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ENV 121 > Exam 1 > Flashcards

Exam 1 Flashcards

1
Q

Biocentric preservationists, first led by John Muir, advocate saving natural areas for their

A

aesthetic and spiritual values and wildlife habitat

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2
Q

The human development index (HDI)

A

uses multiple factors including health, education, and poverty to compare the development of countries.

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3
Q

Which of the following presently provides 80 percent of the energy used in industrialized countries?

A

fossil fuels

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4
Q

One way to decrease the size of our ecological footprint is to

A

decrease consumption rates

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5
Q

Which of the following is NOT an ecosystem service?

A

high biodiversity

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6
Q

The text suggests there is not a strong connection between poverty and environmental degradation.

A

False

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7
Q

Most environmental problems result from

A

complex, interrelated problems

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8
Q

According to the U.N. Environment Programme how many species have gone extinct in the past century?

A

more than 800

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9
Q

The word “environment” comes from a French word that means

A

to surround

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10
Q

Utilitarian conservationists tend to believe that resources should be saved because they are important

A

for a strong economic system

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11
Q

The issue that racial and ethnic minorities face unusually high exposure to environmental hazards is a central argument to

A

environmental justice

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12
Q

________ constitutes 4.6 percent of the world’s people yet produces about 50 percent of all toxic waste.

A

The United States

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13
Q

Lead poisoning in children is an example that exemplifies the problem of ________ for minority children in the United States.

A

environmental racism

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14
Q

The National Park Service reflects a ________ approach while the Forest Service reflects a ________ approach.

A

biocentric preservationist; pragmatic utilitarian conservationist

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15
Q

The fundamental basis of environmental science as a discipline is the

A

human impact on the Earth

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16
Q

Which of the following is not true of the term environment?

A

The environment has issues for which there are no remedies.

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17
Q

In the fourth century B.C., the philosopher Plato wrote of the erosion and deforestation that ________ Greece.

A

had stripped the fine soils and forests of

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18
Q

Environmental justice can be seen as

A

both a local and an international issue.

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19
Q

Proponents of sustainable development argue that

A

development can proceed with minimal costs to the environment.

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20
Q

If everyone in the world lived a lifestyle similar to the average U.S. citizen we would need ________ more planets to support everyone.

A

four

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21
Q

The process by which science works is useful to the general public as well as to scientists.

A

True

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22
Q

Proof in science is always

A

open to question or new evidence.

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23
Q

Although your sister is not a scientist, she says that she uses scientific techniques in her everyday life. You do not believe her but she insists it is true. Which of the following examples could she use to best persuade you?

A

She put some tomatoes in the sun and some in the shade to see if the sun causes them to ripen faster.

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24
Q

Double-blind studies are especially useful in

A

health studies.

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25
Q

Which of the following does not apply to manipulative experiments?

A

They are useful for studying large scale geologic forces.

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26
Q

Experiments in which conditions are deliberately altered and all other variables are held constant are known as ________ experiments.

A

manipulative

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27
Q

Scientific paradigms can be characterized by all of the following except

A

once agreed upon remain unchanged forever.

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28
Q

In a food chain, grass absorbs sunlight to make sugar, the grass is eaten by a rabbit, and the rabbit is eaten by a fox. What is a throughput that connects this system?

A

energy

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29
Q

________ allow scientists to gather information about complicated and interrelated environmental systems.

A

models

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30
Q

Statistical tests

A

focus on determining the probability that observed phenomena occurred by chance.

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31
Q

Science as a method relies on

A

a process of evaluating evidence to understand the natural world.

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32
Q

Which of the following is not an important feature of science?

A

positive proof

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33
Q

A scientific consensus

A

All of these answers are correct

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34
Q

In experimentation, dependent variables are also known as ________ variables.

A

response

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35
Q

Homeostasis refers to

A

equilibrium

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36
Q

Which of the following scenarios are free from bias?

A

A scientist is conducting an experiment on liver disease that is funded by a university and has set up the experiment as a double-blind study testing of a new medication.

