams in the name of flood control is an example of which one of the letters of the acronym HIPPO?

a.
H

b.
P

c.
O

d.
I

A

a.
H

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19
Q

Some farmers in the Midwest rotate their crops from year to year, switching from soybeans to corn on the same fields. What is one of the advantages of doing this?

a.
Both crops require the same fertilizing supplies, so farmers save by buying fertilizer in bulk.

b.
Corn adds large amounts of phosphorus to the soil, which helps the soybean crop.

c.
Soybeans add large amounts of carbon dioxide to the soil, which helps the corn crop.

d.
The corn crop benefits from reactive nitrogen fixed through a biological process called nitrogen fixation and added to the soil by the soybean crop.

A

d.
The corn crop benefits from reactive nitrogen fixed through a biological process called nitrogen fixation and added to the soil by the soybean crop.

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20
Q

As environmental systems have declined, human well-being has improved. What is the most probable reason for this “Environmentalist’s Paradox”?

a.
Enhanced food production has outweighed declines in ecosystem services.

b.
Humans are adapted to degraded environments.

c.
Degradation of environmental systems has not been measured properly and in fact has not declined.

d.
Human well-being has not been measured properly and in fact has not improved.

A

a.
Enhanced food production has outweighed declines in ecosystem services.

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21
Q

Which one of the following is not one of the vital concepts that move societies toward a sustainable future?

a.
Stewardship

b.
Security

c.
Sustainability

d.
Sound science

A

b.
Security

22
Q

Which one of the following is not involved in maintaining population equilibrium?

a.
Disease

b.
Predation

c.
Food supply

d.
Competition

A

a.
Disease

23
Q

Which one of the following statements is true?

a.
R-strategists have low biotic potential and good recruitment most of the time

b.
R-strategists have low biotic potential and poor recruitment most of the time

c.
R-strategists have high biotic potential and poor recruitment most of the time

d.
R-strategists have high biotic potential and good recruitment most of the time

A

c.
R-strategists have high biotic potential and poor recruitment most of the time

24
Q

Bacterial denitrification is an anaerobic process that converts NO3- to

a.
NH4+ (ammonium)

b.
Organic nitrogen

c.
N2 (nitrogen gas).

d.
None of the above

A

c.
N2 (nitrogen gas).

25
Q

The arapaima is a destructive invasive species in Florida but has not been detected in Louisiana and it is unknown whether it can survive here. If the government decided to ban the import of arapaima in Louisiana, this would be an application of:

a.
Biodiversity restoration

b.
Habitat restoration

c.
The precautionary principle

d.
The tragedy of the commons

A

c.
The precautionary principle

26
Q

A consequence of the second law of thermodynamics is that

a.
We cannot create or destroy energy

b.
In every conversion from one energy source to another (e.g., coal to electricity) some energy is lost

c.
Fossil fuels build up naturally because they are low entropy

d.
Ecological succession cannot occur because it destroys the earth’s entropy

A

b.
In every conversion from one energy source to another (e.g., coal to electricity) some energy is lost

27
Q

Which of the following best illustrates sustainability?

a.
converting automobiles from gasoline to natural gas as a new source of fuel

b.
constructing coal mines that do not require extensive surface excavations

c.
increasing our reliance upon renewable sources of energy

d.
upgrading or replacing computers every few years to improve performance

A

c.
increasing our reliance upon renewable sources of energy

28
Q

Driving along a highway, you start noticing plants with tiny blue flowers. Several miles later, these flowers are very abundant. Then even further, the flowers become less abundant, until finally, you do not see them at all. The regions with just a few of these plants represent the plant’s

a.
optimal range.

b.
resource reservoirs.

c.
optimal habitats.

d.
zones of stress.

A

d.
zones of stress.

29
Q

What is the difference between preservation and conservation?

a.
preservation focuses on intrinsic value while conservation focuses on instrumental value

b.
preservation focuses on sustaining cultural ecosystem services while conservation focuses on sustaining regulating ecosystem services

c.
preservation and conservation are synonyms and have the same meaning

d.
preservation focuses on consumptive use while conservation focuses on productive use

A

a.
preservation focuses on intrinsic value while conservation focuses on instrumental value

30
Q

Biologically available nitrogen can be added to aquatic systems

a.
by nitrogen fixation and lost by nitrification

b.
by denitrification and lost by nitrogen fixation

c.
by nitrification and lost by denitrification

d.
by nitrogen fixation and lost by denitrification

A

d.
by nitrogen fixation and lost by denitrification

31
Q

You watched a TED-Ed video on the tragedy of the commons in your envs1126 class. Which of the following is not true?

a.
Ecologist Garrett Hardin revived the concept to describe what happens when many individuals all share a limited resource, like grazing lands and fishing areas.

b.
When the tragedy of the commons applies, maximizing use of a limited resource for the self in the short term is optimal for anyone in the long term.

c.
The concept describes how shared environmental resources are overused and depleted by rational individuals, highlighting the conflict between individual and collective rationality.

d.
The phenomenon was first described in a pamphlet by economist William Forster Lloyd in 1883 in a discussion of the overgrazing of cattle on village common areas.

e.
The key feature of a tragedy of the commons is that it provides an opportunity for an individual to benefit them while spreading out any negative effects across the larger population.

A

b.
When the tragedy of the commons applies, maximizing use of a limited resource for the self in the short term is optimal for anyone in the long term.

32
Q

A(n) _____ describes a transitional region where a grassland and forest meet.

a.
community

b.
ecosystem

c.
ecotone

d.
population

A

c.
ecotone

33
Q

A poacher kills polar bears in Alaska and ships their skins to buyers in Asia. The poacher is most likely in violation of laws that come from the

a.
World Wildlife Fund and the Alaska Wildlife Alliance.

b.
Endangered Species Coalition and the Animal Protection Institute.

c.
ESA and CITES.

d.
National Wildlife Association and Audubon Society.

