Exam 1 (in class review) Flashcards
Which statement best describes environmental science?
A) It seeks to identify environmental problems
B) It brings together specialists from the natural sciences
C) It draws on the natural sciences and humanities to help us understand the world and our place in it.
D) It focuses on the basic ecology of natural environments.
C) It draws on the natural sciences and humanities to help us understand the world and our place in it.
Which of the following would be an example of applied science?
A) observing and recording the rate of glacier melt
B) studying soil to find the composition and water retention ability
C) understanding the potential energy of flowing water to harness its power to produce energy
D) analyzing ice cores to determine climate at a given time
C) understanding the potential energy of flowing water to harness its power to produce energy
Snow and particles can freeze and be trapped in ice, allowing scientists to find clues to the past. What did the ice core samples tell the scientists about the history of the Vikings in Greenland?
A) The Vikings used slabs of sod to insulate their houses when they lived there.
B) The temperature of the area lowered greatly during the time the Vikings lived in Greenland.
C) Soil erosion was a problem because the Vikings overgrazed the land.
D) The food source of the Vikings shifted from livestock to more dependency on seal meat.
B) The temperature of the area lowered greatly during the time the Vikings lived in Greenland
What is environmental literacy?
A) reading scientific literature and understanding how an experiment was performed
B) the ability to understand environmental problems
C) a personal philosophy that influences how one interacts with their natural environment
D) the scientific approach that investigates the natural world through observation and experimentation
B) the ability to understand environmental problems
Which of these is true of wicked problems?
A) They only have one cause.
B) Their potential solutions almost always come with trade-offs.
C) They have simple solutions.
D) They are simple and often have no consequences
B) Their potential solutions almost always come with trade-offs.
The triple bottom line considers the environmental, social, and ______ impact of our choices.
ethical
climatic
scientific
economic
economic
What is sustainable development?
A) increasing our present needs so future generations will have to adapt their needs to the conditions in the future
B) meeting our present needs while still allowing future generations to meet their own needs
C) decreasing our present needs significantly so future generations can have more than they need
D) meeting our present needs while not being concerned about the needs of future generations
B) meeting our present needs while still allowing future generations to meet their own needs
Many scientists suggest we have entered a new geologic time interval. What is the name of this new time interval?
Radiocence
Holocene
Anthropocene
Geocene
Anthropocone
Which of these is an example of acting sustainably?
A) using resources at or below their rate of replacement
B) exporting any wastes that our local environment cannot adequately dispose of
C) meeting the needs of today’s society with renewable and non-renewable local resources
D) using available local resources and importing other resources not found locally that we also need or want
A) using resources at or below their rate of replacement
A feral dog roams your neighborhood. The dog is scared, but obviously in poor health. She appears to have a contagious skin disease called mange and is suffering. Your friend John says the dog should be captured, and mercifully euthanized, so that she does not negatively effect the neighborhood’s reputation. Your friend Albert argues that the animal has the right to live. He wants to take her to the vet to see if she can be saved. John’s view is _____ , while Albert’s view is _____.
A) anthropocentric; biocentric
B) ecocentric; biocentric
C) ecocentric; anthropocentric
D) biocentric; ecocentric
A) anthropocentric; biocentric
Which of the following defines science?
A) only a body of knowledge about a subject
B) both a body of knowledge and the process used to get the knowledge
C) only the process used to get knowledge about a subject
D) only the experiment done to acquire data
B) both a body of knowledge and the process used to get the knowledge
Which of the following questions can be examined with empirical observations?
A) Is the death penalty wrong?
B) Does playing video games improve hand-eye coordination?
C) What is the meaning of life?
D) What is my cat thinking?
B) Does playing video games improve hand-eye coordination?
A possible explanation for what we have observed based on previous knowledge is
an inference.
an observation.
a hypothesis.
a prediction
hypothesis
Which of the following represents the highest level of certainty assigned to an explanation in science?
absolute proof
hypothesis
prediction
theory
theory
The difference in hibernation between bats with WNS and bats in normal hibernation is that
A) bats with WNS have lower metabolic rates than bats in normal hibernation.
B) bats with WNS have increased frequency of arousals.
C) bats in normal hibernation have higher metabolic rates than bats with WNS.
D) bats in normal hibernation have increased frequency of arousals.
B) bats with WNS have increased frequency of arousals.
In an experiment, which of the following is measured to see if it is affected?
the statistics
the dependent variable
the control group
the independent variable
Dependent variable
A group of scientists monitored plankton populations living in the southern oceans. They found that these populations did not perform as much photosynthesis in years when ozone depletion was high, compared to photosynthetic rates in years when ozone depletion was less.
This is an example of
an experimental study.
a variable study.
an observational study.
a manipulated study.
observational study
Based on population counts conducted in winter, a bat colony infected by WNS declined sharply in number, while an uninfected colony did not. This observation
A) shows a cause and effect relationship between WNS exposure and bat survival.
B) shows a correlation between WNS and number of bats.
C) comes from an experimental study on WNS and the effect on bats.
D) is a prediction that correctly proves that WNS causes bats to die.
B) shows a correlation between WNS and number of bats.
Observational studies cannot tell us
A) if one thing caused the other to happen.
B) whether two or more factors are related.
C) that two things occur together.
D) if there is correlational evidence between two things.
A) if one thing caused the other to happen.
A friend cautions you against using any household chemicals because she feels they are unsafe. She points to a study she read that provides evidence that Americans carry many toxic substances in their bodies, accumulated over time in their day to day activities. The evidence on which she bases her conclusion represents the logical fallacy known as
an appeal to authority.
a red herring.
a false dichotomy.
an ad hominem attack.
red herring
Which species would benefit from a warmer climate?
migratory birds
mosquitoes
polar bears
humans
mosquitoes
Which greenhouse gas could be up to 14,000 times as potent as CO2?
Halocarbons.
Methane.
Nitrous oxide.
Carbon monoxide.
Halocarbons.
Which statement is true of the Milankovitch cycles?
A) The axial tilt is greater now than it has been, giving us hotter summers and colder winters.
B) The axial precession is pointed toward the sun, increasing climate warming.
C) Earth is not currently a part of any cycle that would result in greater warming.
D) The orbital eccentricity cycle is currently putting the Earth closer to the sun.
C) Earth is not currently a part of any cycle that would result in greater warming.
The creosote bush of the Southwest desert produces toxins that prevent other plants from growing nearby. Which type of distribution would be seen in this population?
uniform distribution
irregular distribution
random distribution
clumped distribution
uniform distribution