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37
Q

It is known that certain macroinvertebrates (small aquatic organisms) are sensitive to polluted waters. Stonefly larvae, for example, are very sensitive to polluted water and low dissolved oxygen. You collect a lot of stonefly larvae in your study of a local stream and conclude that this stream has high levels of dissolved oxygen and is minimally polluted. Your conclusion is an example of

A

deductive reasoning

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38
Q

Ideally, science

A

is orderly and methodical.

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39
Q

Albedo is a measurement of reflectivity of a surface. Ice has high reflectivity so light from the sun will reflect off of it. Water has a lower reflectivity so more light and heat are absorbed. As ice melts reflectivity decreases and more heat is absorbed by the ice leading to even more melt. This is an example of

A

positive feedback

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40
Q

The progress of science is mainly happens when a scientist working in isolation and discovers something very important.

A

False

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41
Q

Which have the most diverse diet?

A

omnivores

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42
Q

ATP energy is produced by cellular respiration to provide energy for the metabolic processes in an organism. Ultimately some of this energy is not used for work, but is released from the body as heat. How does this affect the food web?

A

There is overall less energy for the next trophic level than was consumed by the organism.

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43
Q

What implication(s) does the second law of thermodynamics have for biological systems regarding entropy?

A

A constant supply of energy is necessary for maintenance of biological systems.

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44
Q

A fat or oil is to a ________, as an enzyme is to a ________.

A

lipid; protein

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45
Q

Photosynthesis produces sugars from

A

water, carbon dioxide, and solar energy.

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46
Q

Cellular respiration is the process by which organisms

A

release energy from sugar for metabolic use.

47
Q

The process of ________ allows organisms to use inorganic molecules as an energy source.

A

chemosynthesis

48
Q

Potential energy is ________ energy.

A

stored

49
Q

A biological community consists of all

A

populations living and interacting in an area.

50
Q

Atoms of the same element but with different atomic mass are called

A

isotopes

51
Q

The conservation of matter principle is that matter

A

can neither be created nor destroyed.

52
Q

A population

A

consists of all individuals of a given species living in the same area.

53
Q

Nitrogen is an essential component of

A

amino acids and proteins

54
Q

Which of the following biogeochemical cycles does not have an atmospheric phase?

A

phosphorus cycle

55
Q

All members of a species that live in the same area, at the same time, make up a(n)

A

population

56
Q

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) contains billions of atoms and is very large. It would be considered a(n)

A

compound

57
Q

Which of the following has the highest quality energy?

A

an intense fire

58
Q

Molecules which regulate chemical processes without being used up are called

A

catalysts

59
Q

Photosynthesis is the process of converting ________ into ________ energy.

A

sunlight; chemical bond

60
Q

Although there are exceptions, in general, a species includes all organisms that are similar enough to

A

produce fertile offspring in nature.

61
Q

What is the energy of motion?

A

Kinetic energy

62
Q

What are two types of mechanical energy?

A

Kinetic and potential

63
Q

What kind of bonding is present in molecules?

A

Covalent bonding

64
Q

In order to understand a wide variety of issues that affect your life, it is important to be scientifically

A

literate

65
Q

The likelihood of an event occurring is estimated by

A

probability

66
Q

In descriptive statistics, the mean is basically

A

an average for a particular variable

67
Q

A bell-shaped probability curve demonstrates a(n) ______ distribution.

A

normal

68
Q

Determining the probability that observed results could have occurred by chance is accomplished through

A

statistics

69
Q

Many scientific tests are considered significant if there is less than________ percent probability that the results were achieved by random chance.

A

5

70
Q

What is a natural experiment?

A

Study of an event that has already occurred

71
Q

Manipulative experiments are those in which at least some of the conditions are

A

controlled

72
Q

Evidence of progress in reducing overpopulation and the increased strain on the environment it causes is best illustrated by

A

a decrease in the average number of children born to each woman

73
Q

Natural, manipulative, controlled, and blind experiments all contain one dependent and at least one independent

A

variable

74
Q

A network of processes and interdependent components through which matter and energy flow is a(n)

A

system

75
Q

A(n) ________ is a tabulation of the demands placed on nature by individuals or nations.

A

ecological footprint

76
Q

Which of the following is NOT a problem being addressed by environmental scientists?

A

creating a better transportation system for food distribution to the populace.