A

c.
ESA and CITES.

34
Q

You are enjoying a salad with lettuce coated by mushrooms, tomatoes, carrots, and bits of bacon from grain-fed pigs. Your salad represents

a.
only producers and consumers.

b.
only producers and carnivores.

c.
only producers.

d.
producers, consumers, and decomposers.

A

d.
producers, consumers, and decomposers.

35
Q

Which one of the following is not an example of resource partitioning?

a.
Several different bird species feed in different parts of the same trees

b.
Bats eat insects at night, and swallows eat insects during the day

c.
Wildflowers in temperate forests sprout in the early spring before the trees grow leaves to avoid competition with the trees for light

d.
Male songbirds sing to defend their territory during the nesting season

A

d.
Male songbirds sing to defend their territory during the nesting season

36
Q

Which of the following kinds of property rights is associated with the Tragedy of the Commons?

a.
open access

b.
state ownership

c.
communal ownership

d.
private ownership

A

a.
open access

37
Q

The lion and hyena are both top predators in the African savanna. How are these two predators able to coexist in the same habitat?

a.
They form a mutualistic relationship.

b.
Humans manage their populations so they can coexist peacefully.

c.
They do not have identical niches.

d.
Hyenas are r-selected and therefore able to reproduce faster than lions can kill them.

A

c.
They do not have identical niches.

38
Q

Biodiversity hot spots are vulnerable to species loss. Which of the following would be most likely to be identified as a biodiversity hot spot?

a.
Rain forests in Brazil

b.
Soybean fields in the United States

c.
Arctic seas

d.
Mountains in Canada

A

a.
Rain forests in Brazil

39
Q

A volcano in the Pacific Ocean has just erupted and created a new island off the coast of California. After a long period of time, moss will start growing from the rocks that make up the entire Island. This process is an example of ___.

a.
Climax ecosystem

b.
Aquatic succession

c.
Primary succession

d.
Secondary succession

A

c.
Primary succession

40
Q

What type of biome would you expect to find in a region where temperatures and precipitation are high year round?

a.
tundra

b.
savanna

c.
hot desert

d.
temperate deciduous forest

e.
tropical rainforest

A

e.
tropical rainforest

41
Q

The species that are most vulnerable to extinction are those, which are

a.
endemic and limited to a single population.

b.
genetically diverse and found in many regions.

c.
endemic and widespread in several large regions.

d.
widespread but are not dominant in an ecosystem.

A

a.
endemic and limited to a single population.

42
Q

What is tested when the scientific method is used?

a.
Observation

b.
Conclusion

c.
Experiment

d.
Hypothesis

A

d.
Hypothesis

43
Q

Which one of the following statements is true about methane (CH4)?

a.
Methane is an organic molecule and a greenhouse gas.

b.
This choice was deleted after the attempt was started.

c.
Methane is an inorganic molecule and a fuel.

d.
Methane is an inorganic molecule and a greenhouse gas.

A

a.
Methane is an organic molecule and a greenhouse gas.

44
Q

Decades of excessive pollution has caused a wetland to reach its ecosystem tipping point. This wetland has

a.
reached its Climax community

b.
been damaged, but could recover if the pollution stopped

c.
undergone ecological succession

d.
been disturbed too greatly for restoration

A

d.
been disturbed too greatly for restoration

45
Q

In logistic growth, how does population growth change as the population nears its carrying capacity?

a.
population growth typically crashes when a population reaches its carrying capacity

b.
population growth remains steady

c.
population growth decreases

d.
population growth increases

A

c.
population growth decreases

46
Q

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most important greenhouse gas released to the atmosphere through human activities. It is also influenced by natural exchange with the land and ocean. The figure here shows concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere from the late 1950s to the present time. In addition to the long term trend of increasing CO2 concentrations, the concentrations also oscillate up and down by several parts per million on an annual basis. Which of the following helps explain the seasonal changes in CO2?
(exam 1 q. 46)

a.
All of the above

b.
During Northern Hemisphere fall and winter months, CO2 is released to the atmosphere through respiration when plants begin to lose their leaves and decay.

c.
During Northern Hemisphere spring and summer months, plants absorb a significant amount of CO2 through photosynthesis, thus removing it from the atmosphere.

d.
During Northern Hemisphere fall and winter months, fewer plants remove CO2 from the atmosphere.

A

a.
All of the above

47
Q

The nutrients that support plant growth in natural terrestrial ecosystems are supplied mainly by

a.
chemosynthetic bacteria

b.
eluviation

c.
breakdown of detritus

d.
weathering of rocks
Feedback

A

c.
breakdown of detritus

48
Q

A form of a biome is largely predicted by its

a.
diversity of plant and animal species.

b.
temperature and rainfall.

c.
distance from the ocean

d.
diversity of soil microorganisms.

A

b.
temperature and rainfall.

49
Q

Chemoautotrophic organisms are classified as producers because they:

a.
use the energy of chemicals to manufacture organic molecules.

b.
can produce their own energy from organic molecules.

c.
use the energy of sunlight to manufacture organic molecules.

d.
do not need energy to manufacture organic molecules.

A

a.
use the energy of chemicals to manufacture organic molecules.

50
Q

Density-independent factors such as earthquakes and hurricanes are

a.
biotic factors that are not involved in maintaining a population near its equilibrium.

b.
abiotic factors that maintain a population near equilibrium.

c.
abiotic factors that are not involved in maintaining a population near its equilibrium.

d.
biotic factors that maintain a population near equilibrium.
Feedback

A

c.
abiotic factors that are not involved in maintaining a population near its equilibrium.

envs 1126 final (5 decks)

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