77
Q

Some of today’s leading environmental thinkers, such as Dr. Wangari Maathai of Kenya

A

are linking improved environmental quality with social progress

78
Q

Supplies of fossil fuels are

A

being steadily depleted

79
Q

The Mineral King Valley court case is important in environmental history because it was a case that argued for the

A

inherent value of trees, rocks, and wildlife.

80
Q

There is concern over the continued ability to provide adequate food for our growing population because

A

2/3 of all agricultural lands show signs of degradation.

81
Q

Sustainable development, ideally, improves living conditions

A

for generations in the future

82
Q

If everybody in the world used resources at the rate that people in the United States do,

A

our current resources would run out quickly.

83
Q

Environmental science is a ________

A

systematic approach in learning about the environment

84
Q

Which of the following is incorrect regarding quality of life indicators for the most-developed countries?

A

lower carbon dioxide emissions per capita

85
Q

Protecting fisheries and regulating fishing to protect fish stocks would be a component of which sustainable development goal?

A

life below water

86
Q

The earliest documented recognition that misuse of the natural environment can have nasty consequences was

A

Plato’s writings 2500 years ago.

87
Q

Poverty is usually passed on from one generation to the next through

A

the lack of available opportunities

88
Q

The idea of stewardship is that humans have a/the ________ the environment.

A

duty of care for

89
Q

Modern environmentalism is becoming well established in the United States. One of the main reasons for this is probably the ________ in the modern movement.

A

combination of activism and research

90
Q

The history of conservation and environmentalism is

A

traceable well back into human history

91
Q

Which of the following is not an example of a disturbance in an ecosystem?

A

shade

92
Q

In an ecosystem, throughput can refer to

A

something that can expand the size of state variables.

93
Q

In science, a theory is

A

an explanation supported by a substantial body of evidence.

94
Q

You are working on a research project growing plants in a greenhouse. You have two sets of plants: one exposed to a treatment while the other is not exposed to the same treatment. You are measuring the effect of the treatment on leaf production (number of leaves produced by the plant). Which of the following would be an incorrect way to describe your experiment?

A

The experiment is conducted in closed system because the plants are inside a building.

95
Q

Generally, distinguished scientists

A

may have different interpretations of the same evidence.

96
Q

Which of the following does not apply to manipulative experiments?

A

They are useful for studying large scale geologic forces.

97
Q

The statement, “Since every insect I have examined so far has six legs, I conclude that all insects must have six legs” is an example of

A

inductive reasoning

98
Q

The ability of an ecosystem to recover from a disturbance is known as

A

resilience

99
Q

Scientific paradigms can be characterized by all of the following except

A

once agreed upon remain unchanged forever.

100
Q

The damage to an ecosystem caused by a hurricane or flood can be referred to as

A

a disturbance

101
Q

What implication(s) does the law of conservation of matter have for humans?

A

Disposable goods are not going “away” when we throw them out.

102
Q

Nucleic acid is to ________, as lipid is to ________

A

genetic storage; cellular membrane structure

103
Q

As energy is used and transformed, it gradually becomes ________ quality and ________ concentrated.

A

lower; less

104
Q

Acids and bases are highly reactive; therefore, they can cause important environmental problems.

A

True

105
Q

The distinction between an organic compound and an inorganic compound is that organic compounds contain

A

carbon-carbon bonds

106
Q

On the electromagnetic spectrum of energy wavelengths, visible light falls nearest to

A

infared radiation

107
Q

The second law of thermodynamics states that as energy moves through different forms and systems, it gradually

A

dissipates and becomes unavailable

108
Q

Which of the following is not a step in the global nitrogen cycle?

A

photosynthesis

109
Q

Ecology is the study of

A

relationships between organisms and their environment.

110
Q

Which of the following is NOT an important carbon sink?

A

a smokestack at a coal-fired power plant

111
Q

What implication(s) does the second law of thermodynamics have for biological systems regarding entropy?

A

A constant supply of energy is necessary for maintenance of biological systems

112
Q

What is the source of all energy in an ecosystem?

A

the sun

113
Q

Which of the following is a description of an example of the second law of thermodynamics?

A

Some chemical energy in gasoline is transformed to heat while driving a car.

114
Q

The smallest particle exhibiting the characteristics of an element is a/an

A

atom

ENV 121 (4 decks)

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